Miniature books What are miniature books?

Miniature books are like beautiful jewels. They are often smaller than a matchbox. A size
of 3 inch (7.6 cm.) is the agreed maximum, although some people collect up to 4 inch.
The content of a miniature book can be anything, just like a "normal" book.

Interest in miniature books is very international. That's why publications of the Dutch
publisher Catharijne Press Miniature Books ( [email protected] ) are mostly in
English. The description of the books is therefore also in English. Collectors of miniature
books are mainly found in the USA, the UK and Japan. Many of them are members of the
international Miniature Book Society ( www.mbs.org ).

Making a miniature book has long been the "master proof" for typesetters and
bookbinders, a way in which they could demonstate their craftmanship.

Miniature books have a special beauty of themselves. The famous Louis Bondy said:
"Small is beautiful", and that says it all.

Below you find a list of the publications of Catharijne Press Miniature Books.

For your convenience you will find a translation of this article in Dutch at the end of this
document.

More information about these miniature books:

[email protected]
Catharijne Press Miniature Books
Trijnie Duut & Gerjan Heij
 Bakker, Piet de: The Young Stork's Baedeker
Zuilichem, The Catharijne Press, 1998.

Sewn. 4to. 66 x 42 mm. 48 pp and 2 folding maps. Decorated paper over

boards with the title printed on both frontcover and spine.

A 'travel guide' for young storks to be used on their first great journey to Africa. Written by an expert on
storks, the pelargologist Piet de Bakker, who, after giving an historical introduction, presents his text as a
piece of advice from a 'father-stork' to his 3-month-old son. The frontispiece is a full-colour plate showing
the bird and an egg, taken from C. Nozemans 'Nederlandsche Vogelen' (Dutch Birds) (1770-1829). Set
from 6 point Swift and printed in 2 colours by Jan de Jong on 90 g BS. Handbound by Trijnie Duut
Standard edition. One of 175 numbered copies.

Blades, William: The Enemies of Books

Utrecht, The Catharijne Press, 1985.

Sewn. 4to. 63 x 44 mm. 40 pp. Frontispiece and 2 illustrations in the text.

Starch-paper binding with paper title on the frontcover. English text.

An account of the cruelties and crimes committed against books by collectors. Printed by Joh. Enschedé
en Zonen from 5 point Trinité Medium Condensed 2 on 90 g Hahnemühle Ingres and handbound by Luce
Thurkow. Copy no. 94 of the standard edition of 250 copies. Out of print.
 Cervantes, Miguel:
The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote de la Mancha
's-Hertogenbosch, The Catharijne Press, 2001.

Sewn. 4to. 69 x 44 mm. 48 pp. Frontispiece. Decorated paper over boards

with the title on both front cover and spine. English text.

Don Quixote and his terrifying and never-before-imagined adventure of the windmills. Samuel Putnam's
translation of Cervantes' 'El Ingenioso Hidalgo Don Quichote de la Mancha', chapter VIII. Printed from 6
point Mendoza, a type created by José Mendoza y Almeida. The tipped-in frontispiece is an original wood
engraving by the celebrated Belgian artist Gerard Gaudaen (1927); each plate numbered and signed.
Typography and design by Jan Bosch. Printed by Koninklijke van de Garde b.v., Zaltbommel on 90 g
Hahnemühle Weiss. Handbound by Trijnie Duut. Standard edition. One of 150 numbered copies.

De Insulis Inuentis
Zuilichem, The Catharijne Press, 1992.

Sewn. 4to. 66 x 46 mm. 32 pp. Illd. Bound in blindstamped brown calf

with raised bands. The frontcover shows a 15th C. vessel. Latin text.

A miniaturised reproduction of the 'Epistola de insulis nuper inuentis' by Christopher Columbus,

originally printed at Basel in 1493. Illustrated with 4 reproductions of woodcuts and printed by Arie van
Diemen from zinc-blocks on old Dutch handmade paper. Handbound by Trijnie Duut after a 15th C.
original. Standard edition. One of 175 copies.
 Dutch Windmills
Zuilichem, The Catharijne Press, 1993.

Sewn. 4to. 60 x 48 mm. 72 pp. Illd. Printed paper over boards; the
frontcover showing a windmill. English text.

