INSCRIBED: TREK! MAN ALONE IN THE ARIZONA WILD – THE DESERT JOURNALS OF YORKSHIREMAN GEOFFREY PLATTS

Yorkshireman Geoffrey Platts sought out the freedom of a simpler life and in the spirit of Henry David Thoreau began to live by himself in a secluded one room cabin in central Arizona from the early 1980s. An outspoken advocate for the environment, a public speaker and ‘desert laureate’, he consecrated his life to the preservation of native habitats and all of the life forms reliant upon them. His Desert Journals, in his own words were, ‘my love letters to the Sonoran desert’. This first edition comes from the library of his fellow Yorkshireman and friend Ronnie Duncan, an art patron, collector and poet.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: First edition paperback in good condition. A little shelf worn but crisp and clean throughout. To the front pastedown the author has inscribed, ‘My Dear Ronnie, Love and appreciations from your desert amigo, Geoffrey. Dec. ’91’. Laid in are:

A homemade postcard with Carefree AZ postmark dated Oct 31 1988 written to Ronnie Duncan from Geoffrey. The message reads ‘Feliz Navidad ‘88’. A colour photograph pasted to the front shows Geoffrey picking the fruit of Pitahaya in July 1988.

Full page from the Foothills Sentinel Newspaper dated Wednesday Oct 26 1988 featuring an article on Geoffrey Platts including photographs. Inscribed to top in black pen ‘for Ronnie, Sylvia, Susan and Jessica from Geoffrecito with love’.

A photocopied colour page from an American weekly newspaper dated April 16-22, 2003. The title reads ‘Bench commemorates long time environmental warrior Geoffrey Platts.’

Two colour photographs reproduced on A4 paper showing three friends on the bench and a close up shot of the plaque thereon.

A typed letter dated May 8 2003 sent to Ronnie Duncan from [Bash]. The contents describe a dedication ceremony in the Arizona wilderness held for Geoffrey 2 years after his death.