Antiquarian and Collectors’ Books

[TYPESCRIPT.] – Oscar WILDE. Poems In Prose. [Original typescript. N.p.: n.d. circa 1900.] Title, 28 leaves typed text, recto only, comprising the prose poems ‘The Artist’, ‘The Doer of Good’, ‘The Master’, ‘The House of Judegment’ and ‘The Teacher of Wisdom’, integral book-mark. (Light to moderate spotting to preliminaries and last leaves.) Contemporary green full calf bound by Bumpus of Oxford Street, lettering to spine and upper cover (some sunning to spine, minor scuffing and staining to covers). Note: two of these prose poems were originally published in ‘The Spirit Lamp’- Lord Alfred Douglas’ university magazine. Wilde made some minor changes and then published the full five prose poems in the July 1894 issue of ‘The Fortnightly Review’. It was then privately printed, after Wilde’s death, in Paris in 1905 by Charles Carrington. This text contains the changes made for the ‘The Fortnightly Review’ but the punctuation is consistently different to that published in 1905, so this text is almost certainly based on the ‘Fortnightly Review’, and due to Wilde’s name not being present on the binding, almost certainly made after Wilde’s arrest in 1895. We can reasonably suggest it came from within Wilde’s circle. The typing font used is the same Remington font as used by Mrs. Marshall’s Typing Agency, the agency that Wilde used for the typing of his manuscripts. Also, the very idiosyncratic type-decoration used on the title page and headlines is the same as used by Mrs. Marshall’s agency. The possibility of this being a coincidence is unlikely. In ‘The London Phonographer. A Journal Devoted to Typewriting and Shorthand’ in 1893 [vol. 2. No. 22] we can see a list of 22 typewriting offices in London alone (including Mrs. Marshall’s) so it seems likely, along with the choice of green calf (green carnation), that Wilde’s circle were involved in the commission of this typescript, most likely as a gift. It is also recorded that Wilde used and recommended Bumpus for the binding of his work. In a letter of the 27th October 1894, Wilde wrote to Ada Leverson (‘The Sphinx’) thanking her for the Bumpus-bound gift of his work ‘Intentions’. That, too, had been bound in green: ‘Dear Sphinx, the copy of Intentions is quite beautiful. It is more green than the original even, and I read it as a new work with wonder and joy’. [Complete Letters, London, 2000, p. 616]. Provenance: by repute, from the estate of the descendants of Sir Basil Thomson, colonial administrator and Head of Metropolitan Police, C.I.D.

LANG, Andrew (editor). The Crimson Fairy Book. London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1903. First edition, 8vo (184 x 120mm.) 8 colour plates, numerous black and white plates and illustrations in the text. (Inner hinge weakened and cracked at half-title, toning.) Original red pictorial cloth, g.e. (slight fading to spine and rubbing to spine ends).

LANG, Andrew. The Pink Fairy Book. London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1897. First edition, 8vo (179 x 122mm.) Frontispiece, numerous illustrations by H.J. Ford. (A crease to first leaves, occasional scattered spotting, a few finger-marks.) Original pink cloth, pictorial gilt to upper cover and spine, g.e. (hinges slightly weakened, some fading to spine and faint discolouring to covers). Note: the most well-known tale in this collection is ‘The Snow Queen’, based on Hans Christian Andersen’s original story, and the basis for Disney’s movie ‘Frozen’.

[COMBE, William.] – Thomas ROWLANDSON (illustrator). The English Dance of Death… with Metrical Illustrations by the Author of ‘Doctor Syntax’. London: J. Diggens at R. Ackermann’s Repository of Arts, 1815. Vol. 1 (only). First edition, 8vo (226 x 137mm.) 36 hand-coloured aquatint plates, additional title, blanks replaced, toning.) Early 20th century red full morocco, gilt ruled, gilt turn-ins, g.e. (minor stain to lower cover, light rubbing, endpapers replaced).

MILITARY. Encyclopédie Militaire, par Une Société D’ Anciens Officiers, et de Gens de Lettres… Janvier 1770. Paris: Chez Valade, 1770. 8vo (167 x 95mm.) Half-title, engraved frontispiece and headpieces, folding engraved hand-coloured map. (Mild toning.) Near contemporary full red morocco, gilt ruled, g.e. (minor stain to upper cover). Provenance: Hugo le Chevalieu, Colonel d’ Infanterie (bookplate to front pastedown); Prince Yuri Galitzine (bookplate verso front-free endpaper).

DARWIN, Charles. The Structure and Distribution of Coral Reefs. London: Smith, Elder, & Co., 1874. Second edition, revised, 8vo (179 x 113mm.) 3 folding maps, 2 with hand-colouring. (Toning, lacking publisher’s advertisements and half-title.) Near contemporary brown full calf, red morocco lettering piece to the spine, gilt crest of Manchester Grammar School to upper cover (lightly rubbed, occasional scuffing). Note: Darwin first published this work in 1842. This extensively revised edition was published to take into account the research of James Dwight Dana on coral reefs. Provenance: A.B. Pickard (gift inscribed in ink for second prize at Science on the initial blank).

