WORK IN PROGRESS: Always Mov’n Along Through the Shelves

Everyone has a “bucket list,” some formal and some not so formal, some are large and some are short, some are loaded with expensive things, and some are built on things that are a bit simpler and maybe even utilitarian. The point being that most bibliophiles are people that are always looking at things, learning about things and dreaming about that next project.

Two complex projects that have been on my list for a long time are:

1. A research database that will allow readers to locate and read any article that has been published by A Microbibliophile, since the first issue in 1977. The program would certainly allow searching information using keywords, such as “date,” “subject,” “author,” etc. This type of program is not as easy even in today’s world of fancy computer software. Since its humble beginnings, before computers and the main copy printed using a manual typewriter, the MB has produced more than a few million words of content. It is not an impossible task, but we are working with some talented software professionals who can make it happen. Not only do you need the “search engine” to parse and deliver the data but ultimately you need a location to store the data. Cloud storage is the answer.

There is no timetable for completion, but things are moving along.  So, if you have an idea about how you would like to use something like this, “we are all ears.”

2. Over the years we have looked at a lot of methods and tools that people could use efficiently to document and maintain a list of their library books. A simple list of tiles from A -Z is not too difficult but when you start to add features like “date published,” “year acquired,” “shelf location,” “cover size,” “price paid,” etc. the task becomes a bit more challenging. There are any number of software tools that you can purchase to accomplish this functionality. However, some are very expensive while others are complex and are difficult to use. So, that is the next item on the bucket list—build the software using existing database software that can work in an easy to learn fashion including the arduous task of data entry through a simple user interface.

I outlined the above two projects separately as they both are long-term things and require a considerable amount of additional help from outside the staff of the World Headquarters of A Microbibliophile. There is another project that we can bring to the readers over the next few months, perhaps with the new year. For some time we have maintained and published a list of research books that are shelved close to the “squeaky old roll-top desk.” As I was reading Gail Curry’s article in this issue, “Miniature Reference Books About Miniature Books,” I thought that it would be an interesting thing to put together a tool set, maybe call it A Microbibliophile 100.

It would be comprised of 100 miniature books that are in fact books that are tools for research on miniature books. I have culled the beginning of the list from books that I have included in our ongoing research list but only those that fit the parameters of a miniature book will be included. Those of a larger format will be retained as a “supplement” to the A Microbibliophile 100  list.

I have not published the ongoing list in some time so I will include it for your review. Should you have any titles that should be added please let me know via email.

LIST retrieved from The Microbibliophile, Volume XXXIX, Number 1, Issue 223, January 2020.

(Updates and additions noted with bold font, miniature book format noted with highlighting)

Antique United States Miniature Books 1690 – 1900, Robert C. Bradbury, 2001, published by The Microbibliophile, North Clarendon, Vermont

Twentieth Century United States Miniature Books, Robert C. Bradbury, 2000, published by The Microbibliophile, North Clarendon, Vermont

Catalogue of the Library of Miniature Books Collected by Percy Edwin Spielman, 1961, Edward Arnold, London, also available as a reprint, 1992, Maurizio Martino Publisher, Storrs-Mansfield, CT

The History of Miniature Books, Doris V. Welsh, 1987, Fort Orange Press, Albany, NY

A Bibliography of Miniature Books, compiled by Doris Varner Welsh, 1989, published by Kathryn I. Rickard

ABC For Book Collectors, 9th edition, John Carter and Nicolas Barker, 2016, Oak Knoll Press, London

Miniature Books 4,000 Years of Tiny Treasures, A. C. Bromer and J. I. Edison, 2007, published by Abrams, New York (available as a miniature as well as regular sized editions)

Miniature Books, Louis W. Bondy, 1981 Sheppard Press, London

The Miniature Book Collector, 1960-1962, Achille J. St. Onge, Publisher, Ruth Adomeit, Editor Worcester, MA  

The News-Letter of the LXIVMOS, 1927–1929, James D. Henderson, Brookline, MA

Forty Years Later, A Concise Review of the St. Onge Bibliomidgets, by Robert E. Massmann, 1976

The Bibliomidgets of Achille J. St. Onge, by Robert E. Massmann, 1979, ‘REM Miniatures’

Encyclopedia of the Book, by Geoffrey Ashall, Oak Knoll Press, 1979

Principles of Bibliographical Description, by Fredson Bowers, Princeton University Press, 1949

The St. Onge Bibliography, Additional Titles, New Information, and Fascinating Conflicts, by Robert E. Massmann, MBS Newsletter, October 1993, Miniature Book Society

Essays By An Old Country Priest: Msgr. Francis J. Weber, Zamorano Club, Los Angeles, 2016

Collecting St. Onge Miniature Books, by Robert C. Bradbury, ‘The Microbibliophile’, Volume XXVI, Number 6

Lilliputian Newspapers, James D. Henderson, Achille J. St. Onge, Worcester, MA, 1936

An Illustrated Bibliography of Miniature Books Published by David Bryce and Son, complied by M. Garbett

