Edinburgh and London: Ballantyne, Hanson, & Co, circa 1910. Twenty six numbered volumes plus 2 volume set of life and works plus 2 volume set of Our Mutual Friend, all in matching publisher's bindings. Bound in full olive green cloth boards with paper title labels to spines. Minor wear to edges of boards and spine ends of all volumes. Wear / chipping / browning to title labels. Minor dampstaining to corners of boards of some volumes; although interior pages seem to be free from staining. Some volumes have minor soiling and/or discoloration to covers. Each volume contains illustrations - most in black and white with a few in color. Occasional smudge marks, occasional tear to a page in the margin (from opening the pages), and sporadic spots of foxing - but overall, very clean and bright interiors. Rippling to some of the illustrations, which are printed on a different paper stock. Signature of previous owner in pen to front free endpapers of most volumes. All bindings remain strong. This set will require an extra shipping fee. LIT/010318. More

Malvern East, Victoria Australia: Electio Editions, 2011. Softcover. Number 29 of 40 copies of which 31 were for sale. The is the second book in the Alan Loney's Electio Edition "alphabeta series". Alan Loney (1940 - ) is a well known writer, poet, editor, publisher and letterpress printer. His work has been published by University and private presses in New Zealand, Australia and North America.His own presses have printed and published many of New Zealand's most noted poets. He has also produced books himself, and in collaboration with artists and printmakers in New Zealand and overseas. His partner Miriam Morris enjoys a dual career as a visual artist and professional musician. For this book Morris contributes two original pen and acrylic drawings, each one unique in each copy. Marion May Campbell is better known as a contemporary Australian artist, but the book's prospectus describes her as also a poet of brilliance, sensitivity and skill. Bound in hand stitiched tan paper covers with title in yellow and author and artist names in red. Designed and printed by Lone with Dante and Libra types printed on damped BFK Rives paper. Housed in a bright yellow clamshell box and accompanied by the prospectus. In fine condition. Measures 5 x 9.25 inches. Unpaginated. PRI/022020. Fine. More

Israel: Even Hoshen, 2009. Someck, Ronny. Hardcover. Number 35 of 88 copies. Signed by the author and printer. A collection of five poems by Ronny Someck about ballet with two hand-colored illustrations. Someck is an Israeli poet, musician, and artist who has won multiple awards for his poetry including the Prime Minister's Award, the Hans Berghhuis prize for poetry, and the Yehuda Amichai Award for Hebrew poetry. He is internationally renowned with poems published in over thirty-five languages and ten books of poetry published in English. The Even Hoshen press was founded in 1994 by Uzi Agassi, who was later joined by his son Ido. Their work is letterpress printed on high quality paper with hand made bindings and illustrations. Pointe Shoes is a dos-a-dos structure printed in both English and Hebrew. It is bound in black cloth boards with inset cloth ballet slippers to both boards and decorative pink and black ribbons to spine. The center of both signatures features four black and pink flourishes. Printed on Grandee paper and handset in Alt-Mediaval and Margalit type. Housed in a black cloth slipcase. A fine production. Unpaginated. [18 pages.] PRI/032713. Fine. More

London: Cassell and Co., and John Lane The Bodley Head, 1934. Hardcover. First Edition. An interesting and unusual presentation copy from the editor to Clementine Churchill, wife of Winston: "To Mrs. Churchill, these poems from the day when Fanny's First Play was written; and in memory of the pleasure of seeing it in her company. August 11, 1935 Desmond Flower." The inscription makes reference to Fanny's First Play, written anonymously in 1911 by G. Bernard Shaw. Desmond Flower (1907-1997) was a publisher, collector, and writer. He joined his father's publishing house, Cassell, and remained there until it was sold in 1966 following his father's death. Cassell's was the publisher for many major writers, but Flower's most important writer was Winston Churchill, editing and publishing his History of English Speaking People and the History of the Second World War. Bound in publisher's original green cloth with title and author in gilt to spine. Binding and text in near fine condition. In original dust jacket which is torn and tattered, and now protected by a mylar cover. 297 pages. POE/052913. Near Fine / Chipped and Torn. More

1586. A leaf from Le Vies et Alliances des Comtes de Hollande et Zelande, Seignevrs de Frise. Print method is Wood Block with professional coloring. Print measures 295 x 195 mm or approximately 11 3/4 x 7 1/2 inches. Archivally matted. #13063. Fine. More

