Early Rebecca Press Miniature Books

Since its establishment in 1980, Rebecca Press has issued more than 40 miniature books. Here are some of those produced prior to 2016—presented in no particular order. A complete chronological list can be found here.

Venus Explor’d

Deluxe edition of Venus Explor’d in pale silver and cream leather with bright silver leather endsheets.

Regular edition of Venus Explor’d, which presents a photographic study of the female form.

Award-winning documentary filmmaker and photographic artist Noel Izon.

Deluxe edition of Venus Explor’d. Box becomes a display stand for interchangeable prints.

Double endsheets: full silver leather followed by printed endpapers.

Venus Explor’d is the first miniature book published by Rebecca Press. A photographic study of the female form, it presents the work of award-winning documentary filmmaker and photographer Noel M. Izon. The regular edition is bound in silver-gray book cloth with foil stamping on the cover. A deluxe edition was always intended but it took the end of the run for it to finally happen. Released in 2017 in a limited edition of 15 copies, each slightly different from the others, the deluxe edition is bound in full leather and features a female torso that wraps around the spine. The box for the deluxe edition frames a pair of interchangeable prints from the book and opens to form a display stand. Available to order. Please email: serous39202@mypacks.net

The New House

The New House, by David Mamet.

The New House. Cover “doors” from cherry wood,, laser cut.

The New House. Printed letterpress. Wood engraved illustrations by Sarah Chamberlain.

The New House is a first-edition poem by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Mamet. This miniature book from Rebecca Press features original wood engraved illustrations, by Sarah Chamberlain. The book is printed letterpress in 2 colors, with wood engravings printed from the blocks. The title page is blind embossed. Bound in wooden boards with leather spine, the cover has a laser-cut “fanlight” and a miniature brass doorknob with escutcheon. A tiny brass key dangles at the end of the bound-in bookmark. Endpapers carry the reader from the front door into the interior of the house.

The Seventh Princess/The Goldfish

The Seventh Princess/The Goldfish.

Regular edition, cover of The Goldfish.

Regular edition, cover of The Seventh Princess.

Deluxe binding of The Seventh Princess/The Goldfish.

This pair of delightful stories by children’s author Eleanor Farjeon is published in a miniature edition by Rebecca Press and features full-color illustrations by Edith Bingham. The stories are presented in a back-to-back format, with each story having its own cover of handmade paper and a full-color illustration. The spine is leather. A deluxe version of the book was produced, bound in full leather, with color illustrations under domed watch glass. On the “Princess” side, the glass becomes a window into the castle; on the “Goldfish” side, the glass is a fishbowl. When viewed from the side, the effect is of an orb going through the center of the book. Artist proof copies of the deluxe edition featured a double foredge painting.

Erté Maquettes

Erte Maquettes. Regular edition, bound in black silk with silver leather spine strip.

Original deluxe edition of Erte Maquettes, bound in cobalt blue snakeskin, black calf, seed pearls, and a diamond.

Erte Maquettes, regular and original deluxe editions plus a few images from the book.

Erté Maquettes presents previously-unpublished work by the iconic Art Deco artist. The illustrations shown in this miniature book are, themselves, miniature works. When Erté designed covers for Harper’s Bazar magazine in the 1930s, he would submit 3 or 4 designs in small format (maquettes) for consideration. One would be selected to become a cover; the other diminutive gems were stored away for some 40 years, until they appeared in this book. Presented in this volume are 44 full-color maquettes (42 of which are previously unpublished), along with a short introductory essay. The regular edition is bound in black silk with a silver leather spine strip and printed endpapers. The original deluxe edition was bound in cobalt blue snakeskin inset with black calf, seed pearls, and a diamond. It was housed in a custom designed minaudière made of the snake and calf skins framed in sterling silver. A new, limited deluxe binding is was designed in 2018 and is available for special order. Please email for details: serous39202@mypacks.net

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Deluxe edition, Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

Foredge painting done on special deluxe copies.

Washington Irving’s classic Halloween tale of Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman is presented in its entirety in this miniature volume. Illustrated with wood engravings by Sarah Chamberlain, the story is letterpress printed, with pictures printed from the blocks. Endpapers were specially marbled by Chris Weimann in a miniature peacock pattern. The Sleepy Hollow U.S. postage stamp, which served as inspiration for the design of this book, is tipped in as a frontispiece. Deluxe copies were bound in deep blue leather with orange leather inlay and black stamping. Special deluxe copies had foredge paintings by illustrator Sarah Chamberlain.