New York Aurora Village Roycroft Shop 1898

no 18 of 470 copies. The Deserted Village was the first Roycroft book designed by W.W. Denslow. Denslow's 19 initials are outline letters, embellished with scrollwork, spiral flourishes, shamrocks, and other ornamental devices. The letters are printed in green and filled in by hand with gold paint. Dickinson's wove paper 11⅜ h × 9 w × ½ d in (290 × 230 mm). Green half cloth spine. Paper covered boards. Title in gilt on the green cloth on upper board. Some slight wear to corners, head and base of spine else a very good copy. Denslow, Hubbard and Baum are linked in this particular copy as Denslow, illustrated Baum's edition of the Wizard of Oz and other books by him and it is his photograph which is loosely inserted in the copy. Interesting connection. This copy one of the first 40 copies. Others of the first 40 were reputedly all extra illustrated editions although this copy does not have illustrations beyond the decorated letters by Denslow. Hubbard began his own prinnting conern, the Roycroft Press, inspired by William Morris's Kelmscott Press.