London: Printed for T. Davies, R. Baldwin, T. Becket, T. Cadell, and T. Evans, 1774. Hardcover. The second edition, corrected. Full brown leather boards with maroon leather title labels and gilt titles to spines. Each volume in this set has been expertly rebacked with new leather to spines. The boards appear to be original. Heavy wear and chipping to edges of boards. One of the raised bands on volume I has been nearly chipped off. Scuffing and minor cracking to boards. The interiors are clean overall, though there are a few small spots of foxing. The book plate of James John and Sophia Holrond of White Hall to front pastedown of each volume. Two signatures are loose, but present in Volume II; the bindings of the remaining volumes are secure. 384 pages + index in Volume I; 410 pages + index in Volume II; 454 pages + index in Volume III; 410 pages + index in Volume IV. This set may require additional money for shipping. HIS/092607. Very Good. More

Moscow: Emil Goozairow, (2020). Small unnumbered limited edition. Goozairow is a Russian artist who paints and draws, produces movies, and creates exceptional handmade books that are printed on rare types of paper and published in limited editions. His techniques create unique designs that often are made with natural materials alone or in combination with relief decorations made from metal or polymeric clay. He creates books that he describes as "pop up," “kinetic carousel," “liporello” or “3D origami.” He also writes fairy tales, stories and mystical scenes. A playful alphabet book with something embedded in both covers, causing it to rattle when read. Delightful illustrations with alliterative phrases (many comical) for each letter such as: Angel's Acorns for A, Creeping Cats, Delightful Desire for D, and Ugly Unicorn for U. The book has a special folding design that seems to unravel as you open each page. The book must be turned and flipped as you read in order to see all of the letters in order. Both boards are pyramid shaped relief designs in colored polymer clay. The book is held closed with braided brown cord straps that fasten with a metal clasp. In fine condition. Each side of this triangular shaped book measure about 2.25 inches. The depth of the book is about 3 inches. The book is painted white and blue. ARTB/021921. Fine. More

Moscow: Emil Goozairow, 2022. Hardcover. Not technically a miniature, but still a small book. Both covers are 3-D printed and hand painted to resemble metal. This is an accordion book featuring black and white illustrations of a jagged, rocky landscape - which incorporates letterforms in both the rocks and negative spaces. Double-sided. An imaginative design. [36 pages.] Size: about 4 x 2.5 inches. Emile Goozairow is a Russian artist who paints and draws, produces movies, and creates exceptional miniature handmade books that are printed on rare types of paper and published in limited editions. His techniques create unique designs that often are made with natural materials alone or in combination with relief decorations made from metal or polymeric clay. He creates books that he describes as "pop up," “kinetic carousel," “liporello” or “3D origami.” He also writes fairy tales, stories and mystical scenes. ARTB/052323. Fine. More

Basel: Romano Hänni, 2018. Hardcover. A set of three books in the Words Make the Infinite Finite series. Volume VII is limited to 290 copies, Volume VI is limited to 187 copies, and Volume V is limited to 86 copies. Swiss book artist and typographer Romano Hänni (1956 - ) has been experimenting with unusual compositions of letter forms and symbols since the early 1980s. His intricate designs can seem somewhat whimsical but often are reactions to society, politics, and traumatic events. Creating things manually with the participation of all of the senses is very important to him. A master of visual poetry, he enjoys teaching to pass on his knowledge and skills. Each of these books was hand composed and hand printed in black, red, yellow, and blue ink. All are accordion structures with stiff paper illustrated wrappers, which when removed, allow the twelve pages of the contents to be unfolded into one continuous strip. With a paper band closure for the folded book. Includes a four page supplement featuring the title of the work and the colophon in both English and German. A small set in a slipcase measuring about 3.25 inches wide by 5 inches tall by 1.25 inches thick. In fine condition. Unpaginated. PRI/112818. Fine. More

