Sundry Ballades of Francois Villon
[San Francisco]: [The Grabhorn Press, 1922], 1922. Sinel, Joseph. Limited Edition. Hardcover. One of 210 copies, quarto size, [19] pp., inscribed by the printer Ed Grabhorn. Very Good. Item #16081603
Francois Villon (b. 1431, disappeared from view 1463), remains the best-known French poet of the late Middle Ages. Much of his life remains conjecture, but records show him involved in various forms of mayhem: murder, thievery, and other forms of criminal behavior. Many of the stories from these days have made their way into his poetry, which is sprinkled with mysteries and hidden jokes, "peppered with the slang of the time and the underworld subculture in which Villon moved" (n. b., from Wikipedia).
This copy has a variant binding not recorded in Heller and Magee, bound in full leather with the title on the front in gilt. Additionally, this copy is inscibed by Ed Grabhorn on the front free endpaper as follows: "To Eddie Sherman / who helped me on / these books / E Grabhorn". One of the Fifty Best Books of 1922.
___DESCRIPTION: Variant binding unrecorded by Heller & Magee of full black leather, a narrow gilt ruled border on both front and back boards, title and author in gilt on front board, fore- and bottom edges uncut, inscription by Ed Grabhorn on the front free endpaper as described above, title page has title printed in grey with a decorative fleur-de-lis below in red, marginal captions in olive green, stanza numerals, word "envoi" in each ballad, and colophon all printed in red, eight initials in blue - the title page and initials by Joseph Sinel; hand-set Gothique Ancienne and Civilite types, Whatman paper, quarto (9.75" tall), 19 unnumbered pages, one of 210 copies, unnumbered (total edition 285). Per Heller & Magee there were two bindings, the more common being grey boards with a fleur-de-lis decoration, with "some copies" later bound in brown boards with a parchment back - this binding of full black leather is unrecorded.
___CONDITION: Volume is very good, with a strong, square text block, solid hinges, straight corners, the interior is clean and bright, and other than the inscription by Ed Grabhorn mentioned above it is entirely free of prior owner markings; some rubbing to the corners and to the head and tail of the spine, small loss at the tail of the spine, and very minor overall edge wear.
___CITATION: Heller & Magee no. 49 (binding unrecorded).
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Price: $350.00