Search Results: Authors starting with H from Swan's Fine Books

Ditchling: St Dominic's Press, 1929. First and Limited Edition. Hardcover. Near fine. Short, Mary Dudley. No. 431 of 450 copies, twenty-fourmo size, [58] pp., numbered and initialled by HDCP. 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… Read More

Royal Oak, Michigan: Haffner Press, 1998. First and Limited Edition. Hardcover. Fine/Fine. Arfstrom, Jon. No. 93 of 300 copies of the special edition, octavo size, 235 pp. Edmond Moore Hamilton (1904-1977) is credited with writing, in 1936, the first hardcover compilation of what would come to be known as the science fiction genre, "The Horror of the Asteriod and Other Tales of Planetary Horror". This volume is a collection of three stories from the fragile pulp pages of Magic Carpet and Weird Tales magazines, and is the first hardbound edition of the stories; it features original artwork by 1940s Weird Tales illustrator Jon Arfstrom as well as an introduction by Edmond Hamilton's longtime friend, Ray Bradbury. Also included is an autobiographical article by Hamilton from the January 1934 fanzine, Fantasy Magazine (n. b., some of the above info from the Press' web site). ___DESCRIPTION: Full black cloth, gilt decoration and lettering on the spine designed to match the Arkham House editions of… Read More

Portland, Oregon: Graphic Arts Workshop, 1958. Limited Edition. No binding. Very good. No. 32 of 50 copies, quarto size, ten loose sheets, signed by Kenneth Hanson on the colophon sheet, with typescript showing hand-written edits. The poetry of Kenneth O. Hanson (1922-2003) has been celebrated for its frankness and raw approach to the real, to the collected experiences of the everyday; Hanson received the Theodore Roethke Award, a Fulbright Grant, and two grants from the National Endowment of the Arts for his work, and in addition to poetry, he translated classical Chinese poetry into English. These eight poems are some of Hanson's earlier work, before the publication of his first book in 1966; the poems are loosely held in a paper folio, offering an immediate intimacy and simplicity that befits the gentle language. Included also are six pages of typescript of the poems in this set; the poem "On a Dead Cat in Mexico" has hand-written corrections in blue pen, presumably by the poet, as the corrected… Read More

New York: Macmillan and Co., Limited, 1928. Limited Edition. Hardcover. Fine/good +. No. 38 of 500 copies of the limited edition, octavo size, 215 pp., in original glassine and with slipcase. Thomas Hardy (1840-1928) was one of Britain's most influential Victorian novelists and poets; D. H. Lawrence wrote a study of Hardy, and he was the basis for the character of Edward Driffield in W. Somerset Maugham's "Cakes and Ale". He wrote of tragic characters struggling against their passions and social circumstances and was nominated twice for the Nobel Prize in Literature. In addition to being a writer of prose, he was a prolific poet; from 1898 until his death in 1928 Hardy published eight volumes of poetry, with about one thousand poems published in his lifetime (n. b., above information from Wiki and the Poetry Foundation website). This volume was published posthumously, shortly after Hardy's death, the same year as the British trade edition. A short note printed above the introduction, states "This… Read More

San Francisco: The Book Club of California [Yolla Bolly Press], 1994. Limited Edition. Hardcover. Fine. One of 450 copies, folio size, 91 pp., in slipcase. An essay on early California winemaking, first published in Adelaide, Australia, in 1885, with reproductions of historical photographs, wine industry trade cards and labels illustrating the text. This publication no. 204 by The Book Club of California, designed and printed by The Yolla Bolly Press, Covelo, California. ___DESCRIPTION: Quarter purple cloth and decorative purple paper covered boards, grey paper label affixed to backstrip, gray endpapers, numerous duotone photographs and color illustrations throughout text; typefaces are Linotype Weiss and foundry Albertus, Mohawk Superfine paper, folio size (12.75" by 9.25"), pagination: [i-viii] ix-xxiii [xxiv-xxvi] 1-64 [1 colophon], limited edition, one of 450 copies; in publisher's slipcase covered with grey paper. ___CONDITION: A fine copy; the covers clean and unrubbed, the binding tight… Read More

