Literature

Henty, George Alfred

A Knight of the White Cross: A Tale of the Siege of Rhodes.

London : Blackie & Son, Limited, 1896.

First edition of Henty’s classic adventure tale. Octavo, original publisher’s cloth with gilt titles and decorations to the spine and front panel, with twelve illustrations by Ralph Peackock and a plan. In near fine condition. Uncommon in this condition.

Kipling, Rudyard

The Jungle Book and The Second Jungle Book. [Fore-edge Painting].

London : Macmillan, 1978.

Finely bound edition of both volumes of The Jungle Book, with an exceptional fore-edge painting. Octavo, bound in full morocco by Bayntun Bindery, gilt titles to the spine, raised bands, all edges gilt, engraved frontispiece with tissue guard present. Illustrated by J. L. Kipling, W.H. Drake and P. Frenzeny. In near fine condition. Rare andContinue reading "The Jungle Book and The Second Jungle Book. [Fore-edge Painting]."

Morrison, Toni

Jazz.

New York : Alfred A. Knopf, 1992.

First edition of the author’s classic sixth novel. Octavo, original cloth. Boldly signed by Toni Morrison on the front free endpaper. Fine in a fine dust jacket. Jacket design by R.D. Scudellari. An exceptional example.

Wilbur, Homer. [James Russell Lowell].

Meliboeus-Hipponax: The Biglow Papers.

Boston : Ticknor and Fields, 1866.

Sixth edition of James Russell Lowell’s first book, a bitter criticism of the Mexican-American War and opposition to the expansion of slavery; named by the Grolier Club as the most influential book of 1848. Octavo, original cloth stamped in blind with gilt titles to the spine. In very good condition.

Meredith, George

The Works of George Meredith.

Westminster : Archibald Constable & Co, 1897.

Finely bound set of the works of George Meredith. Octavo, 18 volumes bound by Maclehose in three quarters crushed morocco over marbled boards, gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised bands, marbled endpapers, gilt topstain, engraved frontispiece to each volume. In very good condition.

Wilbur, Homer. [James Russell Lowell]

Meliboeus-Hipponax: The Biglow Papers. [With] The Biglow Papers Second Series.

Cambridge : Published by George Nichols: 1848/Boston: Ticknor and Fields, 1867.

First edition, first issue of James Russell Lowell’s first book, a bitter criticism of the Mexican-American War and opposition to the expansion of slavery; named by the Grolier Club as the most influential book of 1848. BAL 13068. First issue, published under the pseudonym, with the preliminary advertisements, and only the Cambridge imprint to theContinue reading "Meliboeus-Hipponax: The Biglow Papers. [With] The Biglow Papers Second Series."

Harte, Francis Bret

The Luck of Roaring Camp, and Other Sketches.

Boston : Fields, Osgood, & Co, 1870.

First edition, first issue of Harte’s seminal California work without the story “Brown of Calaveras.” BAL 7246. Octavo, original dark green cloth with gilt titles to the spine. In very good condition. Ownership name. Housed in a custom half morocco and folding chemise slipcase.

King, Stephen

The Green Mile.

New York : A Plume Book, 1997.

First edition of this work, which tells the story of death row supervisor Paul Edgecombe’s encounter with John Coffey, an unusual inmate who displays inexplicable healing and empathetic abilities. Octavo, original illustrated wrappers as issued, original slipcase. Boldly signed by Stephen King on the title page in Manchester, Vermont. In fine condition. Cover illustration byContinue reading "The Green Mile."

Bulfinch, Thomas

The Age of Fable; Or, Stories of Gods and Heroes.

Boston : Sanborn, Carter, and Bazin, 1855.

First edition, first state of the first installment in Bulfinch’s famed Mythology; with the names of both the printer and the stereotyper on copyright page. Octavo, original publisher’s cloth elaborately stamped in gilt, gilt titles and tooling to the spine, tissue-guarded frontispiece by Smith Pierson, in-text illustrations. In very good condition with loss to the crown of the spine. ContemporaryContinue reading "The Age of Fable; Or, Stories of Gods and Heroes."

Whittier, John Greenleaf

Snow-Bound. A Winter Idyl.

Boston : Ticknor and Fields, 1866.

First edition, first issue of this poetic description of the pleasant isolation of “the inmates of the family at the Whittier homestead” with the final page properly numbered 52. Octavo, original cloth with gilt titles and tooling to the spine, pale yellow endpapers, tissue-guarded frontispiece portrait and title page vignette, headpiece and initial letter byContinue reading "Snow-Bound. A Winter Idyl."

[Grant, Ulysses S.]

Hymns of the Ages: Second Series. Being Selections From Wither, Crashaw, Southwell, Harington, and Other Sources.

Boston : Ticknor and Fields, 1865.

First edition of the second series of Hymns of the Ages, from the library of Ulysses S. Grant. Octavo, bound in full pebbled morocco with gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised bands, gilt turn-ins and inner dentelles, all edges gilt, marbled endpapers, tissue-guarded frontispiece. From the library of UlyssesContinue reading "Hymns of the Ages: Second Series. Being Selections From Wither, Crashaw, Southwell, Harington, and Other Sources."

