Patti Smith, Voice Choices (hand signed by Patti Smith) from the Gotham Book Mart collection, 2001

Patti Smith

Voice Choices (hand signed by Patti Smith) from the Gotham Book Mart collection, 2001

Offset print broadsheet, hand signed in ink on the cover

Unframed

This cover, hand signed by Patti Smith, is from "Voice Choices" - a feature of the legendary Village Voice magazine, dated April 2001 - five months before 9/11/2001 when everything changed in the downtown Manhattan scene. A terrific collectible for Patti Smith fans. 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.