Literature

The First Spelling Primer; or an Easy Introduction to the Art of Reading Adorned with Emblematic Pictures.

London-Derry : Published by G. Douglas, 1795.

Second edition of this scarce 18th century spelling primer. 16mo, original limp paper boards, illustrated with twenty-six small text woodcuts illustrating the Prince’s Alphabet, followed by an ABC poem, The Alphabet in Rhime, syllables of two and three letters, easy words, easy reading lessons, the Lord’s Prayer, and a publisher’s advertisement leaf aimed at childrenContinue reading "The First Spelling Primer; or an Easy Introduction to the Art of Reading Adorned with Emblematic Pictures."

Dickens, Charles

The Christmas Books: A Christmas Carol; The Chimes; The Battle of Life; Cricket on the Hearth; The Haunted Man and The Ghost’s Bargain.

London : Chapman and Hall, 1843-48.

Complete set of Charles Dickens’ Christmas Books containing first editions of each volume in the series with the exception of A Christmas Carol. Octavo, five volumes elaborately bound in full crushed red morocco by Sangorski and Sutcliffe with gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, double gilt rulingContinue reading "The Christmas Books: A Christmas Carol; The Chimes; The Battle of Life; Cricket on the Hearth; The Haunted Man and The Ghost’s Bargain."

Dickens, Charles

The Uncommercial Traveller.

London : Chapman and Hall, 1861.

First edition in book form of Dickens’ classic collection of personal vignettes. Octavo, bound in full polished calf by Tout, morocco spine labels lettered in gilt, elaborate gilt tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, gilt turn-ins and inner dentelles, marbled endpapers, ribbon bound in, all edges gilt. In near fineContinue reading "The Uncommercial Traveller."

Herriot, James

The Lord God Made Them All.

New York : St. Martin's Press, 1981.

First edition of this installment in Herriot’s true-life-saga as a veterinarian in the Yorkshire countryside. Octavo, original cloth. Signed by James Herriot on the title page. Fine in a fine dust jacket. Jacket painting by Bob Chronister. Author photograph by Chris Krugs.

Lee, Harper

To Kill a Mockingbird.

Barnstable, MA : Crane’s Duplicating Service, for J.B. Lippincott Company,, 1960.

Rare advance reading copy of the first edition of Harper Lee’s classic Pulitzer Prize-winning novel signed by three actors from the 1962 film and with a two page autograph letter signed and entirely in the hand of Harper Lee declining the invitation to participate in a documentary film about her novel. Octavo, original wrappers. PresentationContinue reading "To Kill a Mockingbird."

Hugo, Victor

The Works of Victor Hugo: Including [Les Misérables, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, The Contemplations and The Legend of the Ages].

Boston : George H. Richmond & Co, 1892.

Finely bound complete set of the Cabinet edition of the Works of Victor Hugo, one of 1000 numbered sets produced. Octavo, 40 volumes bound in three quarters morocco with gilt titles and tooling to the spine in three compartments within raised gilt bands, marbled endpapers, top edge gilt with others untrimmed, illustrated with tissue-guarded engravingsContinue reading "The Works of Victor Hugo: Including [Les Misérables, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, The Contemplations and The Legend of the Ages]."

Dickens, Charles

The Mystery of Edwin Drood.

London : Chapman & Hall, 1870.

First edition from the original parts Dickens’ final novel, with them bound in the rear. Octavo, bound in three quarters calf over marbled boards, frontispiece portrait of dickens, 12 wood-engraved plates, original wrappers bound in rear. In near fine condition.

Cervantes Saavedra, Miguel de

The History of the Most Renowned Don Quixote of Mancha: And his Trusty Squire Sancho Pancha, Now Made English according to the Humour of our Modern Language. And Adorned with several Copper Plates.

London : Printed by Tho. Hodgkin, and are to be sold by John Newton, 1687.

First edition of the first illustrated edition in English of Don Quixote. Folio, bound in three quarters calf over marbled boards, gilt titles to the spine, raised bands. With copper-engraved frontispiece and eight copper-engraved plates, each bearing two images. Translated by John Phillips. In very good condition with all plates present, signature trimmed. A veryContinue reading "The History of the Most Renowned Don Quixote of Mancha: And his Trusty Squire Sancho Pancha, Now Made English according to the Humour of our Modern Language. And Adorned with several Copper Plates."

DeMille, Cecil B

The Autobiography of Cecil B. DeMille.

Englewood Cliffs, NJ : Prentice-Hall, Inc, 1959.

First edition of the autobiography of the legendary director. Octavo, original cloth. Note written on stationary from Hotel Pierre, New York, from Cecil B. De Mille to Barrett Kiesling, MGM Publicity Directory, dated June 21, 1931, laid-in, includes De Mille’s signature. Two notes to Kiesling from Cecilia De Mille Harper (daughter of the famous directorContinue reading "The Autobiography of Cecil B. DeMille."

