Our members list new acquisitions and recently cataloged items almost every day of the year. Below, you'll find a few highlights from these recent additions (many of a seasonal nature)...
Dracula. Frank Langella in the Edward Gorey production of Dracula Directed by Dennis Rosa
by Edward Gorey
New York: Martin Beck Theatre, 1977. Unbound. Fine. Single quarto sheet. Measuring 8.5" x 11". Folded as issued, else fine. One side reproduces the Edward Gorey poster art for the play, for which he won a Tony Award; the other side reproduces the review from *New York* magazine.
Offered by Between the Covers Rare Books.
Interview with a Vampire (Signed, Preview Edition)
by Anne Rice
New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1976. Special Preview Edition. Very Good. Special advance preview copy of the first edition in white printed wraps. Signed twice by Anne Rice, once on the first blank page and again on the half-title page. Very Good with toning, creasing, wear and soiling. Creasing to spine with several hinges over-opened. Previous owner ex-libris notation to first blank page. Signed.
Offered by Burnside Rare Books.
Uncle Josh Weathersby's "Punkin Centre" Stories (Talking Machine Edition)
by STEWART, CAL
Chicago, Ill: W.L. Eckhardt and Calvin E. Stewart, 1903. Hard Cover. Very Good/No Jacket. Decor on boards lightly rubbed, boards lightly soiled. 1903 Hard Cover. 170 pp. Green boards. Silver title and decor on front board, pumpkin illustration on front board. Author was a friend of Mark Twain and Will Rogers.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: "Cal Stewart (b. 1856 Charlotte County, Virginia, d. December 7, 1919) was an American comedian and humorist who pioneered in vaudeville and early sound recordings. He is best remembered for his comic monologues in which he played "Uncle Josh" Weathersby, a resident of a mythical New England farming town called "Punkin Center." Born in Charlotte County, Virginia in 1856, Stewart spent his early life working in circuses, medicine shows and vaudeville to great acclaim as "Uncle Josh Weathersby from Way Down East". It was on the road that he befriended Mark Twain and later Will Rogers, two men who shared similar wit in comedy. Around 1897, Thomas Edison's studios hired him to cut several cylinder recordings of his famous speeches and songs. They were well received by the public, and launched an entire series of recordings based on the Uncle Josh character. Stewart's trademark on these recordings is the easily recognizable laugh that precedes his speeches.
Offered by Yesterday's Muse.
The Witch Who Became Someone Else
by MASLAND, ANNE COMFORT WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY JOE SERVELLO
Smithtown, NY: Exposition Press, 1983. First edition. Hardcover. Near Fine/very good. Oblong hardbound book in dustwrapper. Unpaginated. A Halloween- related children's book written by Masland and nicely illustrated by Joe Servello. Stated first edition. A near fine hardbound book in price-intact dustwrapper which is somewhat faded at spine color and with a closed tear to the rear flap. Nice copy of an uncommon book for children.
Offered by Derringer Books.
New York: Kramer's Pastries, 1984. A bright, colorful group of 'souvenirs' from this German bakery on the upper West side of Manhattan; usually children, little boys are posing as the 'bakers' - little girls are the 'customers'; one of these has an elf or dwarf as the baker; the former owner has noted the dates of acquisition on a few of the items, the final item dated 1999 and noting 'last one'; the bakery closed that year - a landmark of culinary delight in the neighborhood for many years; each item is marked 'German' and is composed of heavy-weight cardstock, pressed and die-cut carefully and vividly colored; each is centered around a baking theme; one 'double' counted as part of the group; average size about 7 1/4" x 6 1/4"; a few with a small mounting pinhole; one with a repair (at back); all colorful, fun and amusing German paper craft work, reminiscent of the old style Halloween decorations made with papier mache - since these are made on such heavy stock, there's a very pronounced three-dimensional effect, having good depth; light wear; very good condition and a delightful group of bakery, cake decorating & culinary ephemera.. First Edition. Not Bound. Very Good.
Offered by Certain Books.
