Greenbrae, CA: Allen Press, 1978. Hardcover. One of 130 copies. A lovely book from the fine press of Lewis and Dorothy Allen. The illustrations and decorations were based on sixth century B.C. Greek vase paintings, done by Victor Seward and hand-colored by Dorothy Allen. Bound in white paper covered boards with black titling to cover and spine. Slightest bumping to upper tips otherwise fine in the original acetate jacket. Printed damp on an 1846 columbian handpress using menhart unciala and solemnis type faces on handmade paper. In fine condition. Measures 9 x 12 inches. Unpaginated [90 pages]. PRI/120522. Fine. More

Baltimore: Aquarius Press, 1969. Hardcover. This is a special deluxe edition of this stunning first book from the Aquarius Press, a then new Baltimore private press. The edition comprises the book and a separate portfolio of the 16 signed and numbered lithographs for the book as well as 6 additional unrelated erotic lithographs. The sixteen illustrations are numbered 47/80 copies and signed and numbered by Castellon. On the back of each are the letters AP for artist's proof. The six additional illustrations are signed by Castellon and numbered E/E. The book is Letter A of the ten copies reserved for the collaborators. Signed by the artist Federico Castellon. The work appeared two years before the death of Spanish American artist and lithographer Castellon in 1971. Castellon, born in 1914, was a well known painter, sculptor, and printmaker who is best known for his graphic works that incorporated the influences of surrealism. The 16 evocative color lithographs he did for this book are both surreal and haunting. This beautiful work was designed by Bert Clarke and the text set in Monotype Walbaum and printed by Clarke & Way in New York City. The binding is by the Russell Rutter Company. Done under the editorial direction of John Ross and Jacob Landau. Both book and portfolio are bound in decorative light brown fabric and a black leather spine with titling in gilt. Housed in a custom black cloth covered clamshell box. In fine condition. Volumes measure 11.25 x 15 inches. PRI/062922. Fine. More

Munich: Bremer Presse, 1929. Hardcover. Number 177 of 250 copies printed in Germany at the Bremer Presse for Random House. An additional 280 copies were printed for Bremer Presse subscribers. This handsome book provides 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. Ralph Waldo Emerson's essay, "Nature" was written in 1836. In the essay Emerson put forth the foundation of transcendentalism, a belief system that espouses a nontraditional appreciation of nature. Transcendentalism suggests that the divine, or God, suffuses nature, and suggests that reality can be understood by studying nature. Bound in grey, white, and red marbled paper covered boards with cream vellum spine titled in gilt. Minor browning to spine and minor wear to edges, corners, and joints. Top edge gilt, with deckled fore-edge and bottom edge. Letterpress printed on Zanders handmade paper in black and red, with red title and initials designed by Anna Simons. Clean and bright overall with inscription from previous owner in pen to front free endpaper dated 1929. 86 pages. PRI/010923. Near Fine. More

Toronto: Cheshire Cat Press, 2018. Hardcover. Number 13 of 42 copies signed by the printers and the author of the introduction. This is a delightful new edition of Lewis Carroll's famous poem, The Hunting of the Snark. It was produced by a writer, artist, and book designer and printers who are ardent and well-known Carroll admirers. The Cheshire Press was formed by book designer and printer George Walker in 1991. The press began when he and two colleagues produced new editions of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. Edward Wakeling, who wrote the introduction, is an internationally known authority on Carroll. In addition to writing a recent biography of him, Wakeling also created a comprehensive catalogue raisonne of over 1000 photographs taken by amateur photographer Carroll. Byron W. Sewell is a prolific illustrator, author and bibliographer of works associated with Lewis Carroll. For this edition of Snark, Sewell created new illustrations inspired by contemporary carte-de-visit photographs that were so popular in Victorian England. He has one for each character in the poem, adapting images from actual photographs. They are ideal depictions for this fantastic nonsense poem by Lewis Carroll, written when he was forty-four years old. Bound in maroon cloth with title in gilt to spine and on cover label. Handprinted in New Caledonia type on Bfk Rives Cream paper. The printing was completed by George Walker and Andy Malcolm, and the book design and layout were by Walker. An original print inscribed and signed by Sewell is inserted in a sleeve on the front pastedown. Housed in a slipcase in the same maroon cloth with gilt title on cover. In fine condition. 6.5 x 10 inches. 72 pages. PRI/010319. Fine. 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, 2019. Hardcover. Number 13 of 42 copies. Signed by Walker, Burstein, and printer Andy Malcolm. Quarto. This is the latest version of The Hunting of the Snark to be published by the Cheshire Press. Carroll's famous nonsense poem has been subject to numerous interpretations over time. In this truly snarky edition, Walker has chosen President Donald Trump and his White House cabinet and advisors for his 21st century lineup of the characters. He writes: "...I think they match up nicely to to the crew of the ship. When you read the poem and think of Trump's cabinet, it's hard not to see the parallels. The political arena in the USA could be described as nonsense, which is exactly the type of poem [this] is. The plot follows a crew of ten unqualified professionals trying to hunt the Snark with a blank map." Thus such familiar names as Scaramucci, Sessions, Priebus, Pence, Mnuchin, Bannon, Sanders and Trump himself appear in parts that reflect their real-life attributes and roles. Bound in grey textured cloth with leather title label to front cover and gilt title to spine. Printed in New Caledonia type on Velin BFK Rives paper. With thirteen engravings by Walker and "The Snark Map" in a sleeve affixed to front pastedown. Housed in slipcase covered in same cloth as book with gilt titling to cover and spine. In fine condition. 71 pages. PRI/011520. Fine. More

