The Beast in the Jungle
Kentfield, California: The Allen Press, 1963.
Limited Edition. Hardcover.
Allen Press Book #26. Limited edition of one hundred thirty copies. Prefatory note by Clifton Fadiman.
The type face is Romanee, hand-set; the paper is all rag Arches from France, printed damp on an 1830 Acorn-Smith handpress. The text type lines are flush on the outer margins only, a departure from the conventional layout. The illustrations were produced by Blair Hughes-Stanton - sixteen plates were printed directly from engraved wood blocks in two colors. Designed, printed, and bound in handmade Italian paper by Lewis & Dorothy Allen.
The Beast in the Jungle is a 1903 novella by Henry James touching on the universal themes of loneliness, fate, love and death. The Allens focused on emotion in their design of the book. Each of the seven chapters is printed in a color reflecting the emotional theme of that section. The artist's work reflects the emotional conflicts confronting the characters.
Item #90259810-1/4 x 15-1/4", taupe paper over boards with turquoise titles on spine and front board and bold decorative lines in seven colors on front board, deckled edges, 47 unnumbered leaves.
A bit of wear to lower corners of boards, bump to rear board near spine, else a near fine copy, tight, internally clean and bright in very good rubbed original clear acetate dust wrapper with a 1-1/2" tear bottom-edge near spine, 1/2" chip heel of spine, and a small chip head of spine.
Price: $750.00