By H. P. Lovecraft & Divers Hands. Edited by Robert M. Price
[Bloomfield, New Jersey]: A Crypt of Cthulhu Book Miskatonic University Press, 1982. Octavo, pictorial wrappers, stapled. First edition. A collection of Lovecraft revisions of the works of others, drafts of revisions, and in one instance, his influence on a story. Mostly revised fiction, but one poem is included, "Dreams of Yith," a collaboration between Duane W. Rimel and Lovecraft. Although not so noted, this is CRYPT OF CTHULHU #10 (volume 2, number 2, Yuletide [December] 1982), a companion volume to the then forthcoming CRYPT OF CTHULHU #11 ("The Revisions Issue"). Not that anyone probably cares, but this is one of about 50 first printing copies with Halloween orange wrappers. For details see Joe Bell, FUBAR #6. A fine copy.
Offered by L.W. Currey.
by Agatha Christie
London: Collins Crime Club, 1937. First edition of this classic novel, basis for the 2020 film directed by Kenneth Branagh. Octavo, original cloth. Near fine in a near fine dust jacket with some expert restoration. Jacket design by Robin McCartney. Exceptionally rare in the original dust jacket with only a handful having appeared at auction in the last 80 years. Hercule Poirot is perhaps Agatha Christie's most interesting and endearing character; short, round, and slightly comical, Poirot has a razor-sharp mind and puts unlimited trust in his "little grey cells." "Death on the Nile must be read twice, once for enjoyment and once to see how the wheels go round" (The Times, London).
Offered by Raptis Rare Books.
Creepy, Crawly Halloween Fright
by Thomas Beach (pseudonym for Robert Sabuda)
Mahwah, New Jersey, U.S.A.: Troll Communications L.L.C., 1994. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Fine. Published by Troll Associates in 1994. The Author is listed on the cover as THOMAS BEACH, but this is a pseudonym of Robert Sabuda. Sabuda does freely claim it. His hardest to find book since it only had one printing in 1994 and quickly went out of print. First Edition of Robert Sabuda's first book. Hardcover pop-up book in near fine condition. No jacket, as issued. Price on back of book reads $9.95.
Offered by Bookbid.
by LITTLE, JANE.
NY:: Atheneum,. Very Good in Very Good dust jacket. 1965. Hardcover. B000PDMRR6 . Stated first edition. Light foxing on edges, else very good in a very good dust jacket. 113 pages.
Offered by Grendel Books.
by Meriwether Lewis & William Clark
Philadelphia: Published by Bradford and Inskeep, 1814. Two volumes. xxviii,470; ix,522pp., plus five single-page maps and the large folding map. Contemporary mottled calf, spines ruled in gilt, gilt black morocco labels. Boards lightly worn and rubbed, corners bumped, old repairs to heads of both spines. Front joint of first volume and both joints of second volume loosening. Small tear in upper outer corner of leaf 3F3 in second volume, affecting page number. Light foxing and tanning throughout. Ownership inscriptions in pencil on titlepages. Very good. In a half brown morocco and cloth slipcase and cloth chemises. The most famous of all western travel narratives, and the cornerstone of any collection of Western Americana. Described by Wagner-Camp as "the definitive account of the most important exploration of the North American continent," the book describes the expedition to explore the newly acquired Louisiana Purchase, undertaken from 1804 to 1806 by ascending the Missouri River to its source, crossing the Rocky Mountains, and reaching the Pacific Ocean. In total, the expedition covered some eight thousand miles in slightly more than twenty-eight months. They brought back the first reliable information about much of the area they traversed, made contact with the Indian inhabitants as a prelude to the expansion of the fur trade, and advanced by a quantum leap the geographical knowledge of the continent. This official account of the expedition is as much a landmark in Americana as the trip itself. The narrative has been reprinted many times and remains a perennial American bestseller. The large folding map of the West, present herein, was not issued with all copies. The observations in the text make it an essential work of American natural history, ethnography, and science. It is the first great U.S. government expedition, the first book on the Rocky Mountain West, and a host of other smaller firsts. It is among the most famous American books.
Offered by William Reese Company.
by Howard Carter
1923. First Edition. Signed. CARTER, Howard and MACE, A.C. The Tomb of Tutankhamen Discovered by the Late Earl of Carnarvon and Howard Carter. London: Cassell, 1923-33. Three volumes. Thick octavo, original brown cloth gilt with decorative gilt scarabs on front covers, patterned endpapers.
