Search Results: Titles starting with G from Swan's Fine Books

New York: Covici-Friede, 1929. Limited Edition. Parchment. Fine/near fine. Kent, Rockwell. No. 341 of 750 copies, octavo size, 44 pp., with parchment wrapper and slipcase. Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin (1799-1837) was an esteemed Russian poet and novelist, who is considered the founder of modern Russian literature. This work, "Gabriel", is a satirical (some would say blasphemous) look at the Annunciation; given the status of the Church at the time, Pushkin denied authorship as he could have been prosecuted for blasphemy by the Holy Synod and sentenced to a life sentence in Siberia; he later (apparently) acknowledged authorship in a private letter to Czar Nicholas I. With an Introduction by translator Max Forrester Eastman (1883-1969), author and political activist; while in graduate school he became an ardent socialist, but upon living in Russia from 1922 to 1924 and witnessing the Great Purge he became a capitalist, however, he remained very much an independent in his thinking throughout his… Read More

[San Francisco]: [The White Rabbit Press], 1958. First and Limited Edition. Wraps. Fine. One of 200 copies, octavo size, [14] pp. Beat poet and author Richard Gary Brautigan (1935-1984) may be best known for his novels, including "Trout Fishing in America". However, he began his career as a poet, with the 1957 publication of "The Return of the Rivers". This, a single poem in nine separately titled sections, was published in a small edition of just 200 copies which were distributed "by a variety of means, including City Lights Bookstore and direct sales by Brautigan to those passing by on the street" (n.b., info and quote from Wiki). ___DESCRIPTION: Parchment outer wrap with black lettering and illustration by Kenn Davis, red heavy paper inner wrap with black lettering, the wraps serving as the title page, the text opening with "The Galilee Hitch-Hiker, Part One", the text pages followed by a single page with the cover illustration, this followed by the colophon with the limitation statement;… Read More

London: The Verona Press [Printed at the Officina Bodoni, Verona, 1939], 1939. Limited Edition. Leather. Very Good Plus. Laurencin, Marie. No. 10 of 30 de luxe copies, quarto size, 328 pp., signed by Marie Laurencin (twice). Kathleen Mansfield Murry (1888-1923), born and raised in New Zealand, moved to the UK at the age of 19 where she became a friend of modernist writers such as D.H. Lawrence and Virginia Woolf; she died at the age of 34 from tuberculosis. This work is a collection of her short stories, wonderfully illustrated by Marie Laurencin (1883-1956), a French painter and an important figure in the Parisian avant-garde. She was a member of the circle which included Pablo Picasso and other cubists, and is known as one of the few female Cubist painters (n.b., above info from Wiki). The lithographs in this volume are more traditional, being lovely portraits of the characters evoking the deep emotions of the stories. ___DESCRIPTION: De luxe version bound in turquoise leather and signed by the… Read More

Van Nuys, California: Richard J. Hoffman, 1989. Limited Edition. Hardcover. Fine. Five volumes in custom slipcase, each volume a limited edition (see details below), octavo size, 624 pp. total, from the collection of Bela Blau. Richard John Hoffman (1912-1989) has been described as both "a bookman's bookman" as well as "a printer's printer". He began his printing career at the young age of 12 when he helped to install a printing press in the bell tower of a church in order that the church's bulletins could be printed. He worked in the printing world his entire life, both as a teacher and a designer/printer. His early career was devoted to the Press of Los Angeles Junior College/Los Angeles City College, and later at Cal State LA, at all of which he both worked and taught. It would be later in life, upon his retirement in 1978, when he would produce some of the most creative of his works, including the five volumes represented here. Hoffman would, among other books which extolled ornaments, produce… Read More

New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1912. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Near Fine. Octavo size, 352 pp. First English edition of this work on enzymes. The author, Hans Karl August Simon von Euler-Chelpin (1873-1964) was a Swedish biochemist, who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1929. Chapters include Special Chemistry of the Enzymes, Physical Properties of the Enzymes, Activators, and more. ___DESCRIPTION: Black cloth binding with blind-embossed rules on the front, spine and rear boards, brown endpapers, "First Edition, First Thousand" printed on title page with publication date of 1912, stated "Translated from the Revised and Enlarged German Edition". 8vo, (i-ii), iii-x, (1), 2-323, followed by publisher's catalog of 19 pp. ___CONDITION: Overall near fine with a strong, square text block, solid hinges, straight corners with a minimum of rubbing; the interior is clean and bright, and other than some penciled notations on the rear flyleaf it is free of prior owner markings. ___POSTAGE: International… Read More

