Antiquarian and Collectors’ Books

BINDINGS. – Thomas CAMPBELL. Specimens of the British Poets. London: John Murray, 1819. 7 vols., 8vo (193 x 122mm.) (Mild toning.) Contemporary calf, two green morocco lettering pieces to the spines (light rubbing). – And a further twenty-four volumes (including Hugh Blair’s ‘Sermons’, 4 vols., 1796, 8vo, and Oliver Goldsmith’s ‘The History of Greece’, 2 vols., 1827, 12mo, and also Goldsmith’s ‘The History of Rome’, 2 vols., 1827, 12mo) (31).

[MAHONY, Francis.] ‘Don Jeremy Savonarola’. Facts & Figures From Italy… Addressed During the Last Two Winters to Charles Dickens, Esq. Being an Appendix to His ‘Pictures’. London: Richard Bentley, 1847. First edition, with a hand-written note by the publisher ‘Richard Bentley’ mounted to the front-free endpaper, 8vo (198 x 117mm.) 4pp. publisher’s advertisements to rear. (Toning, occasional finger-mark.) Original cloth (browned and dust-soiled, staining to lower cover, extremities bumped). Note: in the note dated November 1897 the publisher writes that ‘Facts & Figures From Italy’ was published in July 1847 and is long out of print. The author was better known as ‘Father Prout’ (Rev. F.S. Mahony). The basis of the work consisted of letters originally contributed to the Daily News. The one-page introductory notice by Charles Dickens intimated that the letters were written at his request. It was dated from Broadstairs, Yours Faithfully, Richard Bentley’. – And a further forty-one volumes related to Charles Dickens (42).

SIGNED BOOKS. – John le Carré. A Most Wanted Man. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 2008. Limited edition, being one of 1000 signed copies, 8vo (242 x 145mm.) Original cloth, slipcase, publisher’s shrink-wrap. – And a further ten volumes, all signed (including Arthur Bryant’s ‘The Turn of the Tide’, inscribed by Field Marshal Viscount Alanbrooke, 1957, 8vo) (11).

PRATCHETT, Terry. Equal Rites. London: Victor Gollancz Ltd., 1987. First edition, 8vo (215 x 133mm.) (Mild toning.) Original green cloth, dust-jacket (price-clipped). – And a further thirteen literary volumes, all first editions (including Colin Dexter’s ‘The Dead of Jericho’, 1981, 8vo, and Stephen King’s ‘Pet Sematary’, 1983, 8vo, and also King’s ‘Skeleton Crew’, 1985, 8vo) (14).

AMERICA. – W.T. STEAD. Satan’s Invisible World Displayed or, Despairing Democracy. A Study of Greater New York. London: Fleet Street, 1898. The ‘Review of Reviews’ Annual, 8vo (247 x 153mm.) Advertisements, photographic illustrations. (Toning.) Original card covers (loss to spine ends). – And a further twenty-three volumes related to America (including ‘The New York City Guide’, 1939, 8vo, and Herbert Asbury’s ‘Chicago, Gem of the Prairie’, 1942, 8vo, and ‘The Aspirin Age’, edited by Isabel Leighton, 1950, 8vo) (24).

MINIATURE BOOK. – Galilei GALILEO. Galileo a Madama Christina di Lorena (1615). Padua: Salmin, 1896 [colophon May 1897]. 128mo (16mm x 11mm.) Wood-engraved portrait. (Uncut leaves.) Original printed wrappers (creases to spine). Note: written in 1615 but first published in 1636 Galileo’s letter to his friend and patron Madama Christina was an attempt to unite Copernicanism with the doctrines of the Catholic church. Brondy has described this as the most important scientific book to be printed in miniature. Printed in the small ‘fly’s eye’ type it was for a long while considered ‘the smallest printed from movable type’. [Brondy, pp. 95-96].

MINIATURE BOOKS. – E.A. ROBINSON (publisher). The Mite. Grimsby: E.A. Robinson, 1891. 128mo (20 x 17mm.) 8 black and white illustrations, red ruled text. (Mild toning.) Red cloth, gilt decoration to upper cover. – And a further fifteen miniature books and miniature souvenirs (including Charles Perrault’s ‘Le Petit Poucet’, illustrated by Steinlen, 1895, 128mo, and the miniature facsimile Kilmarnock edition of Robert Burns’ ‘Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect’, [circa 1896], 128mo, and ‘The Bijou Almanack 1855’, 128mo, and ‘The Smallest Dictionary in the World’, [circa 1900], and miniature photographic souvenir albums related to Napoleon, Joan of Arc, English royalty, London, and English coastal scenes) (16).

JAPAN. – Basil Hall CHAMBERLAIN (editor). The Classical Poetry of the Japanese. London: Trübner & Co., 1880. First edition, 8vo (210 x 131mm.) 8pp. publisher’s advertisements to front, and 79pp. publisher’s catalogue to rear. (Toning) Original tan cloth (browned to spine, slightly finger-marked). – And a further fifteen volumes, mainly relating to China and Japan (including Florence Ayscough’s ‘Travels of a Chinese Poet, Tu Fu Guest of Rivers and Lakes’, 1934, 8vo) (16).

