Antiquarian and Collectors’ Books

GUNS. – George A. HOYEM (compiler). British Sporting Guns and Rifles. London: Armory Publications, 1996. 2 vols., limited edition, being one of 600 sets, large 8vo (302 x 222mm.) Numerous illustrations. (Toning, lacking the limitation slip.) Original red cloth (slight creasing to spine of vol. 1). Note: being a printing of the trade catalogues dating from 1902 to 1934 of eighteen British gun-makers. – And a further twenty-six volumes related to guns (including W. Keith Neal and D.H.L. Back’s ‘The Mantons: Gunmakers’, 1967, 4to, and William Chipchase Dowell’s ‘The Webley Story’, 1962, large 8vo, and L. Patrick Unsworth’s ‘The Early Purdeys’, 1996, 4to) (28).

GREAT EXHIBITION. Tallis’s History and Description of the Crystal Palace, and the Exhibition of the World’s Industry in 1851. London & New York: John Tallis & Co., [1851]. 3 vols. in 2, 8vo (267 x 193mm.) Numerous engraved plates. (Toning, light spotting to plate margins, occasional paper repair.) Later blue cloth (fading). Provenance: Worthing Public Library (labels to pastedowns, endpapers replaced). – And a further fourteen volumes, all ex-library (including Patrick Abercrombie’s report, the ‘Greater London Plan 1944’, 1945, 4to, and also Abercrombie and J.H. Forshaw’s ‘County of London Plan Prepared for the London County Council’, 1943, 4to, and A. Welby Pugin’s ‘Glossary of Ecclesiastical Ornament and Costume’, second edition, 1846, 4to) (16).

CONJURING. – Arthur IVEY (editor). The Zodiac, the Organ of British Magic. London: Arthur Ivey, September 1928-January 1929. 5 issues, 4to (260 x 208mm.) (Toning.) Original wrappers (browned to edges). And a quantity of magazines related to conjuring (including an incomplete run of ‘The Magician Monthly’, November 1910-January 1931, 99 issues, 4to, and David Brewster’s ‘Letters on Natural Magic, Addressed to Sir Walter Scott’, 1832, 8vo, and some conjuring ephemera) (a quantity).

WELLS, H.G. The Outline of History. Being a Plain History of Life and Mankind. London: George Newnes Limited, [1919-1920.] 24 Original Parts, first edition, 4to (276 x 212mm.) Numerous illustrations, index. (Toning, some browning.) Original wrappers (corner loss to part 2, some rubbing to corners, fading). – And a related set by H.G. Wells and Julian Huxley and G.P. Wells (‘The Science of Life’, 31 original parts, [1929-1930], 4to) (55).

The BEATLES. – Johnny DEAN (editor). The Beatles Book, Monthly. London: September 1963-January 2002. 8vo (213 x 151.) Numerous photographic illustrations. (Toning.) Original wrappers (occasional crease). Note: an incomplete run of approximately 130 issues that includes no. 2,5,6, 7 and 8 from 1963-64, and also the ‘Special Repeat’ no.1, 1964.

ART & ANTIQUE REFERENCE. – Harold E. WETHEY. Titian. London: Phaidon Press, 1969-1971. 3 vols., first editions, large 8vo (303 x 227mm.) Numerous colour illustrations. (Mild toning, stamps, label remains to pastedowns.) Original cloth, dust-jackets. Provenance: West Sussex County Council (labels to pastedowns, stamps). – And a further nineteen volumes related to art and antique reference (including Guy Atkins’ ‘Asger Jorn, The Crucial Years: 1954-1964’, 1977, large 8vo, and Susan E. Stuart’s ‘Gillows of Lancaster and London 1730-1840’, 2 vols., 2008, large 8vo) (22).

