Antiquarian and Collectors’ Books

FREEDMAN, D.N. (editor). The Leningrad Codex… a Facsimile edition. Grand Rapids and Cambridge: William B. Eerdman, 1988. 4to (324 x 275mm.) Numerous photographic illustrations. (Toning.) Original cloth, mounted illustration to upper cover (some warping of upper cover). - And a further eight volumes of related books, mostly 18th century (including 'The Book of Common Prayer', published by John Baskett, 1715, folio) (9).

JARDINE, William. British Salmonidae. London: Decimus, 1979. Limited facsimile edition, this being number 90 of 500 copies, large folio (620 x 465mm.) 12 coloured plates, 4pp. introductory booklet loosely inserted. (Mild toning.) Original brown morocco-backed green cloth, morocco lettering piece mounted to upper cover (slight rubbing to spine, some discolouring to cloth), original green cloth-covered slipcase (a few marks, marginal staining, rubbing).

CHAMBERS, E. Cyclopaedia: or, an Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences containing… Figures, Kinds, Properties, Productions, Preparations, and Uses of Things Natural and Artificial. London: W. Innys et al., 1751-1753. 2 vols., seventh edition, folio (397 x 245mm.) Titles in red and black, 14 engraved plates, 10 folding. (Lacking blanks, preliminaries loose, frontispiece large tear with major loss, creasing, spotting, damp-staining.) Contemporary calf (worn). - And a further four miscellaneous volumes (6).

CONCRETE POETRY. Language/Poetry/Performance. Leicester: Ccanz Editions, School of Fine Art, De Montford University, 2000. Limited edition, being number 18 of 25 copies, loose-leaf (501 x 349mm.) Title, 6 prints signed and editioned in pencil by Charles Bernstein, Henri Chopin, Bob Cobbing, Steve McCaffery, Enzo Minarelli and Emmet Williams, loosely within a grey card folder with black lettering to the upper cover (faint creasing to the folder). Note: rare. A group of artworks by contemporary 'concrete' poets for whom meaning is conveyed more by the typographic than the verbal.

FORGERY. - [Icilio Federico JONI. A pair of book covers in the Renaissance style, or 'Tavolette di Biccherna'. N.p.: circa late 19th century, early 20th.] Italian giltwood and tempera, one panel with scrolling foliage surrounding seven Sienese shields, a Latin inscription dated '1475', the other with matching foliage around a courtly male figure holding a feather and a shield, joined with a leather binding, steel mounts, glazed in a giltwood frame. Note: by the year 1459 the Commune of Siena had begun binding their accounts in leather, so Joni's dated inscription of '1475' reveals his deception. In selling these as original Renaissance book covers, Joni also failed to recreate contemporary stitching. Nevertheless, he enjoyed some celebrity when he was unmasked, and continued to receive commissions for his bindings. Provenance: J.P. Hartley, writer (mounted paper label to verso).

WALKER, George. The Costume of Yorkshire. Leeds: Richard Jackson, 1885. Limited edition, this being the large paper edition, number 11 of 100 copies only, folio (443 x 221mm.) Chromolithographed frontispiece, 40 chromolithographed plates, text in French and English, 4pp. of 'Notes' to rear. (Spotting to the limitation page and to margins of first leaves, some offsetting, spotting to 'Notes' leaves.) Original black half morocco over green cloth-covered boards, gilt vignette and lettering to upper cover, t.e.g. (a few marks to lower cover, spine panel bumped). Note: this large paper edition on 'Japan' paper was published in a run of 100 copies, a further 500 copies were published on plate paper. The work is based on the aquatint version that was published in 1814. Provenance: C. Stacey (armorial bookplate to the front-free endpaper).

[BURGESS, Henry William.] Studies of Trees, by the author of Eidodendron. London: by the author and J. Dickinson, 1834. Oblong folio (386 x 285mm.) 6 lithographed plates (browned to all margins, occasional minor chipping). Original card wrappers (unstitched, covers detached, marginal creasing, soiling to upper cover).

CONJURING. - Christian FECHNER. Stacey DRAGON (translator). The Magic of Robert Houdin. Boulogne: Editions F.C.F., 2002. 2 vols., first edition, 4to (288 x 213mm.) Numerous photographic illustrations, 60 colour plates, folding genealogical table. Original red cloth, dust-jackets, slipcase. Note: scarce. Provenance: by descent, from the estate of Barry Murray (2).

CONJURING. - Christian FECHNER. Soirées Fantastiques. Paris: F.C.F. Jean-Guy Fechner, 1988. Limited edition, this being one of 300 copies for 'Private Circulation Only', signed by Christian Fechner, 4to (319 x 238mm.) Numerous coloured plates and illustrations, 3 cloth-backed flick-books, 12 folding plans on double-sided sheets. (Mild toning, some damp-staining to the cloth of the flick-books, some offsetting to the dedication page.) Original red cloth with mounted colour illustrations to the upper covers (a damp-stain to top of upper cover of volume 2), slipcase (slight fraying, damp-staining to one side panel). - And a further forty-one volumes relating to magic (including Edwin A. Dawes's 'Charles Bertram: The Court Conjurer', 1997, 4to). Provenance: by descent, from the estate of Barry Murray (43).