New York: The Limited Editions Club, 1979. Limited Edition. Hardcover. Fine/fine. Soyer, Raphael. No. 631 of 2000, quarto size, 126 pp., signed by Isaac Bashevis Singer and Raphael Soyer. Isaac Bashevis Singer (1902-1991) was a Polish-born Jewish writer who wrote and published only in Yiddish. He won he Nobel Prize in Literature in 1978 and was also awarded two National Book Awards. The artist for this edition, Raphael Soyer, was a Russian-born American painter, draftsman, and printmaker referred to as an American scene painter because of his interest in men and women viewed in contemporary settings (N. B. info from Wikipedia). ___DESCRIPTION: Bound in Elephant Hide paper with natural finish buckram with silver lettering on the spine, light-grey coloured top edge of text block, watercolour illustrations by Raphael Soyer including twenty-three preliminary sketches; printed on natural-tone wove rage stock paper made specifically for this edition; pagination: (i) - (xii), (1) - 59, blank (60),… Read More

San Francisco: The Windsor Press, 1929. Limited Edition. Hardcover. Near fine. No. 10 of 60 copies, sixteenmo size, [11] pp. Poet and playwright George Sterling (1869-1926) was much acclaimed on the Pacific coast; a prolific poet, Sterling was part of the group of writers and artists in the San Francisco Bay Area and then in Carmel that included Jack London, Joaquin Miller, Mary Austin, and Robinson Jeffers. In addition to poetry, Sterling wrote several plays, and he was a regular performer in the Bohemian Club's theatrical productions, held in the Bohemian Grove in Monte Rio, California. This tribute to Sterling is written by Albert M. Bender (1866-1941), an influential book collector and patron of the arts in San Francisco, who supported artists such as Ansel Adams and Diego Rivera. It was printed by The Windsor Press, which was begun by Cecil and James Johnson who came to San Francisco in 1924; "while fine printing was secondary to commercial work, they managed to turn out an astonishing number… Read More

New Haven: Yale University Press, 1991. First Edition. Hardcover. Fine/fine. First printing, quarto size, 277 pp., in cardboard slipcase. German expressionism focused on artist feelings, bright colors and simple shapes over earlier realism conventions. Here Lloyd explores the relationship between the German Expressionist movement to primitive arts and crafts: "This original and attractive book explores the forces that shaped German Expressionism in the years before the First World War...Lloyd argues that primitivism and modernity were the two poles of the German Expressionist movement...[and Lloyd] finds important links between the Expressionist approach to primitive arts and crafts and the ethnography, science, politics, art history, and popular culture of the era" (n.b., from jacket flap). ___DESCRIPTION: Bound in full black cloth over boards, gilt lettering stamped on spine, black endapers, colour frontis, book replete with illustrations both black-and-white and colour; quarto size (11 1/8" x 9… Read More

Fairfax, California: The Roxburghe Club of San Francisco (printed by Mallette Dean), 1958. Limited Edition. Hardcover. Fine. One of 125 copies, octavo size, 40 pp. Henry Miller Madden (1912-1982?) served as the University librarian at CSU-Fresno for thirty years, and was, in addition, an author, scholar, and translator in his own right. A collector of works in German that describe early travel experiences of Germans in California, Mr. Madden bequethed his collection to Fresno State. This slim volume, printed by Mallette Dean in 1958 for the Albert Bender Memorial Fund, is an essay by Mr. Madden on his passion for these books; it may have arisen out of a presentation he gave to the Roxburghe Club, San Francisco, of which he was a member from 1958-1982. With two hand-coloured illustrations, likely by Mallette Dean. ___DESCRIPTION: Natural linen shelfback with paper spine label, tan paper over boards with black and orange printed pattern of bears and the California poppy, fore-edge uncut, illustrated… Read More

San Francisco: (Printed by the Grabhorn Press), 1954. Limited Edition. Hardcover. Near Fine. Berman, Eugene. One of 1100 copies, octavo size, 102 pp. "A Gest of Robin Hood" is one of the oldest surviving tales of Robin Hood, printed between 1492 and 1534. This edition was printed by the Grabhorn Press for the Bohemian Club of San Francisco; the Grabhorn Press, run by brothers Edwin and Robert Grabhorn, was one of the most highly renowned private presses in America during the twentieth century. ___DESCRIPTION: Quarter green cloth with light green paper boards decorated with green, red, and yellow pattern, yellow lettering on the spine, title page in red and black, paragraph marks in red; monotype Caslon, machine-made paper, octavo size (9.5" tall), 102 pp., one of 1100 copies, unnumbered, printed for the Bohemian Club of San Francisco. ___CONDITION: Volume is near fine, with clean boards, straight corners, a strong, square text block with solid hinges, and the interior is clean and bright; prior… Read More

