Antiquarian & Vintage Book Auction
Lot 398:
1936 Calls, Sounds and Merchandise of the Peking Street Peddlers 1st Ed Rare Book!
Calls, Sounds and Merchandise of the Peking Street Peddlers by Constant, Samuel Victor. Published by The Camel Bell, Beijing, China, 1936. A highly prized 1st Edition hardback. Samuel Victor Constant (1894-1989), was a US Army officer and a specialist in Asian languages. In 1924, he was posted to China to serve as a military attache and, during 12 years in Beijing put this book together. It gives a look at how the marketplace was in 1920s-1930s Beijing. Cover is in very good condition made of silk on boards bound with an orange string. On close observation 2 little holes can be seen where the front cover folds. Internally the paper used and method of manufacture is quite different from what we see in early century American books published. The pages are folded as opposed to being printed on two sides. There are 60 colored lithograph plates depicting Peking street peddlers of times past. Each lithograph is comprised of two sections, one showing the peddler plying his trade and the other showing a close up of his product, or the tool or instrument which he used in his trade. In reading others descriptions on this book it is pointed out that due to the way it was made and the thinness of the pages they often get a wavyness to them which this one also has. Some pages will have what appears to be a light ink bleed or blotches from the way it was printed. The last 3 pages in the book appear to have moisture damage but the inpage does not. Was likely made with imperfect paper. Some pages have cut out pictures glued in. The method of manufacture and all that went in to it assured that this was not a very heavily produced book. Book is very nice and very interesting but not made perfect. It still has its decorative board slip which has served well to protect it over time. The slip has a fair amount of wear but still seats the book nicely. A book worth researching for those unfamiliar with it.
Condition: As Described "See Pictures"
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