WILME, B.P. A Manual of Writing and Printing Characters, both Ancient and Modern, for the Use of Architects, Engineers and Surveyors, Engravers, Printers, Decorators, and Draughtsmen. London: for the Author by John Weale, 1845. 4to (274 x 221mm.) 25 plates, 4 folding, 2pp. publisher’s advertisements to rear. (Browning and dust-soiling to margins, tape repair verso one plate, scattered spotting.) Original black cloth (hinges cracked, worn). – And a further fourteen related volumes (including F. Delamotte’s ‘The Book of Ornamental Alphabets Ancient and Medieval from the Eighth Century, with Numerals’, 1863, oblong 4to, and W.R. Tymms and M. Digby Wyatt’s ‘The Art of Illuminating as Practised in Europe from the Earliest Times’, 1860, 4to, and John Ruskin’s ‘Lectures on Architecture and Painting’, second edition, 1855, 8vo, and a manuscript folder of ecclesiastical ornament and design drawings, [circa 1870]) (15).

CATHOLICISM. Missale Romanum ex Decreto S.S. Concilii Tridentini restitutum. Rome: Pustet, 1913. Folio (329 x 230mm.) Double column text in red and black, chromolithographed title. (Mild toning.) Original red morocco, gilt cross to upper cover, g.e. (extremities rubbed). – And a further six miscellaneous volumes (including Raphaël Gargiulo’s ‘Collection of the Most Remarkable Monuments of the National Museum’, 2 vols. [of 4], 1869, 4to) (7).

BOOK REFERENCE. – Robert ANSELL. The Bookplate Designs of Austin Osman Spare. [Billingshurst:] Book Plate Society and Keridwen Press, 1988. 8vo (212 x 147mm.) Illustrations. (Toned.) Original printed wrappers. – And a further twenty-one volumes relating to book reference (including Brian North Lee’s ‘The Bookplate Designs of Claud Lovat Fraser’, 1985, 8vo, and ‘The Wardington Library, Important Atlases & Geographies, Part 2: L-Z’, 2006, 8vo) (22).

SUSSEX. – William Nathan STEDMAN (editor). The Sussex Primrose… Society’s Topical Themes, Literary Gossip, Wit, Humour, Satire, Poetry, Philosophy, Art, Science, Progress, Music, Drama, Ancient and Modern Times, Men, Women, &c. Brighton: Herbert Levett & William Nathan Stedman, 1888. Vol. 1, No. 1, February 11th- No. 23, 21st July, signed by the editor verso the title-page, 4to (275 x 203mm.) Folding plates, a leaf of ‘Selected Press Opinions on the Poetical Works of Mr. W.N. Stedman’ bound-in, 2pp. ‘Index’. (Toning.) Later red cloth, gilt lettering to spine. Note: scarce. Provenance: F. Turner (stamp to title-page); West Sussex County Council (label to rear pastedown). – And a further twenty-six volumes related to Sussex (including, published by the Reigate Press, William Camden’s ‘Surrey and Sussex: From a Chorographical Description of the Most Flourishing Kingdomes of England, Scotland, Ireland…’, 1905, 4to, and several volumes of street directories) (27).

LUTYENS, Edwin. – A.S.G. BUTLER. The Architecture of Sir Edwin Lutyens. Suffolk, Woodbridge: Antique Collectors’ Club, 1984. 3 vols., limited edition, this being number 351 of 1500 copies, reprint of the 1950 edition, folio (408 x 304mm.) Numerous photographic illustrations. (Mild toning.) Original green cloth (spine roll to vol. 1), dust-jackets (some light creasing, minor chipping to spine panel ends). – And a further seven volumes related to Edwin Lutyens (including Lawrence Weaver’s ‘Houses and Gardens by E.L. Lutyens’, 1981, 8vo) (10).

