New Arrivals
Dogear Wryde Postcards: Alms for Oblivion
n.p.: n.p., 1978. Sixteen postcards in near fine condition, enclosed in a white envelope with black pictorial stamping, creased with slight tears, in very good condition. (Toledano A68).
The recto of the postcards is a black and white Gorey illustration. The verso of each postcard has the title of the series and the description of each illustration. "Dogear Wryde" is an anagram for Edward Gorey.
Illustrated Catalogue of the Simplex Hatcher and Brooder
Milwaukee, WI: Gugler Lithographic Co., (ca. 1894). 64 pp. Approximately 5 x 4". Stapled pamphlett with color lithographic illustrated covers, inside black and white illustrations, minor edge wear, otherwise in near fine condition.
A catalogue for the Simplex Manufacturing Co., based in Quincy, IL. 24 pages of description of the Simplex Hatcher and Brooder, including patents, product details, construction, heating, ventilation, egg trays, pricing, etc. Half of the entire booklet is dedicated to testimonials about the product. One amusing one comes from C. A. Fowler of N. Guildofrd, Conn. who writes, "I set 144 eggs under twelve hens and put 140 eggs in the Simplex Hatcher at the same time, and the machine beat the hens. I don't have to sit up nights with it." The company that printed this booklet, the Gugler Lithographic Co., is the oldest surviving printing company in the Milwaukee area and has long been considered the finest of the area lithographic firms.
Shoemaker Fall Bargains
Freeport, IL: n.p., 1927. 32 pp. Approximately 4 x 9". Stapled pamphlett with illustrated covers, some corner creases and edge wear, otherwise in near fine condition.
A catalogue for the Shoemaker Poultry Farm, "Famous for 39 Years of Successful Service". Includes photos of the farm, a personal message from C. C. Shoemaker, information about the hatchery, pages about the lucrative poultry industry, details about the varieties of chicken stock and baby chicks for sale with illustrations, prices for stock, eggs, matings, exhibition matings (whatever that is), remedies to keep chickens healthy (including Licene, Pipene, Coldene, Rumatene, and Diarrene, which cures white diarrhea in chicks), and various poultry fixtures.
E-I-E-I-O (Eileen, Eileen, Oh!)
Hyattsville, MD: Rebecca Press and Poole Press, 1992. (20) pp. Approximately 2 3/8 x 2 5/8". LIMITED EDITION of 201 copies. Stiff printed paper wrapprers, stitched. A fine copy. (Bradbury, Rebecca Press, 24)
A collaboration between two well-known miniature publishers, humorous in nature, published for the Conclave 10 of the Miniature Book Society.
The Friar of Rubygill
n.p.: The Cherub Press, 1987. (6) pp. Approximately 2 3/4 x 2 3/8". LIMITED EDITION of 65 copies. Decorated handmade paper over stiff wrappers, printed paper lable on front cover, Hand-colored frontis by Kim Butcher. A fine copy, attractively printed.
Cherub Press is the publisher of the journal KABBALAH and many books and editions of Jewish mystical literature. This particular little story is an excerpt from Thomas L. Peacock's novel, "Maid Marion" (1822).
Tiajuana (Tijuana) Bible Revival, No. 1
n.p.: n.p., 1969. 28 pp. 4 x 6 1/4"; Stapled booklet with 2 color covers and color centerfold otherwise black and white, minimal edge wear, ink mark on front cover, in very good condition.
Underground comix reissue of Tijuana bible material, with cartoons such as "Tillie - The Fire Woman", "Count Screwloose in 'Decoyed'", "A Good Hoseing", et al. Includes an explicit photo. The centerfold is early blotter art and depicts "The Jean Harlot Licky Split Cuntest" that suggests the reader lick the spot between Harlot's legs and wait 20 minutes. Presumably, since this booklet is over 40 years old, there are no illegal substances here. Tijuana bibles are palm-sized pornographic comic books produced in the United States from the 1920's to the early 1960's. Most Tijuana bibles parodied popular comic strips or popular movie starts of the day. For instance, this one has a Popeye the Sailor comic. The writers, artists and publishers of these booklets were usually unknown, due to the illegality of the early publications.
Pretty Polly, A Novel Panorama Picture Book
London: Ernest Nister, [1897]. Unpaginated. 7 3/4 x 9 1/2"; Red cloth backstrop with pictorial paste-down cover, edge wear to boards, cracked hinges, gift inscription on front free endpaper, four double page chromolithographic pop-ups in various conditions (one is damaged and one is mostly missing), some spotting and loose/torn pages, printed in Bavaria by Ernest Nister, "as is" in good condition only.
A beautifully produced book with lovely monochrome illustrations along with the chromolithograph pop-ups and accompanying stories. Very nice stories and poems for children, including the title stoy about the bird Polly, The Horse Parade, At the Sea, and The Rat Princess, among others.
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.
The Military and Naval History of the Rebellion in the United States. With Biographical Sketches of Deceased Officers.
New York: D. Appleton & Co., 1889. 843 pp. First edition, original publishers sheep binding, marbled endpapers, marbled edges, scuffing to the bindings with some loss at various spots, back cover partially split, several tissue guards missing as is the fold-out map, some minor foxing and writing. Note: Copies in the publisher's sheep in good condition are considerably rarer than good copies in the cloth or morocco publisher's bindings. Overall, good condition.
Compiled during the war and written and published in 1866 by a professional encyclopedist, the book covers all battles and major skirmishes on land and sea, related political events, and inventions in military and naval science. Key events were reviewed and verified by actual participants. It is one of the best collections of original source materials available on the Civil War. Fully indexed. A must for historians, researchers, libraries, and those who like to read about the Civil War. The first comprehensive history of the American Civil War, it is loaded with original reports and correspondence between commanders and political leaders. Includes appendix biographies of over 400 of the elite of 19th-century America who fell in battle on both sides.
The Rita and Tim Hildebrandt Fantasy Cookbook: Real Recipes You Can Cook in Your Own Home
New York: Bobbs-Merrill Co., 1983. 195 pp. Approximately 8 x 10". First Edition, first printing. Wraparound dustjacket is beutifully illustrated on the front cover but is missing a small chunk on the top of the spine and a large section on the rear cover, good condition only. Green cloth binding with 8 illustrations in color and many black and white line drawings, maps and decorations, some punctures to cover (an overly friendly cat?), but text block is clean. Overall, very good condition.
Greg and Tim Hildebrandt (twin brothers born in 1939) began painting professionally in 1959 as the Brothers Hildebrandt. They are best known for their popular The Lord of the Rings calendar illustrations,painting the first bilingual Star Wars film poster, illustrating comics for Marvel Comics and DC Comics, original oil paintings for a limited edition of Terry Brooks's The Sword of Shannara, and their Magic: The Gathering and Harry Potter illustrations for Wizards of the Coast. Tim Hildebrandt illustrated children's books, two Dungeons & Dragons calendars, and the poster for the film The Secret of NIMH.