Antiquarian and Collectors’ Books

BINDINGS. – Frederick ROBERTS. Forty Years in India. London: Macmillan and Co., Limited, 1900. New Edition, 8vo (200 x 132mm.) Numerous folding maps and plans. (Mild toning.) Contemporary red half morocco Arts and Crafts-style binding, t.e.g. (upper joint splitting). Provenance: J. McMuirtrie (gift inscribed to in ink on half-title). – And a further three volumes (‘Cowper Illustrated by a Series of Views in or near the park of Weston-Underwood Bucks’, 1803, 8vo, and Oliver Goldsmith’s ‘Choice Works’, 1872, 8vo, and W. Bromley-Davenport’s ‘Sport’, 1886, 8vo) (4).

SIGNED BOOK. – Winston S. CHURCHILL. First Journey. London: Heinemann, 1964. Limited edition, this being number 144 of 260 copies signed by Winston S. Churchill, 8vo (214 x 136mm.) Photographic illustrations, map endpapers, inscribed to the limitation page. (Mild toning, faint spotting to fore-edge.) Original red publisher’s sheep (some fading, slightly marked, lacking slipcase). – And a further two volumes by Winston Churchill, with two printed notes (‘A History of the English-Speaking Peoples’, 2 vols. [only], 1956-1956, 8vo) (3).

SIGNED BOOK. – Winston S. CHURCHILL. My Early Life, a Roving Commission. London: Thornton Butterworth, Ltd., 1934. Keystone Library Edition, first impression, inscribed by Winston S. Churchill on the front blank, 8vo (222 x 137mm.) Photographic plates, maps, 1 folding, a loosely inserted typed compliments note from Churchill on ‘Chartwell’ headed paper, loosely inserted publisher’s advertisement. (Toning, corner creasing to compliments note, occasional light spotting.) Original pink cloth (slight spotting), dust-jacket (chipping to top of spine panel, tears with old tape repair to edge of upper panel, finger-marked). Note: The book is inscribed to Arnold Foster: ‘To Arnold Foster, from Winston Churchill, July 1935’. Foster would later serve as a Sub-Lieutenant RNVR at D-Day, taking his LCT onto the Normandy beaches. However, Foster’s connection to Churchill in the 1930’s was very likely through the firm W.D. & H.O. Wills Tobacco Ltd. After Oxford, Foster worked for the Bristol company for many years. It was through the connection between Wills and Bristol University- where Churchill was chancellor from 1929 to 1965- that the two most likely met. Bristol University named one of its most prestigious halls of residence after the tobacco company. And Wills, in turn, printed cigarette cards that featured Churchill’s face many times. Provenance: Arnold Foster (inscribed to by Churchill on the front blank, dated July 1935).

COLLINGWOOD, R.G. The Idea of History. Oxford: at the Clarendon Press, 1946. First edition, 8vo (218 x 132mm.) (Toning, faint corner creasing.) Original green cloth (sunned to spine). Note: an influential work in the philosophy of history that was put together after Collingwood’s death by his student, T.M. Knox. In essence, Collingwood’s belief was that all history ‘is the history of thought’.

SIGNED. – Thomas QUAYLE. General View of the Agriculture and Present State of the Islands on the Coast of Normandy. London: Sherwood, Neely, & Jones et al., 1815. First edition, inscribed by Thomas Quayle on the front blank, 8vo (214 x 122mm.) 4pp. ‘Index’, 2pp. ‘List of Publications of the Board of Agriculture’, 2pp. publisher’s advertisements. (Toning, lacking map.) Near contemporary green straight-grain morocco, gilt borders (upper hinge weakened). Note: scarce. Provenance: ‘Mr. Bath’ (ink inscribed to by Thomas Quayle); James Bros (bookplate to front pastedown).

YORKSHIRE. The Regulations and Establishment of the Household of Henry Algernon Percy, the Fifth Earl of Northumberland, at His Castles of Wresill and Lekinfield in Yorkshire. Begun Anno Domini MDXII. London: [Privately printed:], 1770. Inscribed by the editor [Thomas Percy, Bishop of Bromore], 8vo (218 x 131mm.) Half-title, mounted newspaper clipping related to the book on half-title, 2pp. ‘Index’. (Toning.) Contemporary full crushed morocco, gilt borders, g.e. (rebacked, cloth tape reinforcement to hinges). Provenance: Joseph Aycoffer (ink inscribed to from the editor on half-title); Joseph Henry Straker (bookplate to front pastedown). Note: scarce. An interesting insight into the domestic life of the nobility in the early 16th century. Thomas Percy is better known for his book ‘Reliques of Ancient Poetry’ (1765), which laid the ground for the revival of the ballad form in English poetry of the Romantic period.

ICELANDIC POETRY. – [Thomas PERCY, translator.] Five Pieces of Runic Poetry Translated from the Icelandic Language. London: R. and J. Dodsley, 1763. 8vo (196 x 124mm.) Runic quotations from Egill and Regner engraved to the title-page, initial blank mounted on the front-free endpaper. (Toning, occasional spotting.) Later brown cloth (endpapers replaced).

