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"Never minstrel, or by whatever more suitable name David should be known, drew upon his talents in the presence of more insensible auditors."
"The Last of the Mohicans" is set in 1757, during the French and Indian War, when France and Great Britain battled for control of North America. During this war, both the French and the British used Native American allies, but the French were particularly dependent, as they were outnumbered in the Northeast frontier areas by the more numerous British colonists.
The novel is primarily set in the upper New York wilderness, detailing the transport of the two daughters of Colonel Munro, Alice and Cora, to a safe destination at Fort William Henry. Among the caravan guarding the women are the frontiersman Natty Bumppo (known as Hawkeye), Major Duncan Heyward, and the Indians Chingachgook and his son Uncas. These characters are sometimes seen as a microcosm of the budding American society, particularly with regards to their racial composition.
[Source: Wikipedia]
Illustrated with 17 posed B&W photos.
SEX WAS HER WEAPON!
From the Introduction:
When a girl from a street like Margrove Street determines to travel with Park Avenue's elite, nothing can stop her. Especially if the girl is fiery, seductive Hazel Appleby. Men and women alike were but stepping stones to her success, an upward path that wound up with Hazel as the superbly kept mistress of the town's influential publisher, Ralph Hegel. And what happened to Ralph didn't happen to Don, the only man who failed to fall under the spell of the glamorous and completely heartless vixen!
From the back cover:
Larry had started happily on his shipboard honeymoon . . . his bride a ravishing, exotic girl.
But now, ashore in the tropics, he found a devil in the woman.
Why had her guardian tried to stop them -- for "his" sake?
What strange language did she mutter in her sleep?
What savage rites enslaved her?
Cornell Woolrich has fashioned a masterpiece of suspense about a woman who lived twice.
This is a scene from a wonderful 1950s children's book about Johnny, who is leaving the farm because of hard times. When his Journey Cake leads him on a merry chase that results in a farm yard full of animals, the family is all together again.
Journey Cake Ho
by Ruth Sawyer
Robert McClosky illustrations
Published by Viking Press, NY, 1953
From "The Rhinegold & The Valkyrie" by Richard Wagner. New York: Doubleday Page & Co., 1910. First American Edition
John D. MacDonald - A Man of Affairs
Dell Books B112, 1957
Cover Artist: Victor Kalin
"On the surface – a last week-end in the Bahamas sun. Underneath – a stark struggle for corporate power."
"Cleopatra's Nights: The Life and Loves of the Queen of Egypt" edited by Allan Bernard:
A collection of tales by E. Barrington, Talbot Mundy, Emil Ludwig, Henry Thomas, Claude Ferval, and Theophile Gautier who tell the fascinating story -- part fact, part fiction -- of one of history's most famous women -- Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt.
Published by William Heinemann in 1955. In his dedication, Graham Greene writes: "This tale has not been written for the purposes of encouranging adultery, the use of pyjama tops, or registry office [sic] marriages. Nor is it meant to discourage gambling."
Mystery! Women! Murder! An Oriental Puzzle for Special Agent, Gil Denby
“. . . I got in through the French window. It was a place of satin and Louis Quintz. The sound of a shower told me where Lady Claire was. I sat on a silly little chair and lit a cigarette. I was half-finished with it when she walked in. She was stark naked. If I lost some of my savoir faire, she lost none of hers. Quite calmly, she walked to the bed, picked up a flimsy negligee and wrapped it about herself.
“ ‘And now,’ she said sweetly, ‘will you kindly get the hell out of here before I ring for the bouncer.’ “ -- from The Persian Cat
This is plate 19 in Gaspey’s “Book of the World,” which contains 35 full-page, hand-colored engravings. Colored engravings of that period were virtually always colored by hand with water colors.
In the Spotlight : Volkswagen Milestones
29/01/2021 - 28/03/2021
Autoworld
Brussels - Belgium
February 2021
Another charming book illustration featuring Anatole, our favorite French mouse.
from
Anatole and the Cat.
