Literature

London: Secker & Warburg, 1949 First printing of the first British edition, original light green cloth, spine lettered in red, with red top-stain, in original red dust jacket, with the publisher's price listed on the inside front flap, 312pp. Tanning to spine and cover margins and light wear, else book in fine condition; dust jacket with tanning to spine and professional restoration along edge, else fine.

Concord: G. F. Bemis/John Stacy, 1835. First Edition. Hardcover. The Shattuck title page reinforced at the gutter. Near Fine, neatly rebacked retaining the original spine. Original blindstamped publisher's dark brown cloth containing in this order: Shattuck's HISTORY OF CONCORD (viii, 392 pages with folding map); an offprint REVIEW OF A HISTORY OF CONCORD FROM THE NORTH AMERICAN REVIEW, No. XCI (20 pages); and importantly, Emerson's address on the Second Centennial Anniversary of the incorporation of Concord (52 pages), INSCRIBED by the author on the top of the title: "Mr. Lemuel Shattuck/with Mr. Emerson's comp." The end of the final word in the inscription was trimmed and the original blue wrappers discarded when bound with the other two items, the original size 6-7/16" x 9- 3/4" trimmed to 5-1/2" x 8-3/4". BAL 5178; Myerson A2.1: second state with signature mark 3 present, but he notes that the order of states is arbitrary. Emerson's first separately published substantial publication, preceded… Read More

London: MacMillan, 1913. 1st Edition. Hardcover. London: MacMillan, 1913. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Signed by Author. The [GB] Shaw Copy. First edition, first issue with all the correct points. A fine copy in the publisher's patterned sage.....

London: Tinsley Brothers, 1872. Rare First Edition of Hardy's Second Novel in the Original Cloth [HARDY, Thomas]. Under the Greenwood Tree. A Rural Painting of the Dutch School. By the Author of ‘Desperate Remedies.' In Two Volumes. London: Tinsley Brothers, 1872. Rare first edition of Thomas Hardy's second novel. Two octavo volumes (7 3/8 x 4 7/8 inches; 188 x 124 mm). [6], 215, [1, blank]; [6], 216 pp. Complete with half-titles. Original green sand-grain cloth over beveled boards. Covers stamped in black with an Oxford frame and spines ruled in gilt and black and lettered in gilt. A bit of rubbing to extremities and corners. Gilt on the spine with some rubbing. Hinges with some professional repairs. Previous owner's ink signature on front pastedown of each volume. Some foxing and staining, mostly at front and rear. Overall, a very good copy, in the scarce original cloth. Housed in slipcase. After burning his first effort at a novel, and receiving scant attention upon the publication of… Read More

1912. München, Hyperion Verlag Hans von Weber, 1912. 4to. Bound uncut in a very nice, exquisite full morocco binding with five raised bands, gilt title and single gilt lines to spine. A single gilt line-border to boards. Top edge gilt. Minor wear along hinges. Internally very nice and clean, with only a few occasional very minor light brown spots. Printed on thick, heavy paper (Büttenpapier) with watermarks. With the bookplate of "Feuerbacher Heide" to inside of front board. The very scarce first edition, nr. 32 of 100 copies, of Thomas Mann's disturbing masterpiece, probably the most famous story of obsession ever written. "The Death in Venice" is considered one of the most important literary productions of the 20th century. This first edition of the book was printed in merely 100 copies, which are all numbered. In 1913 the first trade edition appeared.

London: Printed by Henry Baldwin, for Charles Dilly, 1791. JOHNSON, Samuel. First edition, first issue, with "give" spelled "gve" in line 10 on p. 135 of Volume I and with all of the peculiarities cited by Pottle for the first issue, including the several uncorrected errors listed for Volume II and the various cancels. Two quarto volumes (11 3/4 x 9 1/16 inches; 297 x 230 mm.; the same dimensions Pottle gives for 'an entirely uncut copy' ). xii, [16], 516; [2], 588 [i.e., 586] pp. Engraved frontispiece portrait by James Heath after Sir Joshua Reynolds in Volume I, two engraved facsimile plates in Volume II. Bound without the front blank in Volume II. Contemporary half calf over marbled boards. Neatly rebacked to style, preserving the original gilt spine and burgundy and black morocco gilt lettering labels. A few minor marginal paper flaws, not affecting text. Some rubbing to boards and light tip wear. Overall, a fine set in the original binding and entirely uncut, Courtney & Nichol Smith, pp.… Read More

