Here you find: An art lover's enthusiasm, printed and bound.

Private Library Holdings

Here you find: An art lover's enthusiasm, printed and bound. This man's efforts shudder me.

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[ Please scroll this entire page. Many many photographs and several large blocks of text description all exist below ]

[ Art lovers: This is perhaps the most significant work that we present. ]

1930's Kansas City: In a town certainly anxious to educate itself so to feel sophisticate', but sorely in need of denizens to show it the way; J. H. Bender made ART a central and important topic of conversation. With the publication of his FINE PRINTS; and with his ALDEN GALLERIES presentation of the most sought after fine prints from around the world; J. H. Bender brought the going-ons of the fine print world at large right into the living rooms of Kansas City homes. This man; this world-traveler; this art gallery owner; this author; this art enthusiast; had the desire to entertain as well as educate his Kansas City buying public. This desire manifested itself in the little "monthly" pamphlet [9 per annum] called FINE PRINTS. Each pamphlet contained roughly 15 to 30 pages of illustrations [in miniature] of important fine prints from around the world, both current and historically important. To accompany the illustrations, Bender wrote wonderful little articles that stimulated thoughts and questions. FINE PRINTS gained it's inspiration at least in part from THE PRINT COLLECTOR'S QUARTERLY published in London. [ In fact, Bender was such a frenzied hawker of that London publication throughout the Middle Western USA, that he eventually acquired the rights to publish THE PRINT COLLECTOR'S QUARTERLY in Kansas City rather than ship in the London-made copies.] But his FINE PRINTS was decidedly less high-brow than THE PRINT COLLECTOR'S QUARTERLY. Bender declared about his publication that it was..."written in simple every-day language so that we of the cow country can understand." What a marvelous modesty--for this man did not suffer of local myopia--but rather travelled far to contain within his publication American and European artists too numerous to list [ see photos above for sample content ]. Suffice it to say that FINE PRINTS, and the other documents in this lot, capture not only a very valuable viewpoint of the 1930's fine print world, but also a LIFE well lived.

Following are a few sample illustrations and text entries from FINE PRINTS. These happen to be from Vols.1 - 3.

This lot consists of 7 items: [not all are pictured]

[Item 1]

The first five years of FINE PRINTS [ bound ] IN PURPLE as pictured above.

Each Volume measures 4 3/4" X 6"

All pages are Fine+. In fact, when I tried to peer inside one volume by raising the board about one inch it started to make the noise of a book being opened for the first time--so I carefully closed the cover--all are that way.

All boards are likewise Fine+ condition with the exception of Volume 1 which has warped boards. See photos of warped boards.

Scarcity: Only once, on a night when the moon was very blue, have I seen another complete set of FINE PRINTS, [bound].

Citation: Bender, J.H., FINE PRINTS, Kansas City: The Alden Galleries. [Bound]

Vol. 1, No.'s 1-9, being complete as issued for December 1931 through November 1932

Vol. 2, No.'s 1-9, being complete as issued for December 1932 through November 1933

Vol. 3, No.'s 1-9, being complete as issued for December 1933 through November 1934

Vol. 4, No.'s 1-9, being complete as issued for December 1934 through November 1935

Vol. 5, No.'s 1-9, being complete as issued for December 1935 through November 1936

[Item 2]

The first three years of FINE PRINTS [ unbound ] as originally issued. See cover art from this unbound set pictured below.

27 individual 4" X 6" stapled pamphlets.

VG+ to FINE.

Scarcity: I have never seen the first three [unbound] volumes together, complete, and so nice.

Vol. 1, No.'s 1-9, being complete as issued for December 1931 through November 1932

Vol. 2, No.'s 1-9, being complete as issued for December 1932 through November 1933

Vol. 3, No.'s 1-9, being complete as issued for December 1933 through November 1934

[Item 3]

A special larger-sized pamplet [ 40 pp. 5 1/4" X 7"] entitled SIXTEEN ETCHINGS OF THE THAMES. Bender tells the story behind Whistler's "Thames Set " of fine prints. Pictured above.

With an original portrait [original signed etching] of Whistler laid in under tissue.

Etching made and signed in pencil by John de Martelly, a student under Thomas Hart Benton.

