(edited by Romola Njinsky).
THE DIARY OF VASLAV NJINSKY. NJINSKY, Vaslav (edited by Romola Njinsky). Published by London, Victor Gollancz 1937. First Edition Original rare dust jacket in good condition un-clipped, green cloth binding 205 pages in very good condition. The diary of the great ballet dancer, written during 1918-1919 in St. Moritz where he and his wife, Romola, had retired to await the end of the war. The papers were discovered almost 20 years later. b/w photographs and plates showing Nijinsky's fine art work. The text is less a conventional daily diary than philosophical meandering thoughts (Njinsky's incipient insanity showing through already) on life, death, artistry and artistic temperament. Nijinsky was introduced to dance by his parents, who were senior dancers with the travelling Setov opera company, and his early childhood was spent touring with the company. His elder brother Stanislav and younger sister Bronislava "Bronia" Nijinska also became dancers; Bronia also became a choreographer, working closely with him for much of his career.
Haskell, Arnold L.
BALLET DECADE Haskell, Arnold L. [Edited by] Published by Published by Adam & Charles Black, Ltd. 4, 5 & 6 Soho Square, London First Edition. 1956. First edition publisher's original burgundy cloth turquoise stamping to spine and upper panel, illustrated end papers. 8vo 9½" x 6¾" 224 pp. Four colour plates, drawings and 112 photographs. dust jacket with small area missing at the top affecting title on the spine, with tiny surface rub and loss to corners. not price clipped. With owners name and address on the inside if the front flap. THE GOLDEN DECADE; This Volume needs no Lengthy introduction. The decade with which it deals has been a golden one and as such it is a challenge to the future. Are we going to live on the formula of these ten years and suffer the same steep decline as in the post-Romantic era, or are we going to use this inspiration as a springboard? We have in this country, for the first time, established the machinery for a national ballet that will endure. We may be justly proud but we must never be complacent; there can be even greater risks in perfect machinery than in hasty improvisation. The personality of the decade has been Dame Ninette de Valois. Her artistry, integrity and great personal prestige have meant that the transfer of power from the individual to the machine has not yet occurred in fact and we are still living under the best possible régime, that of the creative individual in charge of the machine. The test will come when that is no longer the case and we are working as in Paris, Copenhagen and Moscow.
Haskell, Arnold L.
DANCING ROUND THE WORLD Arnold Haskell Published by Victor Gollancz, London 1937 First Edition Bound in green cloth. pp352, indexed, with many b/w plates plus line drawings in text, illustrated endpapers. 65 photographs with 25 decorations. Haskell first went to Australia in 1936 with the visiting Monte Carlo Russian Ballet as a publicist/reporter, writing articles and reviews for several Australian newspapers and journals, such as The Home,[5] and sent reports home to England for magazines such as the Dancing Times. His book Dancing Round the World, published in London in 1937, is an account of his adventures on that tour. He returned to Australia in 1938 to gather material for Waltzing Matilda: a background to Australia published in 1943. On this second visit he continued writing articles and reviews for Australian newspapers and magazines, this time for the second Ballets Russes company to tour Australia, the Covent Garden Russian Ballet.
Lifar, Serge
MA VIE - FROM KIEV TO KIEV: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY Lifar, Serge Published by Hutchinson of London, 1970 First Edition Nice sharp copy in yellow cloth binding, dust jacket (clipped) 332pp Born at Kiev in 1905, Serge Lifar was not only one of the most remarkable ballet dancers of his epoch and the truly worthy successor of Nijinsky, but today he is one of the world,s outstanding choreographers and ballet directors, as well as a writer of great charm and force. At the height of the Boshevik terror, Lifar escaped from Russian and joined Diaghilev,s Ballets Russes. His description of the last days of the towering figure is extremely moving. With the end of the Balets Russes, Lifar began his long and brilliant career at the Paris Opera, where he was maitre de ballet, star dancer, and choreographer until 1939.
