Thomas Bird Mosher (1852-1923) of Portland, Maine, was an important figure in the revival of printing that began in the late nineteenth century, and was the first American printer to sustain a program of high-quality bookmaking. Between 1891 when he published his first book and his death in 1923, Mosher published over 700 books and 240 monthly issues of his literary magazine, The Bibelot. He borrowed and adapted a number of elements of contemporary design, giving them a new interpretation in print. His publication style reflected aspects of the Arts & Crafts, Pre-Raphaelite, Aesthetic, and Art Nouveau movements. Mosher helped spark an awareness in this country of the revival of printing, and like Aldus Manutius, he championed the idea that works of literature could be both beautiful in appearance and affordably priced. In several twentieth century first editions owned by Belmont Abbey, Mosher used a printer's mark inspired by Aldus, showing two entwined dolphins holding an open book between their tails. This is volume one of Mosher's literary magazine, The Bibelot, in it's original hardbound format. [adapted from "Thomas Bird Mosher," www.usfca.edu/library/rarebook/mosher/tbm.html]

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