A fantastic presentation/association copy of the first edition of Carter's account of the discovery of King Tutankhamen's tomb, including the scarce third volume, with 247 dramatic illustrations, inscribed in Volume I: ""Percy White from Howard Carter. 16 Dec. 1923, Cairo. With homage from the Author, Howard Carter""; and inscribed in Volume III: ""To my dear friend Mr. Percy White—Howard Carter, 1933."" White is known to have largely written Volume II based on Carter's notes and diaries; Carter effusively thanks White in the Prefaces to both Volumes I and II.This association copy was inscribed in Volumes I and III by Carter to his close friend, novelist Percy White (1852-1938), who wrote some 30 novels between 1893 and 1914. In the Preface to Volume I Carter writes, ""I must also thank my dear friend Mr. Percy White, the novelist, Professor of English Literature in the Egyptian University, for his ungrudging literary help"" (page xvi). White accompanied Carter to New York as he set out on his lecture tour of 17 American and Canadian cities in the summer of 1924, shortly after the publication of Volume I. ""An old friend of Carter's, White was to play an increasingly important part in the preparation of the second volume on the tomb, which came out in 1926. His help is acknowledged in the Preface to that volume but from what Carter says, no mention would have pleased White more. He had no hand in the writing of Volume III"" (James, Howard Carter: The Path to Tutankhamun, 254). In the Preface to Volume II, Carter writes: ""There is one old friend, of many years' standing—Mr. Percy White, who insists that any assistance that it may have been in his power to give me, has had its own reward, as a labor of love. I must nevertheless embarrass him with my warmest thanks for helping me in the compilation of this volume, although for his sake I will say no more"" (xxiv). White ""Had been a good friend and invaluable literary adviser to Carter since before the Great War; one of the few people whom Carter could count as a real friend, bridging his two lives in Egypt and in London"" (James, 458). In a letter to Carter dated November 25, 1925, White writes: ""I've received all your diaries to date and have recast them into narrative form. They will need, of course, scissors. Don't worry about writing. Rough notes will suffice. The nature and magnitude of your adventure grows on my mind"" (quoted in Reeves & Taylor, Howard Carter: Before Tutankhamun, 167).When Carter entered King Tut's tomb in 1922, he bridged 3000 years separating the reign of the Boy-King from the modern world. This first detailed account, richly illustrated with hundreds of plates after photographs taken by Harry Burton, includes images from the discovery of Tut's sepulchral chamber, the excavation of the site and hundreds of catalogued artifacts. Carter began working on Egyptian digs at the age of 17, working his way up to until he was ""appointed by the Egyptian government to be inspector-in-chief of the monuments of Upper Egypt and Nubia with headquarters at Thebes. In 1902 he began excavations in the Valley of the Tombs of the Kings, discovered the sepulchres of Hatshepsut (as sovereign) and Tuthmosis IV, and installed electric lighting in several of the larger royal tombs at Thebes and in the rock-temple at Abu Simbel in Nubia. In 1903 Carter was transferred to the inspectorate of Lower Egypt with headquarters at Tanta. Five years later (1908), Carter returned in order to superintend the excavations in the necropolis at Thebes being conducted by George Herbert, fifth Earl of Carnarvon [q.v.]. During the war of 1914-1918, among other discoveries, he found and cleared the long sought for tomb of Amenophis I. On 4 November 1922 he made the great discovery which will always be associated with his name, the tomb of King Tutankhamen with its extraordinary wealth of artistic treasures. Carter's records of the objects found and his handling and packing of them for transport down the Nile to Cairo were a most brilliant achievement and occupied no less than ten seasons (1922-1932). He published The Tomb of Tut-ankh-Amen and he had hoped to publish the full catalogue of all objects found, but his health failed and the work was unfinished"" (DNB). Because of the Depression, the third and final volume, included here, was printed in limited numbers and is consequently quite scarce. Without dust jackets, as usual. Some scattered foxing, as usual; expert reinforcement to text blocks and inner paper hinges, light rubbing to spines of Volumes I and II. An exceptional and scarce association copy inscribed in two volumes by Carter to an old friend and collaborator.
Offered by Bauman Rare Books.
by LEWIS, JOHN; AYDIN, ANDREW; POWELL, NATE
Marietta, GA: Top Shelf Productions, 2014. First Edition, Fifth Printing. Softcover. Octavo, 121 pages; VG; Spine maroon with black lettering; binding has mild wear and rubbing; Inscribed 'To Oliver!' and signed on the dedication page by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin.
