Antiquarian and Collectors’ Books

TRAVEL & EXPLORATION. – Archibald R. COLQUHOUN. Across Chryse, Being the Narrative of a Journey of Exploration Through the South China Border Lands from Canton to Mandalay. London: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle, and Rivington, 1883. 2 vols., first edition, 8vo (221 x 137mm.) Portrait frontispiece to each volume, 22 plates, 3 coloured maps, 2 folding including large map showing ‘Proposed Extension of British Burma Railway System’, numerous illustrations in the text, 32pp. publisher’s advertisements to rear of vol. 2. (Toning, some uncut leaves, a 3-inch tear to one map, spotting verso the maps.) Original grey pictorial cloth, gilt lettering to upper covers and spines (staining to spine panels, finger-marks to lower covers, inner hinge of vol. 2 weakened). Provenance: Charles Algernon Moreing, M.P. (bookplates to front pastedowns) (2).

INDIA. – George LAWRENCE. Reminiscences of Forty-Three Years in India… edited by W. Edwards. London: John Murray, 1874. First edition, signed by the author, 8vo (193 x 120mm.) (Spotting to preliminaries and rear leaves.) Contemporary brown half calf, black morocco lettering piece to the spine (extremities rubbed). Note: scarce. Lawrence was- mostly- an effective soldier and administrator. Charles Napier said of him, ‘He is a right good soldier’. Lawrence was present at the storming of Ghazni in 1839, and in Kabul he was appointed political assistant to William Hay Macnaghten where he took part in the retreat from the city. He was appointed assistant political agent in Punjab with control of the Rajputana District. In the second Sikh war of 1848-1849 Lawrence’s popularity kept the native soldiers loyal but they eventually mutinied. Later, he would accompany Charles Napier through the Kohat Pass. During the Indian Mutiny of 1857-1859 he was brigadier-general in Rajputana. He was able to quell the revolts that occurred in the states of Rajputana and the native princes confirmed their loyalty to him in a proclamation.  Provenance: Charles Thomas Lucas, Warnham Court (bookplate to the front pastedown, inscribed to from the author on initial blank).

GUILLEMARD, F.H.H. The Cruise of the Marchesa to Kamschatka & New Guinea. London: John Murray, 1886. 2 vols., first edition, 8vo (210 x 146mm.) Half-titles, 2 hand-coloured lithographed frontispieces of birds by Keulemans, 14 maps and charts, 5 folding. (Toning, heavy spotting to frontispieces and titles.) Contemporary black half morocco over marbled paper-covered boards (extremities rubbed and scuffed, stain to fore-edge of volume 2). Provenance: Stephenson R. Clarke (name inscribed to front-free endpapers). – And a further four volumes (including Perceval Landon’s ‘Lhasa’, 2 vols., 1905, 8vo, and Fridtjof Nansen’s ‘Farthest North’, 2 vols., 1897, 8vo) (6).

LIVINGSTONE, David. Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa. London: John Murray, 1857. First edition, 8vo (213 x 131mm.) 3 lithographed plates, including 1 folding, 1 engraved portrait plate, 20 wood-engraved plates, including 1 folding cross-section, 2 folding maps by J. Arrowsmith to the rear. (Lacking publisher’s advertisements, toning, occasional minor spotting.) Contemporary brown full calf, red morocco lettering piece to the spine, gilt arms of Queen’s College Belfast, g.e. (extremities lightly rubbed). Provenance: Thomas Williams (prize bookplate to front pastedown). – And a further six volumes (Richard Colt Hoare’s ‘A Classical Tour Through Italy and Sicily’, 2 vols.,1819, 8vo, and Frederick W.L. Stockdale’s ‘A Concise Historical & Topographical Sketch of Hastings, Winchelsea, & Rye’, [circa 1817], 8vo, and ‘A Tour to Worthing, or, Idle Hours Not Idly Spent’, 1806, 8vo) (7).

AMERICA. – Henry COPPÉE. Grant and His Campaigns: A Military Biography. New York: Charles B. Richardson, 1866. First edition, 8vo (230 x 139mm.) Engraved portrait frontispiece, tissue-guard, 7 steel-engraved portraits, 4 maps, 4pp. publisher’s advertisements to rear. (Toning, marginal damp-stain and spotting to frontispiece.) 21st century brown half calf over marbled paper-covered boards, black morocco lettering piece to the spine (endpapers replaced). – And a further three related volumes (George B. McClellan’s ‘McClellan’s Own Story’, 1887, 8vo, and Auguste Laugel’s ‘The United States During the War’, 1866, 8vo, and ‘Report of the Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War’, 1865, 8vo) (4).

CIVIL WAR. – Basil W. DUKE. History of Morgan’s Cavalry. Cincinnati: Miami Printing and Publishing Company, 1867. First edition, 8vo (219 x 142mm.) Engraved portrait frontispiece of General John H. Morgan, 10 maps illustrating key campaigns. (Mild toning.) 21st century brown half calf over marbled paper-covered boards, red morocco lettering piece to the spine (endpapers replaced). Note: Basil W. Duke was a confederate general officer and second in command to Morgan, so this is a vivid account of the confederate perspective of the war.