Fine Books and Collections Magazine

Biblio Magazine, printed between 1996 and 1999

Miniature Book News, Julian I. Edison, Editor, published as a standalone as well as with the ‘Miniature Book Society Newsletter’ 

Miniature Book Society Newsletter (available online at www.mbs.org)

The Microbibliophile, (available online at www.themicrobibliophile.com)

Catalogue of the Library of Miniature Books, by Percy Edwin Spielman, published by Edward Arnold Ltd. London

Bibliography of Miniature Books, by Valentine J. Poska, Initial plus 15 supplements

Personal papers and ephemeral items of other book collectors

Also, not to be overlooked, are special exhibition catalogues, such as:

A Matter of Size, by Patricia J. Pistner and Jan Storm van Leeuwen, The Grolier Club, NY, NY 2019
The Poet of Them All, by Elisabeth R. Fairman, Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, CT 2016

Always remember bookseller catalogues, as sometimes certain variants and special editions find their way into their catalogues and may not be mentioned elsewhere.

Personal papers and ephemeral items of other book collectors

Last but not least, always take a look at online resources such as:
https://www.vialibri.net/
https://www.abebooks.com
https://www.worldcat.org

Changes, suggestions, and additions, at your convenience. Email  jbrogan1@verizon.net or send your thoughts and information via snail mail to our world headquarters campus at the confluence of the North & South Branches of the Raritan River, address on rear cover.

THE ENGLISH TOY THEATER
published by Bo Press Miniature Books, October 2020

Toy theater, also called the “paper theater” and or the “model theater” is a form of miniature theater dating back to the early 19th century in Europe. Toy theaters were most often printed on paperboard sheets and sold as kits for children. They would then cut out the figures and assemble the pieces with a stage, scenery, characters, and costumes for an ‘at home’ play. Most of the time these toy theaters followed actual theater presentations of the plays. The printed sheets included in the kits were typically printed as a black and white line images thus allowing the children to color the sets and costumes, as they so desired. A printer by the name of Benjamin Pollock is the most famous name in this theater printing genre.  He operated a London shop from the 1880’s through 1937.

The English Toy Theater, as published by Bo Press is a three volume set displayed in a triple slipcase. Tom Knechtel and Pat Sweet collaborated on the production of this miniature set. Tom providing the text and Pat the actual production and creation of book set. The books are 27/8" x 2". The slipcase is just a tad bit larger since it houses all three books. The books are bound in a Union Jack flag patterned paper with a black moire silk spine. The title and volume number are applied to the front cover of each book and the volume number is applied to the spine.



The first volume is a three-act play outlining the history of the toy theater, complete with a “Dramatis Personae.” The titles of the acts are: “A History of the English Toy Theater,” “A Personal Memoir of the Toy Theater,” and “The Queen of the Fairy Steed’s Haunt.”  The endpapers of this volume are full color images of various theater characters.

Volume 2 is titled, “Scenes from the Juvenile Theater.” The volume presents five different scenes of movable paper in a combination of pop-ups and action moveable scenes that the reader can operate via small paper toggles. All of the scenes are printed in various shades of black and gray ink on white paper to give the viewer an enhanced visual effect of depth of field. The five scene titles are: “Mary Maid of the Inn,” “The Silver Palace,” “Bombastes Furioso,” “Der Freischutz,” and “Harlequin.” Each scene carries across the verso and recto pages to give the reader the best possible visual experience of the toy theater’s magic. There are small paper tabs on the bottom corners of each page that allow the reader to pantomime action into the printed scenes. The front and rear endpapers are presented as part of the printed scenes.

Volume 3 is a peep show titled “The Adelphi Theater.” As you open the book which is presented with a split tab format, and opens like a small box.  Then the reader/viewer is instructed to fold up Tab A and fold down Tab B. The viewer then in instructed to pull the theater forward to raise the curtain and operate the peep show, which is in a landscape orientation.  The scene is intricately crafted with an exquisite amount of detail and color painted images. There is a paper tab that operates a hanging bell which, when it moves from right to left, reveals a small member of the ‘Dramatis Personae’ hanging upside down from the ceiling of the theater. Lastly, this volume contains a small-attached paper sleeve, which holds a text description of just how an actual toy theater would operate and the construction of the theater.  

Pat certainly done a number of more than outstanding visually captivating books over the years including The Flea Circus. However, in this reviewer’s opinion, The English Toy Theater surpasses even that fantastic miniature and brings a new understanding to the level of Pat’s craftsmanship and artistic abilities. It is the most ambitious book in Bo Press’s history of creating books that entertain the reader and challenge our preconceptions of what the book is. The English Toy Theater will be published as an edition of 24 copies $250. Volume I is available as a standalone book as well.

A closing note from the last page of Volume 1: “Tom Knechtel is an artist who lives and works in Los Angeles.  He collects miniature books and has been theater-mad for years. Pat Sweet used to be theater-mad for years but now designs, binds, and prints miniature books and makes miniature bookish furniture.”   

