Grabau John (1 results)

Offered here is a privately commissioned binding by John Grabau for a Guest Book, by a Miss H.G. Cooke, that contains an original frontispiece pen and ink watercolor drawing, likely by Grabau. The book comes with an autograph typed invoice on Grabau's Studio stationery (see below), dated 1929. Binding description: 9 1/2 x 8 inches, 200 pages of acid free paper. Bound in full crushed navy blue morocco with concentric gilt-tooled ruling and embellishments on front cover with multiple inlaid morocco pieces in red and green forming cross-hatching squares and rectangles, in a most pleasing design, and middle bottom, "McLean, in gilt. The back cover has the same architecture of gilt-tooling, Gilt dentelles, marbled endpaper. Original hand-painted half-page illustration as frontispiece depicting a coat of arms with facing seals, and four symbolic features in the crest, "Virtue, Honor, Mine," appears at the bottom, and below that, it black calligraphy, "Angus and Ida McClean." The invoice: (printed) John F. Grabau, Art Bookbinding Studio, 429 Parkdale Ave, Buffalo, N.Y. (typed) "Nov. 15, 1929, Miss H.G. Cooke- To binding 1 guest book 200 pages full Acid free Levant hand tooled & inlaid, crest drawn. $75.00. (in manuscript blue ink) Rec. Payment Nov. 20/29 J. F. Grabau, pu. Wm g." With silk page marker, and in most probably its original folding box with marbled covered paper. Book is in fine condition. John Frederick Grabau was born in Wisconsin in 1878, training as an artistic bookbinder. In 1902, Grabau became the protege of Louis H. Kinder at the Roycroft community bindery. An interesting and unusual Grabau offering.