Written by Eve Titus
Illustrated by Paul Galdone
Published by Doubleday and Co. 1957
From the blurb on the dustjacket:
Had Northwest Smith, the famous outlaw of the spaceways, been able to foresee the future, he would not have shielded the frightened, scarlet-clad girl from the wild mob pursuing her through the narrow streets of Lakkdarol, Earth’s latest colony on Mars. “Shambleau! Shambleau!” the crowd cried with loathing and disgust, but Smith drove them off with his blaster and took the exhausted girl to his quarters. There was no hair upon her face – neither brows nor lashes; but what lay hidden beneath the tight scarlet turban bound around her head?
So begins one of the strangest, and possibly the most famous, of stories by C. L. Moore. When it first appeared “Shambleau” was acclaimed by readers, authors, and editors as the debut of a truly gifted talent in the field of fiction writing. It introduced the very popular character Northwest Smith, hardbitten roamer of the spaceways. Miss Moore was to live up to expectation when she followed “Shambleau” with other stirring and beautiful tales about Smith, such as “The Tree of Life” and the haunting “Scarlet Dream,” both of which are included in this volume.
As though the creation of Northwest Smith were not enough for one gifted author, Miss Moore next offered her readers Jirel of Joiry whose fiery personality was a refreshingly sharp contrast to the icy calm of Northwest Smith. Joiry’s lady first appeared in the memorable “Black God’s Kiss,” a unique tale which describes her strange adventures in another dimension, a nightmarish land that lies far below the dungeons of her defeated castle. In quest of a weapon to wipe away the taunting smile from the face of her conqueror, Guillaume, Joiry’s lady comes upon the shore of a black lake filled with fallen stars; she passes over an invisible bridge into a forbidding temple where her quest ends in a dramatic fashion.
The publication of “Shambleau and Others” is an event that readers have been demanding for many years. It is a rich, colorful collection which offers the early writing of a genuine literary talent which was to develop its craftsmanship until today, as the wife and collaborator of Henry Kuttner, it has yielded such memorable books as “The Fairy Chessmen,” “Judgment Night,” “Robots Have No Tails,” and “Mutant.”
A second collection of Northwest Smith and Jirel of Joiry stories, as yet untitled, is scheduled for publication sometime next year.
A fantastical city as seen in "Siegfried the Mighty Warrior."
by Maria De Vivanco.
Illustrated by Lazlo Gal
Published by Golden Press; First Edition (1968)
“Young housewives, made vulnerable by boredom and neglect, forgetting marital vows and morality in a desperate search for excitement and fulfillment.”
From the blurb on the dustjacket:
The stories in STARDRIFT represent the finest that Emil Petaja has written in the genre over a period of thirty years. They were selected by the author, after three years of meticulous consideration as prime examples of his lifetime of studying, absorbing and digesting all the great fantastic literature of the world. Emil Petaja is an ardent student of world mythology. Those who enjoyed his KALEVALA novels, based on the Finnish epic, LAND OF HEROES, will be pleased to find on Otava story herein.
There is a touch of Saki or John Collier in such stories as FOUND OBJECTS and DARK BALCONY. ONLY GONE BEFORE (the title was taken right off an old Welsh tombstone) and DARK HOLLOW are pure Lovecraftian horror. A DOG’S BEST FRIEND makes a grim social comment. MOON FEVER and PEACEMONGER are science-fiction with a twist. DODECAGON GARDEN examines what a hip planet might be, if . . .
We are proud to present his mixed grill of wolfbane and wonder by Emil Petaja in this fine limited hardcover edition, illustrated with newly discovered drawings by the master fantasy artist, Hannes Bok. Forest J. Ackerman’s penetrating introduction adds the final touch. . .
Hannes Bok was perhaps the most truly original and imaginative illustrator of his time. His superb technique and his boundless magical flights put his work far beyond the purely commercial. Bok died in 1964, yet occasionally unpublished wonders turn up, as those presented here by arrangement with BOKANALIA MEMORIAL FOUNDATION.
Early pop-up book from the Disney studios featuring Mickey and the gang with the circus animals. The text Includes three color pop-ups and black & white illustrations throughout.
Quoting from the back cover:
"That was a nice job, Mary. Real nice."
