WE'RE BACK!

Welcome to our first catalogue in 20 YEARS...

Our first catalogue "thus," if you will. Though it will only be the first of many to come. As we move forward thusly, we wanted to remind you a bit of who we are. There are a vast myriad of things that combine to make any quality bookshop. The two that we at the Hermitage are most proud of are our team and our inventory. This catalogue reflects both. Our team, with decades of bookselling experience and knowledge, has chosen a wide variety of selections for your enjoyment (and hopefully to add to your collections). What follows varies in both content and price-point. It is a curated "this and that" of some of our new and recently rediscovered favorites.

Enjoy!

The Hermitage Team

This first volume in Pogany's quartet of illustrated classics is also considered his masterpiece.The ethereal illustrations and illuminated page decorations place him in the company of the finest of his contemporaries that include Dulac and the Brandywine School. This first trade edition was rebound by The Convent of the Ladies of Mary Croydon and features exquisite craftsmanship in the striking image of a ship on rough seas, an image repeated from the title page, and with their gilt stamp and motto Laborare est Orare on the rear panel.

London: George G. Harrap & Co., [1910]. Pogany First Trade Edition. Illustrated by Willy Pogany. Rebound in crushed olive morocco with spine embossed and gilt with sea themes, front panel elaborately gilt with triple gilt rectangular panels and elaborate central panel enclosing a sailing ship in rough seas with red and green onlays. Parchment endpaper, 20 tipped-in color plates, black and white drawings, illuminated initials with decorative page borders in black and green throughout. Quarto. 10" x 7.25". Unpaginated. Item #182298

Extremities rubbed, spine toned a shade but brightly gilt, tiny tear rear edge and surface creases lower corners, small dings to upper leading edges, a stunning production in custom cut mylar in handsome custom slipcase.

Timlin's The Ship That Sailed to Mars stands out for its imaginative world, intricate illustrations, and enduring influence on the fantasy genre. Timlin's ability to create a captivating imaginary realm has inspired subsequent authors and artists, making the book a timeless classic cherished by readers of all ages. This book is not for the unimaginative, but for the dreamer. Be not like the old skeptics "muttering in their beards as they went, for they had no faith, nor any belief in Fairies."

Under the influence of illustrators such as Beardsley, Rackham, and Dulac, Timlin truly brings to life an extravagant fantastical world of fairies and space travel. Sadly, this was Timlin's only published work.

London: George G. Harrap, 1923. 48 full-page color plates mounted on plain stock. First edition. 2000 copies. White vellum-bakced plain paper-covered boards, gilt stamped. Calligraphic text and 12.25" x 9.5". 48pp, tipped-on. Item #215788

Light wear corners, end sheets toned, mild fixing to vellum spine, near fine in custom mylar cover.

Bleiler, 267.

The first appearance of one of the most important imaginative texts of the 20th century. Kenneth Grahame's beautiful bucolic bedtime-story-turned-book rests in the influential backgrounds of the likes of C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, A.A. Milne and many others. Originally written as a series of letters to his bedridden son, Grahame ultimately revised and expanded those letters at the prompting of his good friend Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch. While widely considered one of the most important children's stories of all time, that designation is, in many respects, a narrow one. For within these pages are timeless truths of friendship, joy, adventure, and community that will resonate with any reader, regardless of age. As C.S. Lewis would later state, "A children's story that can only be enjoyed by children isn't a good children's story in the slightest."

London: Methuen & Co., 1908. Frontispiece by Graham Robertson. First edition, first printing. Original publisher's gilt-decorated green cloth, fore- and lower edges untrimmed, top edge trimmed and gilt. Octavo, 302pp. Item #212571

Light foxing to endpapers, internally bright, tight and clean. Very light rubbing to extremities, light wear to rear edge and foot of spine with a half-inch split to cloth along rear joint. Gilt work extremely bright and clean, cloth boards overall bright with some vey fain touches of soiling, in custom mylar cover. Near fine.

In his unique and recognizable style, Nielsen was a major mover in the revival of fairy tale and folklore literature in the early 20th century. His Art Nouveau style is perfectly suited to balance the dark enchantment that so many classic fairytales require. It was his ability to capture this enchantment that led him to secure a job at Disney in 1937, only to be let go four years later for being too dark. Here, in Hansel and Gretel, the reader is confronted with the true depth of the Grimm mind. This often lies in contradiction to many Disney-ified stories which have been lightened and ironed out with sunny happy endings.

