Antiquarian and Collectors’ Books

AMERICA. – Charles WILKES. Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition, During the Years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842. London: Ingram, Cooke, and Co., 1852. 2 vols., 8vo (189 x 119mm.) Half-titles, 2 engraved portrait frontispieces, 2 vignettes to titles, 12 engraved plates, 2pp. publisher’s advertisements to rear of each volume. (Mild toning.) 21st century green half morocco over marbled paper-covered boards, two black morocco lettering pieces to the spines (endpapers replaced). – And a further six volumes relating to America (including [Thomas Hamilton’s] ‘Men and Manners in America’, 2 vols., 1833, 8vo, and H. Beecher Stowe’s ‘The Minister’s Wooing’, 1859, 8vo, and Patrick F. Tytler’s ‘Historical View of the Progress of Discovery on the More Northern Coasts of America’, 1833, 8vo, and M. Sear’s ‘The American Politician’, 1842, 8vo, and Sheahan and Upton’s ‘The Great Conflagration. Chicago: Its Past, Present and Future’, 1871, 8vo) (8).

CIVIL WAR. – Raphael SEMMES. Memoirs of Service Afloat, During the War Between the States. Baltimore: Kelly, Piet & Co., 1869. First edition, 8vo (236 x 151mm.) 6 lithographed plates in colour, 1 portrait plate, a later oval portrait illustration mounted verso initial blank, several later illustrations bound-in, a 1p. of hand-written notes relating to ‘The Alabama’ bound-in to rear. (Lacking 2 portrait plates, pp.421-424 supplied from a later edition, occasional soiling, toning.) Late 20th century brown half calf over marbled paper-covered boards, two black lettering pieces to the spine (endpapers replaced). – And a further two volumes (Augustus C. Buell’s ‘Paul Jones, Founder of the American Navy, a History’, 2 vols., 1900, 8vo) (3).

WINE. – André L. SIMON. The Noble Grapes and the Great Wines of France. New York et al.: McGraw-Hill Publishing Company Ltd., 1957. First edition, signed by André L. Simon and with a 2pp. a.l.s. loosely inserted, 4to (267 x 189mm.) Numerous colour plates, vineyard maps to rear. (Toning.) Original parchment-backed red cloth (browning to spine). Note: also includes several duplicate photographs of André L. Simon signing this book. The 2pp. letter from Simon expresses gratitude for the hospitality of Peter Herbert and the fine wines they enjoyed for his 81st birthday party. There is also a typed letter from Simon’s wife, again expressing his thanks, but mentioning that the X-Rays have arrived and that André must have an operation. Provenance: Peter Herbert, late owner of Gravetye Manor (bookplate verso the half-title). – And a further three related volumes (including André L. Simon’s ‘In the Twilight’, signed by the author, 1969, 8vo, and John Fothergill’s ‘Confessions of an Innkeeper’, 1938, 8vo) (4).

HARRIS, Frank. My Life and Loves. Paris: The Obelisk Press, 1945. 4 vols., ‘Authorized Unexpurgated Version’, 8vo (183 x 144mm.) (Toning, some loose leaves, volume I text-block cracked). Contemporary card faux-covers (tape repairs, dust-soiled, worn). Note: Harris’s somewhat self-aggrandising memoirs caused a scandal when they were privately published in 1922, then again in 1925 and 1927. Due to the explicit nature of the sexual revelations about his own life and that of others, this later reprint was bound in covers to conceal the title (4).

BIBLE, In English. [The Bible, Translated according to the Ebrew and Greeke: and conferred with the Best Translations in Divers Languages.] London: deputies of Christopher Barker, 1588. Geneva version. NT title with woodcut architectural border, black letter, double-column, with ‘Booke of Common Prayer’ and ‘Two right profitable and fruitful Concordances’, with ‘Apocrypha’. (Lacking OT title, lacking all before D4 of ‘Book of Common Prayer’, C6 of OT with a 2.5 inch tear, browning, occasional minor soiling, corner creasing, contemporary ink annotation verso last leaf of ‘Common Prayer’ and also verso title of ‘Concordances’.) [Bound with:] Whole Booke of Psalmes. London: John Wolfe for the Assignes of Richard Day, 1586. (Browning, several leaves damp-stained, lacking leaves from F1, last leaves loose.) 4to (208 x 131mm.) Contemporary calf (some loss to spine, heavily rubbed). Provenance: Thomas Mills (ink name to front pastedown); James Gaunt (ink name verso last leaf of ‘Apocrypha’). [Herbert 197].

