Fine Bindings and Sets

Thackeray, William

The Virginians.

London : Bradbury and Evans, 1858-59.

First edition of Thackeray’s memorable historical novel. Octavos, 2 volumes, bound in three quarters morocco over marbled boards,  raised bands, gilt titles and tooling to the spine, marbled endpapers, all edges marbled, illustrated. In near fine condition with light rubbing to the extremities.

Dickens, Charles

The Personal History of David Copperfield.

London : Bradbury and Evans, May 1849-November 1850.

First edition in parts of “the most perfect of all the Dickens novels” (Virginia Woolf). Original serial issue. Twenty parts in nineteen, octavo four to thirty-two pages of preliminary advertisements; text continuously paginated 1-624; eight leaves of preliminaries follow text in final part. Frontispiece, vignette title-page and thirty-eight additional inserted plates, the majority with tissueContinue reading "The Personal History of David Copperfield."

Schola Italica Artis Pictoriae sive Tabulae insigniores in Romanis Pinacothecis Adservatae.

Rome : Petri Pauli Montagnani-Mirabili, 1806.

Rare first edition of Schola Italica Artis Pictoriae sive Tabulae insigniores in Romanis Pinacothecis Adservatae. Folio, bound in three quarters morocco, gilt titles and tooling to the spine, raised bands, fine engraved pictorial title and 39 plates. In very good condition. Rare.

Nobbes, Robert

The Compleat Troller, or, The Art of Trolling.

London : Printed for T. James for Tho. Helder, 1682.

Rare first edition of Nobbes’ authoritative work on the history and methods of trolling. First issue with the engraved hook on page 37 pointing to the right and two woodcut illustrations in the text. Small octavo, bound in three quarters morocco over marbled boards, gilt titles and tooling to the spine, raised bands, marbled endpapers.Continue reading "The Compleat Troller, or, The Art of Trolling."

Doughty, James and Thomas

The Cabinet of Natural History and American Rural Sports.

Philadelphia : J. and T. Doughty, 1830-33.

First edition of “The first color-plate sporting book printed in America”(Grolier/Henderson). Quarto, 3 volumes. bound in contemporary half morocco over marbled boards, top edge gilt. Three engraved titles, 2 engraved portraits, and 57 lithographic plates after Thomas Doughty and others (comprising 53 hand-colored lithographs, one colored etching, two uncolored engravings and one uncolored wood-engraving), 17Continue reading "The Cabinet of Natural History and American Rural Sports."

Halford, Frederic M

Making a Fishery.

London : Horace Cox, 1895.

Signed limited first edition of Frederick Halford’s extensive guide on the creation of river and stream fisheries for sport. One of 150 numbered copies signed by Halford, this is number 35. Large octavo, original publisher’s full green morocco, gilt titles to the spine, gilt ruled, inner dentelles, marbled endpapers, frontispiece portrait of Halford with tissueContinue reading "Making a Fishery."

Boynton, Henry Walcott

Two Editions of the Golfer’s Rubaiyat.

Chicago/ New York : Herbert S. Stone/ Duffield, 1901, 1907.

Both the first and second editions of the Golfer’s Rubaiyat. Octavo, original cloth, two volumes, illustrated throughout. In near fine condition. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box.

Horace

Quintus Horatius Flaccus.

London : Gulielmus Pickering, 1824.

Rare second Pickering Diamond edition, large paper issue, with an additional engraved title page. 12 mo, bound in full morocco, gilt titles to the front panel, raised bands, marbled endpapers. In very good condition. Housed in a custom chemise and half morocco slipcase.

Campbell, John

A Political Survey of Britain: Being a Series of Reflections on the Situation, Lands, Inhabitants, Revenues, Colonies, and Commerce of This Island.

Dublin : T. Ewing and C. Jenkin, 1775.

Rare second edition of John Campbell’s classic survey of late sixteenth century Britain. Octavo, four volumes, bound in full contemporary calf, raised bands, red and green morocco spine labels, gilt titles. In good condition.    

Boswell, James

The Life of Johnson.

London : Printed by Henry Baldwin, for Charles Dilly, in The Poultry, 1791.

First edition, first issue of both volumes of the most celebrated biography in the English language, which was published on May 16, 1791 in a print run of only 1,750 copies. Quarto, bound in contemporary half calf over marbled boards. Frontispiece portrait of Samuel Johnson, engraved by J. Heath after the Sir Joshua Reynolds (1756) painting. Volume one isContinue reading "The Life of Johnson."

Voltaire (Arouet, François-Marie)

Vie de Moliere.

Lausanne : Chez Francois Grasset & Comp, 1772.

Early edition of Voltaire’s biography of one of the most influential and widely translated writers of all time. Octavo, bound in full sprinkled sheepskin. Gilt titles and tooling to the spine, pictorial endpapers, all edges red, ribbon bound in. In very good condition with some rubbing to the extremities. Tasteful period bookplate.