[Monmouthshire]: The Old Stile Press, 2007. Limited Edition. Hardcover. Fine. Cazalet, Mark. No. III of X of the special edition, total edition 210, folio size, 46 pp., signed by artist. Thomas Hardy (1840-1928) is one of Britain's most influential Victorian novelists and poets; he often wrote of tragic characters struggling against their passions and social circumstances, and was nominated twice for the Nobel Prize in Literature. In addition to being a writer of prose he was a prolific poet; from 1898 until his death in 1928 Hardy published eight volumes of poetry, with about one thousand poems being published in his lifetime. As is often the case, his inspiration came from life; Hardy's wife, Emma, died in November 1912 in the attic room of their house where she had lived estranged from him; their marriage had hardened into an empty shell and Hardy had long been in love with Florence Dugdale, whom he married the following year. However, on reading Emma's secret memoirs detailing his cruelty and… Read More

London: Macmillan and Co., Limited, 1925. First Edition. Hardcover. Fine/near fine. Octavo size, 292 pp., in original dust jacket. Thomas Hardy (1840-1928) was one of Britain's most influential Victorian novelists and poets; D. H. Lawrence wrote a study of Hardy, and he was the basis for the character of Edward Driffield in W. Somerset Maugham's "Cakes and Ale". He wrote of tragic characters struggling against their passions and social circumstances and was nominated twice for the Nobel Prize in Literature. In addition to being a writer of prose, he was a prolific poet; from 1898 until his death in 1928 Hardy published eight volumes of poetry, about one thousand poems were published in his lifetime (n. b., above information from Wikipedia and Poetry Foundation), with this volume being the last of Hardy's work published prior to his death. Despite being written when Hardy was in his 80s, it shows no evidence of a decline in mental facility, or a shift in attitude or feeling. The poems are as… Read More

New York: The Macmillan Company (Printed in Great Britain by R. & R. Clark, Limited, Edinburgh), 1940. First Edition. Hardcover. Near Fine/very good. Leighton, Clare. The first US edition with illustrations by Clare Leighton, quarto size, 248 pp., in the original dust jacket, signed by Clare Leighton, and with TLS also signed by Leighton. Clare Veronica Hope Leighton (1899-1989) was an English author and wood engraver. "Convinced that wood-engraving was an art for the masses rather than for an élite, Leighton worked independently of the private presses. Her popular success was founded on a disciplined technique, powerful compositions, and a gravity of content and sincerity of feeling that derives from artists such as Samuel Palmer. 'No one in our time', wrote Eric Gill in Gollancz's publicity leaflet for 'The Farmer's Year', 'has succeeded better in presenting the nobility of massiveness and breadth of life of the earth on a scale so grand.' The artist herself, who possessed a gift for friendship… Read More

San Francisco: The Book Club of California [printed by Mastercraft Press], 1993. Limited Edition. Hardcover. Fine. One of 500 copies, folio size, 74 pp., with prospectus. This bibliography comprises ninety-nine titles published by The Book Club of California, from 1958 to 1993, this title itself being the two hundredth book. With detailed descriptions of the content and physical appearance of each book, this reference serves as both a catalogue for the avid book collector and a document of the prestigious work put out by the Club. The bibliography goes beyond mere cataloguing, and includes some history of the printing and the content of each book, and is itself printed and bound in a lovely fine press book. ___DESCRIPTION: Quarter tan cloth with decorative paper boards in orange, yellow, and black, white paper spine label with black lettering, title page in red and black, red and black decorative initial capitals at thte start of the preface and introduction, dates of publication in red… Read More

New York: D. Appleton and Company, 1895. Limited Edition. Hardcover. Near fine. Frost, A. B.. No. 233 of 250 copies, octavo size, 289 pp., signed at the Preface by Joel Chandler Harris. The stories told by Joel Chandler Harris' (1848-1908) character Uncle Remus feature the popular Brer Rabbit from African-American folklore, a trickster character who lives by his wits. This limited edition of Harris' book is copiously illustrated by Arthur Burdett Frost (1851-1928), a prolific American illustrator and cartoonist, who for many years drew for "Harper's" and "Life" magazines; here he creates eleven exquisitely rendered black-and-white plates and countless line drawings of the animal characters that populate the book. Gorgeously bound in white parchment-like paper with gilt illustrations and lettering, the book also contains a new Preface by Harris commending Frost on his illustrations, writing ". . .you have taken it under you hand. . .The book was mine, but now you have made it yours."… Read More