Offered by Second Story Books.
By Willy Pogany
New York, 1929. Willy Pogány (Hungarian/American, 1882-1955). ORIGINAL PEN-AND-INK PORTRAITS OF THE MAD HATTER and THE MARCH HARE (From his illustrated 1929 Lewis Carroll Alice's Adventures In Wonderland published by E. P. Dutton). These marvelous drawings illustrate "The Mad Tea Party" chapter and grace pages 102 and 103. The images are both 4.75" x 3.5" situated in two corners of a large sheet of 11" by 14" heavy art paper. Pogány has printed his name in full on the March Hare drawing at the top right and initialed the Mad Hatter drawing at the lower left. His lightly penciled outline and notations can also be seen. The details of the drawings is spectacular in comparison to the actual printed book. Unique.. Signed. Original Art Artwork. Unbound. Very Good. Illus. by Willy Pogany.
Offered by Lakin & Marley Rare Books.
Arkitip Issue No. 0041: OriginalFake
by KAWS
Hollywood: Arkitip, 2007. Near fine in illustrated wrappers.. First edition. Quarto. Hand-numbered 135 of a limited edition of 2000 copies. 41st issue of Arkitip; the entire edition curated by KAWS. Originally issued with an OriginalFake / Incase laptop sleeve, the magazine is here sold separately.
Offered by Harper's Books.
by [KOKOON ARTS CLUB]; [AUGUSTE LEYSENS?]
[Cleveland, Ohio], [1926]. Broadside (lithograph), approximately 11 x 15 inches. Pinholes, concentrated in upper corners, rough edges (as printed). Very good.
Poster invitation for Cleveland's Kokoon Arts Club's 1926 Halloween party, featuring a lantern-bearing ghoul unlocking the door to a subterranean chamber. The Kokoon Club, base of much of Cleveland's early-20th-century bohemia and avant garde, was widely known during its heyday for its wild and elaborately designed social events. For a number of years, members would compete to design the poster invitation for the large annual Bal Masque held early in the year. The more intimate Halloween parties generated a handful of smaller posters during the 1920s and early 1930s, at least four of which were almost certainly made by the same artist.
The present example is the first of that group, inviting guests to the club headquarters at 2121 East 21st Street on Saturday, October 30. The location and day of the week correspond to 1926, four years before the club moved to a new location at East 40th Street. A clue in a later year's invitation points to the artist as Auguste "Gus" Leysens (1888-1946), a Brussels-born lithographer and active member of the club from 1925 through the 1930s.
Rare, with the only known institutional copy at Kent State University.
Offered by Baker Rare Books.
(Texana) Walker's Red Hot Chile Con Carne Recipe Booklet
Austin, Texas: Walker Properties Assn., 1918. RARE. Recipe booklet for Walker's Red Hot Chile Con Carne, dated 1918. 3" w x 4 5/8" h. 16 pages with stapled colorful pictorial wrappers, 2 pp. color center fold illustration. Numerous recipes. Near Fine, small crease bottom corner. Walker's Austex Chile Company was founded in 1910. Located near Guadulupe Park, the company distributed its Mexene chile powder nationwide and was one of the founding companies behind Tex-Mex cuisine. Early Printing. Pamphlet. Near Fine. 3" x 4 5/8".
Offered by Dale Steffey Books.
by J.D. Salinger
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Boston: Little, Brown, 1951. A copy virtually without evidence of the passage of time: immaculately preserved in unread condition, with a bright, entirely original and unrestored jacket. 8vo. [6], 277 pages. Publisher's black cloth, gilt-lettered on spine; pictorial dust jacket designed by Michael Mitchell; quarter morocco slipcase. FIRST EDITION, first issue jacket with portrait photograph of Salinger on the rear panel cropped at head, and with dollar sign aligned as called for on the front flap.
