An Operator – Selections From The Fancy; or True Sportsman’s Guide

Description

Selections From The Fancy; or True Sportsman’s Guide. 1972 Imprint Society. Barre Massachusetts 1972. Limited Edition of 1,950 copies SIGNED by author. 136-pages. VG condition with a good plus slipcover. Includes: Cursory remarks on the origin, rise and progress of pugilism in England, and other pugilists; memoirs of the life of Thomas Hickman, including misc. reports on sporting ardor, an altercation between two ladies, and the brutality of the American mode of fighting; memoirs of Tom Shelton, on the adventures of training, memoirs of Tom Molineaux, with further observations on the progress of pugilism; memoirs of Jack Slack…

The 1972 Imprint Society edition of Selections From the Fancy; or True Sportsman’s Guide is a beautifully designed, limited-edition fine press book that celebrates early 19th-century sports culture. Published in Barre, Massachusetts, this volume compiles fascinating magazine articles and chronicles from the 1820s concerning Regency-era “pugilism” (bare-knuckle boxing) and other traditional British sporting pursuits.

Publication Details:
• Title: Selections From the Fancy; or True Sportsman’s Guide
• Author: Written by “An Operator” (a pseudonym heavily attributed to Jonathan Badcock, a prominent early 19th-century sporting journalist)
• Foreword: Written by the acclaimed American journalist and sports participatory writer George Plimpton
• Illustrator: Randy Jones
• Publisher: Imprint Society, Inc., Barre, MA
• Year: 1972
• Page Count: 136 pages
• Limitation: Limited strictly to 1,950 copies, individually numbered or designated on the colophon page.

The Artwork & Randy Jones Signature:
This edition is highly prized for its unique artistic additions created by artist Randy Jones:
• Autograph: Each copy is hand-signed by illustrator Randy Jones on the colophon (the final printed limitation page) at the rear of the book.
• Loose Original Etching: The book features a loose, original print etching of “The Fancy” by Jones that is carefully laid-in at the frontispiece rather than bound directly into the book.
• In-Text Drawings: The text is richly populated by Jones’s distinct, beautifully stylized, and sometimes “bawdy” pen-and-ink sketches detailing historical sports figures and scenes.

Physical Characteristics & Fine Press Binding:
The Imprint Society spared no expense in creating a luxurious, shelf-scannable package designed directly for high-end book collectors:
• The Binding: It features a premium quarter-bound brown leather spine paired with beautifully patterned or light-brown paper-covered hardboards.
• Spine Detailing: The genuine leather spine is accented with elegant gold (gilt) lettering.
• Page Edges: True to traditional luxury typography, all outer page edges feature a distinct brown speckled (or stippled) design.
• Slipcase: The book is housed in a heavy, protective, paper-covered protective slipcase matching the aesthetic of the volume.
• Protective Sleeve: Some copies were originally distributed with a clear, protective acetate wrapper over the leather binding.