Patti Smith Returns to Ground Zero : Goldmine Magazine (Hand Signed by Patti Smith), from the Gotham Book Mart collection, 1998

Patti Smith Returns to Ground Zero : Goldmine Magazine (Hand Signed by Patti Smith), from the Gotham Book Mart collection, 1998

Goldmine magazine on broadsheet (Hand Signed by Patti Smith) from the Gotham Book Mart Collection

Boldly signed in black ink by Patti Smith; superb provenance
Provenance: sale of the collection of Edward Gorey and Gotham Book Mart.
In retrospect, the title of the cover story of this 1998 magazine "Patti Smith Returns to Ground Zero" is eery, if not prescient, as it was published three years before the term 'Ground Zero' would be forever associated with the site of the 9/11/2001 terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center. It's jarring and unnerving to see this title, as "Ground Zero" would never have been used post-9/11 to refer simply to a metaphorical square one, or first principles; today, the term refers to an actual geographical location with no other secondary meaning. The article itself is fascinating, and the title is a conversation piece.
What else has changed? In 1998, Goldmine Magazine for record collector & music memorabilia magazine was produced on newsprint in a tabloid format. In recents years, it had a radical overhaul, complete with more color photography and more interviews, and these days the format is a large full-color, glossy magazine - no longer on the old broadsheet, like this 1998 publication featuring Patti Smith on the cover. Vintage, historic anachronistic, collectible, and coveted - this hand signed magazine is a must have for any serious fan of Patti Smith. Provenance is superb as it was acquired from the sale of the collection of Edward Gorey and Gotham Book Mart. The Gotham Book Mart was a famous Midtown Manhattan bookstore and cultural landmark that operated from 1920 to 2007. The business was located first in a small basement space on West 45th Street near the Theater District, then moved to 51 West 47th Street, then spent many years at 41 West 47th Street within the Diamond District in Manhattan, New York City, before finally moving to 16 East 46th Street. Beyond merely selling books, the store virtually played as a literary salon, hosting meetings of the Finnegans Wake Society, the James Joyce Society, poetry and author readings, art exhibits, and more. It was known for its distinctive sign above the door which read, "Wise Men Fish Here" (sign created by artist John Held Jr.). The store specialized in poetry, literature, books about theater, art, music and dance. It sold both new books as well as out-of-print and rare books. It published books by Andy Warhol, and a slew of celebrities and literary figures were associated with this venerated place. The bulk of the collection was donated to the University of Pennsylvania.
This historic piece has been elegantly floated and framed in a museum quality painted white wood frame under UV plexiglass.
Measurements:
Framed
18 inches (vertical) by 15 inches (horizontal) by 2 inches
Signed magazine:
14 inches (vertical) by 11 inches (horizontal)

PATTI SMITH
Patti Smith (American, b.1946) is a singer-songwriter, poet, and visual artist, known for her role in the punk rock movement of the 1970s. Born in Chicago, and raised in South Jersey, she studied at Glassboro State Teachers College, before moving to New York City in 1967. There, she met and befriended Robert Mapplethorpe, with whom she maintained a close friendship and artistic partnership until his death.

Throughout the 1970s, Smith developed a reputation as a poet and performance artist. In 1975, she released her debut album, Horses, which would go on to become one of the most influential and critically successful albums of all time.

In 1979, and continuing into the 1980s, Smith largely disappeared from the public scene, moving to Detroit with her husband, MC5 guitarist, Fred “Sonic” Smith, and devoting herself to domestic life.

Following her husband’s death in 1994, Smith returned to the music and art scene, beginning with her successful comeback album, Gone Again.

She has also been featured a number of art exhibitions, including Strange Messenger at the Andy Warhol Museum in 2002, and Rockaway!, hosted by MoMA PS1 in 2014. In addition, Smith was named a Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture in 2005, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007.