While reams have been devoted to Salinger's novel and its anti-hero Holden Caufield, the designer of its now classic dust jacket has been an infrequent participant in the story of the book's ascension into the canon. The Canadian artist E. Michael Mitchell lived near Salinger in Westport, Connecticut in 1950 when the author was working on the novel. Salinger was a frequent visitor to the Mitchells' home, used their guest house to write, and read aloud portions of the drafts to Mitchell or his wife Esther throughout its composition. Mitchell inspired Salinger's complex story of religious and mystical experience, "De Daumier-Smith's Blue Period." After Salinger's move to New Hampshire, they began a forty-year correspondence, and saw each other occasionally until their falling out in the 1990s (Mitchell was a witness at Salinger's wedding to Claire Douglas in Vermont in 1955). Salinger's letters to Mitchell were acquired by Carter Burden from Ralph Sipper in the mid-1990s and are now in the Morgan Library. They were kept off view until the author's death in 2010, and have since been exhibited. Salinger preferred simple, textual jackets (consistent across 'Franny & Zooey', 'Nine Stories,' and 'Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters') and thus Mitchell's dynamic use of the carousel horse is a design anomaly in Salinger's published works.
The present copy is the finest we have seen in thirty years: Salinger's masterpiece was often read, shared, well-traveled and restored to within inches of its life. This is as close to an "as-issued" copy as one can expect to find. Burgess, 99 Novels, pp. 53-54.
Offered by Riverrun Books.
by Anne McCaffrey
San Francisco, CA and Columbia, Pennsylvania: Brandywyne Books, 1984. First Hardcover Edition. Boards. Very Good. First Hardcover Edition. [2], 252 pages. 8vo (5 3/4 x 8 3/4) inches. Publisher's pink French Suedel cloth with red lettering stamped on the spine and front board. A blue decorative design is stamped on the front board.. Second flyleaf notes "This is the deluxe limited edition signed by the author Anne McCaffrey" and signed. This copy has been read, with reading crease front joint, and compression of velvet covering to rear panel. Clean internally. No dust jacket as issued. Upper corner tips bumped. Boards. First published in November 1971 as a Dell paperback original #7445. The first hardcover edition was Millington Books, London. The first American hardcover edition was this publication, which was issued in two states simultaneously. The first (as here) was 200 copies with the gray parchtone limitation page. The second, 300 copies, was an unsigned trade issue. Hargreaves, Anne Inez McCaffrey, Forty Years of Publishing, An International Bibliography, #43E (p.139) NOTE: Although Hargreaves notes this title should have a slipcase of the same material, I have never seen an example and suspect that is an error in the bibliography.
Offered by Kuenzig Rare Books.
Salmagundi; or, the whim-whams and opinions of Launcelot Langstaff, Esq. and others
by Washington Irving, et al.
New-York: printed and published by D. Longworth, at the Shakspeare-Gallery, 1808. 20 parts bound in 2 volumes, 16mo, pp. [5], 4-206; [5], 208-424; original mottled calf, red morocco labels on gilt-decorated spines; rubbed and worn, minor defects and old repairs, else good and sound. A joint production of Washington Irving, his brother William, and James Kirke Paulding, and a famous bibliographic nighhtmare. "The final collation of Salmagundi has not been achieved" (BAL). The 20 parts are dated January 24, 1807 - January 25, 1808.
Offered by Rulon-Miller Books.
by Edward Bulwer-Lytton
Boston: Estes & Lauriat, 1892. Edition De Luxe. Limited to 1,000 copies of which this is 638. Finely bound in full crushed morocco ornately stamped in gilt to spines and boards. All edges brightly gilt. Inner dentelles gilt. Silk moire doublures and silk moire endpapers. A set with minimal shelfwear and no sunning; minor nicks or chips to crowns of a few volumes. In all, a bright and luxurious set.
Edward Bulwer-Lytton was a British Parliamentarian and author. Bulwer-Lytton served non-consecutive periods as a Member of Parliament, but he wrote consistently throughout his life. While Bulwer-Lytton is not widely remembered today, he was a popular author whose novels Godolphin (1822), The Last Days of Pompeii (1834), and Vril (1871), the last of which is an early and pioneering work of science fiction, were widely read. This finely bound set captures the extent Bulwer-Lytton's writing career.
Offered by Whitmore Rare Books.
Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life
by THOMAS, FRANK; OLLIE JOHNSTON
Burbank, CA: Walt Disney Productions, 1981. Second printing. Hardcover. very good +/near fine. 575pp. Thick quarto [28.5cm] in red cloth, with title stamped in gilt on spine and gilt design on front board. Spine is rolled. Mild edgewear to boards. Dust jacket is creased at head of spine. An in-depth study of the process of animation within the Disney studios, featuring hundreds of illustrations.
