Four Views of Kealakekua Bay

[Santa Cruz, CA]: [Donna Thomas], 1998. Limited Edition. No binding. Fine. One of 75 copies, miniature book in scroll format. This lovely miniature book, by the incomparable book artists Peter and Donna Thomas, presents a single linoleum cut by Donna in a scroll format; it would become the Book Society Distinguished Award, 1999.

Peter and Donna Thomas started their press in 1976; in 1988 they changed the name of their press from the "Good Book Press" to their names. They are "one of very few presses where the proprietors write the text, create the art for the illustrations, make the paper, handset the type, print on a letterpress, and bind the book" (n.b., Bradbury p. 302).

The "four views" in the title consist of one pictorial - Donna's linocut - and three literary. The first being partial lyrics of the Johnny Noble song "I want to go back to my little grass shack in Kealakekua, Hawaii"; the second a description of "Karakakooa Bay" (as it was then called) by Captain James Cook in 1779, and the third being the description of the bay by Mark Twain when he saw it in 1866.

Scarce in the marketplace, as of this writing we see no copies online, our search of OCLC locates twenty-two of the seventy-five copies with institutions.

___DESCRIPTION: Scroll, case-bound in patterned paper (handmade by Peter) over boards, with one linoleum cut by Donna, a single illustration on a label on the cover, the scroll wound onto a dowel set in a handmade koa rack, with the other end of the scroll attached to a brass rod that acts as a handle for unwinding the scroll; handmade paper, printing both letterpress and polymer plate, the handset types being Canterbury and Centaur, 2.875 " by 1.75", a single scroll measuring 22 ", this no. 46 of 75 copies.

___CONDITION: Fine; the case clean and without wear, the scrolling action operable, the scroll itself clean and without wear; as new.

___CITATION: Peter and Donna Thomas Bibliography no. A92.

___POSTAGE: International customers, please note that additional postage may apply as the standard does not always cover costs; please inquire for details.

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