Antiquarian and Collectors’ Books

AFRICA. - John Hanning SPEKE. Journal of the Discovery of the Source of the Nile. Edinburgh and London: William Blackwood and Sons, 1863. First edition, 8vo (216 x 133mm.) Engraved portrait frontispiece, 2 maps, 1 folding, 25 plates, numerous illustrations. (Browning to preliminaries, small closed tears and creasing along folds of map.) Near contemporary half calf (upper cover detached, some wear to spine ends).

VOLNEY, C.F. Travels Through Syria and Egypt, in the Years 1783, 1784, and 1785… translated from the French. London: for G.G.J. and J. Robinson, 1787. 2 vols., 8vo (208 x 121mm.) 2 folding engraved maps, 3 folding plates, 13pp. 'Index' with errata. (Toning, minor spotting to plates and maps, marginal paper repair verso one map, blanks replaced, remains of old bookplate to initial blanks.) Near contemporary mottled calf (wear to spine ends, lacking lettering pieces). Note: the first edition in English of the author's first book. Volney began his journey to the East in 1782. He spent seven months in Egypt and then, in order to learn Arabic, spent two years in Lebanon and Palestine. Provenance: Edward Farrer Acton (bookplates to the front pastedowns) (2).

[JOHNSON, James.] An Account of a Voyage to India, China, &c. In his Majesty's Ship Caroline, Performed in the Years 1803-4-5, Interspersed With Descriptive Sketches and Cursory Remarks. London: for Richard Phillips, 1806. 8vo in 4s (213 x 120mm.) 1 large folding map frontispiece, 1 folding table, 3pp. 'Index'. (Map browned and laid-down, browned throughout, blanks replaced.) Near contemporary half calf, gilt lettering to spine (rubbed to extremities).

IRAN. - James FRASER. The History of Nadir Shah, Formerly called Thamas Kuli Khan, the Present Emperor of Persia. London: A. Millar, 1742. Second edition, 8vo signed in 4s (199 x 123mm.) Engraved folding portrait frontispiece, folding map of the Mongol Empire, separate title for the 'Catalogue of Manuscripts in the Persic, Arabic, and Sanskerrit Languages', 5pp. index with publisher's advertisements verso. (Toning.) Contemporary calf, red morocco lettering piece to the spine (lightly rubbed).

CHINA. - Jean Baptiste GROSIER. A General Description of China: Containing the Topography of the Fifteen Provinces Which Compose This Vast Empire; that of Tartary, the Isles, and Other Tributary Countries. London: G.G.J. and J. Robinson, 1788. 2 vols., first English edition, 8vo (208 x 122mm.) Half-titles, engraved folding map of China with outline hand-colouring, 15 engraved plates including 1 folding. (Some browning to preliminaries.) Near contemporary half calf, gilt titling to spine (volume 2 rebacked with original spine laid-down). Note: a comprehensive account of Chinese life and culture in the late 18th century. Provenance: Marcus Gaye (contemporary ink inscribed to titles) (2).

The China Coaster's Tide Book and Nautical Pocket Manual for the Year 1933, Containing Matters Concerning Tides and Tidal Streams, and a Mass of Miscellaneous Information for the Coast of China, Etc. Shanghai: by the North-China Daily News and Herald Ltd., 1932. 8vo (159 x 93mm.) Folding colour 'Buoy Plan of Hong Kong Harbour', folding colour chart of 'Japan Typhoon Code Signals', folding 'Course and Distance Tables', 'Exchange Tables' and shipping advertisements. (Lacking pp.241-243, a tear along fold of 'Buoy' plan, light spotting, toning, occasional corner creasing.) Original maroon cloth, gilt lettering to upper cover (creasing to spine, extremities rubbed).

[BRONTE, Emily and Anne.] 'Ellis Bell' and 'Acton Bell'. Wuthering Heights… and Agnes Grey… with a Preface, and Memoir of Both Authors, by Currer Bell. London: Smith, Elder and Co., 1860. New edition, 8vo (171 x 105mm.) 4pp. publisher's advertisements to rear. (Occasional browning and spotting, lacking initial blank.) Original blue stamped cloth, g.e. (wear to spine panel, extremities, some dust-soiling). Note: printer's error to p.35. Provenance: James Quinnell (name inscribed to front-free endpaper and to title-page).

DICKENS, Charles. Oliver Twist. London: Richard Bentley, 1838. 3 vols., first edition, first issue, 8vo (189 x 112mm.) 24 etched plates by George Cruikshank. (Toning, moderate occasional browning, minor to moderate spotting to several leaves, bound without half-titles, lacking publisher's advertisements.) Near contemporary half calf over marbled paper-covered boards (rubbing to extremities, endpapers replaced). Note: first issue with all typographical errors but the titles are cancels so 'Charles Dickens' and not 'Boz' and the 'Fireside' plate is here the 'Church' plate version. Volume 3 also has original 'pilaster' on p.164, line 13 and line 23 [Smith, pp.30-37] (3).