24 reproductions, showing windmills, after photographic glass-plates originating from c. 1920.

Introduction by Guus Thurkow. Typography by Matthias Noordzij and printed by Jan de Jong from 5 point
Lexicon on 70 g Delphi. Handbound by Trijnie Duut. Standard edition. One of 175 copies.

Evangile selon St. Matthieu

Zuilichem, The Catharijne Press, 1989.

Sewn. 63 x 47 mm. (4),52,(8) pp. Bound in purple moiré-silk with the

title in gold on the frontcover. Printed in 2 columns with 40(!) lines to a
column. French text.

The 3rd edition (1st 1900, 2nd 1937) of this famous miniature book, printed from the exquisite 2.5 point
type cut by Henri Didot around 1827 and printed by Joh. Enschedé en Zonen on 70 g Delphi. The original
type from which this 3rd edition was printed, is still present in the Enschedé Museum Collection.
Handbound by Trijnie Duut. Standard edition. One of 200 numbered copies. For extensive information on
both the type and the book see A.G. Thurkow's article 'Non Plus Ultra' in M.B.N. no. 60.
 Florilegium
Utrecht, The Catharijne Press, 1988.

Sewn. 4to. 62 x 40 mm. 40 pp. Illd. Bound in green 'peau de suède' with
goldtooled calf title-shield on the frontcover. English text.

A collection of 26 'Art Nouveau' initials, designed by the French artist Maurice Dufréne (1876-1955). All
initials have been carefully handcoloured by Sjanet Duut. A short introduction on Maurice Dufréne has
been written by Nel Franco. Printed from 5 point Bodoni Antiqua Condensed on 100 g Conqueror Bond
Velin by Hans Harzheim. Binding by Trijnie Duut. Standard edition. One of 150 copies.

Gogh, Vincent van: Vincent in Arles - Four Letters to Theo

Velp, Catharijne Press Miniature Books, 2003.

Sewn. 4to. 62 x 43.5 mm. 64 pp. Illd. Bound in sunflower-yellow cloth with
an applied title-shield. English text.

The first miniature publication from Trijnie Duut & Gerjan Heij, who in 2003 have taken over the
Catharijne Press from Guus and Luce Thurkow. Four letters from Vincent van Gogh written to his brother
Theo in 1888-1889. Published in honour of Van Gogh's 150th birthday. With 5 tipped-in full-colour
illustrations. Set from 6 point Swift and printed by Jan de Jong on Hahnemühle Ingres. Handbound by
Trijnie Duut. Standard edition. One of 200 copies.

Gogh, Vincent van: Vincent in Arles - Four Letters to Theo

(Special edition)

Comes with a blue cloth slipcase containing the book and a 5 euro coin
showing van Gogh's portrait made up of the letters of his name. Limited to
20 copies, numbered I-XX.

[for description: see above]

 The History of Reynard the Fox
Zuilichem, The Catharijne Press, 1991.

Sewn. 4to. 60 x 50 mm. 56 pp. Frontispiece. Bound in fox-brown cloth with

an applied title-shield. Text in English and Dutch.

Reproduces a fragment (The Tormenting of Tibert) from the famous animal epic in 4 different versions;
introduced and edited by Drs. E. Verzandvoort. Illustrated with a tiny woodengraving by Pam Rueter and
printed by Joh. Enschedé en Zonen from 5 point Trinité no. 2 on 90 g Hahnemühle Ingres. Typography by
Bram de Does and handbound by Trijnie Duut. Standard edition. One of 175 copies. MBS Distinguished
Book Award 1991.

In Praise of the Virtuous Woman

Zuilichem, The Catharijne Press, 1994.

Sewn. 4to. 62 x 42 mm. 40 pp. Illd. White silk binding with the title in black
on the frontcover. English text.

The Book of Proverbs, chapter 31:10-31. Translated by The Jewish Publication Society. The frontispiece
was reproduced after a larger linocut by the distinguished artist Auk de Boer. Each textpage is printed
from 6 point Herculaneum and preceded by a large Hebrew character. Handbound by Trijnie Duut.
Typography and type-setting by Jessica Zeelenberg. Standard edition. One of 175 copies.
 Irving, Washington: Rip van Winkle
Utrecht, The Catharijne Press, 1987.

