Harper Woods, MI: Adagio Press, 1967. Hardcover. Number 60 of 473 copies. In this interesting work, Leonard Bahr explores ornamental as a fascinating aesthetic challenge. The Bradley combination ornamnets were designed 1952 by Will H. Bradley and released by American Type Founders. He states that this pamphlet was more than a year in the making. It gives the background of the creation of the ornaments, illustrates the basic four-square combinations and shows more than forty multiple combinations, including three engraved for this publication by Paul Hayden Duening. The pamphlet was printed on four colors of Italian Fabriano paper. It took about 41 different press runs to print the text pages. The pages were sewn into a white cover and a dense black wrapper. The owner of this copy bound the publication in its original wrappers in a handsome three quarter black leather binding with blue and green marbledpaper covers. Rather oddly, the owner apparently used a binding done for a different publication, as the gilt titling to the spine is for a completely different work by Albert Lantoine. This binding is in near fine condition with light wear to leather corners of covers. Marbled endpapers and an attractive bookplate on the pastedown that doesn't name its owner. Interior pages are also about fine. Accompanied by the prospectus and an undated Christmas card from Ann and Leonard Bahr. Measures 6 1/2 x 9 7/8 inches. Unpaginated [16 pages]. PRI/090123. Fine. More

Mission, B.C. Barbarian Press, 2023. Hardcover. One of 108 copies for sale. An additional 20 were hors commerce. This marvelous book is the 52nd book from the Barbarian Press. Its founders Crispin and Jan Elsted write: "We conceived this book as a celebration of our 50 years of marriage and our 45 years as Barbarians. It comprises fifty of our favourite love poems, reaching back to classical Greece and the Old Testament, and forward through the late Middle Ages, the renaissance, and the 18th and 19th centuries to the present day, by twenty-eight poets ranging from the writer(s) of The Song of Songs which is Solomon’s to lyrics by Sappho, to Chaucer, Spenser and Donne, Marvell, Clare, Christina Rossetti, Tennyson and Yeats, to contemporaries Jan Zwicky and Heather Simeney MacLeod, among many others – not forgetting the ubiquitous Anonymous, who contributes five. Eight of Shakespeare’s sonnets form a thematic spine throughout the book. We invited seven engravers who have illustrated our books over the years and have become part of our lives as friends and collaborators to contribute engravings to accompany poems of their choice: Richard Wagener engraved a stunning frontispiece block, while Abigail Rorer, Andy English, Simon Brett, Peter Lazarov, Walter Bachinski, and Graham Williams chose to illustrate poems that range from the Middle English to the contemporary. The type we have chosen for the book is Pastonchi, in its inaugural use here at the press – a graceful, elegant, but little-known face issued by Monotype in 1929, designed by the Italian poet Francesco Pastonchi with the typographer Eduardo Cotti to be used to print an edition of the Italian classics. We are fond of the face. Although it has never been widely used (especially in North America), and has occasionally been criticized by those who fail to respond to its openheartedness, we feel it is ideally suited to poetry, and are delighted to add it to our range of typefaces." The book was designed by Crispin Elsted, who also designed the patterned paper for the binding. Jan Elsted printed the text and the engravings. Apollonia Elsted printed many of the title lines and the cover papers. Bound in half crimson morocco with paper covers at The Mad Hatter Bookbinding Company. Printed on Zerkall ENR White Smooth paper. Each copy is housed in a crimson cloth slipcase with a portfolio containing a suite of seven proofs of the engravings used for the book. In fine condition. Measures 7.25 inches x 10.5 inches. 88 numbered pages + 8 unnumbered pages. PRI/091423. Fine. More

Riverside, CA: Bo Press Miniature Books, (2013). Hardcover. Pat Sweet describes herself as creating illuminated miniature books of curiosity, humor, and delight. She creates both miniature (under 3 inches) and macro-miniature (under 1 inch) books. She also makes miniature pocket globes, astronomical instruments, orreries, tellurions, and occasional oddities. One of 50 copies. Signed by the book artist. "We all know how the story goes: Jonathan Harker leaves the inn at the beginning of 'Dracula', and is dropped off at the crossroads by the coachman, who is afraid to take him any further.  But there is another part of the story, one that Stoker's editor (so the story goes) persuaded him to omit. In this version, Harker demands to be taken down a side road that leads to a long-abandoned village, with dire results. This is the story of that dangerous digression: 'Dracula's Guest', published posthumously in 1914. It may have been a part of the novel, or it may not. The narrator is never named, and seems unlike the characterization of Harker in the novel. You can be the judge" (book artist). Designed, printed, and bound by Pat Sweet. Includes 5 illustrations. and endpapers decorated with a flying bat's wing. Bound in black and gold Japanese chiyogami paper with blood red cloth spine. 74 pages. Measures 2 1/16 inches x 1 1/2 inches. ARTB/090523. Fine. More

