Publisher: New York, Paris, and London: Tiffany & Co., 1903 to 1942.
History:
This collection was a gift to its most recent owner from Gene Moore (1910-1998), vice-president of window display at Tiffany & Co. and widely considered to be the most talented window dresser of the 20th century. Moore designed more than 5,000 windows while at Tiffany's. A very special and irreplaceable collection. There is none other of its kind to be found, especially in such beautiful condition.
These tiny books are all letterpress printed with thread-sewn textblocks and traditional bindings. Binding style ranges from Victorian and Art Nouveau to Art Deco. A wooden box, apparently custom-made, houses the collection.
These miniatures contain interesting historical information about the renowned diamond and gem merchants, including chronology of important company events, Tiffany sterling silver marks, and the books themselves span the London and Paris, Union Square, and 5th Avenue eras. The 1941 book shows a photo of their then-new, now iconic 5th Avenue location while the 1903 edition doesn't even mention a New York store.
These books were published annually by Tiffany. The collection includes the following years:
1903, 1909, 1911, 1915, 1916, 1918, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940 (x2), 1941, and 1942 (x2).
• books measure about 3.4" x 2.5"
• beautiful original publisher's decorative leather fine binding, except 1903, which is slightly taller and bound in paper
• ornate embossed gold gilt stamping on all sides - front, back, and spine
• uncoated endpapers with printed borders
• books generally contain full-page calendar and memo page for each month of the year and a few pages of information on Tiffany sterling silver marks, anniversaries, holidays, birth stones, etc.
• about 30 pages each