She smiled. "They always are, when
I do them."
The fat man shrugged. "This wasn't an
easy one. He was a smart cop."
"Not so smart," she said. "He's dead."
Mary Lister would do anything for a price. Kill a man, love him, whatever paid the most money. She didn't know the meaning of fear -- or passion. And then she met Mal Waters . . .
1930s children's book cover: "Homes and Habits of Wild Animals" by Karl Patterson Schmidt, illustrated by Walter Alois Weber, 1934.
A majestic embroidered feline as featured on the end papers of a 1960s cat book.
Tell Me, Cat.
Written by Ellen Fisher
Illustrated by Virginia Tiffany
Golden Press; first edition (1965)
This is plate 20 in Gaspey’s “Book of the World,” which contains 35 full-page, hand-colored engravings. Colored engravings of that period were virtually always colored by hand with water colors.
"101 Best Magic Tricks", published in 1956, is a book by Guy Frederick that will keep any budding Houdini occupied for hours.
Doughty’s short-lived magazine “The Cabinet of Natural History and American Rural Sports” is an important imprint in the history of American printing. It contained the first colored sporting prints made in America. Issued in monthly parts and published from the end of 1830 until the spring of 1834, “The Cabinet” featured articles on hunting, detailed descriptions of newly discovered flora and fauna, and some of the finest examples of early American hand-colored lithography. It was originally the work of the Doughty brothers, Thomas and John, with virtually all of the plates being the work of Thomas, who also founded the Hudson River School. But, by the spring of 1832, the partnership had broken up and Thomas had moved to Boston. An abbreviated third volume (not included here) lacked Thomas’ touch.
Cover Art by John Bach,
The story of a lonely man who accumulated wealth but disowned his family, and who left a legacy of nonsense products that are still sold today (e.g. rubber chocolates, dribble glass, snake can). Samuel Sorenson Adams' world was filled with tricks, jokes and magic. His unusual company, known worldwide as S. S. Adams, has plied its trade in pranks and tricks since 1906.
This cute vignette is from the 1960s first edition of "Three to Get Ready," lovingly illustrated by Mary Chalmers.
Three to Get Ready.
Written by Betty Boegehold
Illustrated by Mary Chalmers
Harper and Row; first edition (1965)
Anatole and his adorable family
from
Anatole and the Cat.
Written by Eve Titus
Illustrated by Paul Galdone
Published by Doubleday and Co. 1957
Major Lionel Hugh Branson (1879 - 1946) was an English officer who served with the Indian Army from 1899 until 1922 and who liked conjuring and practical jokes. Branson learned magic from reading Hoffmann's "Modern Magic" and around 1889 he studied under British magician Charles Bertram. In his biography Branson describes how he used magic methods to ambush enemies, solve crimes, detect malfeasance, and solve bureaucratic dilemmas.
[Source: Magicpedia at www.geniimagazine.com/wiki/index.php?title=L.H._Branson
As stated on the book cover, Major Branson offers a £300 reward. The reward is for anyone who can perform the best known trick of all Indian conjuring, the Indian Rope Trick, in his presence and in the open. For 23 years before the book’s publication, Branson had offered a year’s pay to anyone who had seen the trick and could give him the name and residence of the performer. There were no acceptances. According to Branson, “I have never yet met anyone who has definitely told me that he with his own eyes had seen the trick.”
Branson was not alone. Eminent conjurors travelled throughout India on purpose to get in touch with any person who did the trick, but their travels were in vain. Large rewards had been offered for such a meeting, and larger still for the performance of the trick; a single performance only, not an explanation of how it was done. These rewards had never been claimed.
The rope trick, which had allegedly been performed for centuries, reached a near-mythical status. The trick was first described in writing by IBN BATUTA, an Arab, who made a journey round the world about the year 1368. The trick is as follows:
“The performer, in one’s own compound, throws up the end of an ordinary rope into the air. By some mysterious means this end remains suspended in mid-air, without any visible means of support, so much so that the little boy assistant climbs up the rope to its very highest point, whence, after an interval, he entirely disappears. The performer then takes a sword and waves it in the air, when the legs and arms, disjointed, and finally the trunk and head of the little boy fall with a profusion of blood upon the ground at the foot of the rope. By means of an incantation these resume their natural positions, and the little boy gets up and walks off, apparently none the worse for his most trying ordeal.”
