Products
The Oval Portrait
Sugar Land, TX: Arm & Hammer Press, 2004. 2 1/4 x 2 1/2". LIMITED EDITION of 65 copies, this being #50. Black cloth over boards, gilt decoration stamped on cover, paper label on spine, frontispiece illustration of Poe, in fine condition.
"The Oval Portrait" is a short horrow story written by Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849), first published in 1842. One of his shortest stories, it is about the sinister happenings encompassing a portrait in a chateau.
The Prince and the Pauper
Tarzana, CA: Barbara J. Raheb, 1981. 31 pp. Approximately 5/8 x 15/16". LIMITED EDITION of 300 copies, this being #270. Burgundy pyroxylin cover with gilt titles and decorations on spine and cover, decorated endpapers, illustrated, signed on the colophon, in fine condition. (Bradbury, Raheb 330)
Mark Twain's (1835 - 1910) first attempt at historical fiction, first published in 1881.
The Story of Word Pictures
Santa Cruz, CA: The Good Book Press, 1984. 14 pp. Approximately 2 x 2 1/8". LIMITED EDITION of 200 copies, the first fifty are hand-painted and bound in leather, this being #197 of the regular printing. Pale green paper wrap with design and title on cover and spine in fine condition. Green boards with design on front cover, printed on a hand-operated printing press on Peter's handmade paper, one minor foxing spot on rear endpaper, numbered on the colophon, in near fine condition. (Bradbury, Peter and Donna Thomas 11).
Peter and Donna Thomas, well-known book artists, authors, and paper-makers, have been operating their private press since 1976. This is a lovely little book with elfin maidens and wizards and words by the author on how to gather pictures in your own head.
The Suppressed Portraits of Wm. Cheney
Charleston, SC: n.p., 1998. (8) pp. Approximately 2 1/4 x 2 7/8". Chocolate brown wrappers, stitched, five black and white photographs of William M. Cheney. A fine copy.
From the Colophon: In 1993 just before Wiliam M. Cheney gave up printing, we asked him to write and print an Autobiography in miniature. It turned out different than we expected. Modestly he omitted an account of his notable printing career. William chose to use only eight of the thirteen illustrations by George Kinney. Now in 1998 the missing portraits are issued as a keepsake for the Miniature Book Society 16th Grand Conclave.
The Well Known Family Game
Germany: n.p., (ca 1920). First edition presumed. Slipcase with chips and small loss of paper affecting two words of the instructions, glossy illustration to front cover, directions to the game on back cover, in good + condition. Twelve cards, 1 1/2 x 2 1/4", cards titled and crudely illustrated in blue, some with roughly trimmed edges (as issued), in about near fine condition.
An apparently unrecorded gambling card game, manufactured in Germany in the early 20th century from cheap materials. The cards are lettered in pairs from A to F and illustrated with members of several "families" such as George Brown, Mrs. John Smith, etc.
Thomas Bewick, Vignettes from Birds, Quadrupeds and Fables, Memorial Edition
Chicago: Black Cat Press, 1971. Approximately 2 1/8 x 2 5/8 ". (48 pp.) LIMITED EDITION of 200 copies. Full dark red leather with gold-stamped Bewick's signature on front cover and title ("Bewick") on spine, illustrated from 15 original wood blocks carved by Thomas Bewick and printed by R. Hunter Middleton (the Bewick authority), frenchfold, type pages were letterpress printed on Troya paper by Charles Young at the Norman Press, binding by Monastery Hill Binder, in near fine condition. (Bradbury, Black Cat Press 37)
Thomas Bewick (1753 - 1828) was a natural history author and an engraver. Bewick is most famous for his book, A History of British Birds, whose wood engravings are much admired for the small and often humorous vignettes. This miniature book is considered by some to be the finest book from Norman Forgue's Black Cat Press.
Three in One: Three Complete Stories in One Book: Sue's Hair Ribbon; Big Old House; Purple Car
Morro Bay, CA: Tabula Rasa Press, 1981. Miniature book, 2 1/8 x 1 3/4"; Letterpress, cloth boards, printed label, 67 pp. Set in Torino type, number 177 of 300 copies, (Bradbury, Tabula Rasa Press 22).
Three cute and brief original children's tales. 4 institutional holdings in OCLC.
To a Coy Koi
Dallas, TX: Aredian Press, 2022. Approximately 2 1/2 x 2 1/2". LIMITED EDITION of 7 copies, this being #4. Design binding by Patrice Miller of Aredian Press. The structure is a crossed portfolio with an illustrated three-dimensional central core, decorated matchbox sleeve enclosure provides the title, colophon, and limitation which is, signed and numbered by the publisher, hand-drawn and hand-colored illustrations, in fine condition. Beautifully structured and original miniature book.
The original sixteen line poem in iambic pentameter is a parody of Andrew Marvell's "To His Coy Mistress", and is a water gardener's lament. Patrice Miller's work has found its way to private and university collections, in the states and abroad. Human foibles, nature’s panoply, and artistic cleverness cannot help but inform future work. She continues to bind, and rebind, in Dallas, Texas.
Trois Fables de La Fontaine (Three Fables by La Fontaine)
Pasadena: Karen Dawson, 1965. 21 pp. Approx. 1 1/16 x 1 7/16". Vellum covers with title in gilt on spine, in French, letterpress by William Cheney, illustrations by Guillaume du Chenais, slight wear in that the book remains open and covers are slightly bent; otherwise in near-fine condition. (Bradbury, Dawson 22)
The three fables in this book are La Cigale et la fourmi (The Grasshopper and the Ant), Le Corbeau et le Renard (The Fox and the Crow), and Le Renard et les Raisins (The Fox and the Grapes). Karen Dawson is the daughter of Glen and Mary Helen Dawson of the well-known Dawson's Book Shop in Los Angeles. Glen Dawson published his first miniature book in 1949 and both of his daughters published book as well.
Van Gogh & Stone
Van Nuys, CA: Richard J. Hoffman, 1987. 14 pp. Approximately 2 3/4 x 2 1/4". Printed paper wrappers, letterpress. Signed by the author. A fine copy. (Bradbury, Richard J. Hoffman, 6)
Printed for the 84th birthday of Irving Stone and the 53rd anniversary of "Lust for Life". Printed by Richard J. Hoffman, called one of the pioneer printers of Southern California by Glen Dawson (Bradbury p.97).