TRADE CATALOGUES. – R. HOVENDEN & SONS (publisher). Revised and Illustrated Catalogue of Hairdressers’, Sundries, Fittings and Machinery, Perfumery, Combs, Brushes, Cutlery, Mirrors, and all Articles Pertaining to the Hairdressing, Chemists’, Tobacconists’ and Fancy Trades. London: R. Hovenden & Sons, 1892. 8vo (261 x 184mm.) Numerous illustrations. (Toning, occasional spotting.) Original printed wrappers (some soiling, creasing, wear to spine ends). – And a further three related trade catalogues (including another for ‘R. Hovenden & Sons, Ltd., Catalogue Containing a Full List of Hairdressers Sundries’, 1910, 8vo, and ‘Parton, Son & Co.’s, Illustrated Catalogue’, 1896, 8vo, and ‘Osborne Garrett & Co.’s Illustrated Price List of Hairdressers Sundries’, 1889, 8vo) (4).

TRADE CATALOGUES. – Alfred GOSLETT & CO. LTD. (publisher). Modern Furniture. London: Alfred Goslett & Co. Ltd., [circa 1935.] Oblong 4to (216 x 275mm.) Photographic illustrations. (Lacking title, toning.) Original cloth-backed boards (rubbing, fading, light staining, mounted label to upper cover). – And a further five trade catalogues (including ‘A Few Examples of Bedroom Furniture’, published by Maple & Co., [circa 1920], oblong 4to, and William Cooper’s ‘The Gardener’s and Poultry Keepers’ Guide and Illustrated Catalogue of Goods Manufactured and Supplied’, [circa 1910], 8vo, and ‘Catalogue of Live Stock, Poultry, Farm & Dairy Produce, Implements, & Other Exhibits at the Sixtieth Annual Exhibition at Maidstone, June 19th 1899’, 1899, 8vo, and also the ‘Catalogue of the Horses, Cattle, Sheep, Poultry, Butter, Cheese, etc… entered for the Fifty-Sixth Annual Exhibition at Darlington, June 24th 1895’, 1895, 8vo, and the ‘Catalogue of Live Stock, Poultry, Farm & Dairy Produce, Implements etc… at the Sixty-third Annual Exhibition at Carlisle, July 5th 1902’) (6).

MAWE, John. Familiar Lessons on Mineralogy and Geology. London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme et al., 1826. Eighth edition, 12mo (173 x 99mm.) Half-title, 4 engraved hand-coloured plates. (Toning, minor spotting to rear leaves, illegible contemporary ink name to front pastedown.) Contemporary black half calf over marbled paper-covered boards (extremities rubbed). Note: scarce.

[RABAUT, Jean-Paul.] An Impartial History of the French Revolution. Perth: R. Morison Junior for R. Morison & Son, 1795. 2 vols., 12mo (151 x 85mm.) Folding engraved ‘New and Accurate Map of France’, 4 engraved portrait plates. (Heavy spotting Y1-Z2 in vol. 1, occasional browning.) Contemporary tree calf, red morocco lettering pieces to spines (lacking morocco number plate to vol. 1). Provenance: James McLaren (contemporary ink name verso front endpapers) (2).

RUSSIA. – John MOTTLEY. The History of the Life of Peter I. Emperor of Russia. London: J. Read, 1740. 3 vols., second edition, 12mo (162 x 93mm.) 10 engraved plates, including 7 folding, engraved dedications, errata, indices. (Lacking maps, intermittent browning.) Contemporary calf (extremities rubbed, scuffing, minor loss to spine ends). – And a further volume (‘The Scots Scourge: Being a Compleat Supplement to the British Antidote to Caledonian Poison’, [circa 1764], [23 plates, lacking covers], 8vo) (4).

CRIME. – A. NEIL (publisher). The Trial at Large of William Codlin, Captain of the Brig Adventure, John Read, Supercargo, W. MacFarlane and J. Easterby, Owners of the Said Brig… for feloniously destroying the above Vessel, by boring holes in her Bottom, With Intent to Defraud the Underwriters. [London:] A. Neil, [1802.] 12mo (186 x 113mm.) Title, 1p. publisher’s advertisements, original wrappers bound-in. (Browning.) Later half calf over marbled paper-covered boards.

CLAUDIAN. Cl. Claudianus Ex optimorum codicum fide. Amsterdam: Jan Janson, 1628. 32mo (108 x 52mm.) Engraved title, contemporary annotation in Latin to margins. (Worm-hole to margins from M3 to rear, browning.) Contemporary calf (some loss to spine ends and upper cover, brass clasps lacking). – And a further nineteen miscellaneous volumes (including ‘My Own Library, Tilts Hand-Books for Children’, 12 vols. in 6, [circa 1835-1841], 32mo, and Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra’s ‘The History of the Renowned Don Quixote de la Mancha’, 2 vols., [circa 1774], 8vo, and Alain-René Lesage’s ‘Histoire de Gil Blas’, 4 vols., 1769, 16mo, and Thormanby [W. Willmott Dixon]’s ‘Kings of the Turf’, 1898, 8vo) (20).

