DALI, SALVADOR
50 Secrets of Magic Craftsmanship. New York: The Dial Press, 1948. First trade edition, presentation copy inscribed in French by Dali to John Perona on the half-title in French, written in green ink, signed and dated 1949, the lower half of the page with a finely rendered pen drawing in the same ink of a nude embracing a horse, set against a surreal background. Publisher's black cloth lettered in gilt. 12 1/4 x 9 1/4 inches (31 x 23 cm); 192 pp., illustrated throughout in black and white. Light wear to the head of the spine, slight loss of spine gilt, overall a clean sound copy.
The intricate inscription is essentially part of the drawing itself. Addressed to the proprietor of the legendary nightclub El Morocco, at which Dali was a frequent guest, it reads "Pour John Perona/createur de la mythologie/Nocturnal/de New York/Avec la complicite/de/Mediterraneene/son Ami/Salvador Dali/1949."