Products
All About the Little Small Red Hen
Dallas, TX: Aredian Press, 2021. Approximately 2 1/4 x 2 3/4", 58 pp. First edition, LIMITED EDITION of 10 copies, this being #9. Design binding by Patrice Miller of Aredian Press, presented within a tan and brown checked sack with hand embroidered "red hen" scrim patch. Red leather 1/4 binding with hand-embroidered spine, patterened cloth over boards with printed label on front cover, ribbon bookmark featuring a tiny scissors charm, signed and numbered by the publisher on the colophon, fine condition.
Here is a beautiful rendition of a classic children's tale of an industrious hen outwitting a cunning fox. It includes eight watercolors and nine black and white illustrations by Johnny B. Gruelle. The publisher has hand-colored the half-title and main title page illustrations. Each copy of the edition is bound with a different combination of patterned fabric, spine leather and endpaper materials and treatment. 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.
Alphabet People
Santa Cruz, CA: Peter & Donna Thomas, 1989. 64 pp. 1 7/8 x 2 3/8"; LIMITED EDITION of 200 copies, this being #141. Printed paper over boards with illustrated paste-down label on cover, letterpress printed on Peter's handmade paper, illustrated by Tanya Thomas, in fine condition. (Bradbury, Peter & Donna Thomas, 42)
An interesting ABC book where the illustrations are based on Tanya Thomas, (the daughter of Peter and Donna), twisting her body into the shapes of letters of the alphabet and creating a drawing for each.
American Folk Art on U.S. Postage Stamps
Sugar Land, TX: Arm & Hammer Press, 2006. Unpaginated. Approximately 3 x 2 3/8". LIMITED EDITION of 35 copies, this being #5. Pictorial boards, illustrated in color, paper label on spine. A fine copy.
Folk art (defined as art that is created by individuals who were not academically trained and that adheres to the aesthetic standards of the small communities where it was produced) includes amish quilts, native american pottery, woodcarved figures, etc.
An ABC of Flower Fairies
Tarzana, CA: [Barbara J. Raheb] Pennyweight Press, (1986). 32 pp. Approximately 5/8 x 15/16". LIMITED EDITION of 300 copies, this being #257. Red pyroxylin, lettering and design in gilt on cover and spine, previous owner's bookplate on front free endpaper, illustrated, signed and numbered on the colophon. A fine copy. (Bradbury, Barbara J. Raheb, 366)
Cecily Mary Barker first published her Flower Fairies in 1923. They have botanically accurate drawings along with beautiful fairy images, based on real children from Cecily's sister's nursery school. Enchanting!
An Incident of Border Warfare
Chicago, IL: Le Petit Oiseau Press, 1958. (26) pp. Approximately 1 9/16 x 2". LIMITED EDITION of 50 copies, this being #50. Pale green printed paper boards, 3/4 bound with black cloth, printed title label on spine, black and white illustrations throughout, in near fine condition. (Bradbury, Petit Oiseau Press, 9).
Doris Welsh was probably the greatest authority about miniature books in the second half of the 20th century. She collected, wrote about, and published miniature books entirely by herself. Born in 1907 in Pittsburgh, and after receiving her A.B, B.L.S. and M.S. degrees from different colleges, she eventually joined the Newberry Library in 1947 as cataloguer. She remained at the Library until 1970 when she retired. She started publishing her own books in 1952. (MBS newsletter, 11/2013). This book was hand set, printed & bound by Doris Welsh. This interesting little miniature tells a story of Indian and pioneer conflict in West Virginia in 1786.
Árpádok : I. Andrástól I. Gézáig (1046-1077)
Budapest: Pátria Nyomda, 1988. 433 pp. Approximately 1 1/2 x 1 3/4". LIMITED EDITION of 400-600 copies, this being #179. Brown leather with beautifully designed and colorful enamelled metal plaque edged in gilt decoration on front cover, title in gilt on spine, gilt decoration on back cover, decorative endpapers, 7 full-color illustrations and 4 tinted one with two folding diagrams, text in Hungarian, in fine condition.
This is volume 14 of the Kings of Hungary series. Only 3 Worldcat Holdings at this time.
Bambi. A Life in the Woods.
Agoura Hills, CA: [Barbara J. Raheb] Pennyweight Press, 1997. 48 pp. Approximately 15/16 x 5/8". LIMITED EDITION of 300 copies, this being #24. Brown pyroxylin, lettering and design in gilt on cover and spine, previous owner's bookplate on front free endpaper, illustrated, signed and numbered on the colophon. A fine copy. (Bradbury, Barbara J. Raheb, 482)
Felix Salten was born Siegmund Salzmann in Pest, Austria-Hungary (1869 - 1945). He was an Austrian author and literary critic but is best known for Bambi, which was adapted into an animated feature will by Walt Disney in 1942.
Belladonna
Aurora, CO: Ravenpress, 2005. Approximately 1 3/8 x 1 3/8". LIMITED EDITION of 25 copies, this being #9. Cosmetics case, with printed foil label, slightly worn with small bits of foil missing, in very good condition; Three accordion miniature books have polymer clay covers with laser print transfer, illustrated, numbered and signed on the colophon on the back of the case by the publisher, in fine condition.
Created as part of a series using cosmetic tools and containers as structure, this piece contributes to an ongoing commentary on the harms of the cosmetic industry. Three accordion books detail various aspects of the Belladonna plant (Deadly Nightshade). This plant, although toxic, has been used medicinally and as an aid to beauty as its ingestion enlarges the pupils of the eye (a look that indicates sexual arousal and is known as 'bedroom eyes'). Alicia Bailey began publishing under the Ravenpress imprint in 1996. Ravenpress publications are held in private, public and special collections worldwide. Bailey thinks of the artists' book works she creates as interactive sculptures realized in the form of the book. She works in a wide variety of materials, including those not often associated with the book form, thus necessitating structural redesign and innovations.
Bernhardt Wall in Miniature
Worcester, MA: Robert C. Bradbury, 2007. 31 pp. Approximately 2 1/2 x 3". LIMITED EDITION of 45 copies. Blue cloth over boards with pictorial paper label on upper cover, marbled endpapers, letterpress, three mounted illustrations, in fine condition.
Bernhardt Wall (1872 - 1956) was an American historian and lithographic illustrator. He was known as the "Postcard King" as he designed more than 5,000 comic cards. He worked with a variety of publishers over his career and specialized in famous people and historical events. Each copy of the regular edition is illustrated with three original miniature etchings by Bernhardt Wall, at least one of which is an illustration. Special copies have thematically related illustrations and deluxe copies have additional etchings mounted in matching volumes. This little book includes bibliography/listing of miniature illustrations by Wall. Only 2 library holdings and not in the trade at the moment (5/22). Somewhat scarce.
Bible Stories and Pictures
New Haven, CT: Sidney Babcock, 1844. Paperback, 2 x 3 1/2"; Illustrated with title page vignette of the Crucifixion and cover page vignette of Lazarus raised to life; seven wood engravings, 16 pp. Minor foxing and some tranference of ink to title page from cover. Very good condition.
A collection of seven bible stories for children, each one with its own preliminary illustration. Stories include: Moses Viewing Canaan; Samson Carrying Away the Gates of Gaza; David and Goliath; John Baptizing Christ; Water Changed to Wine; Christ Blessing Children; and Conversion of Saint Paul.