Mark Twain's Raft Passage; From Life on the Mississippi

[Mill Valley, California]: Sunflower Press, 1986. Limited Edition. Leather bound. Near fine. Adams, Maryline Poole. One of 75 copies (this one of an unspecified number of deluxe copies), miniature book, 43 pp., signed by Carol Cunningham. Per the introduction to this charming miniature book, the "so-called 'Raft Passage' " appeared in various early editions of "Huckleberry Finn" as well as in "Life on the Mississippi" in 1883. "It represents the boisterous Halloween fun and the bully and braggart, stock situations and characters of the frontier humor...familiar to Twain's youth." Note that per the colophon, "[a] portion of the original story has been deleted."

With four illustrations by Maryline Poole Adams, of the Poole Press (Berkeley, Calif.); this book designed, printed and bound by Carol Cunningham of the Sunflower Press, and is signed by her at the colophon. The book also includes two U.S. postage stamps, one of Samuel Clemens and the second of the steamship the "Louisiana", each mounted and with a decorative border - altogether an utterly charming publication.

Note that while Bradbury describes the book as "gilt leather" the sole other copy online as of this writing is bound in paper boards; the person from whom we acquired this volume stated that the leather binding was one of "an unspecified number" of the deluxe edition.

___DESCRIPTION: Bound in full black leather with a gilt design of Twain and gilt lettering on the front, red endpapers, black-and-white frontispiece of Twain mirrors the gilt design on the front, title page in red and black, some red lettering and decorations throughout, a small cut of a steamship, in red, both opens and closes the story, with four full-page black-and-white illustrations by Maryline Poole Adams, the two postage stamps bound in facing p. 1 and at the rear (before the colophon page), numbered and signed by Carol Cunningham at the colophon; printed letterpress (per Bradbury), miniature book (2 7/8" by 2 5/8"), pagination: [i-vi] i-iv, 1-27 [28, blank] [29, second postage stamp] [30, blank] [31, colophon].

___CONDITION: Near fine, the leather on the boards smooth and supple, straight corners without rubbing, a strong, square text block with solid hinges, the interior is clean and bright, and entirely free of prior owner markings; a few very light, stray marks to the leather, else fine.

___CITATION: Bradbury, Sunflower Press no. 26.

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

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