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- Across the Channel: A Shortlist of Titles from England & France
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- The Spanish Conquest of the Americas
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Rare Books
Joseph Sabin. Bibliotheca Americana: A Dictionary of Books Relating to America. Volumes 1-20, part 1 (to parts CXVI) signed with original signed receipt from Sabin.
New York: Joseph Sabin, 1892. First Edition, First Printing. A very good plus first edition, small paper copy. One of 525 copies issued. These are the works published in Sabin’s lifetime. Signed by Joseph Sabin with original signed receipt from Sabin. Mixed set: small paper copy and stiff wraps on vol. 20, all bound into three quarter leather with marbled boards and gilt accents. Bound by The University of Chicago Press. Moderate wear to crown, foot, and corners on various volumes. Top edge gilt. One volume has bent pages from poor shipping practice (book edges pressed into one another). Marbled endpapers. On
laid paper. Text is clean and bright. Very good +. Three quarter leather.
Vols. 1-19, “Edition, 525 copies, 8vo … and 110 copies on large paper.”
Publication was suspended from 1892 to 1927, when it was resumed with the parts numbered continuously with the last issued in 1892 (Suspended with pt. CXV/CXVI (v. 20, pt. 1/2) 1892; r
Issued in 172 parts with cover titles numbered consecutively, 6 parts (or 3 double parts) forming a volume (v. 29, four parts)
Editor: v. 1-19, and v. 20, pt.1/2, Joseph Sabin.–v. 20, (1078)
The Works of Molière [Complete 12 volume set]
by Jean Baptiste Poquelin de Molière
Paris: Chez Barrie Frères and George Barrie & Son, [1891]. First Thus; Astral Edition. Full leather. Very good. Louis Leloir; Maurice Leloir; Jacques Leman; Edward Heduouin. Scarce (one copy in Worldcat).
A exquisitely bound, very good first thus, limited edition in full crushed Levant morocco leather with gold tooling. Number 35 of 100 copies on Japan Vellum paper that were offered by subscription only. Binding is sturdy and square. All edges in brilliant gilt. Marbled endpapers. Over 150 engravings, some colored, all with captioned tissue guards. Original title pages to each play are reproduced in French. Text in English. Heavy rubbing to all joints, with dye transferring to one’s fingers from rubbed joints .Rubbed corners. Still a lovely and prestigious set, even with the flaws noted below. Quarto, 9 x 12 inches tall. Illustrations by Mm. Louis Leloir, Maurice Leloir, Jacques Leman [and] Edmond Hedouin
Heavy set will require additional postage billed at actual cost.
Volume I: Frontis, tissue guard and 4 pages show black round stainVolume II: 1/8 inch loss at head of spine over 1/3 of crownVolume III: Miniscule tear at foot of spineVolume IV & V: Tiny hole on spine Volume VII: Tiny loss at head and foot of spineVolume IX: Old, narrow bookworm tunnel on top front corner, measuring 1/2 inch (see photo)Volume XI: Two old, narrow bookworm tunnels on top front corner, measuring 1/4 and 1 inch respectively. Volume I. Memoir; The Blunderer; Love Tiff.Volume II: The Pretentious Young Ladies; Sganarelle; The Jealousy of Le Barbouille; The Flying Doctor; Don Garcia of Navarre.Volume III: The School for Husbands; The Bores; The School for Wives.Volume IV: The School for wives Criticised; The Impromptu of Versailles; The Forced Marriage; The Princess of Elis.Volume V: Don Juan; Love is the Best Doctor; The Misanthrope.Volume VI: The Physician in Spite of Himself; Melicerte; A Comic Pastoral; The Sicilian.Volume VII: Tartuffe; Amphitryon.Volume VIII: This Miser; George Dandin.Volume IX: Monsieur de Pourceaugnac; The Magnificent Lovers.Volume X: The Citizen Who apes the Nobleman; Psyche.Volume XI: The Rogueries of Scapin; The Countess of Escarbagnas.Volume XII: The Learned Ladies; The Imaginary Friend; Poems.
