Visit us in booth 405-406

At the San Francisco Antiquarian

Book, Print & Paper Fair

 

Saturday   February  6          10 am to 7 pm

Sunday     February  7          10 am to 5 pm

 

At the San Franciso Concourse at

Showplace Square

Visit us in booth 140

At the Los Angeles 43rd California

International Antiquarian Book Fair

 

Friday        February  12        4 pm to 9 pm

Saturday   February  13        11 am to 7 pm

Sunday     February  14        11 am to 5 pm

 

At the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel

2025 Avenue of the Stars

Home

 

A Sampling of Items to be Displayed at the 2010 San Francisco Antiquarian Book, Print & Paper Fair Booth 405-406 and the California International Antiquarian Book Fair Booth 140

 

1.  A VERY WIDE RANGE OF MEDIEVAL AND RENAISSANCE VELLUM MANUSCRIPT MATERIAL, INCLUDING FOUR COMPLETE MANUSCRIPTS AND A GREAT MANY SINGLE LEAVES FROM THE 11TH TO THE 16TH CENTURIES.   $Prices start at $25 for individual leaves and $35,000 for the complete manuscripts

 

The manuscripts highlighted by a world-class Book of Hours with 13 miniatures of various sizes; the single folios including miniatures of high quality at a range of prices, a newly acquired group of large antiphonary leaves, and a diverse group of specimens from early codices as well as 15th century devotional works, the latter including some decorative Parisian text leaves and miniatures that--in terms of quality and price--are some of the most attractive items we've had in many years.

 

2.  (EASTON PRESS and FRANKLIN MINT BOOKS).  A COLLECTION OF MORE THAN 300 EASTON PRESS AND FRANKLIN MINT BOOKS, ALL IN FINE CONDITION, and 10 MULTIVOLUME SETS BY INDIVIDUAL AUTHORS, available separately (see below).    (  ) 238 volumes from the Easton Press and 96 volumes from the Franklin Press, in addition to the sets listed separately below.  All in decorative leather bindings, and all in virtually mint condition (many of the volumes never opened).  (ST11462b-352)      $9,500 for the 334 volumes; prices for the additional individual sets given below

 

Including some complete series (for example, Easton's "100 Greatest Books Ever Written" and the 51 "Masterpieces of American Literature") and the following multivolumes sets of works by single authors available separately:  BURTON, RICHARD. "The Thousand and One Nights." (17 vols.) $1,000;    CHURCHILL, WINSTON. "The World Crisis" (World War I). (6 vols.) $750, "The Second World War" (6 vols.) $750, "A History of the English-Speaking Peoples." (4 vols.) $500; DICKENS, CHARLES. "The Complete Works."  (21 vols.) $3,500;    FITZGERALD, F. SCOTT. Seven Novels (7 vols.): $950;    FORESTER, C. S. The "Horatio Hornblower" Novels. (11 vols.) $1,750;    HEMINGWAY, ERNEST. "The Works."  (19 vols., 5 in shrinkwrap) $1,500;    MACAULAY, THOMAS. "The History of England." (10 vols.) $750;  PYLE, HOWARD. (Illustrator). Collector's Edition:  "The Story of King Arthur and his Knights," "The Story of the Champions of the Round Table," "The Story of Sir Launcelot and his Companions," "The Story of the Grail and the Passing Of Arthur." $450 for the group;  SHAKESPEARE, WILLIAM. "The Complete Works." (39 vols., all but one still in shrinkwrap) $4,000; STEINBECK, JOHN. Novels & Short Stories (8 vols.) $950.

 

3.  (JAZZ).  A COLLECTION OF 174 BOOKS ON JAZZ AND THE BLUES, PLUS A SIGNED PHOTOGRAPH OF BILLIE HOLIDAY.    (  44 of the works published before 1980.)   145 hardcover clothbound editions (many in original dust jackets); 29 trade paperbacks.  (ST11462b-287)      $5,000

 

With biographies, reference works, and coffee table books, including a signed copy of "Satchmo" as well as a signed Billie Holliday photograph in a very attractive art deco frame.

 

4.  (MYSTERIES).  THE COMPLETE COLLECTION OF 12 FACSIMILE "FIRST EDITION LIBRARY MYSTERIES" FROM THE LIBRARY OF OTTO PENZLER.    (Shelton, Connecticut: The First Edition Library, [  1993-96]) 12 volumes.  All volumes hardbound and in their original replica dust jackets, and housed in sturdy slipcases, as issued, with an image of the dust jacket on the side of the slipcase.  (ST11462a-391)      $2,250

 

Mint copies of 12 classic American mysteries, all exact reproductions of the first editions (including their dust wrappers) in the library of Otto Penzler, noted collector, author, and proprietor of the Mysterious Bookshop in New York City.

 

5.  (SCIENCE). A COLLECTION OF 25 FINELY BOUND WORKS ON THE SCIENCES.    (Various printers,  1863-1923)   ALL OF THE VOLUMES IN ATTRACTIVE FULL POLISHED CALF PRIZE BINDINGS, with presentation inscriptions or certificates at the front of each volume.  (ST11550i)      $1,900

 

A variety of popular scientific works, written primarily for a youthful audience, each in a very pleasing decorative gilt binding.

 

6.  (AMERICANA, WESTERN).  DAVIS, JEFFERSON, SECRETARY OF THE UNITED STATES WAR DEPARTMENT.  REPORTS OF EXPLORATIONS AND SURVEYS, TO ASCERTAIN THE MOST PRACTICABLE AND ECONOMICAL ROUTE FOR A RAILROAD FROM THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER TO THE PACIFIC OCEAN, MADE UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE SECRETARY OF WAR, IN 1853-4.  (Washington: A. O. P. Nicholson,  1855-60) 12 folio volumes bound in 13. FIRST EDITION. Four volumes with original publishers black blindstamped cloth covers and nine with marbled boards, flat spines, all recently and uniformly rebacked with tan buckram. COPIOUSLY ILLUSTRATED with 374 full-page black and white engravings, 203 full-page color engravings (38 of these colored by hand), 45 folding black and white charts and maps, 11 folding color charts and maps, and 233 woodcuts in the text (the majority vignettes, the rest diagrams). First volume with presentation inscription to the Irving Society from "J. L. Dawson, M. C." dated 30 October 1862. (ST11462a-295)      $9,500

 

With some browning and other condition problems, but a complete and advantageously priced set--with attractive provenance--of the railroad reports compiled for Secretary of War Jefferson Davis, described by Howes as "the best cartographical work on the West up to its time," and by Wagner as "a monumental collection of scientific information, geographical, zoological, botanical, [and] geological, of the still mysterious American West"; our copy presented by Pennsylvania Democratic Congressman John Littleton Dawson (1813-70), a so-called "Copperhead" who served in the House of Representatives from 1851-55 and 1863-67.

 

7.  ANGELUS, JOHANNES.  ASTROLABIUM.  (Augsburg: Erhard Ratdolt,  1488)  FIRST EDITION. Old (perhaps 18th century) pigskin. MORE THAN 400 WOODCUTS COLORED BY AN EARLY HAND. (ST10903)      $42,000

 

The first printing--and a rare hand-colored copy--of a significant work of astrology as well as an incunable of immense charm, this volume with intriguing annotations in English by a mid-19th century astrologer from Boston (just one colored copy listed by ABPC in the last 30 years).

 

8.  (ARION PRESS).  (BIBLE IN ENGLISH).  THE APOCALYPSE: THE REVELATION OF SAINT JOHN THE DIVINE.    (Arion Press,  1982)  ONE OF 150 COPIES for sale (this is copy #32). THE TITLE PAGE SIGNED BY THE ARTIST. In the publisher's original inlaid wood binding backed with pigskin, designed by Jim Dine. In a matching suede-lined clamshell box. With 29 full-page black and white woodblock prints by Dine. Colophon signed by the printer, Andrew Hoyem. Printed on handmade Apta paper. Prospectus for this title, related advertising material, and a greeting card from the press laid in at front. (CTS0910)      $5,000

 

A mint copy of an impressive large-format private press edition uniting the 1611 King James version of Revelations with 29 apocalyptic prints by American artist Jim Dine, rendered "in expressionistic style, responding to specific objects and subjects of The Revelation, rather than incidents of the narration as established by Durer."

 

9.  (ASHENDENE PRESS).  ALIGHIERI, DANTE.  LO INFERNO.  [and]  LO PURGATORIO.  [and]  LO PARADISO.  (Ashendene Press,  1902-04-05) Three volumes. ONE OF 135, ONE OF 150, and ONE OF 150 COPIES on paper. Original flexible white vellum with green silk ties. With initials and paragraph marks hand painted by Graily Hewitt in red, blue, green, or gold, and 43 FINE WOODCUT VIGNETTES IN THE TEXT drawn by R. Catterson Smith and cut by Charles Keates (with some assistance from W. H. Hooper) after the Venetian Dante printed by Petrus de Quarengiis in 1497 (Goff D-34). (ST11702)      $22,500

 

A very sympathetic adaptation of early illustration, the last Ashendene book to be printed entirely by Hornby, the first in Subiaco type, the first with initials done by hand, and a fine copy of a much sought-after work called by Emily Daniel of the Daniel Press "the most beautiful modern book [she had] ever seen."

 

10.  (ASHENDENE PRESS).  BACON, FRANCIS.  TWO ESSAYS OF FRANCIS LORD BACON: OF BVILDINGS & GARDENS.  (Ashendene Press,  1897)  ONE OF 16 COPIES PRINTED FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION (this is copy #6). Original gray printed paper wrappers, fore edge and tail edge untrimmed (professional repairs to bottom edges and one fore edge of the overlapping wrapper and to two places on covers).  In (slightly soiled) linen clamshell case. Printer's device on final page. Pencilled initials on front free endpaper, apparently those of the printer Hornby. (ST11412)      $14,000

 

A very fine copy internally of this early Ashendene item--the rarest publication of the Press (only two copies in ABPC since 1975).

 

11.  (ASHENDENE PRESS).  DANTE ALIGHIERI.  TUTTE LE OPERE.  (Ashendene Press,  1909)  ONE OF 105 COPIES ON PAPER (there were also six on vellum). A VARIANT WORKSHOP BINDING MEANT FOR AN EXHIBITION, consisting of light blue paper boards with linen spine, paper title label on spine, untrimmed edges. With initials designed by Graily Hewitt, full-page frontispiece and five large woodcut illustrations in the text drawn by Charles M. Gere and cut on wood by W. H. Hooper. WITH A LAID-IN NOTE IN THE HAND OF THE PRINTER HORNBY ON PAPER BEARING HIS PRINTED NAME AND ADDRESS INDICATING THIS AS A SPECIAL "EXHIBITION COPY." (ST11414)      $60,000

 

An obviously very special copy of the chief Ashendene production, a large folio volume considered to be one of the three outstanding English private press books as well as one of the most impressive works of 20th century printing in general, this volume almost certainly lent for the Medici Society of London's Exhibition of Printing in 1911, reviewed in a "Times" article specifically mentioning the Ashendene Dante as being "superb."

 

12.  AUSTEN, JANE.  THE NOVELS AND LETTERS.  (New York and Philadelphia: Frank S. Holby,  1914) 12 volumes. Hampshire Edition, limited to 1,250 numbered and registered copies (our copy not numbered). Quite pleasing recent tan crushed half morocco over marbled boards, raised bands, spine panels with central gilt fleuron, red and green labels. Letter volumes UNOPENED. With colored illustrations by C. E. and H. M. Brock, and facsimiles of autograph letters. (ST11462a-129)      $3,250

 

A very fine set of Austen's six beloved novels, plus two volumes of her delightful letters, many of them written to her sister Cassandra, the model for the sympathetic sisters portrayed so feelingly in her works.

 

13.  BASKIN, LEONARD.  PRE-RAPHAELITE PORTRAITS BY LEONARD BASKIN [manuscript title].  (  1996)   Bound in impressive black and red morocco, gilt. A SUITE OF 11 ORIGINAL EXPRESSIVE WATERCOLOR PORTRAITS OF THE PRE-RAPHAELITE BROTHERHOOD, EACH TITLED, DATED, AND SIGNED BY LEONARD BASKIN. (ST10115)      $55,000

 

A finely bound collection in pristine condition of 11 large original watercolors of Jane and William Morris, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and eight other Pre-Raphaelites, produced by an artist and private press founder (he ran the Gehenna Press for nearly 60 years) who had a great deal in common with the persons who are his subject matter here.

 

14.  BIBLE IN ENGLISH.  (THE KING JAMES BIBLE).  (BINDINGS - JOHN or ABRAHAM BATEMAN).    (London: Robert Barker,  1634)   SPLENDID CONTEMPORARY CALF, LAVISHLY GILT, possibly by Abraham Bateman, the covers ornamented with multiple rows of small thistles, gilt fan cornerpieces, central floral lozenge with the initials “E” and “A” flanking it left and right; all edges gilt and stamped with a filigree design (presumably some very skillful repairs at corners and at ends of joints). With charts and maps as well as woodcut illustrations. (ST10942)      $4,800

 

One leaf missing from the "The Whole Booke of Psalmes" (which is bound, along with the "Genealogies" and "The Way to True Happinesse," before the biblical text), but the Bible complete, and the whole a remarkably well-preserved copy otherwise in an elaborately decorated contemporary binding that may well be the work of Abraham Bateman, who, like his father, was bookbinder to the king.

 

15.  BIBLE IN ENGLISH - GOLD-PRINTED TEXT.  THE NEW TESTAMENT . . . ACCORDING TO THE PRESENT AUTHORIZED ENGLISH VERSION.  (London: Adolphus Richter and Co.,  1836)   Contemporary red morocco, elaborately gilt.  (ST10905)      $12,500

 

An extraordinarily rare New Testament with very great appeal, having been PRINTED IN GOLD on extremely heavy enamelled paper, the large quarto volume both a physically ponderous book (weighing about 14 pounds) and an edition clearly intended to be grand in a way that sets it apart from virtually all other modern printed books.

 

16.  (BIBLE IN ENGLISH - ILLUSTRATIONS).   THOMASON, SIR EDWARD.  ENAMELLED IMPRESSIONS STRUCK OFF FROM THE SPLENDID SERIES OF MEDAL DIES, ILLUSTRATIVE OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES, ENGRAVED BY BRITISH ARTISTS IN THE EMPLOY OF THE AUTHOR.  (Birmingham: for the Author, [  1830]) Two volumes. FIRST EDITION. In publisher's two wooden boxes. WITH 60 FINE INLAID ENAMELLED PAPER MEDALLIONS SHOWING SCRIPTURAL SCENES. (ST11265)      $3,500

 

The apparently deluxe version (in full morocco boxes) of a biblical item like nothing else we have ever advertised for sale, comprising medallions with scenes from scripture in high relief, the impressions being made on thick paper and then covered with enamelling, making them hard and shiny, the scenes arranged chronologically according to how many years the scene takes place before or after the birth of Christ, the whole group representing replicas of grand medals made by the industrialist Thomason to be presented to various heads of state.

