New Arrivals
The Persian Letters
Cleveland: The Rowfant Club, 1988. 8 x 11". 121 pp. LIMITED EDITION of 300 copies, this being #272. Marble paper covered board with maroon cloth spine and paper label on spine and paper paste-down title label on front cover, beautiful endpapers signed by the artis Renee Fuller, rending of George, Lord Lyttleton signed by artist John Sukys, in fine condition.
Lyttleton was an English gentleman in the eighteenth century, rather a mediaeval and Renaissance man. From the preface, "He was an active statesman, an avid reader, a generous patron, an observant, witty and graceful writer."
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.
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.
A Tourist In Spite of Himself
Boston: Little, Brown & Co., 1930. 252 pp. Approximately 6 x 9". Limited Edition of 525 copies, this being #71. Signed by the author. Cardboard slip case is in good condition with some splitting to edges, past repairs, paper label on spine indicating title and limited edition number; Blue cloth quarter bound over decorative boards with torn label pasted down to spine, many black and white illustrations by Gluyas Williams throughout, in near fine condition.
A delightful book about a book collector's travels around the world, particularly Scandinavia, London, Paris, Egypt, Jerusalem and Rome, all told from a very humorous perspective. Newton also authored The Amenities of Book-Collecting.
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)
The Edward Gorey Bestiary: 1984 Engagement Calendar
Corte Madera, CA: Pomegranate Artbooks, 1983. SIGNED. Spiral-bound with glossy pictoral color illustration on the front cover, slight crease to upper corner, no manuscript entries, in near fine condition. (Toledano p. 157B).
This beautiful and unmarked engagement calendar is illustrated throughout with reprinted illustrations, in color and black and white, from a variety of sources including Gorey's books, posters, cards and etchings.
Jack and the Beanstalk
Cleveland Heights, OH: Borrower's Press, 1982. 56 pp. Approximately 13/16 x 5/8". LIMITED EDITION of 300 copies, this being #125. Letterpress, gilt cloth boards, hand-colored illustrations by Amanda Epstein, signed by the publisher, Jane Bernier. A fine copy. (Bradbury, Borrower's Press, 44)
First appearing in print in 1807, it is attributed to Benjamin Tabart but the most common version is the one adapted by Joseph Jacobs in 1890. It is the classic tale of Jack, his magic beans, and his adventures up the beanstalk.
Cowpokes
New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, 1999. Unpaginated. Approximately 10 x 10". First Limited Edition of 26 lettered copies, this being "P". SIGNED by both author and illustrator. Pictorial boards with full color illustrations throughout. Extra illustration for limited edition only, not in trade copies. Fine in fine dust jacket.
From the front flap, "They don their boots & hats & chaps, down their flapjacks, then it's up into the saddle & off they go." Beautifully done book that will charm both children and adults alike.
Two Bear Cubs
California: Yosemite Association, 1997. (36) pp. Approximately 10 x 10 3/4". First Limited Edition of 200 numbered and 26 lettered copies, this being #13. SIGNED by both author and illustrator. Pictorial boards with full color illustrations throughout. Extra illustration for limited edition only, not in trade copies. Fine in fine dust jacket in fine slipcase.
Authentic Southern Sierra Miwok Indian legend a retold by the author with information about the tribe. Beautifully done.
Catacomb Years
New York: Published by Berkley Publishing Corporation Distributed by G. P. Putnam's Sons, [1979]. 396 pp. Approximately 5 1/2 x 8 1/4". Advanced copy, uncorrected proof for limited distribution of the first edition. A presentation copy with inscription by Bishop. Orange/yellow card stock outer wrap, corners slightly bumped, black titles on cover page, near fine condition
The prequel to this book, "Little Knowledge" and then this book, "Catacomb Years" are about a theocratic regime repressively dominating the near-future America, until a visiting alien race is also converted, thus beginning the destablization of society. (Clute and Nicholls, "The Encylopedia of Science Fiction", p 126.)