ANTIQUE REFERENCE. – Gene HESSLER. The Engraver’s Line. Ohio: B.N.R. Press, 1993. First edition, signed by the author, 8vo (253 x 174mm.) Photographic illustrations. (Mild toning.) Original cloth, dust-jacket (small tear to upper panel). – And a further eight volumes, mostly related to paper money (including Gene Hessler’s ‘The International Engraver’s Line’, signed by the author, 2005, 8vo, and Rupert Cannon’s ‘The Bolt Court Connection’, signed by the author, 1985, 8vo). Provenance: Nigel Alan Dow, Master Banknote Engraver to Bradbury Wilkinson and the Bank of England (9).

ART REFERENCE. – J. HACKIN and Osvald SIREN and Langdon WARNER and Paul PELLIOT. Studies in Chinese Art and Some Indian Influences. London: The India Society, 1938. 8vo (281 x 216mm.) Photographic illustrations. (Marginal spotting.) Original cloth-backed boards, dust-jacket (small tears, finger-marked). – And a further five volumes published by The India Society (including St. Kramrisch’s ‘A Survey of Painting in the Deccan’, 1937, 8vo, and Ram Chandra Kak’s ‘Ancient Monuments of Kashmir’, 1933, 8vo, and J.V.S. Wilkinson’s ‘The Shah-Namah of Firdausi’, 1931, 8vo) (6).

TRADE CATALOGUE. – Waterlow & Sons Limited (publisher). Type Specimen Book. [London:] Waterlow & Sons Limited at the Finsbury Factory, 1930. 4to (247 x 184mm.) Numerous illustrations of type, initials, borders and decorations. (Mild toning.) Original green cloth, gilt lettering to spine and upper cover (lightly bumped spine ends). – And a further twenty miscellaneous volumes (including ‘The Scots Magazine’, vol. 46, 1784, 8vo, and ‘The Wonders of Art and Nature Displayed: Being a New and Complete Museum of Extraordinary Events’, 1796, 8vo) (21).

THE STUDIO. – Charles HOLME and Geoffrey Charles HOLME (editors). The Studio, an Illustrated Magazine of Fine and Applied Art. London: Offices of the Studio, 1894-1926. 64 vols., 4to (278 x 191mm.) Plates and illustrations, many coloured or tinted by numerous artists, some folding, including one Whistler ‘The Smith’s Yard’, and one F. Vallotton. (Toning, occasional crease.) Original green cloth, decorative gilt to vols. 2-32, contemporary cloth to vols. 32-57, several volumes in contemporary half morocco (some damp-staining, several boards detached, fading). – And a quantity of approximately seventy further volumes related to ‘The Studio’ (a quantity).

FOLIO SOCIETY (publisher). – Anthony POWELL. A Dance to the Music of Time. London: Folio Society, 2006-2007. 4 vols., 8vo (234 x 166mm.) Introduction by William Trevor. (Mild toning.) Original cloth-backed paper-covered boards, slipcases. – And a further fifty-three volumes published by The Folio Society (including Charles Darwin’s ‘The Descent of Man’, 2008, 8vo, and Herodotus’ ‘The Histories’, 2007, 8vo) (57).

LANG, Andrew (editor). The Orange Fairy Book. London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1906. First edition, 8vo (182 x 119mm.) 8 colour plates. (Toning, occasional finger-mark and corner crease.) Original orange cloth, pictorial gilt, g.e. (gilt to covers and spine faded). – And a further two volumes edited by Andrew Lang (including a first edition of ‘The Pink Fairy Book’, 1897, 8vo) (3).

BINDINGS. – Laurence STERNE. The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman. London: Macmillan and Co. Limited, 1911. 2 vols., 8vo (218 x 140mm.) (Mild toning.) Near contemporary red half morocco, t.e.g. (lightly rubbed extremities). – And a further thirty-four miscellaneous volumes, mostly bindings (36).

SIGNED BOOKS. – Candace BUSHNELL. Trading Up. London: Little, Brown, 2003. First U.K. edition, signed by the author, 8vo (215 x 131mm.) (Toning.) Original purple cloth, dust-jacket (price-clipped). – And a further twenty-nine volumes of fiction, all signed (30).