THE LARK [Whole Numbers 1 through 24] by Burgess, Gillette, et al - 1897

San Francisco: C.A. Murdock & Co. [1st number only]; then William Doxey, 1897. Twenty-four issues (of 25 published, lacking the EPILARK). Wire-stitched and sewn pictorial self wrappers, numbers 9 and beyond printed on one side of leaf only. Heavily illustrated. Usual occasional tanning, some chipping along fore and bottom edges of first number, a few other snags and creases at large overlap edges, but generally a very good set. Half morocco slipcase and cloth chemise. Edited by Gillette Burgess and Bruce Porter. A complete run, less the EPILARK, including the separate plates in the first two numbers and the separate leaflet supplement, "Vals de Monterey Viejo," to #22. The first number is in the scarce first printing, without Doxey's imprint. The chief literary organ of the Bayside Bohemians of the last decade of the 19th century. Gelette Burgess was responsible for much of the text, along with illustrations and cover designs by Florence Lundborg, Gelett Burgess, Ernest Peixotto, Hervert Van Vlack, Newton Tharp, Reginald Rix, Willis Polk and Bruce Porter, and other contributions by Maynard Dixon, Yone Noguchi, Porter Garnett, et al. A number of Stevenson relics appear in the early issues, and the first number includes the first appearance of Burgess' whimsical ditty, "I Never Saw a Purple Cow...," published later as a separate. While the clothbound issue in two volumes (which includes the second printing of the first number) is readily available, substantial runs of the original separate issues, with the first printing of the first number, are now elusive.