Goozairow, Emil.
Bestiary of non-existant creatures from A to Z.
Moscow: Emil Goozairow, 2023.

Small open edition. Goozairow is a Russian artist who paints and draws, produces movies, and creates exceptional handmade books that are printed on rare types of paper and published in limited editions. His techniques create unique designs that often are made with natural materials alone or in combination with relief decorations made from metal, polymeric clay, or 3-D printing. He creates books that he describes as "pop up," “kinetic carousel," “liporello” or “3D origami.” He also writes fairy tales, stories and mystical scenes.

An inventive book in a 3-D printed, hand-painted tower binding with brown fabric cord closure. This sculptural book resembles a small tower. It is hand-painted in metallic gold and bronze paints along the exterior. The interior features a collection of imaginary creatures printed in full color from drawings by the book artist. The book has a special hexagonal folding design that Goozairow calls a "Bee Book." A charming alphabet book in an unusual binding. In fine condition. Size: about 3.5 inches tall x 2 inches wide. Fine. (#38281)

Price:   $325.00

Shattuck, Carolyn, book artist.
Nanook the Polar Bear.
Rutland, VT: Carolyn Shattuck, n.d.

One of four copies, signed and numbered by the book artist on the title label on the front cover. This unusual and interesting work from Carolyn Shattuck pays homage to the polar bear, which is the largest land carnivore in the world. Males can weigh as much as 1500 pounds. Despite their size, she writes in her description that polar bears are vulnerable to extinction. In Canada they are listed a a "special concern," and that the world's polar bear population as of 2024 was estimated to be only around 26,000. Threats to the bears are climate change, melting sea ice, and human wildlife conflict. The book's structure is designed to reveal a stylized illustration of white polar bear walking, with a blue and purple background, and three small drawn polar bear images in the background. The book's accordion structure frames the bear illustration. Fine.(#38269)

Price:   $1,200.00

D'Ambrosio, Joe.
A Memoir of Book Design 1969-2000.
San Francisco: The Book Club of California, 2003.

Hardcover. One of 350 copies of this book describing the depth and range of the work of this book artist. Joe D’Ambrosio (1934 - 2009) was one of America’s foremost and innovative twentieth century book artists. In 2003 the Book Club of California published this book, ‘A Memoir of Book Design 1969–2000,' in which D’Ambrosio explained how he approached each of the 92 books he created. The result is a fascinating celebration of his work in all of its beauty and variety. It is an important and illuminating account of D'Ambrosio's achievements. Printed letterpress on Mohawk Superfine paper using 10 point Della Robbia type. It is Illustrated throughout by color prints of each of D’Ambrosio's books. Bound by the Cardoza-James Bindery in patterned white and gray paper covers with a black cloth spine with titling in white. In fine condition. Measures 8.25 x 11.5 inches. 212 pages. (#38266)

Price:   $150.00

Schwartzott, Carol, book artist; Hildegarde Hawthorne, text.
The Garden in Life & Literature.
Freeville, NY: Carol Schwartzott, 2021.

Hardcover. Number 1 of 12 copies signed and numbered by the book artist. The text from this beautiful book was extracted from Lure of the Garden written by Hildegarde Hawthorne in 1911. There are also quotes about gardens and nature from such writers as Shakespeare, Longfellow, Gertrude Jekyll, and Dickinson. The book includes eight lovely large graphite drawings by Carol of plants. There are also 18 smaller drawings, some of which are reduced versions of the larger ones. Each was later finalized with the addition of hand-coloring using a combination of watercolor, gouache and colored pencil. The text is Inkjet printed on archival Mohawk vellum in Cochin and Cinzel Decorative types. Bound in light green cloth with title label on front cover. Housed in a light green clamshell box with charming multi-colored greenand gold papers on the inside lid and box bottom and title label to spine panel. A wonderful celebration of the pleasures of the garden. In fine condition. Measures: 7.25 x 7.25 inches. 54 pages. Fine. (#38264)

Price:   $350.00

Schwartzott, Carol book artist; Belting, Natalia.
Coyote and the Shooting Stars - mini.
Freeville, NY: Carol Schwartzott, 2022.