Ogdensburg, NY: Caliban Press, 2017. 69 of 104 copies signed and numbered by the highly regarded book artist and printer Mark McMurray. This is a beautifully produced new edition of A Christmas Carol that captures the power of this timeless story through the inventive use of text, images, paper, type, and binding. McMurray writes in the prospectus: "We know the story, we know the characters, but the language of the text offers new rewards with each reading. This edition of Dickens' classic returns to the dark, sleep-deprived angst of the original complete text." The prospectus states that the text in this edition comes from the 1843 edition with minor corrections. Printed on a variety of handmade and mould-made papers including Zerkal Ingres and papers from La Papeterie-St. Armand. The text is printed entirely from metal and wood types, including monotype Bell plus many from the 19th century. There are wonderful images of the ghosts that visit Scrooge on that fateful night, and many other ornaments and designs throughout. They are done in various media including pochoir, collage, wood engraving, and relief blocks. Bound in black ribbed flexible covers with a red morocco leather spine with title in gilt on spine and inside a cutout on the front cover. Housed in a stiff black paper slipcase with a subtle chain design. Prospectus and errata slip inserted. In fine condition. 7.5 x 10.5 inches. 107 pages. PRI/051023. Fine. More

New York: Caliban Press, 2014. Paperback. Number 101 of 125 copies. Signed and numbered by the printer (Mark McMurray) and artist (Guy Berard). "The Five Spot Cafe was one of New York City's most legendary Jazz Clubs ... with repeated extended stays by Thelonious Monk and his various quartets ... The club also became a destination for New York's avante-garde of the period. Abstract expressionist painters as well as poets Frank O'Hara and Amiri Baraka were frequently in the audience. Other writers, critics, and journalists came too, including Martin T. Williams (1924 - 1992) a noted jazz critic and contributor to The New York Times and Harpers Magazine" (artist statement). Bound in Celtic grey handmade paper covers with green cloth spine and circular paper title label "5". Large circular cut out to front cover revealing yellow spot and black number five. The text first appeared in Down Beat magazine on February 13, 1964 and has been edited. Illustrated with a revolving map and a double page centerpiece collage by Guy Berard. The collage is based on a photograph from 1958 of the Thelonious Monk Quartet playing at The Five Spot Cafe. [11 pages.] PRI/051023. Fine. More

London: Essex House Press, 1899. Hardcover. Number 627 of 750 copies. This was the third book published by the Essex House Press. Founded by C.R. Ashbee and Laurence Hodson “in the hope to keep living the tradition of good printing that William Morris had revived, and with the help of T. Binning and J. Tippett, compositors, and S. Mowlem, pressman, who came from the Kelmscott Press to that end” (from the printer’s note). A lovely example of the fine printing of this noted English press. Bound in the original stiff vellum with title printed in black on spine. Vellum has darkened, particularly on the spine, a few slight abrasions to spine, and a bit of bowing to the front board. Light browning to pastedowns. Browning to the gutter of the page preceding the frontispiece and some browning to page edges. Printed in black and with red shoulder notes and colophon in Caslon type on fine handmade paper. Frontispiece illustration by Reginald Savage protected by tissue guard. Interior pages are very clean and bright. With bookplate of Lewis Hotchkiss Brittin, a WWI aviator affixed to front pastedown and ownership signature in ink of Frances Ryder Leonard on front free endpaper. Despite noted condition issues a nice copy in very good condition. 426 pages. PRI/091423. Very Good. More

London: Golden Cockerel Press, 1934. Hardcover. Number 64 of 300 copies, signed by both Enid Clay and Eric Gill. This book was published to be uniform with Clay's Sonnets and Verses, published by the press in 1925. From Roderick Cave's History of The Golden Cockerel Press: "Were it not for his sister Enid Clay, Eric Gill might not ever have been tempted to work with Robert Gibbings. Gibbings had approached Gill in late 1924 with an offer of work as an artist for his newly procured Golden Cockerel Press, but Gill refused on the ground that the press was not Catholic. Their acquaintance might have ended there, but as it happened Gill’s sister was in want of a publisher for her first book. Gibbings volunteered to take her on, and Gill was induced to be her illustrator. Following Gill’s temporary refusal, Enid Clay’s Sonnets and Verses (1925) became the first Golden Cockerel publication he was to illustrate. It was the beginning of a prolific seven-year partnership." This second book of Enid Clay's poetry is elegantly printed in Caslon O.F. type on Batchelor handmade paper with a hammer and anvil watermark. There are six wood engravings by Gill including the title page. Bound in green paper boards with a cream linen spine and paper spine label. Boards are faded along edges, as is frequently the case. Interior pages are clean and bright, with evidence of a bookseller ticket having been removed from the rear pastedown. The top edge is trimmed with the other edges untrimmed. A nice copy in very good condition. Measures 6 x 8.5 inches. 44 pages. See Gill Bibliography 293. PRI/090123. Very Good. More

