Antiquarian and Collectors’ Books

JAPAN. – Basil Hall CHAMBERLAIN. Things Japanese Being Notes on Various Subjects Connected with Japan For the Use of Travellers and Others. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co., Ltd., 1891. Second edition, revised and enlarged, 8vo (197 x 129mm.) Folding colour map, index, 1p. publisher’s advertisement to rear, illegible ink name to front-free endpaper, dated 1895. (Endpapers heavily browned, spotting to title and last leaves, toning.) Original black cloth, gilt lettering to upper cover and spine (spine ends rubbed, minor scuffing). – And a further ten volumes related to Japan (including Yoshio Markino’s ‘A Japanese Artist in London’, 1910, 8vo, and Lafcadio Hearn’s ‘Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things’, 1905, 8vo, and Lafcadio Hearn’s ‘In Ghostly Japan’, 1905, 8vo, and Joseph Heco’s ‘The Narrative of a Japanese’, 2 vols., facsimile editions, [1950], 8vo) (11).

AFRICA. – Samuel White BAKER. The Albert N’Yanza, Great Basin of the Nile, and Explorations of the Nile Sources. London: Macmillan and Co., 1866. 2 vols., first edition, 8vo (216 x 134mm.) Engraved portrait frontispiece, tinted lithograph frontispiece, 12 wood-engraved plates, illustrations in the text, folding map with outline hand-colouring, another map with outline hand-colouring. (A crease tear to folding map, toning, marginal spotting to frontispieces.) Near contemporary purple full morocco, gilt borders, g.e. (lightly rubbed) (2).

SOUTH AMERICA. – James W. WELLS. Exploring and Travelling Three Thousand Miles Through Brazil: from Rio De Janeiro to Maranhao. London: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington, 1886. 2 vols., first edition, 8vo (213 x 128mm.) Half-title, frontispieces with tissue-guards, 4 maps, including 2 large folding maps in colour, numerous illustrations in the text. (Toning, minor scattered spotting and to maps, small tears to map creases.) Late 20th century dark green half calf over teal cloth, black morocco lettering pieces to the spines (endpapers replaced, minor nicks) (2).

MARSH, George P. Man and Nature; or, Physical Geography as Modified by Human Action. London: Sampson Low, Son and Marston, 1864. First edition, 8vo (214 x 133mm.) Title, ‘Index’. (Toning, lacking publisher’s advertisements.) Contemporary full morocco, black and brown morocco lettering pieces to the spine, gilt and blind-stamped borders, g.e. (sunned to spine, scuffed, extremities rubbed). Note: an early work in environmental studies.

OVIDIUS, Naso (Publius). – George Sandys (translator). Ovid’s Metamorphosis Englished by G.S. London: [William Stansby], 1626. Small folio signed in 4s (241 x 155mm.) Engraved title by T. Cecill laid down, ‘The Minde of the Frontispiece’ poem mounted verso title, heavily annotated in a near contemporary hand to margins. (Lacking the portrait of Ovid, lacking Ss6 the final imprimatur leaf, the dedication had been printed over the title-page which is laid-down, browning, occasional minor soiling, marginal loss to O1, text slightly affected.) Contemporary calf, blind-stamped (calf peeling at upper joint). Note: the annotations are both legible and informative. George Sandys worked on this translation while employed as a treasurer in the colony of Virginia in the period 1621-1625. It makes this the first major literary work written in America. Provenance: Lewis Spencer (ink name to first blank); Arb. Reeves (ink name to A1).

CLARKE, Hewson. An Impartial History of the Naval, Military and Political Events from the Commencement of the French Revolution to the Entrance of the Allies into Paris. Bungay, Suffolk: by Brightly & Childs, [1816-1817.] 3 vols., 4to (253 x 203mm.) 11 engraved maps, 1 engraved portrait. (Lacking all portrait plates except one, lacking frontispieces, occasional light spotting.) Contemporary full marbled calf, gilt ruled (light rubbing, minor scuffing) (3).

EROTICA. – Paul-Émile BÉCAT (illustrator) and Jacotus BREDEDIN. La Femme confidences intimes… Paris: Éditions de L’Ibis, 1968. Limited edition, being number 188 of 700 copies only, 4to (283 x 224mm.) 15 colour drypoint etchings, extra suite of 15 in black and white with 1 printed on silk. Original card wrappers printed in pink, original pink and black cloth clamshell box, with ties (rubbed at corners). – And a further eleven volumes of French erotica (including ‘Oeuvres Choisies de Pierre Louÿs’, 1949, and L’ Abbé Prévost ‘Histoire du Chevalier des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut’, limited edition being number 22 of 475 copies, 1941, 4to, and Antoine Hamilton’s ‘Zeneyde’, illustrated by M. Uzelac, limited edition being number 21 of 395 copies, 4to, and ‘Mémoires d’un Eunuque’, illustrated by Pierre-Laurent Brenot, limited edition being number 261 of 700 copies, 1966, 4to, and ‘Quelques Contes ou Nouvelles de la Reine de Navarre’, 1932, 4to) (12).