Hardcover. Number 2 of 24 copies signed and numbered by the book artist. A miniature digitally printed reproduction of a unique hand painted and hand-sewn folio sized artist book that was done by Schwartzott. The text written by Belting relates the native American themed creation myth of the origin of shooting stars. In this tale they are the falling bodies of coyotes that unsuccessfully desired to dance in the sky with stars.

Bound in black handmade paper with paper title label to spine and an illustration with hand painted embellishments, collage and stitchery to front board. Housed in a red, and black paper covered box with decorative paper featuring a star pattern. Image of the coyote and the stars on front cover. Paper title to spine and collaged elements with sewing to panels. Unpaginated. [30 pages.]

Carol Schwartzott has been creating artists' books for over twenty-five years. Her work appears in many museums, libraries, and private collections including the Smithsonian, the National Gallery of Art, and the Victoria and Albert Museum. Natalia Belting (1915-1997) taught history for 43 years at the University of Illinois until her retirement in 1985. Dr. Belting really had four careers: she was a history professor, a writer, a lay minister, and an environmentalist. She published 24 children's books about history and mythology. Book size: 3 x 2.75 inches; Box size: 3.75 x 3.25 inches. Fine. (#38258)

Price:   $95.00

Seitz, R. Carlton, author; Stephen G. Heaver, printer and proprietor of The Hill Press.
Papermaking in Baltimore County Maryland 1775 - 1850.
Baltimore: The Hill Press, 2024.

Hardcover. Number 19 of 27 copies signed by the author and the printer. The edition was fully subscribed, and as such was sold out at publication. This is a beautifully produced book, from its design to its printing and binding. The Table of Contents describes the contents as: Introduction; History of Papermaking in Baltimore County; A Compendium of Paper Mills alobg the Gunpowder Falls and Known Water Marks; Map of the Sixth District; and Bibliography. In addition to providing a detailed and informative history of papermaking in Baltimore County, the author and printer provides a helpful reading list for early papermaking in Maryland, first produced in 1986 and revised in2020.The colophon offers much information on the production of this fine book. This book was begun around the official beginning of COVID. The project was inspired by the text of a 1986 lecture given by Seitz that was deemed necessary to be shared in print. The introduction was written by John McGrain, who unfortunately died in 2021.The frontispiece has a representation of the Gunpowder Mill between 1847 and 1889. The images of watermarks are drawn from pictures taken around 1990. The text types were cast by Theo Rehak using Cloister Old Style No. 2. The titling is Centaur desogmed by Brice Rogers. The elegant paper was made by Velké Losiny with William Hoffman's watermark of 1776.The bindings were done by the "consummate craftsmen" at Campbell - Logan and by Don Rash. Bound in green cloth with a paper tltle label affixed to cover and a spine label lettered Papermaking and Seitz. In fine condition. Measures 9 x 12.5 inches. 31 pages plus reading list and colophon. Fine. (#38249)

Price:   $750.00

Cohen, Claudia, book artist.
An Edible Alphabet.
Seattle: Claudia Cohen, 2010.

Softcover. Number 12 of 30 copies, numbered by the book artist. This is an engaging and unusual book from noted book artist and binder Claudia Cohen. It is similar in spirit to her works Bookbinding Ephemera and Chasing Paper. As noted by the Heavenly Monkey Press, this work from her combines her love for letter forms, fanciful page compositions and binding structures that convey intimacy when held. Each page reproduces from stencils a letter in three alphabets surrounded by the names of foods starting with that letter. These words are taken from Claudia's large collection of early 20th century rubber stamps, used in restaurants to create the daily menu. Some words are also written in her own elegant cursive. The paper used is a wafer-thin vintage laid, French folded and sewn long-stitch onto a vellum structure with three slips and and laced into an outer case made from pieces of of 18th and 19th century parchment documents. Housed in a clamshell covered with papers colorfully marbled by Karli Frigge. Slight rubbing to the extremities of the box, but the volume is fine. Fourteen copies located by OCLC. Book measures 4.5 x 4.5 inches. Unpaginated. Fine. (#38244)

Price:   $950.00

Rutter, Owen, editor, introduction, and notes.
The Court-Martial of the "Bounty" Mutineers.
Edinburgh and London: William Hodge & Company, Limited, 1931.

