Antiquarian and Collectors’ Books

VOLTAIRE, Francois Marie Arouet de. Memoirs of the Life of Voltaire. Written By Himself. London: G. G. J. and J. Robinson, 1785. Third edition, 8vo (173 x 110mm.) (Toning, a newspaper clipping tipped-in to leaf B1, occasional light spotting, a few contemporary annotations to margins.) Contemporary green half calf, red morocco lettering piece to the spine, a gilt lion in the fourth compartment (light rubbing to extremities, some fading to spine). Provenance: Henry P. Marsham (ink name to title and bookplate to the front pastedown). – And a further thirteen volumes related to literature and history (including [Mouffle D’ Angerville’s] ‘The Private Life of Lewis XV’, 4 vols., 1781, 12mo, and, lacking title to volume I, [Daniel Defoe’s] ‘The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, of York Mariner’, 2 vols., 1790, 8vo, and Robert Simson’s ‘The Elements of Euclid’, 1799, 8vo) (14).

HAWKER, P. Instructions to Young Sportsmen in all that Relates to Guns and Shooting. London: Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown and Green, 1830. Sixth edition, 8vo (218 x 131mm.) 8 engraved plates, including frontispiece and portrait, tissue-guards, numerous illustrations in the text. (Toning.) Late 20th century green half calf over marbled paper-covered boards, maroon morocco lettering piece to the spine (slight sunning to spine, endpapers replaced). – And a further volume (Thomas Rymer Jones’ ‘A General Outline of the Animal Kingdom, and Manual of Comparative Anatomy’, 1841, 8vo) (2).

ARABIC. – Mehmed EMIN. Musavver Tarif-I Hayvanatn (Osmanisches Tierbuch) [Illustrated Guide to Animals]. Istanbul: M. Katbaai Osmaniye, 1893. Second edition, 4to (256 x 181mm.) 24 double-paged chromolithographed plates, tissue-guards, a bestiary of animals, fishes, reptiles, birds and insects. (Mild toning, inner hinge cracked and outer weakened, some loss to front-free endpaper.) Original cloth-backed pictorial boards (spine stained, lightly rubbed). Note: scarce. – And a further illustrated volume (Hampden Gordon and M.C. Tindall’s ‘Our Hospital ABC’, [1916], 4to, and another copy) (3).

BRIGHTON. Life Beneath the Waves and a Description of the Brighton Aquarium. London: Tinsley Brothers, 1871. First edition, 8vo (183 x 114mm.) 20 lithographed plates. (Spotting to preliminaries, lacking front-free endpaper.) Original green cloth, pictorial gilt to upper cover (lightly rubbed extremities). – And a further eight volumes related to Brighton and Sussex (including, published by the Sussex Express and County Herald, ‘The War in East Sussex’, [1945], 8vo, and D.B. Friend’s ‘Almanack Guide and Clerical Directory for 1884’, 1883, 8vo, and J.A. Erredge’s ‘Brighthelmstone, Sussex. The Ancient and Modern History of Brighton’, 1867, 8vo) (9).

BRITAIN. – [Philip LUCKOMBE.] The Beauties of England: or, a Comprehensive View of the Public Structures… intended as a Travelling Pocket Companion. London: L. Davis and C. Reymers, 1757. First edition, 8vo (164 x 90mm.) (Browning, occasional light spotting.) Contemporary calf, later red morocco label to spine (rebacked, light rubbing). Note: scarce. – And a further eight volumes (including John Gregory’s ‘A Father’s Legacy to his Daughters’, 1797, 16mo, and James Beresford’s ‘The Miseries of Human Life; or, The Groans of Samuel Sensitive and Timothy Testy’, 1806, 8vo, and James Hervey’s ‘Meditations and Contemplations’, 2 vols. in 1, 1783, 8vo, and ‘Female Monitor, or the Young Maiden’s best Guide In the Art of Love, Courtship and Marriage’, 1784, 12mo) (9).

DRYDEN, John. Miscellany Poems. Containing a Variety of New Translations of the Ancient Poets : Together With Several Original Poems. London: Jacob Tonson, 1716. 6 vols., fourth edition, 12mo (146 x 81mm.) 6 engraved frontispieces, engraved headpieces and initials (corner loss to initial blank of volume IV, marginal damp-staining to all preliminaries.) Contemporary calf, red morocco lettering pieces to the spines (light rubbing to spine ends) (6).

