Lot #22: Rare 2-Book Lot: Latvian Émigré & Displaced Persons (DP) Camp Literature - Edvarts Virza

Rare 2-Book Lot: Latvian Émigré & Displaced Persons (DP) Camp Literature - Edvarts Virza "Straumēni" (1966) & Jānis Jaunsudrabiņš "Augšzemnieki" (1946) unique, highly collectible two-volume lot of 20th-century Latvian literature, published outside of Latvia during times of geopolitical exile and displacement. Both books are complete, well-preserved examples written entirely in Latvian, showcasing a resilient period of mid-century Baltic printing history. Book 1: Vīrzas raksti, Vol. IV (Straumēni) • Author: Edvarts Virza (Jēkabs Eduards Liekna, 1883–1940) • Title: Vīrzas raksti (Collected Works in 5 Volumes), Volume IV: Straumēni • Publisher: Tilta Apgāds (Minneapolis, USA) • Year: 1966 • Pages: 301 • Cover Design: Aleksandra Krūka • Text Editor / Annotator: Vitauts Kalve • Collector's Note: Straumēni is widely considered Edvarts Virza's definitive masterpiece. Written as a prose-poem, it captures an idealized, timeless vision of Latvian rural life and traditional identity. Virza was a multi-time nominee for the Nobel Prize in Literature (1935, 1936). Following the Soviet occupation of Latvia, his literary works were strictly banned from libraries and bookstores under Soviet censorship until 1985. This specific volume was printed by Tilta Apgāds, a premier Latvian émigré publishing house operating in the United States, which helped keep banned Baltic culture alive during the Cold War. Book 2: Augšzemnieki (Second Edition) • Author / Illustrator: Jānis Jaunsudrabiņš (1877–1962) • Title: Augšzemnieki (The Highlanders) – Romāns (Second Edition) • Publisher: Apgāds Selga (Kempten, Germany) • Year: 1946 • Printing Details: Druck: Jos. Kösel, Graph. Anstalt, Kempten. Formally Authorized by UNRRA (United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration). • Collector's Note: A remarkable piece of Post-WWII history, this psychological-realist novel was published in Kempten, Germany, inside the displaced persons (DP) camps established for Baltic refugees fleeing Soviet occupation. Printed on fragile post-war paper and authorized by UNRRA, items from "Apgāds Selga" are highly sought-after artifacts of refugee resilience. The cover art and interior typography were hand-drawn by the author himself, who was both a celebrated writer and an accomplished painter. Pickup category timeslot {A}