Toronto: Cheshire Cat Press, 2019. Hardcover. Number 37 of 42 copies. Signed by Walker, Burstein, and printer Andy Malcolm. Quarto. This is the latest version of The Hunting of the Snark to be published by the Cheshire Press. Carroll's famous nonsense poem has been subject to numerous interpretations over time. In this truly snarky edition, Walker has chosen President Donald Trump and his White House cabinet and advisors for his 21st century lineup of the characters. He writes: "...I think they match up nicely to to the crew of the ship. When you read the poem and think of Trump's cabinet, it's hard not to see the parallels. The political arena in the USA could be described as nonsense, which is exactly the type of poem [this] is. The plot follows a crew of ten unqualified professionals trying to hunt the Snark with a blank map." Thus such familiar names as Scaramucci, Sessions, Priebus, Pence, Mnuchin, Bannon, Sanders and Trump himself appear in parts that reflect their real-life attributes and roles. Bound in grey textured cloth with leather title label to front cover and gilt title to spine. Printed in New Caledonia type on Velin BFK Rives paper. With thirteen engravings by Walker and "The Snark Map" in a sleeve affixed to front pastedown. Housed in slipcase covered in same cloth as book with gilt titling to cover and spine. In fine condition. 71 pages. PRI/011520. Fine. More

Toronto: Cheshire Cat Press, 2017. Number 31 of 42 copies. Signed by the printers and the author of the introduction, who are ardent and well-known Carroll admirers. The Cheshire Cat Press was formed by book designer and printer George Walker in 1991. The press began when he and two colleagues produced new editions of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. Edward Wakeling, who wrote the introduction, is an internationally known authority on Carroll. From the prospectus: "Here finally is a book collecting all the Alice associated images into one volume. In this book is the work of the other PUNCH illustrators who were influenced by John Tenniel’s pictures for Lewis Carroll’s Alice. Oh yes we include Tenniel too! Through the many decades that Punch existed (1841-2002), references to the Alice books have been a common feature. Now you can have them all in one volume. The images are printed by hand directly from polymer plates made by Boxcar Press, except Alice Reigns Supreme (page 27) which is printed photo-mechanically. The plates were created from high resolution scans made directly from the original PUNCH publications. Printed on 115 gsm Rives Lightweight Buff 100% rag paper using a Vandercook Sp15 letterpress." Bound in green cloth with gilt title to spine and gilt ruling and Punch figure to front cover. Punch figure repetitive design to endpapers. Housed in a green cloth slipcase. In fine condition. 10 x 13 inches. 57 pages. PRI/031221. More

