Paul Leicester FordCritiques

It took me ages to finish this book and I have really mixed feelings about it, I'm not sure whether I liked or disliked it. I'm not going to read it again, so I guess I didn't. I quite hated this Janice girl, she seemed so shallow and silly. I really didn't care if she was going to get her happily ever after or not. But I think it was an interesting book and I believe many people could really enjoy it.

Hardback, 1899, The Century Press

No idea why I actually acquired this book from LPA, as the subject is rather esoteric. But there are lots of reproductions of programs from the time, and some letters, diaries and ledgers. The book appears to result from deep archival research. Originally published by the Dunlap Society in 1899; William Dunlap (1766-1839) was a pioneer American theatre impresario and painter who painted a portrait of Washington.

This is an unusually beautifully bound book. For some reason it warranted top-flight handling. Harrison Fisher contributed 5 b&w illustrations; but more striking, each page is bracketed with scrolly plant-life by Margaret Armstrong, who also designed the binding. There are six different full color scrolls alternating throughout the book. It is a slim volume of 108 pages, and with the very heavy paper and only a paragraph or so per page, it's more of a short story length.
The first 34 pages are a prequel to the story, being a conversation among the descendants of the main characters while they are examining an old portrait.
The story itself is not particularly wonderful. I can think of many other books more deserving of this treatment.

Young girl attends the wrong party by accident and meets the love of her life, but complications ensue because of the strict rules of society. The story is ho-hum, but the cover of the book is so beautiful that you'll want to display it face-front on your shelves.½

This was the first book I bought after I decided to collect and read in turn at least one biography of each US President. I paid $8.50 for it in a used book store in Santa Rosa, California and I do not regret the purchase. It is an unusal treatment of an important life, as the chapter headings will indicate: Family Relations, Physique, Education, Relations with the Fair sex, Farmer and Proprietor, Master and Employer, Social Life, Tastes and Amusements, Friends, Enemies, Soldier, and Citizen and Office-Holder. The author tried to help his reader to touch and feel the man. The overiding impression I got was that of a very honest person who felt a responsibilty to serve even though he sometimes would rather not have. I gave the book three stars because of its simplistic and unusual approach.

Beautiful typography, binding. Haven't read it.

$59. Condition: Good. [FIRST EDITION] New York: Dodd Mead & Co., 1904. Hardcover, no dust jacket (as issued?) 108 pages. Green cloth boards with detailed decoration and bright gilt lettering. Top edge gilt & untrimmed pages. Every page of text has beautiful full-color borders in varying floral patterns by Margaret Armstrong; five full-page b/w tissue-covered engravings by Harrison Fisher, including a frontispiece. Very good overall condition with slight wear to sp