Chelsea, England: Ashendene Press, 1931-1935. Three scarce pieces of ephemera from the renowned Ashendene Press. The three items were issued during the final years of the press and includes a farewell notice to its subscribers. The announcements are as follows: 1931: A four page announcement to subscribers that their latest book, Thucydides, would be available shortly. It includes the prices and an order form. The announcement notes that this would be the last Folio to be issued from the press. It goes on to say that their next book, Les Amours Pastorales de Daphnis et de Chloe, would be ready in about a year and would probably be their last book with the possible exception of a Descriptive Bibliography. Finely printed in red and black. The order form is a separate sheet printed on cream paper in very good condition. It has a rust stain at the top margin where a paper clip was attached. The announcement and form light creases where they were folded in the middle. Near fine. Measures 4.5 x 6 inches. 1933: A four page announcement to subscribers: "Announcement of the Last Books to be Issued by the Press." In this announcement, StJ. Hornby writes that although his 1931 announcement included Les amours Pastorales de Daphnis et de Chloé, that edition was "consigned to flames" because of problems with the ink used. He here announced the publication of The Book of Ecclesiasticus, to be issued in 1933 and a new edition of Daphnis et Chloé to be issued in 1934. He states that these will be the last two regular books to come from the press unless circumstances allow for the printing of the Descriptive Bibliography of the Press. The two following pages describe the two books and states the prices for them. In very good condition save for light darkening along the creases where the announcement was folded in the middle. Measures 7.5 inches x 10.75 inches 1935: A four page announcement: "A Farewell Notice to the Subscribers to the Books of the Ashendene Press." It states that the long-promised Descriptive Bibliography is now in preparation, describes it and that it will be a complete account of the work of the Press from its inception to its close. It gives the price and instructs subscribers to order through a bookseller or from St.J Hornby as quickly as possible to avoid disappointment. The announcement closes with the statement, printed in red, that this will be the last book to come from the Ashendene Press. The printer's device of the press is on the cover. The last page has a passage in Latin - " Alas, fleeting, posthumous, the years will slip away, and will not be pitied as the delay of roars and the instant of old age will bring...farewell." Ownership stamp of J. Kyrle Fletcher Ltd. also on last page. With light creases across the middle and along the right margins. Very good condition. Measures 4.5 x 6 inches. PRI/032423. More

Washington DC: Government Printing Office, 1932. Softcover. Number 157 of 420 copies. This is the text of an address given by Frederick Ashley, Chief Assistant Librarian of the Library of Congress at the eleventh National Conference on Printing Educationin in honor of the important collection of 15th century books from the library of Doctor Otto Vollbehr. The Library purchased the collection That included a Gutenberg Bible for over one million dollars. Designed and printed by George Henry Carter, the Public Printer of the United States. Bound in white parchment with black and blue titling to cover and printed on handmade paper with Cloister types in two columns of forty-two lines each and illuminated with handmade initial letters similar to the Gutenberg Bible. Prefaced with three black and white photographs of Dr. Vollbehr and the Gutenberg Bible - the Book of Books. Housed in a worn and soiled light blue slipcase. Book is in very good condition. Measures 10 x 13 inches. Unpaginated [14 pages plue colophon]. PRI/012323. Very Good. More

Toronto: Biting Dog Press, 2019. Hardcover. 1 of 35 copies, signed by the translator on the title page and the designer on the colophon. An examination of the "Necronomicon" - "a scientific diary of the putatively insane doctor known as Abdullah Alhazred. He was a scientist and an alchemist who believed cannibalistic funerary rites could both appease the spirits of the dead and access the divine" (page 13). It includes a fascinating discussion of previous translations, historical contextualization, medical and philosophical explanations behind Alhazred's practices, biographical facts about the doctor, and new translations of the five extracts. According to Alhazred, if performed using the correct rituals, ingestion of the dead could transfer their energy or life force, thus extending the life of the consumer. If true, perhaps he is still alive, wandering in the desert (or so this book suggests)! According to the colophon, this book is digitally printed on laid paper in Adobe Jenson Pro with Neue Kabel for captions and Junius Rough for chapter titles. The first half of this edition was printed pre-Covid and the second half was just printed in 2023. Due to paper shortages, this second half has been printed on machine made paper. It includes an original woodcut made by George A. Walker, signed and numbered out of 42, inserted into a pocket on the front free endpaper. The book is bound in grey cloth boards with a black dust jacket titled in white on the spine and front panel. A pattern of grey skulls decorates the jacket. Includes color photographic illustrations that depict fragments from the original Necronomicon, a page from the Book of the Dead, and other historical sources. 37 pages. PRI/031323. Fine. More

