Skip to main content

Harriet Rosentstein's Sylvia Plath Collection

Harriet Rosenstein's Sylvia Plath collection (Update) (More Info) has started to appear on the market nearly two and a half years after it appeared briefly for sale, en masse, online. Originally offered for $875,000, the collection was the subject of a lawsuit between Smith College, Rosenstein, and the bookseller, Ken Lopez.

Famously the fourteen letters from Plath to Dr. Ruth Beuscher are now held by Smith College, and the letters themselves were included at almost the last moment to Volume II.

However, the bulk of Rosenstein's collection was purchased by Emory University where it is now open for research. See the finding aid here, and please not it is also linked on the Sylvia Plath Archival Materials page on A celebration, this is. I am grateful to Carrie Hintz for the notice of the collections availability.

Pieces of the Rosenstein Plath collection are for sale from Peter Grogan Rare Books (ABE page), a fantastic bookseller, based in England. One item, Grogan's Item #20198, does not appear to have any relevance to her research on Plath.

Winter Trees
PLATH, SYLVIA

Published by Faber & Faber, London (1971)

US$ 93.17

About this Item: Faber & Faber, London, 1971. First edition. Plath's putative first biographer Harriet Rosenstein's copy, with her note laid-in. An excellent copy in very slightly rubbed and nicked dustwrapper. Seller Inventory # 20194


Crossing the Water
PLATH, SYLVIA

Published by Faber & Faber, London (1971)

US$ 310.56

About this Item: Faber & Faber, London, 1971. First edition. Plath's putative first biographer Harriet Rosenstein's copy, with her occasional markings and one or two notes to text. A very good copy in somewhat soiled and rubbed dustwrapper chipped at head and base of spine. Seller Inventory # 20195


Wreath for a Bridal
PLATH, SYLVIA

Published by Sceptre Press, Fransham, Surrey (1970)

US$ 242.23

About this Item: Sceptre Press, Fransham, Surrey, 1970. First edition - one of 100 copies on Glastonbury paper, this copy out-of-series (Tabor A7). An excellent copy with one or two tiny spots of soiling. Seller Inventory # 20197


Elsa's Housebook: A Woman's Photojournal
PLATH, SYLVIA). DORFMAN, ELSE

Published by David R. Godine, Boston (1974)

US$ 155.28

About this Item: David R. Godine, Boston, 1974. First edition. Laid-in are two autograph postcards signed by the author to academic and Sylvia Plath scholar Harriet Rosenstein of whom there is a photgraph in the book, with an accompanying note. Wrappers faded around spine but a very good copy. Seller Inventory # 20198


Specimen page and publisher's prospectus for Crystal Gazer and Other Poems
PLATH, SYLVIA

Published by Rainbow Press, London (1971)

US$ 186.33

About this Item: Rainbow Press, London, 1971. Promotional materials for the first publication from Olwyn and Ted Hughes's private press venture. Together with an a.l.s. from Olwyn to Harriet Rosenstein. Small area of foxing to specimen page else in excellent condition. Seller Inventory # 20199


Tri-Quarterly: The Art of Sylvia Plath
PLATH, SYLVIA

Published by Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, Fall (1966)

US$ 62.11

About this Item: Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, Fall, 1966. First edition. Plath's putative first biographer Harriet Rosenstein's copy, with her ownership signature and a few notes on a 5 x 3 card laid-in. Includes a selection of eighteen poems by Sylvia Plath - still little-known in her own country, despite the publication of Aerial and with the first USA edition of The Bell Jar still five years distant - plus critical essays by Ted Hughes, A.Alvarez, Anne Sexton and a biographical essay by Lois Ames. A very good copy in somewhat soiled and rubbed wrappers. Seller Inventory # 20200


15 original photographs of Plath and her children taken in December 1962
PLATH, SYLVIA

Published by 5 x 3 inches, North Tawton, Devon (1962)

US$ 5,590.03

About this Item: 5 x 3 inches, North Tawton, Devon, 1962. Sylvia Plath poses with her children for a poignant series of snapshots taken in the sitting room at Court Green by Susan O'Neill Roe (nanny and dedicatee of "Cut") shortly before the final flight back to London. In excellent condition. Sample images available upon request. Seller Inventory # 20201


Seven early poems to `The Harvard Advocate'
PLATH, SYLVIA (CONTRIBUTES)

Published by Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, May (1967)

US$ 62.11

About this Item: Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, May, 1967. First edition. Includes a series of seven early poems (including `Danse Macabre' and `Mad Girl's Love Song') by Sylvia Plath. A near fine copy in stapled wrappers and quite scarce. Seller Inventory # 20202


Four early poems to `Cambridge Review'
PLATH, SYLVIA (CONTRIBUTES)

Published by Cambridge, 7 February (1969)

US$ 93.17

About this Item: Cambridge, 7 February, 1969. First edition, edited by Simon Schama. Includes four early poems (written at Cambridge and including `Street Song' and `Natural History') by Sylvia Plath and a piece about them by Al Alvarez. A near fine copy in stapled wrappers and distinctly scarce. Seller Inventory # 20206


Sylvia Plath's Growing Popularity with College Students" to `University - a Princeton Quarterly'
PLATH, SYLVIA). HIGGINS, JUDITH - CONTRIBUTES

Published by Princeton University, New Jersey, Fall (1973)