Guest Ivor
ADELINE GENEE: A Lifetime of Ballet Under Six Reigns Ivor Guest, Published by A & C Black, London, 1958 First Edition. 8vo. Dark green boards with gilt lettering to spine. In an illustrated dustjacket that presents some wear to the extremities. The book includes a newspaper clipping of Dame Adeline Genees Obituary and her order of service for the funeral at Golders Green crematorium. From the Introduction GENÉE! It is a name that our grandchildren will cherish. .And alas! our grandchildren will never believe, will never be able to imagine, what Geneé was." So wrote Max Beerbohm, "the Incomparable Max", of his contemporary, Adeline Genée, who, like him, was honoured with that final and rarest accolade. To Edwardian ears, attuned so much more acutely than those of later generations to the grace of living, such a recogni- for no one who never had the privilege of seeing the incomparable Genée dance can hope to comprehend or appreciate her art to the full. It is only through memories and the written word, therefore, that we today can catch a glimpse-even though fleeting and indis-tinct of the Genée who in her prime drew, from every corner of the British possessions, admirers for whom no journey to London, however short, was deemed complete without a visit to the Empire Theatre in Leicester Square. This book, however, is more than a study of Genée the ballerina, although that in itself would amply justify a volume. She was one of the brightest stars of the London theatre for many years before the Diaghilev Ballet made its appearance. She came to London in the year of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, when ballet was centred at the Empire and Alhambra Theatres, and in her ten famous years at the former theatre not only raised the popularity of ballet to heights it had never attained before but, through the example of her impeccable way of life.
Haskell, Arnold L.
BALLETOMANIA The Story of an Obsession Haskell, Arnold L. Published by Simon & Schuster, New York, 1934 First Edition Long before Hulkamania and Beetle Mania there was BALLETOMANIA! Bound in green cloth, slightly aged, picturesque dust jacket good condition un-clipped slight soiling and minor chipping. 63 photographs and 20 decorations in the text by Larionov and Gontcharova. Balletomania the Story of Obsession is a backstage tale of life behind the curtain. The author Haskell gives many vivid portraits of individual dancers both as artists and personalities from the great days of Trefilova, Pavlova, Kchessinska to the 15-year-old stars of the 1930"s THIS book is the autobiography of an enthusiasm. Rarely does anyone outside of an art or an occupation develop for it the absorbing devotion, the pervasive and enduring enthusiasm that Arnold L. Haskell feels for the ballet. He is merely an onlooker, but if he were vitally connected with the art as dancer or choreographer, he could hardly be more enthusiastically interested in its fortunes than he is as admirer and interpreter in words.
Guest Ivor
BALLET: AN EXHIBITION An Exhibition of Books, MSS, Playbills, Prints &c. illustrating the development of the art from its origins until modern times Organized by Ivor guest Inscribed to Svetlana An amazing account of historical importance. GUEST, Ivor Bound in blue buckram, this item was put together by Ivor Guest as a gift to Svetlana for her help in putting together this Exhibition, it contains 13 actual photographs with hand written explanations of the photographs and the original guide to the exhibition bound in. Very good condition. Introduction; One of the most important cultural developments of the past fifty years has been the emergence of the ballet as a major theatrical art, not only in such countries as France, Russia and Denmark where national companies have been firmly established since the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, but, even more remarkably, in lands where no such time-honoured traditions exist. Today ballet is so much a part of the cultural heritage of Britain that it is hard to realise that the foundations of the already internationally renowned Royal Ballet were laid only little more than twenty-five years ago. The appeal of ballet, like that of music, transcends linguistic barriers, and affords a valuable means of achieving a degree of mutual understanding between nations in a world, torn by dissensions, which is nonetheless striving towards the ideal of universal brotherhood. Cultural exchanges, in which ballet plays a prominent part, have in this age become almost a branch of international diplomacy. It is appropriate, therefore, that the cosmopolitan character of ballet should be stressed in this exhibition. Only so long as it remains receptive to influences from every quarter can an art be truly said to flourish, and the awareness of ideas and achievements in other countries, and no less of other ages, is essential not only for those who create but equally so for those who appreciate.