Offered by Ken Sanders Rare Books.
by Paul Bowles
Tangier, Morocco, 1978 - 91. Letter. Generally Very Good to Fine. Archive of 31 items SIGNED in full or as "Paul B.," each to Gregory Stephenson: 2 AUTOGRAPH LETTERS * 25 TYPED LETTERS * 4 AUTOGRAPH POSTCARDS. The letters, discussing publication of works by himself and other writers, and complaining of the bureaucratic and meteorological obstacles of life in Tangier. Together 31 pages, various sizes, letters on onionskin paper, some on personal stationery; condition. Each letter with the original envelope. Some excerpts: 12 April 1978: sending a typed poem [present, on a half-sheet of paper, unsigned] beginning, "There have been times, what with this and that/when the whisper of words was not enough."27 May 1978: "...[T]hat's the way here; no one will cash checks if he can avoid it. At the same time, you can find people who will accept huge checks in dollars, made out on American banks, and without a murmur, if only someone whispers in their ears that the person has plenty of Money! "I must say I admire your system with regard to running your magazine--you pay for contributions, and that is a rare phenomenon nowadays, particularly for poems.... [T]hey consider the honor of being published sufficient recompense...."14 June 1978: "...Things may get here late, but they generally reach me, unless the customs or censors get involved. In that case, one wishes the things had got lost before they arrived in Morocco, for one is obliged to make many visits to the various governmental agencies involved, and it becomes Kafkaesque...."22 January 1980: "...[T]here has been absolutely no change in the attitude of the Moroccans since the Iranian trouble. They feel very little kinship with the Shia--in fact, some call them Jews--so that the excitement remains exterior to their interest. I do note a certain disappointment in the unbelligerent stance of the United States; they feel that America is afraid to attack Iran, and they wonder why...."12 May 1981: "...I'm sorry the story is lost. It was about Andrew Layton's teeth. (18th Century event, happening in Essaouira.) I'll have to look and see what else I have, and send it to you in a day or so. The trouble is that like an idiot I sent you the original typescript, and now have nothing...."17 June 1982: "...Once again I'll hold classes for the New York School of Visual Artists; I don't enjoy it at all, but it helps to pay part of my federal income tax (which is higher this year than it's ever been, quite as I expected when I heard that Reagan was 'lowering' taxes--for those with incomes over $250,000)."12 January 1985: "...I just finished correcting the galleys for a volume of stories I translated from the Spanish, by a Guatemalan student I had here in 1980. City Lights is publishing it in the Spring. I expect William Burroughs here on the 19th of this month; I haven't seen him in years."20 February 1990, ALS: "...I was involved with Bernardo Bertolucci in the filming of his version of The Sheltering Sky, and it took a lot of time and energy. He shot a lot of the film (particularly interior shots) here in Tangier before setting out for the south. By now he has finished the filming (in Niger) and is editing. I don't think the picture will be shown before autumn...."
Offered by Charles Agvent.
by RICHARDSON, SAMUEL
London: Printed for C. Rivington...and J. Osborn, 1741. The Rare First Edition of the First British Novel A Shockingly Rare Book that Shocked When First Published RICHARDSON, Samuel. Pamela: or, Virtue Rewarded. In a Series of Familiar Letters from a Beautiful Young Damsel, to her Parents. Now First Published in Order to cultivate the Principles of Virtue and Religion in the Minds of the YOUTH of BOTH SEXES...In Two Volumes [with] ...And Afterwards, In her EXALTED CONDITION, Between Her, and Persons of Figure and Quality, Upon the Most Important and Entertaining Subjects, In genteel Life. The Third and Fourth Volumes. London: Printed for C. Rivington...and J. Osborn, 1741-2. First editions, Part I and II, of the first English novel. Four twelvemo volumes (6 x 3 5/8 in; 153 x 92 mm). xiv, 296; [2], 396; [2], iv, 419, [1]; [2], 471, [1, advertisement] pp. Volume I with gathering C (pp. 25-48) slightly proud at foredege; Volume III with top blank corner of pp. 89/90 torn away not affecting text; lower corner of pp. 93/94 torn away just affecting a couple of letters; small piece missing from lower fore-margin of pp. 137/138 not affecting text; small clean marginal tear on top fore margin of pp. 165/166 not affecting text. Full contemporary calf, covers decoratively bordered in gilt expertly rebacked to style. Spines with five raised bands ruled and numbered in gilt, marbled endpapers. Early ink signature "S. Pope" on front blank of each volume. Housed in a felt-lined half russet morocco over marbled boards drop-back case. Four smooth spines ruled and lettered in gilt. In spite of the aforementioned minor faults this is a very good and unsophisticated (apart from the expert reback) set of the first 'English Novel'.
