Woodcut illus. & tables. 119 folding leaves. 8vo., orig. wrappers (a little frayed). [China]: [Jiyuan xuan 寄緣軒?], 1900.

A collection of phonological texts, all written by Ding Xian (1843-1919). The book contains descriptions of the Latin alphabet, Japanese kana, and a set of Chinese characters representing what it claims is “the todo bičig of Russia” 鄂羅斯托忒字, an apparent mix-up of the name for the Oirat script of the western Mongols with that of their Cyrillic-writing northern neighbor. There is also an explanation of the method of relaying syllables by code, either by tapping the table or writing numerals... More

Ten folding leaves. 8vo, orig. wrappers (wrappers a little frayed), orig. stitching. Nanjing: [Privately Printed] by Jiangning Chenshi 江寧程氏, 1910.

A rare work connecting pharmacopeias and ancient philology. In antiquity, the linguistic variety of China was gathered by Yang Xiong 揚雄 (53 BCE-18 CE) in The Imperial Light Carriage Emissary Explaining Discursively the Regional Words in Different States Through the Ages (Youxuan shizhe juedai yushi bieguo fangyan 輶軒使者絕代語釋別國方言), commonly referred to just as Regional Words, or Fangyan 方言. With a rise in interest in ancient philological scholarship, several sequels to Fangyan were compiled in the 18th and 19th... More

Many illus. 305 pp. 4to, printed softcover. Santander: Ediciones La Bahía, 2014.

Uncommon exhibition catalogue that is an essential resource on Sol LeWitt’s artist’s books, exhibition invitations, and posters. As new. More

Many black & white illus. throughout. Unpaginated. Small 4to, printed wrappers & orig. printed dust-jacket, staple-bound. London: Kettle’s Yard Gallery, 1986.

One of the great exhibition catalogues on artists’ books. This sharply conceived book was published for a 1986 exhibition at Kettle’s Yard Gallery. Organized by Pavel Buchler (b. 1952), who also designed and wrote this catalogue, the exhibition included loans from Christian Boltanski, Ulises Carrión, Nigel Greenwood, Richard Hamilton, Kasper Koenig, Annette Messager, Anthony d’Offay Gallery, Hansjörg Mayer, Barbara and Gabriele Schmidt-Heins, Michael Werner Galerie, Karsten Schubert, Lawrence Weiner, etc. The exhibition featured the work of Boltanski, Carrión, Hanne... More

[96] leaves, interfoliated leaves with manuscript notes identifying virtually all the participants. Folio (ca. 320 x 240 mm.), orig. color-printed covers, orig. black cloth tape over spine (small split to tail of spine). [Amsterdam: ca. 1973-84].

One of the most compelling books we have handled, and a truly remarkable discovery: Ulises Carrión’s own guest book, a re-appropriated Tarzan children’s coloring book. Throughout all the rapidly proliferating literature on the artist and his circle, we have not seen any mention of this precious book. Several of Carrión’s friends have confirmed that he asked visitors to his home in Amsterdam to color... More

Many black & white illus. 522 pp. Thick 8vo, pictorial softcover, title on spine. San Francisco: Contemporary Arts Press, 1984.

First and only edition, an essential book on Mail Art, with contributions by Ken Friedman, Dick Higgins, Ulises Carrión, Judith A. Hoffberg, Jean-Marc Poinsot, Milan Knizak, Klaus Groh, Anna Banana, Robert Rehfeldt, Edgardo-Antonio Vigo, C. E. Loeffler, Peter Frank, etc. It was published by La Mamelle’s Contemporary Arts Press.

“The sub-title of the book correctly states its place in the pantheon of mail art publications: the ‘Source Book for the Network of International Postal Art Activity.’ For no other work... More

Many illus. Unpaginated. 4to, transparent plastic sheets, black plastic spiral bound. San Francisco: Stamp Art Gallery, 1996.

Rare exhibition catalogue on the influential correspondence artist Guy Bleus (b. 1950). Filled with essays by the artist on a wide range of topics, including Ray Johnson, artists’ books, mail art, etc. In fine condition, signed by two proprietors of the Stamp Art Gallery, John Held, Jr. and Picasso Gaglione. Two examples in North America recorded by WorldCat. More

Color illus. throughout. 136 pp. & colophon. 4to, pictorial softcover, title on spine. Rome: 1990.

A nicely produced exhibition catalogue on artists engaging with the postal system, the show was curated by Gianni Broi. With a number of written contributions and interviews by mail art practitioners, countless reproductions of artworks, and a list of artists at the end.

Near fine. WorldCat records five copies in North America. More

Black & white illus. (one with a flap). Unpaginated. 4to, printed softcover. N.p.: Self-published, 2015.

First edition of 240 copies, signed on the title-page. In fine condition. WorldCat has no record of this edition. More

Black & white illus. Unpaginated. 8vo, printed yellow softcover, metal spiral-bound. N.p.: Self-published, 2017.

Second edition of 200 copies (1st ed.: 2014, 240 copies). Homma’s remake of Ruscha’s book of the same title. Once more Homma (“Photographer”) has collaborated with Yoshihisa Tanaka (“Driver”), and Yusuke Nakajima (“Thrower”). In fine condition. We find one copy of the first edition in North America. More

Color illus. Unpaginated. Small 4to, printed blue softcover. N.p.: Self-published, 2015.

First and only edition, signed on the title-page. Homma’s homage to Ruscha’s Colored People. The publisher’s description: “Taking reference to Ruscha’s Colored People published in 1972, Takashi Homma’s Scandinavian Mushroom is a collection of photographs which capture a variety of wild mushrooms grown in the forests of Fukushima. Collecting several specimens of radioactive fungus, Homma’s photographs resonate aesthetically to the same white background and photographic style used in Colored People bringing forward Homma’s own contextual narrative to the homage.”

Fine. We locate one copy in North America... More

Black & white illus. Unpaginated. Small 4to, printed wrappers & glassine jacket, staple-bound. Banyoles, Spain: Self-published, 2022.

Second edition (1st ed.: 2022) of 200 copies. From the artist’s website: “Twentysix casetas del Delta is a self-published work containing 26 black and white photographs of agricultural houses in the rice fields at Delta de l’Ebre. It is also a tribute to twentysix gasoline stations, published in 1963 by artist Edward Ruscha.” Fine. Not in WorldCat. More