Rare books from Archives Fine Books

London: Chapman and Hall, 1926. First English Language Edition. Cloth. Very good/very good. Hardcover : pp. x (1, blank), 120 plates as called for : Blue cloth boards with gilt blocked border and title : top edge dye (yellow) : textured dustwrapper : small square bookseller sticker on front of jacket under the word "Woman" and again on the foot of the front pastedown near the gutter : in blue custom made clamshell box. The dust wrapper is lightly scuffed and soiled and with a 3cm vertical tear at the head of the spine : Boards and top edge dye a trifle faded. First printed in Germany in 1925 this collection of sepia tone photographs features women from around the world. More than twenty six nationalities are represented along with a few "mixed race" examples. Two Australian examples: plate 21 attributed to E. O. Hoppé, London plate 119 attributed to Kerry of Sydney and lent by the Vienna Ethnographis Museum.

London: Bradbury and Evans, 1857. First Edition in original parts. Very good. (20 Parts published in 19). Housed in a custom made silk solander box with leather labels. All plates present including the dark plates and the frontispiece and vignette title. Includes Rigaud for Bladois at Part 15 (ten times as per Smith 1:12), errata slip in Part 16, and the Preliminary Leaves in Parts 19 & 20. For the most part an internally clean set with occasional foxing and soiling. The wraps are generally just a little edgeworn and several have had small expert repairs to the spines. Several wraps have the ownership signature "Thos. Bostock Esq." either above or just below the top border. Some advertisements and slips are lacking in 10 of the 19 parts (often the case), but only Part One is lacking all of the preceding advertisments. Four small sections of advertisements have been excised.A very good set, neatly repaired and beautifully presented. (Smith 1:12; Hatton and Cleaver pp. 305-330). One of Dickens'… Read More

Paris, 1642. Folio: Three blanks, the third with what appears to be a Strasburg lily watermark, Engraved title by Claude Mellan, verso blank. Text, not divided into verses but with verse numbers in the text, 422pp; Variae Lectiones, pp 423-453, 1p. bearing ornament [1 f. blank]. Twenty engraved headpieces and initials, twelve vignettes including final ornament. Signatures in fours [A - Iii3]. Printed on large laid handmade paper giving a very wide margin; Full leather tan calf binding. A separate watermark appears to consist of a cardinal's hat and an anchor. Sympathetically re-backed; Lacks half title; Title has been cleaned but is still stained; First page (A) professionally repaired with some loss of text; age toned through out with some soiling. A reprint of the first of the Elzevir editions (1624), this magnificent folio is sometimes known as the 'Mazarin edition', since it appeared under the auspices of Cardinal Mazarin. The engraved title page represents an angel writing on an obelisk, which… Read More

London: A. Millar, 1755. First Edition. Octavo : pp xxiv, 304 : 8 engraved tables (4 folding) and 26 folding engraved plates : bookplate of George Paterson of Castle Huntley Esq. : previous owner name in bp on ffep dated Edinburgh 1938, "near the monument of the little black dog." Plates lightly offset; title a little toned; contemporary calf, rather worn; lacking label. The four parts are as follows: I. The theory of walls, arches, and timbers, with several tables of their dimensions. II. The knowledge of the materials, their properties, qualities, and the manner of using them. III. The manner of tracing a fortress on the ground, the making an estimate, and the executing works. IV. The method of building aquatics, as stone bridges, harbours, quays, wharfs, sluices, and aqueducts. John Müller (1699 - 1784) was a German born mathematician and engineer who moved to London in 1736. He served as deputy head of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, from 1741 and was appointed first master in 1754. He… Read More

London: Printed for G.G. J. and J. Robinson and J. Bew, Paternoster-Row, 1790. Second Edition. Tree calf. Very good. Five volumes : twelvemo : pp [4] 318 [2, blank]; [viii] 442; [2] 380 [2, blank]; [4] 397 (398) [6, Key to the Abbreviations]; [2, blank] (iv) 418 [6, Table] [2, blank] :uniformly bound in contemproary tree calf : recently rebacked with gilt lettering and roman numerals, double lines separating the panels and decorative stamps : bookplate of Frederick William Cosens in each. Corners rounded; occasional foxmark. Rousseau's Confessions first appeared in English translation in 1783. (Lowndes vol 3 p 2134) Provenance: Frederick William Cosens (1819-89) was a book and art collector and port wine importer. His library was sold by Sotheby's in 1890 with several volumes bought by the British Library.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are advised that this collection contains images of people who have died.Small collection of thirteen photographs relating to the first crossing by a non-indigenous man (with the help of an indigenous man) of Australia's Simpson Desert, together with a few images of his home and its inhabitants in the remote southeast corner of Northern Territory. Includes three photographs of indigenous Australians at Colson's homestead.Eight 150x160mm images (seven desert crossing images and one Blood Creek homestead image), four smaller images taken at and around Blood Creek (one 10x75mm, two 80x60mm, one 55x55mm) and one 120x80mm colour photo taken at the Colson memorial in Birdsville (circa early 1980s). All but two images have hand-written notes on the verso to Val and Jean, Ted Colson's nephew and niece. One 2cm open tear to top left corner of one of the larger prints; one 2mm open tear to another (border only); rust marks along rhs of a third; light foxing to two… Read More

