paperback
Machine Gun Fire Control
Cleveland, OH: Edward C. McKay, 1917. 84 pp. plus advertisements. First Edition. Approximately 5 x 6 3/4". Black cloth stiff paper covers with some chipping and loss, some spotting to cover and faded title, owner signed on front-free endpaper, very few ink marks on the text, slightly musty smell, very good condition.
This text was written and the control rule designed in order to try and teach the difficult subject of the exterior ballistics of the machine gun and to simplify to a minimum the mathematical operations in the control of fire. (from the preface). Illustrated with many figures and diagrams.
Masses of St. Francis of Assisi and of St. Anne, Facsimile
Yorktown Heights, NY: Belser Incorporated, Publishers, 1988. 63 pp. Also described as Vat. Lat 11254 - Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, this is a facsimile copy of the 16th century work by an unknown artist. Summary book approximately 4 1/8 x 5 3/4", 63 pages. First limited and numbered edition for the English-speaking market of 1000 copies, this being #101. Miniature book with leather binding and gilt decorations on the cover, measuring 1 x 1 1/2", 30 pages, is an exact reproduction of the original in terms of color/size/extent, housed in a silver case with necklace, all original packaging intact, all in fine condition.
The miniature book itself is very charming. It contains beautiful color pictures and ornamental designs as well as the masses by St. Francis of Assisi and St. Anne. St. Francis was best known for being humble and living a life close to that of Jesus Christ and the "F" on the outer locket is a tribute to his work. St. Anne was the mother of Mary and grandmother of Jesus Christ and the "A" on the outer locket is a tribute to her work. The summary book was written by Dr. Robert Moynihan, a veteran Vatican analyst and the founder and editor-in-chief of "Inside the Vatican" magazine. A beautifully packaged and meaningful collection, showing only 1 holding for the English version in Worldcat.
Miniature Book Society Conclave XXI Keepsakes
Various: Various, 2003. Ten miniature keepsakes made in limited editions from various publishers, along with a unique drawstring bag, all produced as keepsakes for the 21st MBS Conclave, held in Toronto, Canada, in fine condition.
Keepsake items from some of the best miniature book presses in the trade. Included are the following: Bookplate by Darragh Hunter (signed), The Pelican by Gray Goose Press, The Longest Street in the World by Evron S. Collins, T'bull's Aaht by The Final Score (numbered), Beloved Books by The Bronte Press, Toronto by Kathy King & Janet King, A Quirky Thought for the Day by Bookarts Canberra (bound in leather), Because of Miriam by Frank & Jeanette Anderson, Miniature Books: A Counting Conundrum or Stymied Statistics, by Rare Book & Texana Collections of the University of North Texas Libraries, and a decorative cloth keepsake bag in American and Canadian flag motif by Margaret Challenger.
Poems
Oakland, CA: The Eucalyptus Press, 1948. [33] pp. Approximately 5 1/2 x 8". LIMITED EDITION of 350 copies. Blue stiff paper covers with paste-down lable on front cover showing title and design, sewn binding, some fading to cover, printed in Mills College in Centaur type, cover decoration by Esther Waite, in near fine conditon.
It is hard to find any information on Linda Kincannon, but apparently she was such a great person that her friends got together and published some of the poems she had written for them, grateful for having known her. A quote by Kincannon on the title page reads, "Infinite sympathy is needed for the infinite pathos of life." A great read for anyone who needs some uplifting poems on love and friendship.
Telephone Directory, It's a Small World
Austin, TX: Amistad Press, 1978. (64) pp. Approximately 1 1/4 x 1". Stiff paper boards with paper label on cover and spine, fine condition. (Bradbury, Amistad Press 23)
Created to look like a phonebook, this little gem has both "white pages", (which contain the contact information for real collectors, miniature makers and dealers active at the time of publication in both the US and Canada) and "yellow pages", (which contain advertisements for everything miniature book related). This is the bigger edition and is listed first in Bradbury. The revised edition is smaller.
The Jewel of Arwen
Baltimore: T-K Graphics, [1974]. 5 1/2 x 8 1/4". 39 pp. Light blue stock paper with black pictorial cover, illustrated by Jean Brill, cover is slightly sun faded at the top,$2.00 original price on front cover, very tiny stain to back cover, very good condition.
Marion Zimmer Bradley was always a huge Tolkien fan and has published some short stories using those characters. This booklet attempts to shed more light on the history and virtue of the jewel of Arwen through study of the Red Book of Westmarch and other sources, with notes and commentary by Bradley.
The Lion Tamers
Seal Harbor, ME: [High Loft], 1980. [11] pp. Approximately 5 x 7 1/4". LIMITED EDITION of 20 copies, this being #20. Gray stiff paper covers with printed design on front cover, set and bound by hand on the press of August Heckscher, with Tom Coleman's asistance (from the colophon), woodcut illustration, minor corner creasing and small indentation mark on cover, in near fine conditon.
Karen MacDonald (1961 - ) earned her BA in studio art from Wesleyan University with a focus on typography and printmaking. She began her career in high school by working as a letterpress printer and compositor at The Printing Office at High Loft, working alongside August Heckscher II and Tom Coleman.This book tells a sweet tale of two childhood friends in rural Maine. Worldcat shows no library holdings (as of 1/20).
The Musical Fantasies of L. Frank Baum
Lake Worth, FL: Ford Press, 1969. 2 1/2 x 2". 184 pp. LIMITED EDITION of 750 copies (according to Bradbury), this being #113. Black cloth over boards, gilt title on cover, gilt author descriptions on rear cover but slightly blurry, signed by the author on the colophon, illustrated, in near fine condition. (Bradbury, Ford Press 3)
L. Frank Baum (1856 - 1919) was an American author, mainly known for his Wizard of Oz books. Turns out that Baum also had a lively theatrical career as well. This little book tells all about those productions and includes reproductions of posters, stagebills, etc. Also included is a complete checklist of all of Baum's works. A wonderful book for any Baum collector.
The Second Magenta Frog
Vancouver, BC: Talonbooks, 1972. First Edition, limited print run of 4,000 copies. Illustrated stiff paper wrap with some browning to edges and spine, some foxing to inside front/back covers, minor edgewear, numerous illustrations, pictures, newsclips and short stories throughout, on newsprint paper, unmarked, in very good plus condition.
Great collection of the early works of Arnold Saba (now Katherine Collins), best known for the Neil the Horse comics and stories. From the front cover, this book contains, "Stories, Poems, Pictures, Songs, Comics, Jokes, Games, Tricks, Puzzles, Enigmas, Conundrums, Surprises, Marvels, Magic, Deceptions, Illusion, Disillusion, Fear, Horror, Despair, Death, Truth, Lies, Changes, Cycles, Love, Life." Only a few other copies on the market.