Products
Sapphira and the Slave Girl
New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1940. 295 pp. First Trade Edition. Dust jacket in very good condition with 1" tear on bottom of front cover, darkened spine and minor chips on top and bottom spine edges, some spotting and darkening to rear cover as well. Green cloth over boards with spine only a slight shade lighter and some sunning to top cover edges, orange and black labels on spine has some slight smudging, otherwise in near fine condition.
Willa Cather (1873 - 1947) was an American author, mostly of the frontier and pioneer experiences. This is Cather's final novel, one that was much heavier in tone and subject matter than her other novels. It portrays a family in Virginia in 1856 before the Civil War.
Secrets of the Conjurer's Craft
London: Abbey Library, n.d. 144 pp. Approximately 6 1/2 x 9". Dust jacket is in very good condition with some tears with loss in a few spaces, price clipped, slightly dirty rear cover, but still a bright and colorful cover; Black cloth over boards with gilt lettering to spine, many black and white illustrations, slight page tanning, otherwise in near fine condition.
A delightful book revealing how many magician's tricks are performed, along with a "condense history of the Art of Conjuring" from the dust wrapper flap. Some tricks that are revealed include how to saw a woman in half, the Indian Rope Trik, and the Vanishing Lady, among others.
Set of Winnie the Pooh First Editions 4 Volumes -- When We were very young -- Winnie the Pooh -- Now We are Six -- The House at Pooh Corner
London: Methuen and Co., 1924 - 1928. First Editions (When We Were Very Young is 1st edition, second state with "ix" on Contents page), Four volumes. With wonderful line drawings throughout, illustrated by E. H. Shepard.
When We Were Very Young, published in 1924, first trade edition, second state, NF copy with light wear to extremities in VG dustwrapper with a tanned spine, miniscule chip out of top left of spine, navy cloth boards with gilt lettering and gilt vignettes to front and back covers, 100 pps, one of 4,500 copies printed in the first edition, which sold out in the first week.
Winnie-the-Pooh, published in 1926, first trade edition, NF copy in a NF first issue dustwrapper with 117th thousand marked on back flap is bright and complete (does have small wrinkle on back which is not a tear) with minor dustiness, green cloth boards with gilt lettering and vignettes of Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh, illustrated end papers with map of 100 Aker Wood and numerous line drawings throughout the book of Pooh and his friends, 158 pps.
Now We Are Six, published in 1927, first trade edition, NF in first state VG dustwrapper with 7/6 price on the spine, back panel has a one-inch tear and slight chips to head and tail of spine, PO name on verso of FFEP, maroon cloth with gilt lettering and vignette of Christopher Robin playing with a train engine on front and Pooh and Piglet on back, 103 pps.
The House at Pooh Corner, published 1928, first trade edition, NF copy in VG first issue dustwrapper (back flap contains an ad for When We Were Very Young, stating it is in its 179th Thousand), small one-half inch tear to front of dustwrapper at the top in the middle and a small gouge (paper still present) to bottom right corner, salmon cloth boards with gilt lettering and vignette, small prior bookshop label to rear endpaper, 179 pps.
Shaker Herbs: An Essay by Cynthia Elyce Rubin with 19th-century Shaker Herb Labels
(Northampton, MA): Catawba Press, 1984. Approximately 2 1/4 x 2 3/4 ". 40 pp. LIMITED EDITION of 155 copies, this being #36. Printed green paper boards with title and decorative border on cover, labels tipped in as frontispiece and throughout the text, in fine condition. (Bradbury, Catawba Press 1)
The only miniature book printed by Barbara Blumenthal of Catawba Press, the essay has been reprinted with the permission of the Museum of American Folk Art in New York City. The essay starts with a short history of the Shaker religion and their industries, which included agriculture, medicine, seeds, and foodstuffs. The latter part of the essay details the medicinal properties of the herbs that the Shakers used in their medicinal recipes. A beautiful little books, interspersed throughout with lovely Shaker herb labels for added interest.
Shakespeare on Paper Mills
Santa Cruz, CA: The Good Book Press, 1988. [64] pp. Approximately 1 9/16 x 1 15/16". LIMITED EDITION of 200 copies, of which the first 100 copies are printed on paper made during Shakespeare's lifetime (from a damaged copy of Digestrum Novum: 1576) and the second 100 copies use Peter Thomas' handmade paper. This is #99 from the first set made. Gilt morocco spine, paper over boards, illustrated by Donna Thomas, very minor wear, in fine condition. (Bradbury, Peter and Donna Thomas, 26; P&D Thomas Bibliography A50).