Contact information:
Pat Sweet
231 East Blaine Street, Riverside, CA 92507-3230
email: bopress@charter.net
website: www.bopressminiaturebooks.com 

CURTAIN UP
Collaborating on The English Toy Theater
By Tom Knechtel

Editor’s Note:  “The English Toy Theater’ miniature book was reviewed in the 2020 July – August of  The Microbibliophile, Volume XXXIX, Number 4, Issue 226. I asked Tom Knechtel and Pat Sweet to think about writing a backstory about how this outstanding miniature came together. The following article tells their journey, a look inside at their individual creative talents and collaboration.

I have been an admirer of Pat Sweet’s wonderful meditations on the nature of books for several years. This is Not a Book and The Book Book were constructions which the Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges would have appreciated, and The Windhover in 2017 took her playful explorations of how a book’s construction conveys meaning into another poetic realm. I did not know Pat, but clearly, this was the work of someone with a fabulous sense of humor and a deep love for literature and history, as well as an adventurous sense of design.

I am a relatively recent collector of miniature books, with an interest in handmade books, books by artists and books that play with the idea of what a book can be. Pat amply filled all three categories! I also have been fascinated by the English toy theatre of the 19th century since I was 14 years old, and have collected the sheets that comprised the plays for decades. Little did I imagine that these two passions would come together in a wonderful way…

In May of 2020, I ordered The Guv’nor’s Obit, Pat’s elaborate tribute to Henry Irving, the towering superstar of the Victorian stage. I was so captivated by it that I sent her a gushing fan email, telling her how much I loved her books and asking if she knew a book by Michael Holroyd about Henry Irving. She wrote right back, informing me that not only had she read that book, she had read Bram Stoker’s two-volume memoir about being Irving’s dresser. (Yes, that Bram Stoker.) We fired emails back and forth, and at one point, I asked her if she had ever seen the toy theatre of 19th century England, which documented Victorian plays, many of them forgotten now. I sent her some images, and she wrote back: “Of course the first thing I thought of is a miniature book about miniature theaters with half of a pop-up miniature in the front and back endpapers.” She invited me to collaborate on a book devoted to the toy theatre, and off we went, down the rabbit hole (another Victorian invention!)

Working with Pat was intoxicating: there was no holding back her imagination or her ambition for her tiny books. Every time I suggested something but ventured that perhaps it was too much for our project, she would just fire back that we would add another volume. One volume quickly became two, as we decided to make pop-up recreations of scenes from the theatre, and the pop-ups became more numerous and complicated; and then three volumes as we decided we needed a complete toy theatre to appear at the end. After we settled on the three volumes, Pat came up with different designs for the slipcase that would hold the books; the most intriguing was one based on the old children’s toy, the Jacob’s ladder with its blocks held together by interlocking bands. (Ultimately, we decided that that design, for all its ingenuity, was too distracting.)

I wrote a short history of the toy theatre and a brief account of my own intoxication with it, and pulled images from the hundreds of sheets I’ve collected over the decades. Pat sent me mock-ups of the volumes, which allowed me, as a novice book designer, to have a framework for my proposals. I photographed the sheets with my cellphone, printed them out, and made very crude maquettes for the placement of illustrations or how the pop-ups could work. Pat then took these, worked, and reworked them.  In her job as a costume designer for theatre, she had learned to think through making and creating successive outfits until she found the right solution. I found myself receiving dozens of iterations of the various volumes and scenes, as she worked out the problems. (I kept asking her if she was sure if she wanted to make a set of books this complicated, to which she would invariably answer: “This is fun!”). I kept the various versions she created, and they form a history of how Pat thinks through a project. Part of what I love about the finished books is their clear handcrafted quality. They are not precise duplicates—there are tiny variations that show Pat’s hand in each set. This seems to me to be perfect in describing a theatre whose intended audience was a child who would color, cut out, and present a play to his delighted family. These books recreate that tender intimate world of individual making.

We decided that we wanted the three volumes to work theatrically. The first one is text and illustrations, presented as a three-act play with a list of dramatis personae at the start. The illustrations are all black and white except for the colored endpapers, and the same restraint applies to the second book with the pop-up scenes from five plays, all of which are in black and white. But the last volume we wanted to have in full color, a kind of coup de theatre at the conclusion, as you open it to see a colorful recreation of an actual toy theatre. I could not find a proscenium I liked in color, so I painted one, complete with an orchestra comprised of cats. (My old studio cat, who passed away, last year, appears in the orchestra playing the harp.) The curtain can be raised and lowered, and one of the elaborate pantomime tricks of the time is recreated. Included as an extra flourish, is an additional tiny book that is tucked in beneath the proscenium which explains how the theatre actually worked.

Early on, Pat asked me how we should figure out the split of the money from the books as they sold. I told her that since she was the one who was going to have to do the bulk of the labor in creating these elaborate and meticulous volumes, I did not want any payment. I told her she could just give me more of her miniature books—and as you can imagine, I made out like a bandit!

