Search Results: Authors starting with M from Nat DesMarais Rare Books, ABAA

New York: Dodd Mead and Company , 1899. Second edition (though cover art original to this edition). Tall octavo. 124 pp. plus 4 full page illustrations by Low. Almost every page with a very wide and decorative border in brown (also by Low). Publisher's green cloth, front cover with three leafy tree done in shades of green with the entire background being done in a heavy gilt, repeated on the spine. Minor foxing to endpapers, else a very good copy of this striking book.

[New York]: Privately printed fro Claire MacDonald, (1929). First edition. Octavo. 30, [2] pp. with 12 photographic illustration printed using the Aquatone Process of scenes around Tahoe. Publisher's photographically illustrated boards, gilt spine lettering. Minor paper lifting at front lower joint, some sunning. Overall, a very good copy of this early history of Lake Tahoe written by a resident.Inscribed by the author in color pencil on front endaper. Includes an original photograph (6 x 10 inches) of Brockway, Lake Tahoe, by Putnam & Valentine (with that information stamped on the verso of the photograph).

New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1924. First edition. One of 1000 numbered copies signed by the author. Designed by T. M. Clel and. Tall octavo. [2], 46, [1, [1, signed colophon] pp. Publisher's black cloth, blind-stamped in a diamond pattern, green patterned endpapers and pastedowns, printed paper spine label. Minor extremity wear, spine label browned (as usual) and with some edge chipping, and a previous owner's signature to front endpaper (1924). Else a very good and clean copy.

Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd, 1924. First edition. One of 50 copies printed on rag paper, signed and numbered by the author. Large and think octavo (7 1/4 x 9 inches). xx, 316 pp. plus 116 full page photographic illustrations (in some cases there are to images to a sheet). Publisher's navy blue diaper cloth with gilt spine lettering, t.e.g. Bookplate to front pastedown, some sunning to spine and light wear to extremities but still an attractive copy.The Border Line between England and Scotland was, for centuries, a cause of great contention and confrontation between the clans and families who inhabited the lands to the north and south of it - the Border Reivers. Perhaps the words of Robert Louis Stephenson (nineteenth century author) sum up the difference. 'There is nothing more puzzling ... than the great gulf that is set between England and Scotland... Here are two people almost identical in blood ... the same in language and religion; and yet a few years of quarrelsome isolation ... in comparison… Read More

Hammersmith: Chiswick Press for the Hammersmith Publishing Company, 1903. First edition. Octavo. 34 [2] [1] ads, [4]. Original brown paper boards with vellum spine lettered in black. Printed on handmade paper, sheets unopened. Some darkening to vellum else a fine copy.

Philadelphia: T.B. Peterson and Brothers, (1870). First edition. Octavo. 484, 6 ('Dickens Controversy'), 14 [publisher's ads], [4, ads] pp. With frontispiece portrait. Publisher's blind-ruled plum cloth with gilt cover and spine lettering, spine with gilt representation of Dickens, chocolate endpapers. Kenyon Starling copy with his bookplate. Owner's very small signature dated 1870. Upper tips a bit bumped and spine slightly sunned, else a very good and bright and clean copy.

San Francisco: California Publishing Co., 1880. Four issues of this important early California magazine. Octavo. Publisher's printed salmon wrappers. Pp. 369/370 torn in half and laid it. Old and faint tidemarks to lower wrappers but not into text. Overall, very good and certainly better than usually seen.

