An original card ticket for 'Gerde's Folk City', New York City (8.5 x 14cm, excellent condition with fold to centre) with a handwritten note to verso by Bob Dylan to read:
"Ask subway man for King County Hospital Brooklyn - Woody's next door in Brooklyn State - Wed Sat."
The vendor had attended a performance by Dylan and was a regular visitor to the folk clubs in NYC during the early 1960s. During one conversation with Dylan he mentioned that he'd like to visit Woody Guthrie, who was in hospital at that time (Dylan was a frequent visitor) - hence the written instructions on how to reach him. This note is included in the book 'My Name Is New York' about Woody Guthrie's time in NYC.
Provenance: the vendor worked on the RMS Queen Mary transatlantic route in the 1960s between Southampton and New York, and when in NYC was a frequent attendee at folk clubs in Greenwich Village. In September 1961 he attended a performance by Bob Dylan at 'Gerdes Folk City', making a recording (
see lot 471 here) and taking several photographs. He had the photographs developed the following day and returned the following night, whereupon he asked Dylan to sign them. He returned in 1962 and asked Dylan to sign a copy of his debut album (
see lot 468 here). He also obtained handwritten directions/instructions from Dylan (on the back of an original ticket for this performance at 'Gerde's) on how to visit Woody Guthrie, who was in hospital at the time (
this lot), this note featured in the book 'My Name Is New York' (Powerhouse Books, NYC).