Pat became a tornado of making once we settled on the final design (though she kept making further small adjustments throughout the making of the 30 sets). I visited her at one point, and her desk and workroom were covered in tiny fragments of papers. When she was finished, she gave me three sets and kept three sets for herself, leaving 24 for the Bo Press website (where they have been selling quickly).

It has been a delight, getting emails from old friends who ordered the set and are enjoying reading the history while astonished at the craftsmanship. The books give to anyone looking at them the same pleasure that I experienced many decades ago when I was poring through the sheets of the toy theatre plays and imagining them in action. I am so grateful to Pat for giving me the opportunity to revisit these plays and to collaborate in creating a set of books that would have thrilled me when I was young and dreaming about the curtain coming up on a miniature theatre. I hope you too can experience the joy of the toy theater, through these pictures, that highlight the creative journey that resulted in our miniature story.  

The following list of reference materials about the toy theater may be of interest to you should you wish to continue to look “behind the curtain”:

1. The Art of the Fold, by Hedi Kyle and Ulla Warchol,  Laurence King Publishing, 2018
2. The Pop-up Book, by Paul Jackson, Henry Holt, 1993
3. The Elements of Pop-Up, by David A. Carter and James Diaz, Simon and Schuster, 1999
4. The History of the English Toy Theatre, by G. Speaight, Studio Vista, London, 1969.
5.   http://www.marionbataille.com
6.   http://www.cartermultimedia.us.com
7.   https://www.robertsabuda.com
8.   http://www.kellianderson.com/projects/

We hope that you have enjoyed the story of how the miniature came to be.  Questions and comments at your convenience. 

Pat Sweet
231 East Blaine Street, Riverside, CA 92507-3230
E-mail: bopress@charter.net
www.bopressminiaturebooks.com

Tom Knechtel
3263 S. Barrington Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90066
E-mail: ninoknechtel@gmail.com

REM MBS CONCLAVE KEEPSAKES
A Chat About Keepsakes

The last issue of The Microbibliophile, (Number 6, 2020) discussed the various checklists and bibliographies that were published by Bob Massmann to document the many different miniature books that he created over his long career in the world of miniature books. As was mentioned in that article, the REM bibliographies will give one pause and demonstrate the extensive body of work Bob created. Along the way, there is a very interesting subset of Bob’s publications that he produced as ‘keepsakes’ for attendees of the annual Miniature Book Society Conclave.   

The first MBS Conclave took place in 1983. Massmann created a keepsake for the first event as well as most of the other conclaves until 2006. Some of the keepsakes worked out to also be regular publications, some were publications with a special note included, and some were completely unique, not documented as part of the work listed in the Bradbury publication, 20th Century U.S. Miniature Books. Presented below is a list—additions or corrections welcomed.

Conclave Date
Title
Note: (Conclave Number)

1983
Gospel According To Massmann
(01) Bradbury # 73

1984
Ere E Eme
Also Tribute to the Arts
(02) Bradbury # 64
(02)

1985
Checklist of Dard Hunter Books
(03) Bradbury # 66

1986
(no keepsake produced for this conclave) Special scroll
(04) 
(04)  (for the 26 attendees of the 1st three MBS Conclaves

1987
Books
(05) Bradbury # 77

1988
Alamo ‘Spinner Card’
(06)

1989
MBS Conclave Seven
(07)

1990
Second Roster of Lilliputia
(08) Bradbury # 103

1991
Collector’s Clean Sweep
(09) Bradbury # 83

1992
One-of-a-Kind Topical Miniature Stamps
(10) Bradbury # 85

1993
Conclave Keepsakes
(11) Bradbury # 86

1994
Things you Should Know About Canada
(12) Bradbury # 89

1995
Shape Books and Non-Shape Books
(13) Bradbury # 92

1996
18,250 Days
(14) Bradbury # 94

1997
Keepsake of Eloise and Bob Massmann
(15) Bradbury # 97

1998
Malefic Exotica
(16) Bradbury # 99

1999
Her Connecticut Family
(17)

2000
Century With Only 99 Years
(18)

2001
Not In Adomeit
(19) Addendum added to publication copy for Conclave

2002
More Not In Adomeit
(20) Colophon noted as a Conclave keepsake

2003
Water
(21)

2004
(22)

2005
(23)

2006
(24)

2007
Michigan and Me
(25) Was published in 2006

My thanks to Todd Sommerfeld for his help in creating and proofing this list.

Conclave Keepsake 1993 is of particular importance to collectors because it provides descriptions of each of the first 10 years of Conclave Keepsakes included.  Bob Massmann included a bit of his book making / book collector philosophy with the introduction to this keepsake, “If there is a message in all of this, it has to be that we hope you will come to feel as we do.  If you have the facilities (your talent is a given), do consider producing a keepsake for the next conclave.  We shall; and once begun, it is a delightful habit that is so painful Not to continue that it is easier to get on with the next one.”

