Dickens, Charles

The Personal History of David Copperfield.

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

First edition in the original parts of “the most perfect of all the Dickens novels” (Virginia Woolf). Complete set of the original parts, with all of the etched plates and most of the advertisements. Octavo, original blue-green illustrated serial issue wrappers being twenty parts in nineteen, 624 pp. plus xiv pp. of preliminaries, errata leafContinue reading "The Personal History of David Copperfield."

Prior, Matthew

The British Poets: Matthew Prior.

London : British Literary Society, n.d.

The extra-illustrated Crown edition of the poems of Matthew Prior, limited to ten numbered and registered sets. Duodecimo, two volumes, publisher’s exquisite deluxe full morocco binding with gilt titles and elaborate botanical gilt tooling to the spine in four compartments within raised gilt bands, gilt ruling and elaborate botanical gilt decorations to the front andContinue reading "The British Poets: Matthew Prior."

Henderson, W. A. [William Safire]

The Housekeeper’s Instructor; Or, Universal Family-Cook: Being a Full and Clear Display in all its Branches… To Which is Added, The Complete Art of Carving.

London : Printed for Thomas Kelly, [1823].

Early printing of Henderson’s bestselling English cookery book. Octavo, bound in three quarter contemporary calf with gilt titles and tooling to the spine, illustrated with engravings, lacking the frontispiece, one plate and with loss to another plate. Corrected and revised by Jacob Christopher Schnebbelie. From the library of William Safire, although not marked. William SafireContinue reading "The Housekeeper’s Instructor; Or, Universal Family-Cook: Being a Full and Clear Display in all its Branches… To Which is Added, The Complete Art of Carving."

Hugo, Victor

La Légende des Siècles. [The Legend of the Ages: First Series].

Bruxelles : 1859, Edition Hetzel.

First Brussels edition and true first edition of the first series of Hugo’s epic work. Octavo, original publisher’s cloth. Provenance: from the library of H. Bradley Martin (his sale, Sotheby’s New York, October 16-17, 1989, lot no. 901; bookplate). “The H. Bradley Martin sale of 1989-1990 was a terribly significant sale of a stupendously variedContinue reading "La Légende des Siècles. [The Legend of the Ages: First Series]."

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."

Alexander, William

Picturesque Representations and the Dress and Manners of the Chinese. Illustrated with Fifty Coloured Engravings, with Descriptions.

London : Printed for James Goodwin, c. 1829.

Finely bound example of Alexander’s profusely illustrated work on t19th century China. Octavo, original full straight-grain morocco richly decorated in gilt, gilt turn-ins and inner dentelles, all edges gilt, illustrated with fifty hand-colored engravings. In good condition. Rare.

Viollet-le-Duc, Eugene-Emmanuel

Dictionnaire Raisonne de Mobilier Francais de L’Epoque Carlovingienne a La Renaissance. [Dictionary of French Furniture from the Carlovingian Period to the Renaissance].

Paris : Librairie Centrale d'Architecture, n.d.

Finely bound example of Eugene-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc’s authoritative resource on the evolution of furniture styles in France from the Carolingian Period to the Renaissance. Royal octavo, 6 volumes bound in one quarter morocco over marbled boards with gilt titles and stamping to the spine in six compartments within raised bands, top edge gilt, illustrated with numerousContinue reading "Dictionnaire Raisonne de Mobilier Francais de L’Epoque Carlovingienne a La Renaissance. [Dictionary of French Furniture from the Carlovingian Period to the Renaissance]."

Hardy, Thomas

The Works of Thomas Hardy. [Including Far from the Madding Crowd; The Mayor of Casterbridge; The Trumpet-Major; The Hand of Ethelberta; A Pair of Blue Eyes; Two on a Tower; A Laodicean; The Return of the Native; Desperate Remedies; Under the Greenwood Tree; The Woodlanders; Wessex Tales.]

New York : Peter Fenelon Collier, c. 1890.

The P.F. Collier edition of Thomas Hardy’s works. Octavo, twelve volumes bound in the original publisher’s cloth with gilt titles to the spine, all edges speckled blue, tissue guarded frontispiece to each volume, illustrated. In very good condition.

