Antiquarian and Collectors’ Books

GOLDSMITH, Oliver. The Miscellaneous Works. Perth: R. Morison Junior, 1792. 7 vols., 8vo (175 x 103mm.) 10 engraved plates, including 2 folding. (Toning, occasional corner creasing, initial blank to vol. 3 loose, and slight marginal creasing to vol. 3). Contemporary calf, red morocco lettering pieces to the spines (lightly rubbed, slight spine loss to top of vol. 1 and tail of vol. 6) (7).

THACKERAY, William Makepeace. [The Works.] London: Smith, Elder, & Co., 1889-1894. 26 vols., 8vo (186 x 123mm.) (Toning, light spotting to first and last leaves and endpapers.) Near contemporary half calf over marbled paper-covered boards, maroon and black lettering pieces to the spines (extremities lightly rubbed, some surface rubbing). Provenance: H.W.A. Harrison (bookplates to front pastedowns) (26).

DICKENS, Charles. [The Christmas Books.] A Christmas Carol, in Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas. London: Bradbury & Evans, 1860. Fourteenth edition, 8vo (163 x 94mm.) Etched hand-coloured frontispiece, half-title, title in red and blue. (Browned to margins, spotting to title, occasional browning and minor soiling.) Original red blind-stamped cloth, gilt wreath to upper cover, g.e. (chipped at top of spine, bumped to extremities, minor stains to covers). Provenance: W.H. Smith & Son Library (embossed stamp to half-title). - And a further four volumes comprising all the 'Christmas Books' (a first edition of 'The Battle of Life', 1846, 8vo, a thirteenth edition of 'The Chimes', 1845, 8vo, a twenty-second edition of 'The Cricket on the Hearth', 1846, 8vo and a first edition of 'The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain', 1848, 8vo) (5).

FERGUSON, James (prefaces). The British Essayists. With Prefaces, Biographical, Historical, and Critical. London: J. Richardson & Co., 1822-1823. 37 vols. (of 40). Second edition, 12mo (160 X 99mm.) Engraved frontispieces. (Spotting and offsetting to most preliminaries.) Near contemporary half calf over marbled paper-covered boards, red and black morocco lettering pieces to the spines (extremities bumped, some scuffing). Note: lacking volumes 2, 12 and 25 (37).

GIBBON, Edward. The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. London: T. Cadell, 1820. 12 vols., new edition, 8vo (213 x 126mm.) 2 large folding engraved maps. (Browning, occasional spotting.) Contemporary calf, red and green morocco lettering pieces (spine ends worn, lower cover of vol. 1 detached, rubbing). Provenance: H.W.A. Harrison (bookplates to front pastedowns); Sarah Austen (ink name inscribed to front pastedown). - And a further twenty-five volumes (including William Robertson's complete works, 1804-1812, 8vo) (37).

BOTANY. - William CURTIS. The Botanical Magazine; or, Flower-Garden Displayed. London: Fry and Couchman, 1787-1827. 54 vols. in 29. 8vo (228 x 134mm.) 2749 hand-coloured plates, including 218 folding, index leaves, engraved portrait frontispiece, title-pages, errata leaf bound-in, 'General Index' bound with vol. 42. (Browning, some offsetting, occasional spotting, small closed holes at plates 1611 and 1315, lacking 3 plates, numbers 69, 539 and 2466.) Contemporary half calf over marbled paper-covered boards, red and black morocco lettering pieces to the spines (rubbing to extremities, lacking red lettering piece to one volume, some scuffing and rubbing). Note: Curtis's Botanical Magazine is the greatest and longest-running series of botanical magazines. It was immediately successful, not only for its plates by distinguished artists of the time, but for the text descriptions themselves which take the reader on a journey in the history of botany. Provenance: Gordon Castle (name-plate to front pastedowns). [Nissen BB1 2350; Great Flower Books p. 156] (29).

SURGERY. - François THEVENIN. Les Oeuvres… Contenant un Traité des Operations de Chirurgie, un Traité des Tumeurs, & un Dictionaire Etymologique de mots Grecs servans à la Médecine. Paris: P. Rocolet and Damien Foucault, 1669. Second edition, 4to (239 x 174mm.) Title, engraved initials and headpieces, 27pp. 'Tables des Maladies' to rear. (Heavily browned, some spotting, marginal damp-staining from FFf-AAaa, blanks replaced.) 19th century half vellum, brown morocco lettering pieces to the spine (minor soiling, endpapers replaced). - And a further two volumes (including the second edition of John [Sharp's] 'Fifteen Sermons Preached on Several Occasions', 1701, 8vo) (3).

