Thomas B. Mosher ~ The Latest Acquisitions

I'll have some impressions of bartending for you a bit later. In the meantime, here's the latest acquisitions to my collection of books published by Thomas B. Mosher of 45 Exchange Street, Portland, Maine.

The Bibelot, Volume VIII, 1902, twelve issues.
"The Bibelot: A Reprint of Poetry and Prose for Book Lovers, chosen in part from scarce editions and sources not generally known." Blue paper wraps, 24mo. One usually finds the bound editions of The Bibelot, either the later Testimonial editions or earlier editions ranging from the 1900s to 1915. Finding the originally issued monthly copies of The Bibelot is rather rare, especially an entire year's worth. For 1902 we have a selection from London Voluntaries by W.E. Henley,The Story of the Unknown Church and A Dream by William Morris, In Praise of Old Houses by Vernon Lee, William Morris: An Address by his biographer J.W. MacKail, and Rossetti and the Religion of Beauty by F.W.H. Myers among others.

The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, translated by Edward Fitzgerald, published by Thomas B. Mosher, 1904.
You can tell a collector by their willingness to collect various editons of a single book. In this case
I have a Mosher Rubaiyat in the Old World series and now this one in the Vest Pocket series. A slim 16mo in blue paper wraps with Chiswick decorations, it includes a preface by Nathan Haskell Dole and his Persian vocabulary.

The Growth of Love, by Robert Bridges, published by Thomas B. Mosher, 1894.
Part of the English Reprint series, this is a number 342 in a limited edition of 400, post 8vo, Van Gelder paper with vellum wraps. This edition features a lengthy essay on Bridges and his poetry and a reprint of the thoroughly charming colophon to the original 1890 edition. As to the poetry of Mr. Bridges, I can only quote Mr. Abraham Lincoln: "Those who like this sort of thing will find this the sort of thing they like."

An Apology For Idlers, by Robert Louis Stevenson, published by Thomas B. Mosher, 1905.
This has to be the most unusual Mosher book in my collection. Within a clamshell box of muslin over boards and a calf leather spine with gold embossing is an engraving of Robert Louis Stevenson. The number 98 is pasted on the outside of the clamshell box. Given Mosher's fondness for limited editions, this is number 98 of perhaps 100 or 400 editions. The book itself is is typical of the Vest Pocket series, a slim volume in blue paper wraps with the original glassine over-wrap still present. Four essays by Robert Louis Stevenson make up the edition:An Apology For Idlers, The English Admirals, Eldorado and Child's Play. A gorgeous edition.

Poems In Prose, by Charles Baudelaire, translated by Arthur Symons, published by Thomas B. Mosher, 1909.
Slipcases are always a dicey proposition with the Mosher books. Most suffer some form of damage, being chipped, split or long since separated from the book it contained. So I was delighted in the extreme to find the slipcase to Poems In Prose was in near mint condition with just a slight crease at the base! The book itself, part of the Ideal Series of Little Masterpieces, is in excellent condition withonly a tiny date written in the fep. A small 16mo, with a glassine wrap over green paper boards decorated in gold with the series floral motif. Foreward by Mosher.

For John O'Mahony's Friends, by Katherine Tynan, published by Thomas B. Mosher, 1909.
Part of the Ideal Series of Little Masterpieces, the Mosher Books catalgoe describes Tynan's work thus: "In this (work) there is the simple unaffected tenderness of memories genuinely Celtic, yet so universally human, that it is difficult to find or even seek its like elsewhere. My friend William Marion Reedy has always insisted that I reached a high-wter mark when I discovered Katherine Tynan's tribute, and the fact that it is reissued in The Ideal Series is the best proof we can give of our regard for his critic judgment." The floral patterned slipcase suffers typical rubbing and splitting, and the glassine wrap is present but damaged. The book itself is in good condition with cream coloured paper wraps decorated in the series gold floral motif.

Sebastian Van Storck, by Walter Pater, published by Thomas B. Mosher, circa 1900.
This edition, like the edition of Stevenson's Apology for Idlers, is a rare Mosher find. The volume is within a glassine envelope and still sealed with the original gold foil seal! Part of the Brocade Series, the floral decorated slipcase suffers from a small split. A rara avis, indeed!

All in all, this was a very good week for the Mosher book collection!