At some point in time, the collected works of REM will find their way into a special bibliography and I would not want to “leave a bit of paper on the table” or not mentioned. If there is enough interest in the keepsakes I can do a follow-up article including photographs of each keepsake. As always, comments, questions, additions, and feedback; at your convenience. 

TILBURY AND AGINCOURT
published by Bo Press Miniature Books, 2020.

England has a long military history of many battles and many outstanding victories. The Battle of Agincourt, fought in 1415, was the most significant battle of the Hundred Years War and was fought in Northern France. King Henry V lead his English troops to an unexpected victory over the numerically superior French forces. This victory boosted the English morale and prestige and led to the ultimate crippling of France’s military dominance. This decisive battle was responsible for England becoming the dominant military force at that time.

The battle at Tilbury was fought against another foe, the Spanish. With the gathering of English troops, the town of Tilbury was readied to thwart a land invasion by the Spanish army who was to disembark from the infamous Spanish Armada. However, it became a sea battle, known as the Battle of Graveslines, fought on August 8th 1588, when the English engaged the Armada in the English Channel. It was an outstanding victory for the English won with superior tactics and long-range cannons. Queen Elizabeth I visited the troops at Tilbury. (according to historical accounts – it was draw and the wind and an incoming storm drove the Spanish north and the English into harbor).

These two significant events inspired two great speeches, delivered by heads of state, one real speech (Tilbury) and one a part of a play by the great bard. (Henry V by W. Shakespeare, Act IV Scene iii 18-67). Elizabeth’s speech was one of the most electrifying speeches ever delivered. It can bring ‘goose bumps’ to you if you can close your eyes and see Elizabeth with her red hair blowing in the wind, riding her proud silver horse;

“I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman;
but I have the heart and stomach of a king,
and a King of England too”

Henry’s speech was delivered to his depleted and exhausted soldiers who were outnumbered by the French army by a factor of 5 to 1. However, the English army was comprised mostly of archers who provided the advantage over the French. Henry’s rally, so famously crafted by the Bard into poetry and dramatic literature;

“We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now a-bed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day”

The Bo Press miniature brings these two famous speeches together in a unique presentation. The words of Elizabeth’s speech are printed in red text on the verso pages and Henry’s words are printed in black text on the recto pages. Tilbury and Agincourt measures 13/8" x 2" and contains 40 unnumbered pages. The boards are bound in a chevron cream and gold paper with the title label affixed to the front cover. An interesting historical subject, a well-done book with an interesting format, very readable. The Bo Press journey continues; this is an open edition priced at $36.

Contact information: E-mail: bopress@charter.net or www.bopressminiaturebooks.com

THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW and WASHINGTON IRVING
by Gail Curry

Washington Irving wrote about his times from the unique perspective in which he lived. In the September 2019 issue of The Microbibliophile, I wrote about this iconic author. In particular, I noted that Washington Irving was called the father of the American ghost story. Though it was a small part of his total output, it was significant. The two ghost stories, popular at Halloween, are The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle. For purposes of this article, we will discuss the former, and leave Rip for another time.

The ghost stories first appeared as part of a collection of sketches and stories published in The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent, in 1820. These became immensely popular in the United States, Britain and Europe. What can we learn of Irving’s life? What in that life may have helped shape his perspective.

To read the rest of this article, go here.

WILLIAM JOSEPH ‘DARD’ HUNTER, an American legend

Dard Hunter (1883–1966) was a world-renowned authority and practitioner on paper-making, printing, and bookmaking utilizing the tools and techniques of the seventeenth century.  Hunter grew up in Ohio and spent a considerable amount of his life there as well as professional schooling in Japan, Italy, and Austria.  He operated a paper mill in Lime Rock, Connecticut and his ‘Mountain house’ property for printing and paper-making in Chillicothe, Ohio.  

While working at the Mountain house, he authored some twenty books on paper-making and produced eight ‘handmade’ books.  Hunter did not produce any miniature books, however, he certainly influenced several miniature bookmakers. There is an excellent resource for Dard Hunter information available at www.dardhunter.com for additional biographical information along with the offerings of the Dard Hunter Studios.

Dard was very precise and disciplined about using only ‘old school tools and techniques’ for his work. From the studio website, I learned that in 1912, Dard and Edith (his wife) moved to Marlborough, New York and purchased a historic house built in 1714, by Louis Moses Gomez   At this time, there was no handmade paper being produced in America. Artists and printers had to rely on imported European paper for their needs. It was Hunter’s goal to change this.  Hunter had built a 16’ x 14’ paper mill on Jew’s Creek, across the road from the main house. The mill was fashioned after a 17th century Devonshire cottage, complete with a thatched roof made from rye that he grew himself. Not wanting to compromise his goal to manufacture paper using 17th century techniques, he  relied entirely upon a water wheel to provide power to the mill.

 James Lamar Weygand, of Nappanee, Indiana produced 24 excellent and highly sought after collectable miniature books. Weygand, like Hunter, produced all his own books including the handmade paper, printing, and binding. However, Dard did go one-step further and cut his own type for some of his works.

