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"May blessings be upon the head of Cadmus, the Phoenicians, or whoever it was that invented books." -Thomas Carlyle

Welcome to my virtual book collection. Since collecting actual books is somewhat cost-prohibitive, I've begun to amass all of the books I would love to have if I had the means. Some are new, lots are old, all are unique or beautiful or unusual or in some other way have captured my fancy. Enjoy browsing!

Special Collections: Fine Bindings ~ Fairies and Fairy Tales ~ Terror and Madness ~ Poetry ~ Food, Drink and Apothecary ~ Science Fiction ~ Illuminations, Lettering and Hand-Coloring ~ Magic ~ Supernatural and Occult ~ Alchemy ~ Science and Technical ~ Maritime ~ Costumes ~ Humor ~ Children's books ~ Legend of King Arthur ~ Americana ~ 18th Century ~ 19th Century

Authors and illustrators: Edgar Allan Poe ~ Jules Verne ~ Edmund Dulac ~ Kay Nielsen ~ Arthur Rackham ~ Edward Gorey ~ Charles Dickens ~ H.P. Lovecraft ~ William Hope Hodgson ~ Mark Twain ~ Lewis Carroll ~ Salvador Dali ~ George Cruikshank ~ Emily Dickinson ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

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Hindu Love Manual
Crosby, Harry and Caresse, Paris: Black Sun Press, [1928],

Only edition, full gilt-stamped Indo-persian black morocco with panels of arabesques, inner calf dentils, numbered 6 of 20, with twenty-seven hand-colored illustrations on handmade gray paper, 12mo, (minor wear to binding, else very good to excellent).

Note: This title is considered one of the most beautiful books produced by Black Sun, a press that became legendary for their small production runs and extremely high quality creations. It is a reprint of a book that the publishers found while on holiday in Damascus.

Additional image:
B-A Note: At first glance, the publishers Caresse and Harry Crosby seem to have quite the fascinating and, at times, scandalous biography. I shall have to research further and post again soon.