Toaster's Handbook: Jokes, Stories, Quotations 1923 ©1916 | Decorative Designers (DD) Cover

The Toaster's Handbook: Jokes, Stories & Quotations, compiled by Peggy Edmund and Harold Workman Williams, was originally published by The H.W. Wilson Company in 1916. This copy is from the third reprinting in 1923, making it a genuine piece of early 20th-century publishing history.

The striking brown and orange illustrated cover features a charming jester glass raised in toast, holding a carved head marotte—a perfect visual for this celebration of toasts and humor. The cover design incorporates the letters "DD," the signature of Decorative Designers, a renowned book cover designer active from 1895 to 1931, adding significant design-history value.

This 483-page volume is a former library book with authentic provenance. The front cover displays the Bond Hill Branch Library's personalized book plate, embossed seal, and catalog call numbers (also marked on the spine). The flyleaf and title page show age-appropriate tears; the hinge is loose and binding has loosened from the back cover. The letter "N" appears in marker on the bottom edge, and there is writing on the back cover, possibly a previous owner's inscription.

Despite these period marks, the book remains a remarkable find for collectors of vintage humor, toasting traditions, and early American publishing.