Toronto: Cheshire Cat Press, 1991. Hardcover. Number 173 of 177 copies. Around 1982, Walker, Poole, and Brambant founded the Cheshire Cat Press. They spent six years working on their well received edition of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, published in 1988. George Walker's wood engravings were so admired that the Press decided to publish a book that would be devoted entirely to his engravings. This is that book, which is divided into three parts.: In the first part the 96 illustrations featured in Wonderland are reproduced by chapter in the story's order. The second part, Alice's Misadventures, has engravings that were not used in 1988 along with the reasons why. The last part reproduces some of Walker's preliminary sketches for Wonderland. The introduction describes the procedures the three used in deciding upon each of the illustrations used in Wonderland. Bound in red cloth with gilt titling to spine. Red and gold marbled endpapers. Printed with Century Schoolbook and Hadriano & Hadriano types on Noranda Recycled Antique paper. The drawings were reproduced from Polymer plates. In fine condition. PRI/011019. Fine. More

[London]: Chiswick Press, 1903. Hardcover. One of 200 copies. From the colophon: "The unknown 'Chanson de Geste' here transcribed belongs to the cycle of William Of Orange. There has been no attempt to edit the text, or even to correct not a few very obvious minor errors. The two reproductions are of the same size as the original manuscript." The Chanson de Guillaume, also called Chançun de Willame (English: "Song of William"), is a chanson de geste from the first half of the twelfth-century (c.1140, although the first half of the poem may date from as early as the eleventh century. Along with The Song of Roland and Gormont et Isembart, it is considered one of three chansons de geste whose composition incontestably dates from before 1150. The work is generally considered to have two distinct halves: the first tells of Guillaume of Orange, his nephew Vivien and the latter's young brother Gui and their various battles with Saracens at L'Archamp; in the second half of the poem Guillaume is aided by Rainouard, a giant. [Wikipedia] Bound in blue paper boards with cream linen spine with paper title label. Boards have fading along with light wear and bumping. The spine is faded with some light stains and wear along edges. Label is chipped and wrinkled. Offsetting to front and rear free endpapers. Some splitting to a few gutters not affecting the tightness of the text block. Most of the pages are unopened. A nice copy in very good condition. Octavo. Not continuously paginated. PRI/120822. Very Good. More

New York: H. Bittner & Company, 1944. Hardcover. 1 of 500 copies. With 21 hand colored woodcuts by Fritz Kredel. A collection of tales that was originally published in Spanish in 1874. This edition is the newly translated (into English) version. Mustard yellow cloth boards with gilt title to spine. Bump to foot of spine. Foxing to first and last few pages, else clean. Letterpress printed by Victor and Jacob Hammer at the Wells College Press in Aurora, NY. In off-white dust jacket with black title to spine and front panels. Minor browning to spine panel and edges of front and rear panels of jacket. Minor wear to edges including a few chips to spine ends of jacket. 151 pages. PRI/010422. Very Good / Very Good. More

Newtown, Wales: Gwasg Gregynog, 1998. Hardcover. Number 277 of 350 copies signed by the illustrator. Pryderi was the only character to appear in the tales known as The Four Branches of the Mabinogi, the chief glory of Welsh medieval prose literature. Pryderi provided the theme taken by Llewelyn Wyn Griffith in a series of radio talks in 1943. In 1962, The Adventures of Pryderi by Griffith was published by the University of Wales Press. Kyffin Williams, one of the foremost Welsh artists of the 20th century, produced a set of illustrations to accompany the text but they were presented to Gwasg Gregynog and published here for the first time. Kyffin Williams designed this book as well as creating the eight striking linocut illustrations. Bound at Gregynog in beige linen cloth with a gray linocut affixed to the front cover and black titling to spine. Printed in Monotype Baskerville type on Velin Arches pure cotton mould-made paper. In fine condition. Measures 8.25 x 13.25 inches. 38 [+1] pages. PRI/121422. Fine. More

den Haag (Hague): Kunera Pers (Press), 1927. Hardcover. Number 80 of 100 copies. Beautifully printed in the Netherlands at the Kunera Press by J.F. van Royen. Arthur van Schendel (1874 - 1946) was a Dutch author known for his novels and short stories. Bound in full dark blue morocco boards with gilt title to spine, raised bands, and gilt rules to covers. The front board is slightly bowed, which has caused a two inch split to the leather along the bottom of the front joint. Light sunning to spine and minor wear to edges and corners of boards. Letterpress printed on Japanese paper. The text is in Dutch. Slight browning to margins and offsetting to endpapers from leather turn-ins, but clean and bright overall. Bookplate of Boekerÿ van Pieter Tjebbes to front pastedown. 19 pages. PRI/012323. Near Fine. More