HUGH FISHER
ALICIA MARKOVA HUGH FISHER Published by Adam and Charles Black 1958 Inscribed to John 1976 from Alicia Markova, Second Edition Second Edition. 32pp. Profiles with photographs of some of the memorable Sadler's Wells ballerinas, among them: Alicia Markova, Margot Fonteyn, Mary Honer, Beryl Grey, Moira Shearer, Nadia Nerina, Rowena Jackson, Svetlana Beriosova. Some minor wear to dust jacket, grey cloth binding with silver title to front board, very tidy and good condition.
Beaumont, Cyril
THE BALLET CALLED SWAN LAKE Beaumont, Cyril Published by C. W. Beaumont 1952 First Printing Inscribed to Svetlana from the author No Jacket. 1st Edition. First edition 1952, first printing stated. Privately published by Author. Hardcover in full dark blue cloth silver title and lines to the spine. From the Preface; The favourable reception accorded my previous book, The Ballet called Giselle, a study of the evolution of a single ballet from conception to realisation, has prompted me to attempt an account on similar lines of another famous ballet, Swan Lake. The history of that work being largely connected with Russia offers particular obstacles in the collection and assembling of material, quite apart from the normal difficulties of the Russian to describe the early productions of Swan Lake without the help of a Russian friend, Miss Natalie René (Moscow), an assiduous student of Ballet, who not only most generously aided me in the acquisition of Russian documentation but also frequently suggested fruitful sources of Study. This book owes a great deal to her unremitting interest and her constant encouragement over several years.
DOLIN, Anton
THE SLEEPING BALLERINA; THE STORY OF OLGA SPESSIVTZEVA DOLIN, Anton Published by Frederick Muller Ltd, London, 1966 1st edition 1966; foreword by Dame Marie Rambert Black and white illustrated Dust jacket, blue cloth binding. Very Good condition. Olga Alexandrovna Spessivtseva (Russian: Ольга Алекса́ндровна Спеси́вцева; 18 July [O.S. 6 July] 1895 16 September 1991) was a Russian ballerina whose stage career spanned from 1913 to 1939. She was one of the finest prima ballerinas of the twentieth century. She had the excellent classical technique, immaculate style and scenic spirituality which are considered the embodiment of the romantic ballerina. Olga Spessivtseva was born in Rostov-on-Don, the daughter of an opera singer and his wife.[2] After her father's death, she was sent to an orphanage with theatrical connections in St. Petersburg, a center of culture. She entered St. Petersburg's Imperial Ballet Academy in 1906, where she was a student of Klavdia Kulichevskaya and later of Yevgenia Sokolova and Agrippina Vaganova. After graduating in 1913, she joined the Mariinsky Theatre company, where she was promoted to soloist in 1916. An exquisite romantic dancer with perfect technique, ideally suited for roles such as Giselle and Odette-Odile in Swan Lake, she quickly became one of the most admired dancers in the company. In 1916, Sergei Diaghilev invited her to tour with the Ballets Russes in the United States, where she danced with Vaslav Nijinsky in Le Spectre de la Rose, Les Sylphides and the "Bluebird pas de deux" from The Sleeping Beauty. In 1918 she returned to the Mariinsky, renamed the Petrograd Opera and Ballet Theater after the Russian Revolution of 1917. She was promoted to the rank of ballerina. At this time, she was almost unknown in the West.
Monahan, James
FONTEYN. A STUDY OF THE BALLERINA IN HER SETTING. With twenty-five illustrations. [Fonteyn, Margot] Monahan, James. Published by London, Adam and Charles Black., 1957 1957. First Edition. 115 pages. Pictorial dust jacket over green cloth binding. Black and white photographic plates throughout. Some soiling to un-clipped dust jacket binding and text in very good condition. Dame Margot Fonteyn, (born May 18, 1919, Reigate, Surrey, Englanddied February 21, 1991, Panama City, Panama), outstanding ballerina of the English stage whose musicality, technical perfection, and precisely conceived and executed characterizations made her an international star. She was the first homegrown English ballerina, and she became an iconic and much-loved figure, particularly after she was professionally paired with Russian dancer Rudolf Nureyev. As a young teenager, she studied dance in Shanghai with George Goncharov and then in London with Serafima Astafieva and at the Sadlers Wells Ballet school. She debuted with the Vic-Wells Ballet in 1934. When Alicia Markova left the company the following year, Fonteyn took over many of her classical roles, including Giselle, and became a leading danseuse of the Vic-Wells Ballet. In 1939 she danced Aurora in a revival of The Sleeping Beauty; her interpretation is still considered the definitive Aurora of the era.
