Ray Boas, Bookseller

1925 – I.O.O.F. COSTUMES – REGALIA AND SUPPLIES – CATALOGUE NUMBER 2 – THE WARD-STILSON CO., ANDERSON, INDIANA

A fantastic 122 page catalog measuring about 10 inches by 13 1/2 inches. Softcover, the spine has wear and tears, as do the edges of the covers with some old tape repairs on the inside of the front cover. Internal wear from handling, but some amazing B&W and color illustrations. At the end is a list of items needed for new lodges of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows –  Odd Fellowship, which was founded in 1819. Remember, this has some wear, thus sold AS-IS and With all Faults – BUT this is an amazing item, and uncommon, to add to your Odd Fellow collection. The date I cite is from page 70 where a change in postal costs are mentioned.

The Ward-Stilson Company was founded in 1888 and became a major purveyor of uniforms, specializing in those for the Freemasons and other fraternal orders, and later military uniforms and other lines. The company folded in 1955.

there is wear at the top and bottom of the cloth spine with some material loss – more at top than the bottom.

SORRY — SOLD

THE COUNTRY BLUES – SAMUEL B. CHARTERS – 1959 FIRST EDITION — UNIQUE SIGNED – ONE OF A KIND COPY

Signed – Initialed note by Charters – Signed note by Moses Asch on dedication to him

From the Blues Foundation website – The publication of The Country Blues by Sam Charters in 1959 was a major landmark in the development of blues appreciation, as the first book to piece together a chronological, cultural, and stylistic history of the music, complete with biographies of many key performers.

A first edition of Charters’ THE COUNTRY BLUES is hard to find, as is the early Da Capo Press reprints. THIS COPY IS THE COPY USED TO PRODUCE the original Da Capo reprint. You can plainly see the guillotine paper cutter marks on the title page when the book block was held down to cut the pages apart for reproduction. Once completed, this copy was reassembled in the original case, and you can plainly see the book block is shorter in width than original.

Throughout are red marks for edits and pagination of the reprint, Pages 250 and 251 are crossed out in red, and a page inserted with a revised page 250 with two new sections rubber cemented to a new leaf inserted. Those originally cemented portions are now loose. The text does not flow, thus I expect a sheet had been affixed to the verso of the new leaf, but has long been gone. This could be an original revision.

Inscribed on front free fly is “This copy disassembled & then put back together for the Da Capo reprint – S” — Knowing the provenance of this copy, I expect with certainty the S is for Sam – author Samuel B. Charters – provenance to be provided to buyer.

Charters dedicated this book to Moses Asch. Asch (1905-86) was the founder and driving force of Folkways Records, producing over 2,100 recordings. He had Sam Charters help develop recording series and compilations. Ashe wrote a note above the dedication to him. As you can see below that inscription is circled in red to not be reproduced.

above on the copyright page (left) you can see Rinehart mark signifying a first edition.

throughout there are occasional red marks to indicate how the reprint will be put together.

here is the inserted leaf with the revisions at pages 250 – 251.

Below you can easily see the shorter depth of the book block having been cut apart for reproduction.

SOLD

1913 – GUIDE THROUGH EUROPE – PRESENTED BY THE HAMBURG AMERIKA LINE
Remains Property of the Traveller

Published by J. Hermann Herz, Berlin, 1913 as a Souvenir for Passengers touring on one of the ships of the Hamburg-Akerika Linie (sic) — an early pre-World War I tour book, including: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Switzerland, Italy, France, Belgium, Holland, The United Kingdom, Sweden, &c. 903 pages (light weight paper for the tourist to tote) and packed with ads, useful information, photographs of the ships, great ads of hotels, etc., and some wonderful color advertising items that firms would pay to have their offerings stand out – some are illustrated below. The book measures about 5 inches by 7 inches and 1 1/2 inches thick. A nice item for your Grand Tour collection.

