THE KING WHO NEVER SMILED
First edition of this hilarious and charming fairy tale from the Kingdom of Petland, illustrated by photographs of puppies and kittens dressed like the main players.
Very good.
Price: $225.00
First edition of this hilarious and charming fairy tale from the Kingdom of Petland, illustrated by photographs of puppies and kittens dressed like the main players.
Very good.
Price: $225.00
"Grandma Flufpaw's eyes had a far-away look as she peered through her shell-rimmed spectacles and you could just tell a story was coming."
THE KING WHO NEVER SMILED is part of the "Petland Photo Tales" series, all by Harry Whittier Frees. Frees describes his puppy and kitten (and bunny) photography methods on the inner front cover: photographing animals "requires an exceedingly fertile imagination and infinite patience [...] The secret of success is kindness, first, last and all the time."
The SATURDAY EVENING POST speculates that Frees "launched an American obsession with documenting every possible angle of our precious felines" with his Petland series and posed-animal postcards, comparing his work to modern cat memes. Frees's work definitely sits near the roots of the lolcats family tree.
Read more: Nicholas Gilmore, "The Cat Meme Photographer from a Century Ago," The Saturday Evening Post 10 September 2018.
Chicago: Manning Publishing Company, 1932. 10'' x 6.5''. Original pictorial stiff wrappers, saddle-stapled. Illustrated with black-and-white photographs. [6] leaves. Spine cracked with a careful glue repair, wrapper with light edgewear. Early tape reinforcements to center staples. Bright.
We work hard to meet our ethical responsibility to describe our material accurately. All items are guaranteed as described and may be returned for any reason within 30 days. Please notify us before mailing a return.
We guarantee the authenticity of our items. All materials are original (meaning not facsimiles or reproductions) unless otherwise noted. First editions (meaning first edition, first printing) are explicitly stated. TPM is a member of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America and upholds their Code of Ethics.
All photographs are of the actual item for sale. We're happy to provide additional images on request.
All domestic orders ship gratis. For orders under $250, free USPS media mail shipping is included; orders $250 and over ship USPS Priority. International orders over $500 also ship gratis. Expedited, overnight, as well as other carriers (UPS, Fed-Ex, etc.), may carry additional costs beyond quoted rates. All orders receive tracking information and a direct contact in case of any questions.
International buyers are responsible for any customs, taxes, and related import fees. Please note that we are unable to accomodate requests to misrepresent, misdeclare, or otherwise falsify customs documents when shipping internationally. We appreciate your understanding.
We accept all major credit cards, Paypal, Venmo, check, money order, and bank wire. We are happy to bill institutional buyers' needs. Sales tax will be added to applicable purchases. Items subject to prior sale.
If for any reason you are dissatisfied with your purchase, please contact us. We prioritize our long-term relationships far above any individual purchase, and we want you to love your item as much as we loved cataloguing it.
Type Punch Matrix is a Washington D.C.-area rare book firm founded by Rebecca Romney and Brian Cassidy.
Read more about TPM.