Beaton Cecil
BALLET Cecil Beaton Published by Wingate, London, 1951 First edition. 8vo. Original yellow cloth, lettered in silver; illustrated with numerous photographs and drawings by the author; a very good copy in dust-jacket which is chipped and repaired at the spine ends and with a few closed tears, and with some foxing to flaps and inside of wrapper. The book covers Beaton's lifelong interest in ballet, from watching The Palace Girls when young, through the Ballets Russes and Sadler's Wells, to designing productions for The Royal Ballet. His reminiscences and artistic comments are accompanied by his photographs and drawings of the great stars and choreographers of ballet from the first half of the 20th century - Lydia Lopokova, Leonide Massine, Tamara Karsavina, Serge Lifar, Kyra Nijinska, Margot Fonteyn, Frederick Ashton, George Balanchine, Christian Berard and Lord Berners.
Boswell, James
THE LIFE OF SAMUEL JOHNSON. Boswell, James Published by George Bayntun, Bath, 1925 2 Vols Cosway Style Bindings by Bayntun Riviere, Bath, England. Beautiful, first edition, illustrated two-volume edition of the most celebrated biography in the English language. Quarto, Published by George Bayntun. bound in full Brown morocco, spines slightly sunned, Cosway Style binding extra gilt, with gilt titles and gold and blind tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, Silk deblures, all edges gilt. Housed in 2 separate cloth slipcases. Complete with 576 illustrations, facsimiles and maps including 13 plates in photogravure. Newly edited with notes by Roger Ingpen. Boswell excelled in insight into human nature and in ability to dramatize a situation. It was a crucial part of Boswells magic to give significance and vitality to the apparently trivial; it is this trait, together with his notable accuracy and unparalleled completeness of portraiture, that made him the Shakespeare of biographers. (Baugh et al., 1065-66). "One of Western literature's most germinal achievements: unprecedented in its time in its depth of research and its extensive use of private correspondence and recorded conversation." (Gordon Turnbull, Oxford DNB).
FITZGERALD, F. Scott
THE GREAT GATSBY FITZGERALD, F. Scott (1896-1940). New York: Charles Scribner s Sons, 1925. 8vo. Original dark green cloth lettered in blind, gilt lettered spine (very lightly sunned, a touch of rubbing at foot, light edgewear to front free endpaper at foot, else fine). Provenance: [indecipherable] S. Baber (ownership signature on front free endpaper). first edition, first printing, with chatter for echolalia on p. 60, northern for southern on p. 119, sick in tired for sickantired on p. 205, and Union Street station for Union Station on p. 211. Bruccoli A11.1.a; Connolly, The Modern Movement 48. This copy is extremely bright inside and out, a near perfect copy Housed in a full dark blue morocco clamshell box. "The Great Gatsby" is a classic American novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and it was first published by Charles Scribner's Sons in 1925. It is considered one of the greatest works of American literature and is often cited as a quintessential representation of the Jazz Age, a term Fitzgerald coined to describe the Roaring Twenties. F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940) was an American novelist and short story writer. He was a prominent figure of the Jazz Age and the Roaring Twenties, known for his exploration of the American Dream and the excesses of the time. "The Great Gatsby" was first published on April 10, 1925. The first edition is highly sought after by collectors and enthusiasts. The novel is set in the summer of 1922 and takes place in the fictional towns of West Egg and East Egg on Long Island, as well as in New York City. The story is narrated by Nick Carraway, a young man who moves to Long Island and becomes involved in the lives of his wealthy and enigmatic neighbor, Jay Gatsby. The novel explores themes of wealth, love, decadence, and the American Dream. It tells the story of Jay Gatsby, a mysterious millionaire known for his extravagant parties, and his unrequited love for Daisy Buchanan, a married woman. The narrative delves into the complexities of the characters' relationships and the disillusionment of the American Dream. While "The Great Gatsby" is now considered a classic, it received mixed reviews upon its initial publication. It was only in the decades following Fitzgerald's death that the novel gained widespread acclaim and recognition. The novel has been adapted into several films, with the most famous being the 1974 version starring Robert Redford as Gatsby and Mia Farrow as Daisy. More recently, in 2013, another film adaptation directed by Baz Luhrmann was released, starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Gatsby and Carey Mulligan as Daisy. F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" remains a staple in American literature and is studied in schools and universities for its exploration of societal themes and its unique narrative style.