ITALY. – [Ottavio Antonio BAYARDI.] The Antiquities of Herculaneum; translated from the Italian by Thomas Martyn and John Lettice. London: W. Bowyer and J. Nichols, 1773. Vol. 1, part 1 [only published]. 4to (306 x 232mm.) Engraved map as frontispiece, 50 engraved plates numbered in roman numerals, including 2 folding, errata leaf to rear. (Browning, offsetting throughout, repair to M1, remains of label to front-free endpaper, blanks replaced, small stamps verso plates.) 20th century tan cloth (endpapers replaced, gilt reference to base of spine). Note: a translation of the first volume of ‘Le Antichita di Ercolano Esposte’ which gave the English-speaking public the chance to see the discoveries at Campania which were to inspire neo-classical design.

ITALY. – William GELL and John P. GANDY. Pompeiana: The Topography, Edifices, and Ornaments of Pompeii. London: Rodwell and Martin, 1817-1819. Large paper copy, 4to (268 x 214mm.) Half-title, 82 engraved maps, plates and plans, 1 in colour, some folding, with plates 54-55 and 56-57 on 2 sheets. (Toning.) Mid-20th century tan morocco, black morocco lettering piece to the spine (minor scuffing and finger-marking). Note: lacking plate 67 but is extra-illustrated with 2 more plates- a view of Vesuvius and a map of the city of Pompeii.  – And a later edition of the same work, 2 vol., 1837, 8vo) (3).

WATHEN, James. Journal of a Voyage, in 1811 and 1812, to Madras and China, Returning by the Cape of Good Hope and St. Helena. London: J. Nichols et al., 1814. First edition, 4to (268 x 209mm.) Engraved portrait frontispiece of the author, 16 hand-coloured aquatint plates. (Lacking 6 plates and the publisher’s advertisements to rear, offsetting to title, toning.) Near contemporary half red morocco (lacking spine, lower cover detached, worn). [Abbey, Travel 517.]  – And a further two volumes (including Thomas Williams and William Ward’s ‘All Religions and Religious Ceremonies’, 1823, 8vo) (3).

TRAVEL & EXPLORATION. – Archibald R. COLQUHOUN. Across Chryse, Being the Narrative of a Journey of Exploration Through the South China Border Lands from Canton to Mandalay. London: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle, and Rivington, 1883. 2 vols., first edition, 8vo (221 x 137mm.) Portrait frontispiece to each volume, 22 plates, 3 coloured maps, 2 folding including large map showing ‘Proposed Extension of British Burma Railway System’, numerous illustrations in the text, 32pp. publisher’s advertisements to rear of vol. 2. (Toning, some uncut leaves, a 3-inch tear to one map, spotting verso the maps.) Original grey pictorial cloth, gilt lettering to upper covers and spines (staining to spine panels, finger-marks to lower covers, inner hinge of vol. 2 weakened). Provenance: Charles Algernon Moreing, M.P. (bookplates to front pastedowns) (2).

INDIA. – George LAWRENCE. Reminiscences of Forty-Three Years in India… edited by W. Edwards. London: John Murray, 1874. First edition, signed by the author, 8vo (193 x 120mm.) (Spotting to preliminaries and rear leaves.) Contemporary brown half calf, black morocco lettering piece to the spine (extremities rubbed). Note: scarce. Lawrence was- mostly- an effective soldier and administrator. Charles Napier said of him, ‘He is a right good soldier’. Lawrence was present at the storming of Ghazni in 1839, and in Kabul he was appointed political assistant to William Hay Macnaghten where he took part in the retreat from the city. He was appointed assistant political agent in Punjab with control of the Rajputana District. In the second Sikh war of 1848-1849 Lawrence’s popularity kept the native soldiers loyal but they eventually mutinied. Later, he would accompany Charles Napier through the Kohat Pass. During the Indian Mutiny of 1857-1859 he was brigadier-general in Rajputana. He was able to quell the revolts that occurred in the states of Rajputana and the native princes confirmed their loyalty to him in a proclamation.  Provenance: Charles Thomas Lucas, Warnham Court (bookplate to the front pastedown, inscribed to from the author on initial blank).

GUILLEMARD, F.H.H. The Cruise of the Marchesa to Kamschatka & New Guinea. London: John Murray, 1886. 2 vols., first edition, 8vo (210 x 146mm.) Half-titles, 2 hand-coloured lithographed frontispieces of birds by Keulemans, 14 maps and charts, 5 folding. (Toning, heavy spotting to frontispieces and titles.) Contemporary black half morocco over marbled paper-covered boards (extremities rubbed and scuffed, stain to fore-edge of volume 2). Provenance: Stephenson R. Clarke (name inscribed to front-free endpapers). – And a further four volumes (including Perceval Landon’s ‘Lhasa’, 2 vols., 1905, 8vo, and Fridtjof Nansen’s ‘Farthest North’, 2 vols., 1897, 8vo) (6).

