Hardcover
Christmas in the Olde Coaching Days
[Manteno, IL]: Bronte Press, 1989. Approximately 2 3/4 x 2 1/8", oblong. (22) pp. First Edition. LIMITED EDITION of 75 copies, this being #61. Decorated paper boards with printed labels, letterpress, hand-colored illustrations by the author, signed and numbered on the colophon by Pruchnicki, in fine condition. (Bradbury, Bronte Press 21)
Printing since 1981, Bronte Press miniatures are notable in that all of the illustrations are original works and are often hand-colored. This beautiful miniature tells a charming story of a coachman's adventures during the Christmas season.
Chronicles of Texas, A Sesquicentennial Momento, 1836 - 1986
(San Antonio, TX: Windcrest Press, 1986). (29) pp. 3 x 2 1/4". LIMITED EDITION of 25 copies, this being #19. Blue cloth over boards with metal flag on front cover, postage stamps tipped in, illustrations, signed by the author, in fine condition. (Bradbury, Windcrest Press, 2)
Valentine J. Poska is a librarian by profession who also publishes miniature books under his Windcrest Press Imprint. He also wrote other miniature books published by other publishers. He was an early member of the Miniature Book Society. This little book chronicles many important and trivia related events in the history of Texas, starting with Texas gaining its independence from Mexico and ending with Texas Sesquicentennial (with Dallas Cowboys superbowl wins and a political figures sprinkled in).
Come Into My Parlour
London: Hutchinson & Co., [1946]. 384 pp. 5 1/4 x 7 1/2"; First edition presumed; Inscribed by the author on title page, Illustrated dust jacket has some rubbing and creases and a few tears, chipping and missing portion on back cover, price of 12s 6d net intact, in good condition; Black cloth over boards with crisp gilt lettering on spine, slight spine tilt, slight outer page edge foxing, otherwise in near fine condition.
Dennis Yates 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 fictionalized World War II saga featuring the character of Gregory Sallust continues, following the conclusion of V for Vengeance. Set mostly in Russia, it's another Dennis Wheatley thriller.
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.
Dracula's Guest
Van Nuys, CA: Barbara J. Raheb, 1979. 40 pp. Approximately 5/8 x 15/16". LIMITED EDITION of 300 copies, this being #21. Black pyroxylin, gilt titles on spine and cover, previous owner's bookplate on front free endpaper, marbled endpapers, signed and numbered on the colophon, in fine condition. (Bradbury, Barbara J. Raheb, 136)
From Project Gutenberg: A few months before the lamented death of my husband—I might say even as the shadow of death was over him—he planned three series of short stories for publication, and the present volume is one of them. To his original list of stories in this book, I have added an hitherto unpublished episode from Dracula. It was originally excised owing to the length of the book, and may prove of interest to the many readers of what is considered my husband’s most remarkable work. The other stories have already been published in English and American periodicals. Had my husband lived longer, he might have seen fit to revise this work, which is mainly from the earlier years of his strenuous life. But, as fate has entrusted to me the issuing of it, I consider it fitting and proper to let it go forth practically as it was left by him.
FLORENCE BRAM STOKER
Driving Force
London: Michael Joseph, 1992. 277 pp. Approximately 6 1/4 x 9 1/4". 1st English Edition. Illustrated dust jacket in fine condition; Black cloth over boards, gilt title on spine, signed by the author on the half-title page, in 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 is Dick Francis' 31st book, with jockey, Freddie Croft, trying to deal with a conspiracy involving the seedy underside of horse-racing.
Frederick Law Olmsted at Biltmore
Dallas, TX: Aredian Press, 2023. Approximately 3 x 2 3/4", oblong. LIMITED EDITION of 10 copies, this being #9. Design binding by Patrice Miller of Aredian Press. Green photographic paper cover with green leather quarter bound, extra endpapers on special paper, stamp frontispiece, colophon and limitation which is, signed and numbered by the publisher, illustrations, in fine condition. Beautifully structured and well-written biography.
Frederick Law Olmsted (1922 - 1903) was an American landscape architect, as well as a public administrator, social critic, and journalist. He was famous for co-designing many well known parks such as New York's Central Park, Brooklyn's Prospect Park, as well as the campuses of Wellesley College, Smith College, Stanford University and the University of Chicago. Olmsted not only designed the landscape architecture of the Biltmore for George Vanderbilt II, but he designed the Biltmore Village to replicate the working estates of Europe. He was an important early conservationist and he encouraged the full use of naturally occurring features of any given space.
Patrice Miller's work has found its way to private and university collections, in the states and abroad. Human foibles, nature’s panoply, and artistic cleverness cannot help but inform future work. She continues to bind, and rebind, in Dallas, Texas.
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.
Little Tree
Dallas, TX: Aredian Press, 2022. Approximately 2 x 3". LIMITED EDITION of 10 copies, this being #6. Design binding by Patrice Miller of Aredian Press, red and gold patterned paper over boards with paper label on removable band, red felt spine, book is not rectangular - rather top right edge is slanted in, Christmas tree inside opens up, poem inside enclosed in its own little section, signed and numbered by the publisher on the colophon, in fine condition.
Lovely poem by e.e. cummings (1894 - 1962) about how cherished a Christmas tree is. Patrice Miller's work has found its way to private and university collections, in the states and abroad. Human foibles, nature’s panoply, and artistic cleverness cannot help but inform future work. She continues to bind, and rebind, in Dallas, Texas.
Medieval Labours
Sorbie, Scotland: Final Score, 2007. Approx. 2 x 2 5/8". LIMITED EDITION of 25 copies, this being #3. Brown cloth over boards with gilt-bordered paste-down label on cover, each copy individually illustrated using egg tempura paint on vellum with gold, signed on the colophon by both authors, in fine condition.
This beautiful book contains 13 illuminated illustrations accompanying each month of the year plus the title page. The text describes the work to be completed for each month in medieval times. For example, January described bread baking with a medieval recipe, while June talks of estate management. Only one OCLC holding at this time, from the collection of Muriel Underwood - a US Marine, member of the Caxton Club, longtime member of the Miniature Book Society and miniature book publisher herself.