CUBA. – [John GIBSON.] The Universal Museum; or, Gentleman’s & Ladies Polite Magazine of History, Politicks and Literature for 1762. London: 1762. 8vo (206 x 133mm.) 4 engraved maps, 3 folding, including John Gibson’s ‘A New Map of the Island of Cuba’, plates. (Toning, marginal and fold crease to ‘Havana’ map, slight crease along fold to John Gibson map, lacking ‘February’, pp.65-128.) Contemporary half calf (covers detached). Note: contains a map of Jamaica, ‘A Correct Plan of the City and Harbour of Havana’, ‘A Plan of the Havanna with the Different Attacks in the Siege 1762’ and John Gibson’s ‘A New Map of the Island of Cuba’. Provenance: In. Stephenson (bookplate to front pastedown). – And a further eight volumes, all containing maps (including R. Brookes’ ‘The General Gazetteer, or Compendious Geographical Dictionary’, 2 vols., 1816, 8vo, and ‘The Universal Magazine’, vol. XCII, 1763, 8vo, and John Walker’s ‘The Universal Gazetteer’, 1822, 8vo, and ‘The Universal Museum’, 1763, 8vo, and G.N. Wright’s ‘A New and Comprehensive Gazetteer’, 2 vols. [only, of 4], 1834, 8vo) (9).

BACON, Francis. The Essayes or Counsels, Civill and Morall, of Francis Lo. Verulam, Viscount St. Alban. Cambridge: at the University, 1906. Limited facsimile edition, being one of 250 copies printed from the edition published in 1625, 4to (221 x 163mm.) (Mild toning, endpapers browned.) Original vellum-backed boards, paper label mounted to upper cover (minor stains to upper cover). Provenance: H.R. Watson (bookplate to front pastedown). – And a further thirteen volumes (including ‘The Thoughts of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus’, 1890, 8vo, and Leigh Hunt’s translation ‘Paulo and Francesca… with Original Italian From Inferno of Dante’, limited edition, being one of only 240 copies, 1902, 4to, and ‘The Nature Poems of George Meredith’, limited edition, being one of only 375 copies, 4to) (14).

POP-UP BOOKS. – [Voitech] KUBASTA. Tip + Top Look at Ships. London: Bancroft & Co. Ltd., 1964. First edition, 4to (258 x 258mm.) 6 colour pop-ups with movable scenes. Original cloth-backed pictorial covers (lightly rubbed). Note: all pop-ups and movable pieces in working order. – And a further seven pop-up books (including another copy of ‘Tip + Top Look at Ships’, [some defects], 1964, 4to, and ‘Table, Lay Yourself’, [some defects], 1960, 4to) (8).

[ROSS, Violet and E.O. SOMERVILLE.] Through Connemara in a Governess Cart. London: W.H. Allen & Co., Limited, 1893. First edition, 8vo (189 x 129mm.) Half-title, plates. (Toning, spotting to half-title and last leaf, lacking publisher’s catalogue.) Original pictorial red cloth (minor damp-stain to lower cover). – And a further twenty-nine literary volumes (including Edith Somerville and Violet Ross’ ‘In the Vine Country’, 1893, 8vo, and James Thurber’s ‘Is Sex Necessary?’, 1929, 8vo) (30).

HUNTING. Instructions Relative to Establishment, Dog, Game, Game Dealers’ and Gun Licenses in Great Britain and to Game Certificates, Game Dealers’ and Gun Licenses. London: Eyre and Spottiswoode, 1884. 8vo (212 x 136mm.) (Toning, ink annotation to one leaf.) Original printed boards (hinges broken with tape repairs, spine lacking.) – And a further forty-four volumes related to guns and hunting (45).

FOLIO SOCIETY (publisher).  – HOMER. The Iliad. London: The Folio Society, 1996. 8vo (246 x 164mm.) Colour illustrations. (Mild toning.) Original decorative cloth, slipcase. – And a further twenty-one volumes published by The Folio Society (including Homer’s ‘The Odyssey’, 1998, 8vo, and John Keats’ ‘The Complete Poems’, 2001, 8vo) (22).

BROADSIDE. A True Copy of the Paper Written by Lieutenant Bird, and Delivered to his Friends in Newgate the Morning before his Execution; which he desired should be Printed. London: by Order of his Parents, sold by T. Warner, 1719. 4to (298 x 193mm.) Title, 3pp. text. (dust-soiled to margins, small corner creases). Note: born in Berkshire of respectable parents who sent him to Westminster school and Eton College, Lieutenant Edward Bird was arrested for murdering a waiter, Samuel Loxton, who had taken too long to run a bath for him at the inn where Edward was lodging. He was convicted on clear evidence and didn’t deny the charge but insisted his lawyer was corrupt and had not worked sufficiently on his defence.

MILITARY. – James EDGE-PARTINGTON. An Album of the Weapons, Tools, Ornaments, Articles of Dress of the Natives of the Pacific Islands. London: The Holland Press, 1969. 2 vols., limited facsimile edition, this being one of 350 copies, oblong 4to (202 x 404mm.) (Mild toning.) Original brown cloth, dust-jackets (2).

BARTHOLOMEW, John. The Library Reference Atlas of the World… with General Index to 100,000 places. London: Macmillan and Co., 1890. Folio (345 x 247mm.) 84 double-paged colour maps of the world, index. (Light spotting or dust-soiling to upper margin of most plates.) Contemporary black half morocco, g.e. (boards detached, worn). – And a further four volumes (including Philip Miller and Thomas Martyn’s ‘The Gardener’s and Botanist’s Dictionary’, 2 vols. in 4, 1807, folio) (5).

ATLAS. ‘The Times’ Atlas. London: Published at The Office of ‘The Times’, 1899. Folio (409 x 282mm.) 59 double-paged sheets with 175 printed maps, 112pp. ‘Index’. (Toning, occasional light spotting.) Original brown half morocco, gilt titling to upper cover (spine and extremities rubbed, hinges with tape repair).

BACON, George W. (publisher). New Complete Atlas of the World. London: George W. Bacon, [circa 1890.] 4to (353 x 258mm.) 124 double-paged colour printed maps, 22pp. letterpress text, 40pp. ‘Index’. (Toning, maps titled in pencil verso.) Original green half morocco boards, gilt lettering to upper cover, g.e. (hinges weakened, upper joint splitting, extremities rubbed).