Fine Bindings and Sets

Orwell, George

Nineteen Eighty-Four.

London : Secker & Warburg, 1949.

First edition of Orwell’s classic dystopian novel. Octavo, bound in full leather by Exeter Bookbinders in a limited edition binding with a striking glass eye onlay and three titanium skull-shaped buttons to the front panel, pictorial endpapers with a collage of George Orwell’s eyes and two flaps to the front pastedown that open to revealContinue reading "Nineteen Eighty-Four."

Churchill, Winston S

Marlborough: His Life and Times.

London : George G. Harrap & Company, 1933-36.

Rare original publisher’s advance proofs of the first edition of the first three volumes of Churchill’s important biography of his notable ancestor, John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough. Octavo, 3 volumes, original wrappers, illustrated with, maps, plans, plates and document facsimiles. In very good condition with Vol. II in a good dust jacket, possibly aContinue reading "Marlborough: His Life and Times."

Cervantes, Miguel de. Translated by Charles Jarvis

The Adventures of Don Quixote De La Mancha; Translated From the Spanish of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra.

London : J. & R. Tonson and R. Dodsley, 1742.

First edition of Jarvis’ translation of Cervantes’ masterpiece, with the eight page translator’s preface present in volume one. Quarto, two volumes, bound in full contemporary calf with gilt titles and ruling to the spine in seven compartments within raised gilt bands, all edges stained red, double gilt ruling to the front and rear panel. IllustratedContinue reading "The Adventures of Don Quixote De La Mancha; Translated From the Spanish of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra."

Crowley, Aleister

The Works of Aleister Crowley.

Foyers : Society For The Propagation of Religious Truth, 1905-1907.

First collected edition, “Essay Competition” issue of the collected writings of the noted occult writer. Octavo, three volumes bound into one as issued in the original publisher’s limp linen with gilt titles to the front panel, top edge gilt with others untrimmed. Boldly signed by the author on the second free endpaper, “With Mr. AleisterContinue reading "The Works of Aleister Crowley."

Ethiopian Coptic Ge’ez Bible.

Ethiopia C. 18th Century.

Rare illustrated Ethiopian Coptic Ge’ez Bible. Duodecimo, bound with twine between two wood blocks carved with ornate patterns and hand-painted miniatures to the verso of each board with depictions of the Crucifixion of Jesus and the Arrest of Jesus, parchment manuscript in black and red ink. The book measures 4.25 inches in height by inchesContinue reading "Ethiopian Coptic Ge’ez Bible."

Dickens, Charles

Memoirs of Joseph Grimaldi. Edited by “Boz.”

London : Richard Bentley, 1838.

First edition in the rare original cloth of Dickens’ popular retelling of the memoirs of celebrated English clown Joseph Grimaldi. Octavo, two volumes, original pink cloth with floral design stamped in blind, gilt titles and detailing of a clown to the spine, frontispiece portrait of Grimaldi, with 11 illustrations by George Cruikshank. Mixed state withContinue reading "Memoirs of Joseph Grimaldi. Edited by “Boz.”"

Huxley, Aldous

Brave New World.

London : Chatto & Windus, 1932.

First edition of Huxley’s masterpiece. Octavo, bound in full leather by Exeter Bookbinders in a unique binding of a blue suit jacket and three titanium skull-shaped buttons to the front panel, gilt titles to the spine, “Bernard Marx” in gilt on the front panel. In near fine condition. Ownership inscription to the copyright page, “Yes!!!!Continue reading "Brave New World."

Dickens, Charles

The Personal History of David Copperfield.

London : Bradbury & Evans, 1850.

First edition in book form of “the most perfect of all the Dickens novels” (Virginia Woolf). Octavo, bound in three quarter calf over marbled boards by Henry Sotheran, morocco spine label lettered in gilt, elaborate gilt tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, marbled endpapers, all edges marbled. Illustrated with 40Continue reading "The Personal History of David Copperfield."

Marshman, Joshua [Confucius]

The Works of Confucius; Containing the Original Text, With a Translation. [The Analects of Confucius].

Serampore : Printed at the Mission Press, 1809.

First English translation of the Analects of Confucius printed at Serampore, the first major center of English printing in Chinese. Quarto, Vol. I [all published], bound in modern half calf, gilt-lettered morocco spine label, gilt stamping to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, half-title, 4pp. errata, Chinese and English text, without theContinue reading "The Works of Confucius; Containing the Original Text, With a Translation. [The Analects of Confucius]."

