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.
Sandlin's Books and Bindery
Valparaiso, IN
1992-
Sandlin, Jeff and Linda. ABC's for Book Lovers. Valparaiso, IN: Sandlin's
Books and Bindery, 1992. (56) pp. 2 5/8" x 2 3/8".
Colophon: This book is printed on Mohawk Superfine with handset type using a
3x5 lever press. The edition is hand sewn and bound in morocco grained goat.
Each term is illustrated with bound in or tipped in specimens. Blue cover with
5 different colors of foil stamping. B20th 1/2623.
Van Buren, Colonel. Fishing for a Discharge. Valparaiso, IN: Sandlin's Books
and Bindery, 1993. 29 pp. 2 7/8" x 1 7/8".
Colophon: Fishing for a Discharge is printed on Curtis Flannel with hand-set 10
pt. Kennerly lead type. An 8 x 12 Chandler & Price treadle powered platen
press was used to print the text in two colors. The edition is bound in
Nigerian goatskin with an onlayed leather design. Headbands are hand sewn, and
end sheets are of marbled paper. A loose paper leaflet is enclosed that reads:
We found that the hand decorated paste papers made a more suitable end sheet
for this edition than the intended marbled sheets as listed in the colophon.
-The Sandlins.
This volume is #10 out of 100 numbered copies. Originally published in 1886 by
the Grand Army of the Republic Veterans & Volunteers. Bound in turquoise
morocco with onlays of black, tan, and brown morocco, silver foil, and a string
bookmark with a hook attached to the end with a white piece of paper that says
"Discharge". The illustration on the front cover represents an
angling, and the bookmark is the line. The story is about a homesick soldier
who pretended to fish by tying a string to the end of his gun and using the gun
like a fishing pole. The soldier succeeded in his plan to get a discharge on
the basis of insanity. B20th 2/2993.
Lincoln, Abraham. “The Death of Your Kind and Brave Father,” President Lincoln Writes to Miss Fanny McCullough. Valparaiso, IN: Sandlin's Books and Bindery, 1992. 41 pp 2”x2 ¼” letterpress, gilt leather, folded facsimile of letter. 200 copies and this is copy 44
Colophon: This volume is printed on Mohawk Superfine acid-free paper
with Caslon type using an 8x12 Chandler and Price treadle powered platen
press. The edition is hand-sewn
and bound in Nigerian goat with gold tooling. Head bands are hand-sewn and the
end papers are hand-marbled. B20th 3/1837
Franklin, Benjamin. A Letter from Benjamin Franklin to a Young Friend on the Choice of a Mistress. Valparaiso, IN: Sandlin's Books and Bindery, 1993. 21 pp.
2 11/16" x 2".
Colophon: This volume is number 12 of 100 limited editions, signed by printer
& binder. This volume is printed on Arches Text using an 8 x 12 Chandler
& Price treadle powered platen press. Type was handset with 10 pt Kennerley
Italic. The edition is hand sewn and bound in calfskin with hand tooled
embellishments at Sandlin's Books & Bindery.
Text printed in black and red. Bound in brown calfskin with five raised bands
on the spine along with B.F. printed in its second compartment. Front and back
covers are decorated with gold designs. Pink marbled end papers. B20th: Not
listed.