New York: George H. Doran, [1925]. Twenty-two full page color illustrations by Kay Nielsen. Brick-red cloth with full illustrated cover label. Large octavo. 11.25" x 8.75". 310pp. Item #137848

Tiny chip to paper cover illustration, a few light scratches to rear panel, near fine in custom mylar cover.

The Savoy started as a counter to John Lane's Yellow Book and hired Aubrey Beardsley as art director after he was fired from The Bodley Head due to his association with Oscar Wilde. Only in print for a single calendar year, The Savoy established itself with some of the most creative and influential writers of the day––Shaw, Beerbohm, Moore, Yeats, and others.

Aside from the literary significance, much of the beauty of this piece lies in its extravagantly gilt binding, illustrated by Beardsley, along with the influence of his illustrative hand throughout. Few illustrators have so quickly solidified themselves as indelibly, and sometimes controversially, as Beardsley. This would be one of his final significant pieces, as he would die just two years later at the age of 25 from chronic tuberculosis.

London: Leonard Smithers, 1896. Illustrations By Aubrey Beardsley. First printing thus. Blue publisher's cloth, elaborately gilt with Beardsley illustrations. Quartos. 206pp; 92pp. 101pp. Item #215785

Some pages unopened, light toning endpapers, text block edges, and spine, overall all fine in custom cut mylar covers.

Originally published in 1901, Maeterlinck's The Life of the Bee stands out as a masterpiece of both ethnology and metaphysical philosophy. His is one of the earliest works to explore the behavior of bees from a scientific perspective. And it remains relevant today amidst declining bee populations, promoting environmental conservation and biodiversity. Awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1911, he was and remains the only Belgian to win the prize. That same year, famed naturalist illustrator, Edward J. Detmold, would illustrate this work, bringing to life the world inside the hive. But don't let the illustrations distract you too much (it's hard, I know, they're stunning!) from the philosophical underpinnings that explore the deeper questions of the human condition.

London: George Allen & Co., 1912. Eight full-page color plates by Edward J. Detmold. Second printing thus. Cream cloth decoratively stamped in orange, in dust jacket. Tall quarto. 11" x 9.25". 235pp. Item #178227

Translated by Alfred Sutro.

Fine, with small, natural gap to lower edge of signature "N". In near fine dust jacket with some minor edge wear and several tape repairs inside top edge, in mylar cover.

There are few, if any, botanical works as thorough and impactful as Michaux and Nuttall's North American Sylva. Aside from the striking beauty of the more than 275 hand-colored plates, Michaux's taxonomic work helped establish a systematic framework for understanding and categorizing North American plants.

Philadelphia: W.M. Rutter & Co., 1865. Illustrated with 277 hand-colored plates (156 in Michaux; 121 in Nuttall). 1865 edition, combining the works of Michaux and Nuttall. Five volumes uniformly bound in 3/4 brown morocco over marbled boards, aeg. Tall Octavos. 184; 180; 180; 207; 204, 205-15 (index). Item #217441

Translated from the French by J. Jay Smith.

Michaux's work is also "Considered Particularly with Respect to Their use in the Arts and Their Introduction Into Commerce. To Which is Added a Description of the Most Useful of the European Forest Trees." Nuttall's work also contains "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."

Nuttall's original lithographic stones used in earlier editions were destroyed in a fire, and new stones were created for this edition.

Extremities scuffed with some tears and abrasions to leather. All plates present and pristine with a single instance of pressed leaf shadow to verso of plate 16 Michaux Vol. I., and marginal 2" strip offsetting to plate 115 Volume III.

Sabin 48695.

When it came to writing, Chatto was a man of many interests. Aside from his work in the angling community, he wrote on wood engravings, playing cards, and tobacco. As his father was a merchant and his son would become a member of the Chatto & Windus publishing firm, William settled in nicely as a lover a many fine things. "A true-hearted and upright man," as his good friend would eulogize. A presumed special presentation binding of his illustrative angling classic. "The work is clever and caustic, and contains a critique of several of the angling books of the day" (Westwood & Satchell, 93).