BARTHES, Roland. Erté… edited by Franco Maria Ricci. Parma: M. Nino Amoretti, 1973. Limited edition, this being number 575 of 1500 copies only, folio (349 x 233mm.) 76 mounted colour plates after Erté on blue-grey paper. (Mild toning.) Original black cloth with mounted plate to upper cover (extremities rubbed, hinges slightly weakened), original black cloth box (lightly rubbed).

MORAND, Paul. New-York. Paris: Ernest Flammarion, 1931. Limited edition, this being number 122 of 215 copies, 4to (328 x 248mm.) 10 full-page lithographs by Adriaan Lubbers, illustrations in the text. (Mild toning.) Original printed card covers (wear to spine ends, crease to spine).

EROTICA. – Jacques VIALETAY (publisher). Proverbes, Quatrains, Bon Vieux Temps. [Paris: Jacques Vialetay, circa 1945.] 3 vols., limited edition being one of 300 copies, 8vo (250 x 163mm.) Hand-coloured pochoir illustrations of erotic scenes from 18th century aristocratic France, loose as issued, monogrammed ‘G.M.’ Original wrappers with hand-coloured pochoir illustrations to upper wrappers. Note: scarce (3).

MACKINNON, J.P. and Sydney SHADBOLT. The South African Campaign. 1879. London: Sampson, Low, Marston, Searle, and Rivington, 1880. First edition, 4to (304 x 233mm.) Half-title, 2 folding maps, 61 oval mounted photographic portraits. (Toning to margins.) Original green cloth, gilt lettering to spine and upper cover, g.e. (rebacked with original spine laid-down, slight rubbing and minor scuffing). Provenance: Edward Charles Malet de Carteret (armorial bookplate to front pastedown).

LONDON. – A.H. THOMAS and I.D. THORNLEY (editors). The Great Chronicle of London. London and Aylesbury: George W. Jones, 1938. Limited edition, this being number 116 of 500 copies only, this one inscribed by Lord Wakefield of Hythe, 4to (301 x 203mm.) Half-title, title in red and black, facsimile plates, loosely inserted ‘Order of Service’ for the funeral of Lord Wakefield. (Toning.) Original morocco by Zaehnsdorf, armorial gilt of Corporation of London to upper cover, t.e.g. (some loss to edge of upper cover). Note: inscribed on the front pastedown by Lord Wakefield, formerly Lord Mayor of London, who wrote the ‘Foreword’ to book. He also gave the original manuscript of the ‘Great Chronicle...’ to the Library Committee of the Corporation of the City of London. Provenance: A.C. Davis (presentation bookplate to the front pastedown).

TUER, Andrew W. History of the Horn-Book. London: The Leadenhall Press, 1897. Second edition, 4to (253 x 184mm.) Half-title, engraved frontispiece with tissue-guard, hand-coloured vignette to title, folding plate, numerous illustrations, 3 facsimile horn specimens of oak, ivory and card in pocket at rear of book, 2pp. publisher’s advertisements to rear. (Toning.) Original brown cloth, morocco label to spine (extremities rubbed, minor scuffing to lower cover). Note: a non-transferable ivory exemption certificate has been granted for the sale of this item, together with SHARP, Samuel. Letters From Italy, Describing the Customs and Manners of that Country, in the Years 1765, and 1766. London: R. Cave, 1766. First edition, 8vo (206 x 123mm.) Title, errata leaf to rear. Contemporary half calf (upper cover detached, spine ends worn). Provenance: Caxton Hall (bookplate to front pastedown). Note: Sharp was a surgeon at Guy’s Hospital and his work ‘Treatise on the Operations of Surgery’, 1739, was the first British study on the technique of surgery. However, due to ill health he took the winter in Italy where he wrote this plain-speaking work. Samuel Johnson liked it. He said ‘there’s a great deal of matter’ in it. – And a further two volumes (G. Fontanini’s ‘Biblioteca Dell’ Eloquenza Italiana’, vol. 2 [only, of 2], 1753, 4to, and Peter Paul Pallet’s ‘Bath Characters: or, Sketches from Life’, second edition, 1808, 8vo) (3).