Price – $55.00
Ordering Information

1935 – AMERICAN INDIAN CRAFTS and 1934 TOTEM POLES: A HAPPY HOBBY FOR BOYS – Two Booklets

Offered as a lot are two Native American items perfect for Cub or Boy Scouting, or for your craft projects or home schooling studies. Included are:

AMERICAN INDIAN CRAFTS: INCLUDING SUGGESTIVE OUTLINES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY OF INDIAN LORE  – PLUME TRADING & SALES CO., New York, 1935, 51 page softcover booklet measuring about 5 3/8 inches by 8 3/8 inches. Black and white illustrations for the many projects that are detailed.

TOTEM POLES: A HAPPY HOBBY FOR BOYS – by Robert W. De Groat, published by Boy Scouts of America 1930 (1934 printing).  Also, 51 page softcover booklet measuring about 5 3/8 inches by 8 inches. Black and white illustrations. Faint old dampness weave along foreedge of papers – not a problem, just want you to know.

and, inside TOTEM POLES

the rear covers

Prices:
AMERICAN INDIAN CRAFTS – $20 (order no. 73043)
TOTEM POLES – $20 (order no. 73044)

Ordering Information

HORATIO ALGER, JR. – RAGGED DICK SERIES – FIVE (5) BOOKS

In the 1970s I began collecting titles by Horatio Alger, but it was reading his, THE YOUNG BOOK AGENT, that propelled me to become (and remain) “a young book agent.” Recently I decided to share my collection with others. Alger’s books were published by many publishers, and in various formats with differing covers. I have always enjoyed these five volumes with the same uniform bindings.

Henry T. Coates & Co., in Philadelphia published these reprints. The Ragged Dick Series included six titles, and I have these five that I am offering as a set – lacking is MARK THE MATCH BOY.

Included are:
RAGGED DICK; OR, STREET LIFE IN NEW YORK WITH THE BOOT-BLACKS, 296 pages, ads
FAME AND FORTUNE; OR, THE PROGRESS OF RICHARD HUNTER, 279 pages, ads
ROUGH AND READY; OR, LIFE AMONG THE NEW YORK NEWSBOYS, 300 pages, ads
BEN , THE LUGGAGE BOY; OR, AMOUNG THE WHARVES, 290 pages, ads
RUFUS AND ROSE; OR, THE FORTUNES OF ROUGH AND READY, 292 pages, ads

all are good to very good with some like occasional wear – black and white illustrations. Here are a selection of images of this offering.

endpapers

Price for the 5 books – $135
Shipping – $9.50 (for 5 books) packed in cardboard and with tracking
Ordering Information

It is a snowy day, and along with not being bothered by staying inside by myself for almost a year with a pandemic, I am pecking away at things that have been “on the list,” many for decades. And, finally moving to the top of one list is a new “museum page” on rayboasbookseller.com

I encourage you to enjoy – and click on the link below
BETWEEN the PAGES — BOOKMARKERS

Stay safe and stay well, yours, RAY

My favorite bookmark, handmade by Michele.

c1956 – PROCESS OF PRINTING WOOD ENGRAVING – UTAMARO (1753-1806) One of “TWELVE SKETCHES OF HANDICRAFT ARTS FOR WOMEN”

Hardcover, paper covered boards, measuring about  6⅞ × 9¾. Opens with accordion-fold, 22 pages. Colors a tad off on front cover above – discoloration not as pronounced in “real life.”  Label on rear page “Red Lantern Shop – Dealer in Japanese Woodcut Colour Prints – Kyoto.” Published to display of the art of Japanese color woodblock printing, and how they are done in a progressive series of fold-out pages (on one continuous sheet) showing the steps, starting first with the black outline block. Each of the 9 colors (ochre, grays, peach, reds, blues, and black) is added one at a time. A double spread shows the print with a single color facing the resulting cumulative state of the color woodblock print. The finished plate is last—Utamaro’s “One of Twelve Sketches of Handicraft Arts for Women,” which shows two women cooking, one cutting with a knife.