London: Charles Tilt, 1835. 31 full-page engravings by Beckwith & Topham, accompanied by engraved borders to text pages. First edition, first printing. Original full deep brown Niger morocco, elaborately gilt with fountain, heron, and piscatorial themes; aeg. Octavo. 6.75" x 4.5". 192pp. Collated and complete. Item #217969

Extremely scarce in original binding.

Light foxing prelims, sparse and faint foxing throughout, front hinge reinforced tape repair, very slight bow to front board, lightly rubbed. Overall a near fine, brightly gilt piece.

Thacher, 107; Westwood & Satchell, 93.

Hailed as one of the greats of early big game fishing, Ralph Bandini has invaluably contributed to the literary corpus that forms the foundation of the evolution of deep saltwater fishing. Tight Lines is one of three important books Bandini wrote chronicling his early twentieth-century experiences deep sea fishing the Santa Catalina Island off the coast of California. Bandini is a true chronicler of the monster fish of the deep, perhaps even the monsters and fish of the deep. His reminiscence of his famed encounter with the San Clemente Sea Monster in 1920 shows his posture towards the deep sea. "There are stranger things...remember one other thing. You have not been out alone upon the sea and seen a monstrous Thing lift up out of the depths and close beside you—you have not felt the baleful stare of those awful eyes—you have not sensed the cold breath of ages past upon you. I have—and that's that." That is what Bandini brings to the angling world ––respect for the craft, honesty towards what we know, and mystery towards what we don't.

Los Angeles: Tight Lines Publishers, 1932. Deluxe edition, 500 copies. Full wraparound decorated leather. Moire silk endpapers, double full-page map front, tipped-in frontispiece portrait of the author, black and white photographs, and pen and ink sketches throughout. Octavo. 239pp. Item #143053

Front free endpaper creased, all edges rubbed with light wear extremities and some color variation front panel, still very good to near fine in fine custom cloth chemise and slipcase by master bookbinder Glenn Fukunaga.

Thacher, 34.

The works selected for The Collins Nature Library have had a significant cultural impact over the years by fostering a sense of wonder and promoting an educated, environmentally focused, and inspiring legacy through which to understand nature more fully. These three titles have been personally selected and introduced by 20th century naturalist, Robert MacFarlane.

Each volume signed on the title page by MacFarlane.



London: Collins, 2012. First printings. Full cloth with photographic illustration laid down front covers, issued without dust jackets. The three volumes include: Nature Near London by Richard Jefferies; Adventures Among Birds by W.H. Hudson; and, A Land by Jacquetta Hawkes. 9.5" x 6.25", 207pp; 253pp; 242pp. Item #217976

Some light toning to edges of text blocks, tips to Volume 1 very slightly turned, all fine.

Imagine being the first human to stand at the geographic South Pole. The stark and lifeless frozen tundra that undoubtedly strikes a sense of dread into any spectator indecipherably mixes with an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment and victory. Having beaten out his British rivals by over a month, Amundsen proved his pioneering prowess and resourcefulness that solidified his legacy among future explorers worldwide.

New York: Lee Keedick, 1913. First U.S. edition. Blue cloth, titled in gilt. Octavo. 392pp; 449pp. Item #145905

Laid in photo of Amundsen, with annotation to verso.

Light stain to spine of volume 1, near fine and bright in custom mylar covers.

Kelman reminds the reader in the Preface that there are primarily two secrets of satisfactory travel––"have certain questions ready to ask; and to detach oneself from preconceptions, so as to find not what one expects, or desires to find, but what is there." There are few lands on Earth that beg more questions and have more to offer than the Holy Land. Kelman's tour brings clarity and insight to an often misunderstood, politically and religiously controversial, yet profoundly beautiful land.

London: Adam and Charles Black, 1902. 92 full-page color plates after paintings by John Fulleylove. First edition, deluxe issue, one of 500 copies signed by the publishers. Cream cloth decoratively stamped in green and gilt. Large Octavo. 11" x 8.75" 301 pp. Item #179211

Light foxing to prelims, minor soiling, overall bright and fine, in custom mylar cover.