Monmouthshire: The Old Stile Press, 2000. Limited First Edition. Hardcover. Fine. 'Archives' Edition, number IX of XV, of a total edition of 1000, quarto size, 136 pp., with a large portfolio containing numerous specimens from the press, "jeu d'esprit" loosely inserted. The special edition of this Bibliography from The Old Stile Press, presented in a grand box, with a fine assortment of press ephemera, including pages or sections of thirty-eight books printed during 1979-1999, fifteen Christmas cards for the years 1979-1999, handmade papers, early advertisements and experiments, and many other small bits of unique press ephemera. A stunning selection of work from this period, accompanying an illustrated bibliography. Special binding was done by Nesta Rendall Davies, a bookbinder with over 25 years' experience running her own bookbinding and conservation business, as well as teaching. ____DESCRIPTION: Wrap-around pictorial paper over boards in black and white, gilt lettering on the spine,… Read More

[Carrollton OH]: Press on Scroll Road [Bob Baris], 2006. Limited Edition. Hardcover. Fine. One of 54 copies, folio size, 51 pp., with prospectus and two ANS from the Press. This volume, "In Time and Place", includes the essays/poems "Marshall Washer", "The Value of Money", and "Green Fields", each of which explores the theme of farms and those who work them. Another wonderful publication by the Press on Scroll Road, the imprint of Bob Baris. In one of the ANS included with this volume, Baris relates the Press' beginnings: "...for almost as long as I can remember all I've ever wanted to do is keep a small farm and print authors & things that I most like, that I respond to, on a handpress. One morning, not so long ago, I awoke, saying to myself, you can't spend the rest of your life not doing these things..." Scarce in the marketplace; as of this writing we see no copies online; our search of OCLC located sixteen copies, leaving only thirty-eight for private ownership. ___DESCRIPTION: Bound in… Read More

New York: The Limited Editions Club [printed at The Wild Carrot Letterpress], 1982. First and Limited Edition. Hardcover. Fine. Pearson, Henry. First edition (so stated), one of 2000 copies, signed by Seamus Heaney, Thomas Flanagan, and Henry Pearson. Seamus Heaney (1939-2013) was an eminent Irish poet best known for his lyrical poems about the local areas of Ireland; his work throughout his long career demonstrates his alternating visions of disillusionment and hope for the world. He received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1995, and has been described as "the most important Irish poet since Yeats" (Robert Lowell, per Wikipedia); upon his death in 2013, "The Independent" spoke of him as "probably the best-known poet in the world". This publication by the Limited Editions Club is a collection of Heaney's poems and a brief memoir, exemplifying his poetic prowess and illuminating the influences and development of his career. Included at the beginning of each section are relief engravings by Henry… Read More

San Francisco: Merlin Gardyloo Press [Janice Rodgers], 1974. Limited Edition. Japanese Stab Binding. Near fine. Pollack, Cathy. No. 48 of 50 copies, oblong quarto size, [12] leaves plus illustration page. Patrick Lafcadio Hearn (1850-1904) had in his family background blood both Greek and Arab, Irish and Gypsy. Born in Greece, raised in Ireland, at the age of 19 he emigrated to the United States spending time in Cincinnati and New Orleans, whence sprang the Creole Sketches. He eventually travelled for work (newspaper reporting) to the West Indies and thence to Japan, where he found his true home. He married into a Samurai family to Setsuko Koizumi and had four children, fully immersing himself into the Japanese culture. Largely unknown to westeners at the time, his writings on the customs, religions and literature of Japan were avidly read; although Hearn would come to condemn the Westernization of Japan, he accepted its inevitability, and attempted to describe the county even as it was changing.… Read More

[London]: Published by The Great Western Railway, Paddington Station, W.2., In the Centenary Year of the Company [printed by Wyman & Sons Limited, Reading], 1935. First Edition. Hardcover. Very good +. Robinson, W. Heath. First printing, quarto size, 96 pp. William Heath Robinson (1872-1944) was an exemplary book illustrator and cartoonist, "the only British illustrator to become a 'household name' " (Houfe), a contemporary of acclaimed illustrators Arthur Rackham and Edmund Dulac, best known for his cartoons portraying elaborate and whimsical machinary made to complete simple tasks. In fact, his fame was such that the term "Heath Robinson" was used in the United Kingdom to refer to such machinary, much as the term "Rube Goldberg" was used in the United States. The Great Western Railway, founded in 1835, asked Robinson to produce a series of illustrations concerning railways, which he did in his inimitable style. While this work is listed in Appendix A in Beare, there is no description; however, a… Read More

