New Arrivals
Catching a River: Delta, The Island, and The Dreamfish
[Berkeley, CA]: never mind the press, 1993. Approximately 4 x 6". LIMITED EDITION of 40, this being #35. Outer mesh envelope created to look like a fishing net of sorts with decorative tie ribbons, in fine condition. Three printed paper folding envelopes (made of cotton, flax and wild iris leaves), hand stitched with various themed embelishments such as miniature menu, map, message in a bottle, and fortune teller fish, creatively stitched with artistic cut-outs, in fine conditon.
Book Artist and author Alisa Golden is well-known with many institutions holding her innovative material. She received a BFA in Printmaking with High Distinction in 1985 from California College of the Arts (formerly CCAC). These books were part of an Art-by-Mail subscription, No. 2, in 1993.
Festival Figures
New York: United States Committee for UNICEF, 1973. Approximately 4 1/4 x 8 1/2". Illustrated color stiff paper booklets depicting children, which flip up at the wait to show a small booklet, black and white line drawings, two-sided so each booklet depicts two children, a few booklets have minor defects such as a small crease near the neck, a small stain near the face and a few tiny spots, otherwise in near fine condition.
Scarce little booklets produced by UNICEF, portraying children of 8 various countries: The Netherlands, Ghana, Algeria, Poland, Norway, India, Chile, and Japan. Barby and Glen Peterson are authors who have written for the Golden Series of children's books. Set is complete. Only one institutional holding.
Little Tales (4 volumes)
Guben & London: F. Fechner and A. & Joseph Myers & Co., [ca. 1861]. Approximately 2 x 3 1/4". Later printing. Four little volumes, each with a unique decorated cover which includes a textured piece of fake greenery pasted down, all four have a previous owner's name in ink on front free endpaper, all have some moderate wear, all have a beautiful colored frontispiece illustration and 3 of the volumes have another illustrated plate, in very good condition. (Welsh 2800, Spielman 152)
These miniature books were most likely printed in Germany for the English juvenile market. According to Spielman, Fenelon (1651 - 1715) was a famous French ecclesiastic who tutored Louis XIV's grandson, the Duke of Burgundy. It is no surprise then, that these little tales are moral and religious teachable moments for young children. The illustrations have "quite exceptional charm" and are beautifully colored.
London Almanack for the Year of Christ 1818
(London): (Printed for the Company of Stationers), 1818. Unpaginated. Approximately 1 1/4 x 2 1/4". Original red morocco slipcase with onlays in cream and green, gilt-tooled throughout, in fine condition; Pink outer wraps, most likely replacing a cover that usually matched the slipcase, first page called "Common Notes", all edges gilt, a good copy.
These miniature booklets have been published from the late 17th century until the Victorian era, and give monthly information for eclipses, phases of the moon, saints days, as well as lists of Royals and Lord Mayors, bank transfer days and other banking rates. In this copy, there is a folding view of the Royal Dramatic College.
The Principal Antique Patterns of Marbled Papers Made and Described by Anne Chambers with an Introduction by Bernard Middleton
Burford, Oxfordshire: The Cygnet Press, 1984. [44] pp. approx. 6 x 7 3/4". LIMITED EDITION of 250, this being #176. Blue paper over boards with title in black letters on spine, 14 marbled paper samples tipped in, some sun fading to spine, otherwise in near fine condition.
A short but informative introduction by Bernard Middleton on the history of paper marbling, this book is also very helpful in identifying some of the classic patterns such as Antique Spot, French Shell, Italian Shell, English Stormont, Gloster, Spanish, Peacock, and Stonemarble (or Turkish). The tipped in examples are brilliant and colorful and extremely beautiful.
Star of Ill-Omen
London: Hutchinson & Co., 1952. 320 pp. 5 1/4 x 7 1/2"; First edition; Inscribed by the author on title page, Illustrated dust jacket has really minor edge wear and slight rubbing, price of 12/6 net intact, nice and bright colors, in very good + condition; Black cloth over boards with crisp gilt lettering on spine, a few spots on fore edges, two pages with old newspaper imprint discoloring, otherwise a lovely copy in very good + condition.
Dennis Wheatley (1897 - 1977) was an English writer who wrote 65 novels from the 1930's through the 1960's, mostly thrillers, science fiction, and occult novels. It is said that one of his main characters, Gregory Sallust, was one of the inspiration's for the James Bond character by Ian Fleming. This book has it all: German scientists, Russian spies, beautiful women, atomic weapons, and flying saucers.
To The Hilt
London: Scorpion Press, 1996. 282 pp. 6 x 9 1/4"; LIMITED EDITION OF 99 COPIES, this being #92. Original clear acetate cover in fine condition; Marbled boards with green leather quarter bound, slightest hint of foxing on page edges, signed on limitation page by the author, green tint to top edge, a crisp copy in near fine condition.
Born Richard Stanley Francis (1920 - 2010), Dick Francis was a British crime writer whose novels were mostly centered on horse racing in England (he was a former steeplechase jockey himself). This book has an appreciation forward by Margaret Yorke, a well-known English crime fiction writer.
Wooden Willie
Chicago: M. A. Donohue & Company, 1927. 95 pp. 6 x 9"; Illustrated dust jacket has really minor wear, a small tear to the back cover, in near fine condition; Illustrated boards with black cloth spine, beautiful full-color illustrations throughout including some fantastic endpapers, some rubbing to bottom edges of book and a little only at the top, otherwise a lovely copy in very good + condition.
Johnny Gruelle (1880 - 1938), was an American children's book author, comics author, illustrator, and political cartoonist. He is probably best known for his Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy dolls and books.
Prelude to Space
[New York]: Gnome Press, Inc., 1954. 191 pp. 5 1/2 x 8"; First American edition, first printing; Illustrated dust jacket by EMSH with some slight rubbing, original price of $2.50 intact, in very good condition; Blue boards with red lettering on spine, some foxing to page edges, age toning of paper throughout, some stains to front cover, a lovely copy in very good condition.
Sir Arthur Charles Clarke (1917 - 2008) was a British science fiction writer, among other things . Best known for his screenplay for 2001: A Space Odyssey, he was a lifelong advocate of space travel.
Jose and the Burro
San Diego, CA: Ash Ranch Press, 1987. 54 pp. Approximately 1 1/8 x 1 1/4". LIMITED EDITION of 126 copies, this being #27. Green leather with stamped decorations and the author's initials on both covers, letterpress, illustrated, color ink and illustration on the title page, in fine condition. (Bradbury, Ash Ranch Press #4)
Printed to commemorate the 99th birthday of Harry Oliver (1888-1973). This is a short but inspirational story about an old man and his burro, printed in a lovely binding.