Rare books from Four Rivers Books, LLC

Big Sur: Henry Miller and Bezalel Schatz, 1947. Schatz, Bezalel. A visual riot of a book, printed totally in serigraph in bright colors. The text is derived from Henry Miller's Black Spring, and is presented in Miller's hand. The pages of text are interleaved with vividly colored images by Bezalal Schatz which also creep into some of the pages of text. These images range from small accent pieces to roaring two page spreads. One of 800 copies, although there is some doubt about how many copies have survived the rodents in Miller's basement. Signed by author and artist, cloth bound with serigraph printed on the binding and the vaunted bit of red felt is glued to the front. Book is in fine condition.The slipcase, while sound and visually presentable, may well have been a survivor of the attentions of Miller's gang of mice--there are a few minor stains and a couple of small rubbed spots. The spine of the case bears a small clear tape with the number (313) of this copy.

Beautiful book illustrated with a frontispiece and seven double page prints from watercolors by John Piper and printed by Adrian Lack at the Senecio Press using screenless offset lithography. Designed by Eric Gee, who, assisted by David Vickers, printed the book letterpress. Printed on T. H. Saunders pure rag mould-made paper. Number 72 of 268 copies. Quarter bound in deep blue morocco with boards covered in a striped flannel cloth. Contained in a cloth covered slipcase. The book is in fine condition, the slipcase near fine, with a few minor stains.

Moser's Alice joins the ranks of the earlier spectacular Alices: Tenniel, Rackham, Dali: not only do the 75 images dance and sprawl across the pages, but they reflect new visions of the text. These images range from marginalia to images merged into the text, to full page and on to two page spreads. The text is printed in black, with highlighted words in red or blue. Moser's signature is in purple, as is the limitation number, 157 of 350. The book is half bound in purple morocco with boards covered in a coordinating hand marbled paper, from the workshop of Gray Parrot. The type was cast and composed by Michael and Winifred Bixler. Further hand composition was done by Arthur Larson. Text and blocks were printed by Harold McGrath on Puligeum, a paper specially made for Pennyroyal by the Strathmore Paper Company. The clamshell case is quarter bound in morocco with cloth covered sides. The extra set of 75 prints, each signed by Moser, is enclosed in a matching cloth covered portfolio. A cover letter to… Read More

Beautiful book illustrated with a frontispiece and seven double page prints from watercolors by John Piper and printed by Adrian Lack at the Senecio Press using screenless offset lithography. Designed by Eric Gee, who, assisted by David Vickers, printed the book letterpress. Printed on T. H. Saunders pure rag mould-made paper. Number 72 of 268 copies. Quarter bound in deep blue morocco with boards covered in a striped flannel cloth. Contained in a cloth covered slipcase. The book is in fine condition, the slipcase near fine, with a few minor stains.

These ten poems printed for the first time form part of "Cave Birds," a sequence of twenty poems written by Hughes between 1974-75 to Baskin's drawings. The poems are published together with prints from the related drawings and each poem is accompanied by a facsimile of a draft selected from the poet's working papers. The elephant folio sized prints are signed by Baskin, numbered, and dated. The book is quarter white paper, with hand-made chocolate paper sides and light brown label stamped in black. Unpaginated. Portfolio is 20 x 14 1/2 inches. The Baskin prints are printed on Barcham Green paper. The text of the poems is printed on handmade paper by F. Amatruda, Amalfi. The matching burlap covered fitted portfolio with ties contains both the prints and the book. Number 93 of an edition limited to one hundred copies, each copy of the book signed by the poet, Ted Hughes, and the illustrator, Leonard Baskin. Fine condition.

Printed in an edition limited to 200 numbered copies, signed by Schanilec on the colophon page. (My Colorful Career, pp.30-36). Four double-page color wood engravings and an additional two-color engraving on the title page. The text consists of a series of interviews of his farming neighbors by Schanilec, and the beautiful color wood engravings depict various aspects of their farms.
The proofs are in a heavy paper portfolio with a color image of a pickup truck, contained in a solander box, cloth covered with a black leather spine label. The title page is printed with two stages of the pick up truck. There are four images plus the title page truck, each 4 to six plates (except 2 for the truck) This is copy 12 of 15, signed in pencil with Schanilec's chop mark and "92." Quarter to Midnight, A.90 and A.109.

Maya Angelou created this book for the Limited Editions Club: she wrote the poem, she selected the artist, the award-winning water colorist Dean Mitchell, and asked Wynton Marsalis to compose and then perform an original jazz composition just for this book (a CD copy is tucked into the solander box). Mitchell wrote an Afterword, relating his composition to the poetry.
The book was designed, typeset, and printed by Dan Carr and Julia Ferrari. Carol Joyce bound the book and the solander box in a matching tan fabric with morocco labels for the book and the spine of the box.
The book has six color etchings created by Mitchell and printed by Peter Pettengill. Marsalis and his sextet performed the work, with Angelou reciting her poem. Signed by Angelou, Mitchell, and Marsalis. As New. History LEC p. 239.
Please note: this book is very large and heavy. Extra charges will apply for the cost of shipping materials and postage above what is normal for a book. Thank you for your understanding!

