This is number 21 of the 70 numbered, with the water color being a version of the frontispiece on heavy artists' paper and signed by the artist with his initials.

•  Original wrappers with a glassine dust jacket; front wrapper and title-page with publisher's “scribble” device above imprint as seen on other titles from this press. Very good.  (35646)

Provenance:  Front pastedown with small, handsome gilt-stamped leather bookplate of Alva B. Gimbel, philanthropist and member of the Gimbel family of department-store fame.

•  Publisher's paper–covered limp boards; spine and edges much sunned. Faint offsetting from bookplate (see above) to front free endpaper; pages crisp and clean.  (41521)

Shockingly the editors report “a most infamous conspiracy to injure and break down several periodicals in this city — our own among the number — has lately come to light” (p. 230). The subscribers’ lists of several periodicals were leaked (apparently by clerks) to unscrupulous individuals who then sent “a vile obscene and filth paper [sic]” to those unsuspecting patrons.

Binding:  Publisher's red, richly gold-stamped textured leather, covers with gilt-stamped central bouquet in a basket. All edges gilt.

Provenance: Pencilled name of Peter J. Revill on front free endpaper.

•  Faxon 188c. Not in Tepper or Thomson.   Binding as above anda brilliantly BRIGHT example. Varying degrees of foxing and staining, most notably surrounding plates. A very pleasing volume from many points of view.  (40888)

•  Publisher's blue-grey cloth, front cover with gilt-stamped title and LEC compass device, spine with gilt-stamped title. Slipcase lacking. Clean and fresh.  (30010)

Meredith Nicholson (1866–1947) was an American author and politician from Indianapolis who wrote several bestsellers during the early 20th century, the Golden Age of Indiana Literature.

Binding:  Publisher's teal cloth with gilt lettering and white-stamped vertical fence-like lines to spine; front board is lettered in gilt and stamped in white with vertical and horizontal lines suggesting a gate. A white tram or trolley car is daintily stamped within a wide teardrop-shaped opening in the “gate's” upper portion.

•  Smith, American Fiction, 1901-1925, N-84.   Bound as above; edges rubbed, corners bumped, spine slightly cocked, decoration to spine rubbed, minor staining to top-edge; in fact, binding quite attractive. Interior age-toned, foxing to plates and adjacent leaves (with frontispiece tissue guard separating), upper outer corners bumped or lightly creased across. Readable, and highly enjoyable as an artifact.  (37558)

•  Brunet, VI, 1720 (no. 30066); Graesse, IV, 679.   Later plain cream linen, spines with titles stamped in brown; minor sunning to spines and to top front edge of vol. II. Edges untrimmed, most signatures unopened; dust-soiling to edges and into many margins; foxing, creasing and cockling variously; some leaves in vol. I with short tears from outer margins (often where an illustration needed to be placed inside an unopened signature). Of interest for scholars of public morals and popular culture, the book trade, and illustration in France from the 15th century through the middle of the 19th, among other topics. (40866)

DePol also provided thenumerous wood engravings that enhance the text. This is copy 303.

Presentation copy from DePol: “For Morris Gelfand, old friend, with warm regards . . . John DePol December 3, 1991.” Gelfand was the proprietor of The Stone House Press.

•  Publisher's red cloth shelfback, boards covered with DePol's gray and white illustrated paper. A very nice copy.  (35832)

Although the WorldCat entry for this undated edition suggests a publication ca. 1840, John Bysh's peak publishing dates (between 1810 and 1825) and the address given here — as well as the inscription (see below) — indicate an earlier printing. Only two U.S. institutions report holdings via WorldCat (Morgan Library, Princeton).

Provenance:  Frontispiece recto with inked ownership inscription of S.G. Rolls, dated 1828. Later in the children's book collection of Albert A. Howard, small booklabel (“AHA”) at rear.