WAIN, Louis (illustrator) and ‘KARI’. Madame Tabby’s Establishment. London: Macmillan and Co., 1886. First edition, 8vo (183 x 117mm.) Half-title, 7 plates by Louis Wain. (Toning, slight marginal spotting to plates, pencil name verso half-title.) Original blue cloth, pictorial gilt to upper cover (spine ends rubbed, some wear to upper cover gilt, stain to lower cover). Note: the first book illustrated by Louis Wain. Provenance: Mildred Carr (bookplate verso the front-free endpaper and stamp to half-title). – And a further two volumes illustrated by Louis Wain (Charles Morley’s ‘Peter A Cat o’ One Tail, His Life and Adventures’, 1892, 4to, and Henry Drummond’s ‘The Monkey That Would Not Kill’, 1898, 8vo) (3).

WAIN, Louis (illustrator) and Jessie POPE. The Cat Scouts, a Picture-Book For Little Folk. London: Blackie and Son Limited, [1912.] First edition, 8vo (243 x 170mm.) Colour illustrations by Louis Wain, including 8 full-page. (Occasional spotting and finger-marking.) Original cloth-backed boards with mounted illustration to upper cover (extremities rubbed, finger-marked and minor staining). Provenance: ‘Little Peggie’ (gift inscribed to on the front pastedown).

Programme of the Charles Dickens Fete, Broadstairs, July 7,8,9 and 10, 1897. Broadstairs: J.H. Snow, 1897. 8vo (217 x 124mm.) Portrait frontispiece bound-in, numerous advertisements, original wrappers bound-in. (Toning.) Near contemporary maroon morocco (extremities bumped). – And a further bound collection of Dickens ephemera (including ‘Smaller Hand-Book of the Charles Dickens Fancy Fair, to be Held at the Vestry Hall, Anerley, on… 24th, 25th, 26th October 1889’, ‘Bath. Welcome to Ba-ath, Sir. Most Welcome to Ba-ath. A Dickens Reverie. Dickens Celebration, February 7th, 1903’, ‘Dickens’ Fete & Fair… Royal Botanic Gardens, Regent’s Park, N.W., Sept. 17th, 1918, 2.30 until 7’, ‘Birmingham and Midland Institute Conversazione Programme, 1885’, and another of the same for 1888, ‘Coming of Age Souvenir and Hand Book of the Charles Dickens Bazaar to be Held in the Town Hall, East Ham… March 9th, 10th, 11th, 1905’, and a bound collection of contemporary mounted newspaper clippings) (3).

DICKENS, Charles. Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boys Progress… a Drama in Three Acts. London: Thomas Hailes Lacy, [circa 1870.] Lacy’s Acting Edition, 8vo (181 x 104mm.) Woodcut frontispiece. (Occasional light spotting.) Original wrappers. – And a further ten volumes, all ‘Acting Editions’ of the works of Dickens (including ‘Old Curiosity Shop’, Lacy’s Acting Edition’, [circa 1870], 8vo, and ‘The Strange Gentleman’, a facsimile of the 1837 edition, [1871], 8vo, and George Lander’s adaption of ‘The Old Curiosity Shop’, Dicks Standard Plays, [circa 1865], 8vo) (11).

DICKENS, Charles (contributor). The Piccadilly Annual. London: John Camden Hotten, [1870.] 4to (248 x 176mm.) Containing Dickens’s ‘Hunted Down’, and contributions from W.M. Thackeray, Mark Twain, Bret Harte, Albert Smith and others, numerous illustrations. (Toning, marginal spotting, text-block cracked at p.20.) Original pictorial wrappers (tape repair to spine, marginal chipping, slightly dust-soiled). – And a further two volumes related to Dickens (‘The Readings of Charles Dickens, as Arranged and Read by Himself’, 1883, 4to, and Archibald Chasemore’s ‘Twelve Original Studies, being Selected Characters from the Works of Charles Dickens’, [circa 1890], 4to) (3).

BINDING. – George Gordon Noel BYRON. Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage, A Romaunt. London: John Murray, 1853. 8vo (191 x 115mm.) 32 steel-engraved plates by William Finden. (Mild toning.) Original publisher’s deluxe binding with a gilt urn and decorative gilt surround, g.e. (rubbing to extremities). Provenance: Mrs. Whyte (gift inscribed to on the initial blank); Mr. H. Mackay (gift inscribed from on the initial blank). – And a further eight volumes (‘The Plays of William Shakespeare’, edited by Alexander Chalmers, 8 vols., 1847, 8vo) (9).

