The Miniature Book Collector Lot 1960-1961 Published by Achille J. St. Onge FINE

Description: The Miniature Book Collector LotPublished Quarterly by Achille J. St. OngeEdited by Ruth AdomeitSoftcover Stapled Paperbacks, 4.0 x 3.5 Inches Volume 1 September 1960 No. 2Volume 2 June 1961 No 1Volume 2 September 1961 No 2Volume 2 December 1961 No 3 Fine, Like New Vintage Condition. The books are clean, covers attached, secure stapled bindings, unmarked, no writing, no highlighting, no stains, no fading, no ripped pages, no edge chipping, no corner folds, no crease marks, no remainder marks, not ex-library. Very faint to indiscernible signs of wear from age, use, storage and handling. Free USA Shipping >>>> Achille St. Onge (January 17, 1913–April 23, 1978) was a publisher of miniature books from Worcester, Massachusetts. St. Onge began publishing miniature books as a hobby in 1935, and by the time he stopped publishing in 1977, he had created 48 miniature books, which are prized by collectors. St. Onge's publications are known for their uniformity of size and elegance and clarity of design. He oversaw every aspect of the books, and collaborated with many prominent printers, presses, type designers, and binders. Some of these include the Merrymount Press, binders Sangorski & Sutcliffe, printer and papermaker Daniel Berkeley Updike, and book designer and typographer Bruce Rogers. St. Onge published traditional, often revered texts, such as famous speeches by presidents, classic short stories and essays, sermons, eulogies, and brief biographies of famous historical figures. A miniature book published by St. Onge was the only book taken on the Apollo 11 mission in 1969, and was thus the first book on the moon. It was a copy of Robert Hutchings Goddard: Father of the Space Age (1966). The book's colophon states, "One thousand nine hundred twenty six copies of this book were printed by Joh. Enschedé en Zonen, Haarlem, Holland, and bound by Proost en Brandt N.V., Amsterdam, Holland to commemorate the fortieth anniversary of the launching of the first liquid-propelled rocket at Auburn, Massachusetts, March 16, 1926." St. Onge gave the book to Buzz Aldrin, asking him to take it with him and leave it on the moon. Since he was not permitted to leave it behind, Buzz brought it back with him and gave it to Esther Goddard, Robert Goddard's wife. The book now resides at Clark University's Archives and Special Collections. >>>> A miniature book is a very small book. Standards for what may be termed a miniature rather than just a small book have changed through time. Today, most collectors consider a book to be miniature only if it is 3 inches or smaller in height, width, and thickness, particularly in the United States. Many collectors consider nineteenth-century and earlier books of 4 inches to fit in the category of miniatures. Book from 3–4 inches in all dimensions are termed macrominiature books. Books less than 1 inch in all dimensions are called microminiature books. Books less than 1/4 inch in all dimensions are known as ultra-microminiature books. Miniature books stretch back far in history; many collections contain cuneiform tablets stretching back thousands of years, and exquisite medieval Books of Hours. Printers began testing the limits of size not long after the technology of printing began, and around 200 miniature books were printed in the sixteenth century. Exquisite specimens from the 17th century abound. In the 19th century, technological innovations in printing enabled the creation of smaller and smaller type. Fine and popular editions alike grew in number throughout the 19th century in what was considered the golden age for miniature books. While some miniature books are objects of high craft, bound in fine Moroccan leather, with gilt decoration and excellent examples of woodcuts, etchings, and watermarks, others are cheap, disposable, sometimes highly functional items not expected to survive. Today, miniature books are produced both as fine works of craft and as commercial products found in chain bookstores. Miniature books were produced for personal convenience. Miniature books could be easily be carried in the pocket of a waistcoat or a woman's reticule. Victorian women used miniature etiquette books to subtly ascertain information on polite behavior in society. Along with etiquette books, Victorian women that had copies of The Little Flirt learned to attract men by using items already in their possession, such as, gloves, handkerchiefs, a fan and parasol. In 1922, miniature books regained popularity when 200 postage stamp sized books were created to be displayed in the miniature library of Queen Mary's miniature doll house. Princess Marie Louise, a relative of Queen Mary also requested that living authors contribute to the existing dollhouse library. Following in Queen Mary footsteps, many miniature book collectors begin collecting miniatures for their dollhouse libraries. A miniature book has even been to the Moon. In 1969, Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin had a miniature book in his possession during his flight to the Moon. It was an autobiography of Robert Hutchings Goddard, who invented the first liquid-propellant rocket that make space flight possible. Some popular types of miniature books from various periods include Bibles, encyclopedias, dictionaries, bilingual dictionaries, short stories, verse, famous speeches, political propaganda, travel guides, almanacs, children's stories, and the miniaturization of well-known books such as The Compleat Angler, The Art of War, and Sherlock Holmes stories. The appeal of miniature books was holding the works of prominent writers, such as William Shakespeare in the person's hands.

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Location: Seattle, Washington

End Time: 2024-12-29T14:07:51.000Z

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