The Circus of Dr. Lao
London: Grey Walls Press, 1948. Gordon Noel Fish. First Edition Thus. Hardcover with Dust Jacket. Tall 8vo. Pp. 150. Illustrated with Gordon Fish drawings, several in full-page duotone. Typography by Seán Jennett. Title page printed in burgundy and black. Bound in bright yellow cloth, Fish illustration stamped in blue on the cover and spine, titles stamped in gilt on the spine, and top edge dyed gray. Spine illustration color faded and edges lightly soiled; spine ends rubbed, leaves a trifle foxed. Rear pastedown mottled. In the color Fish illustrated dust jacket: edges rubbed, spine color slightly faded. Despite those factors, the book is bright and presentable. Please see photos. Very Good+ / Very Good+. Item #5995 Prior to assuming a career as a Tucson newspaperman Finney served in the US Army in China from 1927-1929. Fish may have illustrated only one other book, The Castle of Otranto also for Grey Walls. Dust jacket is now preserved in a removable clear archival sleeve.
Fantasy novel of a freak show of mythic beasts, as celebrated for its weirdness as for its influence on prominent SF writers, with Fish's grotesque (Bosch-esque?) illustrations. Following the bizarre "catalog" of ingredients is Finney's statement, "Tientsin - Tucson, 1929-1934".
Price: $150.00