Friday, December 4, 2015

1900 ARTHUR RACKHAM ILLUSTRATED ~ BROTHERS GRIMM FAIRY TALES ~ RARE DRAGONS ELVES MAGIC FANTASY

CA. 1900

FAIRY TALES OF THE BROTHERS GRIMM
TRANSLATED BY MRS. EDGAR LUCAS

ILLUSTRATED
BY ARTHUR RACKHAM

*** RARE ANTIQUE BOOK ~ EARLY RACKHAM ILLUSTRATIONS ~ HANDSOME DECORATED BINDING ~ CLASSIC ~ FAIRIES, GOBLINS, ELVES, FOREST FANTASY ***

Publisher:
London: Constable and Company Ltd., no date, circa 1900.
Printed in Great Britain by Butler & Tanner, The Selwood Printing Works, Frome, Somerset.

• measures about 7.75'' x 6''
• handsome original publisher's decorative orange cloth binding
• ornate embossed gilt to spine and brown lettering to front
• glossy color frontispiece and title page
• illustrated with about 100 monochrome part-page and full-page pictures

Rare original 1900 Arthur Rackham-illustrated Grimm's Fairy Tales, which prompted the issue of Rackham's 1909 deluxe signed edition with modified and colored illustrations based on these original drawings. A low number (around 150) of this particular edition were printed for Freemantle in 1900 before production ceased and changed hands to Constable (this edition), which was printed in a similarly small quantity. This book appears to be the First Constable edition, though it bears no edition or printing statement.

1905 GAMMER GRETHEL FAIRY TALES ~ RARE BLANCHE MCMANUS SIGNED-BINDING ~ ELVES DRAGONS FAIRIES MAGIC BOOK

CA. 1905

GAMMER GRETHEL'S FAIRY TALES
ILLUSTRATED BY CRUIKSHANK AND OTHERS
WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY LAWRENCE HOUSMAN

RARE BINDING DESIGNED BY BLANCHE MCMANUS

*** RARE ANTIQUE BOOK ~ MANY ILLUSTRATIONS ~ HANDSOME PICTORIAL FINE BINDING ~ CLASSIC FAIRY TALES ~ SNOW WHITE ~ RUMPELSTILTSKIN ~ FAIRIES ~ ELVES ~ GOBLINS ~ FANTASY ~ MAGIC ***

London: Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent and Co., Ltd., no date, circa 1905.
• measures about 7.75'' x 5.5''
• handsome original publisher's decorative cloth fine binding - design by Blanche McManus - marked with her 'BMcM' cipher lower left
• embossed gold gilt lettering to spine - pictorial stamping in black, white, and green
• textblock top edge gilt
• glossy color frontispiece by D. S. Hallett
• illustrated with many part-page monochrome pictures

Monday, October 12, 2015

1840 FIRST EDITION ELEMENTARY GEOLOGY BY EDWARD HITCHCOCK ~ EVOLUTION (PREDATES CHARLES DARWIN'S 1859 ON THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES) ~ PALEONTOLOGY ~ DINOSAUR FOSSILS ~ HAND COLORED EVOLUTIONARY CHART

1840 FIRST EDITION
ELEMENTARY GEOLOGY
BY EDWARD HITCHCOCK

THE FIRST AMERICAN-WRITTEN BOOK ON GEOLOGY ~ HAND-COLORED FOLD-OUT PLATES ~ ENGRAVINGS ~ DINOSAUR FOSSILS ~ EVOLUTION ~ PALEONTOLOGY ~ MINERALOGY ~ CLASSIC SCIENCE ~ VERY RARE ANTIQUE FIRST EDITION
    The frontispiece, a fascinating large fold-out hand-colored engraved "Paleontological Chart," is a branching diagram of the plant and animal kingdoms against a geological background, referred to as a "tree" in the text. This "tree of life" is the earliest known to incorporate paleontology and geology and predates Charles Darwin's 1859 On The Origin Of Species by 19 years.
   This textbook was also the first geology textbook ever printed in the United States that was not a version of a British text.

   Amherst: Published by J. S. & C. Adams, 1840.

   • First Edition - title page date and copyright date match - no additional printings listed
   • measures about 7.75" x 5"
   • brown straight grained cloth early Victorian binding
   • embossed gilt lettering, decorative blind-stamping
   • fold-out hand-colored frontispiece and two more fold-out plates, one of which is also hand-colored
   • illustrated throughout with engravings in the text and a few full-page plates
   • 329 pages
    Edward Hitchcock was influential as a state geologist in Massachusetts (1830-1833, 1837-1841) and Vermont (1856-1861), as a teacher and popularizer of geology, and as an authority on issues of science and religion. He was the third President of Amherst College (1845-1854) and was instrumental in adding geology into the American college curriculum.