•  This ed. not in Opie (see N 953 & N 954 for other Bysh eds.); not in Osborne Collection. 19th-century marbled paper–covered boards, housed in a dark purple cloth–covered clamshell case; binding rubbed, case with remnants of now-absent paper label on spine. Original printed paper wrappers bound in, front with upper and lower margins trimmed. Wrappers darkened and spotted, pages lightly age-toned with scattered small spots of foxing; last leaf with outer margin ragged and with lower portion torn away resulting in loss to the sentimental “Winter Reflections” of about eight lines on each side, neatly repaired some time ago with plain paper. Uncommon and intriguing, with more than a little by way of unexpected content. (40736)

Although the Sylva’s title-pages call for “121 fine plates,” there are actually 131 here. The three volumes are illustrated with an abundance of lithographic plates of delicately rendered images of leaves, branches, and fruits, done by the famed Pierre Joseph Redouté, Bessa, G. West, J.T. French, J.B. Butler, E.D. Long, and others, with highly skilled hand-coloring supervised by T.R. Jones. Tragically, the original lithographic stones that were prepared to accompany the text by Sinclair of Philadelphia were lost to a devastating fire. After that 1856 fire, editions of Nuttall bear illustrations different from those found here and in the other pre-fire editions.

As per their title-pages, these exquisite volumes were a three-volume supplement to Andrew Michaux’s work on the same topic and were issued with the three volumes of his work. But they also stand alone on their own for they contain the sylva “not described in the work of F. Andrw Michaux.” For example, they contain “all the forest trees discovered in the Rocky Mountains, the territory of Oregon, down to the shores of the Pacific, and into the confines of California, as well as in various parts of the United States.”

All three volumes are written in the first person and offer, beyond their botanical data, engaging vignettes and vistas of myriad American localities; further, by way of both professional and personal notes of thanks for specimens and observations, they document a grand network of corresponding scientists active in exploring and mapping the continent. We hear of a giant buttonwood measured “twenty years ago” by General Washington, and are told that fine chestnut furniture may be found at “Mr. Crout's cabinet warehouse in Sixth Street,” in Philadelphia . . .

Bindings: Publisher's deep green striped ribbed cloth; predominantly seen in the 1840s, never common, andparticularly unusual for volumes of this size. Front covers each with gilt-stamped morning glory vignette surrounded by a simple blind-stamped border and back covers with same entirely in blind. Spines each with gilt-stamped title, author, and volume number.

•  Sabin 56351; Reese, Stamped with a National Character, 21 (for 1850–51 ed.); Allibone 1445. On striped bindings, see: Krupp, Making a Case for Cloth, p. [11].   Bindings as above, corners with minor rubbing, vol. II with spine head pulled. The plates are slightly age-toned but otherwise in beautiful condition, save for one plate in vol. I with a small area of paper adhesion. Vol. II with intermittent mild foxing. A striking set of this classic of science, art, and American place-lore. (25305)

The present example isnumbered copy 49 of 107 printed, signed by the author at the end of the text.

•  Publisher's paper wrappers, front wrapper with applied collage elements, in glassine dust wrapper. A nice copy.  (30920)

Provenance:  This copy inscribed, in an angular, decorative hand (presumably Hamady's), to a contemporary bookseller and archivist, with the inscription dated 1976.

•  Two Decades of Hamady & the Perishable Press, 76.   Wrappers as above, with very faint traces of wear to extremities, otherwise clean and fresh. It should be noted that the hand-tinting is to small portions of the illustrations only, and very subtle in tone; inscription, as above, large and bold. A nice copy of this “first,” with an interesting inscription.  (37227)

Graphically quite attractive.

•  Very good with one old fold.  (40355)

•  Bibliography of the Fine Books Published by the Limited Editions Club, 445.   Publisher's quarter red cloth and firework-printed paper–covered sides, spine with printed paper label, in original glassine wrapper and matching slipcase; glassine wrapper with small portion torn away from lower back edge and nicks to lower edge and spine head, slipcase with one nick to paper at one edge of foot, volume clean and lovely. Overall in beautiful condition.  (34066)

•  Publisher's paper wrappers as above, front wrapper with tiny lion device stamped in red. A fresh, unworn copy.  (30919)

Provenance:  From the children's book collection of Albert A. Howard, his inscription on front fly-leaf (this unusual) and small booklabel (“AHA”) at rear.

•  Sternick, Bibliography of 19th-Century Children's Series Books, 906.   Publisher's red cloth, covers with blind-stamped frame and central vignette, spine decoratively gilt-stamped incorporating series title; binding slightly cocked and rubbed with spine gilt dimmed in bottom half and boards with areas of discoloration. Text with faint traces of waterstaining to lower outer corners and scattered light spotting, pages overall clean.  (41667)

•  Publisher's half cream pigskin and light grey/tan cloth, rich eggplant endpapers, front cover with gilt-stamped vignette and spine with gilt-stamped title; bottom edge and corners rubbed or frayed with attendant soiling, front cover with area of faint staining. Interior clean and bright.  (28154)

•  Bound as above; spines sunned, joints and extremities rubbed, handsome nonetheless. Ownership indicia as above. All guard leaves present; one page in vol. II with small marking in upper margin, pages otherwise clean. A very nice set.  (41652)

This copy withCruikshank's four wood-engraved plates hand-colored, which Cohn notes was not always the case.

