A Handy Book of Curious Information. Comprising Strange Happenings in the Life of Men and Animals, Odd Statistics, Extraordinary Phenomena and Out of the Way Facts concerning the Wonderlands of the Earth.
Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, 1913. First Edition Thus. Hardcover. Thick octavo. iv + 942pp. Half-leather, spine gilt-lettering & raised bands. Marbled boards & endpapers. Top-edge-gilt. Basically an encyclopaedia of the odd, weird, uncanny, bizarre, etc. - the sort of collection of curiosities that would have appealed greatly to Charles Fort. Hundred of subjects, a few of which are Aelurophobia, Aeronaut (female); Alaska (!); Almanac; Apes in Hell, Leading; Apple Kings; Auction by Candle; Babel, Tower of; Bagpipe; Banana; Banking, Women and; Bank-note Caricatured, etc. etc. Many of the essays are quite detailed, and run from a paragraph to half-a-dozen pages. Previous owner's bookplate on verso of front free endpaper, leather hinges rubbed, back hinge split and the board is wobbly, but held in place by binder's tape on the inner gutter. Internally bright and clean, but a READING COPY ONLY because of the rear board. Item #58147
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