Phoenixiana - A Collection of the Burlesques & Sketches of John Phoenix; alias John P. Squibob, who was, in fact, Lieutenant George H. Derby, U.S.A. Edited by Francis Farquhar. Published in 1937 by The Grabhorn Press, San Francisco. Hardcover, no dust jacket. 240 pages.
This copy is one of a LIMITED EDITION of 550 copies. As it turns out, our father had two copies of this book. So if you missed the one that sold earlier this year, grab this one while you can!
Condition: There are some scuffs to the front cover. The front and back endpapers have darkened somewhat. There are no bookplates, ink names, pen/pencil notations, or similar defects. The book is protected by a clear plastic wrapper.
Phoenixiana was the last volume in the last series of Rare Americana that The Grabhorn Press had published beginning in 1932.
John Phoenix and John P. Squibob were pseudonyms for George Horatio Derby (1823 – 1861), an early California humorist. Derby served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army Corps of Topographical Engineers during the decade following the California gold rush. In his spare time, he wrote humorous anecdotes and burlesques, often under the guise of his pseudonyms. This volume collects the rare and obscure works that Derby published in the California papers under pseudonyms.
The Grabhorn Press was among the foremost fine printing establishments in the United States from the early 1920s to the mid-1960s. Operated by the brothers Edwin and Robert Grabhorn, the press stood out for its exuberant and adventuresome approach, with a prolific output of more than 650 books that varied in scale and style.
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Our father was a bibliophile who collected rare books, letters, and ephemera for more than 60 years. For now and into the foreseeable future, we will be listing rare paper items from his estate.
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