How the Other Half Lives (With a Tipped-In Jacob Riis TLS)
A solid copy of the 1890 1st edition, in its variant gray cloth binding, with blue titling and decorative blue bordering. WITH AN 1892 TYPED, SIGNED 1 PG LETTER FROM JACOB RIIS pasted onto the front free endpaper. Tight and VG, with foxing along the panels (especially the rear panel) and at the spine, and light wear to the tips. Thick octavo, dozens of evocative illustrations complementing Riis's timeless text, including a number of telling photographs. Beyond dispute one of the great records of late 19th century poverty in New York and a landmark document of economic inequality.- $2,500
- $2,500
The Clay Code; or, Text-Book of Eloquence, a Collection of Axioms, Apothegms, Sentiments, and Remarkable Passages on Liberty, Government, Political Morality and National Honor: Gathered from the Public Speeches of Henry Clay
Edited by G. Vandenhoff (Henry Clay) A clean, very well-preserved copy of the scarce 1844 1st edition. Tight and VG+ to Near Fine in its dark-green cloth, with lovely decorative blindstamping and bright gilt-titling at the front panel and spine. 12mo, 151 pgs., edited by (and Preface by) G. Vanderhoff. A well-chosen selection of a number of Henry Clay's most celebrated oratorical flourishes.- $500
- $500
The British Journal Photographic Almanac 1926 (Diamond Jubilee — Paris Salon Pictures)
A sharp, well-preserved copy of the 1926 issue of BJPA. Solid and VG+ in its dark-green cloth, with bright gilt-design andf titling, and blindstamped rule along the panels. Small written name and small blindtsamp at the front panel, otherwise very clean internally. Thick 12mo, hundreds of wonderful photo-related ads (in both black-and-color) throughout.- $50
- $50
The Scalawagons of Oz
John R. Neill (L. Frank Baum) A handsome copy of the 1941 correct 1st edition (the 34th title in the Oz series {misprinted at the rear flap as "Scallywagons"}, the original $1.50 price to the front flap AND the hyphen to the word "Scala-Wagons" along the cloth's spine crown). Clean and Near Fine in a crisp, VG example of the fragile dustjacket, with light chipping at the tips and very mild creasing along the panel edges. Wonderfully illustrated throughout by the author John R. Neill himself, this title "founded on and continuing the famous Oz stories". A markedly above-average copy.- $250
- $250
The Pageant of Peking: Comprising Sixty-Six Vandyck Photogravures of Peking and Environs from Photographs by Donald Mennie
Putnam Weale A handsome copy of the January 1921 stated 2nd edition. Tight and VG to VG+ in its blue-silk covers, with bright gilt-titling along the front panel. A bit of light, forgiveable soiling to the panels but very little wear to the silk to speak of, save for one tiny chip (the size of half a dime) at the lower spine. Internally very sharp, with faint foxing at the preliminaries and all 66 plates in crisp, superb condition. Folio, the text by the British author Putnam Weale (1877-1930). The gorgeous full-page gravures along the rectos, their captions along each facing verso.- $1,000
- $1,000
Ben Pepper
Margaret Sidney (Pseudonym of Harriet M. Lothrop) The 1937 1st thus (with its new Arthur Becher-illustrated frontispiece), following the 1905 original printing. THIS COPY BOASTS A WARM, FULL-PAGE INSCRIPTION BY THE AUTHOR'S DAUGHTER, REMINISCING OVER THE CREATION OF THE FIVE LITTLE PEPPERS, along the front free endpaper. A very presentable copy to boot. Tight and Near Fine in a bright, price-clipped, VG dustjacket, with light wear and creasing along the edges.- $100
- $100
Dissertations on First-Principles of Government