The Mourning Bride, a Tragedy. as it is acted at the theatre in Lincoln’s Inn-Fields, by His Majesty’s Servants
by Congreve, William
Condition: Very good
London: J. Tonson, 1697. Second Edition. Boards. Very good. A very good second edition of Mr. Congreve’s famous work. Blue three quarter cloth over maroon and blue marbled boards. Appears to be missing the first free endpaper, otherwise complete and collated. Pencilled marginalia and previous owner’s bookplate on front pastedown. Soft paper. Toning to pages and pastedowns. Scarce. 6 /2 x 8 3/4 inches tall, octavo. The Mourning Bride is a tragedy written by British playwright William Congreve. It premiered in 1697 at Betterton’s Co., Lincoln’s Inn Fields. The play centres on Zara, a queen held captive by Manuel, King of Granada, and a web of love and deception which results in the mistaken murder of Manuel who is in disguise, and Zara’s also mistaken suicide in response. There are two very widely known quotations in the play; from the opening to the play: Music has charms to soothe a savage breast, The word “breast” is often misquoted as “beast” and “has” sometimes appears as “hath”.Also often repeated is a quotation of Zara in Act III, Scene VIII: Heav’n has no rage, like love to hatred turn’d, Nor hell a fury, like a woman scorn’d. This is usually paraphrased as “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.” — Wikipedia
Hispania sive de regis Hispaniae regnis et opibus commentarius [Spain, or a commentary on the kingdoms and wealth of the King of Spain]
by Johannes de Laet
Lugd[unum] Batav[orum]: ex offic. Elzeviriana, 1629. First Edition. Three quarter leather. Very good +. A beautifully rebound first edition of this important work on Spain and its New World Empire, published by Elzevir. This small 2″ x 4″ book is recently rebound in three-quarter, smooth brown leather over burgundy, gold, and midnight blue marbled boards. Three raised bands with burgundy leather and bright gilt titling on the second compartment of the spine. Green and white endbands. New cream endpapers. Edges painted red, color a bit faded in places. Ornate title page with coat of arms of each region in Spain, ornate chapter capitals. Text in Latin. Collated and complete. A8-I-8, [J]8, K8-T8, [U]6, V8-Z8 (with Y5 misnumbered), Aa8-Ff8, Gg8-Hh8, [Ii]3. 6 [3] 499 pp. Page 291 misnumbered by the printer, but the signatures and catchwords mark it as correctly bound in place. 48mo. 2″ x 4″ tall.
Elzevir is a celebrated family of Dutch booksellers, publishers, and printers of the 17th and early 18th centuries. The duodecimo series of “Elzevirs” became very famous and very desirable among bibliophiles. After having enjoyed an almost legendary reputation among bibliophiles for excellence of typography and design, the family ceased printing in 1681.
Kurtzes und accurates Systema Der Neueren Geographie Nach einer neuen und curieusen Methode, In sich fassende I. Eine generale Besichtigung des Globi Terraquei, oder ein Compendium des wahren Fundaments in der Geographie … II. Eine particulaire Besichtigung des Globi Terraquei … : Zu eines jeden Gebrauch [Brief and accurate system of modern geography, By a new and curious method.]
by Patrick Gordon; Johann Bernhard Heinzelmann
Hanover: Ben Nikolaus Förster, 1718. Leather bound. Very good. A lovely old copy of of “A Brief and accurate system of modern geography, By a new and curious method.” Translated and expanded by Johann Bernhard Heinzelmann from the sixth edition of Patrick Gordon’s “Geography anatomized.” Covers countries, customs, religions, and currency of the time and places.Bound in calfskin, with repaired cracking at the joint and wear to leather on front cover. Spine titled in faded gilt lettering. Missing the first free endpaper. Page edges stained with age. Double sheet title page in red and black ink. Part II divided by a double page illustration. Final page of the “Register” missing 1″ circular section. Fraktur typeface. Text in German. 964 pp. octodecimo 4″ x 6″ tall
History of a Fishing Trip. Written to Order by the Keeper of the Records.
by [Lowery, F.W.]
[np]: [Privately Printed], 1933. Limited Edition, First Edition. 1/4 cloth. Very good +. A very good plus first edition limited to 100 copies, as stated. 1/4 brown cloth over brown paper boards with gilt title-stamping on cover. One light short scuff to front cover with a few light scuffs on the back. Minor rubbing and loss at head and tail of spine. Wear to edge of front cover. Mild toning to pastedowns and page edges. 130 pp., including appendix. 5 3/4 x 8 1/2, octavo. A lovely and entertaining story and beautiful piece of prose about a fishing trip on Anticosti. Scarce.
Friar Diego De Landa; Wm. Gates, trans. Yucatan Before and After the Conquest. Baltimore: The Maya Society, 1937. Second Edition.
A good+ second edition [HAND D83], with solid, sturdy binding and cover. Original blue cloth boards with gilt stamping and Maya Society crest in gilt. The blue cloth is showing heavy spotting on the spine and front cover, and the top front corner is bumped. Pages toned, top edge darkened. Former owner’s bookplate. From the private library of Larry Southwick. Laid in with a staple-bound pamphlet for “Publications in the Field of Archaeology, Anthropology, etc. issued by the Carnegie Institute of Washington… May 1937.” Heavily illustrated, includes maps and related documents. 142 pp. Large octavo, 6 x 10 inches tall.
An important primary source, scarce in this edition.
19th Century ephemera
Art bas-relief, “Capital and Labor” by Woodward & Tiernan
St. Louis, MO: Woodward & Tiernan, 1907. Sheet. Very good +. A very good plus color promotional art bas-relief depicting two “Tom Sawyer-esque” boys, the one snacking on an apple, and the other barefoot and carrying newspapers advertising the “Calendar News” bas-reliefs. From the verso: “We are offering in 1909 a most extraordinary collection of new and beautiful designs in chemigraph and color bas-relief calendars and souvenirs.” Matting shows damp stains, but bas-relief only shows one small spot above second boy’s hat. See photo. 6 x 8 inches tall.
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