Rare books from The Book Lair, ABAA

New York: D. Appleton, 1831. 192 pp. Approximately 2 1/4 x 2 3/4". Blue cloth over boards, paper label on spine, corner bumping with small portion of boards showing through, otherwise in very good + condition. (Bradbury, D. Appleton, 1; Welsh 4865). Daniel Appleton (1785-1849) began publishing in New York in 1831 and his first imprint was this miniature book. There are two editions of this book, both with 1831 on the title page. One edition has numbered pages and "stereotype edition" on the title page. The other edition has unnumbered pages and no mention of "stereotype edition". It is not possible to know which version came first. This edition was 2,000 copies and was very popular as inspirational books had a good market at that time.

London: Methuen and Co., 1924 - 1928. First Editions (When We Were Very Young is 1st edition, second state with "ix" on Contents page), Four volumes. With wonderful line drawings throughout, illustrated by E. H. Shepard.When We Were Very Young, published in 1924, first trade edition, second state, NF copy with light wear to extremities in VG dustwrapper with a tanned spine, miniscule chip out of top left of spine, navy cloth boards with gilt lettering and gilt vignettes to front and back covers, 100 pps, one of 4,500 copies printed in the first edition, which sold out in the first week.Winnie-the-Pooh, published in 1926, first trade edition, NF copy in a NF first issue dustwrapper with 117th thousand marked on back flap is bright and complete (does have small wrinkle on back which is not a tear) with minor dustiness, green cloth boards with gilt lettering and vignettes of Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh, illustrated end papers with map of 100 Aker Wood and numerous line drawings throughout… Read More

Cincinnati: Published by [Wesley] Coleman and [William] Phillips. Morgan, Williams and Co., Printers., 1815. 1st Edition (Adomeit A34; American Imprints 34917; Bradbury, p. 63; Welch 861.2). Not in Rosenbach, nor Welsh. [2 (blank)], v, [6] - 167, [3 (blank)] pp. Divisional t.p., "History of the New Testament", p. 77. "Appendix" t.p., p. 135. "Psalms" t.p., p. 151. 2-1/2" x 1-1/2". Period brown full calf binding. Modest wear to binding, with boards a bit splayed. Some browning & ageing to paper, with the occasional short edge tear to a leaf [no text affected]. A Good - VG item.��The first miniature book published in Ohio, and quite rare in the trade. RBH records the last appearance as in a 1964 Midland catalogue [this copy?]

Sherman Oaks, CA: Joe D'Ambrosio, 1992. 24 pp. 6 1/4 x 9". LIMITED EDITION of 75 copies and 10 artist's proofs, this being #46, box binding with patterned floral cloth sides, a blue-grey cloth backstrip over a broad telescoping spine composed of five stepped planes, the central and highest of these surfaces with long vertical printed paper label, text printed on leaves with raised accordion portions, both raised and recessed portions with engraved illustrations, cloth inlays, or serigraphs, the recessed title page under a stretched netting meant to resemble opera hose, most of the leaves with decoratively cut curved and spiked edges, signed by the publisher on the colophon, accompanied by 6 pieces of epherma, including a typed letter signed by D'Ambrosio along with other interesting material, all in fine condition.This story of two Parisian prostitutes by the obscure French satirist Villiers de L 'Isle-Adam (1838 - 1889) is printed on paper made by Madeleine Pestiaux. Albert Sperisen was an… Read More

New York: Random House, 1964. 8 pp. Approx. 6 1/4 x 9 1/4". Printed orange wrappers with black ink, in original mailing envelope (which has a slight corner crease), both in fine condition. (Goldstone & Payne A41)Steinbeck's introduction to "The Thinking Dog's Man" by Ted Patrick, was issued separately in advance of the book as a promotional item; no copies were for sale. This copy once belonged to veteran Milwaukee bookseller Harry Schwartz (the mailing envelope bears his address). A fine, fresh copy in the original printed mailing envelope of this very scarce Steinbeck "A" item

New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1986. 243 pp. Approximately 5 1/2 x 8 1/4". Pictorial dust jacket in fine condition, with a bright cover, original price of $14.95 on the flap, and no fading on the spine. Grey paper over boards, silver lettering stamped crisply on spine, signed by the author on the title page, full number line, a few minor smudges, in near fine condition. Sue Grafton (1940 - 2017) was an American novelist. This is the third book in her well-known "alphabet series" featuring private investigator Kinsey Millhone. Grafton also wrote screenplays and other 7 other novels before the alphabet series, 5 of which she destroyed unpublished.

New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1985. 229 pp. Approximately 5 1/2 x 8 1/4". Pictorial dust jacket in fine condition, with a vibrant cover, original price of $14.95 on the flap, and no fading on the spine. Grey paper over boards with red cloth 1/4 bound, silver lettering stamped crisply on spine, inscribed and signed by the author on the title page, full number line, no visible marks, in fine condition. Sue Grafton (1940 - 2017) was an American novelist. This is the second book in her well-known "alphabet series" featuring private investigator Kinsey Millhone. Grafton also wrote screenplays and other 7 other novels before the alphabet series, 5 of which she destroyed unpublished.

New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1982. 275 pp. Approximately 5 1/2 x 8 1/4". Pictorial dust jacket in near fine condition, with a vibrant cover, a few stains to rear cover, slight creasing, a small enclosed tear near the spine, original price of $12.95 on the flap, and no fading on the spine. Grey paper over boards, red lettering stamped crisply on spine, signed by the author on the title page, full number line, no visible marks, in fine condition. Sue Grafton (1940 - 2017) was an American novelist. This is the first book in her well-known "alphabet series" featuring private investigator Kinsey Millhone. Grafton also wrote screenplays and other 7 other novels before the alphabet series, 5 of which she destroyed unpublished.

