AT

striking black and whites for Prescott's "The_Conquest of Mexico" (Holt), Gordon Grant's illustrations for "The Book of Ships" (Milton Bradley). Several examples of illustrations for novels are also shown, including some very striking ones by George Bellows for "The Wind Bloweth" by Don Byrne (Century).

T the annual October exhibit of the Art Center, New York, one can turn from the showing of Anderson woodcuts for children's books a hundred or more years ago to the latest efforts of the brilliant painters who illustrate our modern books and magazines. Nothing could better show the progress of illustrative art. The The exhibit is a combination of several interests: The Pictorial Photographers, American Institute of Graphic Arts and the Society of Illustrators.

An illustrator works under special restrictions not faced by creators of art in other fields, but they have the joy of reaching a large audience and of finding a permanent preservation and thus continuing appreciation. Long steps ahead have been made during the last twenty years, both in the character of the work and in the ability of the producer to interpret the artist's intention with reasonable accuracy. Appreciation by the producer and by the public is helping America to take a high place in this field of art. For a descriptive circular distributed at the exhibit Dr. Frank Weitenkampf has written a fine appreciation of what such exhibits mean:

Perhaps the most interesting thing in the room devoted to magazine material is a painting made by Dean Cornwell, illustrator of the magazine stories, for Cosmopolitan, the painting being hung side by side with other material showing the whole process of magazine illustrating the typewritten text of the story as the artist reads it, the preliminary sketches, photographs of the artist in his studio working from a model, the final oil painting, photographs showing the photo-engravers at work and examples of their first and final proofs and then the magazine itself. This picture, with others by Mr. Cornwell, would mark him as one of the greatest illustrators this country has had, and it seems unfortunate that he has not done as much for book illustrating as for periodicals.

"During the past few years we have had in New York City and elsewhere a number of exhibitions intended to inculcate principles of fine bookmaking, particularly thru the examples of the past. The present exhibition makes the same point by presenting the achievements of the present. The selection of books shown is small enough to be seen in comfort and large enough to present a stimulating variety in point-of-view, both individual and racial, in style, and in manner of execution and reproduction. should be of service to both the artist and the general public.

There are also beautiful paintings by Mead Sheaffer, N. C. Wyeth, H. I. Keller, J. Scott Williams and others

This

"The various methods of reproduction shown are not only of technical appeal to the illustrator, but of general interest. They bring up questions which bear on the very principles of book illustration and decoration. Choice can easily be made here between black-and-white and color.

A book exhibit was arranged to show the different processes of reproducing illustrations. It contains a varied assortment of American book production from the different periods. Among the examples used to show illustrative methods were Tony Sarg's "Book for Children" (Greenberg), Charles B. Fall's "Alphabet" (Doubleday), E. A. Wilson's colored wood engravings for "Iron Men and Wooden Ships" (Doubleday), C. D. Chambers's fine paintings for "Quentin Durward" (Scribner), Mead Sheaffer's pictures for "Typee" (Dodd), Louis Rhead's black and whites for "King Arthur" (Harper), the illustrations by Will James for his own book on cowboys (Scribner), Ralph Barton's clever cartoons for "Nonsensorship" (Putnam), Stuart Hay's diverting quips for "Old Soak's History of the World" (Doubleday), Keith Henderson's

between tone and line drawing, choice. also, between illustration standing by itself and that made to produce books in which type, illustration, decoration and other elements combine to form a harmonious whole. This last factor is an important one in the growing interest in the well-made book, of which a significant phase is the increase in line illustration."

WHEN connection with an electric light WHEN connection with an electric light socket has been made the colorful mountain scene becomes very suggestive indeed of "East of the Setting Sun" the new Graustark book of George Barr McCutcheon which Dodd, Mead & Co. have just published. Here is the castle made famous in a half dozen stories and the outlying village. A dozen of these elaborate displays are being routed over the country.