Cruikshank, George

George Cruikshank’s Fairy Library: Hop-O’My-Thumb and the Seven-League Boots.

London : David Bogue, 1853.

First edition of this retelling of the classic French fairy tale. Duodecimo, bound in three-quarters morocco by W.J. Mansell with gilt titles and tooling to the spine in three compartments within raised gilt bands, gilt ruling to the front and rear panels, top edge gilt, marbled endpapers, frontispiece, and illustrated with six etchings by GeorgeContinue reading "George Cruikshank’s Fairy Library: Hop-O’My-Thumb and the Seven-League Boots."

Stowe, Harriet Beecher

Uncle Tom’s Cabin; Or, Life Among the Lowly.

Boston and Cleveland : John P. Jewett and Jewett, Proctor & Worthington, 1852.

First edition, first issue of the author’s classic work. Octavo, two volumes, bound in full brown morocco with gilt titles and ruling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, double gilt ruling to the front and rear panels, top edges gilt, gilt inner dentelles, striped endpapers, illustrated with title vignettes and sixContinue reading "Uncle Tom’s Cabin; Or, Life Among the Lowly."

Dumas, Alexandre. [Alexander]

The Works of Alexandre Dumas.

Boston : Estes and Lauriat, 1893-1896.

The Edition De Luxe of the works of Alexandre Dumas, limited to one thousand numbered copies. Octavo, 40 volumes bound in three quarter morocco with gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, top edge gilt, marbled endpapers, frontispiece with captioned tissue guard to each volume, illustrated with platesContinue reading "The Works of Alexandre Dumas."

Twain, Mark. [Samuel L. Clemens]

A Tramp Abroad.

Hartford, Conn : American Publishing Company, 1880.

First edition, first printing of Twain’s classic fictionalized account of his walking tour of central and southern Europe, with the frontispiece in the first state and misprints (p. 37, line 7 up, “fee” for “feel,” p. 46, line 11, “2oo” for “200,” p. 414, line 9 up, “spirting” for “spurting,” p. 465, line 4, “stuck”Continue reading "A Tramp Abroad."

Yeats, W.B. Edited by Peter Allt and Russel K. Alpach [William Butler]

The Variorum Edition of the Poems of W.B. Yeats.

New York : The Macmillan Company, 1957.

The Variorum signed limited edition of this classic collection of poetry by the Nobel Prize-winning author, one of 825 numbered copies signed by the poet. Large octavo, original half cloth, original slipcase. One of 825 copies signed by William Butler Years on the limitation page, this is number 421. Fine in the original slipcase, whichContinue reading "The Variorum Edition of the Poems of W.B. Yeats."

Cervantes Saavedra, Miguel de

Vida Y Hechos Del Ingenioso Hidalgo Don Quixote De La Mancha: Con Muy Bellas Estampas Gravadas Sobre Los Dibujos de Coypel, Primer Pinto de el Rey de Francia.

En Haia [The Hague] : Por P. Gosse y A. Moetjens, 1744.

Rare early printing and one of the most highly coveted editions of Cervantes’ masterpiece. Octavo, 4 volumes, bound in full calf, gilt titles and  tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised bands, burgundy spine labels, triple gilt ruling to the front and rear panels, gilt turn-ins and inner dentelles, marbled endpapers, all edgesContinue reading "Vida Y Hechos Del Ingenioso Hidalgo Don Quixote De La Mancha: Con Muy Bellas Estampas Gravadas Sobre Los Dibujos de Coypel, Primer Pinto de el Rey de Francia."

Cervantes Saavedra, Miguel de; D. Juan Antonio Pellicer

El Ingenioso Hidalgo Don Quixote de la Mancha: Nueva Edicion.

Madrid : Gabriel de Sancha, 1797-98.

First large paper edition of Juan Antonio Pellicer’s new edition of Don Quixote. Octavo, five volumes, bound in full red morocco by Clarke & Bedford with gilt titles and ornately tooled floral detailing to the spines in six compartments within raised bands, elaborate floral ruling to the front and rear panels, top edges gilt, giltContinue reading "El Ingenioso Hidalgo Don Quixote de la Mancha: Nueva Edicion."

Scott, Captain Robert Falcon

Scott’s Last Expedition.

London : Smith, Elder & Co, 1913.