White Churches of the Plains is a powerful document of contrasts and extremes. The stark imagery of high plains church buildings suggests the community that invisibly surrounds and enlivens them. Now long gone, we can know something of what Adams describes as the "luminous radiance" of the West in these architectural portraits of faith and existence, isolation and resilience. This same dynamic defines his later work in The New West, where the rapidly changing landscape is illuminated by "high altitude sunlight". (Quotes from Adams interview).

Boulder: Colorado Associated University Press, 1970. First edition, first printing. Thin, square octavo. 10.25" x 8.75". Unpaginated. Item #195005

Signed by the author on the front free endpaper.

With a Preface by Thomas Hornsby Ferril.

Fine in near fine dust jacket with shallow scrape along top edge without loss and a short closed tear, in mylar cover.

Though Llorente held the position of Secretary of the Inquisition, he would later identify himself with the Napoleonic regime. Upon King Ferdinand VII's return to Spain in 1814, Llorente would flee to France. It was here that he would publish this great work. It is no wonder that a criticism of the Inquisition from a Napoleonic sympathizer would be widely fraught with controversy and attempts to discredit. However, as the first full account of the Inquisition for its over 300 year history, Llorente's work remains a significant reference for research in areas of Spanish history and Enlightenment thought. This copy, in particular, was gifted to Anna Jane Brusk (later Lupton of the famed religious English Luptons, descended from Roger Lupton, chaplain to Henry VIII). A beautiful inscription, dated December 1830.

London: Printed for B.Whittaker, 1827. Second Edition. Full contemporary maroon calf, decoratively stamped in gilt and blind, ornate spine decorations inside raised bands, all edges marbled. Octavo. Collated and complete. 583p. Item #217962

Composed from the original documents of the archives of the supreme council, and from those of subordinate tribunals of the Holy Office. Abridged and translated from the original works of D. Juan Antonio Llorente, formerly Secretary of the Inquisition, Chancellor of the University of Toledo, Knight of the Order of Charles III.

A few touches of foxing to prelims, joints a touch weak, small split to front upper joint, a near fine beautifully rustic, yet ornate copy.

While Armstrong's portrayal of the slave life in the antebellum south is met with a mixture of emotions, he nevertheless provides a first hand look into life as a slave. Old Massa's People is a collection of stories, collected through hundreds of interviews over the course of the 1920s. In many ways Armstrong's work should be read as an important piece in the history of interpretation of slave life, rather than an accurate depiction, as such––leading many to reject his portrayal.

Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill, 1931. First edition, first printing. Orange cloth, in dust jacket. 8.75" x 6". 357pp. Item #163294

Inscribed by the Armstrong on the front free end paper.

Light toning to edges, near fine in very good, lightly soiled dust jacket and with tiny chips to spine tips, in mylar cover.

Blockson, 9809.

In many ways, Baldwin's The Fire Next Time is an unfortunate timeless classic. If the world has proven anything over the centuries, it is that racial and social injustice seem to be an ever present, and often despairing, reality. It is for this reason that Baldwin's eloquent and cutting prose in confronting the racial discrimination of the early 60s is so important and relevant for today.

New York: The Dial Press, 1963. First edition, first printing. White cloth, in dust jacket. 8.25" x 5.75". 120pp. Item #210322

Boards slightly bowed, top edge binding toned, bookseller's label front pastedown, near fine in near fine dust jacket with some rubbing and surface wear extremities, in mylar cover.

Subject to protests and book-burnings, banned from school curricula, criticized by portions of the literary world, Maus forced the world to reimagine how we think about and approach conversations of racism, war, guilt, and memory. The first graphic novel to win the Pulitzer, Maus now stands as one of the cornerstones of literary creativity. It is a raw and emotional read that brings to life the horrors of the Holocaust through symbols as deep as its story.

New York: Pantheon, 1997. First edition first printing. Black cloth spine, paper boards, in dust jacket. 9.5" x 6.75". 295pp. Item #215784

Signed by Spiegelman on verso front free endpaper.

1992 Pulitzer Prize Winner

Fine in fine dust jacket, in mylar cover.

Originally published just after winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1970, August 1914 is an often controversial mix of fiction and history by the Soviet Union's most important dissident voice. Solzhenitsyn wrote most of this novel while in exile inside of the Soviet Union, underscoring his personal fortitude and literary determination to tell the story of Russia's entry into World War I and the profound national consequences that followed.

