Literature

Cambridge [Massachussetts]: John Owen. 1839.First edition. Small 8vo. 178x110mm. pp. xv [ibl], 144. Original drab boards, paper label to spine. Head and foot of spine a little chipped and bumped and some rubbing to edges of boards. Internally very good although the first gathering is slightly loose and there is some toning to the edges. Housed in a folding card jacket and a blue quarter morocco slipcase, lettered in gilt to the spine. Title page has ownership inscription: "Chas. L. Reason". Reason was an African American mathematician.

London: F.C.and J. Rivington. 1822.First edition. 8vo. 225x140mm. pp. xi [ibl], 356, errata leaf tipped in. Uncut in the original boards with paper label to spine. Leaves X7 and 8 unopened. Spine somewhat worn with some of the paper missing, corners rubbed and worn and some marks on the boards.

New York: New Directions. 1946.Presentation copy from Dylan Thomas to David Markson. Second edition. 8vo. 212x135mm. xxiii [ibl], 184. Original red cloth, slightly faded in places in original dustjacket, chipped along the top edge with a piece (25x10mm) missing from top corner. Internally very good with extensive underlinings and a marginal annotation in blue ink, all by Markson. Inscribed on the front free endpaper: "From Dylan in the West End Tavern to Dave under the volcano. 1952". Beneath this Thomas has also written: "In London, 54 Delancey St. Camden Town, N.W.1. In Wales, Boat House, Laugharne, Carmarthenshire, Wales".

n.p. . n.d. [1937]. A collection of typescripts of thirteen short stories by Lise Deharme with five signed drawings by Jean Cocteau. Some of the stories are drafts with manuscript or typed amendments and some in fair copy. Each story, with its illustration, is loosely inserted into a card folder. Also present is the original pink file which contained the stories and drawings. On the cover of this is inscribed, in De harme’s hand: “Lise Deharme, 146 rue de Grenelle, Paris VII. Quleque dessins de Cocteau”. All housed in a custom made box with paper label to spine.

Londres: en la imprenta R.Taylor.. 1826.Simon Bolivar's copy. First edition. 4to. 294x197mm. pp. [2], xiii [ibl], [2], 707 [1]. Two parts in one volume, paginates continuously. Two frontispiece portraits in each part. Half title (bound after, rather than before the prologue) is signed by Simon Bolivar, using only his surname and in his distinctive hand. Contemporary calf, gilt roll border, spine decorated in gilt, green morocco label lettered in gilt. Some scuffing and marking to boards, corners a little worn and slight cracking to hinge with upper cover. Internally very good with some foxing and marking (on p.657).

[London] n.p.. 1993.Signed by Pete Townshend and Ted Hughes. Pete Townshend's annotated rehearsal copy of the script for the stage production of his rock opera The Iron Man based on Ted Hughes's children's book of the same name. 48 A4 leaves printed on recto only. All but two are extensively annotated with directions ("PETE! ACTION"), observations ("Kids actually got bored in my best song!"), amendments, deletions and suggestions. Notes are in pencil, blue, black and purple ink and blue felt pen. More than one hand is at work in these notes but Townshend's is clearly evident.

Edinburgh and London: William Blackwood and Sons. 1871.First separate edition following its publication in Blackwood's Magazine. 8vo. 171x114mm. pp. 64, 8pp adverts. Original publisher's purple wrappers, somewhat faded and with tears to spine and the bottom outer corner torn from the lower cover. Some foxing but otherwise very good internally. Although not the first example of imaginary invasion literature (see previous item for that), The Battle of Dorking is the best known and was the most successful.

London: Allan Wingate. 1956."the father of black writing". One of the central works of post-colonial literature First edition. 8vo. 184x120mm. pp. [7], 8-171 [1bl]. Original green cloth with original strikingly illustrated dustjacket. Head and top corners of dustjacket a little chipped and some wear to the jacket. Internally it is a little toned to the edges but overall an excellent copy of this groundbreaking and important book.