Sewn. 4to. 65 x 42 mm. 92 pp. Illd. Paper over boards, lithographed in 2

colours. English text.

Washington Irving's legendary romance 'Rip van Winkle'. Typographical design by Bram de Does.
Illustrated with 4 tiny lithographs in 2 colours by Henk van der Haar, who also lithographed the cover.
Printed by Joh. Enschedé en Zonen from 5 point Trinité Roman Condensed 2 on 70 g Delphi. Handbound
by Trijnie Duut. Standard edition. One of 150 numbered copies.

Khayyám, Omar: Rubáiyát

Zuilichem, The Catharijne Press, 1994.

Sewn. 4to. 64 x 40 mm. 72 pp. Illd. Bound in 'pergamijn' with the title on
the spine and a handcoloured peacock on the frontcover. English text.

Famous quatrains attributed to the Persian astronomer-poet Omar Khayyám, after the adaption in
English verse by Edward FitzGerald. Edited and introduced by Jos Biegstraaten, chairman of the Omar
Khayyám Society in The Netherlands. The pasted-in frontispiece and the illustrations in the text have
been reproduced after larger originals by the English artist Ronald Balfour. Set from 5 and 6 point Times.
Handbound by Trijnie Duut. Standard edition. One of 175 copies.
 Kok, H.A.R.: Anne Frank: A Biography
Zuilichem, The Catharijne Press, 1995.

Sewn. 4to. 65 x 42 mm. 48 pp. Frontispiece. Red morocco binding with

Anne's signature in gold on the frontcover. English text.

Biography of Anne Frank's life, from her birth in 1929 until her death in the German concentration camp
Bergen-Belsen in 1945. The photo-engraved and pasted-in circular frontispiece shows Anne's portrait. Set
from 6 point Trinité Roman Condensed 2 and printed by Joh. Enschedé Amsterdam. Typography by Guus
Thurkow. Handbound by Trijnie Duut. Standard edition. One of 175 copies.

Morris, William: Wallpapers

Zuilichem, The Catharijne Press, 1996.

Sewn. 4to. 66 x 42 mm. 56 pp. Frontispiece in black and white and 11

full-colour wallpaper designs tipped-in. Wallpaper over boards with
applied title-shield on the frontcover. English text.

Introduction by Guus Thurkow on the wallpapers designed by William Morris and his fellow workers in
the 19th C. Eleven tipped-in full-colour plates, reduced to a scale 1:12, show various designs and give a
good impression of Morris's wallpapers in the period 1864-1897. The frontispiece shows William Morris's
portrait after a reduced woodengraving. Set from 6 point Utopia and printed on 90 g Simili Japon by Jan
de Jong. Handbound by Trijnie Duut. Standard edition. One of 175 numbered copies.
 Rossenberg, René van: Tolkien's Golem
Velp, Catharijne Press Miniature Books, 2004.

Sewn. 4to. 65 x 46 mm. 56 pp. Frontispiece. Red cloth with paper title
shield. Printed by Jan de Jong. Bound by Trijnie Duut. English text.

Is Tolkien's Gollum based on the Jewish Golem? That's the question Tolkien-specialist René van
Rossenberg tries to answer. Van Rossenberg was chairman of the Dutch Tolkien Society from 1986 to
1996. He founded www.tolkienshop.com and recently the Tolkien Museum in Leiden, The Netherlands.
The frontispiece - a picture of Gollum - is from the American artist Gonzai (Meredith Martini). The text is
set in Teff Trinité. Brown-red endpapers. Black head- and tailbands. Standard edition is limited to 200
numbered copies.

Rossenberg, René van: Tolkien's Golem (Special edition)

Published in an edition of 20 copies, numbered I - XX.

Bound in handmarbled cloth(!) by the famous artist Karli Frigge.

In this special edition the initials at the beginning of each chapter are
handcoloured and all copies have been signed by the author.

[for description: see above]

 Swift, Jonathan: Gulliver's Travels: A Voyage to Lilliput
Zuilichem, The Catharijne Press, 1996.

Sewn. 4to. 62 x 40 mm. 64 pp. Frontispiece and map. Blue paper binding
with the title on the spine and on the frontcover. English text.