Hardcover. A fascinating account of this famous trial of 1792 of the Bounty's men's uprising, led by Fletcher Christian, against the ship's captain, William Bligh. Published as part of the Hodge Company's series of notable British trials. Bligh, although an efficient sailor, was also a ruthless disciplinarian who faced fierce resistance from his crew during its voyage to Tahiti. The book provides a day-to-day account of the subsequent trial and its prosecution and defense. Bound in bright red cloth with gilt titling to spine. A few light spots to the cloth but overall very good. Lightly spotted endpapers with label of bookseller Philip C. Duschnes affixed to rear pastedown. With several full page plates with illustrations. One of the plates, showing the landing in Bounty Bay is loose but present. In the scarce dust jacket. Jacket has tears to spine edges, and light browning to spine. Jacket cover gives name of book and its editor, along with summary of the text. A nice copy of this work in very good condition. Measures 8.5 x 5.5 inches. 202 pages including bibliography. (#38240)

Price:   $75.00

Roosevelt, Theodore; Kermit Roosevelt and Philip Goodwin, illustrations.
African Game Trails: An Account of the African Wanderings of an American Hunter-Naturalist.
New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1910.

Hardcover. First edition of this stirring and interesting account by the ex-president Teddy Roosevelt of his travels and hunting in Africa after his terms in office. He dedicates the book to his son Kermit, whom he calls his side-partner "in our great adventure." The book is extensively illustrated with photographs, photogravures, and drawings of the natives and the many animals they saw and slayed. Bound in brown cloth with gilt titling to cover and spine. The spine's gilt lettering is somewhat faded and there is a closed tear along the top edge. There are a few small white spots on the front cover. Front hinge is cracked but text block is firm. Ownership names and date of December 4, 1918 on front free endpaper. Text pages are clean and bright. Small label on the rear pastedown for the Noman, Remington Co. of Baltimore and Toledo. A nice copy of this classic in very good condition. Measures 9.5 x 6.75 inches. 529 pages including appendices and index. (#38239)

Price:   $60.00

Stanley, Henry M.
My Dark Companions and Their Strange Stories.
New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1893.

Hardcover. First American edition of this stirring collection of famed explorer Henry Stanley's stories that he gathered around campfires from his companions in exploring Africa. Sir Henry Morton Stanley (1841 – 1904) was a Welsh-American explorer, journalist, soldier, colonial administrator, author, and politician famous for his exploration of Central Africa and search for missionary and explorer David Livingstone. Besides his discovery of Livingstone, he is mainly known for his search for the sources of the Nile and Congo rivers, the work he undertook as an agent of King Leopold II of the Belgians that enabled the occupation of the Congo Basin region, and his command of the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition. More than a century after his death, Stanley's legacy remains the subject of enduring controversy. Although he personally had high regard for many of the native African people who accompanied him on his expeditions, the exaggerated accounts of corporal punishment and brutality in his books fostered a public reputation as a hard-driving, cruel leader in contrast to the supposedly more humanitarian Livingstone. His contemporary image in Britain also suffered from the perception that he was American. In the 20th century, his reputation was also seriously damaged by his role in establishing the Congo Free State for King Leopold II. Nevertheless, he is recognized for his important contributions to Western knowledge of the geography of Central Africa and for his resolute opposition to the slave trade in East Africa.[Wikipedia]

The book compiles 19 stories that mainly involve animals. There are almost 50 full page and text illustrations. Bound in green cloth with gilt titling to front cover and spine. The cover has an illustration of a lion in fierce battle with a large snake. The spine has an illustration of an ape climbing a tree. The binding is spotted and bumped, and there is a small gouge along the bottom of the spine along the rear cover. Interior pages are clean and quite legible. There is a small bookseller label on the front free endpaper from W.B. Clarke & Co. Ownership signature of Alfred M. Walton on free endpaper. A nice copy in very good condition. Measures 8.25 x 5.5 inches. 319 pages plus 12 pages of ads for the publisher's books for young readers. (#38232)

Price:   $100.00