Gifts

Robinson, James M. [Director] [Elaine Pagels]

The Nag Hammadi Library in English.

Leiden, The Netherlands : E.J. Brill, 1977.

First edition of this collection of early Christian and Gnostic texts discovered in Egypt in 1945. Octavo, original publisher’s green cloth. Boldly signed and dated by Elaine Pagels on the half-title page, “Elaine Pagels September 23 2025.” Elaine Pagels is an American religious historian and scholar best known for her groundbreaking work on early ChristianityContinue reading "The Nag Hammadi Library in English."

Lee, Harper

Go Set A Watchman.

New York : HarperCollins Publishers, 2015.

Signed limited Special Collector’s edition of the author’s second novel. Octavo, original publisher’s full gilt-decorated leather, patterned endpapers. One of 500 numbered copies signed by Harper Lee. Housed in the original publisher’s custom clamshell box and enclosing cardboard box. In fine condition.

Wolstenholme, Gordon [Editor]; Sir Julian Huxley; J.B.S. Haldane; Carleton Coon; et al

Man and His Future.

Boston : Little, Brown and Company, 1963.

First edition of this 1963 scientific progress conference anthology. Octavo, original publisher’s cloth, with eight illustrations. Fine in a near fine dust jacket. Jacket design by Ira Goldblatt. Uncommon in this condition.

Clark, Jim [Stirling Moss]

Jim Clark At The Wheel: The World Motor Racing Champion’s Own Story.

London : Arthur Barker Limited, 1964.

First edition of the racing legend’s autobiography. Octavo, original publisher’s green cloth, top stain blue, illustrated with black and white photographs. Signed by Stirling Moss on the front free endpaper. Sir Stirling Moss was a British former Formula One racing driver. An inductee into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, he won 212 of theContinue reading "Jim Clark At The Wheel: The World Motor Racing Champion’s Own Story."

Marias, Javier

Your Face Tomorrow: Poison, Shadow, and Farewell.

New York : New Directions, 2009.

First American edition of the author’s final volume in his brilliant trilogy. Octavo, original cloth. Boldly signed and dated by the author in the year of publication on the title page, “Javier Marias 30 November 2009.” Fine in a fine dust jacket. Jacket illustration by Hans Geel. Translated from the Spanish by Margaret Jull Costa.

The Book of Common Prayer, and Administration of the Sacraments, and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church. According to the Use of the Church of England. Together with the Psalter or Psalms of David, Pointed as they are to be sung or said in Churches: And the Form and Manner of Making, Ordaining, and Consecrating of Bishops, Priests, and Deacons.

Oxford : Printed by the University Printers, 1701.

Rare early 18th century Book of Common Prayer in a royal binding bearing the ciphers of Queen Anne. Folio, bound in full contemporary green calf with gilt royal ciphers of Queen Anne to the spine in seven compartments within raised gilt bands, rebacked, gilt paneling and scrolling to the front and rear panels with royalContinue reading "The Book of Common Prayer, and Administration of the Sacraments, and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church. According to the Use of the Church of England. Together with the Psalter or Psalms of David, Pointed as they are to be sung or said in Churches: And the Form and Manner of Making, Ordaining, and Consecrating of Bishops, Priests, and Deacons."

Bourdain, Anthony

Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly.

New York : Bloomsbury, 2000.

First edition, later printing of the legendary chef’s bestselling memoir and first work of non-fiction. Octavo, original boards. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the title page, “To Kathy and Ken Anthony Bourdain.” Very good in a very good dust jacket with damp-staining to a few pages at the top of the text block.Continue reading "Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly."

Huxley, Aldous

The Doors of Perception; Heaven and Hell.

London : Chatto & Windus, 1954.

First British editions of Aldous Huxley’s philosophical essay The Doors of Perception and its sequel Heaven and Hell. Octavo, original publisher’s cloth. Each are near fine in near fine dust jackets. Jacket designs by John Woodcock. Ownership inscription to the front free endpaper of Heaven and Hell.

Atherton, Gertrude Franklin

The Conqueror: Being the True and Romantic Story of Alexander Hamilton.

New York : The Macmillan Company, 1902.

First edition of this historical novel that blends biographical narrative with romanticized fiction to construct a dramatic portrait of one of America’s founding figures. Octavo, original publisher’s cloth with gilt titles and detailing to the spine and front panel, top edge gilt. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the half-title page, “To Mr. WaylandContinue reading "The Conqueror: Being the True and Romantic Story of Alexander Hamilton."

Frost, Robert

A Boy’s Will.

New York : Henry Holt and Company, 1915.

First American edition of Frost’s first published work. Octavo, original publisher’s cloth, gilt titles to the spine and front panel. Boldly signed by the poet on the title page. In near fine condition.

Apcar, Amy

Melodies of Five Offices in Holy Week According to the Holy Apostolic Church of Armenia: Being the Offices for Palm Sunday Evening for the Third, Sixth, and Tenth Hours of Holy Thursday and for the Tenth Hour of Good Friday Together with the Office for Candlemas Eve.

Leipzig : Printed by Breitkopf & Haertel, 1902.

Early edition of this rendering of sacred melodies into modern musical notation. Octavo, written in English and Armenian, bound in full brown cloth with gilt titles to the spine, gilt cross vignette to the front panel, musical stanzas throughout. Written down in modern musical notation by Amy Apcar. In good condition with rubbing and lossesContinue reading "Melodies of Five Offices in Holy Week According to the Holy Apostolic Church of Armenia: Being the Offices for Palm Sunday Evening for the Third, Sixth, and Tenth Hours of Holy Thursday and for the Tenth Hour of Good Friday Together with the Office for Candlemas Eve."