Thomas Paine The 1795 1st English language edition of Thomas Paine's historic dissertation on the "First Principles of Government", printed in the "Third Year of the French Republic". A thin, 40 pg. octavo, constituting the dissertation itself, which, in this case, is rebound in an early 20th century mustard-yellow cloth, with gilt-titling at the front panel. Darkening to the covers, neat separation at the front free endpaper. The original text though -- Paine's dissertation-- is crisp and unmarred and eminently legible, with only light, occasional foxing to the pages. The dissertation was written to influence the National Convention during its struggle to create a new French constitution and Paine here sounds an urgent call for universal suffrage so that "democracy should be open to all men." The pages are uncut and unopened but this remains a very presentable example of the uncommon 1795 1st appearance of Paine's seminal dissertation in English.- $1,500
- $1,500
Bandanna Ballads
Howard Weeden A very sharp copy of the 1899 1st edition, 1st issue, in its dark-green pebbled cloth (BAL 7144). Clean and Near Fine, with bright gilt-titling along the front panel and spine, and no writing or markings to speak of internally. Introduction by the formidable Joel Chandler Harris, Howard Weeden's 2nd published book.- $100
- $100
Old Voices
Howard Weeden A clean, well-preserved copy of the Sepember 1904 1st edtion. Solid and VG+ to Near Fine in its light-brown cloth, with bright gilt-rule and mounted oval sketch of an old African-American man at the front panel. A touch of light rubbing at the spine crown, very mild soiling to the rear panel. Internally clean as could be, with no writing or markings to speak of. Wonerful, very skillful sketches throughout by Cora Parker. All in all, a very impresive copy.- $150
- $150
First Annual Report of the Forest Commission of the State of New York, For the Year 1885
Townsend Cox, Commissioner The uncommon maiden annual report (1885) of New York State's Forest Commission. Solid and VG in its dark-green cloth, with light wear and spotting along the top-edges and the fore-edges. Internally very sharp, with no writing or markings to speak of. Tipped-in strip at the front free endpaper ("Compliments of Townsend Cox, Commissioner"). Octavo, also includes large fold-out color map ("Map of the Adirondack Plateau Showing the Position & Condition of Existing Forests") tucked into a pocket at the front pastedown.- $500
- $500
The Art of Noel Coward
Robert Greacen INSCRIBED BY NOEL COWARD on the front free endpaper. A solid copy to boot of the 1953 1st edition. Clean and VG (a number of spots of denting at the rear panel) in a crisp, VG dustjacket, which shows matching denting/scuffing at the rear panel. Still though, very presentable. Octavo, 3 fold-out plates (reproductions of actual manuscript) within the text.- $200
- $200
Forbidden Photographs (The Signed/Limited Edition)
Charles Gatewood A clean, very sharp copy of the 1981 signed/limited. #95 OF 1,000 COPIES SIGNED AND DATED BY CHARLES GATEWOOD on the title page. Tight and Near Fine in its dark boards, with bright silver titling to the front panel. Unforgettable black-and-white photos along the rectos, Charles Gatewood's always-gripping background to each scene along the facing versos.- $100
- $100
The Star Spangled Banner: Words and Music — Issued Between 1814-1864
Compiled by Joseph Muller A very solid copy of the 1935 1st edition, limited to 500 copies. Tight and VG+ in its navy-blue cloth, with just a touch of very light soiling along the lower-edges. All-but-pristine paper title label at the spine crown. Tall quarto, dozens of illustrations throughout supplementing the bibliography and index. (From the title page: "An Annotatated Bibliographical List With Notices of the Different Versions, Texts, Variants, Musical Arrangements, and Notes on Music Publishers in the United States. Illustrated With 108 Portraits, Facsimiles, etc. Compiled by Joseph Muller"- $100
- $100
Robin Hood: A Collection of All the Ancient Poems, Songs, and Ballads, Now Extant Relative to That Celebrated English Outlaw to Which Are Prefixed Historical Anecdotes of His Life (2 Vols.)