DICKENS, Charles. [The Christmas Books.] A Christmas Carol, in Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas. London: Bradbury & Evans, 1844. Sixth edition, 8vo (162 x 103mm.) Title printed in red and blue, half-title in blue, 4 hand-coloured etched plates by and after John Leech, 4 woodcut vignettes by Linton after Leech, 2pp. advertisements to rear. (Title and frontispiece with repaired tears and dust-soiled, initial blank partially adhering to pastedown, last text leaf torn, occasional spotting and soiling.) Original brown cloth, blind-stamped with gilt wreath and lettering to upper cover and spine, g.e. (wear to upper joint, fading and dust-soiling to covers). - And a further four volumes comprising all the 'Christmas' books (a first edition of 'The Battle of Life', 1846, 8vo, a first edition of 'The Cricket on the Hearth', 1846, 8vo, a first edition of 'The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain', 1848, 8vo, and an eleventh edition of 'The Chimes', 1845, 8vo) (5).

MIDDLE EAST. - Harry St. John Bridger PHILBY. The Empty Quarter, being a Description of the Great South Desert of Arabia known as Rub al Khali. London: Constable & Company Ltd., 1933. First edition, 8vo (218 x 134mm.) 32 photographic plates, 3 folding colour maps. (Toning, one map torn along folds, spotting to frontispiece.) Original cloth (upper hinge weakened, some fading to upper cover, spotting to spine). - And a further five volumes relating to the Middle East (including Harry St. John Bridger Philby's 'Sheba's Daughters', 1939, 8vo) (6).

EVES, C. Washington. The West Indies. London: Sampson, Low, Marston, & Company Limited, 1893. Third edition, 8vo (183 x 121mm.) 9 folding colour maps, 28 plates including 4 folding. (Small tear to crease of frontispiece map, minor spotting to preliminaries, corner excised from half-title, an armorial stamp with motto 'De Bon Vouloir Servir Le Roy' to title-page and verso frontispiece.) Original red cloth, pictorial gilt to upper cover, g.e. (sunning to spine). - And a related volume (James Anthony Froude's 'The English in the West Indies, or the Bow of Ulysses', 1888, 8vo) (2).

FUCHS, Vivian and Edmund HILLARY. The Crossing of Antarctica. London: Cassell, 1958. First edition, inscribed by Vivian Fuchs on a mounted paper label, 8vo (222 x 138mm.) Numerous photographic plates. Original blue cloth, dust-jacket.

CHERRY-GARRARD, Apsley. The Worst Journey in the World, Antarctic 1910-1913. London: Constable and Company Limited, 1929. 2 vols., second edition, reissue, 8vo (217 x 144mm.) 2 colour frontispieces, 4 colour plates, 3 folding maps, 1 folding panorama, 43 black and white plates. (Toning, minor spotting to fore-edges.) Original blue cloth, spines gilt (spines bumped). Provenance: Iris J. Raikes (ink name inscribed to front-free endpapers). [Spence, 281.] (2).

FOOD & WINE. - Charles COCKS and Michel-Edouard FERET. Bordeaux and Its Wines, Classed by Order of Merit. Paris and Bordeaux: G. Masson and Feret & Fils, 1883. Second English edition, 8vo (184 x 115mm.) Colour maps, some folding, numerous uncoloured illustrations. (Toning, lacking blank to rear.) Original boards, later mounted paper label to spine (rebacked, endpapers replaced, extremities rubbed). Provenance: Peter Herbert, late owner of Gravetye Manor. - And a further three volumes (including a signed copy of André L. Simon's 'The Art of Good Living', 1929, 8vo, and a signed copy of John Fothergill's 'An Innkeeper's Diary', 1931, 8vo) (4).

POTTER, Beatrix. The Story of Miss Moppet. London & New York: Frederick Warne & Co., December 1906. First edition, second printing, concertina format (108 x 2492mm.) 14 colour illustrations facing text printed in green. (Occasional light crease to panels, one with a mark.) Folding within original grey cloth wallet-style with mounted oval paper illustration to upper cover (lacking tab, pen scribble verso upper cover, minor mark to lower cover). Note: with 'New York & London' to lower cover of wallet.

POTTER, Beatrix. The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin. London: Frederick Warne & Co. Ltd., [circa 1925.] Reprint, 16mo (138 x 100mm.) Colour plates. (Toning.) Original brown boards with pictorial onlay (minor stain to spine panel). - And a further twenty-three volumes by and about Beatrix Potter (24).

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).

NORWAY. - [William Christopher LENG.] The Land of the Midnight Sun. A Cruise in Norwegian Waters. Sheffield: W.C. Leng & Co., 1887. 4to (248 x 182mm.) 7 plates. (Toning, browning to preliminaries.) Original red half morocco, gilt lettering to upper cover, g.e. (damp-staining and scuffing to upper cover). Note: scarce.

LAXNESS, Halldór. - Magnus MAGNUSSON (translator). The Fish Can Sing. London: Methuen, 1966. First U.K. edition, 8vo (199 x 131mm.) (Toning.) Original green cloth, dust-jacket. Note: Laxness won the Nobel prize for Literature in 1955. He was recognised 'for his vivid epic power, which has renewed the great narrative art of Iceland'.