Franklin, John, Sir
Franklin, John, Sir NARRATIVE OF A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES OF THE POLAR SEA, IN THE YEARS 1819, 20, 21, AND 22.; With an appendix on various subjects relating to science and natural history London: John Murray, 1823. Full Tree Calf. NARRATIVE OF A JOURNEY TO THE SHORES OF THE POLAR SEA, IN THE YEARS 1819, 20, 21, AND 22. With an appendix on various subjects relating to science and natural history Franklin, John, Sir Published by John Murray, London, 1823 Bound in contemporary full tree-calf full gilt spine, previous joint repairs. Bookplate of Inebranlable which relates to a bird in the hand. All plates present, some minor creasing to the fine paper plates at the rear. Black lettering label. xvi, 768pp. including one in-text diagram, plus thirty-one plates (eleven in color) and four folding maps. The narrative of Captain John Franklin s first expedition to the Polar North is a landmark of historic travel literature from an icon in the history of Arctic exploration. First edition, first issue of the narrative of Sir John Franklin s first Arctic voyage (1819-22), published just a year after his return to London. Known as the Coppermine Expedition, its purpose was to map and explore the northern littoral of the American continent. Franklin was charged with reaching these isolated coastal stretches by crossing overland from Hudson Bay. Once there, he was to survey and chart the coast as it stretched eastwards from the mouth of the Coppermine River. The expedition lasted three years, during which Franklin and his crew surveyed more than 5,000 miles of the Canadian coastline. It was a journey of unimaginable hardship. Over the course of the three years, Franklin lost eleven of the twenty men in his party. Most of them succumbed to starvation and exposure, but there appears to have been at least one murder, and for years there were rumors of cannibalism. Franklin s book explains how the men depended on lichen (a type of arctic algae-moss) to survive. The men also attempted to consume the leather of their boots, winning Franklin the sobriquet, the man who ate his boots. Yet despite the severe challenges, the surviving men pushed on with the mission and returned safely to London in 1822, where Franklin was welcomed as a great hero. The narrative of this incredible journey, published a year after his return from the icy shores, immediately became a bestseller and an absolute classic of British travel literature. It contains Franklin s insights and perspectives on all of the major events of the expedition, as well as his considerations on the expedition s goals. In addition to the more formal element of his reporting, the work is full of Franklin s observations on the landscape, its people, climate, and wildlife. Published in a Quarto format (268 x 215mm). Very Good. Item
SEYMOUR, Henry Danbey
RUSSIA ON THE BLACK SEA AND SEA OF AZOF Being A Narrative of Travels in The Crimea And Bordering Provinces; With Notices of The Naval, Military, And Commercial Resources of Those Countries. SEYMOUR, Henry Danbey 1820-1877. Published by London: John Murray, 1855. 8vo. pp. xxiv, 361, 32(ads). 4 lithographed maps & plans (3 folding). 2 wood-engraved plates by J. W. Whymper. untrimmed & partly unopened in original blind-stamped cloth minor repairs to head and tail of spine. First Edition. Including chapters on the Russian Navy and Army, a list of Russian ships in the Black Sea in January 1853 and a translation of Field Marshall Suvorof's Discourse Under the Trigger. From the preface. The following work is partly the result of my own personal observation, and partly a compilation from some of the most approved authors who have written on the Crimea and the resources of Russia. It was prepared for the press during last winter, and the publication of it has been retarded by the attention which, for the last few months, I have been obliged to bestow on other matters. As the Crimea is still an object of deep interest, and as I am not aware that the notices I have collected have yet been presented to the public in a succinct form, I hope by the following pages that I may help to satisfy public curiosity and add something to the stock of information which we possess respecting the Southern parts of European Russia. Having paid one visit to the Crimea in the year 1844, and two visits to Southern Russia in 1844 and 1846, I have been able to correct and verify the descriptive parts of the book by my own experience. The careful work of M. Dubois de Montreux has been my principal guide on geology, archeology, and ancient history, and from his magnificent atlas I have borrowed a few illustrations . Provenance; Professor Iser Steiman s Personal Collection; Dr Iser Steiman passed away at the age of 83, leaving behind a treasury of books, both written and collected. One of his infamous works is the English translation of Fundamentals of Aviation Medicine by the Pavlov Institute of Aviation Medicine. Price USD $420.00
