Antiquarian and Collectors’ Books

BINDINGS. - Edgar Allen POE. Nouvelles Histoires Extraordinaires. Paris: A. Quantin, 1884. 2 vols., 8vo (235 x 146mm.) Translated by Charles Baudelaire, 26 engraved and lithographed plates. (Spotting to plate margins, occasional browning and offsetting.) Mid-20th century brown half morocco over marbled paper-covered boards by S. Davis, gilt to spines, t.e.g. (few scuff marks) (2).

NEWMAN, John Henry. Verses on Various Occasions. London: Burns, Oates, & Co., 1869. Signed and inscribed by the author on the half-title, third edition, 8vo (165 x 101mm.) (Toning, light spotting to title-page, a newspaper cutting - 'In Memoriam J.H. Newman'- mounted on the initial blank.) Near contemporary tree calf (spine panel worn with some loss, extremities rubbed). Note: the inscription reads: 'To E. Ryley Esq., with the kind regards of the author, Jan 21. 1875'. Newman was canonised a saint in the Catholic church in 2019. Provenance: E. Ryley (gift inscribed to in ink on the half title); M.K. Fisher (gift inscribed to by E. Ryley in ink on the half title).

FREEMASONRY. - A. LEWIS (publisher). 'Emulation Working'. The Lectures of the Three Degrees in Craft Masonry. London: Privately Printed for A. Lewis, 1880. Small 8vo (133 x 99mm.) 3 folding plates. (Toning.) Original green blind-stamped cloth (light rubbing). Note: scarce. The name, or rather term, 'Lewis' has some meaning in freemasonry. It originated in stonemasonry where a 'lewis' was a tool that helped lift heavy blocks of stone. It then evolved into meaning the son of a freemason, someone whose strength could do some of the heavy lifting. The publisher's name has evolved, too. It's gone from 'A. Lewis' to 'Lewis Masonic', and still publishes books today.

STOWE. A Description of the Gardens of Lord Viscount Cobham, at Stow[e] in Buckinghamshire. Northampton: W. Dicey, B. Seeley and Mr. Rivington, 1746. Third edition, 8vo (193 x 118mm.) Title, 4pp. dedication, interleaved with near contemporary 16pp. bound-in, some blank, others with mounted ink drawings of Stowe structures and statuary. (Browning, spotting to preliminaries.) Near contemporary calf (upper hinge weakened, rubbing). Note: Lord Cobham commissioned garden designer Charles Bridgeman to re-design and transform his gardens at Stowe. To record his innovative designs Bridgeman commissioned Jacques Rigaud to draw fifteen views of Stowe, which were then engraved by Rigaud and Bernard Baron. Bridgeman died in 1738, before the publication in 1739 of the large folio 'A General Plan of the Woods, Park and Gardens of Stowe'. This volume, a third edition previously attributed to the publisher B. Seeley, contains no plates, only a 28pp. text and the interleaved drawings. Provenance: Caroline Charlton (ink name inscribed to front pastedown); Anthony Howard Elliot (jnk name inscribed to front pastedown).

GALLAND, Antoine (translator). Les Mille et Une Nuit, Contes Arabes. Traduit en François par Mr. Galland. Lyon: Antoine Briasson. 1706-1719. 11 vols. [of 12.]., early edition, 8vo (147 x 81mm.) Engraved decoration to titles, headpieces and initials. (Occasional browning, label residue to pastedowns.) Contemporary calf, gilt (partial loss to spine panel of vol. 2, extremities rubbed). Note: rare. The first European translation of 'The Thousand and One Nights' was Antoine Galland's and it was published in Paris in twelve volumes between 1704 and 1717. This publication dates of this set are vols. 1-4, 1709; vol. 5, 1717; vol. 6, 1719; vol. 7, 1706; vol. 8, 1710; vol. 9, 1713; vol. 11-12, 1717. Vol. 10 is lacking. Also note that vol. 8 is published by Freres Bruyset. Provenance: Luke A. Ionides (name-plates to front pastedowns); Miss. Craies (ink inscribed as a 'donation from' on front pastedowns); Gloucestershire County Library (stamps to front pastedown and title-pages) (11).