New York: The Lakeside Press, 1930. First Edition Thus. Near Fine/Very Good. First edition thus, limited to 1,000 copies. Three volumes in publisher's acetate jackets, in aluminum slipcase. Presentation copy signed by Rockwell Kent on the front free end paper of Volume I, "Inscribed with affectionate friendship to Putzie - Rockwell Kent, 1950." Volumes II and III bear Rockwell Kent-illustrated bookplates of Marie Luise Hinrichs. Near Fine. Narrow strips of sunning to spine cloth at ends, light rubbing to cloth at extremities and light abrasions to black topstains. Pages toned and with offsetting from illustrations. Acetate wrappers are wrinkled and shrunken with age, as is typical, and show a bit of chipping and edge wear, with some separation starting between the acetate and a paper flap on both volumes II and III; acetate on volume II with light staining. Aluminum slipcase is lightly worn, bumped at top and bottom edge. A stunning presentation copy, inscribed by Kent, and with… Read More

New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1886. A fresh, bright copy with skillful restoration at ends of spine, internally clean and fresh. 8vo. 456 pages. Portrait frontispiece of the author; one-page publisher's advertisement at end, with this work listed first and priced $1.50. Publisher's tan cloth stamped in maroon and gilt. First American edition, an unusually fine copy of a scarce book commonly found in worn and frayed condition, and rarely so bright. There is no priority between this and the first English edition (Vizitelly, London) which carries the same translation and is printed from the same setting. Though uncredited in the book, the translation was made by Frederick Whishaw, a Russian-born British novelist, poet and musician. He translated a number of works by Dostoevsky in the 1880a which were published by Henry Vizetelly in London and Crowell in New York. See Maurice Beebe and Christopher Newton, "Dostoevsky in English: A Selected Checklist of Criticism and Translations." Modern Fiction Studies,… Read More

Original exceedingly rare Russian Language 1st (Pirate) Edition of Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak. Meets all the issue points for the true 1st Edition - "Roman" to title page, 634 pages, publishers imprint in cyrillic, and 2 page introduction (lacking from later Russian editions). Unusually tight, bright, Very Good condition, with no inscriptions and only light toning to closed page edges. Several gatherings are unevenly browned as usual, due to differing paper stocks used in printing. Issued without a dust-jacket.The publication of the Russian text of Doctor Zhivago was attended by odd circumstances. It first appeared in a 'pirated' (or possibly semi-authorised) edition, a short time before Feltrinelli's official edition came out in Milan. The 'pirated' version, however, bore Feltrinelli's imprint and were produced by Mouton, the reputable firm of Dutch printers with whom he was negotiating, and to whom he had sent the manuscript. Declassified documents reveal that the CIA sought to embarrass the… Read More

8° (mm 140x95). Vitello bruno coevo (restauri; sguardie rinnovate). Bella copia, unsophisticated, nell'originale legatura in vitello bruno (sguardie rinnovate)
Very rare second or third edition (see below), rarissima, the first one with the errata.
Palau, III, 53401; Rius, I, 221.
Dodici le Novelas ospitate dall'edizione: La Gitanilla, El Amante liberal, Rinconete y Cortadillo, La Española Inglessa, El Licenciado Vidriera, La Fuerça de la sangre, El Zeloso estremeño, La Illustre Fregona, Las dos Donzellas, A Señora Cornelia, El Casamiento engañoso, La de los perros Cipion y Bergança.
Dopo la princeps pubblicata nell'agosto del 1613 dal "taller que trabajava a nombre de 'Juan de la Cuesta'" - di cui si conoscono sei soli esemplari superstiti - nel 1614 videro la luce tre edizioni: • la presente, pubblicata a Pamplona, "muy cuidada y atenta a corriger erratas"; • l'edizione di Velpio y Huberto Antonio (Bruselas 1614), "que transcribe incluso las erratas evidentes"; • "la famosa… Read More

Londres, 1785.