 

17.  (BIBLE IN ENGLISH - TYNDALE, FACSIMILE).  (VELLUM PRINTING).  THE FIRST NEW TESTAMENT PRINTED IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE (1525 OR 1526) TRANSLATED FROM THE GREEK BY WILLIAM TYNDALE REPRODUCED IN FACSIMILE.  (Bristol: Printed for the Editor,  1862)  ONE OF 26 COPIES PRINTED ON VELLUM AND SIGNED BY THE EDITOR, FRANCIS FRY. Contemporary crimson half morocco. Several hundred one-and two-line capitals in gold on a blue or red ground and WITH 12 SMALL HISTORIATED INITIALS SPECIALLY PAINTED AND ILLUMINATED FOR THIS VELLUM EDITION. (ST10946)      $33,000

 

A rare copy of the remarkable luxury version of an important edition, overseen by one of the most famous biblical scholars of his time and restoring to readers the possibility of studying Tyndale's text (available in its original printed form in only two complete copies), this grand special limited version on vellum originally published at the very stiff price of £40.

 

18.  (BIBLE IN HEBREW AND ENGLISH).  (ELIOT, JOHN).  [TITLE IN HEBREW].  [SEFER TEHILIM]. THE BOOK OF PSALMES WITH THE NEW ENGLISH TRANSLATION PUBLISHED BY JOHN LEUSDEN.  (Utrecht: John van de Water,  1688)  First Printing of this Edition. Excellent contemporary stiff vellum, spine titling in an old hand. With Hebrew and English text on facing pages. (ST116501)      $9,500

 

An especially fine contemporary copy, with unusually fresh text, of the Hebrew/English psalter dedicated to John Eliot, the "Venerable Apostle of the Indians in America" and author of the historic Eliot's Bible, the Indian-language translation of scripture that was the first complete bible to be printed in America (our Utrecht Psalter very rare, with just two copies in American libraries, one in ABPC).

 

19.  BIBLE IN MOHAWK AND ENGLISH.  NENE KARIGHWIYOSTON TSINIHORIGHHOTEN NE SAINT JOHN.  / THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO SAINT JOHN.  (London: Printed for the British and Foreign Bible Society by Phillips & Fardon, [  1804])   Very appealing contemporary somber black straight grain morocco tooled in blind and gilt.  (ST11705)      $2,500

 

AN EXCEPTIONALLY FINE COPY of a landmark in the publication of biblical material--the first printing in any language of a biblical book published by the British and Foreign Bible Society after its founding in 1804--our translation by John Norton, a half-Cherokee Scotsman who became a chieftain of the Mohawk Nation.

 

20.  (BINDINGS - BAGGULEY).  IRVING, WASHINGTON.  THE ALHAMBRA.  (London and New York: MacMillan and Co.,  1896)  ONE OF 500 EXTRA-ILLUSTRATED COPIES. MAGNIFICENT CONTEMPORARY DARK GREEN CRUSHED MOROCCO, EXTRAVAGANTLY GILT, BY BAGGULEY (signed with the firm's "Sutherland" patent stamp), covers with lobed inner frame featuring fleuron cornerpieces enclosing a large and extremely intricate gilt lozenge, raised bands, spine lavishly gilt, BEAUTIFUL VELLUM DOUBLURES ELABORATELY TOOLED IN A DIAPERED GILT, RED, AND GREEN MOORISH PATTERN. With numerous illustrations in the text and 12 inserted lithographs by Joseph Pennell. (ST11542)      $6,500

 

A particularly handsome example of the uncommonly seen “Sutherland” style of binding, patented by the Staffordshire binder Bagguley and characterized by vellum doublures that are elaborately decorated with gilt and colored tooling, this special feature realized on the present small folio volume in a flamboyant design most appropriate for Irving's romanticized sketches about the famous Moorish palace in Granada.

 

21.  (BINDINGS - BLANCHETIÈRE).  (FRENCH ILLUSTRATED BOOKS).  MALFILÂTRE, JACQUES-CHARLES-LOUIS DE CLINCAMP DE.  NARCISSE DANS L'ISLE DE VENUS.  (Paris: Lejay, [  1769])  FIRST EDITION, third plate in first state, before letters. SUPERB EARLY 20TH CENTURY DARK GREEN CRUSHED MOROCCO, BEAUTIFULLY AND ELABORATELY GILT,  BY H. BLANCHETIÈRE, covers with large central field containing rows of roses as well as vine-and-leaf cornerpieces, and, at center, a lozenge composed of leafy volutes, fleurons, and floral tools. In an unusual suede-lined slipcase of dark green morocco with marbled sides apparently of onlaid morocco. WITH inserted frontispiece portrait, LOVELY ENGRAVED TITLE BY DE GHENDT AFTER EISEN, AND FOUR FINE PLATES BY MASSARD AFTER GABRIEL JACQUES DE SAINT-AUBIN. Flyleaf at back with two small pasted-in engravings signed in the plate by Eisen. (ST11468)      $3,900

 

The graceful and harmonious chief work of poet and satirist Jacques-Charles-Louis de Clincamp de Malfilâtre (1733-67), highlighted with illustrations by the Gabriel Jacques de Saint-Aubin (1724-80), and offered here in a remarkably elegant binding by Henri Blanchetière (1881-1933), ours being an earlier and more traditional production from this binder, but with particularly animated cover decoration and forward-looking brocaded endleaves that are anything but restrained.

 

22.  (BINDINGS - CHIVERS).  STEVENSON, ROBERT LOUIS.  A CHILD'S GARDEN OF VERSES.  (London: John Lane; New York: Charles Scribner's Sons,  1906)   ENORMOUSLY CHARMING ART NOUVEAU VELLUCENT BINDING BY CEDRIC CHIVERS, both covers featuring an angelic fair-haired child after designs by Charles Robinson, the upper board (entitled "Day") showing the child in a sunny garden filled with oversized roses and sweet peas, the lower cover ("Night") portraying the young girl in nightdress in the same garden. In a quarter morocco folding box. With title page and headpiece vignettes and 14 full-page illustrations by Charles Robinson. (ST11727j)      SOLD

 

Far and away the most delightful example of the distinctive work of Cedric Chivers that we have ever handled and an appealing item in every way, the vellucent binding resembling a painting on ivory, the illustrations conveying the joys and innocence of childhood, and the poetry perhaps the best ever written for children in English.

 

23.  (BINDINGS - COSWAY BINDING).  DICKENS, CHARLES.  THE POSTHUMOUS PAPERS OF THE PICKWICK CLUB.  (London: Chapman and Hall,  1837)  FIRST EDITION in Book Form, mostly First Issue points, most plates in First State (see below). VERY FINE COSWAY-STYLE CRIMSON CRUSHED MOROCCO, LAVISHLY GILT AND INLAID, BY SANGORSKI & SUTCLIFFE, covers gilt with a very handsome frame of stippling, foliate sprays, and inlaid blue morocco flowers, BEAUTIFUL FRONT DOUBLURE OF BLACK MOROCCO ELABORATELY DECORATED IN A GILT DIAPERED PATTERN AND FEATURING AT CENTER A FINELY EXECUTED RECESSED OVAL MINIATURE OF DICKENS ON IVORY UNDER GLASS framed by AN INTRICATELY GILT-DECORATED COLLAR CONTAINING FOUR SMALL PEARLS. With 43 engraved plates (as called for) by Robert Buss, Robert Seymour, and Hablot Knight Browne ("Phiz"). Loose slip of paper with Charles Dickens' penned signature laid in at front. (ST11388b)      $9,000

 

A sparkling, especially lovely Cosway-style binding covering a major work in English literature, the portrait being remarkably well done, with carefully painted detail contributing to an impressively realistic depiction of a vibrant Dickens in the prime of his life.

 

24.  (BINDINGS - COSWAY BINDING).  MONTESPAN, FRANÇOISE  ATHÉNAÎS (DE ROCHECHOUART) DE PARDAILLAN DE GONDRIN, MARQUISE DE.  MEMOIRS OF MADAME LA MARQUISE DE MONTESPAN.  (London: H. S. Nichols & Co.,  1895) Two volumes. FIRST EDITION IN ENGLISH. ONE OF 500 COPIES. VERY HANDSOME COSWAY-STYLE BINDINGS OF CRIMSON CRUSHED MOROCCO, RICHLY GILT AND INLAID, BY SANGORSKI & SUTCLIFFE, covers gilt with turquoise morocco inlays; raised bands, spine gilt with additional inlays; BOTH VOLUMES WITH A FRONT DOUBLURE OF BLUE CRUSHED MOROCCO AND WITH AN EXTREMELY FINE RECTANGULAR MINIATURE PAINTED ON IVORY AND INSET UNDER GLASS IN A RECESSED COMPARTMENT (THE FIRST VOLUME SHOWING MADAME DE MONTESPAN, THE SECOND MADAME DE MAINTENON), each surrounded by gilt foliage and inlaid red flowers (the two volumes with 135 inlaid flowers in all). Frontispiece portraits of Madame de Montespan and Madame de la Vallière, tissue guards. (ST11328)      $7,000

 

Sumptuously bound memoirs, in remarkably fine condition, of Louis XIV's famous mistress, giving an account of "the great theatre of the Court" of the Sun King, with Cosway-style miniatures of idealized representations of the two royal lovers that are remarkable for their detail and delicacy.

 

25.  (BINDINGS - COBDEN-SANDERSON).  TENNYSON, ALFRED LORD.  THE PRINCESS.  (London: C. Kegan Paul & Co.,  1880)  One Of 50 Large Paper Copies signed by the printer and dated October 23, 1880 (this being copy #41). VERY STRIKING APPLE GREEN MOROCCO, LAVISHLY GILT, BY THOMAS J. COBDEN-SANDERSON (signed and dated on rear turn-in), covers diapered in gilt with Tudor roses on leafy vines (C-S Design #20), each compartment formed by the roses containing an "M," the center cruciform panel on the upper cover  with the name "MITFORD" tooled in gilt, a "B" above it and a "C" below it, the rear cover with the date "24 FEBRUARY 1886"; raised bands, concave spine (by design) with panels containing central Tudor rose surrounded by leafy vines and much stippling, gilt turn-ins, all edges gilt and gauffered. In a sturdy green morocco clamshell box. With engraved frontispiece. Front pastedown with engraved bookplate of Bertram Freeman-Mitford. Tipped on at back: Cobden-Sanderson's handwritten receipt for £ 6.6.0 and a manuscript letter from Cobden-Sanderson to Lady Clementine Mitford. (ST11727p)      $65,000

 

One of the most important and attractive bindings we have ever offered for sale--an early specimen of the greatly sought-after work of the central figure in the history of English bookbinding, bound for his friend Lady Clementine Mitford as a 40th birthday gift for her husband and one of just 167 examples of bindings produced by Cobden-Sanderson's own hands, all of them executed between July of 1884 and March of 1893.

 

26.  (BINDINGS - DEROME LE JEUNE).  (BODONI IMPRINT).  ANACREON.  [Title in Greek, then:]  ANACREONTIS TEII ODARIA.  [i.e., "THE ODES"].  (Parmae: Ex Regio Typographeio, [  1785])  ONE OF 250 COPIES ON "BLUE" PAPER (of a total of 310 copies). SPLENDID CONTEMPORARY CRIMSON MOROCCO, HANDSOMELY GILT, BY DERÔME LE JEUNE (with his ticket on front flyleaf), raised bands, compartments with a very appealing all-over diaper pattern (similar to Schiff #60), endleaves of lavender watered silk, very wide and intricate inner dentelles extending (in an unusual way) from the turn-ins onto the silk pastedowns, all edges gilt. Small author portrait in the style of an ancient coin on title page, large and elaborate armorial vignette on dedication page engraved by Cagnoni. Text of poems in Greek, commentary in Latin, both printed entirely in majuscules. (ST11153)      $9,500

 

An especially fine copy, with immense margins, of a beautiful large-format book, representing one of the most elegant combinations imaginable in terms of a conjunction between an eminent binder and an eminent printer of the 18th century.

 

27.  (BINDINGS).  [DODSLEY, ROBERT, Editor.]  A COLLECTION OF POEMS . . . BY SEVERAL HANDS.  (London: for J. Dodsley,  1782) Six volumes.  SUPERB CONTEMPORARY SPRINKLED CALF, flat spines pleasingly gilt. Engraved vignette title page, engraved and woodcut headpieces and tailpieces, two engraved plates. (11497a)      $1,900

 

As fine a copy as one could ever hope to find of perhaps the most popular poetic miscellany ever produced: Dodsley's famous collection of 18th century verse (first printed 1748-58) containing contributions  from nearly every important poet of the day.

 

28.  (BINDINGS - DOVES BINDERY).  (DOVES PRESS).  MILTON, JOHN.  PARADISE LOST  [and]  PARADISE REGAIN'D AND OTHER POEMS.  (The Doves Press,  1902, 1905) Two volumes. ONE OF 300 COPIES on paper. SPLENDID DARK BLUE CRUSHED MOROCCO, HANDSOMELY GILT, BY THE DOVES BINDERY (stamp-signed and dated 1916 on rear turn-in), covers with a large rectangular panel enclosing an elegant wreath of Tudor roses at center, the rectangle entwined with a three-line strapwork lozenge that twists to overlap itself near the top and bottom, raised bands, spine gilt in compartments with concentric line panels, gilt turn-ins, all edges gilt and with stippled gauffering. Both volumes housed in an elaborate gray crushed morocco clamshell box with raised bands, silver decoration, and thick plush lining. Front free endpaper of each volume INSCRIBED with handwritten title and the date of publication AND SIGNED BY T. J. COBDEN-SANDERSON. (ST11727h)      $9,500

 

Two of the most substantial books produced at the Doves Press, offered here in handsome decorative Doves bindings in unsurpassable condition.

 

29.  (BINDINGS - DOVES BINDERY).  IRVING, WASHINGTON.  BRACEBRIDGE HALL.  (London: Macmillan & Co.,  1877)  First Edition with these Illustrations. EXTREMELY FINE DARK GREEN CRUSHED MOROCCO, HANDSOMELY GILT, BY THE DOVES BINDERY, covers with double gilt fillet border and Tudor rose cornerpieces set among leafy sprays and circlets, raised bands, spine compartments heavily gilt with central Tudor rose, all edges gilt and with stippled gauffering. With 116 illustrations by Randolph Caldecott, including frontispiece, title page, and five full-page plates. (ST11721)      $4,500

 

An important illustrated edition in a flawless and striking Doves binding, from the large and distinguished collection of William F. Gable, whose library took more than eight major sales to disperse in 1923-25.

