New Arrivals
Hornblower and the Hotspur
London: Michael Joseph, 1962. 283 pp. 5 1/2 x 8"; Illustrated dustjacket, designed by David Cobb, in near fine condition with minimal edgewear and small enclosed tear at top of back cover, price of 18s net intact; Dark blue cloth over boards with gilt lettering on spine, in fine condition.
Cecil Louis Troughton Smith (1899 - 1966), pen name for C. S. Forester, was and English novelist best known for his 12-book fictional series about the Napoleonic Wars as seen through the eyes of the Royal Navy Office, Horatio Hornblower. Later books filled in the gaps in the early years of the story. This is the last full book, as the final book "Hornblower and the Crisis" was unfinished and published posthumously.
Cape Cod Yesterdays
Boston: Little, Brown & Co., 1935. 48 pp. Approximately 6 3/4 x 9 3/4"; LIMITED EDITION of 1075, this being #471 as indicated on the colophon, although the slipcase indicates copy #826, signed by both author and illustrator. Slipcase slightly corner bumped but in near-fine condition with spine label showing title and limitation in excellent shape. Calico cloth covered boards with quarter-bound linen backing, beautiful pictorial endpapers, top edge of all-rag paper is trimmed but other edges are untrimmed, both b/w and full color illustrations by Harold Brett, extra label at rear of book, otherwise in fine condition.
Told from the point of view of remembrances of the departing way of life in Cape Cod. Informal diaglogue brings back the time of general stores, ships that sailed without gasoline engines, travelling by horseback instead of car, fishing, all told with the Cape Cod landscape as a beautiful and scenic background.
Sandalwood and Jade. Poems of the Exotic and Strange.
St. Petersburg, FL: The Sign of the Centaur, 1951. 24 pp. Approximately 5 1/4 x 8 1/4"; First Edition. Stapled illustrated wraps, paper slightly tanning, otherwise minimal edgewear, in near fine condition.
Linwood Vrooman Carter (1930-1988), was a writer and editor, mostly in the heroic fantasy genre. He started publishing science fiction in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction in 1957 and planetary romances (like Edgar Rice Burroughs) in the 60s. This book, Sandalwood and Jade, was Carter's privately printed first book and contains his own illustrations.
Arthur C. Clarke: The Authorized Biography
Chicago: Contemporary Books, 1992. 430 pp. 6 x 9 1/4"; Pictorial dustjacket in fine condition; Black paper over boards with gilt lettering on spine, signed Arthur C. Clarke bookplate on front paste-down endpaper, many black and white photographs, in fine condition.
Sir Arthur Charles Clarke (1917 - 2008) was the author or more than sixty books and has received many awards for both his science fiction and his scientific non-fiction writing. This biography explores his career and personal vision though candid interviews with Clarke, his friends, family members, and colleagues. The numerous black and white photographs enhance the biography in a delightful way. Bookplate printed "Ex Libris, Arthur C. Clarke" with illustrations of the monolith from his 2001 Space Odyssey series and dolphins from his novel, Dolphin Island.
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.
The Quality of Life
Philadelphia: Girard Bank, 1970. 85 pp. Approximately 5 3/4 x 8 1/4". First edition, first printing. Slip case is in fine condition; green paper over boards with black lettering to cover and spine, label paste-down on cover which has a tiny nick in it, insert from the Girard Company bank president laid in, in fine condition.
Per the laid in slip from Stephen S. Gardner, President of The Girard Company, this book was commissioned for James Michener to write in order to include it with the bank's 1969 Annual Report. Michener was given free artistic license to express his own views. Nine color reproductions of paintings by James B. Wyeth (son of Andrew Wyeth and grandson of N. C. Wyeth) were added to enrich the text.
Burning Bright
New York: The Viking Press, 1950. 159 pp. Approximately 5 x 7 1/2". First edition, first printing. Dust jacket is very good with minor chips and wear and does have the $2.50 price on flap, small closed tear on front top edge of cover. Original tan cloth over boards, red lettering on cover and spine, orange dye on top edges, bookseller's ticket on rear paste-down endpaper, very minor foxing to edges, otherwise in near fine condition. (Goldstone & Payne, A29a)
The form of this book is a "play-novelette", which is a play that is easy to read or a short novel that can be played. Steinbeck used this method experimentally in "Of Mice and Men" and "The Moon is Down" but this book is a more complete attempt at this form. While this book was not critically acclaimed, Steinbeck, as always, is a very vivid writer and bring his four characters to life in this play concerned with the timeless themes of love, jealousy, friendship, and the desire to have a child.
30th Annual Convention, The International Association of Printing House Craftsmen, Inc.: San Francisco, Palace Hotel, September 4-7, 1949.
[San Francisco]: n.p., [1949]. 5 x 7 1/2". First edition. Red cloth over boards with gilt illustrations and black titles and small design on front cover, endpapers are facsimile copies of pages 1 and 3 of San Francisco's first newspaper from 1847 and San Francisco's second newspaper from 1848, many black and white photographs, two pages of autographs of many of the attendees, in fine condition.
The IAPHC was founded in 1919 in Philadelphia as an organization whose purpose was for self-development, the enhancement of the printing and grapic arts industry, and their companies' successes. Held in San Francisco, the conventioneers were from the US, Mexico and Canada. They were treated to many lectures, awards, clinics (for example a Roll Leaf Stamping, Embossing, and Die Cuttung Clinic), and, of course, golf. Additionally, the ladies activities and entertainment included lunch at the Claremont Hotel in Berkeley, a tour of the jade display at Gump's store in San Francisco, and a tour of Chinatown.The two pages of autographs include well-known men of the industry at this time such as Oscar Pedersen, Tom Hislop and A. R. Tommasini. Only 2 copies listed in OCLC at this time. (8/16)
Andy Gump, His Life Story
Chicago: The Reilly & Lee Co., 1924. 183 pp. 5 1/2 x 8 1/2". Blue cloth boards with sun fading to covers and spine, small tear to upper spine, no dust jacket except for a small flap section that was pasted down on the front paste-down endpaper along with a label "From the Library of Harold Lloyd", in very good condition.
Robert Sidney Smith (1877 - 1935) was a cartoonist best known for his characters, The Gumps, who had a 42-year run in newspapers. Harold Lloyd (1893-1971) was a well-known American actor, comedian, film director and producer and stunt performer who was best known for his silent comedy films, particulary the scene in "Safety Last" where he is hanging from a clock tower. He was a contemporary of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton.
Crumbs From The Master's Table
New York: D. Appleton, 1831. 192 pp. Approximately 2 1/4 x 2 3/4". Blue cloth over boards, paper label on spine, corner bumping with small portion of boards showing through, otherwise in very good + condition. (Bradbury, D. Appleton, 1; Welsh 4865).
Daniel Appleton (1785-1849) began publishing in New York in 1831 and his first imprint was this miniature book. There are two editions of this book, both with 1831 on the title page. One edition has numbered pages and "stereotype edition" on the title page. The other edition has unnumbered pages and no mention of "stereotype edition". It is not possible to know which version came first. This edition was 2,000 copies and was very popular as inspirational books had a good market at that time.