The University of Iowa Libraries

Special Collections

The Charlotte M. Smith Collection of Miniature Books

Erespin Press

Return to: 20th Century U. S. Imprints in the Smith Collection

The portion of this website in front of you brings together in preliminary fashion a variety of lists and descriptions for United States Miniature Books published during the Twentieth Century. The books have then been organized by press or publisher as described in Robert C. Bradbury’s Twentieth Century United States Miniature Books (No. Clarendon, Vermont: The Microbibliophile, 2000). This page describes titles held by the University of Iowa Libraries for the press or publisher described below. The descriptions generally follow Bradbury’s format: Author. Title. Imprint (if it varies from the heading), date. Size in inches. Number of pages. Brief physical description. Illustrations note. Copy # of [##] copies.

Erespin Press

including The Press of the Grim Reaper, The Tarantula Press, and the Robot Press

Austin, TX

1985–

Shirbini, Ash. To Cairo Came a Certain Man. Austin, TX: Erespin Press, 1985. 19 pp. 2-5/8″ x 2-1/4″. Colophon: 100 copies set in Cochin on Rives Heavyweight with Arches cover, of which this is number 14, signed by Carol Keat, printer. Erespin Press, Carol & David Kent, 929 East 50th, Austin, Texas 78751. Bound in plain cream colored Arches paper stock and secured by three small brass rings housed in a rust colored fabric slipcase. B20th 1.

Kent, Robert. Bluey. Austin, TX, Robot Press, 1985. 1-7/16″ x 1-1/16″. Colophon: Bluey was written, printed, and bound by Robert Kent, 929 East 50th, Austin, Texas 78751. Fifty copies made, of which this is number VII, 16 November 1985, signed by Robert Kent. Bound in blue tafetta with title label affixed to the spine. Blue marbled endpapers. B20th 4.

Kent, Susannah. Regina Caeli. Austin, TX, Tarantula Press, 1985. 2-3/16″ x 1-15/16″. Colophon: Written and printed by SUSIE at Susannah Kent’s Tarantula Press, and signed by her. Text printed in blue on accordion fold paper with illustrations. Bound in tan cloth over boards with title label on spine. B20th 5.

A Take of Two Kitties. Press of the Grim Reaper, 1986. 2-3/8″ x 2″. Colophon: 100 copies printed by Zachary Kent at The Press of the Grim Reaper on April 16, 1986. Bound in white paper over boards with a continuous illustration of a black cat on front and back covers. Title in black on the spine. Black and white marbled endpapers. B20th 7.

Kent, D.L. The Devil’s Printer. Tarantula Press, 1987. Edition of 150 copies. 2 copies. B20th 8.

Kent, Carol and David. Domenico Burchilello. Austin, TX: Erespin Press, 1987. 2 pp., 3 1/16″ x 2 3/8″. Portrait of Burchilello. Bound in cream cover of a two page biography. B20th 9.

Of the Olefawante That Bowyth Not the Kneys. Austin, Texas: Robot Press, 1987. 2″ x 1-13/16″. Colophon: Handset and printed by Robert Kent on Rives paper, using 6-point Palatino type. Bound in handmade Del Sarto Roma. The illustration reproduces the woodcut of the first edition of The Dialogues of Creatures Moralysed of 1480. Of 150 copies, this is number 35. Covers are gray with an elephant illustration stamped in maroon in the lower right hand corner of the front cover. Title stamped in maroon on the spine. B20th 10.

Kent, Zachary. A Man of Words. Press of the Grim Reaper, 1987. 2-7/8″ x 2-5/16″. Colophon: 150 copies printed at The Press of the Grim Reaper. Zachary Kent, Printer. Midsummer 1987. An ancient chant appearing as a “nonsense rhyme”. Handset in 10 point Ronaldson and printed on Mohawk letterpress text by Zachary Kent. Bound in creme boards with a small flower design on the front cover and the title on the spine in brown. 2 copies. B20th 11.

Hearn, Lafcadio. A Landland of New Orleans. Tarantula Press, np,1988. 2 15/16″ x 2 5/8″. Colophon: This tale first appeared in the New Orleans Item of July 13th, 1880. The illustration was cut by Hearn with his penknife on the bottom of a piece of wood type. Handset in eight point Baskerville and printed on Mohawk Superfine by the proprietress, at Susannah Kent’s Tarantula press. One hundred and fifty copies handbound in wine Amora over boards with marbled endppapers. March 1988. Bound in rose-colored paper boards. B20th 12.

Kent, Robert. Automatachaotica. Austin, TX: Robot Press, 1989. 2 15/16″ x 2 9/16″. Colophon: Automatachaotica was designed and printed and bound by Robert Kent. The handset Cochin and XVI Century Roman types have been printed on Mohawk Letterpress Text in an edition of 150. The first copy will be presented to Isaac Asimov. This is copy number 13. Celebrates the invention of the first robot. Illustrated from ‘Legenda Literalis Alberti magni of 1484″. B20th 13.

Kent, Zachery, comp. Come Into My Parlour. Austin, TX, Press of the Grim Reaper, 1993. #30 of 100 copies bound and signed by Zachary Kent and #K of 26 bound in leather and signed by Kent. B20th 14.

Pyle, Katherine. Arachne. Tarantula Press, 1993. 21 pp., 2 7/8″ x 2 3/8″. Colophon: Adapted from Tales From Greek Mythology by Katherine Pyle. This book was printed and bound by the proprietress at Susannah Kent’s Tarantula Press. Of 100 numbered copies bound in cloth and 26 lettered copies bound in Nigerian goatskin, this is copy 5. Purple case. Signed by Susannah Kent. B20th 15.
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