Riverside, CA: Bo Press Miniature Books, 2018. Hardcover. An interesting miniature book from Pat Sweet's Bo Press. She says: "Our alphabet used to be a lot bigger. It used to include letters like ampersand (and), eng ( the sound at the end of words like 'sing'), and the famous long s, which still puzzles readers of old books when it appears in the middle of words looking like 'f' but sounding like 's'. I've taken eleven of these once well-known letters and given each of them a tiny spotlight: illustrating it against a background of medieval tracery, telling a little of its history, and giving some examples in modern fonts (yes, these old letters still turn up in modern typography. You never know when you'll need a conjoined ae.) The book is printed in Kelmscott and Thryomenes on Monarch superfine paper, and bound in a diagonal pattern of cream colored paper and a gold on red medieval-ish print." In fine condition. It measures 2 5/8 x 2 inches. Unpaginated [56 pages]. PRI/0632023. Fine. More

Stratford, ON: Gerard Brender à Brandis, 2000. Paperback. Number 166 of 310 copies, Signed by the illustrator. The text is about the importance of books, reading, and writing to the author and includes personal experiences and memories. The accompanying engravings all feature books, teapots, or printing presses. Sewn blue paper wrappers with black title to front wrapper. With 8 wood engravings by the Brandis. Clean and bright. Handset in Libra type and printed with an Albion Press onto Lana Verge Antique paper by Mary Carrington and Gerard Brender à Brandis. [8 pages.] Size: 9 x 5.5 inches. PRI/032323. Fine. More

Munich: Bremer Presse, 1929. Hardcover. Number 163 of 180 copies printed in Germany at the Bremer Presse. An excellent example of the fine printing done at the Bremer Presse. The press produced books from 1911 to 1934, with a break during World War I. Stylistically influenced by the English Doves Press, the press was a strong influence on German book art. Dutch author, historian, and politician Carel Gerretson (1884 - 1958) wrote poety under the pseudonym Geerten Gossaert. Bound in light blue paper covered boards with paper title label to spine. Browning to spine and to label. Long penned inscription to front free endpaper, else clean and bright. Letterpress printed on Zanders handmade paper. Includes two laid-in notes to front. Housed in original light blue paper covered slipcase. Sunning to edges and panels of case with a few chips to the paper and short closed tears along the seams near the opening. Size: Thin Quarto. 66 pages. PRI/012423. Near Fine. More

Cleveland: World Publishing Company, 1949. Softcover. Printed by A Colish for the World Publishing Company. This is the folio prospectus for Bruce Rogers's monumental Bible, planned to be about 1000 pages and measuring 13.25 x 18,5 inches. The first page is the announcement from Rogers describing the genesis of the Bible's production, its paper, type, and ornaments. He pays special tribute to A. Colish and the splendid printing that comes from his press. The announcement has a crossout of the original "56 books" to correct it and to insert "66." A proof of the title page and three pages of text follow. Bound in a dark blue paper covers with gilt titling to front. Covers are faded and creased. Pages have light creasing but are otherwise clean and bright. Inserted is an order form and envelope to be sent to the Chiswick Bookshop in New York. Very good condition. 8 pages. PRI/032223. Very Good. More

New York: R.R. Bowker Company, 1983. Hard Cover. Second edition, revised and enlarged. "This selective history spans the private press movement from the origin of printing to the most contemporary private presses" (jacket). Fine in brick red cloth boards with gilt title to spine. Pristine with illustrations. Bumping to top corners of pages. In very good beige dust jacket with brown title to front and spine panels. Light sunning to spine panel of jacket and light wear to edges. 389 pages. BOB/020323. Fine in Fine Dust Jacket. More

Toronto: Cheshire Cat Press, (2023). Hardcover. Signed in pencil on title page by George Walker with a Cheshire Cat hand drawn illustration. "The Cheshire Cat Press has finally made this unique artwork, with Carroll's original text, available once again - this time with extra illustrations not present in the previous editions. Walker's engravings are playful, surreal and downright provocative as ever, offering a new and darkly energetic interpretation of this time-honored, masterpiece" (jacket). This new edition is a redesigned version of the Porcupine Press edition printed in the late 1980s. Bound in red cloth boards with gilt title to spine. Red ribbon bookmark bound in. Pristine. In yellow dust jacket with red title to spine and front panels. Includes about 100 woodcuts by George Walker. 140 pages. PRI/022723. Fine / Fine. More