SOCIETY OF PHYSICIANS. Medical Observations and Inquiries. London: William Johnston, 1762. Vol. 2 (only), 8vo (205 x 122mm.) 4 folding engraved plates, 10pp. index to rear. (Browning throughout, marginal damp-staining to first leaves, lacking blanks.) 20th century brown half morocco over marbled paper-covered boards, black morocco lettering piece to the spine. Note: contains on pp. 369-372 John Bard's letter to Dr. John Fothergill on 'A Case of an extra-uterine foetus', being the first appearance of references to abdominal operations for extrauterine pregnancy in America. Provenance: Miss Wheeler, South London Hospital (ink inscription to front pastedown).

[DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE.] The London Magazine: or, Gentleman's Monthly Intelligencer. For January, 1776. London: R. Baldwin, 1776. 20 engraved plates, 5 engraved maps, 4 folding. (Lacking leaves pp.557-618 ['November'], light browning, occasional minor spotting.) [Bound with:] The Lady's Magazine… for April 1778. London: for G. Robinson, 1778. (Minor chipping to margins, light browning.) 8vo (211 x 123mm.) Near contemporary half calf, red morocco lettering piece to the spine (rubbing to spine and extremities). Note: an early printing of the American Declaration of Independence on p.448 ['August'].

BOYSON, V.F. The Falkland Islands… with Notes of the Natural History by Rupert Vallentin. Oxford: at the Clarendon Press, 1924. First edition, 8vo (217 x 138mm.) Numerous photographic illustrations, folding map to rear, 16pp. index. (Toning, corner crease to pp.374-378, hinges slightly weakened, red marks to pastedowns.) Original blue cloth, gilt lettering to spine (rubbing to extremities). Note: all plates present.

TRINIDAD. - Walter RALEIGH. The Discovery of the Large, Rich, and Beautiful Empire of Guiana… edited… by Robert H. Schomburg. London: for the Hakluyt Society, 1848. 8vo (213 x 135mm.) Half-title, folding lithographed map of Raleigh's voyage from Trinidad to Lower Orinoco. (Toning, some spotting to map.) Later blue cloth, gilt reference number to spine (extremities bumped, old adhesive mark to upper cover).

AFRICA. - John Reynell MORRELL. Algeria: The Topography and History, Political, Social, and Natural, of French Africa. London: Nathaniel Cooke, 1854. First edition, 8vo (212 x 133mm.) Folding map, 11 lithographed plates, illustrations in the text. (Several plates with light to moderate spotting and to endpapers, toning.) Contemporary full calf, green morocco lettering piece to the spine (lightly rubbed). Provenance: Montague Hanley (gift inscribed from verso frontispiece); Frederick Festus Holly (gift inscribed to verso frontispiece).

MAPS. - S.T. BLOOMFIELD (editor). The History of Thucydides. Newly Translated into English, and Illustrated with Very Copious Annotations, Exegetical, Philological, Historical, and Geographical. London: Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown and Green, 1829. 3 vols., 8vo (222 x 128mm.) 6 engraved maps, including 2 folding. (Browning and spotting to preliminaries and to maps, and damp-staining to 'Sicily' map in vol. 3.) Near contemporary brown half calf, morocco lettering pieces to spines (light rubbing to extremities). Note: scarce (3).

CUBA. - [John GIBSON.] The Universal Museum; or, Gentleman's & Ladies Polite Magazine of History, Politicks and Literature for 1762. London: 1762, 8vo (206 x 133mm.) 4 engraved maps, 3 folded, including John Gibson's 'A New Map of the Island of Cuba', plates. (Toning, marginal and fold crease to 'Havana' map, slight crease along fold to John Gibson map, lacking 'February', pp.65-128.) Contemporary half calf (covers detached). Note: contains a map of Jamaica, 'A Correct Plan of the City and Harbour of Havana', 'A Plan of the Havanna with the Different Attacks in the Siege 1762', and John Gibson's 'A New Map of the Island of Cuba'. Provenance: In. Stephenson (bookplate to front pastedown). - And a further volume of 'The Universal Museum', 1763, 8vo (2).

