Bill Burroughs and Jack Kerouac locked in Mortal Combat with Moroccan dagger versus broomstick clear on the couch—they had its hold still a full second which I steadied camera on back of chair. They’d known each other nine years by then. Jack came in from Richmond Hill he’d finished Maggie Cassady, Bill stayed with me in two room apartment consolidating Yage Letters, he’d sent over the year from Peru and Ecuador. 206 East 7th st. Apt 16 Manhattan, September-October 1953.
1953, printed later
Artist, American, 1926 - 1997
Artwork overview
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Medium
gelatin silver print
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Credit Line
-
Dimensions
image: 26.5 x 40.4 cm (10 7/16 x 15 7/8 in.)
sheet: 40.3 x 50.3 cm (15 7/8 x 19 13/16 in.) -
Accession
2011.146.8
Artwork history & notes
Provenance
Allen Ginsberg Estate; Gary and Ellen Davis, Greenwich, CT; gift to NGA, 2011.
Associated Names
Inscriptions
signed and captioned by artist, across bottom in black ink: Bill Burroughs and Jack Kerouac locked in Mortal Combat w/Moroccan dagger versus broomstick / clear on the couch—they had its hold still a full second which I steadied camera on back of chair. They’d / known each other nine years by then. Jack came in from Richmond Hill he’d finished [underline] Maggie Cassady, Bill stayed with me in two room apartment consolidating [underline] Yage Letters, he’d sent over the / year from Peru and Equdor. 206 East 7th st. Apt 16 Manhattan, September-October 1953. / Allen Ginsberg; on verso, by unknown hand, bottom center in graphite: GD-AG-33; bottom right: 18/162 / Fall 1953 / NY / GDC-587