Linnaeus, Carl

System Naturae. Book I Part III: Amphibia.

: Caldwell, c. 1788.

Later edition of this influential work. Octavo, written in Latin, bound in three quarters morocco over green cloth boards with gilt titles and ruling to the spine in six compartments within raised bands. In very good condition.

Roubayyat de Hafiz et d’Omar Khayyam. [The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám].

Paris : Francis LeBegue, [1921].

Finely bound example of the Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám. Octavo, bound in full levant morocco with gilt titles to the spine, gilt Art Deco style decorations to the front and rear panel, gilt turn-ins and inner dentelles, marbled endpapers, top edge gilt, decorated borders and initials. One of 300 copies. Text in French. Translated byContinue reading "Roubayyat de Hafiz et d’Omar Khayyam. [The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám]."

Waugh, Evelyn

Black Mischief.

London : 1932, Chapman & Hall.

First edition of “one of the century’s great masters of the twentieth century” third novel. Octavo, bound in full morocco by the Harcourt Bindery, frontispiece, gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, gilt ruling to the front and rear panels, gilt inner dentelles stamp-signed by the Harcourt Bindery,Continue reading "Black Mischief."

Chatterton, Thomas

The British Poets: Thomas Chatterton.

London : British Literary Society, n.d.

The extra-illustrated Crown edition of the poems of Thomas Chatterton, limited to ten numbered and registered sets. Duodecimo, two volumes, publisher’s exquisite deluxe full morocco binding with gilt titles and elaborate botanical gilt tooling to the spine in four compartments within raised gilt bands, gilt ruling and elaborate botanical gilt decorations to the front andContinue reading "The British Poets: Thomas Chatterton."

Harper’s Weekly, A Journal of Civilization. [Harper’s Weekly’s Complete Coverage of the American Civil War: January 1, 1861-December 30, 1865].

New York : Harper & Brothers, January 1, 1861-December 30, 1865.

Rare continuous run of 260 issues of Harper’s Weekly, covering the entirety of the American Civil War. Folio, five volumes, bound in full buckram with morocco spine labels lettered in gilt, illustrated with hundreds of wood-engraved illustrations, many from noted American illustrators including portraits of Union and Confederate Army Generals and Officers, battlefield scenes, maps, cityContinue reading "Harper’s Weekly, A Journal of Civilization. [Harper’s Weekly’s Complete Coverage of the American Civil War: January 1, 1861-December 30, 1865]."

Balzac, Honore de

Eugenie Grandet I.

Paris : Librarie Larousse, n.d.

Finely bound Classiques Larousse edition of Balzac’s short novel, later revised to be included in his ambitious project, La Comédie humaine. Octavo, bound in full crushed green morocco by Sangorski and Sutcliffe with gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, double gilt ruling and fleuron cornerpieces to theContinue reading "Eugenie Grandet I."

Victor, Orville J

The History, Civil, Political & Military of the Southern Rebellion, From its Incipient Stages to its Close.

New York : James D. Torrey, Publisher, [1861].

Complete first edition set of one of the earliest histories of the American Civil War. Octavo, four volumes, original publisher’s full pebbled morocco decorated in gilt, marbled endpapers, all edges marbled, illustrated with steel engraved plates, additional vignette title pages. frontispieces, and maps. In good condition. A rare complete set, we have never seen anotherContinue reading "The History, Civil, Political & Military of the Southern Rebellion, From its Incipient Stages to its Close."

Reftelius, Johannes Martinus; Carl Linnaeus

Reformatio Botanices. [Reformation of Botany].

Uppsala : Uppsala University, December 18, 1762.

First edition of this academic dissertation presented under the supervision of Carl Linnaeus at Uppsala University, Sweden. Square octavo, written in Latin, bound in three quarters morocco over speckled boards with gilt titles to the spine in six compartments within raised bands. In near fine condition. Rare.

