formerly Shakespeare and Company Books, now VIcarious Experience

Reflections on the Short Life of the Ephemeron. Godine publisher. 1 of 100 copies.

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Reflections on the Short Life of the Ephemeron. Boston, MA: David R. Godine publisher, 1970. Printed in an edition of 100 copies, signed by the artist, Lance Hidy at the colophon. The edition was not individually numbered. Text from Thomas Boreman’s essay on the mayfly in “A Description of Some Curious and Uncommon Creatures” originally published in London, 1739. Artwork by Lance Hidy.

Hardcover. Limited Edition. Unpaginated. 8vo. Tan cloth boards with matching clamshell box. BOX: Gold embossed title on leather strip applied to spine of box. A light abrasion on the cover and light wear on a couple of tips. BOOK: Printed paper label on cover board. Fine condition. CL17a

This early piece by the press of David R. Godine featuring a particularly fun combination of 1970s graphic arts and 18th century children’s literature, reproduces Thomas Boreman's essay on the mayfly from "A Description of Some Curious and Uncommon Creatures" published in London, 1739. Three color etchings by Lance Hidy as well as two mayfly illustrations at top of introductory text and foot of final paragraph. Case and binding by Arno Werner

Lance Hidy (American, b. 1946) - Born in Oregon, Hidy moved to the East Coast to attend Yale University. Using the printing press there, Hidy discovered a keen interest in the graphic and book arts. Hidy went on to complete a grant to study with Leonard Baskin – an artist with similar interests in engraving and typographic design. In 1969, Hidy joined David R. Godine’s Press in Brookline, Massachusetts. From there, Hidy left to work at the Coos County Democrat before becoming a free-lance designer on projects, including Ansel Adam’s 'Yosemite and the Range of Light'. Hidy’s designs stand out for their flat, solid use of colors and expressive minimalist details.-dealer catalog

Thomas Boreman was one of the earliest English children's book publishers. His Three Hundred Animals was published ca 1730.[3] Boreman's earliest works included his 1740 Gigantick Histories, miniature books with illustrations and a list of subscribing readers, including the names of children as well as parents. He followed this two-volume publication with Curiosities in the Tower of London, with illustrations of animals in the Tower Zoo. He published approximately a dozen titles. In 1742, he produced a book purporting to be the biography of Daniel Cajanus, The History of Cajanus, the Swedish Giant, from his Birth to the Present Time. - Wikipedia

The Ephemeron, or Mayfly, is a common freshwater insect.The nymph grows for two years before it surfaces, sheds its skin, and emerges as a delicate , transparent fly. It is unable to eat, and can only fly and mate during its day of life. ...trout fishermen & philosophers have both written about the Mayfly. Artificial flies of fur, feathers and silk on barbed hooks, cast on a thin transparent line, deceive fish, especially if the lure matches the size and color of the hatch. Aristotle established the Mayfly as a symbol of the shortest-lived animal. Philosophers use it still as a reminder of our vanity and mortality. - from the book