London: Company of Stationers, 1820. (24)pp. One engraving of "The London Institution, Moorfields," which spans four pages. The almanac's calendar records the times of sunrise and sunset, as well as various saints' days and term times for academic institutions. The volume also provides a table of the reigns of the... More
London: Printed for the Company of Stationers, (1822). (21)ff. The pages are entirely engraved, with the arms of the Stationers on the title page. Contains the usual lists of kings, royals, officers of state, bank days, etc. Red leather binding in wallet shape, with flap to close and pocket for... More
London: Printed for the Company of Stationers, (1836). (22)ff. The pages are entirely engraved, with the arms of the Stationers on the title page and another coat-of-arms on the second leaf. Contains the usual lists of kings, royals, officers of state, bank days, etc. Black leather binding in wallet shape... More
(Rheinbach, Germany: John Gerard, 2005). Small quarto. (40)pp. One of twenty copies, signed by the artist. Each letter of this alphabet is scrawled in black over and over to fill the text area defined by Tschichold's canon of page construction, which is printed in red on every page. An interesting... More
(c. 1970s-80s). Pictorial Arabic alphabet poster, each letter of which is presented beside an image of an object beginning with that letter, with the full word beneath. The full word is written with the harakat or tashkil phonetic aids, which provide the correct pronunciation for children who are learning to..... More
Prado, Marseille: (c. 1930s). A black four-flap enclosure containing materials for a children's pochoir alphabet. The enclosure was sealed with a paper label printed in red and green. Inside is a seven-part accordion-fold piece of card, printed in color on one side. Each letter has a cutout stencil, as well... More
NY: B. F. Goodrich Co., (1902). Small quarto. (28)pp. An alphabet, fully illustrated in black, white, and orange, that doubles as an advertising pamphlet for Palmer Tires. Each letter has an illustration, followed by a rhyme and a short promotional statement. For example, "A is for Ape / A dissatisfied... More
(Los Angeles): Printmaker Press, (1988). Octavo. (57)pp. One of 135 copies. Includes twenty-eight linocut illustrations, printed in red. Each letter of this alphabet is accompanied by an example sentence and an impressive list of alliterative words, divided into three sections: animals, names, and additional nouns. The illustrations for each animal... More
Barcelona: Nowhereman Press, 2007. Quarto. (12)pp. accordion fold. One of twenty-five copies. Signed by the artist. The book presents the alphabet and single integers as an expanding concertina, so that the letters and numbers grow and shift as the reader opens the volume. The set is inspired by children's alphabet... More
(N.p. Flagless Editions, 1984). 16mo. (21)pp. One of 167 copies. Cover illustration based on an unfinished series of lithographs by Yoko Ono and John Lennon. The text of this unusual alphabet poem was written by John Lennon in February 1969 for inclusion in the portfolio Bag One. Designed and printed... More
Lebanon, PA: Lebanon Senior High School, 1950 - 1954. Four volumes, each measuring 9 by 6 inches (228x150 mm). Each calendar bears a hand-colored title leaf, and is printed on various colored stock, with a linocut accompanying text and two calendar months on each page. They are bound through two... More
NY: American Tract Society, 1848. 32mo. A collection of eight tracts bound together, each 16 pages long, with separate title pages. Illustrated throughout in black & white, including a title-page vignette for each story, by Johannes Oertel and Edward Bookhout. Included here are the stories "Elisha," "Little Dave," "The Stolen... More
NY: American Tract Society, (n.d.). 32mo. 16pp. Engraving on the title page and full-page engraving on the title-page verso. A narrative following the persistent purity and faith of Mary Jones throughout her life, with firm encouragements that readers adopt a similar devotion. Crisp in engraved paper wrappers with repair work..... More
Austin: Amistad Press, (1983). (40)pp., frenchfold. From an edition of 250 copies, this is one of an unknown number bound in leather, signed by Yolanda Carter. Contains many black & white illustrations of dragons from various cultures, reprinted from the 1981 edition of "Treasury of Fantastic and Mythical Creatures," by... More
Tempe, AZ: Houle, Kelly M., 2008. 14pp. One of 300 copies, signed by the printer, Kelly M. Houle. An English translation of Borges's poem, by Alastair Reid, with a center spread illustrated with an engraving of a library and mystic symbols from Egyptian, Mayan, and other cultures. At the end... More
(N.p., n.d.). An original linoleum block print measuring 8 by 10 inches, tastefully matted and framed. Valenti Angelo here employs bold use of line and cross-hatching to show the texture of these trees, which are in the foreground, set against a predominantly black backdrop. Inscribed by the artist to Henry... More
Bronxville, NY: Valenti Angelo, (1963). Small quarto. (18)pp. One of fifty copies. Signed by Angelo. Title roundel printed in blue and illuminated. Five-line gold initial, six-line blue initial, eight-line red initial hand-drawn. A dignified edition of a significant Biblical passage. Bound in half-vellum with brown paper boards. Spine moderately toned... More
Bronxville, NY: Valenti Angelo, 1952. Small octavo. (14)pp. One of 75 copies. Inscribed by Valenti Angelo below the colophon. A hand-colored illustration of the friar decorates the title page, while an introductory initial is illuminated and flourished in blue. Some expected creasing to spine, else fine in stiff wrappers with... More
Lexington, KY: Anvil Press, 1978. Small quarto. (16)ff. One of 75 copies. Illustrated with four woodcuts by Thomas. These depict the brutal scenes of the story, including the children's refusal to bow before King Nebuchadnezzar's golden idol and the angel saving the children from burning. Above the story from the... More
Lexington, KY: Anvil Press, 1993. Octavo. x, 107pp. One of 40 copies in bindings hand-painted by Carolyn Hammer and Paul Holbrook, from an edition of 75 copies printed by Hammer, in Victor Hammer's American Uncial typeface, the rest (in marbled boards) of which were given away as gifts. With initialed... More
Northampton, MA: Apiary Press, 1964. Small quarto. (16)pp. One of twenty-five copies. Signed by the author and the printer. This scarce item was printed for the author by his friend Ronald Gordon, now the proprietor of the Oliphant Press in New York. With eight vignettes taken from wood engravings by... More
(Northampton, MA): Apiary Press, 1961. Oblong quarto. (10)ff., + single letterpress sheet laid in. One of twenty-five copies signed by the illustrator, Joyce Sills. This copy bears a presentation inscription from Sills to social-realist artist Ben Shahn and his wife, Bernarda. The colophon notes that the Shahns' son, Ezra, had... More
Pasadena, CA: Archetype Press, 2005. Folio. (45)ff. One of 80 copies. Contains thirty-seven illustrations depicting American inventions ranging from the profound (Morse code, cloning, etc.) to the underappreciated (American cheese singles, flyswatter, etc.). Printed using "metal foundry type, wood type, linoleum blocks, laser-cut masonite, and digital polymer plates." Occasionally mixed... More
San Francisco & Berkeley: Pacific Editions & Arif Press, 1986. Quarto. 36pp. One of 165 copies, signed by the author and artist. "A collaboration among artists," this work contains four essays by Dr. Lewis Thomas, each accompanied by a specially commissioned color etching by Joseph Goldyne, plus one additional etching... More
San Francisco: Arion Press, 1987. Octavo. 63pp. One of 500 copies. With a preface by Chief Justice Warren E. Burger and an Introduction by the Librarian of Congress Daniel J. Boorstin. Printed in the very readable Deepdene type designed by Frederic Goudy, handset on handmade Twinrocker paper. The initial letters... More