Robert Massmann, of New Britain, Connecticut, REM press, produced a series of six miniatures, all equally collectable titles, about different Hunter subject considerations.  

One miniature in particular, Dard Hunter: Miscellaneous Thoughts and Reflections, (1984) was done to house two tomes in a small paper model of the Hunter paper mill, which was located in Lime Rock, Connecticut. The actual titles of the Weygand and Massmann miniatures can be obtained from the reference book, 20th Century U.S. Miniature Books, by Robert C. Bradbury, ‘The Microbibliophile’, 2000.

Dard Hunter Sr. wrote and published 20 books all related to the subject of paper-making, from his printing press at his Mountain House Press. Eight of those books were printed by hand. Dard Hunter II published an interesting set of miniatures using several of his father’s writings under the press imprint of Mountain House Press, in Chillicothe, Ohio. Dard Hunter designed and printed one full size copy of each of the first three titles represented in the miniature set, each with a special title page drawn by him using pen and ink.  The original full size volumes were then photographically reduced, to create the miniature set.  The forth volume is a collection of paper specimens of paper that was made at the Lime Rock, Connecticut mill. According to notes by Dard Hunter II, in the miniature set, the specimens are most likely the last paper batches created at the mill.

The title of the four-volume set is The Making of Books. It includes the following volumes; The Lost Art of Making Books, Ancient Paper Making, Seventeenth Century Type-Making, and the fourth volume is The Specimens. The size of each volume is 17/8" x 15/16", bound in gilt light brown leather by Gary Parrot, and presented in a gilt leather slipcase.  Each volume has a frontispiece as well.  There were 50 sets included in the press run.

Volume I, The Lost Art of Making Books, carries a frontispiece of the Marborough Mill, in the spring or summer, showing the waterwheel.  The text is actually a reprint of an article that was written by Hunter in 1915 and published in The Miscellany, Volume II, Number 1. The text defines Hunter’s thoughts about making books entirely by hand. Hunter defined this process as ‘The Aesthetic Book.’  

Hunter goes on to explain “the man who produces consistent books in the future must be type founder, and paper maker, as well as a printer.” Hunter certainly set the bar very high for himself, as he wanted to be sure that as the man who created the book, he was totally connected with his work and the final product.  There are only six text pages but they certainly help to define the man and how he thought was the best way to produce books.  The Colophon provides the information on the binder, date produced, origin of the paper, (the Lime Rock Mill), and the Dard Hunter printer’s mark.

Volume II, Ancient Paper-Making, carries a frontispiece of the Marborough Mill, in the winter, showing the waterwheel and mill covered in snow.  AS before the text is a reprint of an article that was written by Hunter in 1915 and published in The Miscellany , Volume II, Number 4.  Dard Hunter II describes this work as his father’s treatise on his chosen field, and for that reason chose it as the subject of this volume. The senior Hunter provides a short synopsis of his experiences in the world of hand-made paper-making and explains that a portion of what is described as ‘hand-made’ paper may not be exactly as described. Only through close examination is it possible to confirm the processes used to create hand-made paper. The text for this volume is printed on 18 pages with some of the text printed on deckle edge sheets of paper. Deckle edges are paper edges that are ‘untrimmed’ and created when the paper is formed from the slurry left on the screen against the frame’s edges during the process. 

Once more, the printed information in this volume speaks to the professionalism and discipline that Hunter established for his working relationship between the papermaker, the printer, the author, and the binder. There is no Colophon in this volume but the last page does carry the Dard Hunter printer’s mark.

Volume III, Seventeenth Century Type-Making, carries a frontispiece showing the Marborough Mill House, ca 1714. The text was originally included as part of the Quarterly Notebook, published by Alfred Fowler, Kansa City, 1916. Within the seventeen pages of text in this volume, Hunter explains the uses of the various tools one would need to produce type. He also addresses the various problems one may encounter.  The tome does include many illustrations that support the technical discussions put forth by Hunter. However, explaining how one would accomplish the task of creating type is still quite difficult to comprehend for the neophyte.

As is the case with Volume II, Volume III does not carry a colophon but it does include the same printer’s mark. Volume IV, The Specimens, is a bound book with the frontispiece once again a view of the mill with the thatched roof, yet a different view than Volume I. There is no text in this volume but only a bound set of sample papers from the mill. There are various colors of papers; some the typical buff but also some pale greens, blues, grays, rose, and a dark brown.

An interesting look back, in time and ‘The Making of the Book’.

MORE ABOUT FDR’s LITTLE BOOKS

reported by Jim Brogan

Miniature book collectors always seem to have a host of projects going on at the same time - it could be some research, maybe a special want search, or something as broad as attempting to identify and find the current location of the approximately 750 miniature books that were once part of the collections of Franklin D. Roosevelt. The January 2018 issue of The Microbibliophile provided an overview of the original collection and spoke about how it was dispersed over time through different auctions. The March issue provided some additional details specifically about certain books that are in the Roosevelt Campobello Island facility. There is always a lot of information in a lot of different places with a project of this size.  Things can be a bit slow-going for a time and then a great piece of information surfaces (sort of like panning for gold in an Alaskan river). A few bookplates and handwritten notes and deciphered codes in books are a very useful source of information for sure.