London: The Mitre Press. n.d. [1957/8].First edition. 8vo 183x122mm. pp. 64. Original bright blue cloth lettered in gilt with original illustrated dust jacket. Some very minor marking and rubbing to the jacket and slight soiling to the spine. Internally there is some mild foxing in one or two places but overall a very good copy. Rare in commerce and with eight copies recorded institutionally. Frieda Harris was, in the words of her husband "an artist and a good one.

London: Smith, Elder, and Co.,. 1851.First edition. 8vo. 218x140mm. pp. vi, [7]-68, [1 adverts, 1bl]. Original blue wrappers, delicate and somewhat soiled and marked, with tears and damage to the spine. An ownership inscription in pencil to upper cover. Internally very good although the hinges are cracked and loose but holding. Rare in commerce, the last copy in the wrappers appearing in 1992.By 1851, the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood was three years old. Its infancy had been difficult with critics and the public rejecting their use of heightened realism, self-conscious religiosity and mock-mediaevalism.

Napoli: Dalla Tipografia Trani. 1860.Volume II, part I. 8vo. 200x125mm. pp. [8], xxiv, 3-328, [6]. This volume contains the story and teachings of Jesus Christ set out in a collection of short readings. Beautifully bound in red full morocco with, on both covers, in gilt, the coat of arms of Francis I, King of the Two Sicilies. The arms are framed by a rococo gilt border. Spine decorated with an attractive rococo design and lettered in gilt. Some slight rubbing and a few marks to the spine but otherwise in very good condition. Internally excellent but with some foxing.

Oxford: OUP. 1913.185x130mm. pp. viii, 1350. Bound in red morocco by W.H.Smith (blind stamp on rear pastedown). Douglas Cockerell managed the bindery from 1906-1914 and this plain but attractive binding would have been made under his supervision as it was given as a Cheltenham Ladies' College form prize to Margaret E. Giddings in 1914. The upper cover has the monogram "CLC" of the school.

Salisbury: Sealy and Hodson. 1773.First edition. 8vo. 196x123mm. pp. [iv], 256. Contemporary half calf, marbled paper covered boards, rebacked, morocco label lettered in gilt. Rubbing to boards and bumping to corners. Internally very good but with some browning and closed tears to K2 and K3 (which also has a tear with loss to top margin). Overall a nice copy of a light and amusing collection of poetry and prose to keep while the hours spent travelling in a post chaise.

Oxford: Printed by the University Printers. 1695. 12mo. 150x80mm. A12-Kk11. Volume one only, containing the Old Testament. Bound in a nice contemporary sombre binding, marbled endpapers. Internally, there is some staining but otherwise a very good copy. Final blank has the ownership inscription "Ann Stallard Her Book.

Milano: Edizioni Futuriste di "Poesia". 1919.First edition, inscribed by Marinetti. 8vo. 190x120mm. pp. 107, [7 inc 3pp adverts] but lacking pp91-92 of text and the four folding plates. In fragile condition with the front cover detached and the spine broken. In glassine wrapper. Housed in a custom made box with the title and author stamped in black. The front free endpaper has the inscription "Mme C. Graetaers [?] avec sympathathie F.T.Marinetti. Corso Venezia 61 Milano".

London: J&C Brown & Co.. n.d. [1856].8vo. 158x95mm. pp. pp. iv, [2], 9-309 [1bl]. Frontispiece (some offsetting from frontispiece onto the title page opposite). This copy is undated but has the same title and imprint as the dated first edition of 1856 so we have assumed that it is from that year. Russell's works were often republished but with different titles which is not the case here. Bound with (and after) BELL, Robert The Ladder of Gold. An English Story London:G. Routledge & Co. 1858. vi, 7-440.