BINDINGS. - Honoré de BALZAC. Oeuvres Complètes… Paris: Alexandre Houssiaux, 1855-1874. 20 vols., 8vo (208 x 123mm.) Lithographed plates. (Spotting to preliminaries and last leaves, moderate and occasionally heavy spotting within, some damp-staining and pencil annotation to vol. 15.) Near contemporary black half morocco, gilt rosettes to spines with inlaid red morocco petals (some covers heavily rubbed). Provenance: William Thomas Rabbits (bookplate to front pastedowns); Pauline Birkinshaw (ink ownership name to upper margin of the bookplate) (20).

INDIA. - Godfrey Charles MUNDY. Pen and Pencil Sketches, Being the Journal of a Tour in India. London: John Murray, 1833. 2 vols., second edition, 8vo (216 x 130mm.) 16 engraved plates, 1 folding engraved map with outline hand-colouring. (Browning to all plates and map, offsetting.) Mid-20th century maroon full morocco, gilt borders, g.e. (light rubbing). Provenance: Lewis Guy Phillips (ink inscribed from on the front-free endpaper); Frederick Lyon (ink inscribed to on the front-free endpaper). - And a further fifteen volumes (including Robert B. Minturn Jr.'s 'From New York to Delhi by Way of Rio de Janeiro, Australia, and China', 1858, 8vo) (17).

STRAUSS, Richard and Hugo von HOFMANNSTHAL. Elektra. London, New York, Sydney etc.: Boosey & Hawkes, 1943. Signed and inscribed by Richard Strauss to Sir Thomas Beecham on the initial blank, large 8vo (272 x 186mm.) (Spotting to endpapers). Original cloth-backed boards, gilt initials 'R.S' to upper cover (minor spotting to cloth, slight weakening to inner hinge and minor discolouring to covers). Note: the inscription reads: 'Sir Thomas Beecham, dem treuer Freund und genialer interpreten meiner Werke, in grosslen Dankbarkeit und Bewunderung, Richard Strauss, London 24.10.47' [ Sir Thomas Beecham, the faithful friend and genius interpreter of my work, with deep gratitude and admiration, Richard Strauss, London, 24.10.47.] On the 19th February 1910, Thomas Beecham conducted the U.K. premiere of 'Elektra' at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. It began many decades of collaboration between them. Nearly forty years later, and a few days before inscribing this book Richard Strauss had attended the Strauss Festival in London - which Beecham had organised. He'd recently undergone and been 'cleared' by the 'denazification' process in Germany and Strauss felt enormous gratitude to Beecham for his support and the festival was to become crucial in the post-war acceptance of Strauss and his work. Provenance: Sir Thomas Beecham (ink ownership stamps to pastedowns reading 'The Property of Sir Thomas Beecham').

LULLY, Jean-Baptiste. - [Philippe QUINAULT]. Alceste ou Le Triomphe D' Alcide Tragedie. Represente'e par L'Academie Royale de Musique. Paris: René Baudry, 1675. First edition, 4to (228 x 175mm.) Engraved allegorical frontispiece, wood-cut device to title, woodcut initials and decorations. (Browning, minor finger-marking to margins, monogram ink-stamp to title.) Late 19th century half vellum paper-covered boards, black lettering to spine (extremities rubbed, minor scuffing, endpapers replaced). Note: scarce. When Lully took over the leadership of the Académie Royale de Musique in 1674, he made Quinault his librettist. Their partnership ushered in the era of the Tragédie Lyrique. They collaborated on an opera or ballet every year until Quinault's death in 1688.

RACKHAM, Arthur (illustrator). - [Charles Lutwidge DODGSON.] 'Lewis Carroll'. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland… With a Proem by Austin Dobson. London: William Heinemann, [1907]. First trade edition, 8vo (202 x 153mm.) Half-title, 13 colour plates with captioned tissue-guards, numerous illustrations. (Toning, occasional very minor spotting.) Original green cloth, pictorial gilt to upper cover (some fading to spine). Provenance: B.H. Waite (name inscribed verso frontispiece).