12mo in red morocco, double gilt fillets, decorated spine, inner gilt edges, gilt edges. Binding of the end of the 19th century.
131 x 80 mm.
First edition "unobtainable today" of the first issue of the "Diable au corps", printed in 1785, one of the most famous erotic novels published simultaneously with the works of Marquis de Sade.
This very rare first edition is decorated with 4 erotic figures.
Published clandestinely in 1785, without the author's consent, this edition delivers to the public the first version of the first part of Le Diable au corps (1803), whose text at the time was still being written by Nerciat.
Le Diable au corps was condemned to destruction by a decision of the Court of Assizes of the Seine, dated August 9, 1842 and by a judgment pronounced by the 6th chamber of the Correctional Court of the Seine on May 12, 1865.


FRENCH
Londres, 1785.
In-12, maroquin rouge, double filet doré, dos orné, dentelle intérieure, tranches dorées. Reliure de la fin du XIXè… Read More

Paris, 1787.
Large 8vo, with an engraved title with erotic fleuron and 12 very neat and free engravings. Each tale occupies 4 pages; the last one ends with a cul-de-lampe, when it is only slightly filled. Full brown grained calf, flat spine, gilt fillet on the edges, red edges. Contemporary binding.
240 x 150 mm.
First edition.
Very rare copy printed on very large Hollande paper with an original drawing. Twelve free tales.
Each tale is preceded by an engraving.
A magnificent copy of one of the most researched erotic books of the eighteenth century. Very rare and preserved in its original binding.


FRENCH
Paris, 1787.
Grand in-8, avec un titre gravé avec fleuron érotique et 12 gravures très soignées et très libres Chaque conte occupe 4 pages ; la dernière se termine par un cul-de-lampe, lorsqu'elle n'est que peu remplie. Plein veau brun granité, dos lisse orné, filet or sur les coupes, tranches rouges. Reliure de l'époque.
240 x 150 mm.
Edition originale.
Rarissime exemplaire imprime… Read More

The Roger Gozdecki Collection of E.E. Cummings includes fine first editions of the poet's primary works, many of them signed, as well as letters, original drawings, and a striking self-portrait. The compete catalogue can be downloaded here: https://mcusercontent.com/90ec68132b3c021c2e6819f62/files/efb04ecd-6b48-f2e4-c217-69ef266902c2/EECUMMINGS.pdf.See this collection at the Rare Books LAX live book fair, October 14-16 at The Proud, just minutes from LAX. For more details and tickets, visit: www.RareBooksLA.com

New York: Charles L. Webster and Company. 1885. First Edition; First Printing. Hardcover. Very Good. Contains the three first printing points: "Huck Decided to Leave" on p. 9; "Him and another Man" listed on p. 87; and "with the was" on p. 57. Photogravure frontispiece of Karl Gerhardt's portrait bust of Clemens, illustrations after E. W. Kemble in the text throughout. Both hinges starting. Rubbing along panel edges. Bumping at panel corners and spine crown. Chipping at spine heel. Light staining on rear end page and both sides of FEP. .

Published by T. Egerton, London; 1817. Third Edition. 2 vols bound as 1. 12mo. Condition: Very Good. Provenance: From the library of David Gilson and Chris Viveash, renowned Jane Austen bibliographers and scholars.2 volumes bound as 1 in contemporary brown cloth binding, appearing to be a remainder binding, of which only 2 are know (Gilson p.42). Title in gilt to the spine. There is some rubbing and soiling to the binding and the spine has been re-backed with the original spine relaid, with a little loss of the original spine at the foot. Inside, there is some spotting, and old water staining to the lower margins throughout, although the pages are in remarkably clean condition for a book of this age. The endpapers are somewhat soiled, with a few discreet and sympathetic repairs. The modern bookplate of Chris Viveash is affixed to the front pastedown, with a pencil annotation just above. Viveash has also added a purchase note in pencil to the rear pastedown. Jane Austen is perhaps the most famous… Read More