A Calendar of Saints for Unbelievers - 1932

1932. Haarlem: Printed by Joh. Eschede en Zonen for Harrison of Paris, 1932.

323 x 144 mm (9 1/8 x 5 5 /8 inches), 239, [1] pp. Handsome modern black morocco by Betty Lou Chaika (stamp-signed "B E C K" on rear turn-in), covers with raised lines forming a grid of 12 squares, six squares on each cover containing a gilt-tooled symbol of a sign of the Zodiac, raised bands, one spine panel with gilt titling, another with the symbol for Gemini tooled in gilt and onlaid with slate blue morocco, marbled endpapers, top edge blue, other edges untrimmed. In the matching clamshell box of blue marbled paper backed and trimmed in black morocco. With 12 signs of the Zodiac and tailpiece by Pavel Tchelitchew. Binder's neatly handwritten, self-deprecating notes on the construction and design of the binding and box, which were made for her friend and patron, San Francisco bookseller John Windle, in 1974, laid in. Front flyleaf with pencilled signature of Chaika and of Edwin Mayall, the latter dated 4/18/75. Light marginal smudge to last two leaves, other trivial imperfections internally, but a fine, fresh copy in an unworn binding.

§ No. 268 of 695 copies on Pannekoek paper (from a total edition of 762). In her binding notes, Chaika, with excessive modesty, describes her work here as "not a failure"; in fact, the meticulously constructed and artfully designed binding is a great success that perfectly suits its contents. The clean, modern design is an excellent match for this unusually frank take on the traditional hagiographies. American poet and novelist Wescott (1901-87) tells us in the preface that it "is not a learned work" and "should not be taken too seriously." He notes, for example that Constantine the Great "was not a good man"; that St.Cyril "organized the gang-murder of the learned Hypatia"; and that St. Jerome "led an ideal literary life, noble and harsh and monotonous and selfish." Chaika learned bookbinding while studying for her BFA at Carnegie Mellon University. She moved to California after graduation and was an early member of the Hand Bookbinders of California. A scholar of historical binding techniques, she taught book structure in the M.A. program in Book Arts at Mills College. She has written important articles on the structure of early bindings and how older techniques can be employed by modern artisans. She now lives in North Carolina, where she writes about nature and spirituality.