BUNYAN, John. The Pilgrim's Progress, From This World to That Which Is To Come: Delivered under the Similitude of a Dream. London: W. Johnston, 1760. 12mo (159 x 94mm.) 2 parts in 1 with separate title and pagination, 2 frontispieces with 19 wood-cut illustrations in the text. (Browning, occasional minor soiling, tear to M3 of part 1 and B6 of part 2.) Contemporary calf (some loss to spine panel). Provenance: John Standford (name inscribed to front pastedown); G. Slade (stamp to front pastedown).

SUSSEX. - M.A. TIERNEY. The History and Antiquities of the Castle and Town of Arundel, including the biography of its Earls. London: G. and W. Nicol, 1834. 2 vols., tall 8vo (247 x 153mm.) 8 engraved plates, including 1 folding, 2 folding genealogies. (Some creasing and paper repairs to one genealogy, spotting to preliminaries and plates, toning, stamps verso titles and labels on blanks.) Near contemporary green half morocco (heavily rubbed extremities). Provenance: Sussex County Council (bookplates to front pastedowns). - And a further eight volumes, mostly relating to Sussex (including Edward Heron-Allen's 'Selsey Bill', 1911, 4to, and a further edition of M.A. Tierney's 'The History and Antiquities of the Castle and Town of Arundel', 2 vols. in 1, 8vo) (10).

SEGG, J.P. & Co. (publisher). London (Illustrated): A Complete Guide to the Places of Amusement, Objects of Interest, Parks, Clubs, Markets, Docks, Principal Railway Routes, Leading Hotels, and also A Directory. London: J.P. Segg & Co., 1884. 4to (267 x 172mm.) Numerous advertisements, leaves with neo-classical borders blocked in gold. (Toning, minor chipping to title.) Original black cloth, decorative gilt to upper cover, g.e. (spine ends repaired, fading, minor scuffing). Note: at the considerable price of twenty-one shillings, this was an exclusive tourist guide. - And a related volume (J.S. Ogilvy's 'Relics and Memorials of London City', 1910, 4to) (2).

LOCK & WHITFIELD (photographers). - Cooper THOMPSON. Men of Mark, A Gallery of Contemporary Portraits of Men Distinguished in the Senate, the Church, in Science, Literature and Art, the Army, Navy, Law, Medicine, Etc. London: Sampson Low et. al., 1876-1883. 7 vols., 4to (272 x 203mm.) numerous oval woodburytype photographic plates, biographical text leaf for each. (Series 1 and 2 text-blocks broken and detached from covers, spotting to preliminaries, toning.) Original green cloth, decorative gilt (extremities rubbed). - And two related volumes ('The Theatre', vols. 1-2, 1879-1880, 8vo) (9).

DIBDIN, Thomas Frognall. Bibliomania; or Book-Madness; a Bibliographical Romance. London: Chatto & Windus, 1876. Third edition, large 8vo (278 x 185mm.) Engraved portrait frontispiece, 1 plate, mounted vignette to title. (Frontispiece and title loose, also pp.xii-xvii loose, toning.) Original black morocco-backed maroon cloth (spine worn, upper hinge weakened, rubbed, cloth fading). - And a further four volumes by Dibdin (including 1 vol. only [of 4] of 'Bibliotheca Spenceriana; or, A Descriptive Catalogue of the Books Printed in the Fifteenth Century', 1815, 4to, and 'A Bibliographical Antiquarian and Picturesque Tour in France and Germany', 3 vols., 1829, 8vo) (5).

LOWELL, Robert (contributor). An Evening of Poetry at the Skinner's Hall, for the Benefit of the Royal Hospital and Home for Incurables. London: Swan Press Limited, 1973. Signed by the contributing poets, 8vo (223 x 138mm.) (Mild toning.) Original pale green cloth, gilt lettering to spine and upper cover. Note: an event at the Skinner's Hall on June 15th 1973 where the poets each read one of their own poems and one by another poet. Signed by all the participants, excepting Stephen Spender: Robert Lowell, John Birtwhistle, John Fuller, Roy Fuller, Peter Levi, Charles Tomlinson and John Wain.

PRATCHETT, Terry. Wyrd Sisters. London: Victor Gollancz Limited, 1988. First edition, first impression, signed by the author, 8vo (215 x 136mm.) (Mild toning.) Original green cloth (slight spine lean), dust-jacket (spotting verso, lightly bumped extremities, crease to inner flap). Note: Pratchett's signature in the earlier style.

