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The Hole Book by Peter Newell (RARE, First Edition), 1908 🎯✨📖

Name: The Hole Book by Peter Newell (RARE, First Edition), 1908 🎯✨📖
Brand: Wall Antiques
Price: 750.00 USD
Availability: InStock

$750.00

Sale Sold out

1. Introduction 📜🔍🏛️

The Hole Book is a groundbreaking work of interactive storytelling that features a die-cut hole that passes through every page.

As a rare first edition, first printing from 1908, this volume is a highly sought-after artifact for collectors of classic children's books and modern book design. It offers a unique window into the creative genius of a pioneer in the field.

The book is not merely a story; it is a monument to the art of bookmaking and the power of innovation. This volume is an extraordinary find, representing a critical period in the history of visual communication and the physical book.

2. About the Artwork/Book/Object 📖✍️✨

The Hole Book is a masterpiece of children's literature and a landmark in book design. The book tells the humorous story of a stray bullet that travels through a series of scenes, with the physical hole in each page representing the bullet's path.

The narrative is a rhythmic verse that guides the reader through the bullet's journey, from a boy's pistol to a series of absurd and entertaining destinations. The book’s contents include detailed pen-and-ink drawings that are celebrated for their wit and visual charm.

It is widely considered to be a cultural time capsule, capturing the ideals of playful innovation and a deep appreciation for the art of storytelling.

3. About the Artist/Author/Maker ✍️🏛️✨

Peter Newell (1862-1924) was an American artist, illustrator, and author. He was a pioneer in the field of children's literature, known for his whimsical and innovative approach to book design.

Newell created a series of "hole books," which were celebrated for their playful and interactive designs. He was a master of his craft, and his work is a serious examination of the American experience and a constant reinvention of the historical narrative.

Newell’s legacy is rooted in his remarkable achievement and his gift for storytelling. His book showcases a powerful and engaging voice, filled with dry wit and an unflappable spirit. He built a reputation in the 1880s and 1890s for his humorous drawings and poems, which appeared in various publications such as Harper's Weekly and Scribner's Magazine.

4. Historical/Political Era Context 🌍🕰️📜

Published in 1908, this book is an artifact of the late Victorian era and the dawn of a new century. The book’s publication reflects a widespread fascination with innovation and creativity, a desire to produce books that were more than just text.

The book is a "time capsule" of early 20th-century American literary and social thought. The volume reflects the values of its time and provides a hopeful look at a society that was rapidly industrializing.

5. The Ideal Collector 💡🧐🏛️

This book is intended for a curator of American children's literature, a scholar of book design, or a private collector of first-person narratives. It is an ideal acquisition for an individual who values a book's dual significance as a historical document and a physical artifact of its time.

6. Value & Rarity 💎✨🏛️

As a rare first edition, first printing, this book represents a genuinely scarce, non-replicable asset class. First printings of classic children's books are highly sought after and difficult to find in good condition due to being heavily read and loved. This particular copy, published in the same year as the first, is also a genuine rarity on the market. The book is a unique window into the history of publishing. The price is a direct reflection of the book's scarcity, its historical significance, and its condition for an item of its age.

This is a unique and non-replicable asset class. This volume offers a unique opportunity to build a personal library with an item of true academic and historical significance.

7. Condition 🔎📚✨

This volume is a handsome survivor from the turn of the century, showing honest and authentic wear consistent with its age.

The original decorative cloth cover shows some rubbing and scuffing, particularly along the edges and on the spine.
The binding remains solid and tight, though it shows some signs of use and age.
The pages have some expected toning and light foxing throughout, a natural process for paper from this period, which gives it authenticity.
The pages are free from any major tears or stains, and the interior text block is clean.
There is a personal inscription, which adds a unique layer of history.
The book has been well cared for over the centuries and remains a functional, readable object.

8. Translation of Inscriptions/Ephemera (Conditional) ✍️📜🔤

This book contains a personal inscription on a front endpaper, which provides a rich history of its ownership and journey. The inscription is written in pencil and reads:

"–1915– / With best wishes for / a Merry Christmas / Harry Land".

This inscription is a personal gift note, dating the book to its first Christmas in 1915. There is also a small pencil inscription on the endpaper, which reads "250".

9. Fun Facts & Unique Features 🤓📜🤩

Another of his innovative works, The Slant Book (1910), was shaped like a rhomboid and told the story of a baby carriage careening down a hill.
Newell also created a comic strip serial, The Naps of Polly Sleepyhead, which debuted in the New York Herald in 1905.