Hardcover : pp. x (1, blank), 120 plates as called for : Blue cloth boards with gilt blocked border and title : top edge dye (yellow) : textured dustwrapper : small square bookseller sticker on front of jacket under the word "Woman" and again on the foot of the front pastedown near the gutter : in blue custom made clamshell box The dust wrapper is lightly scuffed and soiled and with a 3cm vertical tear at the head of the spine; boards and top edge dye a trifle faded.First printed in Germany in 1925 this collection of sepia tone photographs features women from around the world. More than twenty six nationalities are represented along with a few "mixed race" examples.

London: Printed for the Villon Society by Private Subscription and for Private Circulation only, 1890. Octavo : six volumes uniformly bound in vellum : no. 21 : pp. xvi 338 [2, blanks]; viii 368; viii 363 [1, blank]; viii 354 [2, blanks]; viii 357 [3, blank]; viii 389 [1, publisher's advert.] [3, blank] : lettered in gilt on top boards and spine : gilt pattern to lower half of boards and spine : with the LALIQUE BOOKPLATE DESIGNED FOR EMILIE B. GRIGSBY in each of the six volumes. The vellum covers are somewhat soiled but the gilt is bright; head of volume 6 has a repaired tear and the top corner of top board is bumped; top joint of volume 5 just starting; endpapers and half titles are foxed, otherwise clean throughout; the 6 Lalique bookplates are in very good to fine condition, two are still tipped in at one corner the rest are loosely inserted. Provenance: Emilie B. Grigsby (1879-1964), was an American of wealth and beauty. Renowned as a hostess of sophistication and charm, she decided to sell her… Read More

Oxford: The Shakespeare Head Press, 1930. Limited Edition. Hilda Quick. Complete in 8 vols. : Quarto : pp. (12) 308 (4); (12) 252 (4); (10) 221 (7); (10) 241 (11); (12) 262 (6); (12) 416 (4); (12) 241 (7); (16) 280 (4) : text prepared by Professor W.L. Renwick : hand coloured decorations designed and engraved on wood by Hilda Quick, those in the Shepheardes Calendar being based on cuts in the original editions : the initial letters and the letterings for the title page and headings engraved by Quick from designs by Joscelyne Gaskin : the map and title page in volume VIII drawn by Macdonald Gill : quarter calf (green) over marbled paper covered boards with vvellum tips : gilt lettering to spine : 375 copies of which 11 were printed on vellum and 350 were for sale, this is no.72. Some minor toning to paste downs; leaves a little rippled; slight rubbing to boards of vols II, III, V & VIII; 2mm dark blue mark to top board of vol VII; small spray of foxing to second blank of vol V and two fox marks to… Read More

London: Chapman and Hall, 1859. First Edition, First Printing. Near fine. Octavo : pp. (6) viii (1, list of plates) (1, blank) (1) 2-254 : 16 plates by H.K. Browne (Phiz) including frontis and vignette title : pale green e.p.s : half leather over marbled boards : five raised bands and gilt lettering to spine. Slight rubbing to boards; plates with occasional closed tears to edges, not affecting images; historical expert cleaning to some leaves; contemporary ownership signature. An exceptionally clean copy, handsomely bound. First edition, first issue, bound from the parts, of Dickens' second historical novel. It has proved one of his most enduring works - a tale of self-sacrifice set against the backdrop of the French Revolution. This was the last of Dickens' books to be illustrated by H.K. Browne ("Phiz"), with 16 plates engraved by him. "Browne, for 23 years responsible for all the etchings which had so successfully embellished these [Dickens'] books, produced his last drawings for the present… Read More

