Paul Frenzeny's Chinatown Sketches, An Artist's Fascination with San Francisco's Chinese Quarter, 1874-1882
San Francisco: The Book Club of California [printed by The Artichoke Press], 2012. Frenzeny, Paul. First and Limited Edition. Hardcover. One of 425 copies, folio size, 47 pp. Fine. Item #CNBR469
Artist Paul Frenzeny (1840-1902), a Frenchman of noble descent, strict military training, and encyclopedic knowledge, became one of the leading "special correspondents" in the United States and Europe in the days when woodcuts, rather than photographs, were used to illustrate newspapers. In 1873, Frenzeny undertook a year-long sketching tour of the frontier for "Harper's Weekly", with fellow artist Jules Tavernier. This 100-sketch assignment proved to be an irresistible subject for author Claudine Chalmers, who then followed the Frenchmen's careers after their journey's end on the Pacific Coast. This book explores in detail the seventeen illustrations of San Francisco's Chinese quarter which the artist drew between 1874 and 1882.
___DESCRIPTION: Brown laid paper binding with a silk brocade shelf back, letterpress-printed endpapers featuring the artist's drawing of Chinese acrobats, frontispiece a collection of six of the sketches, title page has a small illustration of a Chinese lantern, contains nineteen wood engravings by Paul Frenzeny, including three double-page foldouts; folio size (14.5" by 10"), pagination: (1)-46, Colophon Page; limited edition of 425 copies, unnumbered, Publication Number 230 of The Book Club of California.
___CONDITION: Fine overall, the covers clean (other than a single, small mark), the corners straight and unrubbed, the binding tight with solid hinges, the interior clean and bright, and free of prior owner markings; clean, crisp, as new.
___POSTAGE: International customers, please note that additional postage may apply, please contact seller for details.
___Swan's Fine Books is pleased to be a member of the ABAA, ILAB and IOBA and we stand behind every book we sell. Please contact us with any questions you may have, we are here to help.
Price: $80.00