More Thomas B. Mosher Books ...

I realize that you've been all agog wondering what those boxes of books I mentioned earlier contained. Having kept you in suspense long enough, I must, prior to documenting these volumes, (I've been reading Tristram Shandy! Can you tell?) make a slight but meaningful digression on the subject of Mr. Mosher and the copyright laws of his day.

The copyright laws of the 1890s and early 1900s were, at best, contradictory and confusing. The essence of the situation was this: if you were a publisher or writer in England you had register your copyright not only in England but in the U.S. as well, even if you had no intention of bringing out an American edition of the book. Otherwise, your work would be copyrighted in England, but public property in America. It was in this gray area of the copyright law that Thomas B. Mosher and Elbert Hubbard thrived. Among the British publishers, Mosher was a considerable nuisance and numerous articles against "Mosherism" appeared in the publishing trade journals. Mosher, being a former seaman, bluntly replied "Copyright your books properly then!"

And now, having digressed, here are the latest books published by Thomas B. Mosher:

The Story of Cupid and Psyche, by Walter Pater, published by Thomas B. Mosher, 1897.
I believe The Story of Cupid and Psyche was part of Pater's novel Marius the Epicurean, though I may be mistaken and The Story could simply be a translation direct form Apuleius. Be that as it may, it's a charming story with Pater's gem-like prose adding a delightful touch. This edition may well be from Mosher's Bibelot Series, a 16mo, with ivory paper covers over cardstock boards, one of 425 copies on Japan vellum.

In Praise of Omar, An Address By the Honorable John Hay, published by Thomas B, Mosher, 1898.
In the 1890s The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam was an exceedingly popular work and numerous societies sprang up to study and praise the poem ... people even wrote odes about The Rubaiyat and Khayyam. In Praise of Omar is the transcription of an address given by Colonel John Hay to the Omar Khayyam Club in London on '8 December 1897.' It was a matter of months before Hay's address was being privately printed and circulated (I'm pretty certain Elbert Hubbard's Roycrofters brought out an edition to accompany their edition of The Rubaiyat). This is a nice 16mo edition, slipcased, slate coloured wraps over ivory cardstock boards, floral decoration on the cover, fourteen pages in length. Nifty!

The Heptalogia, by Algernon Charles Swinburne, published by Thomas B. Mosher, 1898.
The Heptalogia is part of Mosher's Reprints of Privately Printed Books series. Originally issued anonymously by Chatto and Windus in a very limited edition and from the description given sounds like a very pretty edition, Swinburne's parody on seven contemporary poets, including Lord Alfred Tennyson, Walt Whitman, Dante Gabriel Rossetti and ... Algernon Charles Swinburne, was an extremely rare edition for Swinburne collectors. Mosher's edition of The Heptalogia (trans. Seven Against Sense) is quarto, slate coloured paper over thick coverboards, one of 450 copies on hand-made Van Gelder paper.

Empedocles On Etna, A Dramatic Poem, by Matthew Arnold, published by Thomas B. Mosher, 1900.
Empedocles On Etna is part of Mosher's Miscellaneous Series. Slate coloured paper over heavy boards, very pretty hand-made paper (I assume it's Van Gelder), one of 450 copies. Mosher was trying his hand at emmulating William Morris's Kelmscott style and, as you can see, he succeeded very well. A very elegant book!