New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1989. First American edition. Signed/Limited. Full red cloth, gilt and black-stamped title labels to cover and spine, in matching publisher's slipcase. 9.5" x 6.75", 854pp. Item #212786

Signed by Solzhenitsyn. Limited to only 200 copies, of which this is number 9.

Translated by H.T. Willetts.

Fine with light rubbing to title labels, in near fine, lightly rubbed publisher's slipcase.

Due to fears he would not be allowed to return to the Soviet Union if he left the country, Solzhenitsyn was unable to attend when he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1970. His speech was instead read by Karl Ragnar Grow, Permanent Secretary of The Swedish Academy, and published two years later by Bodley Head. As could be expected, he emphasized the importance of individual responsibility, moral courage, and the fight against tyranny. This fine piece truly is an important part of both world literary and political history.

London: Bodley Head, 1972. First edition, first printing. Pamphlet. Yellow paper stapled wrappers. 7.5" x 4.25". 27pp. Item #212965

Fine.

Letters have the marvelous capacity to transcend the limits of time and space, while at the same time offering insight into the individual experiences of our daily lives. After reading "Doctor Zhivago" Merton was compelled to begin a brief but important dialogue with Pasternak, not the first time he reached out beyond the solitary confines of the Abbey of Gethsemani, to share his belief in the necessity for an ongoing spiritual conversation with others. These six letters, three from Merton and three from Pasternak, who responded in English, began in 1958, the year Pasternak was awarded the Nobel Prize, only to subsequently reject it because of Soviet Union concerns. It was perhaps this that provoked Merton to connect in an intimate way, defying the stalemate of countries, to engage in an open and courageous dialogue between individuals. "The simple and human dialogue with Pasternak...is to me worth thousands of sermons and radio speeches."

Lexington: The King Library Press/University of Kentucky, 1973. Limited edition. #13/150 copies. Printed paper-covered boards. Some pages unopened. Small quarto. 8" x 6". 28pp. Item #214539

Foreword by Naomi Burton Stone. Introduction by Lydia Pasternak Slater.

Some pages left unopened, small patch rubbing inside lower spine, fine.

"It began as a mistake," which led to unrest, which resulted in a unique, if not revolutionary book.

Many books are often small for the sake of being small, but this is a truly subversive piece––a "palm book." Palm books rose to popularity during the early years of the Labor Movement as a way to pass along information out of sight of authoritative bosses. And in true Bukowskian fashion, California printer Felicia Rice created this book "to give out to all my fellow carriers as I was leaving the post office where I’d been working for six months. The post master was celebrated for his irrational and cruel abuse of authority."

Controversy has surrounded this book for decades in regards to the potential knowledge of Bukowski and Black Sparrow Press of this piece, since it was privately printed out of copyright. In personal correspondence with printer Felicia Rice, it came to light that Bukowski "had nothing to do with the making" and Black Sparrow forced Rice's hand to release a second printing with proper attribution. What makes this piece an actual one of a kind is that it somehow made its way to Bukowski himself, who gave his seal of approval with his signature and double doodle.

It doesn't get any more Bukowski than this!

Mendocino, CA: Felicia Rice/Mutant Drone Press, 1982. Drawings from Mendocino Beacon newspaper for a local production of “Oliver,” acquired with 1906 Colts Armory letterpress in 1978. First edition, first printing. Hand sewn with white thread and wrapped in blue and black mottled paper, paper title label. Printed in black on handmade white German Hayle paper, offcuts from Wm. Everson’s ‘fine book’ “Granite & Cypress” by Robinson Jeffers. Palm Book. 3.25" x 2.75". 24pp, unpaginated. Item #218051

Limited to only 40 signed/numbered copies, of which this is 21. Signed on the colophon by printer Felicia Rice. Signed by Bukowski with doodles to title page.

Very near fine.

ADDITIONAL OFFERING: included with this fine piece is a second printing of Bukowski's Post Office, the inspiration for this charming, yet dissenting, little piece. Post Office has a touch of offsetting, but overall is a near fine copy with a small inked name to corner of prelim.

The impact of Kenneth Rexroth can hardly be understated, having influenced and advocated for Beat Generation writers such as Kerouac and Ginsberg. The Signature of All Things is unlike many of his other works in that it contains no long poem, no poems to heroes and martyrs, and very few poems of social criticism. Rather, these poems are an intimate look into the personal experience of a profound poet. "Perhaps the integral person is more revolutionary than any program, party, or social conflict."

