Search Results: Circuses/Amusement Parks/Magic/Magicians from Gargoyle Books

New York, New York, U.S.A.: Avon/Flare Books, 1974. First Edition First Printing . Soft cover. Good. Lavishly illustrated tribute to the Big Top in the form of vintage poster art advertising circuses around the world & over the 19th-20th centuries. Large folio (11" x 16") softcover in 112 pages, nearly every one a full-page, full-color poster suitable for removal & framing, if desired. The posters are preceded by a comprehensive Introduction describing each poster with a detailed history circus life & lore, along with information on the artist, the specific circus being advertised, & more. A fascinating read for the circus enthusiast! First Edition, First printing from 1974. Condition is downgraded to Good because the spine is cracked & the pages are coming loose/already detached: all posters are fully intact, completely clean & bright. Outside covers show light discoloration to white areas, minor edgewear/light soil, a few small chips & creases, bumped corners.… Read More

Denmark: Forlaget Hamlet, 1977. First Edition First Printing . Hardcover. Near Fine/Very Good. IN DANISH. 207 pages, profusely illustrated with both black-and-white & color photos throughout featuring people in the countryside of Denmark("hill people") with an apparent on circuses & country fairs, sideshows, circus people & entertainers A FIRST EDITION, first printing from 1977, this lavishly illustrated oversized (folio) hardcover 89, this book has burgundy textured cloth-covered boards with red design to front & lettering to spine. Condition is Near Fine: just lacks that Brand New crispness! Completely clean, binding straight & strong, pages white, colors bright. The unclipped DJ is VG, marred only by slight edgewear & a 2" tear ascending from bottom edge of front cover. Beautifully protected in new clear mylar cover Free! Our photos depict the exact book you will receive, never "stock" images of books we don't actually have! Same day shipping… Read More

Grosset & Dunlap, 1951. First Edition First Printing . Hardcover. Very Good. Children of all ages can experience all the thrills of the mid-20th-century American circus! A FIRST EDITION, First Printing from 1951 (with appropriate publisher's code & date) this oversized hardcover book (like a Big Golden Book) has glossy decorative paper over boards with a semi-funny/semi-creepy clown face on front & rear. Condition is VG: extremely clean, binding strong, stitching intact, but tearing at lower spine & slight subsequent paper loss here; other corners also rubbed with paper loss. Colors bright. Interior also completely clean, pages modestly tanned, colors bright.Our photos depict the Exact book you will receive, never "stock" images of books we don't actually have! Same Day Shipping on all orders received by 2 pm weekdays (PST); later orders, weekends & holidays ship very next business day.

New York, New York, U.S.A.: Cupples and Leon Company, 1949. First Edition Later Printing . Hardcover. Good/Good-. Second book in the series designed for girls ages 7-10, orig. published in 1949. A FIRST EDITION, later printing (lists to "Windmill Farm" on front flap & back DJ cover), hardcover book with orange cloth-covered boards & black lettering to front & spine is in Good condition: very clean, binding straight & strong, pages off-white, but no foxing. Former owner's name in pen on ffep. Rubbing to extremities, heavy along bottom edges, heavy corner bumping (down to boards); tanning to endpapers. The unclipped DJ (with orig. $1.25 price intact) is Good-, beautiful front cover image, but large section missing from lower spine, edgewear all around; nicely protected in new mylar cover Free! Our photos depict the Exact book you will receive, never "stock" images of books we don't actually have! Same Day Shipping on all orders received by 2 pm weekdays… Read More

Graywolf Press, 2018. First Softcover Edition . Soft cover. Near Fine. Director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture & poetry editor for the New Yorker magazine analyzes the rise of the hoax/flim flam/other forms of fakery in American culture & links it to racism, sexism, & other elements, including the rise of consummate con artist, Donald Trump. First Paperback Edition from 2018, in 560 pages with Index & Annotated Bibliography. From our own library, bought Brand New & read once gently, this oversized softcover is in Near Fine condition: just lacks that new crispness! Completely clean & bright, binding straight & strong, hinges intact, pages white. Our photos depict the Exact book you will receive, never "stock" images of books we don't actually have! Same day shipping on all orders received Weekdays by 2 pm (PST); later orders, weekends & holidays ship very next business day.

Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.: Follett Publishing Company, 1963. First Edition, 2nd Printing 2nd Printing. Hardcover. Very Good+/No Jacket. A tour of the circus, both in the ring & behind the scenes, for young readers, in 39 pages, brightly illustrated throughout. Original Dutch text translated into English. A FIRST EDITION, Second Printing, from 1963 (NOT the later reprint), this hardcover square 16mo is in VG+ condition: brightly colored green paper over boards decorated with circus figures to front & back, white spine lettered in black. Exceptionally clean & bright, stitched binding secure, but both hinges cracked about halfway down from top. Slight bumping to lower outer corners. Pages white & unmarked save for former owner's name & date to ffep. Our photos depict the Exact book you will receive, never "stock" images of books we don't actually have! Same day shipping on all orders received Weekdays by 2 pm Pacific time; later orders, weekends & holidays ship… Read More

Moscow, USSR: Progress Publishers. First English Language Edition . Soft cover. Very Good+. Lebedev, V.. Illustrated children's story about the Russian circus, first published in the former Soviet Union (USSR),translated from the original Russian into English. Unpaginated, with full color illustrations on every page. No dates in book, but others from this publisher that are similar are c. 1960s. Oversized softcover has a stapled binding with decorative paper wrappers, unpaginated. Condition is VG+: very clean with the occasional spot or smudge. Staples are secure, but show a tad of rust. Covers & all pages completely secure. Minor edgewear, very slight creasing at outer corners. Our photos depict the Exact book you will receive, never "stock" images of books we don't actually have! Same Day Shipping on all orders received by 2 pm weekdays (PST); later orders, weekends & holidays ship very next business day. BONUS: order more than one of these translated Russian… Read More

New York, New York, U.S.A.: DK Inc, 1998. First American Edition . Hardcover. Very Good/Very Good. Comprehensive history of the circus for children, lavishly illustrated throughout the 96 pages. Orig. published in Canada, this is the First American Edition, first printing, from 1998. Oblong hardcover with orange cloth-covered boards & gilt lettering to front & spine is in VG condition: extremely clean, binding straight & strong, pages white, colors bright. Rubbing to extremities, heaviest along lower edges & corners. The unclipped DJ is also VG, with rubbing to corners, both ends of spine, & a couple teeny (1/8") tears; nicely protected in new nonreflective mylar cover Free! Our photos depict the Exact book you will receive, never "stock" images of books we don't actually have! Same Day Shipping on all orders received by 2 pm weekdays (PST); later orders, weekends & holidays ship very next business day.

New York, New York, U.S.A.: Bantam, 1952. First Mass Market Paperback Edition . Mass Market Paperback. Very Good. The head veterinarian for Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus describes how he took care of the over 700 animals that acted with the circus. Orig. published in hardcover in 1951, this is the First Printing of the First mass market paperback edition from Bantam (#992) issued in 1952. Condition is VG-: very clean, binding straight & strong, pages tanned around edges. Covers show mild edgewear all around, heaviest along spine-front cover interfaces. Small hole punched in front cover at upper-outer corners, small crease to lower-outer corner of back cover. Protected in clear mylar collector bag free! Our photos depict the Exact book you will receive, never "stock" images of books we don't actually have! Same Day Shipping on all orders received by 2 pm weekdays (PST); later orders, weekends & holidays ship very next business day.

Waukesha, Wisconsin: Country Beautiful, 1969. First Edition First Printing . Hardcover. Very Good/No Jacket. Sumptuous tribute to "the lure and lore" of the circus as it has played in the US since the early 20th century. Lavishly illustrated in 290 pages with Index. A First Edition, first printing from 1969, this oversized square hardcover has yellow cloth-covered boards with red decorative lettering to front & spine. Condition is VG-: very clean, binding straight & strong, boards very slightly warped. Pages white, colors bright. NO DJ. Our photos depict the Exact book you will receive, never "stock" images of books we don't actually have! All orders processed before 2 pm weekdays (PST) ship that same day; later orders, weekends & holidays ship very next business day! SORRY: book is too large for expedited domestic or any international shipping due to postage costs.

