The Saloon in the Home Illustrated by John Held, Jr.

John Held, Jr., was a leading illustrator of the 1920s, which means he was a leading illustrator of the Prohibition era. This made him an obvious choice to illustrate The Saloon in the Home, or A Garden of Rumblossoms, a humorous 1930 compendium of writings extolling the virtues of temperance with interspersed recipes for mixed drinks. The book's illustrations are in Held's linoleum block print style familiar to readers of The New Yorker; they are here promoted on the dust jacket as many so-called "lavish engravings." The Prohibition era came to an end in 1933, by which time Held's popularity was in serious decline. Today the book is uncommon. A copy was sold at auction yesterday:

Before the sale, this lot was given an estimate of $300 to $500. Online bidding started at $150.

The Saloon in the Home
PBA Galleries Auctions & Appraisers lot of January 12, 2023

https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/the-saloon-in-the-home-in-jacket-276-c-39942f2af8?objectID=176454740&algIndex=upcoming_lots_prod&queryID=fc9b8cf31269321d87572b49679a469f

The book was sold yesterday for the hammer price of $225, which is below the auction house's low estimate of $300.

Note:  Want to see more? The book can be read here free of charge.

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