[New York]: The Library Fellows of the Whitney Museum of American Art [printed at The Grenfell Press], 1991. First and Limited Edition. Hardcover. Fine. Condo, George. One of 160 copies, folio size, [88] pp., signed by William S. Burroughs and George Condo. William Seward Burroughs II (1914-1997) is "widely considered a primary figure of the Beat Generation and a major postmodern author who influenced popular culture and literature" (n.b., quote from Wiki). George Condo (b. 1957) was drawn to the arts at an early age. He coined the term "Artifical Realism" and "was instrumental in the international revival of painting from the 1980s onward". The lst of his awards and exhibitions is too long to list here, suffice it to say that he is internationally recognized, with his art being an influence both of other artists and authors - including William Burroughs. This work, "Ghost of Chance", was a collaborative effort between Burroughs and Condo, being a collection of writings paired with etchings and… Read More

New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1892. First Edition. Hardcover. Near fine. Birch, Reginald B.. First US edition, octavo size, 224 pp. The work of Frances Hodgson Burnett (1849-1924) captured the imaginations of readers, with her enduring novels such as "The Secret Garden" and "Sara Crewe"; this collection of stories for children demonstrates her adeptness at weaving tales filled with colourful characters and scenery. Illustrating this first US edition is Reginald B. Birch (1856-1943), with energetic and detailed line drawings; Birch was a prolific artist and is perhaps best known for illustrating another of Burnett's books, "Little Lord Fauntleroy". ___DESCRIPTION: Full green cloth, black lettering and illustration in black, purple, and gilt on the front board, gilt lettering on the spine, brown coated endpapers, tissue-guarded frontispiece a line drawing in black by Reginald Birch, full-page line drawings in black by Birch throughout; octavo size (8.5" by 7"), pagination: [i-vii] viii [ix] x… Read More

[Monmouthshire]: The Old Stile Press [2008], 2008. Limited Edition. Hardcover. Fine. Onken, Michael. No. II of 10 of the Special Edition, folio size, 50 pp., signed by Artist. There are many stories and legends of selkies - the seals that surround the shores of Orkney - their deep brown eyes that captivate humans, their singing that mesmerises. George Mackay Brown had written stories of them before his passing in 1996. Then the publishers met an American artist, Michael Onken, who came regularly to Scotland to draw and paint and had developed a passion for the writing of GMB and for selkies which he drew while on Orkney. They asked the literary executors of GMB if by any chance there might be any unpublished writing about selkies - and almost by return they were offered this story, "The Girl from the Sea". It is a simply told play which involves a young man, his elderly parents and the arrival of a beautiful girl in their midst (n.b., above info from the web site of the Press). A lovely book with… Read More

(n. p.), (n. d.). No binding. Very good +. Gill, Eric. Print of Eric Gill's wood engraving, "Girl Sleeping" (P334), on very thin tissue paper; the engraving was created for "Song of Songs" (1925) but not used. The gentle scene is created with delicate line work to delineate a figure in repose; Gill demonstrates his mastery of the craft with clean illustrative marks and balanced areas of black and white. ___DESCRIPTION: Cream leaf of tissue paper (approximately 11.75" by 9.25") with 1.5" by 3.5" engraving printed in black. ___CONDITION: Very good plus, with light creasing to the edges and two small spots of foxing. ___POSTAGE: International customers, please note that additional postage may apply as the standard shipping charge does not always cover costs; please inquire for details. ___Swan's Fine Books is pleased to be a member of the ABAA, ILAB, and IOBA and we stand behind book we sell. Please contact us with any questions you may have, we are here to help.

Topeka, Kansas: Privately Printed / Geo. W. Crane & Co., Printers and Binders, 1890. First Edition. Hardcover. Good. Octavo size, 262 pp., inscribed by the Rev. Sheldon. Presentation copy from the author to his daughter, per a typed notation tipped onto the verso of the flyleaf (directly opposite the title page), "I rejoice to present to you these 'Gleanings By The Way', my ever loved and loving daughter, the Artist, Alice Gertrude. Devotedly and lovingly your father, Stewart Sheldon." Some penciled notations in the text, which we believe were made by the author (see notes below). Per Cowan, "The author came to California in 1849 and narrates his activities and adventures in the mining settlements and diggings." Stewart Sheldon (1823-1912), born in New York, did indeed come to San Francisco in 1849 where he helped to survey the city of tents and was in the mining business for a year; he then went to Seminary and began his service in the ministry. ___DESCRIPTION: Dark teal herringbone cloth boards,… Read More