Friday, August 28, 2015

1924 SIGNED 1ST PRAIRIE SKETCHES ~ ARAPAHO SHOSHONE NATIVE AMERICAN HISTORY ~ WYOMING TRAVEL MEMOIR ~ INSCRIBED BY AUTHOR ~ 7TH CAVALRY ~ FORT WASHAKIE, WY

CA. 1924

PRAIRIE SKETCHES
OR FUGITIVE RECOLLECTIONS OF AN ARMY GIRL OF 1899 [1889]
BY MARY KATHARINE JACKSON ENGLISH

PRIVATELY PRINTED
SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR

*** RARE ANTIQUE EDITION ~ TRAVEL MEMOIR ~ SHOSHONE AND ARAPAHOE CAMPS, BELIEFS, TALES, CEREMONIES ~ FORT WASHAKIE, WYOMING ~ 7TH CAVALRY ~ TRADING POST ~ CLASSIC ***

Signed and inscribed by the author, "Mary Jackson English, Denver, 1924." The author has also corrected printing errors in ink (changing "1899" to "1889" on the front cover and first page, and replacing "brave" with "buck" on page 68). Extraordinarily rare and important book about Shoshone and Arapahoe Native American culture and ranch life on the plains in 1889.

Privately Printed, circa 1924.

• private publication with very short print run
• signed and inscribed by the author
• measures about 8.5'' x 5.5''
• original green-gray paper stapled wrappers with black printing to front
• illustrated with numerous photographs

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

EXQUISITE ART NOUVEAU INLAID FULL-LEATHER BINDING BY STIKEMAN ~ 1871 CHRISTMAS CAROLS ~ ENGRAVED BY DALZIEL

EXQUISITE INLAID FULL-LEATHER SIGNED-BINDING
BY STIKEMAN

CA. 1871
CHRISTMAS CAROLS NEW AND OLD
WORDS EDITED BY HENRY RAMSDEN BRAMLEY
MUSIC EDITED BY JOHN STAINER

ILLUSTRATIONS ENGRAVED BY THE BROTHERS DALZIEL

*** JEAN GROLIER INFLUENCED ART NOUVEAU BINDING BY STIKEMAN ~ ENGRAVINGS ~ CLASSIC CHRISTMAS SONGS & LYRICS ~ RARE ILLUSTRATED ANTIQUE BOOK ***

London: Novello & George Routledge and Sons, no date, circa 1871.

• measures about 10.25'' x 7.5''
• full crimson levant morocco leather binding by Stikeman [stamped "Bound by Stikeman & Co." on rear turn-in]
• intricate Art Nouveau style inlaid leather and embossed gold gilt stamping and lettering - the design is highly influenced by Claude de Picques bindings from the Jean Grolier collection
  • on the front and rear: Gilt Mistletoe Sprigs and Floral Garland, Inlaid Orange Amaryllis Flowers and Tan Intersecting Bands
  • on the spine: Gilt Lettering and Calla Lilies in Six Compartments
  • on the inside covers: Wide Gilt-Decorated Leather Turn-ins over Marbled Endpapers
• textblock top edge gilt
• frontispiece with tissue-guard
• music and lyrics illustrated with copious Dalziel engravings
• 91 pages + index + book ads + original cloth covers included at end of book
• in original red leather-edged board slipcase covered in marbled paper (different paper used for inside and outside)

Monday, March 16, 2015

1896 HEADLONG HALL & NIGHTMARE ABBEY BY THOMAS LOVE PEACOCK - ILLUSTRATED BY H. R. MILLAR - BINDING AND ENDPAPERS DESIGNED BY A. A. TURBAYNE

1896

HEADLONG HALL
AND
NIGHTMARE ABBEY
BY THOMAS LOVE PEACOCK

ILLUSTRATED BY H. R. MILLAR

BINDING AND ENDPAPERS DESIGNED BY A. A. TURBAYNE

*** RARE ANTIQUE EDITION ~ BEAUTIFUL ART NOUVEAU FINE BINDING ~ CLASSIC ***

London and New York: MacMillan & Co., 1896.

• measures about 7.25" x 5"
• beautiful original publisher's decorative cloth Art Nouveau fine binding designed by Albert Angus Turbayne (stamp-signed with his cipher)
• detailed embossed gold gilt stamping with peacock motif
• textblock all edges gilt
• pictorial endpapers
• frontispiece with tissue-guard
• many full-page plates and part-page pictures

Nightmare Abbey is a Gothic topical satire (akin to Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey) in which Thomas Love Peacock parodies the romantic movement in contemporary English literature, in particular its obsession with morbid subjects, misanthropy, and transcendental philosophical systems. Most characters in the novel are based on historical figures.