Toronto: Cheshire Cat Press, 2023. Hardcover. Number 19 of 42 copies. Signed by Tannenbaum, Richards, Malcolm, and Walker. Quarto. A parody of Lewis Carroll's "Hunting of the Snark", written during the COVID-19 quarantine, that involves an expedition to cure infectious diseases by procuring a tissue sample from the elusive Snark, which is said to have immunity to all germs. Unfortunately, all but one of the crew members takes ill and dies from one of the diseases they set out to cure. Includes the Snark Map and a table of diseased crew members. The author of the introduction, which discusses infectious diseases during Carroll's lifetime is Catherine Anne Richards (1963). She is a retired English paediatric surgeon with a passion for Carrollinia. The author of this parody, Alison Crane Tannenbaum (1946), is a neurobiologist that spent most of her career in biomedical research at the National Institute of Health. Bound in red cloth boards with leatherette title label to front cover and gilt title to spine. Printed in New Caledonia type on Velin BFK Rives paper by George Walker and Andy Malcolm. With wood engravings by Walker, made from end grain end grain maple wood. The engravings of each crew member are underprinted with engravings based on photographs of viruses, which were provided by the author. Housed in slipcase covered in same cloth as book with gilt titling to cover and spine. In fine condition. 54 pages. PRI/030923. Fine. More

London: Cresset Press Limited, 1928. Hardcover. Number 163 of 750 copies. Founded in 1927, the Cresset Press specialized in finely printing pieces from classical literature. The thirteen page preface addresses the difficulties of translating Homer with notes on this particular translation. Bound in vellum over orange cloth covered boards with gilt title to spine. Bumping to head of spine and corners of boards. Minor yellowing to vellum, as is common. Minor sunning to front board. Clean and bright. A fine printing of this classic work. Size: Quarto. 228 pages. PRI/020223. Very Good. More

Gainesville, FL: Crooked Letter Press, 2014-2015. Hardcover. Number 35 of 50 copies signed and numbered by the book artist. Crooked Letter Press is the imprint of book artist and graphic designer, Ellen Knudson. Ellen is currently Associate in Book Arts at The University of Florida. She holds an MFA in Book Arts from The University of Alabama. Ellen has been a book artist for 17 years and a professional graphic designer for 20+ years . She has taught letterpress printing and Book Arts at The University of Florida, The University of Alabama, and graphic design at Mississippi State University and Wayne State University. Her work is in the collections of San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Yale University, The Library of Congress, and many other national and international collections. Ellen Knudson describes her perceptive and imaginative book as composed of mysterious structures, imagined genomes, and fictitious chemistry - that are "ALL TRUE." She explains that Made Up is a non-scientific science book about the imaginary cellular composition of the human body. The artist, who wrote, designed, and letterpress printed this work has identified both positive and negative human attributes such as anger, curiosity, fear, joy, knowledge, and trust among others. She has then created colorful replicas of the cells that host these attributes to show their composition and their effects on the host body. There is also an often witty description of each type of cell, its qualities, and its effect on other cells. Bound in brown paper covered boards with a cell-like design and a tan linen spine. Titling in gilt to spine. Bright yellow endpapers. The book is printed on Mohawk Superfine 100# text weight paper. The typefaces used are Spectrum and Franklin Gothic Condensed printed from photopolymer plates. The cell images are multi-block and reduction linoleum prints. The structure is a drum-leaf binding. It is housed in a brown cloth clamshell box with an opening cut into the front cover that reveals part of a cell's image. In fine condition. Measures 6 x 12 inches. Unpaginated. PRI/030923. Fine. More

Frankfurt am Main: Der Goldene Brunnen, 1953. Hardcover. A collection of poetry in German by several different authors including Edgar Allan Poe, François Villon, and more. Printed using Antiqua typeface from the Bremer Presse. Bound in brown paper covered boards with gilt initals R.A.S. (Rudolph Alexander Schröder) to front board. Uneven sunning to spine and boards. Clean interior. Thin Quarto. In German. 20 pages. PRI/032723. Very Good. More