New Arrivals
Mighty Midget Miniatures - Series No. 1
New York: B. Shackman & Co., (c 1960). First edition thus, paperback, 5 volumes in the complete set, 1 1/2 x 2"; illustrated wraps, faint crease to front wrap of one of the volumes, else minor wear to corners and tips of spine complete, very good condition.
There are 5 titles that comprise Series No. 1 as follows: [v. 1.] Cinderella, [v. 2.] Jack and the Beanstalk, [v. 3.] Little Red Riding Hood, [v. 4.] Rumpelstilskin, [v. 5.] Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. All charming miniature editions of classic fairly tales.
The Cat's Tea Party
London: George Routledge & Sons, [ca 1871]. Date of publication suggested by the Bodleian Library. 10 1/2 x 9"; 6 numbered, [8 unnumbered] pp., colored woodcut illustrations by Harrison Weir; loose pages but all present; tears and chips to covers and pages, some of which were repaired with sewing and reinforcements; some foxing and stains, gift inscription in pencil on inside ffep; good condition.
One of a series of Shilling Toy Books for children published by Routledge, mainly of animals, famous fairy tales and bible stories with striking, large illustrations. Scarce in the trade.
Desert Rat Scrap Book, Packet Two of Pouch Six
Thousand Palms, CA: Harry Oliver, [1953]. First edition; 17 x 22" (folded double three times); heavy cream-colored stock; profusely illustrated with cover art by Art Loomer; minor puncture to lower fold-line and a small rubbed spot to front cover, else minor wear to edges; overall very good to near fine condition.
The "Desert Rat Scrap Book" (or DSRB) was a (somewhat irregularly published) quarterly Southwestern humor periodical created by art director, humorist, and artist Harry Oliver. Boasting to be "the smallest newspaper in the world" and the "only newspaper in America you can open in the wind," the current Packet Two, or The Contentment Packet, included the second installment of western-novels writer Dane Coolidge's "Death Valley Scotty, Prospector and Showman," Don Blanding's "The Desert," and the hilarious article "Mule Decides to Quit Army," etc. Considered by many to be the precursor to the zine culture - few copies of Oliver's journal have survived.
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.
The Tragic Story of Es-Kim-In-Zin
New Mexico: The New Mexico Historical Review, 1928. Paperback, 6 x 9"; Some cracking and peeling of spine, sun fading to 1/2 of the front cover, minor markings, 52 pp.
An all too familiar tale for this time period, this is the story of Es-Kim-In-Zin, Chief of the Pinal and Aravaipa Apaches who lived from 1828 - 1894. His name meant "Men stand in line for him" and he was a man of character and leadership who was betrayed time and again by the US Goverment, Mexican citizens and anit-apache American citizens. This story was written by John P. Clum, a Government Indian agent for the San Carlos Apache Reservation, who got to know Es-Kim-In-Zin well.
Three in One: Three Complete Stories in One Book: Sue's Hair Ribbon; Big Old House; Purple Car
Morro Bay, CA: Tabula Rasa Press, 1981. Miniature book, 2 1/8 x 1 3/4"; Letterpress, cloth boards, printed label, 67 pp. Set in Torino type, number 177 of 300 copies, (Bradbury, Tabula Rasa Press 22).
Three cute and brief original children's tales. 4 institutional holdings in OCLC.
The Battle of Belief
London: Longmans, Green and Co. 1891, First edition, Hardcover in blue cloth binding; No dust jacket. Book Condition: Very Good; some corner bumping where cloth has worn through, some stains and cover wear, tanning of pages, fading of red lettering on spine, bubbling effect on back cover where cloth has come away from board. Embossed publisher's stamp stating "Presented by the Publisher" on title page.
Nevison Loraine, Vicar of Urove Park West, endeavors to give readers a concise compilation of defenses of the Christian faith using arguments from other writers. This book maps out a good line of defense on issues that are still argued today: miracles, resurrection, logical proof, etc. His book is a handbook in which the various aspects of the battle of belief are reviewed, mainly in the language of the leading opponents, Mr. Loraine's own part consisting of exhibiting numerous quotations/examples and showing that the issue is very plainly on the side of belief. Scarce, only 1st edition in the trade.
The Red Keep: A Story of Burgundy in the Year 1165
Boston: Houghton Mifflin. 1938, First edition, Hardcover in red cloth illustrated binding; No dust jacket; Ex-library. Book Condition: Good; book is slightly cocked, corner bumping where cloth has worn away, some stains and cover wear, tanning of pages, remnants of library markings and pockets. Color frontispiece illustrated by N.C. Wyeth. Text drawings by Andrew Wyeth.
Allen French was a Harvard historian so this juvenile tale has good historical accuracy. It is a tale of life in medieval France and covers guilds, class differences, moral lessons and battle information. The story is exciting, with villians, suspense and last minute rescues that either boys or girls would like.
Confessions of a Barbarian
New York: Moffat, Yard and Co., 1910, first American edition, hardcover. Ex-library book, has various library markings, pocket and stamps, some pen and pencil writing throughout, and un-cut edges. No dust jacket. Good condition.
This is a book of historical interest whereby the author, a "Germanophile", interviewed Adolf Hitler several times and was a Nazi apologist. In 1934 he gave a speech wherein he compared Hitler to Franklin Delano Roosevelt and asked his audience to support German National Socialism.
Study Manual for Civil Service
San Francisco: The Recorder Printing and Publishing Co., 1942, hardcover. Dust jacket is in good condition with some stains, chipping and minor tears. Book has red cloth over boards, spine slightly cocked, minor corner bumping, a few pencil marks in "Test Chapter", otherwise very clean and neat. Very good condition.
This book was meant to quickly prepare an individual for the civil service exam, in a time where these positions were abundant. Basic knowledge covered includes arithmetic, art, english, geography, government, history, literature, science, and a helpful test chapter at the end.