Books About Books from Alcuin Books, ABAA-ILAB

London at the Chiswick Press: G. Bell, 1895. Limited Edition. Octavo. Limited to 125 copies. The present copy is #13. Uncut, xxv, 146 pages, index, profusely illustrated, errata slip bound in. Not only examples of major illustrators such as Walter Crane, Kate Greenaway, Howard Pyle, as well as Whistler, Beardsley with notes on the techniques used. Bound… Read more

Provo, UT. (1997, 2005 and 2012): Righam Young University. First Editions. Quarto. In three volumes; Volume I covers books produced by the Mormons in support of the Church 1830-1857; 477pp. Volume II, covers the years 1848-1852, 501pp. and volume III covers the years 1853-1857, 467pp. Each volume contains a descriptive bibliography, endnotes, library codes, author/title index, biographical index and… Read more

Milwaukee; 1934, 1934 and 1936: The Casanova Press. Limited Edition. Small Octavo. In three volumes, each limited to 500 copies. Interesting look at book collecting and selling during the 1930s. The author took a chance with his friend to open a book store with about 50 books on one shelf, from their own collections. Most believed they were crazy… Read more

(Chicago; 1963): The University of Chicago Press. First American Edition. Quarto. 299pp. including index, with an introductory essay by Stanley Morison and supplementary material by Kenneth Day, presenting over 375 plates drawn from most European countries and America. A fine copy bound in black cloth, spine lettering gilt, in near fineunclipped dust jacket, housed in publisher's black cloth… Read more

Worcester, MA: American Antiquarian Society and The Corner Bookshop, 1947. First Edition. Quarto. In two volumes. 757pp. and [758]-1508pp. The author began his work in the early part of 1913. At the time, he believed though it was a monumental task and there was a need it should only take five years to finish. His plan was to write… Read more

New York: Alfred a Knopf, 1958. First Edition. Octavo. xiii, 236(1)pp., vii, (2)pp. The author came from a long line of family members of printers from the late 18th century on. Hunter recollects printing shops and remembers how he was influenced by William Morris and the Kelmscott press. He later became associated with Elbert Hubbard's Roycroft shop in New… Read more

New York: Alfred a Knopf, 1947. Octavo. Greatly enlarged in both text and illustrations, xxiv, 611pp., xxxvii, (1)pp., folding map, fully illustrated, bound in blue cloth stamped in blind, spine lettered and decorated in gilt, in clipped pictorial dust jacket with chips to head and a small chip to bottom edge of front panel in the original glassine wrapper… Read more

New York: William Edwin Rudge, 1930. First Trade Edition. Octavo. 358pp., folding frontispiece, illustrated with over 200 illustrations. He also includes information on of bank notes forged prior to 1817 in which 300 people were hanged. In the first three months of that year there were 128 prosecutions and by the end of the year thirty-to individuals had been… Read more

Baltimore: R.H. Woodward Company, 1896. This Salesman's prospectus (or salesman's dummy) is complete with two volumes in one, each with sheets for the prospective buyer information. The note is that the finished volume would be four times thicker. Depending upon the kind of binding the price would be in the $1.50 to $3.00 range. Bound with this work is:… Read more

Denver, Co: The Clason Publishing Co, 1930. Limited Edition. Thick Quarto. Limited to 1000 copies signed by the author. Illustrated with title pages of early bibles, incunabula, horn books, colonial literature, colophons, printer's devices and their mottos, and more. Bound in 1/4 brown cloth over light brown paper covered boards, paper labels to spine and upper board, upper board… Read more

London: Chiswick Press/Charles Whittingham and Co, 1897. Octavo. Signed by the author in the year of publication. A book divided into two sections. The first section is devoted to the book i.e. MS. for the press, correction of proofs, copyright, casting off copy and more. Section two demonstrates the various typefaces used and various specimens of paper. Laid in… Read more

New Haven: Yale University Press, 1966. First Edition. Quarto. xii, 84 pages, index. With 38 illustrations (including all 7 color plates) plus a large folding table in rear pocket. Title and text printed in red and black. Bound in 1/4 black cloth over red cloth pictorially stamped in gilt, spine lettering gilt, Vroman's ticket to… Read more

Los Angeles, CA: William Dailey Rare Books Ltd, 2000. First Edition. Quarto. Limited to only 100 copies signed by Morris and and levin, the present copy is number 13. 127pp. beautifully illustrating various publisher's fine decorative bindings. An exhibition of the Grolier Club, held May 17-July 29, 2000. Bound in 1/4 beige cloth over pictorial paper covered… Read more

Los Angeles: The Historical Society of Southern California, 1991. Limited Edition. Small Octavo. Limited edition of 100 copies signed by the author. Acollection of works pertaining to Southern California with an index of authors and titles. Bound in maroon cloth, spine lettering gilt. A fine copy.

New York: Garland Publishing Inc, 1977. First Edition. Octavo. 287 pages index. An extensive bibliography of 1542 English and foreign language sources written from 1900-1977 including monographs, essays, dissertations and theses, catalogue raisonnes, exhibition catalogues, periodical literature and books illustrated by and written by Picasso. Essential for the art specialist as well as the collector. … Read more

Cambridge: Hilliard and Metcalf, 1823. Octavo. 67p. In 1894 the Adams Library of 2,756 volumes was transferred from the Thomas Crane Public Library of Quincy, Mass. where it had been lodged since 1882 to the Boston Public Library. The Library of John Adams was built at great expense (as is noted in David McCullough's biography… Read more

. A fascinating small letter to Mr. William Gowans (1803-1870) the legendary bookseller in old New York whose obituary in the New York Times described him as "the antiquarian bookseller of Nassau Street" who in forty years of bookselling had acquired over 250,000 books from Caxtons and an extensive group of Aldine works in a large Venice section to… Read more

New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1958. First Edition. Octavo. 236pp., (1)pp. bibliographical-index, (2)pp. note on the author and a note on the printing, illustrated by photographs. Dard Hunter came from a family of printers and publishers. He was influenced by the work of William Morris and the Kelmscott Press. He became associated with Elbert Hubbard's Roycroft Shop. He went… Read more

Watertown, New York: Knowleton Bros. Octavo. 24 unnumbered pages, fan folded with rich color examples. While Knowleton Brothers can trace their work to 1824, it was in the mid-1920's, they began creating the richest preparatory covers for the top designers. This volume is exquisite both in its materials used and its design: examples include Decorative Bands, Framed Borders, Wood… Read more

1969: Yale University Press. First Edition. Thick Quartos. In three volumes, 479, 565 and 542pp. The author identifies virtually every printed piece at Strawberry Hill, shows where it stood on the shelves, gives the history of each book, and the prices it has fetched, indicates Walpole's marginalia and extra-illustrations. He also shows how he used his books in writing… Read more