Poe, Edgar Allan

The Raven and Other Poems. [Bound With] Tales.

New York : Wiley and Putnam, 1845.

Rare first editions of Poe’s two great collections of stories and poems, bound together in the original publisher’s cloth. Octavo, original publisher’s dark green cloth elaborately stamped in blind with gilt titles to the spine, publisher’s advertisements at rear of each volume which are most often lacking with both volumes bound together. Wiley and PutnamContinue reading "The Raven and Other Poems. [Bound With] Tales."

Proulx, Annie; Larry McMurtry; Diana Ossana

Brokeback Mountain: Story to Screenplay.

New York : Scribner, 2005.

First Scribner trade edition of this collection of essays on the process of adapting the critically acclaimed story for film, signed by all three contributors. Octavo, original boards. Signed by Larry McMurtry, Annie Proulx, and warmly inscribed by Diana Ossana. Story by Annie Proulx. Screenplay by Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana. Fine in a fineContinue reading "Brokeback Mountain: Story to Screenplay."

Joyce, James

Ulysses.

Paris : Shakespeare and Company, 1924.

Fourth printing of Joyce’s masterpiece, signed by him. Quarto, original wrappers. Signed by the author in the month of publication on the front free endpaper, “James Joyce Paris 7 January 1924.” In very good condition, the joints lightly repaired. Housed in a custom clamshell box. Uncommon signed.

Faulkner, William

The Sound and the Fury.

New York : Jonathan Cape and Harrison Smith, 1929.

First edition, first printing of Faulkner’s masterpiece. Octavo, original half cloth over black and white patterned paper boards. Very good in a very good second state dust jacket with Humanity Uprooted priced at $3.50 instead of $3.00 on the rear panel. Housed in a custom clamshell box.

Hugo, Victor

Notre-Dame de Paris.

Paris : Charles Gosselin, 1831.

First edition, first printing of Hugo’s masterpiece, one of only 1,100 examples. Octavo, 2 volumes, bound in half calf. The publisher Charles Gosselin published the novel on 16 March 1831 in an edition of 1,100 copies as was his usual practice. It was such a sensation that an additional three printings had to be publishedContinue reading "Notre-Dame de Paris."

Joyce, James

Finnegans Wake.

New York : The Viking Press, 1939.

First American edition of Joyce’s masterpiece. Octavo, bound in full morocco by the Harcourt Bindery, gilt titles and ruling to the spine, raised bands, gilt ruled to the front and rear panels, gilt signature to the front panel, inner dentelles, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt. In fine condition. An exceptional presentation.

Welcome to Christmas.

1875.

Rare 19th century album on Christmas. Octavo, bound in full black morocco, elaborate ruling in blind and in gilt, silk moire endpapers, eight cardstock leaves, six in cream and two in grey, all hand lettered and or painted in traditional Victorian Christmas imagery. The title leaf with quill and pen, surmounted with elaborate titling inContinue reading "Welcome to Christmas."

Tolstoi, Count Lyof N. [Leo Tolstoy]

Ivan Ilyitch and Other Stories.

New York : Thomas Y. Crowell & Co, 1887.

First edition in English of this classic work. Octavo, original cloth lettered in gilt, patterned endpapers. Translated from the Russian by Nathan Haskell Dole with a preface by him. In near fine condition with light rubbing to the extremities. A very sharp example.

[Fleming, Ian]

Complete James Bond Clamshell Box Collection.

.

Fine collection of custom half morocco clamshell boxes hand made by The Harcourt Bindery to house each of the 14 first editions in Ian Fleming’s James Bond series. Octavo, 14 volumes. In fine condition. An exceptional presentation.

Saramago, Jose

Ensaio Sobre a Cegueira [Blindness].

Lisboa : Caminho, 1995.

First Portuguese edition and true first of the Nobel Prize-winning author’s masterpiece. Octavo, original wrappers. Presentation copy, inscribed by Jose Saramago on the title page. In near fine condition.

Miller, Arthur

The Crucible.

New York : The Viking Press, 1953.

First edition, early printing of this central work in the canon of American drama. Octavo, original half cloth. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the title page, “To Gerald Kramer, Arthur Miller.” Near fine in a very good price-clipped dust jacket. Jacket photograph by Gjon Mili. Uncommon signed.

Huxley, Aldous

The Art of Seeing.

New York : Harper & Brothers, 1942.

First edition of this classic work which details Huxley’s experience with and views on the controversial Bates method, which according to him improved his eyesight. Octavo, original cloth. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author in the year of publication on the front free endpaper, “For Gordon Ross, Sincerely, Aldous Huxley 1942.” Near fine in aContinue reading "The Art of Seeing."

Rowling, J.K.; Illustrated by Mary Grandpre

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

New York : Scholastic Press, 1998.

First American edition, first printing of the first book in the Harry Potter series. Octavo, original half cloth, illustrated by Mary Grandpre. Boldly signed by J.K. Rowling on the second title page. Additionally signed twice by illustrator Mary Grandpre, on the title page and on the rear dust jacket flap. Fine in a fine dustContinue reading "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone."