?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 4,000 - $ 6,000
"WE TALKED ABOUT…DOPE ADDICTION WHERE I ASTOUNDED EVERYONE W/ MY KNOWLEDGE" (MUSICIANS.) JOPLIN, JANIS. Illustrated Autograph Letter Signed, "LOVE, Janis," to Peter De Blanc, with graphite drawing, recounting her agonized realization during a history examination that she had studied the wrong topic, expressing shock and dismay at his news that he might be going to Europe, asking whether he is truly ready to be married, describing how her appearance has changed with her new life in TX, describing the beauty of her home in TX, mentioning the deepening of her relationship with her sister Laura, describing some of her intellectual family friends and their evening of talking and card game playing, giving travel plans, and expressing her never-ending love for him. The drawing, full-length self-portrait sketch showing her new look, with ink labels describing details: "1. new hair-do, up in back sort of--you've seen me wear it this way . . . 4. New necklace I made myself. Do you remember those beads I had? . . . 8. Groovey ole sandals," occupying entire fifth page, 8x5 inches. 9 pages, 8vo, ruled paper removed from spiral notebook or plain paper, written on 5 sheets; faint uneven toning to upper margin of first page, folds. With the original envelope, addressed and dated in holograph and additionally signed in the return address, "Miss Janis Joplin." Port Arthur, "Fri. aft." [30-31 July 1965: from envelope]
". . . I had completely learned all about Alexander the Great & the Roman Civil Wars & the 3 Punic Wars . . . . BUT! As I'm diligently answering the . . . test, the teacher writes on the board 'Discuss the interests and beliefs of Socrates, Aristotle, Zeno, & Epicurus.' 'Who?!!' I shrieked. Oh moan--I very well may have failed. . . . ". . . And what's all this about investing $10,000 in whatshisname's company & going to Europe? Oh Jesus Christ, Peter, why won't you just do an ordinary, practical, money-bringing-in-so-we-can-get-married kind of thing? I mean Jesus damn, my poor parents are really determined to like & respect you because you're my choice. And they know that 2 weeks ago you were going in the Army & if not, looking for a job . . . & whatthefuck . . . now I'm dancing around the room saying, 'Oh yes, he's fine! No, he hasn't found a job yet. He may . . . go to England . . . . Or, . . . he may go to Niagara Falls . . . or he may come to Houston . . . . Well of course he's ready to get married! He really is very settled down & responsible! Really! . . .' . . . . "Wow, baby, are you ready? I mean, . . . good god, dig yourself! . . . "I'm going to get my hair trimmed tomorrow . . . . Come to think of it--this is what I look like now: . . . [drawing]. ". . . Laura [her sister] & I are going to the Country Club today to bask in the sun & get a better tan. You know, she and I are really getting along well now . . . . ". . . [L]et me tell you of our evening last night. . . . Donn is the only friend my Father has. He's also the only man around here as smart as my father. . . . He and his wife came over . . . and we sat and talked mostly about books--for about 2 hours. As we were having coffee, two friends of mine came over--Philip Carter & his wife . . . . Philip is a very nice guy. Pipe smoking & very intelligent, just about to get his degree . . . . [W]e talked about juvenile delinquency which Phil is studying now & even about dope addiction where I astounded everyone w/ my knowledge. . . ." Janis Joplin (1943-1970), whose blues-belting voice assaulted the psychedelic scene of the late 1960s, hid a tumultuous inner life, whose revelation in this letter helps explain how she became the symbol of power and passion that she remains today. Before her rise as the lead of Brother & the Holding Company in the summer of 1966, Joplin had taken a break from her life in San Francisco, leaving behind a lover there: Peter De Blanc. De Blanc supported Joplin's determination to sober up by moving to her home town of Port Arthur, TX, where she attended school and wrote to her lover. Their plan to marry was broken off when she learned that De Blanc was expecting a child with another woman, after which she returned to her former life in California and where, five years later, she died from a heroin overdose.