London: Thomas Davison, John Hunt, John and H.L. Hunt, 1824. First Small Paper Edition. Good. Six volumes bound in three : (2, blanks) (iv) 227; (iv) 222 (6, colophon & blanks); (4, blanks) x, 184 (2, advertisements); 151 (3, colophon & blanks); (4, blanks) 170; 130 (4, blanks) : marbled endpapers : a.e. marbled : full brown leather : double gilt ruled borders surrounding decorative blind border on boards : gilt lettering to dark brown title and volume panels, gilt borders and decorations to other panels : gilt dentelles. Moderate shelf wear and rubbing to leather; very minor to minor splitting at joints except for 2cm split at crown to lower board of volume one; 3.5cm indent to lower board of same; water stain to final few leaves of volume one, otherwise only occasional soiling and foxing. Early printings of the first two volumes and the rest being first printings of the small paper edition that according to Randolph is scarcer today than the large paper format. [WISE, Byron II, pp.3-8; RANDOLPH,… Read More

Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1974. First Thus. [CHARLES BATESON'S COPY] Hardcover : Volume I The Voyage of the Endeavour 1768-1771: pp. (2) [iv] cclxxxiv [cclxxxvi] [1] 696 : 45 illustrations and maps; Volume II The Voyage of the Resolution and Adventure, 1772-1775 : [2 blank] (4) clxx [3] 1028 : 82 illustrations and maps; Volume III The Voyage of the Resolution and Discovery, 1776-1780, Part One : [iv] ccxxiv [3] 718 [720] : 68 illustrations and 13 sketch maps; Volume III Part Two : [iv] viii [723] 724 - 1647 : a further 10 illustrations and maps and three more sketch maps; Volume IV The Life of Captain James Cook : [iv] xi [xii] 760 : colour frontispiece to each volume : reprinted with addenda and corrigenda : portfolio containing reproductions of original charts and views drawn on three voyages : all in blue buckram with Cook's portrait in gilt to top boards, gilt lettering to spines and paper dust jackets; Cook and the Russians : 9pp in soft blue wraps. Volumes 1-3 with Charles… Read More

London: Jonathan Cape, 1956. First Edition, first printing, first state. Good/good. Hardcover : pp. (8) 11-257 : plain e.p.s : publisher's blind stamped black cloth in repeating diamonds with diamond in gilt foil to centre of top board and lettering in silver foil to the backstrip (Binding A) : first state dust jacket design by Pat Marriot showing price 12s6d. Tape repairs to jacket at the head and tail, edges rubbed and verso of jacket spine is spotted; e.p.s lightly spotted and edges of text block are marked; smaller bookseller ink stamp to last page. With the first edition points as described by Gilbert including publisher's device under the author's name on the title page, "Boofy" on p.134 [Gilbert A4a (1.1)].

Edinburgh: William Paterson, 1878. First thus. Complete in six volumes, uniformly bound : Volume I pp. xvi [6] 349 [3]; nine illustrations : Volume II pp. xviii [2] 351 [1]; five illustrations : Volume III pp. xx [2] 362 [2]; four illustrations : Volume IV pp. ix [1] 435 [3] four illustrations : Volume V pp. xii [3] 463 [3]; five illustrations : Volume VI pp. xxiv [2] 391 [3]; four illustrations : red marbled endpapers : triple ruled turn-ins : a.e.g. : red morocco double gilt ruled with gilt thistles to each corner : five raised bands to each spine with each panel double gilt ruled and embellished with thistles ; dark brown leather title panel and light brown volume panel lettered in gilt : Initials W.S.S. to tail of each spine : blue and gold silk head bands : armorial bookplate of William Strange Steel to each volume. Some light rubbing to leather; lower corners of volume one bumped; "Case D/Shelf 2" sticker to each paste-down; Steel's signature together with "88 Lancaster Gate / 27th March 1886"… Read More

London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme and Co.; F.C. and J. Rivington; Lackington, Allen and Co.; J. Mawman; Sherwood, Neely and Jones; and Wilson and Son, York, 1812. Very good. Three quarto volumes : Volume I [2] blank, xvi, 39, 50, [30], thereafter unpaginated with signature A-6F2; Volume II, [2] blank, [1] title, A-A2, B-2E, 9pp mss family history in a legible hand; Volume III, [2] blank, [iv] [144] A-5I4 : marbled e.p.s : gilt ruled turn ins : a.e.g. : leather boards tooled in gilt and blind : four raised bands to spines with elaborate gilt decorations and lettering. Rubbing to joints, corners and extremities; small patch of abrasion to head of lower board volume III; occasional spot volumes I and III; light foxing volume II. A later reprint of this lavishly illustrated Bible, deduced by the fact some of the plates are dated 1813 and the maps are dated 1817. According to Herbert the 1812 edition was reprinted many times and by many printers. [Herbert 1563]. A handsome edition. The nine pages of… Read More