New Arrivals
Swan Song
Arlington Hts., IL: Dark Harvest, 1989. 608 pp. 7 1/4 x 10 1/4"; Limited Deluxe First Edition of 650 copies, this being #198. Green cloth slipcase with just a hint of rubbing in near fine condition and illustrated dustjacket in fine condition; Immaculate, tight, appears new and unread. Green boards, green endpapers, signatures of McCammon and artist on colophon, in fine condition.
I believe that the description from the Pocket Books paperback edition (first edition) describes the book very well: An epic journey of terror across a land seething with unspeakable horrors. America! Haunted by an evil whose time has finally come. This post-apocalyptic novel is often compared the Stephen King's, "The Stand". Both are weighty books and are about mankind's struggle in a devastated world. Robert McCammon liked the illustrations done for this edition of the book. He felt that Charles and Wendy Lang visualized the scenes in great detail and added an extra dimension of quality to his work. Swan Song was the co-winner of the 1987 Bram Stoker Award and nominated for the 1988 World Fantasy Award for Best Novel.
The Library of Alexandria
Ann Arbor, Michigan: Alvey Jones, [2021]. LIMITED EDITION of 2, this being #2. Tan cloth over clamshell box with green spine cloth, lime green acrylic label on cover and green speckled marbling on box edges, enclosed are twenty-six miniature books (scrolls) in various media such as paper and wood (scrolls are non-removable), in fine condition.
Alvey Jones is a painter, printmaker and book artist whose work has been exhibited locally and nationally and is in many public and private collections in the United States and Europe. He has a BFA in illustration and design, an MA in art history and he mostly creates miniature books. This book is an homage to the famed ancient library at Alexandria, Egypt, which ceased to exist by the end of the Third century CE and contains miniature books (scrolls) in several languages.
Medieval Labours
Sorbie, Scotland: Final Score, 2007. Approx. 2 x 2 5/8". LIMITED EDITION of 25 copies, this being #3. Brown cloth over boards with gilt-bordered paste-down label on cover, each copy individually illustrated using egg tempura paint on vellum with gold, signed on the colophon by both authors, in fine condition.
This beautiful book contains 13 illuminated illustrations accompanying each month of the year plus the title page. The text describes the work to be completed for each month in medieval times. For example, January described bread baking with a medieval recipe, while June talks of estate management. Only one OCLC holding at this time, from the collection of Muriel Underwood - a US Marine, member of the Caxton Club, longtime member of the Miniature Book Society and miniature book publisher herself.
Springtime a la Carte, Mamon and Archer, Last Leaf
Hyattsville, MD: Rebecca Press, 1988. 3 volumes, each 2 x 2 9/16". Textured homemade paper over boards (mauve, purple, dark green), beautiful endpapers, metallic slipcase, title on cover and spine, photocomposed, small illustrations, handsomely bound by Donald Brady, illustrated by Edith Caro, Limited edition of 200 copies, each volume numbered and signed by publisher Rebecca Bingham, in fine condition. (Bradbury, Rebecca Press 17-19)
Rebecca Saady Bingham has been designing and publishing miniature books since 1983. Her beautiful books are best known for their artistic details in the illustrations and bindings. She has complete control over the whole process, from choice of subject, to book design and types of materials used. These delightful books tell three short stories by O. Henry, a pseudonym of William Sydney Porter (1962 - 1910), an American author whose tales romanticize the commonplace, often set in New York City.
Wallace Stegner: A Descriptive Bibliography
Lewiston, ID: Confluence Press, Inc., 1990. First Edition. No dust jacket, as issued. Green cloth over boards with crisp gilt design on cover and lettering on spine, signed by Stegner and the author on the title page, limited to 1,000 copies, no edge wear and looks unread, really minor foxing to top page edges, otherwise in near fine condition.
Wallace Earle Stegner (1909 - 1993) was an American novelist and short story writer. He won a Pulitzer Prize in 1972 for "Angle of Repose" and the National Book Award for "The Spectator Bird" in 1977. He won numerous other awards and his legacy lives on in many parts of the United States and Canada, with a Stegner Fellowship program in creative writing at Stanford University being one of the highlights. This is a must-have for any Stegner collector.
