Randall Jay
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randyjay.bsky.social
Randall Jay
@randyjay.bsky.social
240 followers 240 following 200 posts
Artist & online book dealer. I live near Palm Springs, California. Friend of cats, birds, nature. art, books, movies, music, history, paper...

I'm on AbeBooks as Randall's Books https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?sortby=0&vci=61552643
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randyjay.bsky.social
Books shipping to new homes this morning.
#Arms&Armor #weapons #17thCentury #poetry #humor #HilaireBelloc #Ulay #ConceptualArt #GrantWood #AmericanArt #painters #regionalism
A 20th century facsimile edition of a 17th Century work entitled "The Exercise of Armes" by Jacob De Gheyn. The dust jacket shows a circa 1607 etching of three well-dressed, bearded men in wide-brimmed, feathered hats. All are carrying very large blunderbuss-style guns. The background for the artwork is printed in solid red. Above the illustration a black panel shows the title and author's name in white letters. A book entitled "Selected Cautionary Verses", by Hilaire Belloc. On a yellow background a black & white line drawing shows an elderly man speaking to a young boy. His hand is on the boy's shoulder. A square black art book with white letters spelling out the title in capitalized, sans-serif letters: Whispers: "Ulay on Ulay". The author's names are not shown. A square format book entitled "Grant Wood: The Regionalist Vision", by Wanda M. Corn. A painting by the artist shows a birds-eye view looking down on rolling green hills, with a tiny farmer and his horse tilling a field in the foreground. A farm house can be seen in the distance on the left. Titles of the book are overlaid in white letters.
January 2, 2026 at 3:31 PM
randyjay.bsky.social
Album cover: Universal Mother by Sinead O'Connor
December 28, 2025 at 11:54 PM
randyjay.bsky.social
Books shipping to new homes this morning.
#booksky #BookSelling #ThomasHardy #IvorNovello #Egypt #art #SouthSeas #TribalArt #Pacific
An antique book without a dust jacket, standing up on a white shelf. The boards of the book are red. The titles on the spine (facing the viewer) are decorated in gold: Under the Greenwood Tree, by Thomas Hardy. A book with a jacket featuring a monochrome photo of the head and shoulders of British musician-actor Ivor Novello. He is leaning forward with his chin resting on his right palm. His hand has a lit cigarette between two fingers, while his pinkie finger is touching his lower lip. The title, in white letters is simply "Ivor". The author is Sandy Wilson. An unillustrated book cover with black text on a pale blue background. It reads "Catalogue of Egyptian Antiquities in the British Museum, V: Early Dynastic Objects" by A. J. Spencer "Arts of the South Seas". With a bold cover in black brown and beige featuring a tribal design of a stylized seated figure with a mask-like face, pointed headgear, and arms raised with palms facing up.
December 27, 2025 at 3:34 PM
randyjay.bsky.social
Truth is reveal!
#Caturday
December 27, 2025 at 3:08 PM
randyjay.bsky.social
Thinking of my mom this Christmas Eve day. She passed in May, a week before her 91st birthday. She loved her chickens. She would have enjoyed this article in the current #WorldofInteriors magazine, on innovative henhouses. Titled "Coops de Théâtre".

#WoI #chicken #henhouse #magazines #creativity
A white painted South Africa-inspired Cape Dutch style henhouse, complete with interior chandelier and white nest boxes with arched openings, echoing its overall shape. The front door is open. A donkey and some chickens appear outside in the foreground. A lavender-pink painted classical Greek temple henhouse with inspired D.I.Y. touches, including golf clubs, hubcaps train sets and figurines nestled into a budding garden in South Carolina. Sounds weird but the result is rather enchanting. A circa 1970s white French police car (with red and blue stripes) modified as a chicken coop. The open trunk, doors and rear hatch show build-outs with expanded flooring and chickens peering out.
December 24, 2025 at 4:38 PM
randyjay.bsky.social
#Caturday
A photo showing a black & white cat, with head peering above a table to stare at a porcelain figure of a cat head which has similar coloring. The real cat looks shocked, with its eyes wide open.
December 20, 2025 at 9:38 PM
randyjay.bsky.social
Books shipping to new homes today 👇
The Last Caravaggio, Des Souris et des Hommes, Judo
#booksky #bookselling #ArtBooks #Caravaggio #JohnSteinbeck #FrenchLanguage #OfMIce&Men #fiction #judo #Japan #SelfDefense
An art book with the title "The Last Caravaggio". Showing a detail of a painting on the cover with a young male figure partially draped in a red fabric. He is reclining, resting on his bent right arm. Heavily shadowed, his face is nearly in complete shadow. The title is above the image with the name of Caravaggio printed in red letters. A late 1940s paperback of the John Steinbecks novel "Of Mice and Men", in the French language. The pulp-style cover shows a scene inside a horse stable with a kneeling man in the foreground. He is facing towards us and only his head, shoulders and hands can be seen. His face shows a look of apprehension. A dark-haired, buxom woman strikes a pose behind him, leaning on a wall with hands on hips and shoulders bare. The French-translated title "Des Souris et des Hommes" appears at the top in bold yellow letters. A Japanese book from 1937 published by the Japan Tourist Board. Part of a large series on Japanese culture. It is titled "Judo (Jujutsu)". The cover shows a simple three color line drawing with two men engaged in judo. The smaller fellow seems to have the upper hand, as the larger man leans heavily to the right, possibly about to lose his balance.
