•  Publisher's light boards with printed dust wrapper, in Mylar protective jacket. Nearly new.  (23241)

Not only was the present copy inscribed by the printer to Carl Rollins of the Yale University Press (see below), but laid in are both the prospectus and aheartfelt typed letter signed addressed to Rollins, in which the writer ruefully expresses his chagrin over a controversy regarding his use of a printer's device for the Frankeleyns Tale prospectus that turned out, unbeknownst to him, to have been copied from a Rockwell Kent bookplate. Also present is abeautifully written manuscript letter from Bentley to Rollins; Bentley, who was clearly a calligrapher as well as a printer, thanks him for including his work in an exhibition called “The Work of Four Yale Men in Printing” and describes his current state of mind with regards to printing.

Provenance:  Inscribed by the printer: “To Mr. Carl P. Rollins with the compliments of the printer. Pittsburgh, September 23rd 1931.”

•  Publisher's quarter cream paper and gray-toned striated paper–covered sides, spine with printed paper label; spine slightly darkened, binding otherwise showing little to no wear. Inscription and laid-in items as above. A beautiful book, and one most gratifying in its accompaniments and fine printing associations.  (29653)

•  Signatures sewn; sewing starting to loosen. Pages age-toned with light spotting, more pronounced to first and last few leaves. Corners bumped.  (27501)

Languages charted in these tables include “Tartares Mouantcheoux,” Tamoul, Telongou, Persian (ancient and modern), Armenian, Russian (ancient and modern), Coptic, Hebrew, etc., with the engraving done by master artisan Robert Bénard (fl. 1750–85).

•  Half green calf with green marbled paper–covered sides, spine with gilt-stamped title; slight wear to corners and spine extremities. Lacking one plate (#25); another with a small hole outside image and a circlet of darkening around that, from a cigarette ash (#6). Light soiling and spots, a corner or two a little chipped or bent; a handsome gathering.  (24823)

•  Publisher's tan cloth, corners bumped, in handsome illustrated dust-jacket, sunned and with a small chip / short tear or two. A very nice book! (22344)

This is numbered copy 1051 of 1500 printed; it wassigned at the colophon by the artist.

•  Bibliography of the Fine Books Published by the Limited Editions Club, 32.   Publisher's brown and orange cloth as above, spines with gilt-stamped titles; slipcase and wrappers lacking, bindings showing moderate shelf wear most pronounced at spine extremities. Clean.  (30404)

Additionally, both the Chinese and English texts are presented on a folded slip of paper, with additional commentary in Chinese characters only.

The ivory is mounted within a black frame affixed to a small square of gold paper, on red velvet, and contained in a beautiful, eminently displayable case covered in olive-green silk with a woven Asian-inspired knotwork pattern in bronze and blue, decorated with a Chinese-printed label on the front cover. The case closes with a fabric loop and white-painted wooden toggle.

•  Box as above, showing the faintest hint of rubbing to one corner, overall in excellent condition. Small compartment beneath presentation window seems to indicate a long slender item was at one point laid in, but it is difficult to say what that might have been.  (30544)

Upchurch's account of his life and accomplishments includes descriptions of the founding of various lodges and the establishment of their rules, his observations on visiting chapters in California and a number of other states, and (in passing) the poor living conditions in San Francisco's Chinatown; it is illustrated with portraits of the author, depictions of lodge charters and regalia, and other memorabilia. Poems and eulogies were added by Samuel Booth, the editor, who also did his best to shape the plain-spoken Upchurch's thoughts into publishable form while not making any attempt at literary polish.

Binding:  Publisher's roan, front cover with decorative gilt-stamped frame and gilt-stamped facsimile of Upchurch's signature ("Fraternally yours"), back cover stamped in blind. All edges gilt.

This is the original first edition, not a modern reprint. Actual holdings (as opposed to microform or online files) are uncommon in U.S. institutions.

•  Bound as above; rubbed overall most notably at edges and joints, front joint cracked but holding, spine with paper shelving label. Front pastedown with institutional presentation bookplate, lines unused. Pages faintly age-toned, otherwise clean; one leaf with small edge chip.  (29694)