 

30.  (BINDINGS - DOVES BINDERY).  SWINBURNE, ALGERNON CHARLES.  ASTROPHEL AND OTHER POEMS.  (London: Chatto & Windus,  1894)  FIRST EDITION. EXQUISITE GARNET RED CRUSHED MOROCCO, BEAUTIFULLY GILT, BY THE DOVES BINDERY, covers with gilt border accented with small tools enclosing a center panel  framed by a single gilt rule with roseleaf cornerpieces, raised bands, SPINE LAVISHLY GILT in compartments with large central Tudor rose surrounded by leaves and stippling, all edges gilt. Housed in a suede-lined straight grain morocco pull-off case.  (ST11617)      $6,500

 

A collection of later verse by the shockingly pagan friend of Morris and the Pre-Raphaelites, offered here in a splendid early Doves binding (dated 1894 and with the earliest form of the bindery's stamped signature) in perfect condition.

 

31.  (BINDINGS - EMBROIDERED).  (BIBLE IN ENGLISH).  (MINIATURE BOOKS).  THE WHOLE BOOKE OF PSALMES.  (London: by I. L. for the Company of Stationers,  1639)  "Collected into English meter by Tho. Sternhold, Jo. Hopkins, W. Whittingham, and others, conferred with the Hebrew, with apt notes to sing them withall." ELEGANT AND IMMENSELY CHARMING CONTEMPORARY PALE BLUE SATIN, RICHLY EMBROIDERED IN AN ANIMATED BOTANICAL DESIGN, covers encrusted with mostly silver wire stitching (as well as smaller amounts of silver and white thread) in an all-over pattern featuring a large central lily in a tight basketweave stitch that has been padded to give a three dimensional effect, surrounded by an elaborate twining vine bedecked with raised flowers in the same stitch as the centerpiece and leaves worked in silver guimp, the whole accented with very small silver spangles; flat spine in five panels decorated with a quatrefoil design, all edges gilt. Housed in an attractive suede-lined blue morocco folding box.  (ST11727e)      $6,500

 

An especially well-preserved, carefully crafted, and generally delightful specimen of a 17th century embroidered binding, this example unusual for the high degree of its silver elaboration on satin (which, because of its shiny attractiveness, typically has large spaces left undecorated).

 

32.  (BINDINGS - EMBROIDERED).  DODGSON, CHARLES LUTWIDGE.  "LEWIS CARROLL" (Pseudonym).  ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND  and  THROUGH THE LOOKING-GLASS.  (London: Macmillan & Co.,  1872) Two volumes. FIRST EDITION, Third Issue of "Looking Glass." IMMENSELY DELIGHTFUL RECENT ELABORATELY PICTORIAL EMBROIDERED SILK IN MANY PLEASING COLORS stitched on cream-colored linen over (presumably original) boards, upper cover of the "Alice" volume with very large scene depicting Alice's first encounter with the hookah-smoking caterpillar, the lower cover with a slightly smaller scene showing the White Rabbit checking his pocket watch; the upper cover of "Looking Glass" with a similarly embroidered large scene showing Alice with the talking flowers, the lower cover with the long-legged, large-billed Borogrove bird from "Jabberwocky"; all of the embroidery on faintly painted backgrounds and replicating the book's charming illustrations. In a green divided cloth slipcase contained inside a silk-lined clamshell box. With 92 illustrations in the text by John Tenniel. (ST11600)      $3,500

 

A most desirable combination of the old and the new, comprising early editions by the original publisher and at the same time featuring unique handcrafted bindings from the present day that could scarcely be more delightful, the charming embroidery being carefully executed, with beautifully complementary colors.

 

33.  (BINDINGS).  GAUTIER, THÉOPHILE.  JEAN AND JEANNETTE.  (Paris: Société des Beaux Arts, [ca.  1890s])  ONE OF 20 COPIES PRINTED ON JAPANESE VELLUM. EXTRAORDINARILY ANIMATED CONTEMPORARY DARK GREEN MOROCCO, VERY ELABORATELY GILT AND ONLAID, covers with especially intricate frame incorporating onlaid morocco flower heads in gilt, white, blue, and violet on gilt stems with leaves and tendrils, the four most prominent flower groups spreading from top or bottom center to nearest corner (the binding with 52 large floral onlays in all); five spine compartments between wide raised bands, two compartments with fleur-de-lys centerpiece, one with two large gilt and onlaid flowers; DOUBLURES OF LIGHT GREEN CRUSHED MOROCCO framed by extremely wide turn-ins with very intricate gilt floral and pointillé  elaboration, THE FRONT DOUBLURE FEATURING AN OVAL OF VERY FINE WHITE CALF WITH AN ENGRAVED AND HAND-COLORED VIGNETTE (of a partially draped nude in front of a leafy plant); front free endleaves of watered and ribbed green silk, flyleaves of marbled paper, top edge gilt, other edges untrimmed. WITH 76 CHARMING ENGRAVED VIGNETTES (representing 25 images, one in four states, the others in three states: black and white in the text, black and white printed on mounted India paper, and  hand-colored on special textured stock, the latter two states with a tiny additional accompanying figure in black and white or colored), all by Adolphe Lalauze. Tissue guards. (ST11331)      $2,800

 

An especially fine Large Paper Copy in a splendid binding, with illustrations by a major figure in what Ray describes as a revival of etching as an art form in France.

 

34.  (BINDINGS).  GILLET, ROBERT.  THE PLEASURES OF REASON: OR, THE HUNDRED THOUGHTS OF A SENSIBLE YOUNG LADY.  (London: Printed by T. Baylis for the Author,  1796)  FIRST EDITION. STRIKING CONTEMPORARY FLAMED CALF, apparently Russian, flat spine covered in red goatskin and decorated in gilt compartments formed by multiple plain and decorative rules, the two compartments at the head and tail with a large central medallion and fleuron cornerpieces, the elongated central compartment with a large ribbon bow from which an ornate cruciform pendant dangles above a curled snake and a laurel branch. With woodcut head- and tailpieces, engraved title page, charming allegorical frontispiece, and a folding hand-colored "Allegorical Map of the Tract of Youth to the Land of Knowledge." Front pastedown with engraved Russian bookplate of Count Alexei Uvarov (ST11496b)      $1,750

 

A fine and uncommon example, in quite an attractive binding, of late 18th century "conduct" literature for women, designed to encourage rationality over sentimentality, suggesting that young ladies employ "constraint, force, [and] dependance" to cultivate the desirable "order, economy, and subordination"; our copy from the library of Russian historian and archaeologist Count Alexei Uvarov (1825-84), whose wife, Praskovia Shcherbatova (1840-1924)--said to be the woman upon whom Tolstoi based the character Kitty in "Anna Karenina"--had a distinguished career as an archaeologist in her own right.

 

35.  (BINDINGS - GUILD OF WOMEN BINDERS - GWLADYS EDWARDS).  (VELLUM PRINTING).  (RICCARDI PRESS).  KINGSLEY, CHARLES.  THE HEROES, OR GREEK FAIRY TALES FOR MY CHILDREN.  (London: [Printed at the Riccardi Press for] Philip Lee Warner, Publisher to the Medici Society,  1912)  ONE OF 12 COPIES ON VELLUM (this is copy #7). WONDERFULLY ANIMATED TAN MOROCCO, VERY ELABORATELY GILT AND ONLAID BY GWLADYS EDWARDS, covers with a pictorial image of the Argo in gilt and onlaid brown morocco at center, the vessel surrounded by a complicated overall frame composed of onlaid leaves, ribbons, dolphins, and hearts in green, red, gold, and brown morocco outlined and decorated with gilt and interpersed with many leaves, curls, and a great multiplicity of both thick and tiny gilt dots as well as scores of onlaid circles of various sizes in shades of red, gold, and teal that give a jewelled effect; raised bands, three spine panels with onlaid morocco and considerable stippling as on the covers. In a velvet clamshell case. With woodcut vignette on title page and 12 colored plates after Russell Flint as called for, all printed on india paper and mounted, with lettered tissue guards. (ST11727c)      $8,500

 

An extraordinarily appealing combination of text, luxury printing, and ornate binding that is both historically important and absolutely spectacular, being among the significant productions done by members of the Guild of Women Binders, a celebrated group of British female artisans responsible for distinctively innovative binding decoration at the very end of the 19th century.

 

36.  (BINDINGS - JEWELLED).  MOORE, THOMAS.  LALLA ROOKH: AN ORIENTAL ROMANCE.  (London: Printed for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown,  1817)  FIRST EDITION. NOTHING SHORT OF SPECTACULAR EARLY 20TH CENTURY DARK BLUE  LEVANT MOROCCO, EXTRAVAGANTLY GILT, RICHLY INLAID, AND GLORIOUISLY BEJEWELLED WITH 226 GEMS, BY SANGORSKI & SUTCLIFFE, the binding with an overall Oriental design featuring birds of paradise and grape arbors, accented with rubies, turquoises, blue chalcedonies, garnets, amethysts, sapphires, carnelians, and mother-of-pearl; raised bands, spine gilt in compartments; A GLORIOUS FRONT DOUBLURE OF IVORY MOROCCO with gilt vines and inlaid morocco flowers, with A HAND-PAINTED COSWAY-STYLE PORTRAIT OF THE AUTHOR ON IVORY at the center, REAR DOUBLURE of similar design, but its medallion featuring bejewelled inlaid lilac strapwork twining around A LARGE MEXICAN FIRE OPAL ENCIRCLED BY 12 PEARLS. In the original well-made silk- and plush-lined blue morocco box with shuttered lid. Extra-illustrated with 12 hand-colored engraved plates mounted on lettered Japan vellum. (ST11655)      $65,000

 

The uncommonly seen first printing of a work that provides a strong evocation of the Romantic era, offered here in a breathtaking jewelled binding that could hardly be more sumptuous and that was once in the unparalleled collection of jewelled bindings assembled by Phoebe Boyle (an unusually large example of this kind of luxury item, measuring 11 1/2 x 8 3/4").

 

37.  (BINDINGS - McLEISH).  SHELLEY, PERCY BYSSHE.  THE POETICAL WORKS.  (London: Reeves & Turner,  1886) Two volumes.  VERY FINE EARLY 20TH CENTURY OLIVE CRUSHED MOROCCO, HANDSOMELY GILT, BY C. & C. MCLEISH, raised bands, spines densely and very attractively gilt in compartments featuring a large centerpiece in the form of a rose with four emanating sprigs of rose leaves, this quatrefoil design enclosed by a semis field punctuated with trefoil leaves, turn-ins with gilt French fillet border and trefoil cornerpieces, all edges gilt. Each volume with a frontispiece engraving, one of Shelley and the other of his grave in Rome. (ST11505)      $1,950

 

An especially fine set of animated, beautifully designed, and highly accomplished bindings by Charles McLeish, the celebrated finisher for the Doves Bindery, and his son Charles, who apprenticed under Roger de Coverly.

 

38.  (BINDINGS).  MELANCHTHON, PHILIP.  CORPVS DOCTRINÆ CHRISTINÆ.  (Lipsiae: [In officina Ernesti Voegelini Constantiensis],  1565)   Once magnificent and still quite attractive as well as historically important contemporary calf with very large and striking elaborately gilt panel stamps by Severin Rötter of Wittenberg, front cover with  gilt center panel stamp of  Martin Luther, the initials "S H S" in the frame above the panel stamp, and the date "1567" in the frame below, rear cover with similar panel stamp of Melanchthon, raised bands, blindtooled spine panels, all edges gilt and ornately gauffered.  (ST11477)      $5,500

 

An especially attractive early edition of the body of Christian doctrine to be followed in Lutheran schools and churches, offered here in a wonderful binding produced by the workshop of Severin Rötter, perhaps the most important German binder during the last quarter of the 16th century.

 

39.  (BINDINGS - MOTHER OF PEARL).  (MINIATURE BOOKS).  ÉTRENNES DES JEUNES VIERGES CONTENANT L'OFFICE DU MATIN ET DU SOIR EN FRANÇAIS, LES PENSÉES CHRISTIENNES,  LE ROSAIRE ET DIVERSES PRIÈRES.  (Paris: Chez Le Fuel, [ca.  1809])   ABSOLUTELY EXQUISITE EARLY 19TH CENTURY GOLD AND MOTHER OF PEARL BY LE FUEL, covers with wide gilded metal frame enclosing pierced cornerpieces in high relief comprising an urn overflowing with fruit and flowers, the whole surrounding A LARGE CENTRAL PANEL OF MOTHER OF PEARL, DELICATELY ETCHED with leafy fronds and flowers and featuring an oval medallion centerpiece upon which a tiny violet is enamelled in blue and green, the upper cover with the word "Souvenir" etched in a flowing script above the medallion, flat gilt metal spine with leaf-and-berry vine in relief, green watered silk endleaves, all edges gilt. With engraved title, engraved frontispiece of St. Frances of Rome, and an engraved plate of St. Mary Magdalen by Couché fils. (ST11706)      $4,500

 

A breathtaking miniature prayer book (measuring 3 1/4 x 2 3/4") for young girls in a splendid example of a most unusual binding that approaches the sublime in terms of the delicacy and beauty of its execution and with an expanse of mother of pearl on both covers that, despite the binding's overall diminutive dimensions, seems nothing short of vast.

 

40.  (BINDINGS - PRIDEAUX).  (ERAGNY PRESS).  VILLON, FRANCOIS.  LES BALLADES.  (Eragny Press,  1900)  ONE OF 226 COPIES, of which 200 were for sale. LOVELY CONTEMPORARY OLIVE GREEN CRUSHED MOROCCO BY SARAH PRIDEAUX (dated 1901), covers with wide double-ruled gilt frame filled with curling tendrils, 12 of these terminating in leaves, six more connected to large pomegranates located at each corner and at the midpoint of the left and right side, raised bands, spine panels with single leaf on a curling vine, gilt turn-ins, edges gilt on the rough. With woodcut printer's device on opening page, title page with woodcut vignette surrounded by a full border of leaves and berries, and 37 woodcut foliate initials, all by Lucien Pissarro. (ST11727n)      $7,500

 

An exceptionally appealing volume in very fine condition of the best poems of François Villon in an elegantly printed private press edition, handsomely bound by perhaps the premier woman binder of her day.

 

41.  (BINDINGS - RIVIÈRE).  DICKENS, CHARLES.  THE POSTHUMOUS PAPERS OF THE PICKWICK CLUB.  (London: George G. Harrap & Co. Ltd.,  1930)   VERY ATTRACTIVE DEEP BLUE PICTORIAL CRUSHED MOROCCO BY RIVIÈRE, both covers with elaborate gilt-ruled frame comprising eight plain and decorative rules, some of these interlocking, and a total of 48 small gold hearts, FRONT COVER WITH A CENTRAL PANEL CONTAINING AN EXTREMELY LARGE SCENE WITH THREE CHARACTERS FROM THE NOVEL, the scene employing eight colors of leather inlays and showing Mr. Pickwick holding the fainting Mrs. Bardell; rear cover with gilt portrait of Dickens. With 16 full-page color plates by C. E. Brock. (ST10927a)      $1,250

 

With an unusually large and detailed pictorial cover, in the manner of many Kelliegram bindings.