Headlong Hall is the first novel by Thomas Love Peacock, written in 1815 and first published in 1816. Peacock assembles a group of eccentrics, each with a monomaniacal obsession, and derives humor and social satire from their interactions and conversations. The setting is the Welsh country estate of Squire Harry Headlong Ap-Rhaiader, Esq.

Saturday, March 14, 2015

1895-1905 SET OF ELEVEN TRUE MINIATURE BOOKS (2.5 X 2 INCHES) ~ CONTEMPORARY WHITE VELLUM LEATHER ~ ANTIQUE CUSTOM MAHOGANY BOOKCASE

1895-1905

SET OF ELEVEN TRUE MINIATURE BOOKS (2.5 X 2 INCHES)
EACH BOUND IN CONTEMPORARY WHITE VELLUM LEATHER
WITH ORIGINAL ANTIQUE CUSTOM WOODEN BOOK CASE

TITLES:
THE COMPLEAT ANGLER BY IZAAK WALTON
THE PILGRIM'S PROGRESS BY JOHN BUNYAN
THE VICAR OF WAKEFIELD BY OLIVER GOLDSMITH
THUMB READY RECKONER
THE IMITATION OF CHRIST BY THOMAS À KEMPIS
MY MORNING COUNSELOR
MY EVENING COUNSELOR
COMMON PRAYER
HYMNS
THE CHRISTIAN YEAR
THUMB NOTEBOOK

*** RARE ANTIQUE EDITIONS DATED 1895-1905 ~ BEAUTIFUL ART NOUVEAU ERA FINE BINDING WITH GILT STAMPING ~ CLASSIC LITERATURE ~ MINIATURE BOOKCASE ***

London: Henry Frowde, 1895-1905.
Printed by Horace Hart at The Oxford University Press

• each book measures 2.5'' x 2''
• beautiful vellum leather over blue cloth
• leather title label to spine with gilt lettering
• decorative embossed gold gilt spine stamping and gilt rule to front board
• textblocks top edge gilt
• silk ribbon bookmark and headbands
• frontispiece to seven of the volumes
• printed on high quality thin paper
• housed in an antique mahogany wood case, apparently custom made for this set

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

1895 L'ABBE CONSTANTINE BY LUDOVIC HALEV ~ ILLUSTRATED BY MADAME MADELEINE LEMAIRE ~ RARE ANTIQUE ART NOUVEAU GILT FINE BINDING

1895

THE ABBE CONSTANTINE
BY LUDOVIC HALEVY,
A MEMBER OF THE FRENCH ACADEMY

ILLUSTRATED BY MADAME MADELEINE LEMAIRE

*** RARE ANTIQUE EDITION ~ BEAUTIFUL ART NOUVEAU FINE BINDING ~ ILLUSTRATED ***

New York and Boston: Thomas Y. Crowell and Company, 1895.

• measures about 6.75'' x 4.75''
• beautiful original publisher's decorative olive green cloth Art Nouveau fine binding
• detailed embossed gilt stamping
• textblock top edge gilt
• frontispiece with tissue-guard
• vignette title page
• illustrated with full-page engraved plates

Thursday, February 12, 2015

CA. 1905 ORIGIN OF SPECIES BY CHARLES DARWIN ~ RARE ANTIQUE EDITION ~ PUBLISHER'S LEATHER FINE BINDING

CA. 1905

THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES
BY CHARLES DARWIN

RARE ANTIQUE EDITION ~ LEATHER FINE BINDING ~ CLASSIC

New York: Hurst & Company, no date, circa 1905.

• measures about 7.5'' x 5''
• beautiful original publisher's half green morocco leather binding with marbled paper over boards
• ornate embossed gold gilt tooling and lettering to spine

Monday, January 5, 2015

CA. 1888 POETICAL WORKS OF EDMUND SPENSER Illustrated Victorian Fine Binding

CA. 1888

THE POETICAL WORKS OF EDMUND SPENSER
EDITED FROM THE BEST EDITIONS
WITH MEMOIR, NOTES, AND GLOSSARY

ILLUSTRATED

*** RARE ANTIQUE EDITION ~ BEAUTIFUL VICTORIAN FINE BINDING ~ ENGRAVINGS ~ CLASSIC POETRY ~ THE FAERIE QUEENE ~ FANTASY ~ TUDORS ~ FAIRIES ~ SORCERERS ~ KNIGHTS ***

Publisher:
New York: Thomas Y. Crowell & Co., no date, circa 1888.

Features:
• measures about 7.25'' x 5.25''
• beautiful original publisher's decorative cloth Victorian fine binding
• detailed embossed gilt and black stamping
• textblock all edges gilt
• frontispiece portrait of Spenser with tissue-guard
• illustrated with full-page engraved plates
• red-line border to every page of text