"Reflection on a Past Life" by William N. Copley (Walther König)

ISBN: 978-3-86335-458-9

Never heard of this little book until I went to my local (and excellent) used bookstore Alias East Books, and picked this up.  I had coffee, took the bus home, and within the hour I finished the 80 or so pages.  A remarkably charming account of the gallery year of Artist, art dealer, and American Surrealist William N. Copley AKA CPLY.  According to the book, his book had six exhibitions.  From September 9, 1948, to February 20, 1949, and then it was over. The artists he had one-man shows (none of that group show crap) of were Magritte, Joseph Cornell, Roberto Matta, Yves Tanguy, Man Ray, and Max Ernst.  Financially the gallery was a wash-out.  A total bomb.  And located in the dap of the middle of Beverly Hills, California.  So in a sense, the Copley Gallery was the pre-Ferus Gallery in the  Los Angeles area.  

Copley's charm comes through in his prose writing. He's hysterical, and his observations on his artists are both insightful, gossipy, but respectful in a guy's guy world.  Also included are a series of photos of the original installations that took place in his gallery.  This is an art dealer who loved his artists and their art.