Yorktown Heights, NY: Belser Incorporated, Publishers, 1988. 63 pp. Also described as Vat. Lat 11254 - Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, this is a facsimile copy of the 16th century work by an unknown artist. Summary book approximately 4 1/8 x 5 3/4", 63 pages. First limited and numbered edition for the English-speaking market of 1000 copies, this being #101. Miniature book with leather binding and gilt decorations on the cover, measuring 1 x 1 1/2", 30 pages, is an exact reproduction of the original in terms of color/size/extent, housed in a silver case with necklace, all original packaging intact, all in fine condition.The miniature book itself is very charming. It contains beautiful color pictures and ornamental designs as well as the masses by St. Francis of Assisi and St. Anne. St. Francis was best known for being humble and living a life close to that of Jesus Christ and the "F" on the outer locket is a tribute to his work. St. Anne was the mother of Mary and grandmother of Jesus Christ and the… Read More

Orleans, MA: Parnassus Imprints, 1992. Approximately 7 1/4 x 7 1/4". LIMITED EDITION of 250 copies, this being #165. Black paper covered slipcase in fine condition. Illustrated paper wrappers, includes a signed and numbered previously unpublished print laid in which bears the same signature and number as on the colophon of the book, all in fine condition. (Toledano A104a)Edward Gorey (1925 - 2000) was an American artist and writer, best known for his eccentric imagery and stories, often set in Victorian and Edwardian settings. This book covers seven series of Dogear Wryde (an anagram of Gorey's name) postcards and includes: Scenes de Ballet, Menaced Objects, Alms for Oblivion, Interpretive Series, Neglected Murderesses, Tragedies Topiares, and Whatever Next? Some cards are captioned and some are not. A lovely example of the wide range of Gorey artwork and macabre humor

Seattle, WA: Sam Garriott Antonacci, 2019. One-of-a-Kind Artist Book. Single sheet fold-out pasted down to rear endpaper which shows mosaic illustration of Italy in prismacolor and ink on Thai Unryu paper, 2 1/4 x 2", blue cloth over boards with illustrated front panel; housed in matching clamshell box with layered illustrated cover, completed with two more boxes with printed book details and label, all in fine condition.According to Sam Garriott Antonacci: "I see many of my books as histories or small personal documents of people, places, or objects." This miniature book is a beautiful homage to Italy, done in the soft Tuscan colors you would expect representing the Italian countryside, with excellent detail paid to the craftsmanship of the enclosing boards and boxes. Sam primarily does one-of-a-kind and limited edition books, mainly miniatures. She was raised in the Ohio River Valley on a rural farm so solitude and nature inform her work. She went to the University of Indiana at Bloomington and… Read More

Ann Arbor, Michigan: Alvey Jones, [2021]. LIMITED EDITION of 2, this being #2. Tan cloth over clamshell box with green spine cloth, lime green acrylic label on cover and green speckled marbling on box edges, enclosed are twenty-six miniature books (scrolls) in various media such as paper and wood (scrolls are non-removable), in fine condition.Alvey Jones is a painter, printmaker and book artist whose work has been exhibited locally and nationally and is in many public and private collections in the United States and Europe. He has a BFA in illustration and design, an MA in art history and he mostly creates miniature books. This book is an homage to the famed ancient library at Alexandria, Egypt, which ceased to exist by the end of the Third century CE and contains miniature books (scrolls) in several languages

Tokyo: Toppan Printing Company, 1979. Three miniature books (parent) and three similar microminiature books (child). Titles are Birth Stone, Language of Flowers, and The Zodiacal Signs and Their Symbols. Miniature books measure 19 mm square and microminiatures measure approx. 2 mm square. Layered into an individually designed leather case designed by Osami Nakao, a well-known Japanese leather craftsman, with a leather-framed magnifying lens on top, 3 microminiatures nestled in a leather board, below are the 3 miniature books (with tiny book plate on verso of front cover), all in fine condition.An equisitely crafted, beautiful and rare set. The Toppan Printing Company in Japan has long been printers of the world's smallest books with many Guiness Book World Record holders

Van Nuys, CA: Barbara J. Raheb, 1979 - 1981. Complete 45 volume set, each volume 15/16 x 5/8". Black pyroxylin covers with gilt titles and decorations, mini bookplate on verso of front free endpaper in each volume, all housed in a miniature bookcase with two pewter bookends, in near fine condition. (Bradbury, Raheb 141 - 182) Barbara Raheb published more than 500 miniature books in her lifetime, more than any other U.S. publisher during the 20th century. This set includes the elusive four volumes of Hound of the Baskervilles. Limited edition of 300 per volume, it is very difficult to find a complete set. Arthur Conan Doyle (1859 - 1930) was a British writer and physician. Although the Sherlock Holmes stories are his most well-known works and are milestone in the field of crime fiction, he was a prolific writer who also created science fiction/fantasy, humor, romances, poety, non-fiction, and historical stories

Berkeley, CA: Never Mind the Press, 2019. First Edition. One bag with eight pamphlets and 7 eggs. LIMITED EDITION of 10 copies, this being #8. Seven handset, letterpress printed, pamphlet-stitched books with book cloth, photos, a collagraph, and seven acrylic-painted wooden eggs, nesting in a linen satchel, hand-embroidered with silk thread. The eighth brown pamphlet titled "About" contains some of the creative process and the signed and numbered colophon, all in fine condition. Only 1 library holding.A wonderfully creative artists' "book" that combines stitching, pamphlets and eggs. The painted eggs are the same size and color as a real egg of the species. The bird passport evokes a record of their life paths/migrations represented by original stamps on the passport, which also includes some information about the birds. The passports are also smaller or larger, depending on the size of the birds represented. The linen pouch design and shape, along with a collagraph design representing a nest, what… Read More