HOLMES, Abiel. The Annals of America, from The Discovery by Columbus in the Year 1492, to the Year 1826. Cambridge: Hilliard and Brown, 1829. 2 vols., second edition, 8vo (224 x 135mm.) (Light spotting to titles, toning.) Contemporary green half calf, two red morocco lettering pieces to the spines (lightly rubbed extremities). Note: with material added after the first edition of 1805 (2).

SLAVERY. – Frederick Law OLMSTED. A Journey in the Seaboard Slave States, with Remarks on their Economy. New York and London: Dix & Edwards and Sampson Low, 1856. First edition, 8vo (184 x 115mm.) Half-title, 4pp. publisher’s advertisements to rear. (Toning, spotting to blanks and occasional scattered spotting.) Original brown blind-stamped cloth (lightly rubbed, slight discolouring to upper cover). Note: an interesting pre-Civil War account of the southern states.

SCHMUCKER, Samuel M. The History of the Civil War in the United States: Its Cause, Origin, Progress and Conclusion… and Biographical Sketches of Its Heroes. Philadelphia, Cincinnati and Boston: Jones Brothers & Co., 1865. 8vo (256 x 171mm.) Numerous steel and wood-engraved plates of battles scenes, maps and diagrams, tissue-guards, 2pp. publisher’s advertisement to rear. (Toning, marginal damp-stain to some leaves.) 20th century green half calf, two red morocco lettering pieces to the spines (endpapers replaced, some sunning to spine). Note: all plates present as per list. Provenance: Andover Free Library (presented to on the blank); W.M. Greene (gift inscribed to on the second blank); D.D. Rennington (gift inscribed from on the initial blank).

AMERICA. Interesting State Papers, From President Washington, M. Fauchet and M. Adet. London: J. Owen and W. Richardson, 1796. 8vo (213 x 128mm.) (Spotting to preliminaries, browning.) Contemporary calf (rebacked, gilt lettering to spine). – And a further volume (‘Message From the President of the United States to the Two Houses of Congress, at the Commencement of the First Session of the Thirtieth Congress, December 7th, 1847’, 1847, 8vo) (2).

BUCKINGHAM, J.S. America, Historical, Statistic, and Descriptive. London: Fisher, Son, & Co., [1841.] 3 vols., first edition, 8vo (221 x 136mm.) 4pp. publisher’s advertisements at front including ‘List of Subscribers’, lithographed portrait frontispiece. (Spotting to portrait, toning, uncut leaves.) Original brown blind-stamped cloth, gilt lettering to spines (lightly rubbed). – And a further two related volumes (W.G. Brownlow’s ‘Sketches of the Rise, Progress, and Decline of Secession; with A Narrative of Personal Adventures Among the Rebels’, 1862, 8vo, and the second edition of ‘Memoirs of Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton, Bart.’ edited by his son Charles Buxton, 1849, 8vo) (3).

SLAVERY. – Thomas Fowell BUXTON. The African Slave Trade and Its Remedy. London: John Murray, 1840. First edition, 8vo (220 x 133mm.) 14pp. ‘Prospectus of the Society for the Extinction of the Slave Trade and For the Civilisation of Africa’ bound-in, engraved folding map as frontispiece. (Toning, occasional pencil mark.) 21st century green half morocco over marbled paper-covered boards, two black morocco lettering pieces to the spine (endpapers replaced). – And a further volume related to slavery (Hinton Rower Helper’s ‘The Impending Crisis of the South: How to Meet It’, 1860, 8vo) (2).

AMERICA. – Charles WILKES. Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition, During the Years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842. London: Ingram, Cooke, and Co., 1852. 2 vols., 8vo (189 x 119mm.) Half-titles, 2 engraved portrait frontispieces, 2 vignettes to titles, 12 engraved plates, 2pp. publisher’s advertisements to rear of each volume. (Mild toning.) 21st century green half morocco over marbled paper-covered boards, two black morocco lettering pieces to the spines (endpapers replaced). – And a further six volumes relating to America (including [Thomas Hamilton’s] ‘Men and Manners in America’, 2 vols., 1833, 8vo, and H. Beecher Stowe’s ‘The Minister’s Wooing’, 1859, 8vo, and Patrick F. Tytler’s ‘Historical View of the Progress of Discovery on the More Northern Coasts of America’, 1833, 8vo, and M. Sear’s ‘The American Politician’, 1842, 8vo, and Sheahan and Upton’s ‘The Great Conflagration. Chicago: Its Past, Present and Future’, 1871, 8vo) (8).