 

42.  (BINDINGS - RIVIÈRE).  GILBERT, W. S.  THE "BAB" BALLADS.  [and]  MORE "BAB" BALLADS.  (London: John Camden Hotten; George Routledge and Sons,  1869; [1872]) Two volumes. FIRST EDITIONS. SUPERB 20TH CENTURY FERN GREEN CRUSHED MOROCCO, SUMPTUOUSLY GILT AND INLAID, BY RIVIÈRE & SON (stamp-signed on front turn-ins), covers lavishly gilt with very wide Art Nouveau-style frame, the outermost part featuring a design of leafy vines with onlaid ochre morocco fruits on a heavily stippled background, the vine stems intricately entwining and extending into a tangent inner frame decorated with paisley-like curls and dots and enclosing a central panel, the stems terminating on each of the panel's four sides in a crimson inlaid morocco heart; raised bands, spines gilt in densely stippled compartments through which a vine like those on the covers climbs, bearing ochre fruit on two of the panels, gilt turn-ins, all edges gilt. Original cloth covers bound in at the rear. In a morocco-backed slipcase. Each volume with frontispiece and numerous amusing illustrations in the text, all by the author. (ST11727f)      $2,500

 

Beautiful copies of the whimsical verses from the man better known as the librettist half of Gilbert & Sullivan, our  dazzling binding exhibiting the controlled intricacy that characterizes some of Rivière's loveliest designs.

 

43.  (BINDINGS - ROYAL SCHOOL OF ART NEEDLEWORK).  (VALE PRESS).  SHAKESPEARE, WILLIAM.  THE PASSIONATE PILGRIM AND THE SONGS IN SHAKESPEARE'S PLAYS.  (Vale Press,  1896)  ONE OF 310 COPIES. IN AN IMMENSELY CHARMING CONTEMPORARY ARTS AND CRAFTS-STYLE VELLUM BINDING, HAND PAINTED AND THICKLY GILT, BY THE ROYAL SCHOOL OF ART NEEDLEWORK (their ticket inside front cover), FRONT BOARD WITH FOUR GILT DEER IN HIGH RELIEF at each of the four corners, A GILT TREE WITH ITS TRUNK AND BRANCHES ALSO IN HIGH RELIEF AT CENTER, the cover also with many oversized leaves and  flowers (in pastel shades of green, blue, rose, yellow, and violet); flat spine divided into panels between painted gilt bands, the panels with single large painted flower in various colors and gilt, marbled endpapers, top edge gilt, other edges rough trimmed. Opening page with entwined acanthus leaf border and a charming woodcut of Cupid stealing honey from a tree stump, by Charles Ricketts. (ST11606)      $3,250

 

An extremely charming copy of the Vale Press Shakespeare in a rare and memorable hand-painted vellum binding from a group whose work here, in Tidcombe's words, was like "the decoration and illumination of manuscripts" and required "more the skills of a china painter than a bookbinder."

 

44.  (BINDINGS - SANGORSKI & SUTCLIFFE).  (KELMSCOTT PRESS).  RUSKIN, JOHN.  THE NATURE OF GOTHIC.  (The Kelmscott Press,  1892)  ONE OF 500 COPIES. BEAUTIFUL CONTEMPORARY IVORY PIGSKIN ELABORATELY DECORATED IN GILT AND BLIND TO A MEDIEVAL DESIGN BY SANGORSKI & SUTCLIFFE, covers with gothic rosette cornerpieces and an outer frame containing a quote from the book ("trees and fields and flowers were made for all and are necessary for all") lettered in blind in an Old English face, inner frame featuring densely twining gilt shamrocks and with blindstamped square floral cornerpieces, central panel blindstamped with a graceful gothic colonnade forming four Medieval arches; raised bands, spine compartments outlined in gilt and blindtooled with rosettes, turn-ins with gilt-rule borders and blind cresting roll, all edges gilt. In a linen clamshell box. Large and small woodcut initials, printer's devices (at end of preface and on last leaf), full white-vine border on first page, and 17 small illustrations (most relating to gothic architecture). (ST11727m)      $3,600

 

A fine copy of the fourth Kelmscott Press publication in an especially appealing Sangorski binding, resembling in important ways Cobden-Sanderson's pigskin binding for the Kelmscott Chaucer, both bindings intended to give an antique feeling appropriate for the content of the books they cover.

 

45.  (BINDINGS).  SNODGRASS, W. D.  THESE TREES STAND.  (New York: Carol Joyce,  1981)  ONE OF TWO ARTIST'S PROOFS SIGNED BY THE POET AND PHOTOGRAPHER (OF A TOTAL OF 12 COPIES, 10 OF THEM FOR SALE). STRIKING ORIGINAL PICTORIAL MAROON MOROCCO, WITH MOLDED ONLAYS AND GILT HIGHLIGHTS, BY CAROL JOYCE, the binding featuring a molded cream-colored onlaid calf tree, its trunk occupying almost all of the flat spine, its bare limbs spread across both covers, with twinkling gilt stars visible between its branches, trunk dividing in two at the head of the spine, with the author's name in gilt appearing in the fork. In a matching burgundy cloth clamshell box with morocco spine label. With 12 black and white photographs of the poet by Robert Mahon. (ST11693)      $5,800

 

A very fine copy of the successful book arts collaboration between poet William DeWitt Snodgrass (1926-2009), photographer Robert Mahon, binder Carol Joyce, and printer Leonard Seastone, the black and white photographs providing a whimsical accompaniment to the poetry, the text printed within vast margins on extremely thick dampened paper at the Tideline Press (and consequently very deeply impressed), and the especially original binding providing a very striking reflection of the text.

 

46.  (BINDINGS - ZAEHNSDORF).  LILLY, WILLIAM.  WILLIAM LILLY'S HISTORY OF HIS LIFE AND TIMES, FROM THE YEAR 1602 TO 1681.  (London: Re-printed for Charles Baldwyn,  1822)   LOVELY DARK BROWN CRUSHED MOROCCO, LAVISHLY GILT, BY ZAEHNSDORF, covers with wide lacy filigree border scalloped at the inner edge and filled with densely gilt floral tools and sprigs on a stippled ground as well as a central panel with ornate cornerpieces and much stippling, raised bands, spine densely and handsomely gilt in scallop-edged compartments featuring a single rose surrounded by floral sprays, open dots, and much stippling, gilt turn-ins, top edge gilt. With 12 engraved portraits printed on India paper and mounted, as called for. (ST11727i)      $1,250

 

The life story of a prominent and controversial 17th century astrologer, in a beautiful, especially lustrous large octavo binding by Zaehnsdorf in a densly filigreed design executed with meticulous skill.

 

47.  BLONDEL, NICOLAS-FRANÇOIS.  L'ART DE JETTER LES BOMBES.  (Paris: Chez l'autheur et Nicolas Langlois,  1683)  FIRST EDITION. ESPECIALLY ELEGANT LATE 18TH CENTURY TREE CALF, (flat) SPINE HANDSOMELY AND ELABORATELY GILT, red morocco label, yellow edges. Added engraved title-page, large engraved illustration on printed title-page, woodcut and engraved illustrations, engraved vignette headpieces, engraved and woodcut illustrations (including tables and diagrams), initials, and tailpieces, one full-page engraved plate showing ballistic devices, and the inserted diagram following page 112 as called for. With the bookplates and embossed armorial stamps of the Macclesfield Library. (ST11281)      $5,800

 

A fine copy of a treatise on the art of projecting explosive devices from mortars and canons, considered to be so useful militarily that it was withheld from publication for eight years because Louis XIV feared that his enemies would profit from its advice.

 

48.  BÖCKLER, GEORG ANDREAS.  THEATRUM MACHINARUM NOVUM.  (Coloniae Agrippinae: Sumptibus Pauli Principis,  1662)  First Edition in Latin. Original speckled calf, spine compartments attractively gilt (old repairs to spine ends and one corner). Engraved title page (frequently missing), and 154 OFTEN FASCINATING FULL-PAGE ENGRAVED PLATES OF BAROQUE MACHINERY. (ST11274)      $7,500

 

A striking books in many ways, with 17th century mechanical ingenuity demonstrated in more than 150 folio-size plates of machines, the engravings--showing, among other things, the period's methods of milling, moving water and air, general manufacturing, the making of paper, and even a "ventilabrum" to cool persons at meals--providing considerable insight into contemporaneous costumes, interiors, and the variety of ways that contemporary technology was adapted to the needs of society.

 

49.  [BRONTË, CHARLOTTE]. "CURRER BELL" (Pseudonym).  VILLETTE.  (New York: Harper & Brothers,  1853)  FIRST AMERICAN EDITION. Original blindstamped purple cloth, gilt spine titling. In a matching custom-made folding cloth box.  (ST9458a)      $6,500

 

An exceptionally fine copy, as well preserved as one could hope to find, of a very fragile book, its joints and hinges entirely unworn (this edition quite rare, with only two copies in ABPC since 1975).

 

50.  BURNEY, FRANCES.  EVELINA: OR THE HISTORY OF A YOUNG LADY'S INTRODUCTION TO THE WORLD.  (London: Published by Edward Mason,  1821)   VERY ATTRACTIVE CONTEMPORARY SCARLET STRAIGHT GRAIN MOROCCO, HANDSOMELY GILT, covers elegantly decorated with thick and thin rule borders enclosing a cresting roll with stipple-filled arches, the boards with a central panel featuring palmette and volute cornerpieces, flat spine in five gilt compartments formed by multiple plain and decorative rules, the head and tail compartments with saltire having four anthemions radiating from the center, the elongated central compartment with large and complex fleuron centerpiece surrounded by small tools, turn-ins gilt with scrolling roll, all edges gilt. With seven lively hand-colored aquatint engravings by William Heath. (ST11545)      $1,600

 

An uncommon illustrated edition of bluestocking Fanny Burney's captivating portrayal of a wide-eyed but principled young girl encountering the life of high society for the first time, the characters here brought amusingly to life by the foremost caricaturist of the day, William Heath.

 

51.  BURROUGHS, JOHN.  THE WRITINGS.  (Boston and New York: Printed at the Riverside Press for Houghton, Mifflin and Company,  1904-22) 23 volumes. ONE OF 750 COPIES OF THE SPECIAL "AUTOGRAPH EDITION," SIGNED BY THE PUBLISHER AND THE AUTHOR. FINE CONTEMPORARY CRIMSON CRUSHED MOROCCO, ATTRACTIVELY GILT, raised bands, spines densely gilt in compartments featuring several flowers radiating from a central oval, broad inner gilt dentelles, top edges gilt, other edges rough trimmed. Vignette on signature leaf and 125 full-page plates done on special Japanese paper, captioned tissue guards. (ST10932)      $12,500

 

A handsomely bound and unusually well-preserved set of the special "Autograph Edition" of the works of John Burroughs (1837-1921), a naturalist and essayist of great importance in the American conservation movement, this copy with an autograph letter to the editors of the "Critic," written from Burroughs' home in West Park, New York.

 

52.  BURTON, RICHARD F.  PERSONAL NARRATIVE OF PILGRIMAGE TO EL-MEDINAH AND MECCAH.  (London: Longman et al.,  1855-56) Three volumes. FIRST EDITION. VERY FINE RECENT SMOOTH HALF CALF over marbled paper boards, raised bands, gilt compartments containing antique corner and centerpieces, red and green morocco labels. Four text illustrations and 18 plain, tinted, and colored plates (four of the plates are maps, of which three are folding). First volume with 24 leaves of ads at rear. (ST09607)      $10,000

 

A particularly handsome copy of the work recounting the first visit of an Englishman (Burton, disguised as an Indian Pathan) to the holy cities of Islam, and the book that made Burton famous.

 

53.  CLARENDON, EDWARD.  THE HISTORY OF THE REBELLION AND CIVIL WARS IN ENGLAND TO WHICH IS ADDED AN HISTORICAL VIEW OF THE AFFAIRS OF IRELAND.  [and]  THE LIFE OF EDWARD EARL OF CLARENDON.  (Oxford: At the Clarendon Press,  1826-27) 11 volumes.  MAGNIFICENT CONTEMPORARY DEEP PURPLE HARD-GRAIN MOROCCO, VERY LAVISHLY GILT, APPARENTLY BY CHARLES LEWIS, the center of each board with armorial crest, including the motto "Vincit qui Patitur" ("He Conquers who Endures"), gilt-decorated raised bands, extremely handsome gilt spine compartments and turn-ins, all edges gilt (over marbling). EXTRA-ILLUSTRATED with eight frontispiece portraits (of Charles I, Cromwell, and others) from other editions, and WITH A MANUSCRIPT LETTER SIGNED BY CHARLES I (see below) tipped in at the front of Volume II. (ST11187)      $9,500

 

A superb set in a breathtaking binding of Clarendon's classic account, this copy with a manuscript letter from Charles I written in 1629 to Viscount Falkland, the king's Irish Deputy, informing him that 400 Irish volunteers are to be recruited to serve in the army of Swedish king Gustavus Adolphus.

 

54.  [CLEMENS, SAMUEL L].  "MARK TWAIN" (Pseudonym).  THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN.  (London: Chatto & Windus,  1884)  FIRST EDITION. Very pleasing rose-colored morocco by Bayntun. Original red cloth covers bound in at the rear. With frontispiece and many illustrations in the text. (ST11663)      $2,500

 

The first printing--preceding the U.S. issue by three months--of Twain's most acclaimed novel, and perhaps the greatest novel of the 19th century, here in unusually pleasing condition.

 

55.  [CLEMENS, SAMUEL L.].  ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN.  (New York: Charles L. Webster and Company,  1885)  FIRST AMERICAN EDITION, WITH ALL OF THE FIRST ISSUE POINTS one normally hopes for. Original publisher's green cloth, titled and decorated in gilt and black, pale peach endpapers. With full-page engraving of Huck as well as frontispiece portrait of the author at the beginning, and 174 illustrations in the text. (ST11503)      $15,000

 

As fine a copy of the first-issue "Huck Finn" as one could reasonably hope to find, with all the desirable first issue points listed in BAL for a cloth-bound edition.