Provenance: Front pastedown with small book label featuring an illustration of a bird with the head of a fish wearing a jester’s hat brandishing a sword and with large feathered tail, the initials “N.H.L.T.” at the corners. Most recently in the children's book collection of Albert A. Howard, small booklabel (“AHA”) at rear.

•  Cohn, George Cruikshank: A Catalogue Raisonné, 625; Osborne Collection, p. 1019.   Contemporary textured red cloth, covers stamped in blind with foliate corner decorations, front cover with central gilt-stamped title (main title within decorative garter motif), spine with gilt-stamped title; corners rubbed, spine dimmed and a very little chipped. Small, illegible pencilled inscription on front pastedown; back pastedown with binder's ticket of Westley's & Co. Pages with a handful of small spots, overall clean.  (40808)

Provenance:  Inside box lid with bookplate of Vance Gerry of the Weather Bird Press; later in the children's book collection of Albert A. Howard, with small booklabel (“AHA”).

•  Publisher's printed paper wrappers, housed in the original printed paper–covered box with color-printed “Jeu du Thaumatrope” illustration; box edges and corners with minor rubbing. Booklet and toys clean, absolutely fresh, and ready for fresh experimentation!  (40819)

Parker's biography is well illustrated with 32 black-and-white plates (including his frontispiece portrait) featuring the many people he met throughout his “lives” — early life, musical life, theatrical life, and pageant life (as the book is sectioned).

Binding:  Half red morocco double gilt-ruled, over red cloth sides; five raised bands to spine, lettering or elegant gilt floral decoration in ruled compartments. Top edge gilt, fore- and bottom edges untrimmed. Signed by Bickers & Son.

Provenance & added material: Previously owned by Parker's friend “Saint” (unidentified; see further). Mounted on front free endpaper, a black and white photograph of Parker in front of shelves holding a glass collection; mounted underneath is a clipping from a letter: “Your very affectionate, Luigi.” On following verso, a newspaper clipping of an interview from 1932 is tipped in; on the next recto is mounted a letter to “Saint” (a delightfully written apology for the friend's absence in the book) with, on its second leaf, an original poem asking his friend to “accept this trivial book.” Additional newspaper clippings laid in. On rear pastedown, a black and white photograph with a small ink note indicating it is of Parker's salon; on rear free endpaper, Parker's obituary clipped from the Illustrated London News (as indicated by previous owner's pencilled note) dated 1944. Occasionally a pencilled word or checkmark; one clipping with cut-off words supplied in ink.

•  Bound as above, minor rubbing to corners, small stain and light fading to boards; offsetting to endpapers and soiling from glue used to attach ephemera, evidence of one glue-in removed. Evidence of readership as above; one checkmark in old-fashioned red pencil. A splendid, unique volume containing intriguing related ephemera — clearly owned by a special friend of Parker's.  (38018)

Provenance:  From the collection of Gerson Leiber, the artist, engraver, sculptor, and book collector, sans indicia.

•  Publisher's printed yellow paper wrappers; spine very slightly sunned, faint dust-soiling in upper inner portion of front wrapper, light creasing at lower edges, presenting very well overall. Pages fresh and clean. A nice copy of a very uncommon item.  (41504)

Binding:  Publisher's grey silk, front cover with affixed color-printed illustration, spine with title stamped in black, in a striking lucite slipcase.

•  Binding as above, lucite showing predictable minor shelfwear, overall a beautiful copy. An uncommon printing of work by one of the most popular contemporary crime writers; actually, ofan all-star trio of writers.  (33332)

In addition to discussion of this ornament's use by those various printers, Pascoe also offers interesting and sometimes new biographical information on the printers based on archival documents. His assessment of each printer's skills is informed by his own eye and decades of experience as a hand-press printer. His text is illustrated by more than 20 color illustrations and by examples of each printer's signature.

In all, a totally satisfying work on the skills and personalities and, at times, the tribulations of these early New World printers — itself beautifully printed in Pascoe's own unmistakable style.

•  Issued in a strong soft white cover printed in black and red, within a dove grey typographic over-wrapper printed in darker grey and red. As new.  (40046)