V.p.: V.p., 1939-1941. All of the none silver gelatin photographs are 8 x 10 inches and all of them are inscribed to Jack and Marie Thomas. Jack W. Thomas was a minor magician who gained some following in his home state of Ohio and was well known on the Columbus magic scene. He performed at magic club events and several times at the annual Magi-Fest Convention held in his home city. There were a number of references to him in the magic journals of the day. He was also a ventriloquist (his puppet was oddly named "Jerry McGuire") and an illusionist. He was active in the late 1930s. Obviously he was a big fan of magicians. The inscribed photos presented here are;Dr. J. G. Holston: Three photographs of the great Harry Blackstone (all inscribed by Mrs. Blackstone); Tung Ping Soo (real name of Al Wheatly): Dante the Magician (a.k.a. Harry August Jansens a Danish-born entertainer who settled in the United States): Jack Gwynne (who went on to become a successful film actor): the dapper Guy Stanley: The… Read More

Los Angeles: The Ward Ritchie Press, 1961. First edition. Inscribed by editor Robert Weinstein on the front endpaper. Quarto. 127, [1] pp. including 92 full page reproductions of Vroman photographs. Publisher's orange and white cloth with printed acetate dust jacket. An excellent copy.Prospectus laid in.

[Santa Fe]: Twin Palm Publishers, 1999. First edition. One of 25 special copies (of an edition of 175 numbered copies) specially bound, signed on the front endpaper by the photographer, and with additional autographed print inside the box. The additional print is captioned 'Belfast'. Additional slips from publisher laid in loose. Quarto. No text other than the title page, the book consists entirely of 43 full page photographic reproductions of Mahurin photographs (printed on rectos only). Publisher's deep brown cloth with embossed black lettering on spine and front, burnt orange endpapers. Publisher's black cloth clamshell case that has a section on the front for the original signed photograph. An excellent copy.with additional autographed print inside the box. The additional print is captioned 'Belfast'. Additional slips from publisher laid in loose. A busy fellow, he also direst three films: Feel (2006); I like Killing Flies (2003); Mugshot (1996).

Garden City: Doubleday & Company, 1983. First edition. Two tall quarto volumes. xxi, [1], 522; x, 534 pp. Illustrated throughout by the author and with many in color. Publisher's brown cloth with gilt spine and cover lettering, pictorial dust jackets, slipcase. An excellent copy.The heritage, culture, crafts and traditions of the Anasazis.

Tulsa: Council Oaks Books, (1992). First edition. One of 100 specially bound and numbered copies, signed by Mails and with an original sketch by him. Large quarto. xvi, 368 pp. Hundreds of illustrations by the author, some in color. Publisher's tan calf with gilt spine lettering, pictorial endpapers, dust jacket. A fine copy.

Manchuria: N.p., [1930s]. Oblong quarto (10 x 6 inches). 56 leaves with various kinds of ephemera throughout. The opening two pages each have an original watercolor. The next 5 leaves each bear 2 images of various aspects of life in Manchuria (these are reproduced drawings with captions in Japanese), the next 9 leaves bear 17 photographic illustrations of daily life in Manchuria (with an emphasis on Dairen [now Dalian]). Tjhese are likely postcards. Following is a hodge-podge of 20 cigarette wrappers and cards, eight original photographs and various other interesting bits. Original string tied silk boards, some lifting of the cloth on the boards and some soiling. Overall, in quite good condition,Obviously assembled by a Japanese civilian (there are no images of the Japanese Army), the album gives the impression of life in Manchuria under Japanese rule as a quiet, contented and peaceful place. History tells a different story. As part of earlier treaty agreements, the Japanese had troops protecting… Read More

[British Mandate of Palestine]: N.p., 1938 & 1939. Original photograph album bearing 28 silver gelatin (though many appear to be albumen) photographs. The string-tied light brown album measures 10 x 7 inches and with the photograph measuring 6 5/8 x 4 1/2 inches. the photographs are mounted back to back on 14 leaves and each photograph is captioned and dated in pencil and all photographs have tissue guards. Three of the photographs with some foxing but all have very good contrast. A very tidy and very professionally accomplished album.Tis is likely a report that was meant to be sent back to Great Britain to show the accomplishments of the Public Works Department in the British Protectorate of Palestine. The very first photograph is dated 1938 and shows the "Base Office, Haifa." The next is a picture of the military staff (this one dated 1939) and the third the office staff (dated 1938). The remainder of the album details the work done by Arab crews in road repairs; the culvert in Wadi Umghat and… Read More

Los Angeles: Warren F. Lewis, 1949. First edition. Octavo. xii, 168 pp. plus large folding color map at rear. Publisher's light brown cloth with dark brown lettering, pictorial endpapers, dust jacket. A very good copy.Various desert related stories by the author of 'Death Valley in '49'. all printed here for the first time.

