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A River Runs Through It Engravings

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This important set of engravings was created by America's premier wood engraver, Barry Moser, specifically and exclusively for his Pennyroyal Press edition of A River Runs Through It. Pennyroyal Press matted, each in pristine condition, signed by the artist. These thirteen engravings are accompanied by a signed letter from Moser's gallery, R. Michelson Galleries, attesting to the sale of this set in 1994 to Norman Maclean's son John. The black and white engravings - of George Croonenberghs's flies, portraits of Norman and Paul Maclean, a fishing hat, a Hills Brothers coffee can, all mentioned in A River Runs Through It, and others, are a match for the evocation of a different age, the one brought to life in the classic book. Moser's illustrations have been lauded by art commentators as the finest characterizations ever done for each of the famous books his works grace. His engravings for A River Runs Through It are no exception. Consigned by Norman's son John Maclean.

Norman Maclean (1902-1990). Born in Iowa in 1902, Maclean was the son of the Rev. John Maclean, who administered much of the education of his sons Norman and Paul. The family moved to Missoula, Montana in 1909, with the following years having a significant influence on the young Norman, later inspiring his writing, most prominently the semi-autobiographical A River Runs Through It, published in 1976. A River Runs Through It was adapted into a movie by Columbia Pictures, directed by Robert Redford, starring Craig Sheffer as Norman Maclean and Brad Pitt as Paul Maclean in 1992. A River Runs Through It has been credited as the most important motion picture concerning the art of fly fishing ever produced. Immediately after the movie's release, the public embraced fly fishing in huge numbers, with American fly fishing waterways seeing a new generation drawn to try their hand at the enduring pastime, or those renewing the forgotten pleasure of the peace one can achieve in a natural environment. Through this film, the public, largely unaware of fly fishing, came to ap¬preciate the beauty, grace, and true artistry of the sport. Like no other, Maclean's writing captivated readers who have never held a fly rod in their hand. By all accounts, Maclean penned one of the classic American stories of the twentieth century.

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