Muir, John

The Writings of John Muir: The Manuscript Edition.

Boston : Houghton Mifflin Company, 1916-24.

The Manuscript edition of The Writings of John Muir. Octavo, 10 volumes, bound in original special deluxe three quarters morocco over marbled boards, leather edges ruled in gilt, gilt titles and tooling to the spine, raised bands, matching endpapers, top edges gilt. With volumes 1 through 8 of this set each containing an original gelatinContinue reading "The Writings of John Muir: The Manuscript Edition."

Dodge, Mary Mapes

Hans Brinker Or, The Silver Skates. A Story of Life in Holland.

New York : James O'Kane, 1866.

First edition of the author’s second and best known work. Octavo, original green cloth, gilt titles to the spine. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the half-title page, “Presented to Robert Dale Owen by the author January, 1866.” The recipient Robert Dale Owen was responsible for introducing the legislation to establish the Smithsonian. HeContinue reading "Hans Brinker Or, The Silver Skates. A Story of Life in Holland."

Photographic View Book of China, Manchuria, and Korea.

Japan c. 1930.

First edition, oblong quarto, original boards. Gilt-lettered cloth, string-bound. Text in Japanese with captions in both Chinese and English. Illustrated with  photographs throughout, large folding panorama of the Great Wall of China; folding map of Korea, Manchuria and portions of northeastern China. A unique record of history.

Thackeray, William Makepeace [Cosway]

Vanity Fair: A Novel Without a Hero. [Cosway].

London : Bradbury and Evans, 1848.

First edition, first issue of Thackeray’s masterpiece. Octavo, bound in full red morocco by Bayntun Riviere in Cosway-style binding with a miniature portrait of Thackeray inset into the front panel, engraved frontispiece, engraved additional title, and 38 engraved plates, spine in gilt compartments, gilt inner dentelles, all edges gilt, ivory silk doublures. The first issue,Continue reading "Vanity Fair: A Novel Without a Hero. [Cosway]."

Sheridan, Richard Brinsley; Illustrated by Hugh Thomson

The School For Scandal.

London : Hodder & Stoughton, c. 1911.

Finely bound by Asprey. Quarto, bound in full morocco, gilt titles and tooling to the spine, raised bands, gilt ruled to the front and rear panels, gilt turn-ins, all edges gilt. Illustrated with 25 tipped in color plates by Hugh Thompson. In near fine condition.

Brunt, Samuel

A Voyage to Cacklogallinia: with a Description of the Religion, Policy, Customs and Manners of that Country.

London : J. Watson, 1727.

First edition of this early 18th century satire published in imitation of Jonathan Swift’s masterpiece Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World, or, Gulliver’s Travels. Octavo, bound in full brown morocco by Charles Thurman, Binder. Raised bands, gilt titles and tooling to the spine, embossed front and rear panels, engraved frontispiece. From the libraryContinue reading "A Voyage to Cacklogallinia: with a Description of the Religion, Policy, Customs and Manners of that Country."

Power, Sir D'Arcy and H.J. Waring [King Edward VIII]

A Short History of St Bartholomew’s Hospital 1123-1923, Specially Bound on the Occasion of the 800th Anniversary of Its Foundation.

London : Charles Whittingham and Griggs, Ltd, 1923.

Elaborately bound presentation copy, belonging to King Edward VIII. Octavo, full tan morocco, elaborately gilt tooling to the spine, front and rear panels with black morocco inlays, cornerpieces of thistles and flowers, front panel with central crown and gilt medallion portraits of Rahere and Harvey, silk endpapers. Full-color frontispiece illustration of The Tomb of Rahere in theContinue reading "A Short History of St Bartholomew’s Hospital 1123-1923, Specially Bound on the Occasion of the 800th Anniversary of Its Foundation."

Bugatti

Bugantics: Bugatti Owner’s Club.

London : Bugatti Owner's Club, 1931-1955.

One Hundred Issues of Bugantics. Octavo, 9 Volumes, bound in the original publisher’s cloth, gilt titles and decorated tooling. Profusely illustrated with photographs, tables, brilliant period advertising and drawings. These bound volumes, prepared by the Bugatti Owner’s Club by special subscription, were compiled without covers, the design of which has remained the same since itsContinue reading "Bugantics: Bugatti Owner’s Club."

Thackeray, William

The Works of William Thackeray.

London : Various Publishers, 1840-1867.

First edition of the works of William Thackeray. Octavo, 34 volumes, uniformly bound in three-quarters morocco. From the library of Alfred Charles William Harmsworth, 1st Viscount Northcliffe, with his bookplate to each volume. Harmswoth was a British newspaper and publishing magnate who exercised vast influence over British popular opinion. Gilt titles and tooling to the spine, allContinue reading "The Works of William Thackeray."