Antiquarian and Collectors’ Books

HOLMAN, Dennis. The Elephant People. London: John Murray, 1967. First edition, 8vo (221 x 147mm.) 53 photographs and 2 maps. (Faintest crease and mark to the preliminaries.) Original orange cloth (light browning to spine ends), dust-jacket (mild uniform fading with small crease to rear). Provenance: Tommy Steele (presentation inscription signed by the author 'Tommy Steele, with best wishes, Dennis Holman').

POWELL, Michael. 200,000 Feet on Foula. London: Faber and Faber, 1938. First edition, 8vo (224 x 146mm.) Frontispiece map of Foula, 32 black and white plates. Original grey cloth (faint browning to head and foot of spine), dust-jacket (slight yellowing to spine and shelf wear to spine ends). Note: this was film director Michael's Powell's first book and records in diary form the making of his 1937 film, 'The Edge of the World'.

HOPPUS, Edward. Practical Measuring... made Easy to the Meanest Capacity by a new Set of Tables. London: sold by E. Wickstead, 1738. Second edition, signed by the author, tall 12mo (191 x 74mm.) 1 folding plate. (Some pencil annotation to the front-free endpaper, spotting to the fore-edge.) Polished calf (lightly bumped to extremities).

MINIATURE BOOK. Der Getreue Herzerl Kalendar auf das gemeine Jahr 1797 welches 365 tage enthalt [The Faithful Heart Calendar for the Common Year 1797 which contains 365 days.] Pressburg, [Bratislava]: G. Erhauff (?), 64mo (64 x 41mm.) 10 hand-coloured illustrations. Limp morocco covers, gilt border, elaborate gilt to spine, g.e. (small split to the head of the upper joint).

MINIATURE ALMANACK. The London Almanack for the Year of Christ 1757. [N.p.:] printed for the Company of Stationers, 1757. 24mo (53 x 28mm.) 1 engraved illustration of the British Museum 'or late Montague House', engraved head-piece, hand-colour rear endpaper (a split to backstrip, binding fragile.) Contemporary cloth with hand-painted maritime scene to front and rear cloth covers, g.e., contained within a contemporary shagreen slipcase (some rubbing to edges).

BINDINGS. The Book of Common Prayer, and Administration of the Sacraments… together with the Psalter or Psalms of David. Oxford: printed by the University Printers, 1707. 8vo (162 x 92mm.) Engraved frontispiece of Queen Anne, engraved half-title, title ruled in red and black, 54 full-page engraved plates, leaves and plates ruled in red borders. (Contemporary annotation to the verso of frontispiece.) Contemporary black morocco with silver clasps and mounts, g.e. (missing one clasp, two splits to head and foot of spine).

BIBLE, In English. The Bible… That is, the Holy Scriptures contained in the Old and Newe Testament: translated according to the Ebrew and Greeke, and conferred with the best translations in divers languages. London: Robert Barker, 1610. Title with woodcut borders, verso a cut of the Royal Arms, a colophon at the end of the tables, 1 engraved plate by Theodor Galle, woodcut title to the New Testament (contemporary annotation in ink.) Herbert 304. [bound with:] The Booke of Common Prayer. London: Robert Barker, 1620 [bound with:] The Whole Booke of Psalmes, London: John Windet, 1598. 3 works in 1 vol., 8vo (157 x 113mm.) (Some browning throughout, some insect damage to first and last few leaves, lacking leaves after [G6] of Psalms). Contemporary calf (contemporary annotation to the pastedowns, two metal clasp hinges remaining, some loss to tail of the spine cover).

SMART, Christopher [Mrs Mary MIDNIGHT.] The Nonpareil… or the Quintessence of Wit and Humour: Being a Choice Selection of those Pieces that were most admired in the ever-to-be-remember'd Midwife or, Old Woman's Magazine... London: T. Carnan, 1757. 8vo (164 x 100mm.) Engraved frontispiece. (Frontispiece and front-free endpaper loose, occasional spotting.) Contemporary calf gilt (rubbing to extremities, lacking lettering piece). Note: Christopher Smart was known as 'Mrs. Mary Midnight', the pseudonymous author of satirical pieces for the Midwife magazine.

EROTICA. - Francesco ALGAROTTI ['Calamo LUDIMUS']. Il Congresso di Citera. Parigi (Paris): Appresso Prault, 1756. 16mo (141 x 82mm.) Engraved frontispiece, title vignette and 2 engraved head pieces by Louis Legrand. (Name inscribed to verso of front-free endpaper.) Contemporary calf, triple fillet borders, spine gilt (bumped to all extremities).