[WEISZ, Ehrich.] 'Harry HOUDINI'. Magical Rope Ties & Escapes. London: Will Godstone, [1921.] First UK edition, 8vo (188 x 116mm.) Advertisements to pastedowns, 7 half-tone plates, numerous illustrations. (Toning, browning to title-page.) Original pictorial boards, blue lettering to spine (some loss to the lettering, minor soiling to lower cover). - And a further fifteen volumes relating to 'Houdini' (including a facsimile reprint of 'The Unmasking of Robert-Houdini', [?], 8vo). Provenance: by descent, from the family of Barry Murray (16).

GIBSON, Charles Dana. The Gibson Book, a Collection of the Published Works. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1906. 2 vols., first edition, oblong 4to (280 x 434mm.) Numerous illustrations. (Mild toning, small paper repair to a leaf in volume 2.) Original red cloth, decorative gilt to upper covers, t.e.g. (inner hinge of volume 1 weakening, lightly rubbed extremities) (2).

PHOTOGRAPHY. - Don McCULLIN. Southern Frontiers, a Journey Across the Roman Empire. London: Jonathan Cape, 2010. First edition, first impression, oblong 4to (288 x 343mm.) Numerous photographic illustrations, text by Barnaby Rogerson. (Mild toning.) Original pictorial boards, dust-jacket.

PHOTOGRAPHY. - Larry SULTAN. The Valley. Zurich: Scalo Verlag AG, 2004. First edition, oblong 4to (288 x 323mm.) Numerous colour illustrations. (Mild toning.) Original tan cloth, black lettering to spine, dust-jacket (small mark to upper panel, lightly bumped extremities). - And a further three volumes relating to contemporary photography and art (4).

CONJURING. - John Northern HILLIARD. Greater Magic. Minneapolis: Carl Waring Jones, 1945. Revised edition, seventh impression, 8vo (228 x 145mm.) Numerous illustrations. (Mild toning, some spotting to pastedowns.) Original red cloth (spine ends bumped), dust-jacket (chipping, small loss to spine ends). - And a quantity of approximately sixty further volumes relating to magic (including W. Gurney Benham's 'Playing Cards', 1931, 4to). Provenance: by descent, from the estate of Barry Murray (a quantity).

MAGICK. - Anthony RAVEN and Masklyn Ye MAGE (editors). The Compleat Invocation. [America:] Richard Kaufman and Alan Greenberg, 1986-1992. 3 vols., limited edition being one of 300 copies, and volume 3 being one of 400 copies, large 8vo (279 x 223mm.) Numerous illustrations. (Mild toning.) Original white cloth (faint spotting to upper cover of volume 2), slipcases (minor dust-soiling). Note: scarce. A compilation of all 61 issues of the magazine devoted to 'bizzare', or slightly more esoteric magic. Provenance: by descent, from the estate of Barry Murray (3).

[WEISZ, Erich.] 'Harry HOUDINI'. Conjurers' Monthly Magazine. [California:] Richard Kaufman and Alan Greenberg, 1991. 2 vols., reprint, a limited edition of 500 copies, 4to (281 x 210mm.) Original grey cloth stamped in red and black, slipcase. Note: Houdini's magazine ran from 1906 until 1908, often containing gossip about his competitors and imitators. Provenance: by descent, from the estate of Barry Murray (2).

CONJURING. - Stephen MINCH and Bruce CERVON and Keith BURNS. The Vernon Chronicles. California, Tahoma: L. & L. Publishing, 1987-1992. 4 vols., 8vo (253 x 171mm.) Numerous photographic and other illustrations. (Mild toning.) Original cloth, dust-jackets. - And a further seventeen volumes relating to magic (including Leo Behnke's 'The Incredible Dr. Jaks', 2014, 8vo). Provenance: by descent, from the estate of Barry Murray (21).

CONJURING. - Robert ALBO. Classic Magic Series. [California:] San Francisco Book Company, 1973-1986. 8 vols. Limited edition, five volumes signed by Robert Albo, 4to (311 x 227mm.) Numerous illustrations, 'Correction' leaves inserted. (Mild toning.) Original red cloth, gilt lettering to upper cover and spines (some damp-spotting to covers of volumes 3, 6 and 7), slipcase (some fading, minor wear to corners). Note: the supplement volume 8 contains 'Forcing Books and Book Tests', 'The Okito Timeline', a Floyd Thayer catalogue, and four further supplements loosely inserted (including Robert Albo's 'Magic Supplement', 1986, 8vo). Provenance: by descent, from the estate of Barry Murray (8).

CONJURING. - Fergus ROY (editor). The Davenport Story. London: Lewis Davenport Limited, 2009-2012. 4 vols., large 8vo (297 x 205mm.) Numerous illustrations. (Mild toning.) Original red cloth, dust-jackets. Note: Davenport's is one of the oldest family fun magic shops. It was started in 1898 by Lewis Davenport. His real name was George Ryan. Provenance: by descent, from the estate of Barry Murray (4).