Florida Architecture of Addison Mizner
[np]: [H.H. Smith Publications], 1928.
Signed deluxe limited first edition, No. 5 of 100 copies printed on Van Gelder mould made paper in the "Edicion Imperial." Signed by Addison Mizner on limitation page. [39] pp. Frontispiece portrait and 184 plates from photographs. Folio finely bound by the James McDonald Co. in red crushed full morocco filleted in gilt with an ornate decorative border, emblems from which are stamped on spine in five compartments, spine tooled and lettered in gilt, raised bands, top edge gilt, gilt dentelles, marbled endpapers. Front joint cracked but binding holding, minor rubbing to corners; contents near fine. A rare, lavish tribute to the American architect and wit whose influence on South Florida architecture was immense-- particularly the city of Boca Raton, his pet project. The introduction is penned by famous muckraking journalist Ida Tarbell. Rather than tearing down Mizner as one might expect someone like Tarbell to do given his wealth, his flair for the dramatic, his land speculations, and his overblown creations, she was won over by him. Like his raconteur brother Wilson (who once robbed a candy store for its candy), two things he seems to have possessed were a surfeit of moxy and an undeniably unique style.
Price: $10,000.00