Benson, Arthur Christopher [John Maynard Keynes] [J.M.]

The Leaves of the Tree: Studies in Biography.

London : Smith, Elder, & Co, 1911.

First edition of this work on the challenges of writing biography. Octavo, bound in full synthetic leather with gilt titles to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands. Association copy, inscribed twice by John Maynard Keynes to his mother Florence Ada Keynes, once on the title page without the date and once onContinue reading "The Leaves of the Tree: Studies in Biography."

Smith, James Edward; Edited by Lady Smith

Memoir and Correspondence of the Late Sir James Edward Smith, M.D.

London : Printed for Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green, and Longman, 1832.

First edition of this comprehensive biographical portrait of one of Britain’s most influential botanists and founders of the Linnean Society, compiled by his widow Pleasance Smith. Octavo, two volumes, bound in half-cloth with paper titles to the spine. In near fine condition. Edited by Lady Smith.

Johns, Jasper

Jasper Johns: 17 Monotypes.

New York : Universal Limited Art Editions, Inc., 1982.

First edition of this exhibition catalog highlighting a series of Johns’ experimental works. Quarto, original publisher’s cloth with gilt titles, illustrated with 17 lithographic monotypes of the work Savarin (1977-81), and black and white reproductions of Johns works. Presentation copy, inscribed by Johns in the year of publication on the front free endpaper, “For ClariceContinue reading "Jasper Johns: 17 Monotypes."

Hardy, Thomas

Return of the Native. [and] The Woodlanders.

Chicago and New York : Rand, McNally & Company, .

Early editions of Thomas Hardy’s famous sixth and eleventh published novels. Octavo, original pictorial cloth with gilt titles, top edges gilt, frontispieces, with black and white illustrations. In very good condition with light toning, signature to the front pastedown of Return of the Native.

Rhodes, Richard

The Making of the Atomic Bomb.

New York : Simon & Schuster, 1986.

First edition of the author’s classic work which won the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, and the National Book Critics Circle Award. Octavo, original half cloth, illustrated with black and white photographs. Lengthily signed by the author on the title page with a quote from the book opposite the title page, “Richard Rhodes ‘IContinue reading "The Making of the Atomic Bomb."

Benchley, Robert

Benchley-Or Else!

New York : Harper & Brothers, 1947.

First edition of Benchley’s collection of humorous essays. Octavo, original cloth, bookplate to the front pastedown from “The Library of Robert B. Gray.” Illustrated with unique drawings by Gluyas Williams. Very good in a very good dust jacket. Author photograph by Ben Pinchot.

Hardy, Thomas

Tess of the d’Urbervilles. [and] The Woodlanders. [and] The Well-Beloved.

New York : Harper & Brothers Publishers, c. 1904-1905.

Finely bound editions of Thomas Hardy’s famous works. Octavo, original pictorial cloth, tissue-guarded frontispieces, with black and white illustrations in Tess of the d’Urbervilles, and a map of Wessex to the rear of The Well-Beloved. In very good condition, ownership signatures to the front free endpapers of Tess of the d’Urbervilles and The Woodlanders, bookplateContinue reading "Tess of the d’Urbervilles. [and] The Woodlanders. [and] The Well-Beloved."

Hardy, Thomas

Desperate Remedies. [and] The Mayor of Casterbridge.

Chicago and New York : Rand, McNally & Company, c. 1900.

Early editions of Thomas Hardy’s first and tenth published novels. Octavo, original pictorial cloth with gilt titles, top edges gilt, frontispieces, with black and white illustrations. In very good condition. Ownership inscriptions to the front pastedown and front free endpaper of Mayor of Casterbridge.

Hardy, Thomas

Desperate Remedies. [and] Far from the Madding Crowd.

Chicago and New York : Rand, McNally & Company, .

Alpha Library editions of Thomas Hardy’s famous works. Octavo, original cloth with gilt titles, top edges gilt. In very good condition.

Stowe, Harriet Beecher

Sunny Memories of Foreign Lands.

London : Sampson Low, Son, & Co, 1854.

First British author’s edition of this travel narrative that records Stowe’s observations during a tour of Europe in the wake of her international fame from Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Duodecimo, bound in three-quarters morocco with gilt titles to the spine in five compartments within gilt bands, engraved frontispiece, with black and white illustrations throughout. In veryContinue reading "Sunny Memories of Foreign Lands."

Wells, H.G

All Aboard for Ararat.

London : Secker & Warburg, 1940.

First edition of the last of Wells’ utopian novels. Octavo, original cloth. Very good in a very good dust jacket. From the collection of British science fiction author Christopher Priest with his ownership signature to the front free endpaper. Priest’s most famous works include The Inverted World (1974), the interconnected “Dream Archipelago” series, and The Prestige (1995),Continue reading "All Aboard for Ararat."

Schlesser, Thomas

Mona’s Eyes.

New York : Europa Editions, 2025.

First edition of this international bestselling debut novel. Octavo, original publisher’s cloth, with a fold-out dust jacket depicting all 52 masterpieces. Boldly signed by Thomas Schlesser on the title page. Fine in a fine dust jacket. Translated from the French by Hildegarde Serle. Jacket design by Ginevra Rapisardi. Author photograph by Pascal Ito.

Buchan, John

A Prince of the Captivity.

London : Hodder and Stoughton, 1933.

First edition of this complex novel set during the aftermath of World War I. Octavo, bound in three-quarters leather over pictorial boards with gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised bands. In very good condition.