Thank you for visiting Karen Nyman Miniature Books
Book of the Week
(February 16 – 22)
Speech of June 4, 1940 by Winston Spencer Churchill. Los Angeles CA: Dawson’s Book Shop, 1964.
CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE
14 pp. letterpress by William M. Cheney; photo portrait of Churchill. An excerpt from the speech that rallied England after the evacuation of Dunkirk; a souvenir for an Antiquarian Bookseller’s party at the home of Franklin and Judy Murphy. Bound in maroon calf by Bela Blau with “Churchill” gilt-stamped on rounded spine. Measures 1-3/8″ x 1″. Very fine condition.
Churchill’s complex use of language has been dissected thoroughly in the years since the speech was made. Through repetition, intricate sentence structure and metaphor, this famous speech has retained its impact through to the present day. The speech was a clear appeal to the United States but the USA didn’t enter the war until the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
Glen Dawson got several Southern California pioneer printing greats involved with miniature books but William Cheney was, in my opinion, the most talented of them all. He outlived all the others (Saul Marks, Grant Dahlstrom, Richard Hoffman, Ward Ritchie and Wallace Nethery) and was the most prolific of the group. Cheney specialized in miniature books, which showcased his technical mastery.
UCLA’s William Andrews Clark Memorial Library has a wonderful collection of finely-crafted books and the papers and personal ephemera of the books’ creators. Included are the books and papers of William Cheney. Born in Los Angeles, he started working as a shipping clerk at Dawson’s Book Shop at the age of 13. He started printing, mostly self-employed, at the age of 26 and continued for 50 years, until 1983.
Regular price is $80. This week only $64+ $4 to mail. SOLD OUT
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Miniature books are my only business. From antiquarian rarities to modern artist books, I offer limited editions, micro-miniatures, thumb Bibles, children’s books, ABC books, books on books, etc., etc. Beautiful books of virtually every genre are available in miniature format.
On the CATALOGS page, you can view pdf versions of over 65 catalogs. My most recent e-catalogs are on this page. The e-catalogs are emailed to collectors worldwide and the books tend to sell quickly. In addition to e-catalogs, there are catalogs listed by publisher and also some specialty catalogs. It is easy to order a book from any catalog…just call or email me.
There are approximately 1,200 miniature books in my inventory… feel free to ask if you are looking for a specific book. You are also welcome to visit my miniature book library on your next trip to the San Diego area.
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Catalog 82 ~ January 2020, is now posted on the CATALOGS page
Next e-catalog: March 1, 2020
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I am a member of the Miniature Book Society (MBS). For information on joining MBS, go to the MBS WEBSITE .
Recipient of the Miniature Book Society’s Glasgow Cup Award in 2012 and the Norman W. Forgue Award in 2010.