BIBLE, In English. [The Bible: that is, the Holy Scriptures, contained in the Olde and Newe Testament. Translated according to the Ebrew and Greeke, and conferred with the best translations in divers languages.] London: by the Deputies of Christopher Barker, 1595. Geneva version. NT within decorative woodcut border, double-column, black letter, woodcut initials and illustrations in the text, with ‘Apocrypha’. (Lacking OT title and ‘Adam and Eve’ engraving and 2 preliminary leaves, trimming to margins with text affected, numerous small paper repairs and large paper repairs at I6 and Tttt1, browning, occasional minor soiling, several leaves damp-stained in ‘Apocrypha’.) [Bound with:] The Whole Booke of Psalmes. London: for the Companie of Stationers, 1631. Decorative woodcut border to title, black letter. (Heavily browned, paper repair to N1, lacking last two leaves.) Small folio in 6s (267 x 180mm.) 17th century calf to lower cover, upper cover 18th century mottled calf (rebacked, endpapers replaced, extremities rubbed). Provenance: John Britton (ink name inscribed to rear pastedown). [Herbert 225, but 210 for collation].

BIBLE, In English. [The Bible, that is The Holy Scriptures Contained in the Old and New Testaments. London: Robert Barker, 1607.] Double column, with NT, Adam and Eve engraved plate and map of the Holy Land, with Apocrypha and ‘Psalmes of David’ and ‘Tables’. (Lacking titles for both OT and NT, damp-stained throughout, some leaves with marginal tape-repair.) [Bound with:] [The Booke of Common Prayer. N.p.: circa 1607.] (Lacking title and all before B2, tape repair to B2, damp-stained.) [Bound with:] The Whole Booke of Psalmes. London: for the Company of Stationers, 1607. (Browned, creasing to last leaves.) Folio (313 x 210mm.) Mid-18th century morocco, bronze boss and clasp (wear to spine ends and extremities with some loss, endpapers and blanks replaced). Provenance: Joshua Strangman (ink ownership plate mounted to front pastedown); Margaret Beale Melbourne (gift inscribed in ink to her son on initial blank). [Herbert, 289].

LIPSIUS, Justus. Manuductionis ad Stoicam Philosophiam Libri Tres. Antwerp: Plantin for Jean Moretus, 1610. Engraved printer’s device to title, engraved initials, text in Latin. (Browning, marginal damp-stain to *3.) [Bound with:] Justus Lipsius. Physiologiae Stoicorum libri tres. Antwerp: Plantin for Jan Moretus, 1610. Engraved printer’s device to title and to rear. (Browning throughout.) [Bound with:] Justus Lipsius. Sapientiae et Litterarum Antistitis Fama Postuma. Antwerp: Plantin for Widow and Sons [of Jan Moretus], 1613. Engraved printer’s device to title and to rear, engraved portrait by Thomas Gallens. (Browning.) 4to (263 x 175mm.) Near contemporary vellum, manuscript lettering to spine (minor loss to spine seam, light dust-soiling). – And a further volume (Mathias Flacius’s ‘Sexta Centuria Ecclesiasticae Historiae’, 1562, signed in 6s) (2).

ARUNDEL. Sheriffs of Sussex 1129-1914. Privately Printed [n.p.], 1914. 4to (341 x 217mm.) Title in red and black. (Mild toning.) Bound by Zaehnsdorf in full brown calf, green morocco lettering piece to the spine, gilt coat-of-arms of Arundel Castle to upper cover, t.e.g. (lightly rubbed extremities, a few scratches to covers).

[BACON, Francis.] The Historie of the Reigne of King Henry the Seventh. Written by the Right Hon: Francis Lord Verulam, Viscount S. Alban. London: R.Y. and R.H. and are sold by R. Meighen, 1641. Third edition, folio (283 x 178mm.) Title with architectural woodcut border, woodcut initials and head and tail-pieces. (Title trimmed, lacking blanks and portrait frontispiece, occasional browning, and marginal damp-staining to several leaves.) Early 20th century red cloth (lightly rubbed, minor finger-marks, endpapers replaced). Provenance: Edward Thomas Chivers Bowers (bookplate to front pastedown).

ITALY. – Ferdinand ONGANIA. Calli e Canali in Venice… English Edition by F. Home-Rosenberg. Venice: 1899. 4to (240 x 182mm.) Additional title, 8pp. text leaves, 50 unbound photogravure plates of Venetian scenes. (Spotting to title and text leaves, occasional light spotting to plate margins.) Original tan cloth folding portfolio, gilt lettering (rubbing to extremities, light finger-marking). Note: Ongania was a Venetian publisher and bookseller who published out of his shop and gallery on Piazza San Marco.

