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The Charlotte M. Smith Collection of Miniature Books

Return 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.

For a bibliogaphy of this press through 1999, see Opuscula Press.

Neilson, Lloyd L. A Latin ABECEDarian. San Francisco, CA: Juniper Von Phitzer Press, 1985. 64 pp., 2 3/8" X 2 7/8".
Colophon: Handset and printed. Large Letters: Wood 72 pt. Medium Letters: Pagoda Bold, 18 pt. Small Letters: School Book 16 pt. Illustrations: Antique and New Cuts. Total Edition: 225. Printing completed on this 24th of August 1984.
Latin quotations and English translations and many illustrations including a 1985 calendar. Printed in three colors. Bound in maroon leather with a large gold A on the front cover and a large gold Z on the back cover, the title on the spine. Signed by author. B20th 1/2195.

Hiemstra, Marvin R. Sun Cat. San Francisco, CA: Juniper Von Phitzer Press, 1986. 30 pp. 2 3/8" x 2 7/8".
Illustrations feature antique cuts and pictorial endpapers. The pop-ups are designed and engineered by the author. #16 of 150 copies signed by Hiemstra and Von Phitzer. Bound in full white leather, gilt design extends over the front and back cover. B20th 2/1417.

Neilson, Lloyd L. An ABC of Wordless Cuts. San Francisco, CA: Juniper Von Phitzer Press, 1986. 2 3/8" x 2 7/8".
Colophon: Letters, Ornaments, & Cuts: Antique, Old, & Almost Old. Designed, Handset, & Handprinted by Juniper von Phitzer and signed by him, Loyn Neilson and Marvin Hiemstra). Bound in light blue leather. A.E.G. #31 of 175 copies. B20th 3/2177.

Neilson, Lloyd L. A Harvest for Thanksgiving. San Francisco, CA: Juniper Von Phitzer Press, 1986. 108 pp. 2 3/8" x 2 7/8".
Colophon: #31 of 125 copies. Designed, Handset, and Letterpress printed by Juniper von Phitzer. Signed by Juniper von Phitzer.
Illustrated with antique cuts in color and hand-colored. Bound in dark chocolate leather with the spine, all edges, front and back cover in gold. B20th 4/2192.

Hiemstra, Marvin. Golden Gate Treasure. San Francisco, CA: Juniper Von Phitzer Press, 1987. 73 pp. 2 1/2" x 2 7/8".
Colophon: Title pages in Greeting Monotone, 10 point. Text, sections, and colophon in Bodoni Book, 8 point. Initials are Modernistic, 30 point. Cuts are mostly old. Binding by La Reliure d'Art du Centre in Limoges, France. Designed, handset, letterpress printed, and watercolored by Juniper Von Phitzer, 1987. Text by Marvin R. Hiemstra. Signed by Hiemstra and Phitzer.
Bound in pale grey leather in an orange sleeve with marbled end papers. #10 of 150 copies. B20th 5/1407.

Schmidt, Max. Shadrach S. Stevens' Speculations. San Francisco, CA: Juniper Von Phitzer Press, 1988. 104 pp. 2 1/2" x 2 7/8".
Colophon: Designed, Handset, & Letterpress Printed by Juniper Von Phitzer and signed. Bound in Reliure d'Art du Centre. Volume #9 out of 100. Permission graciously given for this book by Mr. Henry M. Bettman.
Bound in dark green leather with gold initial, S, on the front cover and the title stamped on the spine. A.E.G. Hand colored initials and has a green ribbon book mark. B20th 6/2632.

Hiemstra, Marvin R. Cats in Charge. San Francisco, CA: Juniper von Phitzer, 1989. 2-5/16" x 3-1/4".
Colophon: Designed, Handset, and Letterpress Printed by Juniper Von Phitzer. Binding by La Reliure d'Art du Centre. Edition of 125 copies of which this is #8. Signed by Hiemstra and Von Phitzer.
Bound in light tan leather with cat footprints on front and back, and title in gold on spine. Printed in four colors with marbled end papers. Brown ribbon and all edges gilt. B20th 7/1405.

Neilson, Lloyd L. Marvelous Male, an ABC. San Francisco, CA: Juniper von Phitzer Press, 1990. 68 pp. 2 1/2" x 3 1/4".
Colophon: The Marvelous Male was designed and letterpress printed by Juniper Von Phitzer using old and a few new cuts. The alphabet letters are "Rhumba". Signed by Juniper Von Phitzer.
Bound in brown leather with gold stamping on cover and spine. #8 of 125 copies. B20th 8/2199.