Susan Caspi, 2014. Limited Edition. Fine. No. 14 of 24. Artist book with four components. A lovely poem of longing and insight, beginning: "As lovers welded by their passion / hands, by gloves, encased in fashion" and ending with "do they protect or do they smother? / when I see gloves, I see my mother". The artist has placed her poem upon a replica pair of gloves which can be housed in the evening bag, along with the lipstick and compact - as Susan says in her Artist's Statement: "The gloves representing propriety and the lady like attire that was my mother. An evening bag to contain them but made with Japanese fabrics to represent something more substantial emotionally, a lipstick because you should always show your prettiest face, and a powder compact for the same reason with my mother's lovely face and sweet smile looking back out". Susan realized one day why she was unable to bear having gloves on her hands, even in the snow; because they made her feel suffocated. At that point she wrote the… Read More

Berkeley, California: Transitional Face, 1980. First Edition. Hardcover. Fine. One of 100 copies, duodecimo size, 18 unnumbered pp. This collection of poems by Jim Nisbet (b. 1947) exemplifies his swerving experimental style, as he responds to the writings of George Berkeley (1685-1753), specifically "A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge", an excerpt of which is printed before the poems. Berkeley is known for his theory of immaterialism, and Nisbet's poems challenge the reader to look beyond what is merely visible, to dig in to what is rooted deeply in the human psyche. This particular edition was printed at the Univerisity of California, Berkeley, which takes its name from George Berkeley. A card reading "With the Authors' compliments" is slipped in. ___DESCRIPTION: Quarter grey cloth with textured paper boards with abstract pattern, silver lettering on the spine; Bell type, duodecimo size (6.25" by 4.5"), pagination: 18 unnumbered pages, one of 100 copies, unnumbered.… Read More

London: Macmillan and Co, 1862. First Edition. Leather bound. Fine. First printing, duodecimo size, 216 pp., in a custom Riviere binding, from the collection of Natalie Knowlton Blair. Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830-1894), sister of Dante Gabriel Rossetti, poet, member of the Pre-Raphaelites, was hailed at the death of Elizabeth Barrett Browning as her successor. This work, "Goblin Market and Other Poems" was published to universal acclaim; it was "praised by reviewers as the herald of a new voice and an original talent." With a frontispiece and illustrated title page by D.G. Rossetti, this volume with the Ex-Libris of Natalie Knowlton Blair (1887-1951), an extremely wealthy and well-known collector of Americana; the Ex-Libris is of morocco mounted onto the front pastedown with the name of her home, "Blairhame", with a stylized deer's head and motto. A stunning volume in a handsome Riviere custom binding, with the publisher's ads bound in at the rear. ___DESCRIPTION: In a custom Riviere… Read More

Norwalk, Connecticut: The Easton Press, 2004. Leather bound. Fine. Large octavo size, 289 pp., signed by Vonnegut. Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (1922-2007) wrote across a broad spectrum; from "widely satirical novels" to fantasy and science fiction, Vonnegut had a message to deliver: the "horrors and ironies of 20th-century civilization" (n.b., quotes from the online Encyclopedia Britannica). His career spanned more than five decades, during which he would write fourteen novels, three short-story collections, five plays, and five nonfiction works. This work, "God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater", was Vonnegut's fifth novel, and both introduces characters which would be encountered in "Slaughterhouse Five" as well as bringing together "[s]everal...of Vonnegut's continuing themes" (n.b., quote from Wiki). One of the Collector's Edition publications by The Easton Press, signed by Vonnegut on the page tipped onto the title page; loosely laid in is the Easton Press COA and the publisher's "Note". ___DESCRIPTION:… Read More

Ditchling, Sussex: St Dominic's Press, 1930. First and Limited Edition. Hardcover. Very good. Derrick, Thomas. No. 49 of 480 copies, octavo size, 45 pp. The Saint Dominic's Press, founded by Harry (Hilary) Douglas Clarke Pepler, flourished at Ditchling, Sussex, from 1916 to 1936. The first home of the Press was "a disused stable", with a hundred-year-old Stanhope hand-press which supposedly had belonged to William Morris. Pepler endeavored to do everything possible by hand, believing that such would both produce the best results and also be a "more individual or 'humane'...product". He therefore "preferred the handpress to the machine, handmade to machine-made paper, and handset founder's type to the products of typesetting machines." Pepler met Edward Johnston and Eric Gill while living in Hammersmith; Pepler and his family would eventually move to Ditchling to join Gill, who was one of the most important artists to provide illustrations for the St. Dominic's Press. Other artists who provided… Read More