Antiquarian and Collectors’ Books

[COOMBE, William.] - George CRUIKSHANK (illustrator). The Life of Napoleon, a Hudibrastic Poem in Fifteen Cantos by Doctor Syntax. London: T. Tegg, 1815. First edition, 8vo (227 x 138mm.) Hand-coloured aquatint title, 29 hand-coloured plates. (1 plate loosening, a tear to K3 and tears to G7, spotting throughout.) Contemporary half calf (loss to spine ends, upper cover loosening). [Tooley, 151.] - And a further fifteen volumes related to A. Wellesley, Duke of Wellington (including [Robert Southey's] 'Campaigns of Arthur, Duke of Wellington', 1822, 8vo) (16).

SOWERBY, John Edward. English Botany; or, Coloured Figures of British Plants. London: George Bell & Sons, 1877-1887. 12 vols., third edition, 8vo (253 x 171mm.) Half-titles, 1937 hand-coloured lithographed plates mounted on guards, several double-paged. (Toning, soiling to plate 59, chipping to margins of plates 1600 and 1601, plates all disbound in volumes 1-3, 5, 7, and 10-12, text-blocks cracked.) Contemporary green half morocco (8 volumes, worn) and 20th century half green morocco (4 volumes, lightly rubbed). Provenance: Hyde Institute (bookplates to front pastedowns, embossed stamp to titles) (12).

WARREN, Henry C. West Country (Somerset, Devon, Cornwall). London: B.T. Batsford Ltd., 1938. First edition, 8vo (209 x 132mm.) Numerous photographic illustrations. (Spotting, browning.) Original blue cloth (spine ends bumped), dust-jacket (fading, extremities rubbed). - And a further fifty-seven volumes published by Batsford (58).

SIGNED BOOKS. - James 'Jimmy' CAGNEY. London: New English Library, 1976. First U.K. edition, signed by James Cagney, 8vo (205 x 131mm.) Numerous photographic illustrations. (Mild toning.) Original black cloth, dust-jacket (spine ends bumped). - And a further thirty-eight volumes, mainly autobiographies, all signed or autographed (including Jean Shrimpton's 'An Autobiography', 1990, 8vo, and Spike Milligan's 'It Ends with Magic…', 1990, 8vo, and June Havoc's 'More Havoc', 1980, 8vo) (39).

SIGNED BOOKS. - Wladziou Valentino LIBERACE. Liberace Cooks! Recipes From His Seven Dining Rooms… as told to Carol Traux. New York: Doubleday & Company Inc., 1971. First edition, signed by Liberace and Carol Traux, 8vo (232 x 150mm.) Numerous colour photographic illustrations. (Toning.) Original white-backed blue cloth (minor spotting to spine). - And a further forty-three volumes, mainly autobiographical, all signed or autographed (including Spike Milligan's 'Monty, His Part in my Victory', 1976, 8vo, and Ken Russell's 'A British Picture', 1989, 8vo, and Janet Dunbar's 'Flora Robson', 1960, 8vo, which is signed 'from the victim of this book, best wishes, Flora Robson') (44).

SHAKESPEARE, William. The Works… edited by Howard Staunton. London: George Routledge and Sons, 1881. 15 vols. Limited edition, being number 663 of 1000 copies of the 'Edition de luxe', 4to (270 x 182mm.) Portrait frontispiece, numerous mounted plates after John Gilbert. (Spotting to blanks, browning to limitation leaves, toning.) Original grey cloth, paper titles mounted to spines (some wear to spine ends, rubbing to extremities, minor soiling) (15).

ZANGWILL, Israel. The Works. London: Globe Publishing Co., Ltd. 14 vols. Limited 'Edition de luxe', this being number 517 of 1000 signed copies, 8vo (219 x 132mm.) Colour plates. (Toning.) Near contemporary half black morocco over tan cloth-covered boards, t.e.g. Provenance: Neville Blond, textile industrialist and philanthropist (bookplates to front pastedowns). - And a further thirteen volumes ('The Memoirs of Giacomo Casanova di Seingalt' translated by Arthur Machen, 12 vols., 1922, 4to, and the Willy Pogany illustrated 'The Tale of Lohengrin, Knight of the Swan after the Drama of Richard Wagner', [1913], 4to) (27).

MOSHEIM, John Laurence. An Ecclesiastical History, Ancient and Modern… translated by Archibald Maclaine. London: T. Cadell et al., 1826. 6 vols., new edition, 8vo (216 x 128mm.) (Toning, spotting to rear leaves of volume 6 only.) Near contemporary tan straight-grain morocco with two black morocco lettering pieces to the spines (light rubbing, small split to upper joint of volume 4, occasional scuffing). - And a further twenty-three volumes, historical and religious (including I. Watts' 'Sermons on Various Subjects, Divine and Moral', 1751-52, 2 vols., 8vo) (29).

SIGNED BOOKS. - Tony CURTIS. American Prince: My Autobiography. London: Virgin Books, 2008. Limited edition, this being number 543 of 1000 signed copies, 8vo (233 x 146mm.) Photographic illustrations. Original white cloth-backed over blue-cloth boards, slipcase. - And a further forty-five volumes of autobiography, all signed (including Lauren Bacall's 'By Myself', 2005, 8vo, and Madeleine Albright's 'Madam Secretary', 2003, 8vo, and A.A. Gill's 'Table Talk', 2007, 8vo) (46).