Coxe, William
ACCOUNT OF THE RUSSIAN DISCOVERIES BETWEEN ASIA AND AMERICA: To Which Are Added the Conquest of Siberia, and the History of the Transactions and Commerce Between Russia and China. Coxe, William Published by J. Nichols for T. Cadell, London, 1780 xxii, 344, [16] pp., 5 folding plates (large frontispiece "General Map of the Russian Empire", view of the Frontier Town of Miamatschin, 3 additional folding maps); quarto (267 mm) contemporary marbled boards, later re-backing calf, maroon label. Some minor professional tissue repairs to maps and residue tape marks. An account of Russian voyages of discovery. Coxe combed the libraries of St. Petersburg for the journals of Russian explorers Nevodsikoff, Serebranikoff, Trapesnikoff, Pushkareff, Drusinin, Kulkoff, Korovin, Glottoff, Solovioff, Otcheredin, Krenitizin, Levasheff, Synd, Bering, Chirikov, et al, and the text is largely his translation of extracts of these journals. Book Plate of Wilbraham; George Wilbraham, FRS (8 March 1779 24 January 1852) of Delamere, Cheshire was an English Whig MP. He was the eldest surviving son of George Wilbraham, MP of Delamere Lodge (but previously of Nantwich, Cheshire) and educated at Rugby School and Trinity College, Cambridge. He succeeded his father to Delamere Lodge in 1813. He was elected MP for Stockbridge in 1826, for Cheshire in 1831 and for the newly created Cheshire South in 1832. He was appointed High Sheriff of Cheshire for 1844 45. Wilbraham was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1821. He married Lady Anne Fortescue, the daughter of Hugh Fortescue, 1st Earl Fortescue, and had five sons. He died in 1852. He was succeeded by his eldest son, George Fortescue Wilbraham. Price Usd $3200
IRVING, Washington
IRVING, Washington (1783-1859) OLD CHRISTMAS [AND] BRACEBRIDGE HALL. London: London: Macmillan & Co., 1876-77. 1876. Caldecott Edition. Full Decorative Morocco. RIVIERE BINDINGS]. IRVING, Washington (1783-1859). Old Christmas [and] Bracebridge Hall. London: Macmillan & Co., 1876-77. 2 separate works in 2 volumes, 8vo (183 x 121 mm). Half-titles, numerous full-page illustrations and vignettes in the text by Randolph Caldecott. Both uniformly bound in full crushed red levant gilt extra, upper cover with leafy green morocco inlays, corner-pieces gilt with sprays of holly with berries of green morocco inlays, central bouquets of mistletoe on upper covers gilt with berries of yellow morocco inlays, lower covers with a central ring-shaped design of green morocco inlay, containing a four pointed star morocco inlay with small circle inlays at points, leafy design surrounding, spines in 6 compartments with raised bands, gilt-lettering in two, others with gilt berry corner-pieces, alternating morocco inlay frames of chocolate and citron, edges gilt, gilt turn-ins, GILT STAMPSIGNED BY RIVIERE (some minor rubbing to front joint of Bracebridge volume, Old Christmas very discreetly rebacked retaining original spine and endpapers, else fine); original cloth bound in at end; folding cloth chemises and morocco-backed slipcases. Provenance: Edward S. Budd Jr. (ownership notations on ffep dated 1939). BOTH FIRST CALDECOTT EDITIONS, originally published serially from 1819 to 1820 in Irvings The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. A beautiful set of Irvings Christmas Books. Very good. Item
Phillpotts, Eden
A DISH OF APPLES Phillpotts, Eden Published by Hodder and Stoughton, London, 1921 [RACKHAM, Arthur, illustrator]. PHILLPOTTS, Eden. A Dish of Apples. With Illustrations by Arthur Rackham. London & New York: Hodder & Stoughton, [1921]. Immerse yourself in the exquisite edition of "A Dish of Apples" featuring the stunning illustrations of Arthur Rackham. Limited to 500 copies, this deluxe edition #376 is signed by the artist and author. The book showcases three full-page color illustrations with tissue guards and twenty-three black and white drawings. Rackham's artistry evolves, moving towards paintings with a harmonious blend of color. Written by Eden Phillpotts, an acclaimed English