To Rule the Night
Philadelphia & New York: A. J. Holman Company, 1973. 5 3/4 x 8 1/2"; First Edition, Second Printing. Photographic dust jacket has some chips and creases, particularly at the spine extremities, a tear on the back cover which has been clumsily taped, in good condition. Black cloth over boards with gilt title on spine, gift inscription on front free endpaper and previous owner's signature on verso of half-title page which was signed by the Jim Irwin, foxing to page edges, otherwise in very good condition.
James Benson Irwin (1930 - 1991) was an American astronaut, US Air Force pilot, aeronautical engineer and test pilot who served as the Apollo 15 Lunar Module pilot. He was the eighth person to walk on the moon. This autobiographical story tells of Jim's boyhood, his marriage, his career, his voyage on Apollo 15 and his spiritual life, which is weaved throughout.
The Bug Book
New York: Looking Glass Library, 1980. 4 x 5 1/2"; First Edition. Limited edition of 600 copies. Illustrated wrappers with slight toning to the extremities and the faintest of marks on the front cover, signed by the author on the title page which is rare to find in this edition, in near fine condition. (Toledano A5a)
Edward Gorey (1925 - 2000) was an American artist and writer, best known for his eccentric imagery and stories, often set in Victorian and Edwardian settings. This book was issued as a Christmas greeting by the publishers which was not for public sale and was later reprinted in Amphigorey. It's a delightful little story about a group of bugs banding together to oust the troublesome big bug that starts to bother them. It follows the usual macabre theme of most Gorey titles. Provenance: The Thomas J. Barrett collection.
Mini-Contract Bridge
Toronto: REM Miniatures, 1968. 41 pp. Approximately 2 x 2 3/4". LIMITED EDITION of 29 copies, this being #28. Green leather over boards, blind-stamped design with playing card pasted-down on cover (King of Spades) and a smaller duplicate card attached to ribbon bookmark, gilt lettering on spine, patterned endpapers with silver gilt, letterpress on Zephyr Antique Laid Acid-free paper, signed by both authors on the colophon, in fine condition. Miniature Book Society Distinguished Book Winner for 2001 competition and that Exhibition Catalog is included with the miniature.
A wonderful little book about the game of bridge. A short history section is followed by sections on bidding and playing of the cards. This was meant to be directed towards average or below-average social bridge players. A stunning miniature with a bonus ephemera item.
The Reluctant Dragon
New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1983. Approximately 8 1/4 x 10 1/2". LIMITED EDITION of 350 copies, this being #44. Green cloth over boards with brown cloth spine, brown slipcase, signed on the colophon by the illustrator, Michael Hague, includes a reproduction of a specially commissioned pen and ink drawing, all in fine condition.
Kenneth Grahame (1859 - 1932) was a British writer, best known for his novel, "The Wind in the Willows". This charmingly illustrated short story, is seen as an original idea that a dragon does not have to be seen as a threat, but can be a sympathetic character. This story was originally published in 1898 as a chapter in Grahame's book, "Dream Days".
The Betrayed Confidence
Orleans, MA: Parnassus Imprints, 1992. Approximately 7 1/4 x 7 1/4". LIMITED EDITION of 250 copies, this being #165. Black paper covered slipcase in fine condition. Illustrated paper wrappers, includes a signed and numbered previously unpublished print laid in which bears the same signature and number as on the colophon of the book, all in fine condition. (Toledano A104a)
Edward Gorey (1925 - 2000) was an American artist and writer, best known for his eccentric imagery and stories, often set in Victorian and Edwardian settings. This book covers seven series of Dogear Wryde (an anagram of Gorey's name) postcards and includes: Scenes de Ballet, Menaced Objects, Alms for Oblivion, Interpretive Series, Neglected Murderesses, Tragedies Topiares, and Whatever Next? Some cards are captioned and some are not. A lovely example of the wide range of Gorey artwork and macabre humor.