London: N. Trubner and Co., 1861. The first edition in Sanskrit and first edition in English. Oblong folio (12 3/4 x 10 3/4 inches) printed in the landscape manner (the spine is actually the top of the book). xi, [1], 268 pp. preface by Theodor Golsdstucker with text printed in two columns plus the 121-page facsimile of the original Sutra at rear. Publisher's ribbed brown cloth with blind-stamped borders, nicely rebacked a great while ago retaining almost all of the original spine, spine with gilt lettering and a gilt Ganesh device, pale yellow endpapers, Smallish call letters in orange at base of spine, library accession stamp and two previous owner's signatures on front pastedown and endpaper, tips bumped. The major part of the sutra is unopened. Overall, a very good copy of quite a scarce title.Kalpa means "proper, fit" and is one of the six disciplines of the Ved nga, or ancillary science connected with the Vedas – the scriptures of Hinduism. This field of study is focused on the procedures… Read More

Florence: Vallecchi, 207. One of 483 numbered copies of this facsimile of the Codice Riccardiano 483, Biblioteca Riccardiana of Florence. Miniature book (2 7/8 x 2 inches). 225 leaves plus the colophon. Publisher's red velvet with gilt and gauffered edges. Housed with the 64 pp. commentary volume in the publisher's silver box with ribbon ties. An excellent copy.This is a quality facsimile of the famous Florentine Book of Hours presented as a wedding gift to to Niccola di Andrea di Niccola Capponi and his wife Antonia di Battista di Luigi Ridolfi. The illumintor, Monte di Giovanni del Fora, made this masterpiece of Florentine illumination in the last quarter of the 15th century at the behest of two significant Florentine families of the cinquecento: Capponi and Ridolfi. "Measuring an unbelievable 6.6 x 5 cm, this precious manuscript is one of the smallest books of hours to survive to today. Nevertheless, its contents possess surprisingly lavish illumination. The 464 pages of the manuscript are… Read More

Milan: Pratesi, 1982. First edition in this format. Two quarto volumes 9 1/2 x 13 1/2 inches. The first volume (141, [1] pp. Illustrated) contains an introduction, critical text, translation and commentary by Cesare Grassi and essays by Marco Ciatti e Aldo Petri. The second volume is a wonderfully produced facsimile of the Regina Carmina. Publisher's binding of full bonded brown leather with gilt spine lettering and fronts bearing gilt shields. In the original thin black card case (a trifle edge worn). An excellent copy.

Washington, DC: Forest Service, 1931. First edition. Large folding map (28 x 29 inches). One side comprised of 21 panels of text and including 14 photographic illustrations by Frasher, Valentine and Willard. The map on the other side is not a topographic map but rather an administrative one showing roads, camps, trails ranger offices, etc. Some small splits at interstices but overall very good.An intriguing map for a no longer extant national forest: On July 1, 1945 the entire forest was divided between Inyo and Toiyabe and the name was discontinued.

Chicago: Rand McNally and Co., [ca. 1920]. First of this edition. With two maps on both sides of single sheet, "The Rand McNally New Commercial Atlas Map of California" in full color, & "California Automobile Road Map" with roads printed in red. 36 3/4 x 31 inches. Folding into folder measuring 4 x 6 1/2 inches. Booklet with 90, [10, ads] pp. of text, printed wrappers. Scarce commercial and road map of California. Light wear to wrappers; light wear on verso of map from being stuck to last page. A very good copy.