First edition of Scott’s diaries from his ill-fated expedition to the South Pole. Quarto, two volumes, original publisher’s cloth with gilt titles to spine and front panel, top edge gilt, tissue-guarded frontispiece to each volume, illustrated with 18 color plates, eight folding maps (one color), and over 250 other illustrations and folding panoramas. In veryContinue reading "Scott’s Last Expedition."

Peary, Robert E. Introduction by Theodore Roosevelt

The North Pole.

London : Hodder and Stoughton, 1910.

First British edition of Peary’s illustrated account of his journey to the North Pole. Thick quarto, original cloth with a polar bear and gilt titles to the spine, gilt titles and disk to the front panel, double ruling to the front panel stamped in white, a polar bear in white to the rear panel, tissue-guardedContinue reading "The North Pole."

Nansen, Fridtjof

“Farthest North” Being the Record of a Voyage of Exploration of the Ship Fram 1893-96 and of a Fifteen Months’ Sleigh Journey by Dr. Nansen and Lieut. Johansen with an Appendix by Otto Sverdrup Captain of the Fram.

Westminster : Archibald Constable and Company, 1897.

First English editions of this “remarkable achievement in Polar exploration” (PMM). Octavo, two volumes, original publisher’s pictorial green cloth over boards, front panels blocked in gilt with a design of the Fram to volume one and with design of dogs, sledge and driver to volume two, gilt titles to the spine, tissue-guarded etched portrait frontispieceContinue reading "“Farthest North” Being the Record of a Voyage of Exploration of the Ship Fram 1893-96 and of a Fifteen Months’ Sleigh Journey by Dr. Nansen and Lieut. Johansen with an Appendix by Otto Sverdrup Captain of the Fram."

Smith, Adam

The Theory of Moral Sentiments.

London : For A. Milar, and A. Kincaid and J. Bell, 1759.

Rare first edition of Adam Smith’s first book, with a recorded “print run of 1,000 copies” (Sher, “Editions of Adam’s Smith’s Books,” 13). Octavo, bound in full calf, gilt titles and tooling to the spine, front and rear panels, morocco spine label, marbled endpapers. In near fine condition. Housed in a custom full calf clamshellContinue reading "The Theory of Moral Sentiments."

White, E.B.; Illustrated by Garth Williams

Charlotte’s Web.

New York : Harper & Brothers, 1952.

First edition, first printing of E.B. White’s classic tale of friendship with the code “I-B” on the copyright page. Octavo, bound in full morocco by the Harcourt Bindery with gilt titles and tooling to the spine in five compartments within raised bands, gilt ruling to the front and rear panels, gilt ruled inner dentelles stamp-signedContinue reading "Charlotte’s Web."

Greville, Charles C.F

The Greville Memoirs: A Journal of the Reigns of King George IV and King William IV; Journal of the Reign of Queen Victoria, from 1837 to 1852; Journal of the Reign of Queen Victoria, from 1852 to 1860.

London : Longmans, Green, and Co, 1874-1887.

First editions of these journals offering a candid insider’s account of British political and court life. Octavo, eight volumes, bound in three quarters morocco by Zaehnsdorf with gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, gilt ruling to the front and rear panels, top edges gilt, marbled endpapers. TheContinue reading "The Greville Memoirs: A Journal of the Reigns of King George IV and King William IV; Journal of the Reign of Queen Victoria, from 1837 to 1852; Journal of the Reign of Queen Victoria, from 1852 to 1860."

Skelton, Joseph

Engraved Illustrations of Antient Arms and Armour.

Oxford : Printed by G. Schulze for J. Skelton, 1830.

First edition of this visual documentation of medieval martial culture. Folio, two volumes, bound in three-quarters calf with gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, gilt ruling to the front and rear panels, all edges marbled, marbled endpapers, frontispieces and title page vignettes, each volume is finished withContinue reading "Engraved Illustrations of Antient Arms and Armour."

Borchgrevink, Carsten E

First on the Antarctic Continent: Being an Account of the British Antarctic Expedition 1898-1900.

London : George Newnes, Limited, 1901.

First edition of Borchgrevink’s detailed account of the first expedition to establish a base on the main body of the continent. Octavo, original publisher’s blue cloth with gilt titles and explorer to the spine, gilt titles to the front panel with ship vignette in gilt and silver, top edge gilt, tissue-guarded photogravure portrait frontispiece, 32Continue reading "First on the Antarctic Continent: Being an Account of the British Antarctic Expedition 1898-1900."