Portfolio: An Intercontinental Quarterly

Caresse Crosby, a long-time patron of the arts, originally published with her husband Harry Crosby through the Black Sun Press a number of emerging writers during the 1920s and 1930s in Paris. After his suicide in December 1929, she continued their work, though less actively. The press stopped active publishing when World War II intervened and Crosby left Paris for the United States. Towards the end of World War II, Harry T. Moore encouraged her to start a new cultural magazine, which she titled Portfolio with the desire to present to the public "lively and varied examples of work by modern artists." Each issue contained prose, poetry, prints and plans. She hoped to initiate an "exchange of thought between America and Europe" and to carry forth "a new expression of man's aspirations." The Portfolios included work by a variety of avant-garde writers, artists, photographers, and architects. The publication featured new work, translated works of foreign writers, re-published works of writers whose work had not been widely known, and both original images and reproductions of various artist's work. ==Publishing format==

During World War II and for some time after, paper was in short supply. Crosby worked from her offices at 1620 20th Street NW in Washington D.C. She lived around the corner at 2008 Q St. NW. ==International publication==

Only six issues were published. Portfolio II Portfolio II was published in Paris near Christmas in 1945, less than seven months after the end of World War II, It contained 22 leaves in a folio. Henry Miller once again served as an editorial adviser. Contributors included Paul Éluard, Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre, René Char, Francis Ponge, Artists and illustrators included Dora Maar, Henri Cartier-Bresson, and reproductions of work by Picasso, Matisse, and Alberto Giacometti. Portfolio IV Portfolio IV was published during the summer of 1946 in Rome. It was devoted to Italian writers and artists, including Alberto Moravia and Elio Vittorini. It contained 28 loose leaves in a folio, including three essays on contemporary Italian fiction, painting, and cinema and a short section of poetry. Henry Miller edited "in absentia." Prose selections were included from Harry Crosby, Caresse Crosby, Bruno Zevi, and others. A series of leaves were devoted to artwork (including photography) by Giorgio Morandi (on color reproduction); Carlo Levi, Giorgio de Chirico, Giacomo Manzù, Corrado Cagli, Panayiotis Tetsis Portfolio V Portfolio V was published in the spring of 1947 in Paris. The folio was and contained 19 loose leaves of text and 11 illustrations, along with a cover leaf and table of contents. Anaïs Nin, Emanuel Carnevale, George Mann, and others. It also included reproductions by Max Ernst, Man Ray, Carmelo, Roberto Fasola, Modigliani, Scipione, Justin Locke, Mirko, Meraud Guevara, and others. a sculptor, engraver, iconographer, writer and academic, and from painter and poet Nikos Engonopoulos. ==Ceases publication==

Crosby had already begun work on an issue focusing on Ireland and a "Negro" issue. When she did not attract more sponsors, she finally decided she could not absorb the risk of publishing further issues. She had intended to publish four issues per year, and never achieved that goal. ==Current value==

A complete set of all six issues of Portfolio in fine quality was valued in 2010 by fine book seller Sim Reed Limited at £ (about € or $). ==References==