A beautiful edition of the poet's favorite work which is superbly interpreted by the symbolic lithographs of John Biggers.
Japanese linen with embossed color lettering on front, Japanese linen-covered clamshell box with embossed color lettering on front. The paper was specially blended for this edition, and the binding cloth is dyed the color of Georgia clay. One of an edition limited to 400 numbered copies signed by the author and the artist John Biggers. Book is as new, the solander box is fine with a slight bump to a corner on the front of the box. Not in LEC Bibliography, see History LEC pp. 233, 235.
Please note: this book is very large and heavy. Extra charges will apply for the cost of shipping materials and postage above what is normal for a book. Thank you for your understanding!

Six stories by Hurston selected by the artist Betye Saar, who also wrote the Afterword. Each of the stories is illustrated with a multi-colored serigraph of original collages. In addition to these, the artist also chose the hand-made paper, made of cotton and cinnamon; the deep brown ink; and the half deep-brown morocco binding with the sides covered in a paper made from cork. The typography was designed, composed, and printed by Dan Carr and Julia Ferrari at Golgonooza Letter Foundry and Press. The paper was hand-made by Langdell Paper, East Topsham, Vermont. Drexel Press printed the serigraphs. The book was bound by Carol Joyce. The solander box is covered in a deep brown slubbed fabric and lined in UltraSuede. One of 300 copies signed by Betye Saar. As new. The History of the LEC p 237.

A beautiful edition of King's stirring letter in the most moving of the recent books of the Limited Editions Club. Introduction and eight color serigraphs by Faith Ringgold. In her Introduction, Ringgold explained that she was inspired by the contents of King's letter to produce these eight images. With an extensive Afterword titled "Martin Luther King, Jr.: 21st Century Man" by Dr. C. T. Vivian. Designed, set in Monotype Garamond and printed by Michael and Winifred Bixler. Curlee Raven Holton printed the eight serigraphs. Hand-made paper. Hand-bound by Jovonis Bookbindery in red linen witih a black morocco title label set into the front cover, and the solander box is covered in the same red linen with a black morocco shelf label with King's name in gold. One of 420 copies signed by the artist Faith Ringgold. As new. The History LEC pp. 239-40.
Please note: this book is very large and heavy. Extra charges will apply for the cost of shipping materials and postage above what is normal for a book. Thank… Read More

One of an edition limited to 300 numbered copies signed by the illustrator, Phoebe Beasley and Maya Angelou, who wrote the introduction. Illustrated with seven colorful silk screens from the original collages by Beasley. Poems selected by Angelou. She writes: "A terrain furnished with poetry and paintings is so felicitous and nourishing to the spirit that an observer is beckoned onto that landscape and made to feel home...he is my poet." Designed, printed and hand-bound by Michael and Winifred Bixler. Printed on Arches paper. Title page printed in black and purple. New. See The History of the LEC p 237.
Please note: this book is very large and heavy. Extra charges will apply for the cost of shipping materials and postage above what is normal for a book. Thank you for your understanding!

Splendid edition of Mahfouz's masterpiece, Arabian Nights and Days. The American publishing party for the book was in Washington, D.C. and sponsored by the Egyptian Embassy. The Cairo artist Nazli Madkour produced seven mixed-media paintings in glowing colors that provide her interpretation of Nahguib's characters. The Afterword was written by Mohamed Salmawy, editor-in-chief at the Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram Hebdo, a close friend of Mahfouz, and husband of Madkour. The thirteen-inch square paintings were scanned and printed using the Giclee process by George Drexel. Michael and Winifred Bixler designed, set type by hand, and printed the text on imported hand-moulded papers. Noted calligrapher Mohamed Zakariya collaborated with the Bixlers to produce a superb bilingual title page. Winifred Bixler bound the book in fine tan linen, with a shelf label imprinted with the English title on the spine of the box, and the title in Aabic imprinted on a matching label on the front cover. The title page is… Read More

One of an edition limited to 750 numbered copies signed by the illustrator, Robert Motherwell and the author, Octavio Paz.
Publication of this book, with all the attention it received along with a major exhibition at the Mousem of Modern Art, established the Limited Editions Club as a publisher of fine livres d'artiste and set it on course for the production of many more fine books of this calibre. (See The History of the LEC pps. 221-222.)
Illustrated with twenty seven original lithographs on various types of handmade Japanese papers. Spanish text is printed in red, the English translation in black. Translated by Eliot Weinberger.
Please note: this book is very large and heavy. Extra charges will apply for the cost of shipping materials and postage above what is normal for a book. Thank you for your understanding!

Printed by Michael and Winifred Bixler. Illustrated by the great French-Polish artist Balthus. Rilke was a childhood friend of Balthus, who did these watercolors as a tribute to Rilke. Keiji Shinohara reproduced the illustrations as multi-colored woodcuts. One of an edition limited to 300 numbered copies, signed by the artist.
Please note: this book is very large and heavy. Extra charges will apply for the cost of shipping materials and postage above what is normal for a book. Thank you for your understanding!

Edition limited to 250 numbered copies signed by the artist, Yuri Kuper. Kuper's etchings were printed in Paris on Hahnemuhle paper by the noted Aldo Crommelynck. Printed at The Wild Carrot Letterpress. Unique handmade paper with bits of Russian newspaper embedded in it.
Please note: this book is very large and heavy. Extra charges will apply for the cost of shipping materials and postage above what is normal for a book. Thank you for your understanding!