Fads and Fancies

1905. First Edition . HARRISON, Constance Cary. Fads and Fancies of Representative Americans at the Beginning of the Twentieth Century, Being a Portrayal of their Tastes, Diversions, and Achievements. New York: Town Topics, 1905. Large folio (16 by 12 inches), publisher's full dark green morocco, elaborately gilt-decorated spine, covers and dentelles, raised bands, green watered-silk endpapers, all edges gilt. Housed in original felt-lined wooden box with latches. $7500.First and only edition of this beautifully bound, printed, and illustrated work, with portraits of over 80 of the early 20th century's most notable American men. A striking large folio volume in original felt-lined wooden box.Contains brief illustrated profiles of men such as John Jacob Astor, Charles M. Schwab, Grover Cleveland, Theodore Roosevelt, and Alfred and Reginald Vanderbilt, with facsimiles of their signatures. With vignette illustrations throughout. Printed on Japanese vellum with rubricated initials and red-ruled text, embellished with gilt scrolling and many photographic illustrations in the wide margins. The limitation page at the front of this splendid volume notes that copies were printed for subscribers only, after which the plates were destroyed; this copy is numbered ""94."" Signed mimeograph, dated August 1, 1904, from the editor, L.S. Vassault, to Samuel V. Hoffman, Esq., heir to original subscriber Dean Hoffman (who developed the ""grand design"" for the Oxford-inspired General Theological Seminary in New York), laid in. The letter apologizes for the production delay on this work due to a 14-month wait for paper from Japan and long search for large skins suitable for binding. Contemporary pencil owner signature.Light wear to wooden box. Interior lovely, a few tiny scratches to binding, gilt quite bright. Fine condition.