December 18, 2025 at 8:43 PM
randyjay.bsky.social
Poems Of Cabin And Field, by Paul Laurence Dunbar, Dodd Mead, 1899. Book designed by Alice Morse.
Dark green cover of a book of poetry by African-American poet Paul Lawrence Dunbar. An Art-Nouveau style vine of red trumpet flowers encloses the gold title in the center. The author's name appears below.
December 16, 2025 at 3:44 PM
randyjay.bsky.social
Books shipping to new homes this morning.
#booksky #bookselling #puppets #art #Secession #ExhibitionCatalog #plants #CarnivorousPlants
Book entitled Puppetry: A World History by Eileen Blumenthal. The cover shows the head and shoulders of a Japanese marionette against a black background. He has a startled=looking face and wide open eyes. The title word Puppetry appears above his head, in black letters, each letter on variously colored backgrounds in a playful font, appearing to descend on strings. A German exhibition catalog from 1913, its cover designed in black and gold. The top half is an artwork against a black background. In profile, a gold a charioteer guides four rearing horses. The show took place in Munich. The titles, translated into English: "Munich 1913 11th International Art Exhibition, KGL Glass Palace, Illustrated Catalog, Artist's Cooperative - Secession. A book entitled The Carnivorous Plants, by Francis Ernest Lloyd. The cover shows an 18th century decorative and somewhat fanciful painting of a pitcher plant. Titles are in white on a red panel.
December 15, 2025 at 1:47 PM
randyjay.bsky.social
Vintage pics of Old Hollywood & Silent Film thespians, anyone? Recent finds, now posted on #AbeBooks #PatsyRuthMiller #WalterMcGrail #GeorgeFawcett #AnitaLouise #cinema #MovieHistory #SilentMovies #actors #actresses #booksky #Hollywood
An inscribed photograph of actress Patsy Ruth Miller. An inscribed photo of silent film actor Walter McGrail An inscribed photo of silent film actor George Fawcett An inscribed photo of actress Anita Louise.
December 11, 2025 at 4:19 PM
randyjay.bsky.social
Current conditions
#PalmSprings
December 1, 2025 at 12:51 AM
randyjay.bsky.social
Photo I took through a window last night.
November 29, 2025 at 3:18 PM
randyjay.bsky.social
#ArtBooks I'm shipping to new homes this morning. 👇
#AlexanderCalder #JohnSingerSargent #MiltonAvery #TaosArtists #booksky #BookSelling
A bright yellow book cover with one of sculptor Alexander Calder's black wire pieces shaped as a trapeze artist hanging upside down. In his hands he holds the title of the book, spelled out in letters made of red wire. The title of the book is Calder's Circus. A book titled 'Sargent and Italy'. A detail from a John Singer Sargent painting shows a paved stone courtyard with a water well and several figures. A mysterious female figure dressed in white, but draped in large black shawl, appears to walk towards us. Her face is hidden. A book entitled 'Milton Avery' by Robert Hobbs. The cover is one of the artist's lyrical abstract seascapes, in shades of blue and black. A lighter blue color in the foreground suggests a shoreline. A book entitled 'Paintbrushes and Pistols: How the Taos Artists Sold the West', by Sherry Clayton Taggett and Ted Schwarz. The cover is an oil painting in warm colors of a Native American man wearing a red shirt and tall light brown hat. His left eye is only partially visible under the floppy hat's brim. A wall behind him is yellow-gold. Bright sunlight appears to be illuminating one side of his face. The other is in shadow. The shaded side shows his other eye clearly, looking straight at the viewer.
November 25, 2025 at 5:45 PM
randyjay.bsky.social
Loved this early 20th C. photo I found even before I noticed the lady in the bonnet. She makes it even better. Taken by Andrew Putnam Hill (1853-1922). His efforts to save this forest from the sawmill helped jumpstart the CA state park system. #California #photography #redwoods #BigBasinStatePark
November 24, 2025 at 3:15 PM
randyjay.bsky.social
Enjoying sorting through stacks of 20th century #photographs acquired over the weekend. Hollywood, fashion & more. #photography #bookselling #booksky #ephemera
A section of a desk showing a pile of photos. The largest shows a tall black fashion model from the 1970s wearing a mid-length white dress. Seen partially above is a photo of a blonde model wearing a puffy black hat for a hat advertisement, circa 1940s. To the left is a photo of an unidentified young movie actor whose costume is a cavalry uniform.
November 19, 2025 at 1:36 PM
randyjay.bsky.social
A couple of hours later...
November 17, 2025 at 5:02 PM
randyjay.bsky.social
First snow of the season up on Mt. San Jacinto this morning.
#PalmSprings #CoachellaValley
An iPhone camera picture of Mount San Jacinto.