Norfolk: New Directions, 1949. Signed/Limited. Course grain cloth-backed decorated boards, in dust jacket. Thin octavo. 8.5" x 6". 89pp. Item #213576

Limited to 50 numbered and signed copies, of which this is 14.

Page edges lightly toned, fine in near fine, lightly rubbed dust jacket with several short closed tears, in mylar cover. Lacking slipcase.

Contributing to the emergence of eco-poetry and environmental activism in the 20th century, Snyder's writings have inspired a deep appreciation for the natural world and a sense of responsibility towards its preservation among readers and fellow writers. In the words of the publishers, this work is "mingled with the work of several seasons: the tending of flowers, fruit trees, vegetable garden, a new flock of chickens, everything cycling to the music of resident ravens and crows, all under the keen eyes of eagles, their clear, circular gaze."

Waldron Island: Brooding Heron Press, 1993. First edition, one of 300 copies, signed by the author. Linen with illustrated cover label. 9.75" x 6.75". 30pp, unpaginated. Item #211215

Fine, in custom mylar cover.

James here provides a "touch of intimate sanctity which our homes too often fail to possess." In and of itself, the house has no sacredness. But as spiritual beings living in a natural world, we possess the ability to infuse the mundane with the sacred. With James' House Blessing, the home, as the familial and relational epicenter of lives, becomes infused with blessing that it may bring blessing to the world that surrounds it.

"May it be delightful, my house;

From my head may it be delightful;

To my feet may it be delightful;

Where I lie may it be delightful;

All above me may it be delightful;

All around me may it be delightful."

Pasadena: Radiant Life Press, 1917. First edition, first printing. Oblong orange cloth boards pictorially stamped in black and gilt. Oblong, 9" x 12". 70pp. Item #171869

Lower corners lightly bumped, slight rubbing to spine tips, overall near fine in custom mylar cover.

It appears from the author's Preface that God is an essential ingredient in every recipe. The chart of Weights and Measures at the onset illustrates the challenges of 19th century cooking and the simple style recipes belies the work involved in putting a possum on the table. This collection represents a North Carolina palate. As always, the culinary and domestic arts provide a fascinating window on the culture it serves.

New York: Hurd and Houghton, 1872. Original starched brown cloth spine stamped in gilt over green buckram boards.

Covers rubbed and scratched, missing rear endpaper, period ownership, a very good sound copy with some toning to text but clean overall. Octavo, 347pp. Item #217965

Who could be better suited to offer the children of the Age of Distraction compelling thoughts on finding and living the full life than the founder of one of the most important artisan communities of the 20th century? Health and Wealth provides true wisdom in finding satisfaction in the simple things, joy from beauty, peace that can be found in the present life. Hubbard captures his aim perfectly: "Wherein is pleasingly told how to be happy––but not too happy––and yet be rich; containing thoughts, always sincere and sometime serious, concerning the best methods of preventing one from becoming a burden to himself, a weariness to his friends, a trial to his neighbors and a reflection on his Maker."

East Aurora: The Roycrofters, 1908. Sepia tone double frontis photograph of Hubbard and other in workshop frontis. First edition. Supposed presentation binding. Full polished calf, teg, marbled endpapers, tooled decorative vine and leaf pattern in arts and crafts style front panel with incised title and author front panel and spine, 2 raised bands, ribbon marker. 7.25" x 4.75". 162pp. Item #215781

Signed and inscribed by Hubbard on the front free endpaper.

Top and bottom spine darkened, joints tender with some splitting, expertly repaired and reinforced, internally fine in custom cut mylar cover.

While no one knows the exact number, approximately 300 copies of Lovecraft's first book were printed in 1928, but none were bound. In 1934, Robert Barlow, Lovecraft's literary executor, received around 225 copies of unbound sheets, of which he distributed only about 50. Upon Barlow's death, Arkham House obtained and distributed the remaining 150 copies. This particular copy is one of only 50 sets of unbound sheets distributed by August Derleth prior to binding the other 100 sets himself in 1961. The original copyright notice is cancelled by the first state of the Arkham House paste-down, with titles in bold.

