To: UI Special Collections
To: Smith Collection homepage
To: 20th Century U. S. Imprints in the Smith Collection

The portion of this website in front of you brings together in preliminary fashion a variety of lists and descriptions for United States Miniature Books published during the Twentieth Century. The books have then been organized by press or publisher as described in Robert C. Bradbury's Twentieth Century United States Miniature Books (No. Clarendon, Vermont: The Microbibliophile, 2000). This page describes titles held by the University of Iowa Libraries for the press or publisher described below. The descriptions generally follow Bradbury's format: Author. Title. Imprint (if it varies from the heading), date. Size in inches. Number of pages. Brief physical description. Illustrations note. Copy # of [##] copies.

Twain, Mark. Coyote. San Diego. CA: The Ash Ranch Press, 1986. 41pp. 1-1/4" x 1-1/8".
Colophon: This limited edition is the first miniature book published by The Ash Ranch Press. It was handset & printed on handmade paper & exclusively bound by its publisher & illustrator-Don Hildreth. 126 copies were printed-100 are numbered and 26 are lettered A thru Z with a gold-gilded black leather slipcase. This is G of the 26 lettered copies.
Text is taken from an excerpt, Roughing It, by Mark Twain. Bound in brown leather with the title printed in gold on the spine. Enclosed inside a black leather slipcase with a brown paper label wrapped around it with a square white paper affixed to it specifying the edition letter, G. B20th 1/2958.

Hildreth, Don. Tumbleweeds West, NO. 1. San Diego, CA: Ash Ranch Press, 1987. 20 pp. 2-5/16" x 2-3/4".
Colophon: Two hundred and fifty copies of the Tumbleweeds West Number One Edition have been printed for distribution for theAmalgamated Printers Association and the friends & sponsors of The Ash Ranch Press. It will be compiled & published periodically when the urge overcomes me-Don Hildreth, Publisher, Editor, Lamplighter, Janitor and APA, 565.
Contains a story by Harry Oliver and excerpts from Mark Twain, Josh Billings, and S. Omar Barker. Bound in the form of a matchbook. Signed by Don Hildreth on the inside cover. Title on front in gold, green, and blue. B20th 2/1433.

Hildreth, Don. The Ash Ranch Press: The Story & Catalogue NO. 1. Chicago: Don Hildreth, 1987. 12 pp. 3 1/8" x 2 1/8".
Published in August of 1986, Don Hildreth illustrates the frontispiece with a minute pen and ink sketch of an oncoming coyote filled with mischief.
The Ash Ranch Press keeps its original prices for the first publication, Coyote.
Mini-catalogue of the first three books of the Ash Ranch Press (Coyote, The Tramp Printer, and Jose & the Burro). This colorfully detailed publication contained additional information about King Wilkin and Harry Oliver, and an introductory story of Don Hildreth and his establishing the Art Press. It was published and distributed "to coincide with the Miniature Book Society Grand Conclave V" held in Chicago, 1987. In an edition of 400 copies. Signed by Hildreth. 12 pages letterpressed in brown on tan felt finished paper, trimmed in black, blue, green, and gold. Hand-stitched in a handsome leather embossed paperback cover. B20th 5/1427.

Van Dyke, Henry. Keeping Christmas. San Diego, CA: The Ash Ranch Press, 1987. 15 pp. 2-3/8" x 2-3/4".
Colophon: 400 copies handset, letterpressed & bound December 1987 by Don Hildreth, APA 565, The Ash Ranch Press. Signed by Don Hildreth.
Text printed in red, green, and black on light green paper. Bound in light tan stiff paper wrapper with the title stamped in gold on the front with red and green decorations. Bound in the form of a matchbook. B20th 6/2995.

Hildreth, Don. Tumbleweeds West, NO. 2. San Diego, CA: Ash Ranch Press, 1988. 18 pp. 2-1/4" x 2-3/4".
Colophon: Tumbleweeds West Number Two-February 1988. 325 copies were printed by Don Hildreth APA 565 at The Ash Ranch Press, 3841 Fourth Avenue, San Diego, Ca 92103. Signed by Don Hildreth.
Bound in light yellow paper wrapper with the title printed on the front cover in a golden color and FEB printed in brown across the back cover, and 88 printed in brown across the front cover. (Represents date of publication). Printed exclusively for the Amalgamated Printers' Association. Contains an excerpt by Mark Twain on "The American Desert". B20th 7/1433.

Tuttle, W.C. Adult Western: A Christmas Stanza. San Diego, CA: The Ash Ranch Press, 1988.
Colophon: 350 copies of Adult Western were printed for distribution to the Amalgamated Printers Association and as a keepsake for the Miniature Book Society Grand Conclave VI, San Antonio, Texas, Labor Day 1988. 26 copies are bound in leather, lettered A-Z, and signed by Don Hildreth. B20th 10/2951.

Van Dyke, Henry. A Ballad of Santa Claus. San Diego, CA: The Ash Ranch Press, 1988. B20th 11/2944.

Hildreth, Don. Tumbleweeds West, NO. 3. San Diego, CA: Ash Ranch Press, 1989. 18 pp. 2-1/4" x 2-3/4".
Colophon: Tumbleweeds West Number Three-January 1989. 200 copies were printed by Don Hildreth APA 565, at The Ash Ranch Press, 3841 Fourth Avenue, San Diego, CA 92103. TW rolls around when it rolls around...Signed by Dan Hildreth.
Printed for the Amalgamated Printers Association in the form of a matchbook. This book contains stories and excerpts from Harry Oliver and Mark Twain. Bound in yellow paper wrapper with illustrations printed on the front and back covers. Title is printed in gold on the front cover. Text is held together by a staple. B20th 12/1435.

Hildreth, Don. Tiny Tome: The Teddy Bear. The Ash Ranch Press, 1989.
Colophon: 150 copies of Tiny Tome, The Teddy Bear were handset, letterpressed on a 3x5 Kelsey handpress, bound and presented by Don Hildreth as a keepsake for the Miniature Book Society Grand Conclave VII held in Cincinnati, Ohio, Labor Day weekend-1989. B20th 15/1432.

Weber, Francis. SmallPAXweber. San Diego: Ash Ranch Press, 1989. 23 pp., 1 3/4" x 2 3/8".
Letter C of deluxe edition of 26, lettered A through Z. Bound in white and black leather with a color drawing of a collie by Leo Politi on the cover. White silk endpapers. Housed in a white silk case with a color illustration on the front.
Colophon: smallPAXweber is the 68th miniature book by Msgr. Francis J. Weber, which includes artwork by Isabel Piczek and Leo Politi and a photograph by Alphonse Antczak. It was designed, printed & bound by Don Hildreth at The Ash Ranch Press, San Diego, California in October 1989.
Handset in 8pt. Baskerville, it was letterpressed on Mohawk Superfine Text, 80 lb. Softewhite, Eggshell Finish on a 1906 Chandler & Price pilot press.
Of 128 copies, 100 are numbered and a Deluxe Edition of 26, lettered A thru Z, and 2 state Deluxe prooks are signed by both the author & the printer. B20th 17/3165.