Joseph Ritson, Esq First published in 1795, this is the 1832 stated 2nd edition (and the 1st Pickering edition) of the "first scholarly collection of Robin Hood ballads". Complete in 2 volumes. Bound in a perioid --if not the publisher's-- full calf by the Jenkins Bindery, with 5 raised bands (and intricate gilt-tooling within) and leather title and author labels along each spine. Rubbing and light wear to the spines, very light scuffing and spotting at the panels. Matching armorial bookplates ("Prenez Garede") to each front pastedown, former owner signature ("James Ratcliffe Newcastle-on-Tyne") on each first blank verso. 12mos, matching marbled endsheets, pastedowns and edges. A handsome, very presentable set.- $500
- $500
Hand-Bound Books: A Guide for Amateur Bookbinders
Clara Buffum A crisp, well-preserved copy of this lovely 1935 self-published guide to bookbinding. #155 OF 500 COPIES ISSUED SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR CLARA BUFFUM at the limitation. Bright and clean and Near Fine in its decorative, light-brown wrappers. Designed and printed by the Akerman-Standard Company of Providence.- $100
- $100
The California and Hawaiian Sugar Refining Corporation of San Francisco, California
Boris Emmet A bright, solid copy of the 1928 1st edition. Tight and VG+ in its dark-red cloth, with bright gilt-titling along the front panel and lightly-rubbed titling at the spine. Mild scuffing to the rear panel, otherwise clean as could be, with no writing or markings of any kind internally. Octavo, No. II in the formidable "Stanford Business" series.- $50
- $50
The Happy Hooker: My Own Story (30th Anniversary Edition)
Xaviera Hollander INSCRIBED BY XAVIERA HOLLANDER ("THE HAPPY HOOKER") TO HELEN WOLFF, THE FORMER PROPRIETESS OF "COME AGAIN", ONE OF NEW YORK'S RENOWNED SEX SHOPS FROM THE 1980s (this one on East 51st St. at 3rd Ave.). A pristine copy to boot of the 2003 30th anniversary edition of this bombshell memoir, "with a new Epilogue". Crisp and Fine in its pink, pictorial wrappers.- $100
- $100
Manual of the Corporation of the City of New York for 1855
An impressive copy of the 1855 issue of Valentine's Manual of New York. Solid and VG+ in its chocolate-brown cloth, with decorative blindstamping and bright gilt-design and titling along the panels and spine. Small, neat 1914 inscription from a former owner to his father on the front free endpaper, otherwise very sharp internally, with light offsetting to a small number of the pages. Thick 12mo, 9 fold-out plates (as issued) plus a number of handsome chromolithographed plates. The Washington Bridge Over the Harlem River, at 181st Street, New York City. A Description of Its Construction
A serviceable copy, a reading copy of the 1889 1st edition. Ex-libris from Case Western Reserve University, with the institutional letters to the foot of the spine, the CWRU bookplate (stamped "withdrawn") at the front pastedown and several additional, discreet stamps (including a blindstamp) to the text. Light staining as well to the preliminaries and a loose title page, with a neat former owner inscription on it. A Good only copy but still impressive and very useful, with "twenty-six albertypes, and thirty-seven double and single page lithographs". Easily one of the most detailed early records (both photographic and textual) of the construction and completion of the great bridge. Tall quarto, wonderful local, engineering-related ads at the rear. Green-Wood Cemetery: A History of the Institution from 1838 to 1864
A gorgeous copy of the 1866 1st edition of this mid 19th century history of Brooklyn's legendary Greenwood Cemetery. Unusually clean and tight in its gilt-decorated, pebbled dark-green boards, with crisp gilt-titling and decorative blindstamping and rule along the spine and rear panel respectively. An easily Near Fine copy. Tall quarto, all edges bright gilt. Internally immaculate as well, with no writing or markings of any kind, and with all of the original tissue-guards in place and protecting the 18 lovely engravings. The sharpest copy this bookseller has seen.