SHAKESPEARE, William. – A.T. BARTON (translator). Gulielmi Shakespeare Carmina Quae Sonnets Nuncupantur Latine reddita ab al vredo Thoma Barton. London: Medici Society, 1913. Limited edition, this being number 139 of 150 copies only, 4to (246 x 156mm.) Title printed in black and blue, 8pp. publisher’s prospectus loosely inserted. (Toning.) Original wrappers (chipped, sunned to spine, ink note to spine and upper wrapper). Provenance: Christ’s Hospital (embossed stamps to upper wrapper and first blank); Richard Lee (portrait presentation plate verso upper wrapper). Note: a somewhat peculiar translation of Shakespeare’s sonnets into Latin. – And a further six miscellaneous volumes (including G.W. Hill and W.H. Frere’s ‘Memorials of Stepney Parish’, [maps torn], 1890-1891, 8vo, and Thomas Dekker’s ‘The Seven Deadly Sins’, 1905, 4to, and Mark Beaufoy’s ‘Nautical and Hydraulic Experiments’, 1834, 4to) (7).

HORSFIELD, Thomas Walker. The History, Antiquities, and Topography of the County of Sussex. Lewes: Sussex Press, Baxter and Nichols and Son, 1835. 2 vols., first edition, 4to (319 x 248mm.) 2 engraved frontispieces, 54 engraved plates, tissue-guards, 2 large engraved folding maps of Sussex, numerous illustrations in the text. (Marginal spotting throughout, heavily damp-stained frontispiece to vol. 2, browning and crease tears to maps, blanks replaced, marginal paper repairs to vol. 1.) Late 20th century brown half calf over marbled paper-covered boards, red morocco lettering pieces to the spines (endpapers replaced, minor marks) (2).

MANUSCRIPT. [A chronological record of historical events occurring between the years 1789 to 1837. N.p.: 1830-1840.] 256pp., manuscript, tall 8vo (304 x 191mm.) A single legible and even but very small hand, often writing approx. 65 lines per page, chronicling the recent history of European and international countries, citing sources, with Contents, Index, notes on how to read the work etc., numerous blank leaves to rear. (Toning.) Contemporary green straight-grain half morocco over marbled paper-covered boards, gilt lettering to spine (extremities rubbed, spine scuffed). Note: a conscientiously ordered and neatly written record of political and economic events, including individual entries for numerous South American countries for most years. The author cites Mayo’s ‘Universal History’, Cooke’s ‘Modern Europe’, the ‘Edinburgh Annual Register’, ‘The General Annual Register’, and William Belsham’s ‘Memoirs of the Reign of George III’ as some of his sources.

MANTELL, Gideon. The Fossils of the South Downs; or, Illustrations of the Geology of Sussex. [London: Lupton Relfe, 1822.] First edition, 4to (298 x 232mm.) Half-title, 4pp. ‘Subscribers’, 40 aquatint and engraved plates by Mrs. Mantell, including 1 hand-coloured geological map and 3 hand-coloured geological section plates and 2 folding plates, bound-in publisher’s note, 1p. publisher’s advertisement to rear. (Title page with publisher’s detail torn away, spotting to frontispiece, first leaves with marginal tear, marginal spotting to some plates, 1 colour plate loosening, browning.) Later black morocco-backed green cloth, gilt lettering and reference to spine. Provenance: ‘Lady Crewe’ (ink name inscribed to title); West Sussex Reference Library (labels to pastedowns and stamps). – And a further two volumes (William Berry’s ‘County Genealogies. Pedigrees of the Families in the County of Sussex’, 1830, folio, and William Turner’s ‘A Compleat History of the Most Remarkable Providences, both of Judgement and Mercy, Which have Happened in this Present Age’, 1697, folio) (3).

CRICKET. The Bodyline Tour England v. Australia 1932-33. Oxford: Timeframed Limited, 2000. Limited edition, being number 182 of 500 copies only, oblong folio (375 x 489mm.) Numerous mounted and some loosely inserted facsimiles under protective tissue and plastic, illustrations. Original half red morocco over green cloth, gilt lettering to upper cover, original slipcase.

SCOTT, Walter. [The Waverley Novels.] Edinburgh: Adam and Charles Black, 1851-1852. 48 vols., 8vo (162 x 97mm.) 48 engraved frontispieces and additional engraved titles. (Toning, offsetting to additional plates.) Contemporary half calf over marbled paper-covered boards, red and green morocco lettering pieces to spines (some volumes rebacked, scuffing and sunning to several spines, spine ends rubbed) (48).