 

56.  CURTIS, WILLIAM.  FLORA LONDINENSIS; OR, PLATES AND DESCRIPTIONS OF SUCH PLANTS AS GROW WILD IN THE ENVIRONS OF LONDON;  [with]  HOOKER, WILLIAM JACKSON.  FLORA LONDINENSIS; CONTAINING A HISTORY OF THE PLANTS INDIGENOUS TO GREAT BRITAIN.  (London: Printed for and Sold by the Author, at his Botanic-Garden; and B. White and Son, [  1775]-1777-1798; London: Printed for George Graves by Richard and Arthur Taylor, 1817-28) Nine volumes. FIRST EDITIONS. Beautifully rebound by Courtland Benson in replica marbled half calf. With two engraved black and white title vignettes and A TOTAL OF 639 FINELY EXECUTED, ALWAYS PLEASING, AND NOT INFREQUENTLY MEMORABLE HAND-COLORED BOTANICAL ENGRAVINGS ON 636 PLATES (as called for): volumes I-VI with 435 engravings on 432 plates, and volumes VII-IX with 204 plates. Original tissue guards in first six volumes. (ST11651)      $45,000

 

A fine, especially fresh and clean copy, with lovely coloring, of an excessively rare complete set of all of the first printings of the impressive giant folio "Flora Londinensis," comprising the first editions, published over a span of 53 years, of both William Curtis' original 72 numbers and Sir William Jackson Hooker's continuation of the work (no copy of such a complete set in ABPC since 1975).

 

57.  DARWIN, CHARLES.  THE WORKS.  (New York: D. Appleton and Company,  1895-96) 15 volumes. "Authorized Edition" (i.e., First Collected Edition?). Simple but pleasing terra cotta half morocco over marbled boards, mostly UNOPENED. With more than 200 figures in the text, 10 charts, 18 plates (five of them folding) and five folding maps. (ST11462a-206)      $4,500

 

An excellent set of the writings by the figure chiefly responsible for developing the theory of evolution and one of the most influential and controversial scientists of the last 200 years.

 

58.  DICKENS, CHARLES.  THE WORKS.  (London: Chapman and Hall,  1906-08) 40 volumes. ONE OF 750 COPIES OF the "National Edition," SIGNED on behalf of the publisher BY ALFRED TENNYSON DICKENS. Pleasant contemporary red crushed three-quarter morocco, leaves in 12 of the volumes UNOPENED.  (ST11462a-218)      $5,000

 

The sought-after 40-volume limited "National Edition," signed by Dickens' son Alfred Tennyson Dickens (1845-1912), with deluxe illustrations on India paper and newly collected articles, letters, speeches, and plays, our set with the added bonus of an check signed in full by Charles Dickens and a letter written in the third person in Dickens' hand.

 

59.  DIOSCORIDES, PEDANIUS.  DE MEDICINALI MATERIA LIBRI SEX.  (Lvgdvni: Apud Balthazarem Arnolletum,  1550)   SPLENDID CONTEMPORARY BLINDSTAMPED PIGSKIN, covers with blind ruled frame and two roll tooled panel borders, the outermost with repeating panels featuring the initials "S. I." with a crown and stars above and a scallop shell below, inner frame with flower and leaf stamps enclosing a central panel with repeating botanical images (the date "1550" stamped above it on the upper cover), raised bands, remnants of clasps, rear pastedown slightly(?) later. Woodcut printer's device on title page, decorative initials, and 365 WOODCUT ILLUSTRATIONS BY CLÉMENT BOUSSY (mostly botanical, but a few zoological) IN THE TEXT. (ST11609)      $7,500

 

A splendid 16th century copy of a profusely illustrated edition, with contemporary pigskin binding, of one of the major texts in the history of botany.

 

60.  DOGDSON, CHARLES LUTTRELL. "LEWIS CARROLL" (Pseudonym).  ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND.  and  THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS, AND WHAT ALICE FOUND THERE.  (London: Macmillan and Co.,  1866, 1872) Two separately published works in two volumes. Second, but FIRST PUBLISHED EDITION; FIRST EDITION. EXTREMELY PLEASING CRIMSON LEVANT MOROCCO BY ROOT & SON, each cover with frames of double gilt rules and central gilt medallion, the "Wonderland" medallion depicting Alice holding the baby pig, the "Looking-Glass" medallion showing a grumpy Red Queen, raised bands, gilt spines, titling, and turn-ins, all edges gilt. With 92 illustrations by John Tenniel (42 in "Alice" and 50 in "Looking-Glass"). (ST11708)      $11,500

 

An especially well-preserved set of perhaps the most famous books for children in English literature--often sold together, but rarely found with first editions of both works--bound here in high quality morocco.

 

61.  (DOVES PRESS).  (ADAGIO PRESS).  STROUSE, NORMAN H.  and  JOHN DREYFUS.  C-S, THE MASTER CRAFTSMAN.  [and]  COBDEN-SANDERSON, STELLA. A LETTER FROM STELLA.  (Harper Woods, Michigan: [Printed by Leonard F. Bahr at] The Adagio Press,  1969; 1971.)  ONE OF 12 COPIES WITH TWO ORIGINAL LEAVES PRINTED ON VELLUM (and, of these, one of 10 with a gilt initial) of 329 copies printed total. SIGNED BY THE PRINTER. Publisher's vellum-backed marbled paper boards; second work in original stitched paper wrapper. Both works in a fine heavy folding felt-lined cloth box. Mounted photo of Emery Walker and Cobden-Sanderson laid in at front. And with a typed letter, signed from David Magee describing this copy. (ST10755)      $3,500

 

A virtually mint copy of this study of Thomas James Cobden-Sanderson (1840-1922), founder of the Doves Press and the foremost figure in the late 19th and early 20th century among those who straddled the fields of English fine press publishing and artistic binding, our very special copy being one of 12 with two vellum leaves (10 of those with a gold initial by Edward Johnston), and a version of the work said by Magee to have been issued at $110 and "subscribed for long before publication."

 

62.  DOYLE, SIR ARTHUR CONAN.  THE WORKS.  (Garden City, New York: Doubleday, Doran & Company,  1930) 24 volumes. ONE OF 760 NUMBERED SETS of the "Crowborough Edition," of which 750 were for sale, all SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR. (This is copy #460.) Original publisher's cream-colored half buckram, seven volumes with signatures unopened (five of these ENTIRELY UNOPENED). With a photographic portrait frontispiece in the first volume. (ST11462a-018)      $6,000

 

The definitive edition of the Doyle canon, revised by the author in the year of his death, containing all of the famous Shelock Holmes stories plus Doyle's well-regarded historical fiction, set during the Napoleonic Wars (our copy scarcely used and meant to be offered at a very advantageous price).

 

63.  EBEL, JOHANN GOTTFRIED.  DIE BERGSTRASSEN DURCH DEN CANTON GRAUBÜNDTEN NACH DEM LANGEN- UND COMER-SEE  (Zurich: J. Jakob Meyer,  1826)  FIRST EDITION, Deluxe Issue. Apparently original boards. In a marbled paper slipcase. 32 VERY FINE HAND-COLORED SCENIC PLATES. (ST11541)      $35,000

 

An extraordinarily fresh copy of the finest issue of a very rare and celebrated work featuring luminous illustrations of Swiss scenery, one of the most beautiful European travel books of the period.

 

64.  ELIOT, T. S.  THE WASTE LAND.  (New York: Boni and Liveright,  1922 [i.e., 1923])  ONE OF 1,000 COPIES of the Second Edition/Impression. (This is copy #546.) Original black buckram, gilt titling on upper cover and spine, UNOPENED.  In original pale orange dust jacket with black lettering.  (ST11648)      $7,500

 

A sparkling, unopened, once-in-a-decade copy of Eliot's masterpiece (our copy from what is called the "Second Edition" in the colophon, but actually what Gallup says is "a second impression from the same setting of type as the first edition, but with a different colophon").

 

65.  (EMBLEM BOOK).  DAVID, JOANNES.  PARADISVS SPONSI ET SPONSÆ: IN QUO MESSIS MYRRHÆ ET AROMATOVM.  (Antverpiæ: Ex officina Plantiniana, apud Ioannem Moretum,  1607)  FIRST EDITION. Pleasing old (late 17th century?) calf. Engraved title page, and 51 VERY FINE ENGRAVED PLATES illustrating the last days, death, and resurrection of Christ, all engraved by Théodore Galle. (ST11010)      $5,900

 

The Landwehr copy of a work with richly impressed engravings that have a remarkable luminosity.

 

66.  (EMBLEM BOOK).  SAMBUCUS, JOANNES.  EMBLEMATA, CVM ALIQVOT NVMMIS ANTIQVI OPERIS.  [bound with]  ESTIENNE, HENRI II, Editor.  EPISTOLIA, DIALOGI BREVES, ORATIVNCVLAE, POEMATIA.  (Antverpiae: Ex Officina Christophori Plantini,  1564; [Paris (i.e., Geneva?)]: Excudebat Henr. Stephanus, 1577.)  FIRST EDITION of "Emblemata"; first Stephanus collection of "Epistolia" in this form. ABSOLUTELY SUPERB CONTEMPORARY ELABORATELY BLINDSTAMPED PIGSKIN OVER THIN BEVELLED WOODEN BOARD, both covers with an intricate roll containing medallion portraits of a poet with a laurel wreath in his hair and a soldier in a helmet, the central panel of the front cover with an elaborate armorial shield with the name "Jochim von Alvenschleve" beneath; above the panel the initials "I V A" and below it the date "1579" (the central stamp also with a much smaller "I V A"), the back cover with a central panel stamp depicting the crucifixion, with the caption "ecce agnus dei qui tollit peccata mundi," raised bands and attractive ink cursive titling in an old hand on spine, original metal clasps and catches. With 167 emblematic woodcut scenes. The Landwehr copy. (ST11008)      $17,500

 

A MAGNIFICENT CONTEMPORARY COPY of the first printing of an important emblem book featuring fine scenes, including what is generally thought to be the first depiction of a tennis match as well as the first, or at least an early, depiction of a bookshop interior.

 

67.  (EMBLEM BOOK).  WHITNEY, GEFFREY.  A CHOICE OF EMBLEMES AND OTHER DEVISES, FOR THE MOSTE PARTE GATHERED OUT OF SUNDRIE WRITERS, ENGLISHED AND MORALIZED.  (Leyden: Christopher Plantyn by Francis Raphelengius,  1586)  FIRST PRINTING. Attractive early 19th century (English?) brown straight grain morocco. Plantin compass device on title page and full-page coat of arms (of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester) on verso, foliated initial, woodcut bear in tondo, and 247 FINE EMBLEMATIC WOODCUTS WITHIN TYPOGRAPHIC BORDERS, with accompanying Latin captions, interpretations in English rhyme, and often a Latin verse. (ST11009)      $48,000

 

A very appealing copy--virtually never found this way--of the original apearance of THE RARE FIRST EMBLEM BOOK PRINTED IN ENGLISH, with nearly 250 woodcut emblems; from the Landwehr collection.

 

68.  EUSEBIUS CAESARIENSIS.  DE EVANGELICA PRAEPARATIONE.  (Venice: [Bartholomaeus de Zanis], 10 November  1500)   19th century gray paste paper over boards. Large and small woodcut initials (several historiated or zoomorphic). (ST10054)      $3,500

 

An inexpensive small-folio incunable in excellent condition.

 

69.  E[VELYN], J[OHN].  PUBLICK EMPLOYMENT AND AN ACTIVE LIFE PREFER'D TO SOLITUDE, AND ALL ITS APPANAGES, SUCH AS FAME, COMMAND, RICHES, CONVERSATION, &C.  (London: Printed by J.M. for H. Herringman,  1667)  FIRST EDITION, First Issue. Early (probably 18th century) inexpensive (perhaps even temporary) vellum-backed marbled paper boards.  (ST10983)      $3,250

 

The unusually fresh, clean, and bright contemporary Macclesfield copy of Evelyn's cordial attack, made without passion, on George Mackenzie's "A Moral Essay Preferring Solitude to Publick Employment," our book worth reading, if only for the amusing caricatures of country pleasures and types (ABPC with just two copies other than ours at auction during the past 20 years).

 

70.  (FORE-EDGE PAINTINGS).  A VERY DESIRABLE GROUP OF MORE THAN A DOZEN ITEMS, HALF OF THESE MULTI-VOLUME SETS, EACH VOLUME WITH A FINELY PAINTED FORE EDGE (OR, IN SOME CASES, WITH DOUBLE FORE-EDGE PAINTINGS).  (  Various dates, but all except one printed between late 18th and mid-19th century)   Bindings vary, but mostly decorative contemporary morocco.  (ST11475)      $Prices begin at $950

 

A large, unusually diverse, almost entirely well-executed, and especially attractive group of high quality paintings, at least three of them certainly done for Edwards of Halifax, and all but one of them representing either pre-1900 work, pre-1900 imprints, or both.

 

71.  (FRENCH ILLUSTRATED BOOKS).  LA FONTAINE, JEAN DE.  CONTES ET NOUVELLES EN VERS.  (A Paris: De l'imprimerie de P. Didot l'Aîné,  1795) Two volumes. First Printing of the Fragonard Edition. VERY FINE HONEY BROWN CRUSHED MOROCCO, HANDSOMELY GILT, BY NOULHAC, covers with elegant large floral ornaments in the corners, raised bands, spines very attractively gilt in compartments formed by triple rules and featuring a poppy centerpiece framed by leafy sprays, wide and lovely turn-ins with gilt flowers linked by sprays and ribbons, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt. Three full-page portraits of Fragonard (two of these being the same engraving before and after letters), one smaller portrait tondo of La Fontaine, one vignette of Venus, a vignette of Cupid on each title page, and 20 VERY FINE PLATES "BEFORE LETTERS" FROM THE ORIGINAL EDITION, 16 OF THEM AFTER FRAGONARD (two after Touzé, and one each after Monnet and Malet); AND, IN ADDITION, THE 57 ETCHINGS "BEFORE LETTERS" PUBLISHED IN 1880 BY ROQUETTE BASED ON FRAGONARD'S 57 PLANNED ILLUSTRATIONS FOR THE 1795 EDITION, ALONG WITH 16 ORIGINAL SEPIA WASH DRAWINGS, DONE IN 1869, AND BASED ON A SELECTION OF FRAGONARD ORIGINALS (these drawings done in reverse), the like images bound next to each other (meaning that sometimes there are three versions of the same illustration bound together). (ST11145)      $17,500

 

A very unusual copy--with obviously desirable extra features--of this handsome large-format work, the only book illustrated by Fragonard, generally recognized as the consummate master of the French Rococo.

 

72.  (FRENCH ILLUSTRATED BOOKS).  OVID.  LES METAMORPHOSES.  (Paris: Panckoucke [last two volumes Delalain],  1767-71) Four volumes. First Edition with these Illustrations. VERY FINE CONTEMPORARY MARBLED CALF, HANDSOMELY GILT, raised bands, spine with scrolling floral bands at top and bottom and with charming gilt compartments featuring floral centerpiece and foliate sprays as cornerpieces, each spine with two brown morocco labels, all edges gilt. With 139 VERY FINE ENGRAVED PLATES after Eisen,and others, and with dedication, vignettes, and head- and tailpieces engraved by Choffard). (ST11005)      $9,500

 

A marvelous contemporary copy of what Ray calls  "the surpreme anthology of French Rococo book Illustrations."