author, poet, and dramatist, known for his Dartmoor cycle of novels. Don't miss this rare gem! Publisher's cream cloth, front cover pictorially stamped in gilt, spine lettered in gilt, pictorial end papers, top edge gilt. A fine copy. In his chapter "Rackham's Best Book Illustrations 2," Getttings discusses work found within this book as reflective of the artist's maturity and confidence, Rackham's pictures "tending to be less coloured drawings. [and] gradually becoming more and more like paintings" (Gettings, Arthur Rackham, p.139). "The appearance of Eden Phillpotts' A Dish of Apples brought a characteristically appreciative letter from its author to the artist: 'I am immensely pleased at the charm & originality of your most attractive drawings. The humor of them especially drew me.' Rackham was achieving a new harmony of colour, his drawings for A Dish of Apples, to quote an American admirer Martin Birnbaum, being 'light and sparkling with a passionate rose, glowing greens and primrose yellow'' "Eden Phillpotts (4 November 1862 - 29 December 1960) was an English author, poet and dramatist. He was born in Mount Abu, British India, educated in Plymouth, Devon, and worked as an insurance officer for 10 years before studying for the stage and eventually becoming a writer. Latimore and Haskell, p. 54. Riall, p. 144. Gettings, p. 179. Hudson, p. 170. Price Usd $1,100 ID#0542
Ryan, George
FORE-EDGE PAINTING THE LIVES OF OUR HEROES OF THE CRIMEA Ryan, George Published by James Field and Co, London, 1855 The Charge of the Light Brigade Bound in full red hard grain Morocco extra gilt 408pp frontice piece very good condition Book plate on front paste down of William Waldergrave, another prominent family in the history of England. George Ryan, a writer otherwise highly critical of Lord Cardigan, estimated that he spent about £10,000 (equivalent to £1,000,000 in 2021) a year towards remounts and distinctive uniform for his troops.[36] In purchasing brilliant new uniforms for his men, Cardigan caused resentment among his professional officers; they had to match the men's attire with even more costly uniforms (a Hussar officer's jacket, for example, cost £40 equivalent to £3,900 in 2021) and officers had to buy their own. He wished his officers to be as aristocratic, flamboyant and stylish as he was himself and as a consequence, he had no time for those men "Indian officers" who had learnt their profession over many years of service with the 11th during its long posting to India. This attitude was particularly in evidence in the mess: Cardigan had forbidden the serving of porter, a popular beverage among the professional officers, and when at a formal mess dinner, a visitor had requested Moselle wine, which was served in a "black bottle" similar to that of porter, he decided that the "Indian" Captain John Reynolds, who had ordered it for the guest, was defying him. Reynolds was arrested and in due course received a strongly worded reprimand from Lord Hill, who although privately believing that his misgivings about Cardigan had been well founded, felt that, in the interests of good order and discipline, a public demonstration of support was necessary. FORE EDGE PAINTING - The Charge of the Light Brigade This Fore-Edge painting is an inviting scene from the charge showing the soldiers, horses and cannons amidst the battle field. Lord Cardigans most notorious exploit took place during the Crimean War on 25 October 1854 when, as a Major-General, in command of the Light Cavalry Brigade at the Battle of Balaclava, he led the Charge of the Light Brigade reaching the Russian guns before returning unscathed, in a manoeuvre that cost the lives of about 107 out of the 674 men under his command who took part in the charge (although others may have died of wounds later on). The extent to which Lord Cardigan was to blame is unproven since he attacked only after expressing his doubts and receiving a direct order in front of the troops from his immediate superior Lord Lucan, commander of the Cavalry Division. The two men were barely on speaking terms as Lucan was married to one of Cardigan's sisters and, as Cardigan believed, did not treat her well. The order had been conveyed by Captain Louis Nolan, who died in the charge, and both Lucan and Cardigan blamed him for passing on the order incorrectly. Cardigan's first action on his return from the charge was to report the undisciplined behavior of Captain Nolan (whom he did not now to be dead) in riding ahead of him at the start of the attack.
