Bagged in silk slip cover & housed in black lacquer box
Printed on Vietnamese Do Paper
Edition Size 100 with 10 additional artist's proofs
11"x14"x2"
116 pages
2000
$3,000 USD
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Each book is numbered and signed by Charles Fenn and C. David Thomas. The books are printed on Vietnamese do (mulberry) paper hand-made in Dong O Village in northern Vietnam. The text pages have been varnished to make them more translucent. The images are printed from a Hewlett Packard DeskJet 970Cse. The text is printed by letterpress in Monotype Bembo by Wolfe Editions in Portland, Maine. Each book is presented in a lacquer box handmade by craftsmakers in the Hanoi area. The lacquer box is contained in a handmade silk slip cover also custom made in Vietnam.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
An Artist's Portrait of Ho Chi Minh
By C. David Thomas
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As far as we know, Ho never kept a prose diary. The purpose of this work of imaginative reconstruction (i.e. Diary) is to evoke a sense of his personal engagement with the events of his time. The author, Charles Fenn, knew and worked with Ho Chi Minh for a brief period during WW II and trained him and his delegates in the use of American arms being supplied to the Vietnamese. This “diary” is based on historical documents but should not be taken literally. Although fictional, the “diary” is based on factual information found at the bottom of each page. Also included are passages from Prison Diary, a collection of poems written by Ho Chi Minh while he was in prison in China in 1942-43, as well as two stories told by Mr. Vu Ky and Mr. Dinh Duong Dinh, two of Ho’s closest associates, and poems by several of Vietnam’s leading poets.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
1998 photograph of David Thomas presenting General Vo Nguyen Giap (25 August 1911 – 4 October 2013) and his wife Nguyen Bich Ha with a copy of his artist’s book on President Ho Chi Mnh.
Partial List of Collections:
GIFTS
Charles Fenn, Schull, Ireland
David Wolfe, Wolfe Editions, Portland, ME
General Vo Nguyen Giap, Ha Noi, Viet Nam
Ho Chi Minh Museum, Ha Noi, Viet Nam
Ho Chi Minh Museum, Hue City, Viet Nam
Madame Binh, Hanoi, Vietnam
Mr. Pham Gia Khiem, Deputy Prime Minister, Ha Noi, Vietnam
Mrs. Vu Giang Huong, Secretary General Vietnam Fine Arts Association, Ha Noi, Viet Nam
Nguyen Sinh Hung, President of the National
President Tran Duc Luong, Ha Noi, Viet Nam
President William J. Clinton, Washington, DC
TIDE Foundation, Boston, MA
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PRIVATE COLLECTIONS
Ed Russell, Graystone Contemporary Art, San Francisco, CA
Larry Evans Fine Art, Moraga, CA
Scotty and Dee Ann McIntyre, Santa Fe, NM
Thomas Thomsen, Woodward Thomsen Co., Portland, ME
Tim Hamill, Hamill Gallery of African Art, Boston, MA
Zen Collection, Singapore
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LIBRARIES
Boston Public Library, Boston, MA
Columbia University, New York, NY
Cornell University, Rare Books and Manuscripts Department, Kroch Library, Ithaca, NY
Dartmouth University, Hannover, NH
Emmanuel College, Cardinal Cushing Library, Boston, MA
Fashion Institute of Design, New York, NY
Harvard University, Fine Arts Library, Cambridge, MALaSalle University, Connelly Library Special Collections, Philadelphia, PALehigh University Art Galleries, Bethlehem, PALibrary of the University of Applied Arts, Vienna, AustriaMaine College of Art Joanne Waxman Library, Portland, MEMassachusetts College of Art Library, Boston, MANew York Public Library, New York, NYOhio State University Libraries, Special Collections, Columbus, OHRISD Museum, Providence, RISwarthmore College Library, Special Collections, Swarthmore, PATemple University, Samuel L. Paley Library, Philadelphia, PAThe Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN - 76/100U. of Utah, J. Willard Marriott Library, Special Collections, Salt Lake City, UTUCLA, Young Research Library, Special Collections, Los Angeles, CAUniversity of California at Irvine, Main Library, Irvine, CAUniversity of Chicago Libraries, Special Collections, Chicago, ILUniversity of Connecticut, University Libraries Special Collections, Storrs, CTUniversity of Minnesota Libraries, Special Collections, Minneapolis, MNUniversity of Tulsa, McFarlin Library, Special Collections, Tulsa, OKWellesley College, Margaret Clapp Library, Wellesley, MA