US$ 31.06

About this Item: Princeton University, New Jersey, Fall, 1973. First edition. An extended `Inquiry into a Literary Phenomon' with two illustrations and a potted biography of Sylvia Plath. A near fine copy in stapled wrappers and quite scarce. Seller Inventory # 20207


Two reel-to-reel tapes of a reading by Sylvia Plath and an interview with her by Peter Orr
PLATH, SYLVIA

Published by The British Council - Recorded Sound Section, [London] (1962)

US$ 1,552.79

About this Item: The British Council - Recorded Sound Section, [London], 1962. Later dubbings made in 1969-70 by Peter Orr of The British Council of two tapes: i) Plath's reading of 15 poems as part of the "Contemporary Poets" series (31 minutes and 55 seconds); and ii) her interview with Orr for the series entitled "The Poet Speaks" (14 minutes and 30 seconds) both recorded in London on 30 October1962. In original British Council boxes with internal labels. [Together with] Copies of various BBC records of Plath and Hughes's work for them comprising lists of broadcasts and repeats, scripts, transcriptions of broadcasts etc. All in very good condition. Seller Inventory # 20212


Original negative of a photograph of Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes
PLATH, SYLVIA

Published by image size 3.5 x 3.5 cms c.1958-9, [Yorkshire] (1958)

US$ 931.67

About this Item: image size 3.5 x 3.5 cms c.1958-9, [Yorkshire], 1958. Original negative of an unknown photograph of Plath and Hughes taken in Yorkshire, most likely before their departure for the USA in June 1957. A double-exposed image showing Edith Hughes hovering above the apparently happy couple. It would be foolish to speculate whether this image may have been influential in Plath's choice of Double Exposure as the working-title of her final, lost novel. In excellent condition, together with a modern b&w print (somewhat creased). Seller Inventory # 20218


Original photograph with signature of Otto Plath
PLATH, SYLVIA). PLATH, OTTO

Published by image 4 x 3 inches c.1920?? (1920)

US$ 1,180.12

About this Item: image 4 x 3 inches c.1920??, 1920. Original print of a black-and-white photograph of Otto Plath with his autograph signature "Otto E. Plath" attached alongside. A little-known fact is that Sivvy's wannabe-Fascist daddy was once described by a senior colleague as "the most dedicated and bitter misogynist whom I have known" [and that Otto repeatedly said] "all women are evil." Go figure. Image and signature taped to card backing but in very good condition. Seller Inventory # 20219


A small collection of photographs of North Tawton
PLATH, SYLVIA

Published by various sizes c. 1948-1962, v.p., v.d. (1948)

US$ 310.56

About this Item: various sizes c. 1948-1962, v.p., v.d., 1948. Seven small original b&w prints of North Tawton (and distant views of the beehives at Court Green) taken by John Avery. MORE. Seller Inventory # 20220

All links accessed 14 August 2019 and 7 January 2020.
All items prices listed were obtained on 14 August 2019.

Popular posts from this blog

Famous Quotes of Sylvia Plath

Sylvia Plath inspires us all in various and wonderful ways. She is in many respects a form of comfort to us, which is something that Esther Greenwood expresses in The Bell Jar , about a bath: "There must be quite a few things a hot bath won't cure, but I don't know many of them. Whenever I'm sad I'm going to die, or so nervous I can't sleep, or in love with somebody I won't be seeing for a week, I slump down just so far and then I say: 'I'll go take a hot bath.'" We read and remember Sylvia Plath for many reasons, many of them deeply personal and private. But we commemorate her, too, in very public ways, as Anna of the long-standing Tumblr Loving Sylvia Plath , has been tracking, in the form of tattoos. (Anna's on Instagram with it too, as SylviaPlathInk .) The above bath quote is among Sylvia Plath's most famous. It often appears here and there and it is stripped of its context. But I think most people will know it is from her nove

Sylvia Plath's Gravestone Vandalized

The following news story appeared online this morning: HEPTONSTALL, ENGLAND (APFS) - The small village of Heptonstall is once again in the news because of the grave site of American poet Sylvia Plath. The headstone controversy rose to a fever pitch in 1989 when Plath's grave was left unmarked for a long period of time after vandals repeatedly chiseled her married surname Hughes off the stone marker. Author Nick Hornby commented, "I like Plath, but the controversy reaching its fever pitch in the 80s had nothing to do with my book title choice." Today, however, it was discovered that the grave was defaced but in quite an unlikely fashion. This time, Plath's headstone has had slashed-off her maiden name "Plath," so the stone now reads "Sylvia Hughes." A statement posted on Twitter from @masculinistsfortedhughes (Masculinists for Ted Hughes) has claimed responsibility saying that, "We did this because as Ted Hughes' first wife, Sylvia de

Sylvia Plath and McLean Hospital

In August when I was in the final preparations for the tour of Sylvia Plath The Bell Jar sites, I found that I had long been mistaken about a couple of things. This is my coming clean. It was my intention in this blog post to discuss just McLean, but I found myself deeply immersed in other aspects of Plath's recovery. The other thing I was mistaken about will be discussed in a separate blog post. I suppose I need to state from the outset that I am drawing conclusions from Plath's actual experiences from what she wrote in The Bell Jar and vice versa, taking information from the novel that is presently unconfirmed or murky and applying it to Plath's biography. There is enough in The Bell Jar , I think, based on real life to make these decisions. At the same time, I like to think that I know enough to distinguish where things are authentic and where details were clearly made up, slightly fudged, or out of chronological order. McLean Hospital was Plath's third and last