Let me roll the story ahead and say why our readers are such an asset. Caroline Brandt is one of the most meticulous readers of The Microbibliophile. I am always sure that if there is an open question about a book or something related to the world of miniature books, Caroline will be available to help discern the answer. In the January 2018 issue, I wrote about a book with an unusual bookplate/label notations and the hand-printed initials of FDR and ER. Caroline told me she had a book with similar notations as part of her collection, now housed at the Small Library, in Charlottesville, VA. Caroline suggested that I contact Molly Schwartzburg, who is the curator for Caroline’s collection at the library.  

The title of the book is Life and Services of Gen. Pierce: Respectively Dedicated to Gen’l Lewis Cass. Bob King Jr. published the book in Philadelphia in 1852. It is held in the Specials Collections Library and documented with the call number Lindemann 07543. Molly provided the following photographs of the book. 

Clearly visible is the original bookplate on the inside of the front cover indicating that it was part of the FDR collection. In addition, present on the front free endpaper is the initials "FDR ER," which from our research has determined is a notation that Eleanor Roosevelt added to the book to document its provenance prior to auction. We learned this from a small note that was printed in the 1964 Auction Catalogue from the Hammer Galleries in NYC.

So, the search for the gold nuggets continues, sometimes at a fast pace of a flooded spring river and sometimes at a slower trickle of a late summer stream. However, some collectors are happy to collect titles and others are struck with a quest for more and more information. Sometimes the gathered information may be useful and interesting for many or even just a few and sometimes we define the situation as "bibliomania."  

THE WARBURTON ARCHIVE (reprinted from the September 2017 issue)
reported by Jim Brogan

In our last issue of The Microbibliophile, I reprinted an article originally written by Msgr. Francis Weber about the Warburton Archive. As a bit of a refresher, the "archive was a trunk full of miniature books and related ephemera that made its way to the shop of Louis Bondy, many years ago.  They were sold to ‘who knows’ but the Msgr. being a man always looking for a story or the unusual was able to purchase the ephemera items, mostly letters from and to the likes of James Henderson and Wilber Macey Stone, Achilles J. St. Onge, and Thomas Warburton, a bookdealer of significant position in England." 

Msgr. Weber did mention in his article that the letters that he did purchase went to the Huntington Library with his collection of miniature books in the 1990s. Myself not being one to wait another 20-30 years to unravel the mystery of what information was talked about in these letters, I contacted the director of the Huntington about the Warburton Archive materials. The director knew of the materials and said that they had not been digitized but he would investigate just what it would take to make the information available short of an onsite visit.  A few days passed and I had the answers. The library could digitize the letters for a "per page fee." My response was "To whom do I give the credit card number?" Well, I now have all of the information, some 180 pages of data, that I am in the process of reviewing and will share with the readers as I can lace things together.   

I can say that most of the correspondence talks about the day to day things of book collecting. Funds available for new purchases, new books being published, and the fact that one of these famous "pioneers of the miniature book world" was having his wife sew up his pants. The depths of the 1929 depression gripped the world, money was scarce and "they had to make due with what they had." How universal life is over time.

I will share the following document, written by Mr. James Henderson, of the "LXIVMOS"  fame to Mr. Thomas Warburton, inviting him to join the select group of "LXIVMOS" subscribers.     

As time and pages permit, I will share more of these glimpses into the past days of the world of miniature books.

Reprinted from May 2015 issue of The Microbibliophile

KINGSPORT PRESS: The Questions Continue
by Jim Brogan
 
Over the last several months (Issue 191 and Issue 192) I have written a few short articles about the miniature books published by the Kingsport Press. As you know there are three very small miniatures, published; Lincoln, 1929, Coolidge, 1930, and Washington, 1932. Preceding these three volumes was another miniature, Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address’, 1928, that has evaded the sights of collectors for some time, if not forever.

I have been doing a lot of research about the Kingsport Press and just what was the story about the creation of the 1928 book and where a copy may reside today. Maybe an institutional collection, maybe a private shoebox, or maybe a copy of the book no longer exists. Some of the items researched are:

• an article written by Julian Edison in the Miniature Book News, Number 39, December 1979
• a presentation award booklet from the Newcomen Society In North America, dated 1959
• the convention proceeds of the EBOA Convention of 1928 (Princeton University actually had a copy of this document)
• a 50-year tribute book to Kingsport Press, titled A Way of Life, 1973
• some long conversations with the archivist of the Kingsport, TN library
 
Sometimes these searches go down many roads and make many turns in looking for the answer.  The search goes on and I will continue looking for a copy of the 1928 publication. The most informative information actually came from the Miniature Book News article where the editor included the text of a letter written by the President of Kingsport Press in 1956 (Walter F.. Smith)  to Percy S. Spielman outlining the thoughts and production processes behind the creation of the little miniatures.  The text briefly explains the thought process initiated as an idea from a student in the Kingsport Press Vocational School to produce a miniature book to highlight the quality of their workmanship and the actual production processes.  It goes on to explain that the book won the coveted First Prize at the EBOA convention and received a lot of press in various contemporary trade journals.