Buenos Aires, Argentina: Imprenta Ideal, 2008. Hardcover. In a unique design binding by Sol Rébora. This letterpress printed collaboration on handmade paper is limited to 25 copies. The other 24 copies are in a case binding of cloth and paper. Features a frontispiece woodcut illustration by Lucrecia Ofloff. Printed on handmade paper by Viky Sigwald in type designed by Rubén Fontana. The book design and printing was done by Mariana Pariani and Patricio Gatti. The text (in Spanish) is poetry by Luis Gruss (1953 - 2021), an award-winning Argentinian poet, journalist, author, and professor. Gruss has contributed to most of the media publications in Argentina, from Clarín, La Nación and Página to the Latido and Los Inrockuptibles magazines. He has published the books Malos Poetas (1998) and La carne (2004), among others. In 2003 he received the Argentores special prize for his dramatic work Oscura Clarice. He also wrote the essay The Unreachable (Women in the life and work of Kafka, Pessoa and Pavese), first finalist in the essay contest organized by La Nación (Intellectual Capital, 2008). As a journalism teacher at the TEA school (Workshop, School, Agency) he has received a special distinction that rewards his career. Later in his career, Gruss edited books belonging to an academic collection sponsored in Argentina by the IDAES (Institute of Higher Social Studies). Bound in full dark grey leather covered boards printed with an embossed pattern. Both boards are decorated with relief inlays of white Japanese paper. The title is handstamped in grey to the front board. Handsewn white endbands and Japanese endpapers. The interior is clean and bright overall with a few scattered spots of foxing. The construction of the text block uses a reversible stub structure, which allows for easy access to the sewing threads, making any future repairs for a conservator simple. For more details about this reversible stub structure, see this page: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1afzoVW9qSzVaQchryT8gzpL9MRi4iGvC/view Housed in a custom-made clamshell box with white leather spine printed in matching embossed pattern over grey paper covered boards. The title and author's name are hand stamped in black title to spine. The book is hand-paginated in pencil on bottom corners. [48 pages.] Sol Rébora is a designer bookbinder working in Buenos Aires, Argentina, since 1999. She is a well-recognized practitioner, receiving awards both in Argentina and abroad. Her work encompasses innovative and experimental work in designer binding and contemporary conservation methods. She studied with Deborah Evetts, Monique Lallier, Pascale Therond, Edwin Heim, Helene Jolis, Sün Evrard and Kathy Abbott, among other teachers. She currently works and teaches courses out of her studio in addition to giving lectures and workshops in person and online at schools including the SF Center for the Book and Iowa University Center for the Book, American Academy of Bookbinding and Penland School of Crafts. She has participated in group exhibitions such us Epémère, Tomorrow’s Past and Les Pages Bien Gardees. Sol’s work may be found in many privet collections and inside of institution’s collections in USA, Mexico and UK such as Athenæum Library and British Library. PRI/052623. Fine. More

Wales: Gwasg Gregynog, 2005. A handsome prospectus for the press's Pennant and His Welsh Landscapes. In addition the description of the book and the information about the participants there is a full-page copy of one of Rigby Graham's striking engravings. An order form for the book is inserted. In fine condition. Measures 9.5 x 13.75 inches. PRI/041923. Fine. More