New York: The MacMillan Company, 1909. First Edition. Hardcover. Very good. Two volumes (complete when published, a supplement was later published), octavo size, 949 total pp., with signature of Sven Hedin. In an age rife with exploration, Swedish explorer and travel writer Sven Hedin (1865-1952) made four expeditions to Central Asia, studying the topography and geology of the region, as well as both the prehistoric and modern culture. Painstakingly dedicated to his research, Hedin documented his travels thoroughly in numerous published volumes; "Trans-Himalaya" is an account of Hedin's exploration of Tibet, particularly the Transhimalaya, a 1,600-kilometre long mountain range in China, and the sources of the Indus and Brahmaputra Rivers (n. b., info from Wikipedia). Hedin is credited as being the first European to reach the Kailash region, and his discoveries paved the way for major scientific and cultural documentation of the Asian region by European scholars. The text is supplemented with a… Read More

[Santa Barbara, CA]: [Simplemente Maria Press], 1999. Limited Edition. No binding. Fine. Heebner, Mary. No. 44 of 60 copies (total edition), folio size, with twelve giclée prints each encased in a letterpress-printed folio, signed by Mary Heebner on the verso of each print and at the colophon. Mary Heebner founded her Simplemente Maria Press in 1995, and her works can be found in museums and institutions throughout the world, including The John Paul Getty Research Institute, The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Stanford University, The British Library, and many more. Her work "unites poetry, ancient art, artifact, place-based inspirations, and images with studio practice, print, and papermaking to create hand-crafted books that couple visual art and writing in a varity of formats." This work was inspired by a three-week trip Mary took to Iceland in the late summer of 1995. Captivated by the landscape and scenery Mary "had the overwhelming urge to paint… Read More

Stuttgart: Franz Heinrich Kohler, 1840. Hardcover. Very good. Octovo size, 93 pp., all text in German. "First description of acute anterior poliomyelitis, which Heine separated from other forms of paralysis; he described the deformities arising from the disease. He also called attention to congenital spastic paraplegia, which, following Little's classic description (No. 4691.1), was termed 'Little's disease' " (Garrison-Morton 4664). ___DESCRIPTION: Cream colored boards with title and publishing information in black to the front board; octovo size (approximately 10 1/2" tall), pagination (i-vi), 1-78, (i-II) index, i-vii plates. Please note that all text is in German. ___CONDITION: Very good overall. Heavy soiling to the boards, first layer of paper missing on portions of spine, corners bumped and worn through. Textblock is sound, scattered foxing throughout the volume, not affecting the readability of text. A few vintage words in prior owner's hand to front free endpaper. ___CITATION:… Read More

New York: The Vanguard Press, 1930. Limited and Signed Edition. Hardcover. Near Fine. Held, John, Jr.. No. 38 of 210 copies, quarto size, 124 pp., signed by John Held, Jr. A wonderful collection of stories about man's best friend told from the dog's perspective. "My name is Mac Dunald, and I'm as braw a Scot as ever chewed up a pair of slippers. I'm stubborn and I'm canny, I'm short-legged and close to the ground, what I lack in size I make up in courage". This excerpt is from one of the stories, which was printed in Cosmopolitan. John Held, Jr. (1889-1958) is best remembered today for his iconic depictions of the Jazz Age; his illustrations of flappers have "become the archetype that others look to". He sold his first drawing to Life Magazine at age 15, and after WWI became a regular contributor to Life, New Yorker, and Vanity Fair. ___DESCRIPTION: Bound in gold cloth, blind-embossed vignette on the front the head of a dog with a halo above, blind-embossed lettering on the sides, top edge gilt,… Read More

London: Chapman & Hall, Ltd, 1922. First Edition. Hardcover. Near fine/very good. Duodecimo size, 93 pp., with original dust jacket. John Helston (1877-?) is now an almost-forgotten poet, whose talent was "discovered" by Lady Margaret Sackville, a poet and cousin to Vita Sackville-West. What little we know of him is gleaned from a New York Times article published March 2, 1913. "Once Engineer, Now Poet" tells the story of Helston's early life: employed by an eletrical engineering firm at the age of fifteen, from there he worked with the railroads for three years, this followed by a work as a clerk in a furniture warehouse, then a toolmaker in a sword factory; several other odd jobs followed, with Helston seemingly finding no place to which he could settle. Upon sending some of his verse to Lade Sackville, she encouraged him, and one of his poems was published in "The English Review", the poem entitled "Aphrodite at Leatherhead". A volume of verse, "Aphrodite, and Other Poems" was published in… Read More