[LEAF BOOK] The Estiennes; A Biographical Essay...Illustrated With Original Leaves From Books Printed by the Three Greatest Members of That Distinguished Family

San Francisco: The Book Club of California [Printed at the Grabhorn Press], 1949. Limited Edition. Hardcover. Very good +. One of 390 copies, folio size, 57 pp., with prospectus. The "Christmas Book" for 1949, a "book about that large and illustrious family of Sixteenth Century French printers...and illustrated with three original leaves from books printed by the three most famous members of the family..." (n.b., from prospectus).

The text which accompanies the leaves was written by Mark Pattison in 1865, and "gives a detailed study of the work of the Estiennes, as well as a survey of the circumstances un der which it was controlled and produced" (ibid).

One of the many books the Grabhorn brothers printed for The Book Club of California, and one which well shows their mastery of the great art of printing.

___DESCRIPTION: Bound in rose-coloured paper with a white linen shelfback, vignette on the front board in gilt, paper spine label with black lettering and a red decoration, title page with an illustration of the Estiennes family tree in red, additional printing in red throughout, the three leaves (from works dated 1512, 1545, and 1592, respectively) bound in at the front followed by Robert Grabhorn's Introduction, this followed by Mark Pattison's Essay; Centaur monotype on French mold-made paper, folio size (13 1/4" by 9"), pagination: [i-xiii] [1, blank] [1] 2-42 [1, colophon]. With the prospectus loosely laid in, a single folio-size sheet folded once to four pages, the title page reproduced on the front, prospectus information on the third page, the second and final pages blank.

___CONDITION: A bit better than very good, the boards clean (albeit with a few light, stray marks and sunning), straight corners without rubbing, a strong, square text block with solid hinges, the interior is clean, and entirely free of prior owner markings; light wear to the spine label, some offsetting to the rear free endpaper from the pastedown opposite, the interior pages very lightly toned. The prospectus very good overall, without tears or noticeable edgewear, with the original horizontal mailing fold, with offsetting on the front page (from having been laid in at the front of the book, hence next to the front pastedown) and several unintended creases mostly in the bottom margins.

___CITATION: Grabhorn Press Bibliography, no. 489.

___POSTAGE: International customers, please note that additional postage may apply as the standard does not always cover costs; please inquire for details.

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