By Erin Escobar
Richard Synchef began collecting political ephemera while an undergraduate student at the University of Wisconsin at Madison in the 1960s and 70s. As his collection of posters, handbills and other important ephemera grew, so did his collection of Counterculture, Beat & Avant Garde books, and for these special volumes he sought out the signatures of Counterculture thinkers, writers and artists. A long-time San Francisco Bay Area resident, Richard attended clubs, concerts, book store readings, speaker events, record store promotions, art exhibits, seminars, and many other venues and places throughout the years to collect a truly unique assemblage of signatures within books. Richard is friends with Zane Kesey (Ken Kesey’s son) and knew so many names in the Beats & Counterculture of San Francisco, including Neal Cassady’s wife and three children. Sadly, Carolyn Cassady passed away on Friday, September 20th, 2013 while at home in England. (1923-2013).
Sale 530, Lot 74: Estimate $3,000 / $5,000
Offered in Sale 530 on April 10th, 2014, is a select group from Richard’s library of works about the Black Panthers, Free Speech Movement, American Politics, drugs, music, and underground comics. Also includes several of his books by the most prominent Counterculture and Beat thinkers. Many of his books are signed by the authors: Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Allen Ginsberg, Abbie Hoffman, Paul Krassner, Ken Kesey, Diane di Prima and many, many more poets, musicians, artists, and authors. He is excited to share his “family” of signed and inscribed books with other collectors.
For an article on his collection of Counterculture ephemera, please visit: http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/blueprint-for-the-occupy-movement/