LIVINGSTONE, David. Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa. London: John Murray, 1857. First edition, 8vo (213 x 131mm.) 3 lithographed plates, including 1 folding, 1 engraved portrait plate, 20 wood-engraved plates, including 1 folding cross-section, 2 folding maps by J. Arrowsmith to the rear. (Lacking publisher’s advertisements, toning, occasional minor spotting.) Contemporary brown full calf, red morocco lettering piece to the spine, gilt arms of Queen’s College Belfast, g.e. (extremities lightly rubbed). Provenance: Thomas Williams (prize bookplate to front pastedown). – And a further six volumes (Richard Colt Hoare’s ‘A Classical Tour Through Italy and Sicily’, 2 vols.,1819, 8vo, and Frederick W.L. Stockdale’s ‘A Concise Historical & Topographical Sketch of Hastings, Winchelsea, & Rye’, [circa 1817], 8vo, and ‘A Tour to Worthing, or, Idle Hours Not Idly Spent’, 1806, 8vo) (7).

AMERICA. – Henry COPPÉE. Grant and His Campaigns: A Military Biography. New York: Charles B. Richardson, 1866. First edition, 8vo (230 x 139mm.) Engraved portrait frontispiece, tissue-guard, 7 steel-engraved portraits, 4 maps, 4pp. publisher’s advertisements to rear. (Toning, marginal damp-stain and spotting to frontispiece.) 21st century brown half calf over marbled paper-covered boards, black morocco lettering piece to the spine (endpapers replaced). – And a further three related volumes (George B. McClellan’s ‘McClellan’s Own Story’, 1887, 8vo, and Auguste Laugel’s ‘The United States During the War’, 1866, 8vo, and ‘Report of the Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War’, 1865, 8vo) (4).

CIVIL WAR. – Basil W. DUKE. History of Morgan’s Cavalry. Cincinnati: Miami Printing and Publishing Company, 1867. First edition, 8vo (219 x 142mm.) Engraved portrait frontispiece of General John H. Morgan, 10 maps illustrating key campaigns. (Mild toning.) 21st century brown half calf over marbled paper-covered boards, red morocco lettering piece to the spine (endpapers replaced). Note: Basil W. Duke was a confederate general officer and second in command to Morgan, so this is a vivid account of the confederate perspective of the war.

SLAVERY. – Frederick Law OLMSTED. A Journey in the Seaboard Slave States, with Remarks on their Economy. New York and London: Dix & Edwards and Sampson Low, 1856. First edition, 8vo (184 x 115mm.) Half-title, 4pp. publisher’s advertisements to rear. (Toning, spotting to blanks and occasional scattered spotting.) Original brown blind-stamped cloth (lightly rubbed, slight discolouring to upper cover). Note: an interesting pre-Civil War account of the southern states.

SCHMUCKER, Samuel M. The History of the Civil War in the United States: Its Cause, Origin, Progress and Conclusion… and Biographical Sketches of Its Heroes. Philadelphia, Cincinnati and Boston: Jones Brothers & Co., 1865. 8vo (256 x 171mm.) Numerous steel and wood-engraved plates of battles scenes, maps and diagrams, tissue-guards, 2pp. publisher’s advertisement to rear. (Toning, marginal damp-stain to some leaves.) 20th century green half calf, two red morocco lettering pieces to the spines (endpapers replaced, some sunning to spine). Note: all plates present as per list. Provenance: Andover Free Library (presented to on the blank); W.M. Greene (gift inscribed to on the second blank); D.D. Rennington (gift inscribed from on the initial blank).

AMERICA. Interesting State Papers, From President Washington, M. Fauchet and M. Adet. London: J. Owen and W. Richardson, 1796. 8vo (213 x 128mm.) (Spotting to preliminaries, browning.) Contemporary calf (rebacked, gilt lettering to spine). – And a further volume (‘Message From the President of the United States to the Two Houses of Congress, at the Commencement of the First Session of the Thirtieth Congress, December 7th, 1847’, 1847, 8vo) (2).

BUCKINGHAM, J.S. America, Historical, Statistic, and Descriptive. London: Fisher, Son, & Co., [1841.] 3 vols., first edition, 8vo (221 x 136mm.) 4pp. publisher’s advertisements at front including ‘List of Subscribers’, lithographed portrait frontispiece. (Spotting to portrait, toning, uncut leaves.) Original brown blind-stamped cloth, gilt lettering to spines (lightly rubbed). – And a further two related volumes (W.G. Brownlow’s ‘Sketches of the Rise, Progress, and Decline of Secession; with A Narrative of Personal Adventures Among the Rebels’, 1862, 8vo, and the second edition of ‘Memoirs of Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton, Bart.’ edited by his son Charles Buxton, 1849, 8vo) (3).