Ex Libris Mysterioso

Recently received:

Held's Angels, by John Held, Jr. and Frank B. Gilbreth, Jr., 1952, published by Thomas Y. Crowell, New York.
During the '20s John Held's illustrations of the era's collegiate set, the flappers and shieks, and their escapades epitomized the wild abandon of Flaming Youth, bathtub gin and jazz. Held's illustrations appeared in a variety of periodicals of the era: Life, Judge and College Humor among others. Using a variety of Held's illustrations taken from various sources, Frank Gilbreth recreates the giddy, go-go atmosphere of college life as Alfred and Betty arrive simple co-eds and mature into gin-drinking, Charleston-dancing collegiates.

The Blessed Damozel and Sister Helen, by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, circa 1900s, published by Thomas Y. Crowell, New York.
The Crowell publishing house was clearly under the influence of Elbert Hubbard's Roycrofters with this slim edition of two Rossetti poems. From the limp suede cover witht he gold embossed title, the silk end pages and the tipped in illustration of Rossetti, one might, at first glance, mistake it for a Roycroft book. Imitation is clearly the best form of flattery.

William Morris, Poet, Craftsman, Socialist by Elisabeth L. Cary, G.P. Putnam's Sons, The Knickerbocker Press, 1902.
In her introduction, Elisabeth L. Cary concedes that no one could better the definitive William Morris biography by J.W. MacKail and she proposes to "show (Morris) and his work as they appeared to the outer public." This is a stunningly beautiful book with gold floral embossing on the cover board and featuring lengthy extracts from Morris's fiction, poetry and political tracts and lavishly illustrated.