This makes me smile.
Puss in Boots.
Written by Kathryn Jackson.
Illustrated by J. P. Miller
Published by Simon and Schuster (1952 First Edition)
"The Man in the High Castle" takes a glimpse into an alternate history and what life may have been like had the Allied Powers lost WWII. As noted in the comments section below, the book has been adapted by Amazon into an original series that is scheduled for release on November 20, 2015. Here are links to the TV trailers:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzayf9GpXCI
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pjs8xVaAC98
In addition to 44 published novels, Philip K. Dick (1928-1982) wrote approximately 121 short stories, most of which appeared in science fiction magazines during his lifetime. Although Dick spent most of his career as a writer in near-poverty, eleven popular films based on his works have been produced, including Blade Runner, Total Recall, A Scanner Darkly, Minority Report, Paycheck, Next, Screamers, The Adjustment Bureau and Impostor. In 2005, Time magazine named Ubik one of the hundred greatest English-language novels published since 1923. In 2007, Dick became the first science fiction writer to be included in The Library of America series.
The department is on the third floor of the main branch of the Philadelphia Free Library. There are several rooms such as these each with case after case of rare and unusual books. The cases down the centers of the galleries are used to display items from the collection, The displays are changed monthly and allow one to get up close to some really wonderful pieces. There are several old tall case clocks as well, all in working order. It's a swell place to visit.
From the Introduction on the first page:
SCIENCE-FICTION WITH A DIFFERENCE
Have you ever wished your life were more serene? More tranquil? And if you were granted the one proverbial wish, would absolute peace be your request? Better not commit yourself until you've had a look at the completely tranquil world of "The Haunted Future!"
Or maybe you might have wished for eternal life, a chance to escape into the fourth dimension. Sounds good, doesn't it? Until you read "Damnation Morning" -- and then you can scratch that one off your list too.
But perhaps your wants are simpler. Maybe just a chance to solve the unsolvable? You've got it in "The Number of the Beast." In fact, whatever it is you want in the way of a surprising imagination-tingling short story -- a dash of fantasy, a drop of horror, a glimpse of the unknown -- you'll find it in Fritz Leiber's new collection THE MIND SPIDER AND OTHER STORIES.
Detail from a 1950s book in which Alice and Martin Provensen use their imaginative illustrations to tell their version of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic collections of writing and poems.
: )
"Robert Louis Stevenson's A Child's Garden of Verses" Illustrated by Alice and Martin Provensen.
Golden Press, 1951. Twelfth Printing. (1962)
A cloud of mist and vapor hang in the air as an armada of killer whales surface to breath while they swim close to shore near Lime Kiln State Park on San Juan Island, Wash., in July 2004. (AP Photo/The News Tribune, Dean Koepfler)
Page from: "The Family of Woman." Editor: Jerry Mason
Published Grosset and Dunlap and the Ridge Press; 1979
Printed in Italy
Kind of an atmospheric take on this famous Paris Book emporium . . . . .
"Paris is a city filled with spectacular sights. But tucked away on the Left Bank, in the shadow of Notre Dame, there sits a ramshackle English-language bookshop which any literature-loving tourist will be almost certain to make a beeline for ". . . . . .
www.telegraph.co.uk/expat/expatlife/9643855/Turning-the-p...
Everyone's favorite nanny as seen in "Mary Poppins in the Park."
Written by P. L. Travers.
Illustrated by Mary Shepard
Published by Harcourt Brace, 1952. First Edition.
“OPAR. . . the Atlantean colony in the heart of Tarzan’s Africa.
“OPAR. . . in the words of Edgar Rice Burroughs, a hidden city of ‘gold and silver, ivory and apes, and peacocks.’
“OPAR. . . is the starting point of this fabulous novel of twelve thousand years past, when Africa had an inland sea and a high civilization bloomed along its forgotten shores, when lost empires flew their time-vanished banners, and deeds of daring were commonplace.