FLEMING, Ian. From Russia, With Love. London: Jonathan Cape, 1957. First edition, first impression, 8vo (187 x 122mm.) (Mild toning.) Original black cloth with the Smith & Wesson gun and rose in red and silver to upper cover, red lettering to the spine (faintly bumped spine ends), dust-jacket designed by Richard Chopping (some loss at top of spine and rear panel, tape repairs verso, chipping to extremities).

ROWLING, J.K. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. London: Bloomsbury, 1999. First edition, first impression, 8vo (198 x 126mm.) (Spotting to preliminaries.) Original pictorial boards, dust-jacket. Note: a first impression second state with 'J.K. Rowling' to the copyright page and, unlike the third state, no advertisements to the rear.

SENDAK, Maurice (illustrator). - Iona & Peter OPIE. I Saw Esau. London: Walker Books, 1992. Limited edition, being number 254 of 300 copies signed by Maurice Sendak and Iona Opie, 8vo (184 x 128mm.) Colour illustrations. Original boards with mounted paper label to upper cover, slipcase. - And a further two volumes ([Friedrich Stowasser] Friedensreich Hundertwasser's 'Hundertwasser', 1973, 12mo, and 'Hundertwasser', 1977, 12mo) (3).

PRIVATE PRESS. - Liam MILLER. The Dun Emer Press, Later the Cuala Press, With a List of the Books, Broadsides and Other Pieces Printed at the Press. Dublin: The Cuala Press, 1973. Limited edition, this being number 70 of 250 copies only, signed by Liam Miller, 4to (248 x 173mm.) Preface by Michael B. Yeats. (Mild toning.) Original blue cloth, paper label mounted to upper cover. Provenance: Mary Priscilla Smith (name-plate to the front pastedown). - And a further four limited edition volumes published by the Cuala Press (including W.B. Yeats' 'Reflections', 1970, 4to, and 'Some Letters of John M. Synge to Lady Gregory and W.B. Yeats', 1971, 4to, and 'Letters From Bedford Park', 1972, 4to, and 'A Brief Account of the Cuala Press', 1971, 4to, and also an inscribed copy of Bernard Berenson's 'Seeing and Knowing', 1953, 4to) (6).

WAR. - Paul BRICKHILL. Reach for the Sky. Douglas Bader, His Life Story. London: Collins, 1954. First edition, including a loosely inserted R.A.F. Club Annual Dinner menu signed by Douglas Bader, 8vo (205 x 130mm.) Numerous black and white illustrations. (Toning, spotting to fore-edge.) Original blue cloth (some fading, lightly bumped), dust-jacket (browned and spotting to lower panel, spine ends creased). - And a further five related volumes (including a copy of John Golley's 'John 'Cat's-Eyes' Cunningham: The Aviation Legend', signed by John Cunningham, 1999, 8vo, and C.F. Rawnsley and Robert Wright's 'Night Fighter', also inscribed by John Cunningham, 1957, 8vo) (6).

NORTON, Mary. The Borrowers Afield. London: J.M. Dent & Sons Ltd., 1955. First edition, first impression, 8vo (197 x 133mm.) Colour frontispiece and illustrations by Diana Stanley. (Browning, light spotting to preliminaries.) Original blue cloth (spotting to spine), dust-jacket (loss to spine ends, tape repairs to upper panel). - And a further three volumes of Mary Norton's 'The Borrowers' series (including 'The Borrowers Afloat', 1959, 8vo, 'The Borrowers Aloft', 1961, 8vo, and 'The Borrowers Avenged', 1982, 8vo) (4).

MANUSCRIPTS. [A hand-written book of minutes for meetings of the 'Advisory Medical Council' of the South London Hospital for Women. N.p.: July 1930-March 1939.] 241pp., manuscript, folio (322 x 202mm.) 241pp. in legible hands relating to correspondence, regulations, appointments and internal issues relating to the South London Hospital for Women, numerous mounted memoranda and typed and hand-written letters loosely inserted. (Occasional minor creasing.) Original cloth boards (lacking spine, worn). Note: the 'South London Hospital for Women' was established in 1912 by Maud Chadburn and Eleanor Davies-Colley. Inspired by the suffragettes they believed that women should have the option of being treated by their all-female staff, but also that it would serve as a training college for female medical staff. - And a further eight related volumes (including manuscript volumes for the minutes of meetings of the 'Wimbledon College Hospital' for the years 1894, 1901, 1907, 1908 and for 'Wimbledon Hospital' in 1915) (9).