Chapter 1 of Swift's famous 'A Voyage to Lilliput', one of Gulliver's travels to extraordinary places, using
the text of 1735, incorporating revisions by Swift of the 1st edition. The text is preceeded by Richard
Sympson's original introduction 'The Publisher to the Reader'. Typography and binding design by Gerard
Unger, the creator of the 'Gulliver type'. Set from 4.8 Gulliver Book Type. Printed on 70 g Delphi by Jan de
Jong. Both illustrations are reproduced after pen and ink drawings by the celebrated artist Arne
Zuidhoek. Handbound by Trijnie Duut. Standard edition. One of 175 copies.

Tulipomania: An Eyewitness Account

's-Hertogenbosch, The Catharijne Press, 2000.

Sewn, 4to, 69 x 44 mm. 72 pp. Frontispiece. Decorated paper over boards.

Léonie van Lieshout's vivid account of 'Tulipomania', the madness that possessed many burghers in
Holland's Golden Age. Based on the diary of a long dead forebear, the story takes us back to 17th C.
Holland and the stirring events that led to ruin and disaster in the year of our Lord 1637. The tipped-in
frontispiece is an original mezzotint, showing the famous tulip 'Semper Augustus' by the celebrated artist
Marianne Stam (1960), each plate numbered and signed. Printed in 2 colours by Koninklijke van de Garde
b.v. on 90 g Hahnemühle Ingres. Typography and design: Jacques Brussel. Handbound by Trijnie Duut.
Standard edition. One of 150 numbered copies.
 The Twelve Months
Zuilichem, The Catharijne Press, 1990.

Sewn. 4to. 47 x 62 mm. 32 pp. Illd. Bound in glazed paper

over boards with the illustration for 'January' on the
frontcover and the title on the spine. English text.

A miniature children's book with 12 handcoloured plates, each illustrating events and occupations in the
12 months of the year and provided with a 2-line rhyming couplet. Printed from 6 point Bembo by
Koninklijke Van de Garde B.V. on 100 g Simili Japon. Handcolouring by Sjanet Duut. Typography by Guus
Thurkow. Handbound by Trijnie Duut. Standard edition. One of 150 numbered copies.

Wilde, Oscar: The House of Judgment

Utrecht, The Catharijne Press, 1986.

Sewn. 4to. 68 x 52 mm. 32 pp. Brown cloth binding with paper title on
the frontcover. English text.

Printed in 4 colours by Hans Harzheim on 90 g Hahnemühle Antique after an original calligraphed by the
Dutch surrealist painter J.H. Moesman. Handbound by Trijnie Duut. Standard edition. One of 150
numbered copies. Acclaimed by the MBS as best miniature book of 1986.

For more information about these miniature books:

[email protected]
Catharijne Press Miniature Books
Trijnie Duut & Gerjan Heij
Miniatuure boeken Wat zijn miniatuurboeken?

Miniatuurboeken zijn juweeltjes, vaak nog kleiner dan een luciferdoosje. Over de hele
wereld wordt meestal als maximale afmeting voor een miniatuurboek 3 inch (7,6 cm.)
gehanteerd, hoewel sommigen tot 4 inch verzamelen. De inhoud kan alles zijn, net zoals
bij een “gewoon“ boek.

De interesse voor miniatuurboeken is sterk internationaal georiënteerd. Uitgaven van de

Nederlandse uitgeverij Catharijne Press Miniature Books ( [email protected] )
zijn dan ook meestal in de Engelse taal. Ook de beschrijving van de boeken is in het
Engels. De meeste verzamelaars wonen in de Verenigde Staten, Engeland en in Japan.
Vele verzamelaars zijn lid van de internationale Miniature Book Society ( www.mbs.org ).

Voor zetters en boekbinders was vroeger het maken van een miniatuurboek hun
meesterproef, het bewijs dat ze het vak in de vingers hadden.

Het meest interessante is dat miniatuur-boeken een schoonheid van zichzelf hebben.
Zoals Louis Bondy heeft gezegd: "Small is beautiful". En daar is verder niets aan uit te
leggen.

Meer informatie over (de verkrijgbaarheid en prijzen van) deze miniatuurboeken:

[email protected]
Catharijne Press Miniature Books
Trijnie Duut & Gerjan Heij