[Chillicothe, OH]: The Mountain House Press, 1937. Hardcover. Number 122 of 125 copies signed and numbered by the author. Dard Hunter (1883-1966) is considered by many to be the father of hand papermaking in the United States. Hunter traveled extensively around the world, learning about papermaking and collecting artifacts related to the topic. He wrote several books on hand papermaking traditions, and also studied other paper-like materials such as papyrus and amatl. From the colophon: "The book was printed at the Mountain House Press on paper made by hand in the Orient. The specimens included with each book were gathered by the compiler during journeys in China, as well as in Indochina, Java, Sumatra, Siam, Malay Peninsula, and other Asiatic countries where the Chinese have emigrated and where their ancient customs have been retained. Due to the hand methods used in the making of this volume and to the limited number of original specimens available, only 125 copies have been printed..." With 16 illustrations and 50 samples of ceremonial paper and items made from paper, including trays for sacrificial burning, ceremonial paper money, envelopes, etc. There are eight photogravures of the papermaking process and two folding illustrations, plus two folding pages that protect larger sheets of paper. This is one of Hunter's more elaborate publications. It is also noteworthy that most of the focus is on the uses of paper in ritual, the cultural meanings of paper, if you will, not simply the mechanics of papermaking, as some of his other books are [From a contemporary review]. Bound in quarter black leather with russet colored cloth covers with an elegant design in gold. Gilt titling to spine. Very light wear to covers. Interior pages are beautiful, and the specimens and samples are in fine condition save for a few pieces with some offsetting, which is usually seen in copies of this book. Housed in a brown paper covered slipcase with some fading and wear. A very desirable copy of one of Dard Hunter's most important works in about fine condition. Quarto. 84 pages plus the unnumbered pages with specimens. PRI/083123. Near Fine. More

Oldham, England: Incline Press, 2023. Softcover. Number 7 of 60 copies printed on handmade Two Rivers paper. An additional 80 copies were printed on Zerkall paper. Signed by the author at her introduction. Hand set, printed, bound and published by Helen Morley and Graham Moss, proprietors of Incline Press. They write: "Poetry, book design and typography working together. It was an issue of some importance among private presses in the 1930s, expressed and addressed in passing by Francis Meynell of the Nonesuch Press: if poetry is better read slowly for sense, rhythm and understanding, how can the publisher assist by designing a book that slows the reader? Part of Meynell’s answer was to use italics, but we wonder if that goes quite far enough. Nancy Campbell’s poem, Song for the small hours, was published in the Spectator in 2022, and is printed here for the first time as a separate piece. Presented as unadorned typography, and deliberately set to add another answer to Meynell’s concern. We think it works very well; although our answer could be applied to any poem, here it works to perfection, so long as you are willing and able to let it." Nancy Campbell writes poetry, essays and non-fiction books. Among her works are her recent poetry book, Uneasy Pieces, and Thunderstone, a memoir of love, loss and a vintage caravan. The poem and title page use Baskerville types; the introduction and colophon are set in Bell type. This is a poem about letter writing, so all copies are sewn onto re-used vellum strips from old legal documents. This is a non-adhesive binding, using a heavy blue card paper from Two Rivers.Title and author on front cover. The bottoms of the book's cover and the fore-edge of the text are untrimmed. A lovely edition in fine condition. Measures 5 x 9 inches. Unpainted [20 pages printed on recto only plus colophon]. PI/050423. Fine. More

Oldham, England: Incline Press, 2023. Number 27 of about 175 copies, signed by Peter S. Smith. The book was designed, printed, sewn, and published by Graham Moss and Helen Morley, proprietors of the Incline Press.They write on their website: "If you were to triangulate Macclesfield, Whaley Bridge, and Buxton, high in the hills of the Peak District, among old farming countryside with more than a few derelict farmsteads, you’d find Jenkin Chapel near Thursbitch. As a landscape there is little for humans beyond long walks and drives on narrow roads, a pleasure for some but just a passage for others.Peter S. Smith,esteemed wood engraver, was drawn there by the story of a curious memorial stone, and that stone is the subject of this booklet. Peter tells his story and shows his boxwood engraving of the stone, an oblique tale and it is an oblique engraving. It is shown as the centre of the trifold, the text from the two faces of the stone holding his engraving, in their grip." Smith is a well known wood engraver and printmaker. He is the former head of the school of Art, Design and Media at Kingston college, is a member of the Society of Wood Engravers, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers. He has paintings and prints in public and private collections including Tate Britain, the Ashmolean, the Fitzwilliam and the British Museum. This lovely little book is printed on 170 gsm Zerkall paper, with the light brownish-gray cover paper made by hand at Papeterie St. Armand in Montreal. The wood type Chatsworth on the cover is from Stephenson Blake foundry, and the titling is Baker designed by Russell Maret. The text is set in16 point type that resembles handwriting, designed by the calligrapher Alfred Fairbank in 1929. The book's binding is handsewn with title and author on front cover. In fine condition. Measures 5 x 7 inches. Unpaginated [two pages of text and trifold with the gravestone text and Smith's engraving of it] PRI/050423. Fine. More