LINDLEY, John and William HUTTON. The Fossil Flora of Great Britain; or, Figures and Descriptions of the Vegetable Remains Found in a Fossil State in this Country. London: James Ridgway, 1831-1837. 3 vols., 8vo (218 x 128mm.) 231 lithographed plates, tissue-guards, 1 double-paged, several folding. (Offsetting of plates.) Near contemporary brown full calf, gilt borders, two black morocco lettering pieces to the spines (lightly rubbed extremities, minor scuffing, vol. 1 rebacked with spine laid-down, vol. 2 with covers loosening). Provenance: William Taylor (armorial bookplate to vols. 1 and 2 front pastedowns). – And a further three volumes (Sylvanus Hanley’s ‘Index Testaceologicus, an Illustrated Catalogue of British and Foreign Shells’, 1856, 8vo, and Charles A. Hall’s ‘Plant-Life’, 1915, 8vo, and William Buchan’s ‘Domestic Medicine: or, a Treatise on the Prevention and Cure of Diseases’, third edition, 1774, 8vo) (6).

JERSEY. [A Code of Laws for the Island of Jersey. St. Hélier: P.p.: 1771.] First edition, 8vo (177 x 116mm.) Text in French and English, 44pp. ‘Index’, folding table to rear. (Lacking title, table detached, lacking 4 leaves of ‘Index’.) Contemporary calf (hinges weakened, scuffed). – And a further twenty-three volumes related to the law and administration of Jersey (including a second edition of ‘A Code of Laws for the Island of Jersey’, 1860, 8vo, and ‘Lois et Réglemens des États de Jersey, qui ont Recu la Sanction Royale, Depuis 1771’, 1845, 8vo, and ‘Les Manuscrits de Philippe le Geyt, Ecuyer, Lieutenant-Bailli de L’ile de Jersey’, 4 vols., 1846-1847, 8vo, and Philip Falle’s ‘Caesarea; or, an Account of Jersey’, fourth edition, 1835, 8vo, and George S. Syvret’s ‘Chroniques de Jersey’, 1858, 8vo, and M. de la Croix’s ‘La Ville de St. Hélier, Épisode Historique d’ une Histoire Inédite de Jersey’, 1845, 8vo) (24).

STEAD, John (publisher). A Picture of Jersey; or, Stranger’s Companion Through that Island. London: Longman, Hurst, Rees and Orme, 1809. First edition, 8vo (182 x 114mm.) Engraved map frontispiece, 11 aquatint plates including a plan, folding plate of ‘Jersey Signals’ to rear, 1p. publisher’s advertisements. (Toning, marginal creasing and minor soiling to folding plate of ‘Signals’.) Later half calf (endpapers replaced). Provenance: Charlotte Dashwood (ink name to title). – And a further thirty volumes related to Jersey and The Channel Islands (including John Stead’s ‘Caesarea. General History and Description of the Island of Jersey’, [circa 1809], small 4to, and Philip Ouless’ ‘The Death of Major Frs. Peirson 6th January, 1781, Being an Account of the Battle of Jersey’, 1881, 4to, and two copies of J. and E. Harwood’s ‘Illustrations of Jersey’, [circa 1855], oblong 4to, and ‘The Morning Express General Almanac and Directory’, 1863, 8vo and ‘The British Press and Jersey Times Royal Almanac’, 1868, 8vo) (31).

PHAEDRUS. – David van HOOGSTRATEN (translator). Ezopische Fabelen van Fedrus. Amsterdam: Francois Halma, 1704. 4to (263 x 196mm.) Text in Dutch, title in red and black with engraved vignette, additional engraved title with medallion portrait of Ameila of Orange by P. Boutats after J. Goeree, 9 historiated initials, 10 large engraved illustrations, and numerous medallion engraved illustrations in the text by J. van Vianen. (Browning throughout, some moderate spotting, marginal chipping to a few leaves, marginal damp-stain to preliminaries and damp-staining to rear leaves, Y1 with tear, text affected.) 19th century red morocco over marbled paper-covered boards (wear to spine ends, extremities rubbed, faded, covers stained).

SEGG, J.P. & Co. (publisher). London and Fashionable Resorts, (Illustrated): A Complete Guide to the Places of Amusement, Objects of Interest, Parks, Clubs, Markets, Docks, Leading Hotels. London: J.P. Segg & Co., 1895. 4to (268 x 181mm.) Numerous advertisements, leaves with neo-classical borders blocked in gold. (Mild toning.) Original red cloth, decorative gilt, g.e. (slight staining to edges of upper cover, lightly rubbed). Note: at the considerable price of twenty-one shillings, this was an exclusive tourist guide.