Scarce in commerce in any condition. Of the six first editions that have come to auction within the last thirty-seven years all had similar condition issues, though the copy under notice appears to have been spared the worst extremes, and appears to be the only copy that is without any repair (apart from the expert reback to the binding) or restoration whatsoever. Wildly popular, the book was avidly read to pieces. First complete edition of what is considered to be the first novel in English, by the Father of the English novel, Samuel Richardson. Richardson wrote Pamela (1741) at the suggestion of booksellers Rivington and Osborn. "The book was highly successful and fashionable, and further editions were soon called for. Richardson felt obliged to continue his story, not only because of the success of Pamela but because of the number of forged continuations that began to appear. Pamela Part II appeared in 1742" (Oxford Companion to English Literature). The story, the bestseller of its time, was criticized for its perceived licentiousness: a beautiful 15-year old maidservant named Pamela must fend-off the unwanted advances of her noble master, who is infatuated with her. He abducts her, locks her up in one of his estates, and attempts to seduce and rape her. She resists, her virtue is saved and it ultimately rewards her. Richardson began it as a series of letters, i.e. an epistolary novel of conduct, but soon realized he could compose the story as a narrative and entertain as well as instruct. This was an innovation, and most novels from the mid-18th century and well into the 19th, followed Richardson's formula.
Offered by David Brass Rare Books.
Pearls of American Poetry Illuminated
by MAPLESON, T.W. GWILT
New York: Wiley and Putnam, 1853. Sq. 4to. 248 x 220 mm., [ 9 ¾ x 9 inches]. Illustrated with 53 illuminated pages (hinged boards), with highly gilded and decorated borders; all edges gilt. Orig. beveled brown morocco, with gilt title in shield on front cover in blind on rear board. Lacks free front endsheet. Binding rubbed, lacking bit at top of spine. Endsheets foxed. Very sound & clean, complete with orig. tissue guards. First edition One of three illuminated works by Mapleson, exquisitely printed in the chromolithographic process by Alphonse Brett and Thomas Sinclair of Philadelphia. In his pioneering bibliography of American color plate books Whitman Bennett writes, "The editor has been amazed at the variety and the beauty of Mapleson's work, which seems to him...both in abstract decoration and in miniature work, just as good and worthy of enthusiasm as that of the English Sangorski half a century later. And the reproductions are certainly better than the Sangorski reproductions." William Reese writes, "This collection of poems is one of the most elaborate examples of mimicking illuminated manuscripts by way of chromolithography. Printed on heavy card stock hinged into a binding, the volume combines the work of two different Philadelphia lithographers, Brett and Sinclair. Mapleson produced a string of similar books in the early 1850's, at the height of the gift book craze." Whitman Bennett, A Practical Guide to American Nineteenth Century Color Plate Books, p. 71. William Reese, Nineteenth Century American Color Plate Books, 89. Carl Peters, American on Stone, pp. 108 and 367.
Offered by De Simone Company.
Gorgo (Original photograph from the 1961 science fiction film)
by LOURIE, EUGENE(DIRECTOR); ROBERT L. RICHARDS, DANIEL JAMES (SCREENWRITERS); BILL TRAVERS, WILLIAM SYLVESTER, VINCENT WINTER, JOSEPH O'CONOR (STARRING)
N.p.: King Brothers [Bros.] Productions, 1961. Vintage reference photograph from the 1961 US Poverty Row film, an attempt by the notorious King Brothers to capitalize on the fame of the Shaw Brothers' "Godzilla" films in Japan. With a mimeo snipe on the verso. Sailors on a salvage ship capture a giant lizard and sell it to a London circus, leading the lizard's mother, who is significantly larger and meaner, to seek revenge and the return of her offspring. Set and shot on location in London. 8 x 10 inches. Near Fine.
Offered by Royal Books.
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