The Pipesmoke Carry

Chicago: The Reilly and Britton Company, 1912. Cardboard covers. Very good. Duodecimo size, [95] pp., inscribed by Tiffany Blake (dedicatee). Bert Leston Taylor (1866-1921), humourist, poet, and columnist, writes this ode to the American wilderness, discerning not only the beauty and inspiration found in walking through the woods, but also that which can be found in smoking a pipe at the same time. A renowned columnist for the "Chicago Tribune", Taylor brings his wit and rich descriptions to this series of essays; each essay is preceded by a black-and-white illustration of scenes of nature and a stanza of poetry.

This volume is inscribed by Tiffany Blake (1870-1943), to whom the volume is dedicated by the author, and who was the long-time chief editorial writer for the "Chicago Tribune". Blake inscribed the volume to "Miss Head", possibly Anna Head, the founder of the Anna Head School for Girls in Berkeley, California, in 1887 (now Head-Royce School); the inscription begins "In remembrance of" and lists several cities and towns including Mill Valley, likely where the two had travelled together.

___DESCRIPTION: Full green paper over cardboard with yapped fore-edges, wraparound illustration of a tree branch in dark green, gilt lettering on the front board, top edge gilt, fore- and bottom edges uncut, endpapers with illustrations of tree branches in green and white, title page with decoration in black, black-and-white illustrations throughout, with original green ribbon marker; duodecimo size (7" by 4.25"), 95 unnumbered pages. Inscribed by Tiffany Blake to "Miss Head" on the front free endpaper, as described above.

___CONDITION: Volume is very good, with a strong, square text block with solid hinges, the interior is clean and bright, and other than the inscription mentioned above, entirely free of prior owner markings; boards are clean overall but for a few spots of soiling, light wear to the edges, some ink transfer from the inscription onto the front paste-down endpaper, and the ribbon marker is beginning to fray at the top.

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