Quattrocentisteria, How Sandro Botticelli Saw Simonetta in the Spring
New York: The Grolier Club [Printed by John Henry Nash], 1921. Limited Edition. Hardcover. One of 300 copies, folio size, 27 pp. Near fine. Item #CNBR484
The contribution of John Henry Nash to the Grolier Club's "series of six books done by eminent American printers at the invitation of the Grolier Club." This a single chapter from Maurice Hewlett's "Earthwords out of Tuscany" originally published in 1895 (per O'Day, p. 24).
John Henry Nash (1871-1947), San Francisco-based printer of fine press books and numerous broadsides and ephemera, is known for superb typographical design and attention to materials, particularly the paper used for printing and for his bindings. This work printed on Van Gelder paper and shows Nash's usual attentiveness. Embellished with a superb flowing initial capital letter on the opening page of the text (no attribution of the artist, sadly).
Although not marked so, this volume from the library of Robert D. Harlan (1947-2000), a well-known San Francisco Bay Area author. Harlan was professor emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley School of Librarianship for thirty years, specializing in rare books and fine printers. He authored books and keepsakes on John Henry Nash, David Hall & William Strahan, William Doxey, Anton Roman, George Labon Harding, Paul Elder, Helen Haines, the Colonial Printer, etc.
___DESCRIPTION: Marbled paper over boards with a tan linen spine, spine label with black lettering, all edges uncut, colophon in red, spare spine label tipped onto the rear pastedown; Cloister Oldstyle type on Van Gelder paper, folio size (12" by 8 5/8"), pagination: [2] [i-iii] iv-vi [1] 2-19.
___CONDITION: Near fine, with clean boards, straight corners with minimal rubbing, a strong, square text block with solid hinges, the interior is clean and bright, and entirely free of prior owner markings; some sunning to the spine label and a hint of old damp to the bottom margin of the rear flyleaf, else fine. Not a book that is hard to find, but definitely uncommon in this condition.
___CITATION: O'Day, pp. 23-24.
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Price: $100.00