Повесть о рыжем Мотэле, господине инспекторе, Раввине Иссайе и комиссаре Блох [The Tale of the Red-Haired Motelele Mr. Inspector, Rabbi Isaiah, and Commissar Blokh]. A long poem by Joseph Utkin describing the upheavals in a Jewish town following the October Revolution. Three editions, including the first edition of the poem. Moscow and Kharkiv, 1926-1933. Russian.
1. First edition – Moscow: Правда ("Pravda"), [1926]. Illustrations by Konstantin Pavlovich Rotov (1902-1959) and several photographs, mostly of Jewish craftsmen.
32 pp, 23 cm. Good overall condition. Several stains. Small tears to edges. Several open tears, restored. Tears and open tears to cover. The cover and the inner margins of the leaves have been professionally restored.
2. Pocket edition. Kharkiv: Пролетарий ("Proletariy"), 1928. Title page and cover illustration by Adolph Strakhov (1896-1979). The illustrated paper dust-jacket is missing.
[1] leaf, 46 pp, [2] pp, 13.5 cm. Missing paper dust-jacket. Good-fair condition. Stains. Detached leaves. Ownership inscriptions. Stains, blemishes and tears to cover.
3. Edition published by OGIZ (ОГИЗ - Молодая гвардия), [Moscow], 1933 (on the cover: 1934). Illustrations by the artist Mendel Gorshman (1902-1972).
41, [3] pp, approx. 26 cm. Good condition. Minor stains, mostly on cover. Stamps and notations on a blank page at the end of the book, partly erased.