Bender, J. H., The Thames Set, James MacN. Whistler. Sixteen Etchings of the Thames. Kansas City: Alden Galleries, 1933,1933. With an portrait [actual original etching ] of James MacN. Whistler laid in under tissue. Etching made by John de Martelly, a student under Thomas Hart Benton.

Wrappers VG -

Inside is FINE

Etching is FINE+

[Item 4]

A [4 3/4" X 6"] pamphlet Bender produced to promote the reading of important art books. Not pictured.

This is a pamphlet listing books that THE ALDEN GALLERIES was offering for sale.

Cite: J.H. Bender. BOOKS ON FINE PRINTS AND GRAPHIC ARTS, NEW AND SECOND-HAND, Kansas City: Alden Galleries. No date 40pp. colophon. NEAR FINE

[Item 5]

Also a pamphlet [4 3/4" X 6"] entitled BOOKS ON THE GRAPHIC ARTS cataloging books for sale in the Alden Galleries. Books properly cited, commented on, and priced by Bender. NEAR FINE. Not pictured.

Bender, J.H., Books on The Graphic Arts. Including a few choice collector's items and an unusually fine lot of illustrated books from early books. Kansas City: Alden Galleries, no date 26pp.

[Item 6]

18 individual Alden Gallery catalogues picturing in miniature and describing all the best prints THE ALDEN GALLERIES was offering in the early to mid 1930's. Sale prices listed. [ 4 3/4" X 6" ] VG- to NF. Each of these catalogues was called FINE PRINTS right on the cover, though different in format and content than FINE PRINTS "monthly." This is the largest collection of ALDEN GALLERIES catalogues I have seen amassed. Catalogues were never dated. See photographs below.

[Item 7]

THE 37 MOST IMPORTANT PRINT MAKERS IN AMERICA: JAMES E. ALLEN; JOHN TAYLOR ARMS; BEATRICE HARPER BANNING; ALBERT W. BARKER; ISABEL BISHOP; LOWELL BOBLETER; G. A. BRADSHAW; SYD BROWNE; A. RAY BURRELL; PAUL CADMUS; CHARLES M. CAPPS; SAMUEL CHAMBERLAIN; ASA CHEFFETZ; KERR EBY; WANDA GAG; ARTHUR WILLIAM HEINTZELMAN; MORRIS HENRY HOBBS; HANS KLEIBER; GENE KLOSS; ALEXANDER Z. KRUSE; ARMIN LANDECK; J.J. LANKES; MARTIN LEWIS; LEO J. MEISSNER; JOHN C. MENIHAN; MAX MOUGEL; YHOAMS W. NASON; ROSELLE H. OSK; CARL PICKHARDT; DOEL REED; RUTH STARR ROSE; LOUIS C. ROSENBERG; ERNEST D. ROTH; RUTH DORIS SWETT; WALTER TITTLE; STOW WENGENROTH; R.W. WOICESKE

This is a single, special catalogue.

Labeled FINE PRINTS like the other 18 catalogues mentioned above. And once again, like those 18 catalogues, this catalogue is different in form and content than the "monthly" FINE PRINTS.

Not dated. [4 3/4 " X 6"] More pages than typical catalogue. Unpaginated, about 72pp.

NEAR FINE condition. Pictured below.

THIS CATALOGUE WAS ORGANIZED AROUND A CENTRAL IDEA.

As it reads in the introduction which J.H. Bender wrote: "This catalogue is the result of a luncheon I had with a prominent artist. The conversation naturally turned to the difficulty that print makers have in bringing thheir best work to the attention of the buying public. Before the luncheon was over, we had hatched an idea that seemed to offer a solution; another meeting the next day ironed out the details and work was started. This is the result. Thirty-seven of the most important American print makers each agreed to select eight best prints they had made in the past five years and submit them to me. From each of these groups I selected four or five prints that in my judgement were the best."

Features a brief profile of the 37 most important American fine print makers at the time. Illustrations in miniature with a Bender "one line comment" per print. Four to six representative fine prints for each artist.

SOME OF THE 18 OTHER CATALOGUES WERE ORGANIZED AROUND CENTRAL IDEAS. THIS ONE STOOD OUT AS QUITE A SIGNIFICANT ASSEMBLY. MANY OF THE OTHER CATALOGUES WERE MUCH MUCH MORE EUROPEAN IN FOCUS AS WOULD BE EXPECTED.

$700 USD

[more photos below]

Catalogue featuring the 37 most important American Print makers.