“Philip José Farmer, chronicler of TARZAN ALIVE, teller of fabulous histories, presents here the first great novel of HADON OF ANCIENT OPAR, whose claim to a throne launched him upon an adventure in the grand style of the great masters of fantasy. Fully illustrated by Roy Krenkel!” [From the back cover]
In this book, Professor Wormbog, who has collected all manner of fantastical creatures from A to Y, keeps looking for the Zipperump-a-Zoo. He looks everywhere and discovers how hard it is to find one — unless the Zipperump-a-Zoo wants to find you!
Professor Wormbog in Search of the Zipperump-a-Zoo.
By Mercer Mayer
Published Golden Press 1976 First Edition
From the back cover:
He Was Big . . . And Strong . . . And All Man . . .
And there wasn't a woman in the county that didn't know it. When Troy Bannock walked down the street, in his tight, faded blue jeans, one thing was damn sure -- the girl that got him would have herself a real man.
He was a farm boy, but he hated the land that took a man's body and heart away from him and gave him only enough to barely stay alive.
And there was more than just a body to Troy. He had brains they said, and a burning desire to get out of the dry, dusty, hot, one-horse town and make something of himself.
But with all of his manliness, Troy was still only a boy -- young, heedless, standing at the crossroads of life, full of the hungering of the flesh that could lead him to disaster . . .
“How often will the Laws of Chance make a wish come true? Suppose you could overcome the Laws of Chance and make every wish happen the way you want it to?
“In a bombed-out U.S.A., overrun by a horde of unseen enemies operating from space ships, a lone scientist finds himself designated as the protector of the few remaining men, women and children. How he saves these people and himself by overcoming the Laws of Chance and through the use of radioactive material, makes one of the most fascinating science fiction novels, written by one of the most popular of pseudo-science writers.” [From the Introduction]
The "Golden History of the World" contains fabulous illustrations by Cornelius DeWitt.
The Golden History of the World
by Jane Werner Watson.
Cornelius DeWitt (Illustrator)
Published by Golden Press; First Edition edition (1955)
Written by William Shakespeare, published in 1623. View all four folios at digital.lib.MiamiOH.edu/folios.
Colorful cover to "Siegfried the Mighty Warrior" by Maria De Vivanco. Illustrated by Lazlo Gal
Published by Golden Press; First Edition (1968)
Quoting from the book (page 492-493):
He took a few turns up and down, and sunk upon the sofa. “I get,” he repeated gloomily, “so tired. It is such weary weary work!”
He was leaning on his arm, saying these words in a meditative voice, and looking at the ground, when my darling rose, put off her bonnet, kneeled down beside him with her golden hair falling like sunlight on his head, clasped her two arms round his neck, and turned her face to me. O, what a loving and devoted face I saw!
“Esther, dear,” she said very quietly, “I am not going home again.” A light shone in upon me all at once.
“Never any more. I am going to stay with my dear husband. We have been married above two months. Go home without me, my own Esther; I shall never go home any more!” With those words, my darling drew his head down on her breast, and held it there. And if ever in my life I saw a love that nothing but death could change, I saw it then before me.
The book “Peter and Wendy” was first published in 1911 by Hodder & Stoughton in the U.K. and Charles Scribner’s in the U.S.A. The book contains a frontispiece and 11 half-tone plates by artist F. D. Bedford, the first pictures of Peter Pan, Wendy and their exploits in Neverland.
Although Peter Pan appeared as a character in two earlier books, “The Little White Bird” (1902) and “Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens” (1906), “Peter and Wendy” (1911) remains J. M Barrie’s most famous work. It introduces a new and far more memorable cast of characters including Peter Pan himself who is now a bit older. He is no longer a baby but a mischievous boy who can fly. The book tells of his adventures on the island of Neverland with Wendy Darling and her brothers, the fairy Tinker Bell, the Lost Boys, the Indian princess Tiger Lily, and the pirate Captain Hook. These characters and their story have been with us now for over a century and were the subject of a classic animated Disney movie in 1953.