Philadelphia: Heirloom Press, 2017. Hardcover. Number 4 of 5 copies. Signed by the artist. Folio. "Curio is a collection of quotidian objects that speaks to the idea of woman as domestic curator and as weaker vessel. Images of household vases, cups and bowls are paired with inkblots that evoke the trappings of middle-class existence" (artist's statement). Includes text adapted from the 1868 collection of articles, "Modern Women and What Is Said of Them" and the Kate Chopin novel "The Awakening." Many of the excerpts that the artist has chosen to include objectify women, likening them to jewelry, tables, and other precious possessions. For example: After scolding his wife for sun bathing, Mr. Pontellier looks "at his wife as one looks at a valuable piece of personal property which has suffered some damage." Also "The mind ought to be developed a little, and in such a way as to make the body more piquant and attractive. Like the candle inside a Chinese lantern, it may serve to lighten up and show to advantage the pretty devices outside. But the outside is the important thing, and the inside only incidental" (from "Modern Women ...). Others comment on how wives should be controlled or "managed" and the power dynamics within the home. A powerful book about the subjugation of women. Bound in full white alum-tawed leather with seven raised bands to the spine. Printed using letterpress, screenprint, and lithography on paper handmade by the artist. Size: 22 (wide) x 14.5 (tall) inches when open. ARTB/060920. Fine. More

New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1889. Hardcover. Hudson Edition. An attractive set bound in three quarter brown morocco over marbled paper covered boards with gilt titles, raised bands, and floral devices to spines. Minor rubbing and wear to edges of boards, bands, hinges, and corners. Minor bumping to some corners. Includes frontispieces and full page illustrations with tissue guards. Decorated initials begin each chapter. Clean and bright interiors with many unopened pages. Previous owner's signature in pen dated 1891 on the front free endpapers of each volume. Marbled endpapers and top edges gilt. LIT/041719. Very Good. More

London: R.A. Walker, 1924. Hardcover. First Edition. Number 183 of 500 copies with signature of publisher, Walker. PRESENTATION COPY inscribed by Walker to the journalist J.M. Bulloch "To J.M. Bulloch / with the regards of the publisher and editor / R.A. Walker / 7 January 1925." An autograph letter from Walker to Bulloch is pasted down to the rear end page and Bulloch's review of this book is pasted down to the front end page. It was appropriate that Bulloch reviewed this book as he had promoted Beardsley's work in the 1890's. The main text is a lecture by A.W. King, a friend and tutor of Beardsley. He originally delivered the lecture at the Blackburn Technical Institute where he held the position of secretary. The book also includes 15 full page sketches and about 16 letters from Beardsley, many of which include smaller sketches. All of the letters and sketches had been in the possession of A.W. King and had never before been published. Several of the letters are of notable content, one of which tells of his first visit to see the influential artist Edward Burne-Jones in 1891 and another describes his development of a new drawing style. Near fine in original light blue cloth boards with black and gilt leather title label to spine. Slight browning to spine and minor wear to spine ends. Light offsetting to front endpages from inserted review, else very clean. A nice association copy. 103 pages. ART/010710. Near Fine. More

Athens: Dorothy Simpson Krause, 2021. A unique book with original watercolors. Dorothy Krause is a painter, collage artist and printmaker who incorporates digital mixed media into her art. Her work is exhibited regularly in galleries and museums and featured in numerous current periodicals and books. In her artist's statement she says: "My work includes large scale mixed media pieces, artist books and book-like objects that bridge between these two forms. It embeds archetypal symbols and fragments of image and text in multiple layers of texture and meaning. It combines the humblest of materials, plaster, tar, wax and pigment, with the latest in technology to evoke the past and herald the future. My art-making is an integrated mode of inquiry that links concept and media in an ongoing dialogue – a visible means of exploring meaning. In 2019, when the artist was in Athens, she began a book with watercolors of the landscape and collaged images of Athena. Returning home, she decided to explore her relation to the archetype and wrote a narrative, contrasting her comments with excerpts from Jean Shinoda Bolen’s Goddesses in Everywoman. Because she felt it presumptuous to compare herself to Athena, she printed narrative from Bolen's book on 4 vellum sheets and "hid" them by inserting them between the drum-leaf pages. Channeling Athena has 10 watercolor and collaged pages, and the 4 vellum inserts in a drum-leaf binding with a cover of vintage white leather over board. Affixed to the cover is a cream colored plaster medallion with a raised profile of a Greek head and the letters AOE ("Of the Athenians"). A lovely book in fine condition. Measures 7.5 x 6" inches. Unpaginated. ARTB/051923. More