November 17, 2025 at 2:44 PM
randyjay.bsky.social
#ArtBooks I'm shipping to new homes this morning. 👇
#GerritDou #RichardDiebenkorn #PaulPletka #ErnstFuchs
#booksky #bookselling #AbeBooks
An art book entitled 'Gerrit Dou 1613-1675'. A Dutch interior scene with a male musician seated in a chair holding a large stringed instrument. He is looking directly at the viewer. Light pours in from an open window on the left. The room contains books, a globe, a draped table and other objects A book entitled 'Richard Diebenkorn: Ocean Park' by Jack Flam. The cover contains one of the artist's paintings from a series named after the neighborhood where he lived at the time. The abstract work is in soft yellows and transparent blues, greens and occasionally red. A book about the art of Paul Pletka, simply titled 'Pletka' on the cover, in large letters on a black background. To the left is a painting by the artist representing a seated native American man. His unsmiling face is painted in red and white vertical stripes. This matches his trousers and appears to suggest an American flag. He wears an officer's black coat with red epaulets and a double row of brass buttons. His shoes are reminiscent of native American beaded ones, in multiple colors. In his left hand he holds a carved mace. His large right hand rests on his knee. He is looking straight ahead. An Abrams art book with an arresting image by 20th century Austrian artist Ernst Fuchs. A strange and perhaps god-like and alien figure in shades of blue, bold, green and orange. A flame-like aura flanks this personage and appears to be reflected in its surface. An intense image. The artist's name appears above it in Art Nouveau-style gold letters.
November 12, 2025 at 5:28 PM
randyjay.bsky.social
Just grabbed this pic from an email sent by #FloraGrubbGardens (San Francisco & Marina Del Rey), taken at their wholesale nursery. #Stapelia plants are pollinated by flies, so these clever froggies are making this large flower their home. #nature #frogs #plants #flowers
Photograph: looking down on a large star-shaped flower containing four small watchful frogs.
November 11, 2025 at 4:23 PM
randyjay.bsky.social
I love waking up to coffee and good news. Thank you fellow voters.
#coffee #California #Prop50 #antifa #democracy
Image of a booklet entitled 'Fun with Coffee', showing an antique coffee pot with matching cups and saucers, on a background of coffee beans. Snacks and desserts made with coffee are also pictured.
November 5, 2025 at 4:22 PM
randyjay.bsky.social
Books I'm shipping to new homes this morning 👇
#bookselling #booksky #EdwardGorey #JacquesCousteau #oceanography #BernardRudofsky #architecture #AlbertCamus #fiction
A small square book by author and illustrator Edward Gorey entitled 'The Wuggly Ump' Cover illustration shows three children on a hill looking down into a cave where the title character lives. A slithering tail is seen receding into the darkness of the cave. The tail is curled around a closed umbrella. A yellow border surrounds the image. Book cover of 'Jacques Cousteau's Calypso'. The cover image shows the oceanographer's research ship floating on the water against a blue sky. We can see beneath the ship in this composite image; the lower portion shows hammerhead sharks swimming beneath the vessel. 'Architecture Without Architects' by Bernard Rudofsky. A square softcover book with a photo image in black & white. It shows an ancient civilization's large multi-tiered structure built into a hillside. The book 'A Happy Death' the first novel written by French author Albert Camus. The cover shows a black & white image of his face in profile. He has a cigarette in his mouth. Titles are in white, red and yellow.
October 31, 2025 at 3:02 PM
randyjay.bsky.social
Currently reading 👇
'Saul Steinberg: A Biography' by Deirdre Bair (Doubleday, New York, 2012).
#booksky #books #biography #SaulSteinberg #artistsB
Book cover with a large teal blue horizontal panel at the top, over which alternating yellow and soft red letters spell out the title. A smaller lower panel has the author's name in white against a red background. The middle section shows a black & white photograph of Saul Steinberg, seated in a chair at left, wearing one of his hand-drawn white paper masks. It has a long white beard, and the face shows a disgruntled frown. Four other of his paper masks can be seen on the wall above and to his left.
October 27, 2025 at 11:07 PM
randyjay.bsky.social
Vintage #sheetmusic shipping to new homes today.
'El Tamalero' by Principe Cubano & Luis Stalman, published in Argentina in 1931. and 'I'll Never Stop Loving You' by Sammy Cahn & Nicholas Brodszky, featured in the 1955 movie 'Love Me or Leave Me'. #bookselling #FoxTrot #Rumba #movies #DorisDay
October 23, 2025 at 7:51 PM
randyjay.bsky.social
Books I'm shipping to new homes this morning 👇
#bookselling #booksky #fiction #biography #movies #games #food&wine
A paperback of Iris Murdoch's first book, 'Under the Net'. The book 'Marvin: The Story of Lee Marvin' by Donald Zec The Japanese Game of "Go", published by the Japan Tourist Bureau Dionysus: A Case of Vintage Tales About Wine, edited by Clifton Fadiman
October 20, 2025 at 3:29 PM
randyjay.bsky.social
It’s #GlobalCatDay.
Bring back the Lolcats!
October 16, 2025 at 8:17 PM