Writing Under the Writing: The Word Art of Thomas Ingmire
A selection from the San Francisco scribe's latest work.
E-Catalogues
2021 California Antiquarian Book Fair
E-catalogue 87: Sing the Body Electric
The bridge between the book and the human body traverses language and feeling. We describe backs as supple, heads and feet as sure or firm, a lip as stained or rough. Is it any wonder that a poetry of words so readily can meet the poetry of the body? Our current e-catalog embraces that intimate and inimitable connection that brings a vocabulary to the shape of ourselves.
E-catalogue 86: Back to Basics
What is an alphabet but one of the essential building blocks of language, and thus, of the stories that serve as the backbone of culture? From our first formative educational experience to the intricacies of letterform and design, our mastery of our ABCs shapes how we experience the world during our time in it. We have therefore gathered a selection of material that speaks to this broad range of influence. From 19th century illustrated primers, to Edward Gorey’s Gashleycrumb Tinies; from Vespasiano Amphiareo’s writing manual, to the jewel-like calligraphy in Melissa Sweet’s Garden Companion, we see just how well-traveled these characters are.
2020 Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair
A tour of the offerings in our booth at the virtual Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair in 2020.
E-catalogue 85: Recent Acquisitions in Miniature Books
In the following selection, one may find everything from a pocket-sized, and eminently readable, cocktail-mixing compendium, to a rag book with the perfect dimensions for a child's small hands. Size has always mattered with us, and at any given time we can offer those books that previously held the record for the smallest book in the world: in this case, the Commonwealth Press’s Rose Garden of Omar Khayyam. Finally, we are pleased to offer a few examples of Tasha Tudor’s famed “Sparrow” letters—miniature letters the dolls in her dollhouse wrote to other dolls.
E-catalogue 84: New Acquisitions
We are very pleased to offer the first of several lists of recent acquisitions in this season of harvest and bounty. The following list contains the fruits of our labors in the area of fine printing and illustrated books, reflecting a fair amount of range and variety—from Cranbrook to Janus; from Jewish fables illustrated with 16th century woodcuts, to a modern rendering of five psalms illustrated with colorful silkscreens.
E-catalogue 83: A Good Read
As we have further refined our specialty areas in recent years, we have found ourselves moving further and further away from literature and first editions. Recently, during one of our periodic sweeps of the shelves to check and readjust pricing for a book fair, we alighted upon the idea of offering a list of our literary stock, reflecting deep price reductions. We are therefore pleased to present this selection of literature, from Ambrose Bierce to Tennessee Williams.