A NEW VOLUME entitled "One Act Plays for Young Folks," edited by M. A. Jagendorf (Brentano) contains several short plays that could very easily be produced by children during Children's Book Week.

AN INTERESTING VOLUME which would be of great value to export and import firms has just been published by Pitman, "Eastern Exchange Currency and Finance" by Spalding.

READERS OF SUCH popular magazines as Popular Science, Scientific American, etc., will be greatly interested in the distinctive two volume edition of "A Popular History of American Invention" edited by Waldemar Kaempffert (Scribner). It has the attractive sales price of $10 boxed, and

will appeal to many people, having as it does more than 500 photographs and drawings.

MACMILLAN HAS REISSUED in a substantial new buckram binding the series of "Wanderer" books, by the prolific E. V. Lucas.

PHILIP GUEDALLA's new book published by Putnam entitled "A Gallery" contains chapters on such interesting contemporaries as Anatole France, Thomas Hardy, H. G. Wells, Bernard Shaw, Joseph Conrad and John Galsworthy.

A BOOK BY AN AMERICAN of somewhat similar character is "Some Contemporary Americans" by Percy H. Boynton (Chicago University Press). This book is an example of careful bookmaking and is one that will help to sell other books.

THE STUDIO IN ENGLAND and Charles E. Lauriat in the United States is publishing "Old English Sporting Books" by Ralph Nevill which is a companion volume to "Old English Sporting Prints." It will contain an authoritative bibliography of the first and rare editions of some of the principal sporting books.

TWO BOOKS ISSUED at an opportune time for the voter and public-spirited citizen are "Political Parties and Party Problems in the United States" by Woodburn (Putnam), and "Our Presidents" by James Morgan (Macmillan). The former contains chapters on such important topical questions as Minor Parties, The Problem of Party Finance, Campaign Funds, while the later includes all our chief magistrates down to President Coolidge.

THAT THE HISTORICAL NOVEL is still quite popular is demonstrated by E. Barrington's "The Divine Lady," Dodd, $2.50, which has been a steady best seller in Chicago for several months.

ALMOST ANY HOUSEHOLD, whether it owns a home or merely leases, will find "Practical Painting and Paper Hanging" a useful adjunct to its home library. It is written in simple language and technical

terms have been avoided whenever possible.

THOMAS SELTZER has published uniform gift editions of Waldemar Bonsels's "The Adventures of Maya the Bee" and "Heaven Folk," two children's books which were inIcluded in the list for a model home library, just published by the General Federation of Women's Clubs.

CHARLES RICKETTS, the famous English painter and publisher and designer of the Vale Press books, has supplied a series of sixteen illustrations (twelve in color) for the edition de luxe of Bernard Shaw's "Saint Joan." There will be 750 copies for England and America.

AN ASSORTMENT of Cross Word Puzzle Books has been ordered from Simon & Shuster by B. Altman & Co., the great Fifth Avenue department store which has always heretofore refused to find room for a book stock.

EDNA FERBER'S "So Big" was the subject of the first of a new series of monthly books sermons by Rev. Charles H. Potter at the West Side Unitarian Church on Morningside Heights, New York City.

Dr. Potter does not merely review a book in these morning services but uses its theme as the basis of a sermon. The series last winter was very favorably received and the sermon on "So Big" in September brought a crowded house. Miss Ferber's mother was among those present.

AN INTERESTING experiment in publishing undertaken by Major Arthur de Bles has led to the preparation of a new series of art books issued by the Art Culture Publications, Inc. Major de Bles planned and illustrated an "Outline of Art" made the material as practical as possible, and illustrated every subject from Chinese porcelain to English furniture with detailed drawings reproduced in blue print form. In all he issued papers on twelve different subjects, including such topics as Japanese color prints, old silver and laces, art and decoraFor this tion, old English furniture, etc. series he found over five hundred subscribers at $40 a set. The success of this plan has led him to undertake to publish the material in regular book form, which is now going forward rapidly.

