Apricot Moon; images in the japanese haiku style of seventeen syllable verses

[Mill Valley, California]: Sunflower Press, 1970. Limited Edition. Hardcover. Near fine. Cunningham, Carol. No. 43 of 50 copies, twenty-fourmo size, eighteen unnumbered leaves. Carol Cunningham (1925-2013), under the imprint of the Sunflower Press, was known for her significant contributions to modern book arts; she is best known for her miniature books and was the second woman to become a Companion of the Moxon Chappel, a historic Bay Area printmaking club. Cunningham and close friend Diane Weiss founded the Fine Print Fair, now run by the Pacific Center for the Book Arts.

"Apricot Moon" was originally published by Carol in 1964, in an edition (truncated) of 50 copies, it being the first book she created after moving from San Diego to Mill Valley in that year. She relates in " L'Histoire D'un Tournesol" that she "[b]ought an 8 x 12 Gordon and began printing again in an unheated garage, on a charming street. 'Apricot Moon' eame [sic] soon with 15 of my haiku poems; illustrations from printing plants encased in silk. 50 copies were bound in apricot velveteen." One can only assume it was a favourite of hers, for this copy indicates it was reprinted in 1970, in another edition of 50 copies; printed and bound in the exact manner as the first. Based on the Sunflower Press bibliography, Carol did another version, in 1979, as a miniature book in an edition of 125 copies.

___DESCRIPTION: Bound in full apricot velveteen over boards, ivory paper label on the front with apricot-coloured lettering, pastedown endpapers of yellow with inlaid fibers or plant materials, string-bound with orange wool, bound without free endpapers with the book opening with the title page in apricot and black, with fifteen (not seventeen as specified on the sub-title page) haiku verses printed on the rectos only with a nature print in different colours beneath, another nature print at the colophon; admiral script, the nature prints made from silk-wrapped plants, twenty-fourmo size (5" by 4.5"), eighteen unnumbered leaves.

___CONDITION: Near fine, the velveteen binding showing only light soiling mostly at the board edges, the string binding strong, the interior clean and bright, and entirely free of prior owner markings; light soiling and a minute closed tear to the paper label on the front board, else fine; we cannot account for the discrepancy between the sub-title calling for "seventeen" haiku and the book only having fifteen, as no leaves appear to be missing. Still a lovely copy, scarce in the marketplace with no copies of the version with the prints available, only one copy of the miniature version as of this writing.

___CITATION: Sunflower Press L'Histoire D'un Tournesol..., 1964.

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

___Swan's Fine Books is pleased to be a member of the ABAA, ILAB, and IOBA and we stand behind every book we sell. Please contact us with any questions you may have, we are here to help. (Inventory #: 19052801)