 

73.  GALLONIO, ANTONIO.  TRATTATO DE GLI INSTRVMENTI DI MARTIRIO.  (Roma: Presso Ascanio, e Girolamo Donangeli,  1591)  FIRST EDITION. Recent convincing retrospective polished calf by Courtland Benson, raised bands flanked by gilt rules. Historiated headpieces and tailpieces, foliated initials, and 47 OFTEN HORRIFIC PLATES OF TORTURE SCENES AND INSTRUMENTS. (STCBB0902)      $8,000

 

A curious, learned, and rare work sparing no morbid detail in its almost clinically precise depiction of the brutal tortures endured by early Christian martyrs, illustrated by the Florentine Antonio Tempesta (1550-1630) in the spirit of Catholic Counter-Reformation art, which sought to draw the wavering back to the faith through an insistent realism.

 

74.  GERARD, JOHN.  THE HERBALL OR GENERALL HISTORIE OF PLANTES . . . VERY MUCH ENLARGED AND AMENDED BY THOMAS JOHNSON . . . APOTHECARYE OF LONDON.  (London: Printed by Adam Islip, Joice Norton, and Richard Whitakers,  1633)  First Edition of Johnson's Revision. Recent polished calf in the style of the period by Courtland Benson, raised bands, simple gilt ruling on spine. Engraved title with border of vignettes (one a portrait of Gerard), decorative and historiated headpieces and initials, and 2,766 WOODCUTS OF PLANTS IN TEXT. (CGT0901)      $6,500

 

Quite an excellent copy, and rare thus, of one of the most famous herbals ever published in England.

 

75.  [GOLDSMITH, OLIVER].  THE VICAR OF WAKEFIELD: A TALE SUPPOSED TO BE WRITTEN BY HIMSELF.  (Salisbury: Printed by B. Collins, for F. Newbery,  1766) Two volumes. With the terminal blank in volume I. FIRST EDITION, variant B. BEAUTIFUL SCARLET CRUSHED MOROCCO, HEAVILY GILT, BY RIVIÈRE & SON, covers with French fillet frame, spine with raised bands and handsomely gilt compartments, lovely gilt inner dentelles, all edges gilt.  (ST6907)      $6,500

 

The extremely fine Terry-Mills-Benz Copy of Goldsmith's masterpiece.

 

76.  (GOLF).  GRIERSON, JAMES.  DELINEATIONS OF ST. ANDREWS; BEING A PARTICULAR ACCOUNT OF EVERY THING REMARKABLE IN THE HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE OF THE CITY.  (Edinburgh: Printed for Peter Hill, et al.,  1807)  FIRST EDITION. Modern quarter calf. Four engraved plates. (ST10416)      $6,000

 

An invaluable early book on the history of St. Andrews, with specific discussion of the city as the home of the game of golf.

 

77.  HARVEY, WILLIAM.  THE ANATOMICAL EXERCISES . . . CONCERNING THE MOTION OF THE HEART AND BLOOD.  (London: Printed for Richard Lowndes,  1673)   Original blind ruled sheep, recently and expertly rebacked to style. Fore edge of the text block with the name "Lower" written across it in ink near the top; extensive anecdotal notes on front and rear flyleaves in an early 18th century hand. (ST11632)      $19,500

 

A remarkable copy--possibly belonging to the eminent cardiologist Richard (or perhaps his physician brother Thomas) Lower--of the second edition in English of Harvey's landmark work on the circulation of the blood.

 

78.  HARVEY, GIDEON.  THE ART OF CURING DISEASES BY EXPECTATION.  (London: Printed for James Partridge,  1689)  FIRST EDITION. Later (probably late 19th century) stiff vellum boards.  (ST11710)      $2,500

 

A very rare copy of the first and only printing of what DNB characterizes as "one of the most direct assaults" on 17th century medical knavery, particularly inflated or unwarranted charges by apothecaries for dubious medications.

 

79.  HEISTER, LORENZ.  CHIRURGIE, IN WELCHER ALLES, WAS ZUR WUNDARZNEY GEHÖRET, . . . DEUTLICH VORGESTELLET WERDEN.  (Nürnberg: Bey Gabriel Nicolaus Raspe,  1779)   IN A STUNNING CONTEMPORARY BINDING OF ELABORATELY GILT-DECORATED AND PAINTED CALF, the covers each with four very large and graceful gilt floral tools within large compartments formed by interlacing strapwork that is painted black, an equally prominent central compartment with dense gilt foliage, flowers, and fleurons, and much supporting gilt decoration of a similar kind in 20 smaller compartments around the board edges and between the large compartments; raised bands, spine very handsomely gilt with lovely central flower and botanical side pieces, olive green spine label, gilt decorated turn-ins, all edges gilt. With portrait and 38 FOLDING PLATES SHOWING SURGICAL APPARATUS AND OPERATIONS. (ST10998)      $19,500

 

A very fine copy, in an extraordinarily beautiful contemporary presentation binding, of the most important surgical textbook of its time, written by a figure called by Garrison-Morton “the founder of scientific surgery in Germany” and featuring a wealth of memorable illustrations, some of them more than a little brutal.

 

80.  HIERONYMUS.  EPISTOLAE (in Italian).  [and]  LUPUS DE OLIVETO.  REGULA MONACHORUM EX EPISTOLIS HIERONYMI (in Italian).  (Ferrara: Laurentius de Rubeis, de Valentia,  1497)  First Edition in Italian, First Illustrated Edition. Recently and expertly rebound by Courtland Benson in elaborately gilt-decorated calf in the Italianate style of the period. 188 VERY CHARMING WOODCUTS AND FIVE PAGES DOMINATED BY FULL WOODCUT BORDERS AND LARGE SCENES. (ST11201)      $42,500

 

An excellent copy of one of the two great illustrated Ferrarese incunabula, ours the first copy at auction since 1980 to be complete with the biography of Jerome (with its 17 woodcuts).

 

81.  HILL, SIR JOHN.  THE BRITISH HERBAL.  (London: Printed for T. Osborne et al.,  1756)  FIRST EDITION. Excellent contemporary speckled calf, carefully rebacked. 75 FINE PLATES OF MULTIPLE BOTANICAL SPECIMENS, ALL DELICATELY COLORED BY A CONTEMPORARY HAND. (ST11275)      $22,500

 

A rare and desirable Large Paper copy, in remarkably fine condition and with especially careful and rich hand coloring, of an important book (seldom found in such attractive condition) that set the course for modern botanical nomenclature (even though the author's pioneering attempt to name and categorize British flowers was generally not accepted).

 

82.  HOOPER, WILLIAM.  RATIONAL RECREATIONS, IN WHICH THE PRINCIPLES OF NUMBERS AND NATURAL PHILOSOPHY ARE CLEARLY AND COPIOUSLY ELUCIDATED, BY A SERIES OF EASY, ENTERTAINING, INTERESTING EXPERIMENTS. AMONG WHICH ARE ALL THOSE COMMONLY PERFORMED WITH THE CARDS.  (London: Printed for L. David, J. Robson, B. Law, and G. Robinson,  1783 [vol. I], 1782 [vol. II-IV]) Four volumes.  Pleasant contemporary polished calf, neatly rebacked preserving original backstrips, flat spines outlined with one short and one long panel densely diapered with  gilt pleated ribbons enclosing six-petaled flowers, each spine with one black and one red morocco label. WITH 65 FOLDING HAND-COLORED PLATES, as called for, illustrating the various tricks and experiments. (ST11669)      $4,500

 

A popular manual of constructive pastimes for youth, with exercises in arithmetic, mechanics, pyrotechnics, pneumatics, hydrology, dexterity (card tricks), electricity and magnets, optics, chromatics, and acoustics described and illustrated step-by-step in the accompanying plates, our copy with uncommon hand coloring.

 

83.  (ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT - MODERN).  BIBLE IN LATIN.  AN ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT ON VELLUM WITH THE TEXT FROM THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES.    (Germany?,  19th century)   19TH CENTURY NEO-GOTHIC BEVELLED BRASS BINDING with brown morocco spine, upper cover with four large bosses of  oval cabochon light blue-green stones, rectangular centerpiece of lapis lazuli, two brass clasps (one slightly defective), each set with an oval cabochon stone matching those on the cove. THE TEXT WITH FIVE LARGE AND NINE SMALLER FOLITATED INITIALS IN COLORS AND GOLD, AND THE TITLE PAGE WITH A THREE-QUARTER BORDER IN A SIMILAR STYLE. THE TEXT WRITTEN IN GOLD INK THROUGHOUT. (ST11596)      $6,500

 

Quite a fine example of an attractive neo-gothic manuscript, with faithful calligraphic replication of uncial script done on high quality parchment, this kind of illuminated item rarely seen in the marketplace (whether Medieval or modern).

 

84.  (ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT, MODERN).  MUCKLEY, LOUIS FAIRFAX, Calligrapher.  LOWELL, JAMES RUSSELL.  A CALLIGRAPHIC ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT POEM ON VELLUM.  THE VISION OF SIR LAUNFAL.  (Stratford-upon-Avon,  1925)   Blue crushed morocco by Sangorski & Sutcliffe. Initials and titles in thick raised gilt, title page with LOVELY ILLUMINATED FRAME CONTAINING THREE HISTORIATED PANELS, and the text with FOUR HALF-PAGE AND THREE FULL-PAGE ILLUMINATED WATERCOLORS, all in a Pre-Raphaelite style. (ST11312)      $22,500

 

A substantial and lovely modern large-format illuminated manuscript in pristine condition by an accomplished artist inspired by Burne-Jones, illustrating a romantic narrative poem in the Arthurian vein.

 

85.  (ILLUMINATED MANUSCRIPT - MODERN).  SANGORSKI, ALBERTO, Calligrapher.  SWINBURNE, ALGERNON CHARLES.  ADIEUX À MARIE STUART.  (London,  1916)  Colophon, stating that the manuscript was designed, written out, and illuminated by Alberto Sangorski for Rivière & Sons, and that it will not be duplicated, SIGNED BY THE ARTIST. SIMPLY STUNNING DARK BLUE MOROCCO, ELABORATELY INLAID AND GILT,  BY RIVIÈRE & SON, the boards entirely covered with complex stippling, very many inlays, and exuberant gilt decoration. In a (slightly rubbed) dark green morocco box with raised bands, gilt titling, silk and velvet lining, and brass closures. Designed and illuminated by Alberto Sangorski with 13 small initials in colors and golg, and SIX LARGE ILLUMINATED INITIALS (measuring approximately 55 x 45 mm.) ELABORATELY DECORATED with flowers and acanthus leaves in shades of purple on grounds of burnished gold, title page with lovely frame in purple, blue, and burnished gold emanating from the "A" in the first word of the title, first page of text with swirling red hairline borders with numerous flowers and leaves accented with bezants of burnished gold, the first word, "Queen," having a large gray initial with white tracery and large brooch ornament at the center, the other letters in burnished gold, all on an elaborately checkered background, the page opposite WITH A LARGE MINIATURE OF MARY STUART GAZING SADLY BACK AT FRANCE FROM THE STERN OF A SHIP BOUND FOR SCOTLAND, based on a painting by W. P. Firth and signed with Sangorski's cipher (dated 1916), the closing pages with illuminated frames. (ST11656)      $29,000

 

A vellum manuscript, splendidly illuminated by Alberto Sangorski, in a stunning inlaid Rivière binding, and in perfect condition.

 

86.  (JACQUIN, NIKOLAUS JOSEPH, FREIHERR VON).  ZORN, JOHANNES.  DREYHUNDERT AUSERLESENE AMERICANISCHEN GEWÄCHSE NACH LINNEISCHER ORDNUNG.  (Nuremberg: auf kosten der Raspischen Buchhandlung,  1785-88) Six volumes bound in two.  Excellent contemporary half calf. WITH 300 VERY FINE HAND-COLORED ENGRAVED PLATES OF PLANTS. (ST11478)      $9,500

 

A very fresh copy with brightly and expertly colored plates showing specimens gathered in the Americas for the famous Schoenbrunn Palace gardens by Jacquin, the leading botanist of his day.

 

87.  JEFFERSON, THOMAS.  THE WORKS.  (New York and London: The Knickerbocker Press for G.P. Putnam's Sons,  1904-05) 12 volumes. ONE OF 1,000 SIGNED AND NUMBERED COPIES of the "Federal Edition" (ours being copy #34). Excellent contemporary black three-quarter morocco. With frontispiece portrait and extra engraved title page with vignette of Monticello. (ST11462a-079)      $1,950

 

A pleasing set of the works of Thomas Jefferson in the publisher's appealing leather bindings, containing texts--including the "Declaration of Independence"--that are essential to understanding the foundations of the country.

 

88.  [JOHNSON, SAMUEL].  THE PLAN OF A DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE; ADDRESSED TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE PHILIP DORMER, EARL OF CHESTERFIELD.  (London: Printed for J. and P. Knapton, et al.,  1747)  FIRST EDITION, so-called "non-Chesterfield" issue (normally called the second state, but importance of priority disputed), uncorrected state of E1v. Fine retrospective calf by Courtland Benson, spine elaborately gilt decorated.  (ST10835)      $9,000

 

A fine copy of one of the most important prospectuses ever printed, both because of the light it sheds on Johnson's understanding of the immense task before him and because of its place in the history of patronage: Chesterfield ignored Johnson's implicit request for assistance, an omission that prompted Johnson's famous rhetorical demolition of his would-be benefactor when an offer of support, no longer needed, finally came.

 

89.  (KELMSCOTT PRESS).  VORAGINE, JACOBUS DE.  THE GOLDEN LEGEND.  (Kelmscott Press,  1892) Three volumes. ONE OF 500 COPIES. Publisher's holland-backed light blue boards, paper label on spines, edges untrimmed and mostly UNOPENED. Elaborate woodcut title (the first designed by Morris) and first page with full borders, two other woodcuts and two full borders designed by Edward Burne-Jones, large and small decorative woodcut initials, printer's device. (CRS0937)      $7,500

 

A marvelously well-preserved copy in the original binding (and extremely rare thus) of Kelmscott's notoriously fragile "Golden Ledgend," once owned by Ken Tomkinson, son of the famous private press book biographer, Sir Geoffrey Stewart Tomkinson.