HANBURY, William. The History of the Rise and Progress of the Charitable Foundations at Church Langton. London: printed for the benefit of the charity, J. Dodsley, Robinson & Roberts, 1767. 8vo (201 x 122mm.) Errata to rear. (Mild spotting to first and last few leaves, small tears to edge of front-free endpaper.) Original mottled calf, the covers with fillet borders (some loss to spine). Provenance: Joseph Manton (ownership ink inscription to front-free endpaper).

WORLIDGE, John. Vinetum Britannicum: Or, a Treatise of Cider, and Such Other Wines and Drinks that are Extracted from all manner of Fruits Growing in this Kingdom. London: printed by J.C. for Tho. Dring, 1678. First edition, 8vo (175 x 101mm.) 3 engraved plates, a Catalogue of Fruits and an Alphabet Table at rear. (Insect damage at tail of title and through entire textblock, text unaffected.) Later blue cloth (ink title to spine, a crease to upper cover, lacking the front-free endpaper).

HAY, David Ramsay. The Natural Principles of Beauty as Developed in the Human Figure. Edinburgh and London: William Blackwood & Sons, 1852. First edition, 8vo (238 x 139mm.) Frontispiece, 4 plates drawn by the author. (Library blindstamp to all plates and title, occasional finger-marking, last leaf [p.48] is loose) Later black cloth library binding (library labels to front pastedown and front-free endpaper).

SYMMONS, Edward. A Vindication of King Charles: Or, a Loyal Subjects Duty. Manifested in Vindicting his Soveraigne from those Aspersions Cast Upon Him by certaine persons in a scandalous Libel. [N.p. but London:] 1648. Small 4to (180 x 131mm.) Engraved portrait frontispiece, errata to verso of last page. (Some loss below the portrait frontispiece, endpapers replaced.) Later blue cloth library binding.

AINSWORTH, William Harrison. The Combat of the Thirty. London: Chapman & Hall, 1859. First edition, 8vo (196 x 136mm.) (Several finger-marks to margins.) Later red cloth, original pale blue card wrappers bound-in (lacking front-free endpaper). Provenance: James Crossley (presentation inscription signed by the author 'James Crossley, from his old friend, W. Harrison Ainsworth'); Manchester Library (discreet embossed stamp to three text leaves). Note: James Crossley was a childhood friend of Ainsworth and played a considerable role in his early literary life, introducing Ainsworth to William Blackwood, publisher of Blackwood's magazine.

[BEAUMONT, John. An Historical Physiological and Theological Treatise on Spirits; Apparitions Witchcrafts and other Magical Practices. Containing an Account of the Genii or Familiar Spirits, both good and bad, That are Said to Attend Men in This Life. London: printed for D. Browne, 1731.] 8vo (196 x 126mm.) (Lacking the frontispiece, title and 14pp. to the rear, contemporary ink to the address to the reader, a few pencil marks within text, light browning.) Contemporary panelled calf, (worn, covers detached).

BERGMAN, Torbern. Physical and Chemical Essays. London, Edinburgh, etc.: 1784. (2 vols.), [and] A Dissertation on Elective Attractions. London & Edinburgh: 1785. (1 vol). First editions in English, together 3 vols., 8vo (206 x 122mm.) 4 engraved folding plates and 1 folding table only (of 2) to first work. (1 folding plate torn and neatly repaired, lacking all tables to second work, some light browning and occasional ink annotations by an unidentified hand, ink stain to fore-edge of vol. I). Near contemporary cloth (extremities bumped and soiled, joints splitting). Provenance: City and Guilds College Library (inkstamp to front pastedowns and shelf reference to spines).

CHAPTAL, Jean Antoine Claude. Elements of Chemistry. London: printed for G.G.J. and J. Robinson, 1791. First editions in English, 3 vols., 8vo (205 x 127mm.) (Occasional light soiling.) Near contemporary cloth (extremities somewhat bumped, cloth wrinkled, spines faded and joints splitting.) Provenance: City and Guilds College Library (inkstamp to front pastedowns and shelf reference to spines).

CRUICKSHANK, George, and others (illustrators). The Comic Almanack. London: Chatto & Windus, 1912. First and second series, 8vo (177 x 108mm.) Numerous plates and illustrations. Contemporary red calf gilt, by Sangorski and Sutcliffe for Henry Morgan & Co Ltd., the spines in six unequal compartments with raised bands, black morocco lettering pieces to the second and third, the other compartments with repeat decoration in gilt, g.e. (spines slightly darkened).

BINDINGS. - Charles KINGSLEY. [The Works]. London: Macmillan & Co., 1896-1898. Mixed editions, 10 vols., 8vo. (185 x 120mm.) Engraved frontispiece of author to front of 'Westward Ho!' and another frontispiece to 'At Last' with tissue-guards. (Some spotting to all fore-edges and occasionally to preliminaries.) Contemporary half-calf, the spines gilt in six compartments with raised bands, lettered in the second and third, the other compartments with repeat foliate decoration in gilt, t.e.g. (10).