Neilson, Lloyd L. An Alphabet for Flora. San Francisco, CA: Juniper von Phitzer Press, 1990. 80 pp. 2 7/16" x 2 15/16".
Colophon: Designed, handset, letterpress printed, & hand-colored by Juniper Von Phitzer. Bound by La Reliure d'Art du Centre in Limoges, France. Edition of 125 copies of which this is #7. Signed by Juniper Von Phitzer.
Grey leather cover with the embossing of a gold flower and leaf on the front and back covers. Title on spine. B20th 9/2180.

Hiemstra, Marvin R. Redwood Burl. San Francisco, CA: Juniper Von Phitzer Press, 1992. 170 pp. 2 1/16 x 2 3/4". Letterpress, gilt leather spine and wooden boards by Reliure d'Art du Centre, pictorial wrapper. Illus. Unnumbered of 101 copies. B20th 13/1409.

Steward, Samuel. A Pair of Roses. San Fransico, CA: Juniper Von Phitzer, 1993. 80 pp. 2 1/8" x 2 3/4".

Letterpress, gilt leather by Reliure d'Art du Centre. 222 copies. B20th 14/2825.

Hiemstra, Marvin R. Seasons. San Francisco, CA: Juniper Von Phitzer Press, 1993. 142 pp. 2 3/4 x 2 3/4".

Letterpress, paper boards with wood onlay. Illus. Printed slipcase. No. 45 of 50 copies. B20th15/1412.

Hiemstra, Marvin R. and Lloyd L. Neilson. Hands. San Francisco, CA: Juniper Von Phitzer Press, 1996. 40 pp. 2 3/4 x 2 3/4". Illus. No. 20 of 24 copies. B20th 34/1422.

Hiemstra, Marvin R. and Lloyd L. Neilson. Boxing the Compass. San Francisco, CA: Juniper Von Phitzer Press, 1996. 2 x 1 3/4". 40pp. divided into four volumes, paper boards, in box with compass.

No. 24 of 24 copies. B20th 37/1420.

Neilson, Lloyd L. An Alphabet Coloring Book. San Francisco, CA: Juniper Von Phitzer, 1997. 2 1/2" x 2". 6 accordion pages.
Colophon: Grand Conclave XV, 1997 -- Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Dover Publications, Inc. graciously gave permission to use the alphabet letters from "The Illuminated Alphabet" by Theodore Menten. With attached plastic crayon. B20th 48/2179.

Hiemstra, Marvin R. First Snow. San Francisco, CA: Juniper Von Phitzer, 1993. 2 3/4" x 2 3/4". B20th: Not listed.

Hiemstra, Maravin R. Forest Interlude. San Francisco, CA: Juniper Von Phitzer Press, 2001. 2 1/2 x 1 1/2". No. 17 of 26.
Leaves of fine wood veener. Slipcase. B20th: Not listed.

Hiemstra, Marvin R. Two Books in Hand. San Francisco, CA: Juniper Von Phitzer Press, 2001. 30 pp. 1 3/8" x 2 16/18".
Colophon: Juniper Von Phitzer Press is delighted to announce TWO BOOKS IN HAND based on a humorous and informative performance by Marvin R. Hiemstra at the MBS 2000 Conclave. This dos-a-dos is composed of two miniature alphabet books: attached back to back. One alphabet lists typical miniature book production errors. The other alphabet rejoices in miniature book production triumphs.
The covers of this dos-a-dos feature magnificent royal blue and gold metallic thread Japanese silk fabric. Endpapers are tangerine Japanese paper with gold dots. Covered in Japanese yellow mulberry bark paper the slipcase flashes a label of the tangerine paper with a gold stamped hand. Title label on the slipcase spine presents each letter a different color. The slipcase is in itself an eye-catching creation preparing the reader to enjoy the kaleidoscopic test: a happy fusion of images, color, and tradition. With 76 pages and an edition of 52.
Two Books in Hand is based on a presentation by Marvin R. Hiemstra at the San Francisco Public Library Book Arts and Special Collections Center. This book was designed and printed by Marvin Hiemstra and bound by Juniper Von Phizter. Edition 52. #3. Signed by author. B20th: Not listed.

Smith, Grace S. Graceful Months. San Francisco, CA: Juniper Von Phitzer Press, 2001. 2 3/4 x 2 3/4" closed; 38 1/2" wide when opened.
Color photocopies of watercolors of flowers associated with each month of the year have been pasted to backing sheets. In slipcase covered with mauve Japanese tissue with a color illustration repeating the cover board. No. 11 of 36 copies. Signed by Smith. B20th: Not listed.

Souvenir Views of Santa Ana, Clifcacastle. London, Charles Skilton and Fry, Co., CA: Juniper von Phitzer Press, 1985. #16 of 150 copies signed by Hiemstra and von Phitzer. B20th: Not listed.

Von Lloyd, Marvin. Circles of Christmas. 7 accordion pp. 1 5/8" x 2". B20th: Not listed.