 

90.  KOCK, CHARLES PAUL DE.  THE WORKS.  (London, Boston, and Paris: The Frederick J. Quinby Company,  1902-04) 25 volumes. ONE OF 500 COPIES of the "St. Gervais Edition" (our copy being #180). EXTREMELY PRETTY CONTEMPORARY ROSE-COLORED THREE-QUARTER MOROCCO, raised bands, spines with large Art Nouveau-style iris in gilt and onlaid mauve morocco. With dozens of plates, some in color. (ST11462a-071)      $3,500

 

A handsomely bound limited edition copy of the works of the 19th century French novelist who found great popularity in his day (Thackeray's Major Pendennis says that he has read no novels for 30 years except those by de Kock, "who certainly made him laugh").

 

91.  KORAN (TEXT IN ARABIC).    (Hamburgi: Ex officina Schultzio-Schilleriana,  1694)  SECOND, AND EARLIEST AVAILABLE, PRINTING. Contemporary vellum over boards.  (ST10701)      $14,500

 

A well-preserved copy of the earliest obtainable printing in the original Arabic (a single copy only of the 1538 first printing is known).

 

92.  (LEAF BOOK).  (BIRD AND BULL PRESS).  HALL, EDWIN.  SWEYNHEYM & PANNARTZ AND THE ORIGINS OF PRINTING IN ITALY.  (McMinnvile, Oregon: Bird & Bull Press for Phillip J. Pirages,  1991)  FIRST EDITION.  ONE OF 231 COPIES (of 239 total). A Campbell-Logan Co. binding of purple quarter morocco, using marbled papers especially designed for this edition by Iris Nevins, paper label on front cover, two edges untrimmed. Text with four nine-line initials in red and blue (replicating 15th century rubrication), two pages of typographic facsimiles. ACCOMPANIED BY A LARGE FOLIO SWEYNHEYM & PANNARTZ LEAF from the 1471 printing of Nicholas of Lyra's "Postilla super totam Bibliam." The book and leaf (which is secured in a mylar envelope behind a hinged cloth mat) contained in an impressive (15 1/2 x 11 3/4") navy blue folding cloth box of acid-free materials. Title page printed in black, red, and blue. (ST11689a)      $1,250

 

A fine copy of a very pleasing work from the press of Henry Morris, and the first book to present a broadly based and detailed picture of the activities of Conrad Sweynheym and Arnold Pannartz, the earliest printers outside Germany and the most important figures in the early history of printing aside from Gutenberg and his immediate associates (as well as an uncommon opportunity to obtain a specimen of their work at a price that is not extravagant).

 

93.  LINCOLN, ABRAHAM.  COMPLETE WORKS.  ([Harrogate, Tenn.]: Lincoln Memorial University,  1894) 12 volumes. "The Sponsor's Edition," signed by the chancellor of the university (our copy being #283). Very pleasing publisher's elaborately gilt decorated scarlet morocco. MOSTLY UNOPENED. With 12 portrait frontispieces, 12 facsimiles of letters and other documents, and 32 photographic plates. First volume with tipped-in letter on onion skin (a photographic copy?) from John Hay to an unnamed correspondent identifying the two figures in the frontispiece with Lincoln as being Hay himself and John Nicolay. (ST11462a-104)      $3,250

 

A very attractive set containing a collection of Lincoln's speeches, letters, pamphlets, and other writings, supplemented with articles and reminiscences of his associates.

 

94.  LONICER, ADAM.  VOLLSTÄNDIGES KRÄUTERBUCH, UND KÜNSTLICHE CONTERFEYUNGEN DER BÄUMEN.  (Ulm: Daniel Bartholomä,  1713)   Excellent contemporary or slightly later vellum over stiff boards, yapp edges. Woodcut vignette on title page, ornamental headpiece and initials, historiated tailpieces, and MORE THAN 800 WOODCUT ILLUSTRATIONS THROUGHOUT, including genre scenes, many individual plants and animals, and distilling apparatus. Front pastedown with bookplate "Fürstl. Bibliothek zu Lich" (library of the princes of Lich) and small corresponding library stamp on title page. (ST11300)      $7,800

 

An enduringly popular herbal, our copy of this large-format edition IN EXTRAORDINARILY FINE CONDITION and with princely provenance.

 

95.  MARINONI, GIOVANNI JACOPO DE.  DE ASTRONOMICA SPECULA DOMESTICA ET ORGANICO APPARATU ASTRONOMICO LIBRI DUO REGINÆ.  (Viennæ: Leopoldus Joannes Kaliwoda,  1745)  FIRST EDITION. Excellent contemporary half calf over yellow paper boards. Engraved frontispiece, a number of large and small engravings in the text, including eight full-page engraved illustrations, and 43 FINE FOLDING PLATES showing various apparatus. (ST11019)      $29,000

 

A MAGNIFICENT CONTEMPORARY COPY, virtually pristine internally, of this large folio featuring the collection of astronomical instruments housed at the Vienna Observatory, a volume that Kenney calls "one of the most exquisitely illustrated astronomical works ever printed."

 

96.  MILTON, JOHN.  PARADISE LOST. A POEM IN TWELVE BOOKS.  [bound with]  PARADISE REGAIN'D.  [bound with]  SAMSON AGONISTES.  (London: Printed by Miles Flesher, for Jacob Tonson; Printed by R. E. for Randal Taylor; Printed, and are to be Sold by Randal Taylor,  1688) Three works in one volume. Fourth Edition, First Folio Edition, First Illustrated Edition. Contemporary speckled calf, raised bands, expertly rebacked and recornered by Courtland Benson, original red morocco label. FRONTISPIECE PORTRAIT OF THE AUTHOR AND 12 STRIKING ENGRAVINGS, each illustrating a book of "Paradise Lost." The Wickenheiser copy. (PJP0801)      $7,500

 

A well-preserved copy of a major large-format illustrated work, called by Hodnett "the earliest serious effort to illustrate an important work of English poetry," and "the only major English literary work with important engraved illustrations in the 17th century."

 

97.  (MINIATURE BOOK).  BIBLE IN ENGLISH.    (New York: Oxford University Press (American Branch), [n.d. but ca.  1919])   EXCEPTIONALLY CHARMING ORIGINAL FLEXIBLE CALF, covers elaborately blindstamped to a Medieval design, upper cover with inside leather pocket containing a tiny(!) leather-framed magnifying glass, the book attached by a six-inch chain to a wooden lectern approximately 5 1/2" high. All CONTAINED IN THE (slightly scuffed) ORIGINAL PUBLISHER'S BOX with large printed paper label on the lid. With 28 full-page illustrations (including frontispiece) by C. B. Birch. (ST11594)      $1,950

 

The most charming bible we've ever offered, entirely complete and legible at just over a cubic inch in size, our seldom-seen edition in superb condition.

 

98.  MOFFETT, THOMAS.  INSECTORVM SIVE MINIMORUM ANIMALIUM THEATRVM.  (Londini: Ex Officina typographica Thom. Cotes,  1634)  FIRST EDITION, First Issue. Contemporary sprinkled calf, carefully rebacked (in sheep), new (but convincing) spine label. Large woodcut beehive on title page surrounded on three sides by various insects, four pages of entomological woodcuts at the end, small woodcuts in the text for A TOTAL OF 598 WOODCUT IMAGES OF INSECTS. Front flyleaf with the bookplate of H. F. Norman, M.D. (ST11273)      $12,000

 

A very fresh copy from the bibliographer's own collection of  the first entomological volume published in England, a book that "systematically analyzed the habits, habitat, breeding and economic importance of insects" and "the best work of its kind to date." (Norman)

 

99.  MUIR, JOHN.  THE WRITINGS.  (Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Company,  1916-24) 10 volumes. "Manuscript Edition." ONE OF 750 COPIES. VERY FINE CONTEMPORARY DARK BROWN MOROCCO, HANDSOMELY GILT, raised bands, spines intricately gilt in compartments, DOUBLURES OF WHITE PIGSKIN, the doublures with a center panel formed by two gilt rules and featuring a circled monogram "H M S" (for the eminent Pittsburgh collector Hannah M. Standish), watered silk flyleaves, UNTRIMMED AND UNOPENED. A few illustrations in the text and 127 plates, mostly on Japanese vellum, eight of them hand colored, five of them maps (two of these folding). (ST10933)      $12,000

 

A virtually mint copy (the unopened text, not surprisingly, without signs of use) of a beautifully bound set of the writings of John Muir (1838-1914), one of America's most influential conservationists and nature writers, our set containing a revealing manuscript excerpt relating to the glacial lakes in the mountains of California.

 

100.  OLINA, GIOVANNI PIETRO.  VCCELLIERA OVERO DISCORSO DELLA NATVRA E PROPRIETA DI DIVERSI VCCELLI.  (Rome: Presso M. Angelo de Rossi,  1684)   18th century vellum. WITH 66 CHARMING PLATES by Tempesta and Villamena. (ST11299)      $7,000

 

The second edition--characterized as "superior to the first" by Schwerdt--of a charming early book on birds, their habits, the methods of catching them, the ways to maintain them in captivity, and their diseases, illustrated with often very delightful engravings containing revealing social as well as ornithological content.

 

101.  OROSIUS, PAULUS.  HISTORIAE.  ([Vicenza]: Hermannus Liechtenstein, ca.  1475)   Recent expertly done retrospective half calf over wooden boards, brass hardware. SEVEN LARGE AND BEAUTIFUL HAND-PAINTED WHITE-VINE INITIALS IN SEVERAL COLORS AND BURNISHED GOLD. (ST11144)      $39,000

 

The Broxbourne Library copy--beautifully hand illuminated--of the second printing of this work, believed by BMC to be the first work produced at the press in Vicenza of Hermann Liechtenstein.

 

102.  PETTUS, JOHN.  FLETA MINOR. THE LAVVS OF ART AND NATURE, IN KNOWING, JUDGING, ASSAYING, FINING, REFINING AND INLARGING THE BODIES OF CONFIN'D METALS.  (London: Printed by Nat. Thompson for the Author,  1687) Two parts in one volume. FIRST EDITION (later state of title page with overslip imprint). Contemporary mottled calf (very expert repairs to corners and joints). With engraved armorial bookplate of Sir Thomas Sebright. Engraved frontispiece portrait and 43 LARGE ENGRAVINGS IN THE TEXT, DEPICTING THE PROCESSING OF VARIOUS ORES AND METALS. With engraved armorial bookplate of Thomas Seabright and small shelf label of the Kenney Collection. (ST10753)      $4,500

 

A Large Paper copy, in outstanding internal condition and excellent provenance, of a key book in the history of metallurgy, containing the first metallurgical dictionary in English, and with engraved illustrations both charming in their quaintness and illuminating in their technological detail.

 

103.  PLUTARCH.  THE PHILOSOPHIE, COMMONLIE CALLED, THE MORALS.  (London: Printed by Arnold Hatfield,  1603)  FIRST COMPLETE EDITION IN ENGLISH. Contemporary dark calf, spine with later gilt titling.  (ST10440)      $10,000

 

Holbrook Jackson's copy of Philemon Holland's celebrated translation, the first complete edition in English  and part of a memorable series of Elizabethan translations, the text dealing with such diverse topics as fortune, exile, animal intelligence, health, advice for newlyweds, the education of children, benefitting from one's enemies, the value of having few or many friends, how to recognize a flatterer, and many other topics that give scholars insight into Greco-Roman society and obscure cults.

 

104.  POE, EDGAR ALLAN.  THE RAVEN AND OTHER POEMS.  (London: Wiley & Putnam,  1846)  First English Edition. Publisher's original green elaborately embossed cloth, expertly recased, with small portion of spine ends renewed.  (ST11647)      $6,500

 

The uncommon first English edition of Poe's classic, complete with ads, from the library of the noted critic and poet Arthur Symons and from the collection of Frederic G. Stephens, a founding member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and an early champion of--and sometime model for--the paintings of Millais, Hunt, and Dante Gabriel Rossetti.

 

105.  RACKHAM, ARTHUR, Illustrator.  IRVING, WASHINGTON.  THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW.  (London: George G. Harrap,  1928)  ONE OF 375 COPIES SIGNED BY RACKHAM, this copy one of 250 for England. Publisher's gilt-titled vellum over stiff boards. With the publisher's (somewhat worn) box. Illustrated title page, 30 text illustrations, and EIGHT COLOR PLATES (including frontispiece), all BY ARTHUR RACKHAM. (ST11345)      $4,500

 

An extraordinarily fine copy of this special edition, one of the most popular of Rackham-illustrated books, and issued with a relatively small limitation.

 

106.  RAPHAEL SANZIO D'URBINO.  SECONDA PARTE DELLE LOGGE DI RAFAELE NEL VATICANO CHE CONTIENE XIII VOLTE ED I LORO RESPETTIVI QUADRI.  (Rome,  1776) Part two, only, of three. FIRST EDITION. In an elegant and altogether remarkable contemporary crimson morocco binding, handsomely gilt. Engraved title page and 13 BREATHTAKING HAND-PAINTED ENGRAVED PLATES OF RAPHAEL'S VATICAN FRESCOES (each plate comprised of two large joined sheets). (ST10180)      $40,000

 

An amazingly beautiful (and, at 724 x 660 mm., an enormous) book with unforgettable visual images, nothing in our inventory ever more splendid than this volume.

 

107.  (REYNARD THE FOX).  THE MOST DELECTABLE HISTORY OF REYNARD THE FOX . . . TO WHICH MAY NOW BE ADDED A  SECOND PART OF THE SAID HISTORY: AS ALSO THE SHIFTS OF REYNARDINE, THE SON OF REYNARD.  (London: Printed by T. Ilive, for Edward Brewster; Printed by A. M. and R. R. for Brewster; Printed by T. J. for Brewster and Thomas Passenger,  1701-1681-84) Three parts in one volume. FIRST EDITION of "The Shifts of Reynardine." Excellent retrospective Cambridge-style red morocco by Courtland Benson, covers with concentric frames composed of antique tools, with floral sprays emanating from the corners, raised bands, spines attractively gilt in compartments with scrolling cornerpieces and large central fleuron, all edges gilt. Text WITH 77 LIVELY AND CHARMINGLY NAÏVE WOODCUT ILLUSTRATIONS, many signed with the initials "E B" (probably the publisher, Edward Brewster), the woodcut on C1 printed upside down (some of the cuts repeated). (ST11113)      $7,000

 

A surprisingly well-preserved copy of an early English edition of the enduringly popular fables of Reynard, our copy including the first printing of the adventures of the fox's (equally pesky and cunning) son Reynardine.