BINDINGS. – William Makepeace THACKERAY. The Works of… London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1869-1876. 21 vols. (of 22). 8vo (203 x 126mm.) Numerous plates and illustrations in the text. (Mild toning.) Near contemporary brown half morocco over marbled paper-covered boards by Bickers & Son, gilt lettering to spines, g.e. (three volumes with spine ends worn with loss, light rubbing). Note: lacking volume XXII (21).

HARDY, Thomas. The Wessex Novels. London: Macmillan and Co., Limited, 1912-1920. Mixed editions, 8vo (223 x 138mm.) Half-titles, photogravure frontispieces with tissue-guards, ‘Maps of the Wessex of the Novels and Poems’ to rear of each volume. (Offsetting to titles, toning.) Burgandy cloth (sunning to spines of ‘A Changed Man’ and ‘The Dynasts, Part 1 and 2’, some minor staining to covers, and to spine of ‘A Pair of Blue Eyes’) (19).

[BROWNE, Hablot Knight.] ‘Phiz’. A Dozen Pair of Wedding Gloves. London: James Blackwood, 1855. First edition, 16mo (164 x 101mm.) Engraved title, 8 wood-engraved plates by ‘Phiz’, 6pp. publisher’s advertisements to the rear. (Browning, scattered light spotting.) Original pictorial boards (extremities rubbed, slightly dust-soiled). – And a further forty-seven volumes, mainly 19th century literature (including ‘Un Siècle de Modes Féminines 1794-1894’, 1894, 8vo, and James Anderson’s ‘Ladies of the Reformation’, 1855, 8vo) (48).

PRINTING. – B.F. GANDEE. The Artist, or Young Ladies’ Instructor in Ornamental Painting, Drawing &c. London: Chapman and Hall, 1835. First edition, small 8vo (161 x 102mm.) Additional decorative colour title, colour frontispiece, black and white plates and illustrations in the text, 2pp. publisher’s advertisements to the rear. (Toning, occasional light spotting.) Original brown cloth, decorative gilt to covers, g.e. (rebacked, sunning to covers, extremities rubbed). Note: an early example of the Baxter printing process. – And a further forty-four volumes (including Clifford Mills’ ‘Where the Rainbow Ends’, 1936, 4to, and, edited by R. Brimley Johnson, W.B. Rands’ ‘Lilliput Revels & Innocents Island’, [1905], 8vo, and, illustrated by Edwin Edwards, ‘Wordsworth’s Poetical Works’, 1871, 8vo) (45).

BINDING. – Percy B. SHELLEY. Poems… Edinburgh: Otto Schulze & Co., 1903. Limited edition, this being number 7 of only 40 copies on Japanese vellum, 4to (216 x 173mm.) Half-title, title within woodcut border, initial in red. (Toning.) Contemporary green full levant morocco  bound by Zaehnsdorf, silk moiré endpapers, gilt dots with foliate surround and inlaid red morocco petals to upper cover and spine, gilt tendril borders and rule, gilt turns-ins, t.e.g. (upper cover nearly detached, lightly rubbed extremities).

BERTELLI, Pietro. Diversarum Nationum Habitus Centum, et quattuor iconibus in aer incises diligenter expressi, item Ordines Duo Processionum. Unus Summi Pontificis alter Sereniss. Principis Venetiarum. Padua: Alciati and Pietro Bertelli, 1589. First edition, part 1 only, 8vo (164 x 116mm.) Engraved title with architectural border, leaf of engraved arms, 96 engraved plates of different nations, 3 with moveable over-slips, interleaved with blank leaves, numerous near contemporary ink quotations verso plates and on blanks. (Lacking 10 plates and dedication leaves, plates 49 and 50 with shorter lower margins, plate 79 with a 3-inch tear, marginal damp-staining, browning.) Contemporary blind-stamped vellum, gilt, blind-stamp of Fortuna to covers, g.e. (upper cover heavily rubbed, extremities rubbed with minor loss, lacking ties). Note: from plate 59 to the last leaf the book has been used by Ericus George Hédermann as an album amicorum, or book of commonplace jottings and quotations from acquaintances. These mostly date from 1620-1623. Provenance: Enrico George Hédermann (ink dedication to verso plate 69). [Colas 316].

AUCTION CATALOGUE. The Singularly Interesting Freehold Residential Property Known As Gadshill Place, the Home of Charles Dickens from 1857 to 1870. To Be Offered For Sale by Auction by Messrs. Knight, Frank & Rutley. London: for Messrs. Knight, Frank & Rutley, 1923. 4to (244 x 153mm.) 3 photographic plates, folding plan to rear. (Light spotting throughout.) Original card wrappers (minor finger-marking). – And a related volume (‘Sale of Charles Dickens’ Birthplace. Particulars & Conditions of Sale of the Freehold Residences 393 & 395 Commercial Road, Landport… Penny & Clark Are Instructed by the Trustees to Sell by Auction, at Their Auction Mart, King’s Road, Southsea, on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 1903’, 1903, folio) (2).