THE HELPMANN-BLISS BALLET MIRACLE IN THE GORBALS A Study by Arnold L HASKELL, HASKELL, Arnold L Published by The Albyn Press, Edinburgh, 1946 First Edition Blue cloth, 9 1/4" x 7". Illustrated with 15 black and white photographs by Edward Mandinian, John T. Knight, E. W. Copnall and others. Dust jacket un-clipped. Very good. 63 pages. Printed by Scottish County Press. The idea for the scenario for Miracle in the Gorbals came to Michael Benthall while he was working on a gun site in Glasgow. He worked on a detailed story and the characters, discussing the action with dancer and choreographer Robert Helpmann. The next collaborator to be identified was the designer, Edward Burra. The composer Arthur Bliss set to work on the score, with scenario and initial designs before him. The Royal Ballet performed the ballet every season from 1944 to 1950 and revived it in 1958, but it did not perform it in Glasgow itself when touring Scotland in 1945. They also performed the ballet in Paris. Bliss wrote the music in 1943 after his return from the United States. He created a concert suite from the ballet music, choosing seven of the fifteen numbers in the ballet, as well as the overture (The Street, The Girl Suicide, The Young Lovers, The Stranger, Dance of Deliverance, Intermezzo, Finale: The Killing of the Stranger). Thanks to the efforts of David Drew[citation needed], a dancer with the Royal Ballet for over 50 years, the ballet was revived in 2014 by the Birmingham Royal Ballet, under the direction of Gillian Lynne, a member of the original cast.
A YANKEE IN CANADA WITH ANTI-SLAVERY AND REFORM PAPERS Thoreau, Henry David Published by Ticknor & Fields, Boston, 1866 Very Fine First edition. 1st Edition. First Edition, binding "A" dark plum-brown publisher's textured cloth with gilt spine lettering and decoration, Brown surface paper ends, One of 1546 BAL 20117. This copy Housed in a green chemise and slipcase appears to have never been read, a slight fading of the spine and the gilt is still unusually very bright, not damage to the inner joints of the original brown endpapers. If there is a copy that is to be owned and treasured for its condition and content it has to be this one in ear perfect condition. "A Yankee in Canada, With Anti-Slavery and Reform Papers" is a collection of essays and writings by the American transcendentalist author Henry David Thoreau. It was published posthumously in 1866 by Ticknor and Fields, a Boston-based publishing firm. The collection includes a travel narrative, "A Yankee in Canada," as well as various essays on topics such as anti-slavery and social reform. The title essay, "A Yankee in Canada," documents Thoreau's journey to Canada in the 1850s. Thoreau was known for his love of nature and his philosophical reflections, and this work combines his observations of the Canadian landscape with his thoughts on the cultural and political differences between the United States and Canada. The collection also includes essays related to Thoreau's activism, particularly his anti-slavery stance. Thoreau was a strong advocate for civil disobedience and resistance to unjust laws, as famously expressed in his essay "Civil Disobedience." This collection likely includes some of his writings on these themes. Thoreau's works are often associated with transcendentalism, a philosophical and literary movement that emerged in the 19th century in the United States. Transcendentalists emphasized the inherent goodness of people and nature, as well as the importance of self-reliance and individual intuition. "A Yankee in Canada, With Anti-Slavery and Reform Papers" provides readers with insights into Thoreau's views on various social and political issues of his time, making it a valuable addition to his body of work. Thoreau's writings continue to be studied and appreciated for their intellectual depth, poetic prose, and exploration of themes that remain relevant today.