 

108.  ROWLANDSON, THOMAS, Illustrator.  [COMBE, WILLIAM].  [THE THREE TOURS OF DR. SYNTAX:] IN SEARCH OF THE PICTURESQUE . . . IN SEARCH OF CONSOLATION . . . IN SEARCH OF A WIFE.  (London: R. Ackermann's Repository of Arts, [  1812], 1820, [1821]) Three volumes. FIRST EDITIONS IN BOOK FORM, the First Issue of First Work, with plates in the first state. REMARKABLY PRETTY SKY BLUE CRUSHED MOROCCO, HANDSOMELY GILT, BY RIVIÈRE, covers gilt with French fillet center frame and floral cornerpieces, raised bands, spines elaborately gilt in compartments featuring elegant floral tools used for cornerpieces and centerpiece, broad and ornate gilt inner dentelles, all edges gilt. With 80 ARTFULLY HAND-COLORED AQUATINT PLATES BY THOMAS ROWLANDSON. (CTS0902)      $6,500

 

A happy combination of Combe's comic verses and Rowlandson's caricatures that became one of the most popular literary publications of the 19th century, offered here in lovely decorative bindings.

 

109.  RUSH, ANTHONY.  (BINDINGS - EMBROIDERED).  A PRESIDENT FOR A PRINCE. WHEREIN IS TO BE SEENE BY THE TESTIMONIE OF AUNCIENT WRITERS, THE DUETIE OF KINGS, PRINCES, AND GOUERNOURS.  (London: by H. Denham,  1566)  FIRST EDITION. IN A WONDERFULLY ANIMATED AND COLORFUL 17TH CENTURY ENGLISH BROCADED SILK BINDING featuring a gray silk ground EMBROIDERED WITH PLAITED AND CRINKLED STRAW IN AN INTRICATE OVERALL PATTERN INCORPORATING HEART AND FLORAL DESIGNS AS WELL AS A CROWN, the designs done in red, yellow, and blue, text block with gilt edges, 19th century green watered silk endleaves. Title page with woodcut filigree border, foliated initials. (ST11195)      $19,500

 

A splendid copy--the text very clean and smooth, and the absolutely delightful binding with remarkably bright and scarcely worn stitching--of an excessively rare 16th century secular work offering advice for effective rule (and apparently resulting in the writer's eventually becoming a royal chaplain to Elizabeth I).

 

110.  [STERNE, LAURENCE].  THE LIFE AND OPINIONS OF TRISTRAM SHANDY, GENTLEMAN.  (London: various printers [see below],  1760-68) Nine volumes. FIRST EDITION, FIRST STATE of volume VII (Becket & De Hondt, 1765); FIRST EDITIONS of volume VIII and volume IX (Becket & De Hondt, 1765, 1767). Very pleasing contemporary marbled calf, spines with gilt lattice-work design and double labels. Frontispieces after William Hogarth in volumes I and III, marbled leaf inserted after L4 in third volume. (CTS0908)      $7,500

 

A very nearly fine contemporary set (the entirely unrestored original bindings completely sound and showing little wear, and the text unusually fresh and clean) of the dynamic work that made Sterne famous and that is generally regarded as the first novel dominated by a conscious psychological theory--volumes V, VII, and IX signed by Sterne (as usual) for authentication purposes, a precaution that required Sterne to sign his name 12,750 times.

 

111.  TARTAGLIA, NICCOLÒ.  THREE BOOKES OF COLLOQUIES [bound after] THE COMPLEAT GUNNER.  (London: [Thomas Dawson] for John Harrison [the elder],  1588; London: for Rob[ert] Pawlet et al., 1672) Two separately published works in one volume. FIRST EDITION of "Compleat Gunner," First Edition in English of "Three Bookes." Very attractive 18th century sprinkled calf, spine handsomely gilt in compartments, green morocco label. The "Three Bookes" with many woodcut illustrations of martial implements or vignettes within text, two folding tables, and four folding woodcut plates; "Compleat Gunner" with woodcut illustrations (some of them vignettes) within text, and four engraved plates (two of them folding).  With the bookplates and embossed armorial stamps of the Macclesfield Library. (ST11288)      $16,000

 

Two extremely important and rare early works in English on 16th and 17th century ballistics and artillery, the "Compleat Gunner" written by an English army captain, and the Tartaglia, which began the scientific treatment of the theory and practice of gunnery, rendered into English by Cyprian Lucar, with the addition of an appendix culling information on artillery and fireworks from 25 authors writing in English, Latin, and Italian.

 

112.  TASSO, TORQUATO.  LA GERUSALEMME LIBERATA.  (Venezia: Stampata da G. Albrizzi,  1745)   Contemporary marbled calf, handsomely gilt. WITH 84 ELEGANT ENGRAVINGS, all by Giambatista Piazzetta. Ink stamp on front flyleaf of Starhemberg Family Library at Castle Eferding, Austria. (ST11329)      $18,000

 

A remarkably fresh and clean contemporary copy of one of the finest illustrated books of the 18th century, a wonderful oversized illustrated Venetian printing of a great Italian classic, which the normally reserved Graesse describes as a "magnificent edition in regards to the printing and the paper: the 20 plates and the headpieces by Piazzetta [being] beyond all praise."

 

113.  TENNYSON, ALFRED LORD.  POEMS, CHIEFLY LYRICAL.  (London: Effingham Wilson,  1830)  FIRST EDITION. ORIGINAL PUBLISHER'S PAPER BOARDS, original paper spine label, spine expertly renewed with convincing old paper, untrimmed edges. In a buckram slipcase.  (ST09605)      $1,750

 

Tennyson's rare and sought-after second book of poems, written while he was still a student at Cambridge and signalling the emergence of the poet's own voice from the imitative style of his earlier verse.

 

114.  THOREAU, HENRY DAVID.  THE WRITINGS.  (Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin and Company,  1906) 20 volumes. ONE OF 600 COPIES. Fine dark green three-quarter morocco, spines very handsomely gilt in animated compartments. MOST OF THE VOLUMES UNOPENED. With 104 black and white and 20 colored plates, mostly photogravures. WITH A PORTION OF MANUSCRIPT IN THOREAU'S HAND, as called for in this edition. (ST10881)      $18,000

 

An extraordinarily fine copy, in a handsome binding, of Thoreau's complete writings, our copy with an important manuscript excerpt from "A Yankee in Canada."

 

115.  (VELLUM PRINTING).  (BINDINGS - DE SAUTY).  (VALE PRESS).  COLERIDGE, SAMUEL TAYLOR.  THE RIME OF THE ANCIENT MARINER.  (Vale Press,  1899)  ONE OF 10 COPIES ON VELLUM. STRIKING OLIVE GREEN CRUSHED MOROCCO BY ALFRED DE SAUTY, covers with blindstamped rope frame with knotwork cornerpieces, central panel of each cover with nine vertical rows of gilt arrows, central medallion with ship in full sail inlaid in red and brown morocco, raised bands, spine compartments with central blindstamped arrow, gilt-ruled turn-ins, vellum endleaves, top edge gilt. Very elaborate woodcut border surrounding letterpress of first page of text, and large decorative initials by Charles Ricketts in the interlacing style of 15th century Italian books. (ST11607)      $4,800

 

An extremely pleasing combination of text and binding: the especially rare vellum edition of the Vale Press "Mariner"--which was never offered for sale--in a glorious De Sauty inlaid binding.

 

116.  (VELLUM PRINTING).  MACHIAVELLI, NICCOLO.  THE PRINCE.  (London: Printed at the De La More Press for Alexander Moring Limited,  1929)  ONE OF TEN COPIES ON VELLUM, our copy being #3. Publisher's stiff vellum, wallet edges, raised bands, black titling, top edge gilt. In the original open-ended wrapper inside (the original?) sturdy paper and linen slipcase. With frontispiece portrait. (ST11633)      $4,000

 

A pristine copy of a strictly limited luxury edition of Machiavelli's influential masterpiece.

 

117.  (VELLUM PRINTING).  (RICCARDI PRESS).  HARDY, THOMAS.  SELECTED POEMS.  (London and Boston: Published by Philip Lee Warner for the Medici Society,  1921)  ONE OF 14 COPIES ON VELLUM, SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR AND ILLUSTRATOR, of which 12 were for sale. (This is copy #9). Original flexible vellum with green silk ties, gilt titling on upper cover and spine, top edge gilt, other edges untrimmed. With portrait and title page design engraved on wood by William Nicolson. (ST11598)      $3,000

 

A seldom-seen fine vellum edition, strictly limited and signed, of Hardy's poems (no copy in ABPC since at least 1975).

 

118.  (VELLUM PRINTING).  (RICCARDI PRESS).  KHAYYÁM, OMAR.  THE RUBÁIYÁT OF OMAR KHAYYÁM.  (London: [Printed at the Riccardi Press for] Philip Lee Warner, Publisher to the Medici Society,  1913)  ONE OF 12 COPIES ON VELLUM, of which 10 were for sale. Original flexible vellum, gilt lettering on covers and flat spine, original cloth ties, top edge gilt.  (ST11692)      $5,500

 

An esthetically pleasing production of the lush and evocative Persian poem--here in FitzGerald's masterful translation--its creamy vellum with considerable visual and tactile appeal.

 

119.  (VELLUM PRINTING).  (VALE PRESS).  (BINDINGS - DOVES BINDERY).  BLAKE, WILLIAM.  POETICAL SKETCHES.  (Vale Press,  1899)  ONE OF EIGHT COPIES ON VELLUM. SPLENDID DARK BLUE CRUSHED MOROCCO BY THE DOVES BINDERY, covers with a broad frame containing 12 wreaths of forget-me-nots, each wreath encircling a heart or, at the corners, two interlocking hearts, raised bands, five spine compartments with saltire formed by plain gilt rules accented with four open dots, one compartment with gilt titling, turn-ins decorated with simple gilt rules and several small open circlets, vellum endleaves, all edges gilt. In a linen chemise and morocco-backed slipcase. With three large and ornate woodcut initials and two facing pages with full white-vine borders, one enclosing text, the other framing a lovely full-page woodcut of a nymph, all by Charles Ricketts. (ST11672)      $17,500

 

A magnificent copy of Blake's first collection of poems printed on buttery vellum, and a shining exemplar of the work done by two major figures in the Arts and Crafts Movement--Charles Ricketts (printer, illustrator, and founder of the Vale Press) and Thomas J. Cobden-Sanderson (founder of the Doves Press and Doves Bindery and, in the latter capacity, designer of the present particularly handsome binding).

 

120.  VIVALDI, AGOSTINO.  MEDITATIONI SOPRA LI EVANGELII.  (Roma: Appreso Luigi Zannetti,  1599)  First Italian Edition. Early (probably 17th century) gilt-decorated dark calf, recently and expertly rebacked, raised bands, all edges gilt with beaded gauffering. Engraved title page depicting Christ among the angels in an architectural frame, second title page with the engraved device of the Jesuit order, and 153 VERY FINE NUMBERED PLATES SHOWING SCENES FROM THE GOSPELS/LIFE OF CHRIST. (STCBB0901)      $7,500

 

An excellent copy of the very rare first Italian edition of a work partaking of the natures of a Book of Hours and at the same time an emblem book, with 153 large and deft Flemish engravings of the late Renaissance, accompanied by meditations for the reader originally written by the Spanish Jesuit Gerónimo Nadal (Hieronymus Natalis, 1507-80), and here simplified for the lay reader by the Jesuit Agostino Vivaldi (1565-1641).

 

121.  VOLNEY, CONSTANTIN FRANÇOIS CHASSEBŒUF, COMTE DE.  TRAVELS THROUGH SYRIA AND EGYPT, IN THE YEARS 1783, 1784, AND 1785.  (London: Printed for G. G. J. and J. Robinson,  1788) Two volumes.  VERY FINE CONTEMPORARY FLAMED CALF, flat spines ruled in gilt, red morocco label on each spine. Three engraved folding plates (views and plan) and two engraved folding maps. (ST10830)      $1,850

 

AN EXTRAORDINARILY FINE CONTEMPORARY COPY inside and out of this "popular and highly regarded work," an account that "has never really been surpassed."  (Blackmer catalogue)

 

122.  WALTON, WILLIAM.  AN EXPOSÉ ON THE DISSENTIONS OF SPANISH AMERICA.  (London: Printed for the Author,  1814)  FIRST EDITION. Pleasing contemporary calf, attractively gilt spine with red morocco label. Front flyleaf INSCRIBED BY WALTON "To His Excy Count Carnot from the Author." (ST10969)      $3,200

 

A work written to encourage the intercession of the British in the civil strife in South America, our copy presented by the author to Lazar-Nicolas-Marguerite, Comte Carnot (1753-1823), a very important French general and political figure and mathematician (very scarce: no other copy in ABPC since 1978).

 

123.  WELLS,  H. G.  THE WORKS OF H. G. WELLS.  (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons,  1924-27) 28 volumes. ONE OF 1,670 COPIES, OF WHICH THIS IS ONE OF 1,050 FOR AMERICA (1,000 of them for sale), SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR (this is copy #982). Original publisher's paper boards, half of the volumes UNOPENED, and all encased in the original (slightly worn) slipcases (one slipcase a modern replica). Photographic frontispiece in each volume. (ST11462a-029)      $3,500

 

A very fine copy of an attractively produced as well as textually important edition of the works of one of the most significant British authors at work during the final years of the 19th century and the first part of the 20th.

 

124.  WOLLSTONECRAFT, MARY.  (WILLIAM BLAKE, Illustrator).  ORIGINAL STORIES FROM REAL LIFE, WITH CONVERSATIONS CALCULATED TO REGULATE THE AFFECTIONS AND FORM THE MIND TO TRUTH AND GOODNESS.  (London: Printed for J. Johnson,  1791)  First Edition with the illustrations by Blake. Convincing recent retrospective sprinkled calf by Courtland Benson. FRONTISPIECE AND FIVE PLATES DESIGNED AND ENGRAVED BY WILLIAM BLAKE. (ST9108)      $5,250

 

A nearly fine copy from the Berland library of Wollstonecraft's edifying tales, our volume with the optional Blake plates, originally included for an extra sixpence (and having proved over the years to be worth the additional expense).

 

125.  WOLLSTONECRAFT, MARY.  A VINDICATION OF THE RIGHTS OF WOMAN.  (London: Printed for J. Johnson,  1792)  FIRST EDITION. VERY WELL-PRESERVED CONTEMPORARY TREE CALF, flat spine with panels formed by groups of nine plain and stippled gilt rules, gilt starburst ornaments used as centerpieces, black morocco label. With the early signature of Mary Shewell. (ST11117)      $22,500

 

As fine a contemporary copy as one is likely to find of a work of enduring importance in the field of women's rights, a book characterized by Shattock as "a powerful plea for a change in society's perceptions of the function and potential of women," our copy once owned by Mary Shewell, apparently the person of that name who was the mother of Leigh Hunt, who, among other things published works by Percy Shelley, our author's son-in-law.

 

126.  WOLLSTONECRAFT, MARY.  A VINDICATION OF THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN.  (London: Printed for J. Johnson,  1792)   Original marbled boards, recently and very expertly rebacked and recornered with polished calf in the style of the period. In a linen clamshell box.  (ST11667)      $3,250

 

An especially fine copy of the uncommon second edition of the groundbreaking feminist manifesto (published the same year as the first).

 

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