New York: Cinnamon Press, 1970. First edition. First edition, first printing, one of 300 sets, the 13 prints uniformly signed in pencil lower right by Lennon and numbered lower left. The first edition was issued in 300 portfolios numbered in Arabic numerals in a vinyl bag and 45 hors-commerce sets lettered in Roman numerals without the bag.

Complete sets of any iteration of Bag One are extremely rare in commerce. This set has stayed in the possession of the original purchaser until now and has rarely been opened since publication. Unusually, it retains all its original packaging, including the unbroken paper wraparound band holding the lithographs together, the interior cardboard bag linings, and the small metal key for the golden zip-lock that is often missing.

John and Yoko married on 20 March 1969. Their honeymoon was devoted to a "bed-in for peace" lasting seven days in the Amsterdam Hilton Hotel. During this time, they gave interviews publicising their peace message and promoting "Bagism", a satire of prejudice which had first been launched in late 1968 with their joint "appearance" inside a large bag at London's Royal Albert Hall.

The drawings were created by Lennon in two bursts of artistic inspiration in 1969: the earliest images depict the public events of their marriage and honeymoon; the others are more personal images showing Lennon and Ono in various sexual positions. With typical Lennon wit, the portfolio's title punningly combines Bagism, the Hindu term bhagwan, and the fact of its presentation in a bag. The design recalls both the simplicity of Richard Hamilton's sleeve design for the White Album and the iconic white outfits worn by John and Yoko for the wedding in Gibraltar.

Publication of Bag One was simultaneous with the first exhibition of the lithographs, at the London Arts Gallery in New Bond Street in January 1970. The show was disrupted by Scotland Yard, who seized eight of the lithographs on display and attempted to prosecute the gallery and its American owner Eugene Schuster on the grounds of obscenity. The lithographs were subsequently exhibited at Lee Nordness Galleries, New York City, in February 1970. The New York opening night was a showy affair, packed with celebrities, including Salvador Dalí with his pet ocelot on a leash. The lithographs were on view in a specially created environment where spectators were asked to remove their shoes.

Portfolio. Title page, A-Z poem, 7 black portrait lithographs, 6 erotic sepia lithographs and statement of limitation page all on BFK Rives paper with two edges untrimmed. Sheet sizes 58.4 x 76 cm. All held in a brown paper band and housed in a brown card folder with blue moire silk spine. Entire contents housed in the publisher's white vinyl carrying case with titles to front in black, lined in blue moire silk with two internal buckled straps, lockable zip with key and owner's name tag attached.

Bag lightly marked, otherwise a complete set in excellent condition with the original internal packing. Near Fine (Item #4506)