A beautiful miniature by well-known book artists, authors, and paper-makers Peter and Donna Thomas, this book presents a fascinating study of paper-mills and paper-making, as seen and described in various Shakespeare works, particularly Henry VI, Part 2: Act 4, Scene 7.
Shakespeare's Seasons
(Manteno, IL): Bronte Press, 1998. (28) pp. Approximately 2 3/8 x 3". LIMITED EDITION of 60 copies, this being #32. Marbled paper boards, calligraphy and illustrations by Suzanne Pruchnicki, hand-colored by Suzanne and Paul Pruchnicki, signed by the artist/printer. A fine copy, delightfully done. (Bradbury, Bronte Press #50)
Exceprts from Shakespeare's verses on the happenings of the seasons, all beautifully hand-colored.
Shambleau and Others
New York: Gnome Press, Inc., 1953. 224 pp. 5 1/2 x 8 1/4"; First Edition. Pictorial dust jacket with some minor creases and rubbing, original price of $3.00 intact, cover art by Ric Binkley, some tanning on inside flaps, in near fine condition; Turquoise cloth over boards with crisp maroon lettering on spine, bookplate on front paste-down endpaper of William Robards Wetmore, some ink lettering on copyright page, some spotting to top page edges, otherwise in very good + condition.
Catherine Lucille Moore (1911 - 1987), was an American science fiction and fantasy writer at a time when women were first starting to write in this field. Most of her work during the years of 1940 - 1958 was done in collaboration with her husband, Henry Kuttner. Moore was inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in 1998.
Snake: a poem, with accompanying images by Kent Rush
Oakland, CA: Puissant Press, 1984. Approximately 12 1/4 x 16". LIMITED edition of 25 copies with this being #15. Beige cloth over boards form outer clamshell case, blindstamped title on cover, inner slipcase in gray cloth over boards also blind stamped with the title, all of which are in fine condition and beautifully crafted. Twelve unbound leaves as issued with tissue guards separating the prints, nine unnumbered leaves of lithographs and collotypes hand drawn (some in color) and printed by the artist accompanying text of poem, inscribed on the colophon by the artist, in fine condition.
Kent Rush (1948 - ) was a San Francisco Bay Area native before he settled in Texas. He studied art, drawing and printmaking, at the then California College of Arts and Crafts (CCAC), earning his BFA. He earned a Masters at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. His work has been exhibited extensively in the United States in solo, two and three person and group and competitive shows. Internationally he has also shown in London, Brazil, Peru, Mexico, and France. Kent inscribed a thank you to Beth Herrick, who hand set the typeface and hand printed the leaves at Puissant Press, Oakland, California and at Port and Starboard Press, Mount Desert, Maine (from the colophon). Only 3 institutional holdings at this time (9/19). "Snake" originally appeared as part of Lawrence's collection of poems, Birds, Beasts and Flowers, which was first published in the US in 1923.
Snowdrop
Paisley, Scotland: The Gleniffer Press, 1994. 29 pp. 5/8 x 7/8". LIMITED EDITION of 200 copies, this being #171. Light blue novalite boards, perfect bound, gilt title on cover and spine, original packaging, hand numbered on the colophon, in fine condition.
First published in 1812 in their first edition of Grimms' Fairy Tales, this story is more familiar world-wide as Snow White.
Song of Creation
Santa Cruz, CA: Peter & Donna Thomas, 1999. (8) pp. Approximately 2 1/8 x 2 3/4". LIMITED EDITION of 500 copies, this being #14. Cream paper over boards with scene of Yosemite on front label, eight page nested accordion binding depicting a 180 degree panoramic view of Yosemite Valley, in fine condition. (P&D Thomas Bibliography A96)
Peter and Donna Thomas call this "nested accordion pop-up fold book" which they later shortened to just a nested accordion binding. Based on a one-of-a-kind book from 1993 using water-color paintings made while backpacking in the California Sierra Nevada mountains. The background accordion is on green paper with plant-fiber inclusions.