Cendrars, Blaise (Author); Jones, Dick (Translator); d'Arbeloff, Natalie (Artist)

Trans-Siberian Prosody and Little Jeanne from France [No. V of X of the Special Edition]; La Prose du Transsiberian et de la Petite Jehanne de France

[Monmouthshire]: The Old Stile Press, [2014]. d'Arbeloff, Natalie. Limited Edition. Hardcover. No. V of X (total edition 160), folio size, 44 pp., signed by Dick Jones and Natalie d'Arbeloff. Fine. Item #CNJL1218

Blaise Cendrars (nom de plume for Frederic-Louis Sauser, 1887-1961), the "heir of Rimbaud", greatly influenced the European Modernist movement with his early works, including this one which tells of the voyage of Cendrars through Russia on the Trans-Siberian Express in 1905 during the Russian Revolution. First published in 1913, it is still considered a milestone in the evolution of artist's books; it was interlaced with an abstract pochoir by Sonia Delaunay-Terk, bound accordion style and would have measured almost 7 feet tall when unfolded. This version by The Old Stile Press, illustrated in vinylcuts by Natalie d'Arbeloff keeps the almost-abstract nature of the original, but with a modern sense.

___DESCRIPTION: Bound in red and blue paper boards, gold cloth spine with bronze lettering, the front cover being red and the back being blue, the covers have the title printed in silver wrapping from the back to front in large woodcut type, endpapers are of the same red and blue but with the the front blue and the back red, half-title in French with a vinylcut of the author, double-spread title page in black woodcut title and gold text, Natalie d'Arbeloff's vinylcut images are printed direct from her original blocks in black ink, the text was printed in twenty-four different colours "chosen at random from a battery of inks deemed suitable" (N. B. info from colophon), typeface Storm Sans on Canaletto Liscio, designed at The Old Stile Press; folio size (approximately 13" tall), unpaginated with 22 printed leaves, signed by translator Dick Jones and artist Natalie d'Arbeloff; this copy no. V of X special edition copies, total edition 160 copies. The special edition is accompanied by four black ink vinylcut prints with colour brushed over, contained in tissue envelopes, all four images encased in a grey paper wallet; volume and prints are both enclosed in a dark metallic bronze cloth clamshell box with an illustration of the author stamped in black on the front cover.

___CONDITION: Volume, prints, and box are all in fine condition; clean, crisp, as new.

___POSTAGE: Due to the weight of this set, additional postage will apply; we are happy to ship at cost for both domestic and international customers, please inquire for more 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: $2,250.00