Maugham, W. Somerset

The Razor’s Edge.

Garden City, NY : Doubleday Doran & Company, 1944.

First American edition, which precedes the British edition of Maugham’s 20th-century manifesto for human fulfillment. Octavo, bound in full morocco, gilt titles to the spine, raised bands, gilt ruled to the front and rear panels, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt. In fine condition.

Dickens, Charles

Master Humphrey’s Clock.

London : Chapman and Hall, 1840.

First edition of this classic collection of short stories. Large octavo, bound in full morocco by Bayntun-Riviere, gilt titles and tooling to the spine, raised bands, gilt medallion portrait of Dickens on the front panel, gilt signature on the back panel, inner dentelles, all edges gilt, marbled endpapers, illustrated by George Cattermole and Hablot Browne.Continue reading "Master Humphrey’s Clock."

[Parrish, Maxfield] SAUNDERS, Louise

The Knave of Hearts.

New York : Charles Scribners Sons, 1925.

First edition of “one of the greatest of American illustrated books” (Porter, 84), the last and most lavish children’s book illustrated by Maxfield Parrish, with mounted cover design, pictorial endpapers, 14 full-page color plates, and nine in-text color illustrations. Folio, original black cloth, mounted cover illustration, pictorial endpapers. Housed in a custom cloth chemise and slipcase.

Dickens, Charles

The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit.

London : London: Chapman and Hall, 1839.

First edition of this classic work. Octavo, bound in contemporary three quarters calf over marbled boards, gilt titles and tooling to the spine, raised bands, illustrated with 40 plates. In near fine condition, contemporary name to the front free endpaper.

Walton, Izaak; Charles Cotton; Harris Nicolas

The Complete Angler or the Contemplative Man’s Recreation Being a Discourse of Rivers Fish-Ponds Fish and Fishing Written by Izaak Walton and Instructions on How to Angle For A Trout of Grayling in a Clear Stream by Charles Cotton.

London : William Pickering, 1836.

First Nicolas edition of this classic of English literature. Quarto, two volumes bound in full morocco, gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, triple gilt ruling and fleuron cornerpieces to the front and rear panels, gilt turn-ins and inner dentelles, all edges gilt, marbled endpapers, illustrated with engravedContinue reading "The Complete Angler or the Contemplative Man’s Recreation Being a Discourse of Rivers Fish-Ponds Fish and Fishing Written by Izaak Walton and Instructions on How to Angle For A Trout of Grayling in a Clear Stream by Charles Cotton."

Swift, Jonathan

Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. In Four Parts. By Lemuel Gulliver, first Surgeon, and then Captain of Several Ships. [Gulliver’s Travels].

London : Printed for Benj. Motte, at the Middle Temple-Gate in Fleet-Street, 1726.

First edition of Swift’s masterpiece with Teerink-Scouten 290 (AA), with title page variant in volume II without the edition statement, but with “Vol. II”, author portrait with Latin verses beneath printed on paper with vertical chain lines. Octavo, 2 volumes, bound in full calf, illustrated with five engraved maps and one engraved table. In nearContinue reading "Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. In Four Parts. By Lemuel Gulliver, first Surgeon, and then Captain of Several Ships. [Gulliver’s Travels]."

Curtis, Alice Turner [Sylvia Plath]

A Little Maid of Vermont.

Philadelphia : The Penn Publishing Company, 1927.

First edition of the author’s children’s classic; from the library of Sylvia Plath. Octavo, original cloth, illustrated by Grace Norcross. Presentation copy, inscribed by Sylvia Plath’s mother on the front free endpaper, “Feb. 10, 1941 To my sweetheart, Sylvia from Mommy” and with her father, Otto Plath’s, embossed library stamp. Sylvia Plath was born inContinue reading "A Little Maid of Vermont."

Scott, Paul

A Male Child.

London : Eyre & Spottiswoode (Publishers) Ltd, 1956.

First edition of Paul Scott’s third novel. Octavo, original boards. Near fine in a very good dust jacket.

Tolstoy, Leo

What Is Art?

London : The Brotherhood Publishing Company, 1898.

First edition of this work by the Russian master. Octavo, original cloth, frontispiece of Tolstoy. In near fine condition, contemporary name to the half-title page. Translated by A. Maude.

Nabokov, Vladimir

Pale Fire.

New York : G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1962.

First edition of this “witty, ironic and complex tour de force” (Hart, 521). Octavo, original black cloth. Fine in a near fine dust jacket. A very sharp example.

Stowe, Harriet Beecher

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

London : H. G. Bohn, 1852.

Early English printing of Stowe’s enormously influential work, published the same year as the first. Octavo, original publisher’s cloth, illustrated by Leech, Gilbert, etc. In very good condition. Housed in a custom folding chemise and half morocco slipcase.