New Broadcasting Program

BOOK and theatrical news is to be a

feature of the opening of a new broadcasting station at Gimbel's New York store, WG BS. Dailey Paskman, who has been put in charge of this station, has new ideas of how to develop a program which will be varied and will appeal to all classes of listeners. On each Thursday evening, from 8:30 to 9, there will be a feature called "Footlight and Lamplight," conducted by Oliver Sayler, author of "Our American Theater," "Max Reinhardt and His Theatre," and many other books on dramatic and literary matters. The first program will be on October 30th.

Mr. Sayler plans to give informing yet informal talks, and some of his notes will be put into printed form to be given out on the following day in the book department of Gimbel's to all purchasers. This program is one of the most carefully planned of any book broadcasting program announced in recent months.

A

Chicago Radio Service

NEW radio book service is to be inaugurated in Chicago the first Wednesday in November by the Sears-Roebuck Co., Chicago. Harry Miller will deliver these talks from Radio Station WLS, Chicago. The broadcasting will consist of twenty to thirty minutes once a week on news notes of books, authors and publishers, sprinkled thru with brief reviews of current books and perhaps a talk by an author or the reading of some poetry by its creator. This, it is believed, will be the first systematic book news radio service to function in the United States.

American Booksellers' Association

THE

'HE Board of Trade of the American Booksellers' Association held two very fully attended sessions on October 15th and 16th in New York. President McKee came on from Detroit, Mr. Estabrook from Baltimore, Mr. Lewis from Philadelphia and several members from New York were present. Cedric Crowell, chairman of this committee had many matters to bring up for discussion and for later report.

President McKee has just sent out to the membership of the Association a four-page pocket leaflet of the resolutions passed by the convention, pointing out that resolutions are often forgotten, tho passed with every intention of making them the leading features of a year's work. Among the resolutions were those urging the publishing of fewer and better books; the reviving of old titles of unquestionable merit; opposition to salacious books, without encouraging censorship; condemnation of the offering of special cheap editions for mail-order sale; endorsement of the work of the Year Round Bookselling Committee; condemnation of the practice of connecting books with magazine subscriptions; recommendation to booksellers and publishers to charge postage extra; recommendation that 40 per cent should become the uniform flat discount on all travelers' and stock orders, with a minimum of 36 per cent on pick-ups.

Carl Van Doren at the Book

THE

sellers' League

IE Booksellers' League of New York listened to a most interesting address by Carl Van Doren, literary editor of the Century Magazine, at its first dinner of the

season at the old Brevoort Hotel on October 15th. His subject was "How the Critic Sees It." He dwelt on the everlasting problem of sifting the permanent and worthwhile books, whose number is so few, from the flood of good, bad and still-born books that deluge the market every year.

Other speakers were Walter V. McKee of Detroit and J. Joseph Estabrook of Baltimore, both of whom brought friendly greetings and appreciations for the long record of the Booksellers' League. The president. Frederic G. Melcher, ended the evening with an illuminating address on bookselling ways in England, their strength and their weakness, as compared with American methods. While abroad during the past summer he had the opportunity of a survey of the trade in both England and France and his address

was brimful of interesting facts and deductions. Among the ninety odd members present were noticed many new faces.

ΟΝ

Woman Booksellers Meet

October 21st at the National Arts Club, New York, the Woman's National Book Association held its first meeting of the season.

As the president, Miss F. A. Huebly of Loesers, was unable to preside, Mrs. Robert Sherwood acted as chairman. After the business meeting Margaret Leech, author of "The Back of the Book," gave a very interesting and amusing account of the various criticisms on her story, the reason why she wrote it and the reaction on various critics and admirers. Her book was presented to the members thru the courtesy of Boni & Liveright, and also members received "Mother Mason" by Bess Streeter Aldrich, thru the courtesy of D. Appleton & Company.

A feature of particular interest to the practical booksellers present was the informal talk by Virginia Smith Cowper of the Publishers' Weekly, who leaves for China October 29th, for the American Book Shop of Shanghai, China, contract to manage which she has signed for three years. She will be the only American woman who has ever gone so far to open a bookshop in the cause of the greater distribution of literature. The good wishes of the Woman's National Book Association go with her, and she has promised to send regular letters relative to the book business in China.

The next meeting will be held on November 18th, and it will be a Children's Book Week evening.

Cooperative Publicity in England THE discussion for an extended campaign

of cooperative publicity is going forward actively in the English book-trade according to the reports in the trade journals. Recently the representatives of the Authors' Society, the Publishers' Association, the Associated Booksellers, the Publishers' Circle and the Society of Bookmen met at the invitation of the latter to discuss a program. Stanley Unwin, who has been a very active proponent of the idea, opened the discussion. The result of the meeting was a resolution unanimously passed:

"We strongly recommend the formation of a committee to explore the possibilties of promoting by collective action a wider sale of books and an extension of the habit of reading."

The Florence Book Fair

PLANS are now being completed for a

Second International Book Fair which will be held in Florence in the spring of next year, the exact dates not yet announced. Two years ago, such an exposition was held and was considered a great success and attracted wide interest.

The Fair not only includes books but typographical products of all kinds and machinery of the graphic arts. It is hoped by the management that this fair will become a permanent institution, and the King of Italy has consented to act as a patron. Exhibit space is open to publishers of all countries and to scientific and literary institutions. Displays are arranged according to nation, and books may be sold by the exhibitors. The exhibit of graphic machinery is in

English Bookman Coming THE big English book wholesalers, Simp

kin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent & Company, are sending to America a representative to study thoroly the American literary market and book-trade. Otto Rothfield, selected for this investigation, is a writer of experience who spent a great many years in India, and, while in this country will lecture thru the management of Lee Keedick on political and social conditions in modern India. He is considered in England one of the foremost authorities on India and also on Oriental literature. It is expected that Mr. Rothfield will arrive by November 1st.

The News Company Catalog

English Traveling Book Exhibit

THE

'HE plan of traveling book exhibits which was experimented with in Eng

NCE more the big annual trade catalog of books "The Best of All Publishers," with many illustrations in full color, is issued by the American News Company. Its grouping of the season's new fiction, popular copyrights, children's books, books on cooking, dictionaries, technical works, Bibles and other lines in active demand, is very attractive as well as extremely useful for the dealer, especially as a good working index adds greatly to its value.

English Visitors

as to schedule, and Ancona, Ltd., the firm in charge of this undertaking, plans to go to numerous cities with a total of a hundred exhibition days. Ancona, Ltd. is not a bookselling firm, but simply sells the space to the publishers and secures the cooperation of the retailers. The exhibits will be held in the five months beginning in January.

Important Southern Convention ΜΑ

ARION HUMBLE, Executive Secretary of the National Association of Book Publishers, attended the Asheville Convention of the Southeastern Library Association last week. This is the largest and most important convention that has ever been held in that section and the extent of the interest taken gives indication of the rapid developments in the south in general educational progress.

Southern librarians as well as booksellers have been active users of the Children's Book Week program to increase book interest.

land is Robert Keable, who is coming with a series of lectures under the management of Lee Keedick. Mr. Keable is to talk on "The Modern Novel and Modern Life" and "The Art of Reading Novels." He is thirty-seven years of age and is said to be a gifted speaker. Mr. Keable is a graduate of Cambridge, and was there associated with Rupert Brooke. After being ordained in the Church of England, he went, in 1912, to Zanzibar, Africa, where he engaged in missionary work. Later he was rector of three parishes in Basutoland. In 1917 he went to France as army chaplain, where his observations and experiences provided material for his novel, "Simon Called Peter."

Walter De La Mare, who has been in this country, expects to return to England in December, and John Buchan, novelist, historian and member of the firm of Thomas Nelson & Sons, is also a visitor, tho he has done no speaking and is taking time to make a tour of the southern battlefields. It may be expected, perhaps, that this trip is to be a background for some historical novel or a history.