Paris, France: Wally Findlay Galleries, 1978. First Edition First Printing . Soft cover. Good. Simbari, Nicola;. Tribute to the circus by acclaimed Italian artist Nicola Simbari, whose sketches & full-color paintings are interspersed with black-and-white photographs. Introduction in French by Jean Richard, Paris, June 1978; no other text. Oversized square softcover has white paper wrappers with gilt lettering to center front. Condition is Good, downgraded due to surface soil to both covers & a cracked binding--all pages completely intact, however. Paper covering spine has torn in places & been reglued. Interior is completely clean, pages white, colors bright. Our photos depict the Exact book you will receive, never "stock" images of books we don't actually have! Same Day Shipping on all orders received by 2 pm weekdays (PST); later orders, weekends & holidays ship very next business day. SORRY: book is too large for expedited domestic or any international shipping due… Read More

New York, New York, U.S.A.: St Martins Pr, 1992. First Paperback . Hardcover. Very Good/Very Good. The world's premier magician & debunker of scams offers an exhaustive overview of the colorful, sometimes scandalous, history of magic & conjuring around the world. Profusely illustrated, in 314 pages with Index & Bibliography, list of magicians, Glossary, & more in rear. A First Edition, first printing from 1992, this hardcover book has flat black paper-covered boards with a quarter black cloth-wrapped spine adorned with gilt lettering. Condition is Near Fine: just lacks that Brand New crispness! Completely clean, binding square & secure, pages white & completely unmarked, colors vivid. The unclipped DJ is equally Near Fine, with just slight rubbing to both ends of spine; beautifully protected in new mylar cover Free! Our photos depict the Exact book you will receive from us, never "stock" images of books we don't have here! Same Day Shipping on all orders… Read More

London/New York: The Studio Publications, 1953. First British Edition . Hardcover. Near Fine/VG-. Based on the author's experiences when he set out to draw performers & scenes at Bertram Mills' Circus in Britain. Well illustrated throughout the 64 pages. A probable FIRST BRITISH EDIITON, First Printing (not listed on list of other title in series, which typically indicates it was just printed), this small hardcover has bright red cloth-covered boards with yellow lettering to spine. Condition is Near Fine: completely clean, binding tight & square, pages slightly off-white. Bottom-clipped DJ (where British price would have appeared) is downgraded to VG-/G+ due to slight edgewear all around & mild soiling. Tiny chip at top edge of back cover.Our photos show the Exact book you will receive, never "stock" images of books we don't actually have on hand. Same day shipping on all orders received Weekdays by 2 pm (Pacific time); later orders, weekends & holidays ship… Read More

New York, New York, U.S.A.: Spring Books/Bonanza Books. Hardcover. Very Good/Good. The largest, most complete, & undoubtedly the most important volume on magic & stage illusions ever published,'' in 288 pages, well-illustrated throughout. Shows the secrets behind hundreds of tricks, with period drawings & advertisements. No publication date, c. 1980s. Oversized hardcover with flat black cloth-covered boards & gilt lettering to spine is in VG condition: very clean, binding straight & strong, pages white. Foxing to fore edge & lightly across top outside page edges. The DJ is downgraded to Good due to minor edgewear all around & small tears & chips, the largest of which is on the lower back edge near flap; looks nice protected in new mylar cover Free! Our photos depict the Exact book you will receive, never "stock" images of books we don't actually have! Same day shipping on all orders received by 2 pm Weekdays (Pacific); later orders, weekends,… Read More

Hugo, Oklahoma: Acme Publishing Co., 1962. First Edition First Printing . Hardcover. Near Fine/Good+. Autobiography of Herbert Walter Channell (aka Herb Walters) & his life & long career in the circus in the heart center of the US--Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, & "Circus Town, USA,'' Hugo, Oklahoma--as told to & transcribed by Velma E. Lowry of Sedan, KS. A First Edition, first printing from 1962, this hardcover book has bright green cloth-covered boards with gilt design & lettering to front & spine, in 165 pages with pictorial endpapers, black-and-white photos throughout. Condition is Near Fine: virtually flawless save for bumped corners, minor rubbing to extremities. Completely clean, binding straight & strong, pages white with extremely slight tanning to edges. The price-clipped DJ is Good+, downgraded due to minor-moderate edgewear, rubbing, small chips, spine fading; nicely protected in new mylar cover Free! Our photos depict the Exact book you will… Read More