SIGNED BOOKS. - George Macdonald FRASER. Flashman on the March. London: HarperCollins, 2005. First edition, first impression, signed by the author, 8vo (234 x 148mm.) Signed by author to a mounted plate on title-page. (Mild toning.) Original red cloth, dust-jacket. - And a further thirty-seven volumes of contemporary fiction, all signed (including Ralph Steadman's 'Garibaldi's Biscuits', 2008, 4to, but the slipcase edition of Peter Nicholls' 'One Day', 2009, 8vo, is unsigned) (38).

SIGNED BOOKS. - Geoff HURST. 1966 and All That. London: Headline, 2001. Limited edition, this being number 1075 of 1100 copies signed by Geoff Hurst, 8vo (233 x 146mm.) Photographic illustrations. (Toning.) Original blue cloth, g.e., slipcase. Note: includes a signed print celebrating publication of the book. - And a further twenty-six volumes related to sport, all signed (including George Best's 'Scoring at Half-Time', 2003, 8vo) (27).

SIGNED BOOKS. - Charles BRONSON. Loonyology. Clacton-on-Sea: Apex Publishing Ltd., 2008. First edition, signed by Charles Bronson, 8vo (228 x 152mm.) Photographic illustrations. (Crease to first text leaf, toning.) Original black cloth (spine ends bumped), dust-jacket (rubbed to extremities). Note: signed on a mounted paper slip that reads: 'www.freebronson.co.uk (join the fight), Charles Bronson, 2008'. - And a further thirty-two volumes related to crime, all signed (including a book inscribed by Ronnie Kray, being Stephen B. Oates' 'To Purge This Land With Blood', 1970, 8vo, and Frankie Fraser and James Morton's book 'Mad Frank's London', 2001, 8vo, signed by 'Mad' Frankie Fraser, and another volume inscribed by Charles Bronson and signed by its author, Bob Mee's 'Bare Fists', 1998, 8vo, including a Certificate of Authenticity relating to the signatures of both Bob Mee and Charles 'Bronson' Salvador) (33).

SIGNED BOOKS. - Colin MACKENZIE. Biggs, the World's Most Wanted Man. New York: William Morrow and Company, Inc., 1975. First U.S. edition, signed and inscribed by Ronnie Biggs, 8vo (208 x 132mm.) (Mild toning.) Original black cloth-backed boards (slight spine lean, fading to spine, lightly rubbed). Note: the inscription reads: 'Piers, May you write a better book than this one! Best wishes- especially for the future! Ron Biggs, Rio de Janeiro 1977'. Provenance: 'Piers' (gift inscribed to by Ronnie Biggs verso the half-title); John Cushman Associates (name-plate on the front-free endpaper). - And a further twenty-six volumes related to crime, all signed (including Ronnie Biggs' 'Odd Man Out', signed in Rio, 1994, 8vo, and Bruce Reynolds' 'Crossing the Line', 2003, 8vo) (27).

DULAC, Edmund (illustrator). The Sleeping Beauty and other fairy tales… retold by Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1981. 4to (253 x 187mm.) 30 tipped-in colour plates with tissue-guards. Original brown morocco, gilt decorated, g.e., slipcase (minor rubbing to corners). - And a further thirty-one volumes, most illustrated (including J.M. Barrie's 'Peter Pan and Wendy' illustrated by Mabel Lucie Attwell, 1979, 4to, and a signed copy [limited edition, being number 3 of 1025 copies] of J.B. Priestley's 'Angel Pavement', 1930, 8vo) (32).

WHISTLER, Laurence and Ronald FULLER. The Work of Rex Whistler. London: Batsford, 1960. First edition, 4to (299 x 220mm.) Numerous illustrations. (Toning, occasional minor spotting.) Original green cloth, gilt decoration to upper cover, dust-jacket (faint spotting to upper panel, creasing at top of spine). - And a further thirty-seven volumes (including Barbara Jones' 'Follies and Grottoes', 1953, 8vo, and fifteen Shell Guides) (38).

HICKS, David. On Living - With Taste. London: Leslie Frewin, 1968. First edition, 4to (306 x 232mm.) Numerous photographic illustrations. (Toning.) Original turquoise cloth (lightly bumped), dust-jacket (toned). - And a further six volumes by David Hicks (including 'On Decoration - With Fabrics', 1971, 4to, and 'On Decoration - 5', 1972, 4to) (7).

ART REFERENCE. - Mark LAIRD and Alicia WEISBERG-ROBERTS (editors). Mrs. Delany & Her Circle. London and New Haven: Yale University Press, 2009. First edition, 4to (289 x 240mm.) Numerous illustrations. (Toning.) Original black cloth, dust-jacket. - And a further thirty-one volumes relating to art reference and interiors (including 'The First Georgians, Art & Monarchy 1714-1760', 2014, 4to, edited by Desmond Shawe-Taylor, and Jeanette Hanisee Gabriel's 'The Gilbert Collection, Micromosaics', 2000, 4to) (32).

COUNTRY HOUSES. - Eileen HARRIS. The Country Houses of Robert Adam. London: Aurum Press Limited, 2007. First edition, 4to (305 x 248mm.) Numerous photographic illustrations. (Mild toning.) Original black cloth, dust-jacket. - And a further forty volumes relating to country houses (including Roger White's 'Cottages Ornés', 2017, 4to) (41).

NICHOLSON, William. An Alphabet. London: William Heinemann, 1898. 'Library Edition', folio (400 x 317mm.) Title with publisher's device in colour, 26 colour lithographed plates on wove paper tipped-in with brown backing sheets. (Lacking advertisement at rear, minor discolouring and fading to the backing sheets, letter 'V' with marginal creasing, letter 'D' loosening.) Original cloth (worn). Provenance: Hugh Charles Knowles (bookplate to the front pastedown).