London: Walter Scott. 1887.First edition. 8vo. 190x125mm. pp. xx, 419 [1bl]. Original blue cloth with an illustration in gilt by Phoebe Traquair on the upper cover (her monogram is at the bottom right corner of the cover). Spine lettered and illustrated in gilt. The frontispiece was also designed by Traquair. Some fading to spine and bumping and wear to head and foot of spine and rubbing to corners. Endpapers chipped at the front inner gutter but otherwise a very nice copy of an important collection of women's writing by Elizabeth Sharp.

Zürich: Fretz & Wasmuth. 1943.Inscribed by HesseInscribed by Hesse: "Ein Gruss für Reinhard Weiss von H. Hesse". Third edition (Drei Auflage), issued the same year as the first. Two volumes. 8vo. 182x108mm. pp. 451, [1]; 441, [1]. Original pale blue cloth with HH monogram in gilt to upper covers and spine decorated in gilt with black label lettered in gilt. Original dust jackets. Spines of dustjackets browned and a little soiled with slight chipping to the foot of the jacket of volume one. Housed in a cardboard slipcase. A very nice copy.

n.p. C. Johnson. [1793].Portrait of Wybrand Lolkes and his wife, full length, the husband directed to the right, and the wife in frontal view but looking left. Scene set in an interior. Etching on paper. Mounted on white card, 255x197mm. (mount measures 330x270). Crease to top edge of mount but print is in excellent condition. This illustration to The Wonderful Magazine (London, 1822). Lolkes was a celebrated dwarf (he was 27 inches high and weighed 56lbs) who, in the manner of the time was exhibited as something of a curiosity.

London: Printed by John Baskett, printer to the King's most Excellent Majesty, & by the Assigns of Thomas Newcomb and Henry Hills deceas'd. 1715.Bound with The Book of Common Prayer, London: Charles Bill and the Executrix of Thomas Newcomb, deceased, 1709. And with The Whole Book of Psalms: Collected into English Metre by Thomas Sternhold, John Hopkins, And Others. London: Printed by J. Heptinstall, 1717. 8vo. 192x120mm. Unpaginated. Collates as follows: BCP a4, A8-G6. Bible pi1, A8-Z8, As8-Zz8, Aaa8-Zzz8, Aaaa8-Cccc4. Psalms: A4-L4.

London: Macmillan and Co., Limited. 1905.First edition. 8vo. 190x125mm. pp. [iv], 461, [1bl, 10 adverts]. Original blue cloth, upper cover decorated in blind and lettered in gilt. Slight rubbing to extremities and mild toning internally but otherwise in excellent condition throughout. Protected by a plastic transparent wrapper. Rare in commerce, only five copies appearing in the auction records in the last century. Rolf Boldrewood is the pseudonym of Thomas Alexander Browne(1826-1915).

New York: The Macaulay Company. 1933.First edition. 8vo. 189x126mm. pp. [8], 9-283 [1bl]. Yellow cloth illustrated and lettered in red. Original illustrated dustjacket, chipped and creased in places and with the spine a little faded but overall in very good condition. Internally excellent.

Boston: Chapman & Grimes. 1939.First edition. 8vo. 196x135mm. pp. 255 [1bl]. Publisher's blue cloth and original dustjacket. Some closed tears to the jacket and there is a handwritten alteration to a printed address on the lower cover. Inscribed "To Mr Fred E. Mason from Ida F. Powell Author. Christmas 1941". Loosely inserted is a two page letter and a Christmas Card from Powell to Mason. In the letter, Powell describes the book as a "romance...while the details of the detective theme is founded upon actual knowledge of facts which I gathered by contacting the police".

New York: Rae D. Henkle. 1934.First edition. 8vo. 200x140mm. pp. 320. Black cloth, decorated and lettered in red. Original illustrated dustjacket with a very striking design. Tear to top edge of the upper cover dustjacket with c25x15mm missing. A repaired tear and one small tear to bottom edge of the dustjacket but otherwise a very good copy and internally excellent. Red Hell is the memoir of the career criminal John Goode (1864-1934). He was encouraged by Rae Henkle, the publisher and a friend, "to put his story into some form of written order".