The Book of Job

Book courtesy of Roycroft Historian Boice Lydell

The Book of Job

As Translated from the Original by Rabbi Abraham Elzas With Some Comments on the Poem by Elbert Hubbard.

This  book measures 7 3/4" x 6 7/8" and has 142 pages. The text body set in Antiqua Old Style and 350 copies were printed on Whatman handmade paper and hand illuminated. The first 40 copies were specially illuminated by Bertha Hubbard and the complete edition was bound in paper over boards with a cloth spine. Four copies are known to have been bound in full Levant. Note: This is the first book to use "The Roycroft Shop" in it's colophon vice "The Roycroft Printing Shop."
The first ad for the Book of Job that I know of was in the July 1897 Philistine and it is really something else. "The Master of the Roycroft Printing Shop desires to make the following announcement. 1, Beginning with the Book of Job, which is now on the presses, all Roycroft books will be printed on Whatman paper. 2. The minimum price of a Roycroft book will be $5.00, net. 3. No Edition will be printed of more than three hundred copies." .... This edition of the Book of Job was 350 copies, 'nuff said. The advertised cost was $5.00 for the hand illumined edition on Whatman paper. In the September 1897 Philistine there is an ad for the #1- 40 specially illumined editions. The asking price was $10.00 Additionally this edition of was advertised in the November 1897 Philistine.

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