Like the house whose story it tells, the history of this publication is a bit strange and mysterious. It is, as Joshi notes, Lovecraft's "legendary stillborn" first work, never having intended to live out such a disjointed and uncertain history.

Athol, Mass: W. Paul Cook/The Recluse Press, 1928. First edition, first printing. Unbound sheets, top edge uncut, housed in custom clam-shell box. 21.6 x 14.1cm. Octavo. [1-8], 9-58, [59]. Item #218050

Preface by Frank Belknap Long, Jr.

Very faint toning to edges, fine. This copy is void of any loss or glue stains, which are typical among the unbound sheets.

Joshi, H.P. Lovecraft, I-A-5; Joshi, Sixty Years, 61A.

Taken from the collection "Sardonic Tales" published in English in 1927, this story written by the little-known romantic Symbolist poet and playwright, tells the tale of two Parisian women. The prose is as beautifully crafted as the book that contains it––a whimsical, complex feat of paper engineering and delicate touches, such as scalloped edges and swatches of serigraph color printing, and cutouts within pop-up page settings supported by fabric attachments. The typeface is Greeting Monotone. The experience is delightful.

Sherman Oakes: Livre d'Art by D'Ambrosio. 1992. Number 11 of 75 copies signed by the artist Joseph D'Ambrosio. Hand sewn signatures bound in to the handmade case of pale blue cloth pillared spine over floral print fabric-covered boards, paper label spine. 8.75" x 6.25". 24pp. Item #142972

With an Introduction by Patrick Magarick and Handmade Paper by Madeleine Pestiaux.

Faint stain to upper edge of clamshell, spine a little dull, overall near fine to fine.

With bilingual commentary in both Chinese and English, these books, with beautifully hand-colored illustrations, capture traditional Chinese culture and the great women and scholars who sat at its center. Simply opening these wonderfully made accordion books transports the reader to the oldest culture in the history of civilization.

n.p., [ca. 1920]. Hand-Colored illustrations. Wooden boards, debossed with Chinese characters, accordion books. 8.25" x 5.75x. 22pp, unpaginated. Item #149642

Light rippling to paste downs, boards rubbed, small spot of sticker residue to rear board of "Biographies," near fine.

There could hardly be someone more suited to translate and capture the essence of Sand's autobiographical Majorcan narrative, chronicling her travels and stay with Frédéric Chopin. Graves, who shared a love for Majorca, was buried there under a great Cyprus tree. This work consists of his forward and historical summary written for his translation of Sands' 'Un Hiver á Majorque.' His children, Tomás and Lucia, have here beautifully retained a portion of his work through the craftsmanship of New Seizin Press, founded by Robert Graves.

Mallorca: New Seizin Press, 1986. Illustrations by Nils Burwitz. One of 75 copies, signed variously by the printer, Tomás Graves, the Catalan co-translator, Lucia Graves and illustrator, Nils Burwitz. Three sets of unbound sheets plus nine unbound etchings laid into yellow cloth clamshell case. 12.75" x 8.75". Item #149516

The three sets comprise : 'George Sand in Majorca' signed by Tomás Graves and Nils Burwitz; 'George Sand A Majorque' signed by Tomás Graves and Nils Burwitz; 'Na George Sand a Mallorca' signed by Tomás Graves, Lucia Graves and Nils Burwitz.

All parts fine in fine publisher's clamshell case with some rubbing, minor color loss to lower purple title label, and very slight bow to case front.

The first book in Steinbeck's Monterey trilogy, the significance of Tortilla Flat lies in its portrayal of a community on the margins of society, its exploration of friendship and cultural heritage, and its contribution to Steinbeck's evolving style and themes as a writer. It remains a notable work in American literature for its heartfelt depiction of everyday people facing extraordinary circumstances.

London: William Heinemann Limited, 1935. First British edition, first printing. Blue cloth, in dust jacket. 7.75" x 5.25". 313pp. Item #125484

Top edge dull, owner's inked name front free endpaper, light scattered foxing and minor wear overall, near fine in very good dust jacket with some soiling to panels and toning to spine with shallow chips both ends, in mylar cover.

Goldstone & Payne, A4.c.

Antiquarian Booksellers and Knowledge Dealers

303 388 6811

hermitagebooks.com

[email protected]