Five extraordinary titles were recently acquired for our Special Collections. Cataloging for the materials is in progress, and they will be available for inspection at the Luhrs Reading Room shortly:

• LaQuintinie, Jean de. The Compleat Gard’ner: or, Directions for Cultivating and Right Ordering of Fruit Gardens and of Kitchen Gardens; with Divers Reflections on Several Parts of Husbandry. In Six Books… London: Printed for Matthew Gillyflower… and James Partridge…, 1693.
• Johnson, Carolyn.  A Leaf From “The First of May,” a Fairy Masque. With an essay on Walter Crane by Carolyn Johnson. Fullerton, California: Stone & Lorson, 1988.
• Allix, Susan, compiler. Nonsense & Nonsense: A Collection of verses and extracts… with logical or nonsensical Typographic arrangements and visual promptings. [London: Susan Allix, 2008].
• Edwards, Jonathan. Spider Letter. [Bremen, Maine and New York]: Red Angel Press, 2009.
• Buchanon, Hugh and Peter Davidson. Winter Light. [Bath]:  The Old School Press with Francis Kyle Gallery, 2010.

Special Collections has been looking for an opportunity to enhance our fabulous Doris and Marc Patten Collection of “herbals”, rare books documenting the history of gardening and medicinal or culinary uses of plants. This late seventeenth century first edition of The Compleat Gard’ner is a remarkable find given its rarity and its excellent condition in original boards. The volume includes wonderful prints describing grafting techniques and important added texts not found in the fourth edition, which is available in the Patten collection.

Carolyn Johnson’s Leaf represents a creative folio display of a single leaf from British artist Walter Crane’s illustrated edition of The First of May: A Fairy Masque. The leaf is accompanied by Johnson’s essay about Crane’s late nineteenth and early twentieth century work in illustration and design for children’s books, presented in seven additional folio leaves. One of only fifty copies produced, Leaf will attract the attention of those studying the British Arts and Crafts movement. Special Collections also holds one of two hundred signed India proofs of the 1881 edition of The First of May, along with seventy other works by or about Walter Crane.

Susan Allix’ whimsical Nonsense & Nonsense is a wonderful example of creative layout and book design that delivers uncommon artistry and humor. Edwards’ Spider Letter completes our existing collection of creative presentations from the Red Angel Press, while Buchanan and Davidson’s Winter Light offers beautiful prints of watercolors depicting still life interiors from home that feature rich colors and the soft light of winter.

Please contact the Luhrs Reading Room at archives@asu.edu or 480.965.4932 for more information.

- Rob Spindler, Archives and Special Collections