SIMS, George R. The Black Stain. London: Jarrold & Sons, [1907.] First edition, 8vo (184 x120mm.) 13 photographic plates, 6pp. publisher’s advertisements to front and 2pp. to rear, advertisements to pastedowns. (Browning to margins.) Original card covers (extremities rubbed). – And six further volumes (including A. Fenner Brockway’s ‘Hungary England’, 1932, 8vo, and George Sims’ ‘London Life’, [circa 1910], 4to) (7).

RUSHWORTH, John. Historical Collections… Containing the Principal Matters which happened from the Dissolution of the Parliament. London: J.D. for John Wright and J.D. for Robert Boulter, 1682-1701. 4 Parts in 7 vols., folio (313 x 194mm.) 7 engraved portraits, 1 folding plate, indices and appendices, engraved portrait (of the author?) dressed as a Turkish Sultan to title of volume I, 2pp. publisher’s advertisements to rear of volume V, and 1p. to rear of volume VII. (Occasional heavy browning, especially to plates, lacking 1 folding plate.) Near contemporary panelled calf (extremities rubbed). – And a further volume of state papers by John Rushworth (‘The Tryal of Thomas Earl of Strafford’, 1700, folio). Provenance: William Patrick Adam (bookplates to front pastedowns) (8).

OCCULT. – Manly P. HALL. An Encyclopedic Outline of Masonic, Hermetic, Qabbalistic and Rosicrucian Symbolical Philosophy. California, Los Angeles: Philosophical Research Society Press, 1936. Sixth edition, 4to (338 x 202mm.) Numerous black and white plates. (Browning throughout.) Original black half cloth over paper-covered boards, red cloth label mounted to spine (fading, rubbing to extremities).

DE GIVRY, Émile Grillot. Witchcraft, Magic and Alchemy… translated by J. Courtenay Locke. London: George G. Harrap & Company Limited, 1931. 4to (274 x 210mm.) Colour plates, numerous illustrations in the text. (Toning, marginal tearing to p.217, an illustration excised from p.361, stamps to pages and plates.) Original black cloth (rubbed, minor staining, paper reference mounted to spine, inner hinge slightly weakened, endpapers replaced). Provenance: Worthing Library (bookplate to front pastedown, stamps verso title).

BEARDSLEY, Aubrey. – C. Lewis HIND (introduction). The Uncollected Work of Aubrey Beardsley. London: John Lane at The Bodley Head, 1925. First edition, 4to (283 x 220mm.) Numerous plates, photogravure frontispiece, captioned tissue-guards. (Numerous stamps to margins, toning.) Original pictorial cloth (stamp to lower cover and label residue to spine, endpapers replaced). Provenance: West Sussex County Council (label to front pastedown, stamps verso title). – And a related volume (R.A. Walker’s ‘Some Unknown Drawings of Aubrey Beardsley, Collected and Annotated’, 1923, 4to) (2).

STARK, Freya. Space, Time & Movement in Landscape. London: by Her Godson, 1969. Limited edition, this being number 181 of 500 copies signed by Freya Stark, oblong 4to (234 x 318mm.) Tipped-in photographic frontispiece, numerous monochrome illustrations. (Mild toning.) Original tan half morocco over marbled paper-covered boards, original black cloth-covered slipcase (minor mark). – And two related volumes (Freya Stark’s ‘Dust in the Lion’s Paw’, 1961, 8vo, and Stark’s ‘Winter in Arabia’, 1940, 8vo) (3).

SUSSEX. – [James Wentworth FITZWILLIAM.] Parham in Sussex. London: B.T. Batsford, 1947. Limited edition, this being number 176 of 250 copies, folio (338 x 246mm.) 32 collotype plates. (Mild toning.) Original half vellum over blue cloth, black morocco lettering piece to the spine, t.e.g. (small mark to upper cover). – And a further four related volumes (including William Berry’s ‘County Genealogies. Pedigrees of the Families in the County of Sussex’, 2 parts, 1830, folio, and Walter Charles Renshaw’s ‘Searches into the History of the Family of Byne or Bine of Sussex’, 1913, 4to, and also Renshaw’s ‘Searches into the History of the Family of Blaker of Sussex’, 1904, 4to) (5).

[ALKEN, Henry. Symptoms of Being Amused.] London: Thomas McLean, 1822. Oblong folio (263 x 364mm.) 30 soft-ground etchings with hand-colouring. (Lacking title and 11 plates, 2 with marginal tears and soiling, most with minor finger-marking, several loose plates, text-block split.) Contemporary half morocco (covers detached, worn). – And a further volume (D.M. Dewey’s sales catalogue [with only 17 plates] ‘The Nurseryman’s Specimen Book of American Horticulture and Floriculture, Fruits, Flowers, Ornamental Trees, Shrubs, Roses, &c’, [circa 1876], 4to) (2).