La Jolla, California, U.S.A.: Green Tiger Press, 1983. First Edition First Printing . Soft cover. Fair. Cline, Paul. Another brilliantly illustrated book from the small Green Tiger Press in La Jolla, CA, with both black-and-white sketches & full-color illustrations by author Paul Cline. The small drawings adorn most of the book's 58 pages, while the full-color ones (each approx. 5" x 10", 7 in all) are tipped in throughout the text, which offers quotes & short anecdotes & excerpts from literature on clowns, fools, jesters, & other characters that allow us to laugh.often at ourselves. A FIRST EDITION, First Printing from 1983, this tall (14"), this slim (7") softcover book has decorative cream-colored paper wrappers, glued binding. Condition downgraded to Fair due to external surface wear, including many rubbed spots, soil, slight warping, & musty odor. Though the interior is almost completely clean, there is some dampstaining along the upper fore edge that… Read More

Racine, Wisconsin: Whitman/Western Publishing Company, Inc., 1973. First Edition First Printing . Soft cover. Near Fine. Activity book lets children build their own three-ring circus with paper cut-outs, with accompanying record featuring circus sounds! Breathtakingly Near Fine condition! Obviously stored away since purchased Brand New in 1973 when it first came out! Oversized softcover book has front & rear flap that fold out to create the three rings. Six pages of perforated figures--animals, clowns, lion tamers, unicycle riders, horses, balancing acts--are PRISTINE: never punched out! & still securely attached in front. Also intact is the small record (45 size, but plays at 33 1/3) in its original envelope inside front cover. everything is completely clean, binding straight & strong, colors bright. Only flaws are 1) a tiny bit of edgewear, slight bumping to corners, 2) slight fade to front cover where old price sticker was attached. Our photos show the Exact book you will receive,… Read More

NorthSouth, 2003. First American Edition . Hardcover. As New. Enchanting children's story about Eve, a young magician with this magical book, which opens/reads both front to back & 'round again! Translated from the original German, orig. published in Switzerland in 2003 as "Das magische Buch,'' this is the First English-language edition, First Printing, from that same year. Tall, slim hardcover has brightly colored & decorated paper over boards & is in Fine condition (our highest grade): looks & feels Brand New! Our photos depict the Exact book you will receive, never "stock" images of books we don't actually have on hand. Same day shipping on all orders received by 2 pm Pacific time (PST); later orders, weekends & holidays ship very next business day.

London, England: Hutchinson Junior Books Ltd., 1980. First British Edition . Hardcover. Fine. Lustig, Loretta. Pop-up book for children offers scenes from the circus, including clowns, animal acts, the trapeze act, lion tamer, & more! Illustrated by Loretta Lustig, paper engineering by Ib Penick. Unpaginated. Orig. published in the US in 1979, this is the First British Edition, first printing, from Hutchinson, 1980. Hardcover with glossy decorative paper over boards is in Fine condition: just a tad less crisp than Brand New! Completely clean, binding strong & straight, pages white, colors bright. All 8 pop-ups/movable parts work fine! Only flaw is a tiny bump to back cover.Our photos depict the Exact book you will receive, never "stock" images of books we don't actually have! Same Day Shipping on all orders received by 2 pm weekdays (PST); later orders, weekends & holidays ship very next business day.

Ringling Bros. & Barnum & Bailey, 1984. First Thus . Soft cover. Near Fine. All New Ringling Bros. Circus Centennial Edition from 1984, with colorful photos & stories of the varied performers, acts, clowns, & animals. Compiled by the Feld family, who had just recently (1982) reacquired ownership of the circus. Oversized (folio) softcover, unpaginated, is in Near Fine condition: protected in a mylar bag. Only flaw is creasing to lower corner of front cover. Otherwise, looks like it was just purchased at the circus! Stapled binding. Pullout poster of the Flying Vazquez family of aerialists is just laid in, not stapled. It is a beauty! Obviously never unfolded or displayed: bright & colorful, no wear. Book itself is completely clean, colors bright. Our photos depict the Exact book you will receive, never "stock" images of books we don't actually have! Same Day Shipping on all orders received by 2 pm weekdays (PST); later orders, weekends & holidays ship very next… Read More