Lot #45: RARE 1963 Latvian Diaspora First Edition: "Dzīve pie jūras" by Vilis Veldre (Tilta Apgāds)

1963 hardcover edition of "Dzīve pie jūras" (Life by the Sea) written by the prominent Latvian writer and ethnographer Vilis Veldre. This specific edition was published in exile by the renowned diaspora publishing house Tilta Apgāds in Minneapolis. It serves as a meticulously detailed, documentary-style exploration of coastal Latvian fishing villages, tracking cultural traditions and daily life from Kolka to Ainaži. Item Specifications • Author: Vilis Veldre (Pen name of Fricis Gulbis) • Title: Dzīve pie jūras: Vērojumi Latvijas jūrmalas zvejniekciemos (No Kolkas līdz Ainažiem) • Publisher: Tilta Apgāds, Minneapolis • Year of Publication: 1963 • Language: Latvian • Binding: Hardcover, textured grey cloth with gold-stamped embellishments and spine labeling. Includes a distinct gold embossed stylized fish emblem on the front cover. • The Publisher (Tilta Apgāds): Following World War II and the Soviet occupation of the Baltic states, hundreds of thousands of Latvians fled abroad, creating vibrant diaspora networks. Tilta Apgāds (Bridge Publishing) based out of Minneapolis became a pivotal cultural lifeline. They preserved suppressed heritage by publishing books for the Latvian exile community that could not be legally printed in Soviet-occupied Latvia. • The Author (Vilis Veldre): Writing under a pseudonym, Fricis Gulbis was celebrated for his deep, empathetic ethnographic journalism. He traveled extensively through coastal Latvia in the late 1930s, chronicling a traditional maritime lifestyle that faced massive disruption. His work captures an authentic window into pre-war Baltic coastal folklore, language, and fishing traditions. • The Latvian Diaspora Appeal: Books of this nature hold deep historical significance. For decades, owning or importing diaspora materials printed in the West was restricted or illegal under Soviet censorship inside Latvia. Consequently, these beautifully bound exile editions remain highly valued artifacts among Baltic historians and heritage collectors. Pickup category timeslot {A}