Welcome

Thorn Books was established in 1987. Our name comes both from the Thorn of Glastonbury with its Arthurian connotations, & the Old English alphabet letter:Þ. Thorn Books was admitted to the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America in 1991. We deal in fine books in all fields, but with a special attention to material related to King Arthur and Early Britain (including England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales).

Los Angeles Book Fair

We will be exhibiting at the 43rd California International Antiquarian Book Fair
Hyatt Regency Century Plaza
February 12th through the 14th
Booth 511
See you at the Fair!

Featured Items

8vo. xiii,(1),153pp. Original cream-colored limp vellum binding, gilt titles, Yapp edges, yellow silk ribbon ties. One of 125 copies printed on handmade paper, from a total edition of 150 copies. Introduction by Richard le Gallienne. Prose and poetry in honor of St Valentine, and published on his day in 1893. Vellum beautifully preserved, but yawning as it will; the fragile silk ribbon ties and somewhat soiled and frayed but still able to keep the covers shut. A near fine copy. Laid in is a penny post card posted February , 1893, typewritten, in which the author, Frank E. Bliss, notifies the New York recipient that the book had been shipped. Also laid in is a letter to Beverly Chew from the author, handwritten and signed. With the engraved bookplate of Beverly Chew on the front pastedown.

In Praise of Bishop Valentine
(Bliss, Frank; Richard le Gallienne)
London: Printed for Private Circulation, 1893. 8vo. xiii,(1),153pp. Original cream-colored limp vellum binding, gilt titles, Yapp edges, yellow silk ribbon ties. One of 125 copies printed.. more
Price: $500.00

Original Victorian Valentine's Day cards dating the the late 19th century. Generally single sheets, folded, ranging from 3.25 x 5 inches to 4.5 by 7 inches. The fronts are stamped or cut in a lace design and there are applied chromolithographed illustrations as well as Friendship verses. One a little soiled and one with a small stain, one with some damage to the 'lace' edge, but generally in very good. condition and unused.

Group of Six Victorian Valentine's Day Cards
(Valentine)
late 1800's. Original Victorian Valentine's Day cards dating the the late 19th century. Generally single sheets, folded, ranging from 3.25 x 5.. more
Price: $100.00

Only edition. 8vo. 238pp. Original green cloth, gilt. Issued without dustwrapper. Nearly every entry has a full page photograph of the title page facing its description. Index. Bibliography. 76 items in the remarkable collection of early items relating to the discovery of America are described followed by notes and citations. Corners bumped else a fine copy.

The Bernard J. Flatow Collection of Latin American Cronistas
Ilgen, William D.
Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina, 2005. Only edition. 8vo. 238pp. Original green cloth, gilt. Issued without dustwrapper. Nearly every entry has a full page photograph.. more
Price: $100.00

Single sheet, folded to approx. 3-1/2 by 5-1/2 inches, pierced in a lace pattern in the center and at the edges, and embossed with flowers and leaves. In the center is a young girl holding a circlet above her head, affixed to the card only by her foot, which is standing on a group of clouds, also attached only in sections, to give a three-dimensional effect. Beneath is a scroll reading, "If I lose you, I am lost". The scroll, girl and clouds are entirely hand-painted; flowers and leaves are hand-colored. There is a tiny break in the fragle border paper lacework, image slightly dusty, else in very good condition and unused. Scarce.

Victorian Hand-painted Valentine
Valentine
n.p.: n.p., mid 1800's. Single sheet, folded to approx. 3-1/2 by 5-1/2 inches, pierced in a lace pattern in the center and at the.. more
Price: $100.00

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