“The pages to the left are numbered and explain and illustrate the individual steps (woodblock impressions) as the print moves to completion. The first page after the title page describes the illustration and starts the process with the “Out Line Printing.” The page to the right contains the black and white key block. After the key block, the left page has the next woodblock impression applied and the page to the right shows the cumulative state of the print. The woodblock progresses from the outline/key block through the application of 9 additional woodblock impressions. In total the book is created by using 10 woodblocks (key block and 9 additional blocks).” —  description from a site on-line. This copy does not include the four page insert. In my research I have found only one copy ever offered for sale.

here is the beginning showing the blank black and white outline

on the left side of each progression of the process is shown the areas of color to be printed on the B&W outline on the right – and then showing the progressive color printings

below showing how this piece opens out

and the final completed printed woodcut engraving

Price – $400
Ordering Information

on the backside (below) you can see remnants of mounting tape – easily removed I imagine, but I will let you do that. Sheet of paper measures about 11 inches by about 15 inches, and the engraving impression about 8 1/2 by 11 1/4

Price -SOLD

This price is a “bargain” compared to the only other copy currently for sale, and in the UK for 950 pounds. But, as a bookseller I just prefer to pass along non-book items.

Ordering Information

1858 – OUR SUMMER RETREATS – A HAND BOOK
To all the Chief Waterfalls, Spring, Mountain and Sea side Resorts and other Places of Interest in the
United States

Published by T. Nelson and Sons, New York. 64 pages measuring about 5 3/4 inches by 3 3/4 inches – softcover with wear as shown. Sabin Americana, 1500–1926 number 57940. Hardcover edition calls for 12 plates. I have in my personal summer resort collection the hardcover edition with 4 plates only. For comparison I have illustrated my copy below.

Oddly, the back of the softcover edition lists the views (plates), BUT there is no evidence of plates ever having been in this edition. I wonder if this is a prospectus, or inexpensive copy without plates to promote the sale of the hardcover with plates. The binding has been repaired with glue externally, again with no evidence of anything having been removed. For some reason the bottom 60% of the title page has been cut out of this copy – but I have included an image of the title page from my copy.

The index to places described includes: Alburg Springs; Cape May; Catskill Mountains; Genesee Falls; Highgate Springs; Lake George and Lake Champlain; Missiquoi Bay; Niagara Falls (in much extended detail); Nahant; Newport; Saratoga Springs; Trenton Falls; Virginia Springs &c; and, the White Mountains.

This is an uncommon title, and if found is valued at $500 plus. Below is the cut title page of this copy

and, two sample two page spreads

FOR COMPARISON ONLY – here is my personal hardcover edition – if you really need this copy, we can discuss (I cannot keep everything).

and the full title page – most likely a frontispiece missing since a tissue guard remains.

and a few of the illustrations in my personal copy

PRICE (softcover edition) – $95
Ordering Information

HAND GRIPS – STORY OF THE GREAT GETTYSBURG REUNION, JULY, 1913 with GAR EPHEMERA
50th Anniversary Battle of Gettysburg
Grand Army of the Republic

by COMRADE WALTER H. BLAKE, Compiled by Frank E. Channon, G. E. Smith, Publisher, Vineland, N.J. – Good+, blue cloth, all edges gilt (AEG), 214 pages, B&W illustrations. Chapters include:”Fall In” – On the Skirmish Line – Around the Camp Fire – A Reconnoissance – The Commissariat – On the Firing Line – Stories Around the Camp Fire – Big Guns in Action – Stand at Ease – The Charge – Cease Firing – Taps.

This unusual item was in an estate of books that I purchased in about 1992 when my bookshop was in Haddonfield, New Jersey. Just one of those things I never wanted to part with, but now is the time I should find a new home for this unusual collection.

The book is in the bottom part of its original presentation box. Included as originally found are: 1) portrait of Blake measuring about 5 3/8 inches by about 7 1/4 inches, 2) IOOF – Odd Fellows key to The Golden Gate – San Francisco, CA, September 1904, and, 3) real photo postcard of the Mothers Garden of Remembrance at Vineland, NJ – in his book, Blake states that of all the monuments at Gettysburg, there are none “to the memory of the courageous mothers.” Noting what is in the lot leads me to the strong conviction that these items, along with the book, are Walter H. Blake’s own items

the wooden souvenir key had been kept inside the front of the book for decades

and front and backs of the key and RPPC from Vineland – the Souvenir IOOF Key is about 7 1/8 inches long

SOLD