Riverside CA: Bo Press Miniature Books, 2010. This inventive limited edition book is designed to explain little books, or rather, little case-bound books. Case-binding constructs the body of the book separately from the covers, and combines them at the end of the binding process. It is a quick and reasonably sturdy way of bookbinding, and almost all commercial hardbound books are produced like this. Every part of this book’s binding is labeled, and the back cover is left unglued to show the inner workings of the spine and hinges. The pages of the book itself contain publication data, each page labeled as itself, all the way from half-title to colophon. The book artist Pat Sweet included all she could think of that a book might possess: a tipped-in plate and barrier sheet, a fold-out diagram of the relative sizes of books (from double elephant folio to 64mo), a laid in list of extraneous matter which includes the list itself, and a note on the type, written in the typefaces used in labeling the book’s parts. The book also has examples of things attached to books: a dust jacket, a bookplate, an interior pocket containing a miniature Bo Press bookmark, a binder’s ticket, a slipcase, and a vellum belly band. This is a wonderful self-referential little reference toy for lovers of publishing and binding alike. In fine condition. 2 3/16 x 1 11/16 inches. PRI/060121. Fine. More

Riverside, CA: Bo Press Miniature Books, 2010. 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. This book is from a small open edition. According to the book artist: This is a "book inside books inside a book inside a book-shaped box. This has been called the Droste effect, after their recursive advertisements. The book inside this book-shaped box is a collection of jacket designs for books that only exist inside real books: The Necronomicon, The Whole Art of Detection, If On A Winter's Night A Traveler. Each is presented as if hidden inside a hollow book, for yet another layer of un-reality. The title, of course, is from Magritte's famous painting of 'This is Not a Pipe'." Bound in cream paper with gold fleur-de-lis and title label pastedown on front cover. Housed in a brown paper covered slipcase with title label to the cover. Size: 2 1/4 x 1 7/8 x 5/8 inches. In fine condition. 78 pages. ARTB/060121. Fine. More

London: Archibald Constable & Co, 1909. Hardcover. Cyril Davenport (1848-1941) was a bookbinder and author who wrote extensively on the history of bookbinding. He also wrote on topics as diverse as jewelry design, architecture, heraldry, the English royal regalia, mezzotints and other types of illustrative reproduction. This book by Davenport was owned by Thomas Parkin, who apparently organized a series of lectures by him on some of his areas of expertise, including one on heraldry. Tipped in are several articles from 1914 from the Hastings and St. Leonards Observer reporting on the talks. Tipped in is a note from Davenport to Parkin about an upcoming visit. Another note from an unidentified correspondent to Parkin cancels a visit and asks about one of Davenport's books about bindings. Tipped in the rear of the book is a 1910 copy of the Journal of the Royal Society of the Arts that includes the text of a Davenport lecture on miniatures. Bound in maroon cloth that is bumped with signs of handling and with a faded spine. Interior pages are clean and bright. Illustrated throughout with black and white images of the book stamps. Very good. Small octavo. 451 pages, BOB/040521. Very Good. More

Lower Marston Farm, Risbury, Herefordshire: Whittington Press, 2020. It is sad to say, but this will be the last annual edition of the Matrix series. After 36 years, John and Rose Randle have decided to discontinue producing this fine annual for printers and bibliophiles on the book arts that compiles articles, illustrations, paper and typography samples and book reviews. Their Whittington Press was founded in 1971 to print and publish books by letterpress.  Since its beginnings, they have printed over 200 books, including the renowned Matrix, an annual review for printers and bibliophiles. Contributors to this issue include David Butcher, Sebastian Carter, Jerry Kelly, Russell Maret, Paul Nash, Martyn Ould, Elies Plana, and Marianne Tidcombe among others. Bound in cream paper wrappers with blue titling and cover illustration. In fine condition. 193 pages. BOB/031221. Fine. More