The preface of the 1929 edition, in the words of then President Palmer, ‘multum inparvo’, “…Being purely an educational exercise, the edition was distributed without charge and an edition of one hundred and fifty was quickly exhausted.  And thus the little book fulfills its mission – bearer of great sentiments and field of large endeavor and all in miniature format….” 

Does that mean exactly what was said, they were all sent to other trade companies and more than likely lost forever or maybe somehow a few copies survived in a memento case of a retired employee?  Who knows? I will continue the search.  Remember that Kingsport Press was a very large printing company and they were obsessed with building the best quality into their products, which were book, books, and more books.  Here lies some of the confusion and mystery between the 1928 book and the 1929 book.  The contest winner was submitted to the 1928 convention and won the prize in 1928; we know that from the Proceeds of the Convention book.  The preface of the 1929 book leads the reader to understand that it (the 1929 book) won the award.  Could the plates for the 1929 book been used for the 1928 book as well?  Who knows? That is another question, or maybe the text from the 1928 preface could have been used to create the preface for the 1929 book?  The colophon of E.B.A. version of the 1929 book does mention the prizewinner as the "initial version."
 
E.B.A Version: (Last page of regular text is printed on page 139 [recto] and then there is one blank page [verso], then on the next page [recto] is printed as; “These miniature editions of Lincoln’s Addresses originated with the students of the Training Division of the Kingsport Press.  The initial edition won a First Prize at the 1928 Convention of the E.B.A. at Boston.”  
 
LXIVMOS Version: (Last page of regular text is printed on page 139 [recto] and then there are blank pages, [verso and recto], then on the next page [verso] is printed as; “A special edition of the 150 copies of this book has been printed and bound by the students of the Training Division of the Kingsport Press for the LXIVMOS.”
 
An additional piece of investigative content was supplied by Julian Edison, the reference he discovered on an older ‘bookseller’s catalogue’, ‘Goodspeeds’ (Boston, MA, dated August 1978).
 
Fine copy: A special edition of one hundred and fifty copies of this book [Lincoln 1929] has been printed and bound by the students of the Training Division of the Kingsport Press for the LXIVMOS.’ Originally published in the preceding year (1928) "to be sent to the annual convention of the Employing (sic) Bookbinders of America, meeting in Boston in October 1928 (where it won First Prize)."
 
More mention of the 1928 edition but no visual confirmation of the actual book just yet.  How about your thoughts, concerns,and additional information at your convenience please.  Maybe we need a bigger flashlight for this treasure chest?

Along the above "roads traveled," as always; one-thing leads to another, a fellow collector called several weeks ago to put me onto the track of ‘something special for sale’ about Kingsport Press.  As I mentioned they (Kingsport Press) were always interested in quality and showing that they could deliver the best products for the money.  The picture below is of a "salesman’s sample" which visually outlines the various steps involved in the production of the Lincoln, 1929 miniature. The "sample" outlines all of the steps required to actually produce the miniature.  This was certainly a labor-intensive process and it involved drawing on the production wizards that Kingsport employed to create the process, build miniature machinery to do the work, and actually produce the books.  More than likely,these highly skilled employees were all graduates of the vocational school that Kingsport created as part of the printing company. If you study the history of the company, they moved to Kingsport because of the availability of raw materials for the business. There was a large available pool of people available to work in the plant but for the most part, they had to be taught the printing trade from the bottom up, hence the need for the vocational school and from there came the student with the idea for the miniatures.

The "sample" is 9" x 113/8"  and was original contained within a shallow 1/2”-thick cardboard presentation box with a removable lid.  The green background paper for the actual sample and the presentation box is identical. The details of the sample board and the production process are outlined in the attached picture.
 
The top of the sample contains an actual printed sheet 101/4"  x 51/2" printed both sides and folded containing all 160 "uncut" pages of the text for the actual miniature book. On the left side are the ten printed ‘sections’ folded and cut but not trimmed that will make up the book. On the right side below the large sheet is a sewn book with the 10 sections, the next item is a trimmed book, and then the trimmed book with spine ribbon attached, ready to be attached to the cover.

Across the bottom edge is first an actual leather cover, cut and stamped, ready for attachment to the book case.
In the center of row is an actual completed book, next to a postage stamp to give a representation of the actual size of the finished book.

Further to the left is another actual completed book, open to show the actual printed pages and the margin registrations as well as the gutters. The text labeling on the sample card would clearly indicate that the intention of the item is to show the quality and level of work that the press was capable of producing.  As I uncover more information about this miniature set, I will bring it to you in subsequent issues of The Microbibliophile as well as a reprint of the actual production processes outlined by the Kingsport President Palmer.  Remember, "the fun is in the chase."