James Weld Towne; Pioneer San Francisco Printer, Publisher, & Paper Purveyor

San Francisco: The Book Club of California [printed by Patrick Reagh], 2008. Limited Edition. Hardcover. Fine. One of 275 copies, quarto size, 228 pp., with prospectus. This publication by the Book Club of California is a biography of the life and work of notable San Francisco-based printer James Weld Towne (1829-1917); he was a prolific printer of periodicals and books on numerous subjects, and a lengthy bibliography of printed material follows the text.

The book is printed by Patrick Reagh (b.1948), son of Los Angeles photographer William Reagh, who has printed numerous fine press editions at his own imprint.

___DESCRIPTION: Full purple cloth, copper lettering and ornaments on the spine, frontispiece a black-and-white photograph of James Weld Towne, title page with green and red floral border with illustrations in black and purple and black lettering inside a pink rectangle, four pages of colour facsimiles of printing by Towne, black-and-white photographs and facsimiles of Towne's work throughout; Monotype Garamond, Mohawk Superfine paper, quarto size (10.25" by 7.25"), pagination: [i-vii] viii-xiii [xiv] [1-2] 3-214, one of 275 copies, unnumbered. Loosely laid in is the prospectus, one sheet folded once to make four pages, with reproduction of the title page and frontispiece. In clear acetate wrapper.

___CONDITION: Volume is fine, with clean boards, straight corners with no rubbing, a strong, square text block with solid hinges, the interior is clean and bright, and entirely free of prior owner markings; the barest hint of rubbing to the tail of the spine, else fine. The acetate wrapper is near fine, clean, without wear, with a few stray marks. The prospectus is near fine, clean, with a couple stray marks, without wear but for a few shallow creases.

___POSTAGE:  International customers, please note that additional postage may apply as the standard does not always cover costs; please inquire for details.

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