Smedley, Francis Edward [Frank]

The Works of Frank E. Smedley. [Lewis Arundel, Frank Fairlegh, Harry Coverdale’s Courtship, The Colville Family]

London : George Routledge and Sons, c. 1888.

Rare finely bound set of the complete novels of Francis Edward Smedley. Octavo, 4 volumes bound in three quarters morocco over marbled boards with gilt tooling to the spine in four compartments within raised gilt bands, red and green morocco spine labels lettered in gilt, marbled endpapers and all edges marbled. In near fine condition.

Farrell, James T. [William Safire]

Studs Lonigan. A Trilogy Containing Young Lonigan, The Young Manhood of Studs Lonigan, and Judgment Day.

New York : The Modern Library, [1938].

First edition, early printing of Farrell’s well-regarded trilogy. Octavo, bound in three quarter morocco with gilt titles and raised bands to the spine, marbled endpapers, top edge gilt. Association copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, “Jan 9/ 1950 For Bill Safire with best wishes Jim Farrell.” The recipient, William Safire wasContinue reading "Studs Lonigan. A Trilogy Containing Young Lonigan, The Young Manhood of Studs Lonigan, and Judgment Day."

Scott, Sir Walter

The British Poets: Sir Walter Scott

London : British Literary Society, n.d.

The extra-illustrated Crown edition of the poems of Sir Walter Scott, limited to ten numbered and registered sets. Duodecimo, five volumes, publisher’s exquisite deluxe full morocco binding with gilt titles and elaborate botanical gilt tooling to the spine in four compartments within raised gilt bands, gilt ruling and elaborate botanical gilt decorations to the frontContinue reading "The British Poets: Sir Walter Scott"

[de Carrara, Cajetau-Louis-Antoine]

18th Century French Nobility Patent.

November 13, 1710.

Rare 18th century French Patent of Nobility for Cajetau-Louis-Antoine de Carrara. Folio, bound in full velvet, the patent is comprised of five vellum leaves, the first with calligraphy within an elaborate engraved border; the third leaf with a gilt-painted armorial miniature, all edges gilt, rope bound in. Dated November 13, 1710, the patent is signed by MarieContinue reading "18th Century French Nobility Patent."

Flaubert, Gustave

A Simple Heart.

Paris : Societe des Beaux Arts, n.d. [ca. 1895].

The limited Salon edition of Flaubert’s classic novella. Octavo, bound in three quarters morocco over marbled boards, gilt titles and elaborate gilt tooling with red morocco onlays to the spine in five compartments within raised gilt bands, marbled endpapers, top edge gilt with others untrimmed, with tissue-guarded illustrations by Emile Adan. Limited to five hundredContinue reading "A Simple Heart."

Hardy, Thomas

The Works of Thomas Hardy. [Including Far from the Madding Crowd; Two on a Tower; The Return of the Native.]

New York and London : Harper & Brothers Publishers, [1895].

The Thin Paper Edition of Books by Thomas Hardy. Duodecimo, six volumes bound in the original publisher’s sheepskin with gilt titles and elaborate botanical tooling to the spines, top edge gilt, tissue-guarded frontispiece to each volume. In near fine condition with light rubbing to the extremities, book plate to the front pastedown of ‘Jude theContinue reading "The Works of Thomas Hardy. [Including Far from the Madding Crowd; Two on a Tower; The Return of the Native.]"

Hugo, Victor

The Novels of Victor Hugo.

Boston : Dana Estes, n.d.

The Illustrated Cabinet edition of the novels of Victor Hugo. Octavo, 12 volumes. Bound in three quarters navy blue morocco over blue cloth, elaborate gilt decorated spines with raised bands, marbled endpapers, top edges gilt, with illustrated plates, frontispieces. In near fine condition. An exceptional set.

LORD BYRON. [GEORGE GORDON BYRON]

The Poetical Works of Lord Byron.

London : Frederick Warne and Co, c. 1890.

The Poetical Works of Lord Byron. Octavo, bound in half vellum over cloth, frontispiece, morocco spine label, gilt titles and tooling to the spine, raised bands, marbled endpapers top edge gilt. In near fine condition. An attractive set.