CIVIL WAR. – Raphael SEMMES. Memoirs of Service Afloat, During the War Between the States. Baltimore: Kelly, Piet & Co., 1869. First edition, 8vo (236 x 151mm.) 6 lithographed plates in colour, 1 portrait plate, a later oval portrait illustration mounted verso initial blank, several later illustrations bound-in, a 1p. of hand-written notes relating to ‘The Alabama’ bound-in to rear. (Lacking 2 portrait plates, pp.421-424 supplied from a later edition, occasional soiling, toning.) Late 20th century brown half calf over marbled paper-covered boards, two black lettering pieces to the spine (endpapers replaced). – And a further two volumes (Augustus C. Buell’s ‘Paul Jones, Founder of the American Navy, a History’, 2 vols., 1900, 8vo) (3).

WINE. – André L. SIMON. The Noble Grapes and the Great Wines of France. New York et al.: McGraw-Hill Publishing Company Ltd., 1957. First edition, signed by André L. Simon and with a 2pp. a.l.s. loosely inserted, 4to (267 x 189mm.) Numerous colour plates, vineyard maps to rear. (Toning.) Original parchment-backed red cloth (browning to spine). Note: also includes several duplicate photographs of André L. Simon signing this book. The 2pp. letter from Simon expresses gratitude for the hospitality of Peter Herbert and the fine wines they enjoyed for his 81st birthday party. There is also a typed letter from Simon’s wife, again expressing his thanks, but mentioning that the X-Rays have arrived and that André must have an operation. Provenance: Peter Herbert, late owner of Gravetye Manor (bookplate verso the half-title). – And a further three related volumes (including André L. Simon’s ‘In the Twilight’, signed by the author, 1969, 8vo, and John Fothergill’s ‘Confessions of an Innkeeper’, 1938, 8vo) (4).

HARRIS, Frank. My Life and Loves. Paris: The Obelisk Press, 1945. 4 vols., ‘Authorized Unexpurgated Version’, 8vo (183 x 144mm.) (Toning, some loose leaves, volume I text-block cracked). Contemporary card faux-covers (tape repairs, dust-soiled, worn). Note: Harris’s somewhat self-aggrandising memoirs caused a scandal when they were privately published in 1922, then again in 1925 and 1927. Due to the explicit nature of the sexual revelations about his own life and that of others, this later reprint was bound in covers to conceal the title (4).

ROME. – Guillaume DU CHOUL. Discours de la Religion des Anciens Romaines [with:] Discours sur la Castrametation et Discipline Militaire des Anciens Romains. Lyon: Guillaume Roville, 1581. 4to (230 x 169mm.) 2 parts in 1, woodcut device to title of each part, numerous woodcut illustrations, including some full-page. (Lacking pp.11-14 and pp.27-30 of part 1 and pp.9-16 of part 2, browning and marginal spotting throughout, text-block nearly wholly cracked at Cc2, paper repair to last leaf Ww2, marginal tear to z3.) Near contemporary speckled calf (spine lacking, hinges weakened, heavily rubbed). Note: over 500 woodcut illustrations, mainly of Roman coins and medallions.

BIBLE, In English. [The Bible, Translated according to the Ebrew and Greeke: and conferred with the Best Translations in Divers Languages.] London: deputies of Christopher Barker, 1588. Geneva version. NT title with woodcut architectural border, black letter, double-column, with ‘Booke of Common Prayer’ and ‘Two right profitable and fruitful Concordances’, with ‘Apocrypha’. (Lacking OT title, lacking all before D4 of ‘Book of Common Prayer’, C6 of OT with a 2.5 inch tear, browning, occasional minor soiling, corner creasing, contemporary ink annotation verso last leaf of ‘Common Prayer’ and also verso title of ‘Concordances’.) [Bound with:] Whole Booke of Psalmes. London: John Wolfe for the Assignes of Richard Day, 1586. (Browning, several leaves damp-stained, lacking leaves from F1, last leaves loose.) 4to (208 x 131mm.) Contemporary calf (some loss to spine, heavily rubbed). Provenance: Thomas Mills (ink name to front pastedown); James Gaunt (ink name verso last leaf of ‘Apocrypha’). [Herbert 197].

BIBLE, In English. [The Bible: that is, the Holy Scriptures, contained in the Olde and Newe Testament. Translated according to the Ebrew and Greeke, and conferred with the best translations in divers languages.] London: by the Deputies of Christopher Barker, 1595. Geneva version. NT within decorative woodcut border, double-column, black letter, woodcut initials and illustrations in the text, with ‘Apocrypha’. (Lacking OT title and ‘Adam and Eve’ engraving and 2 preliminary leaves, trimming to margins with text affected, numerous small paper repairs and large paper repairs at I6 and Tttt1, browning, occasional minor soiling, several leaves damp-stained in ‘Apocrypha’.) [Bound with:] The Whole Booke of Psalmes. London: for the Companie of Stationers, 1631. Decorative woodcut border to title, black letter. (Heavily browned, paper repair to N1, lacking last two leaves.) Small folio in 6s (267 x 180mm.) 17th century calf to lower cover, upper cover 18th century mottled calf (rebacked, endpapers replaced, extremities rubbed). Provenance: John Britton (ink name inscribed to rear pastedown). [Herbert 225, but 210 for collation].