HAUGHTON (Graves Chamney)
First edition, 4to, xii, 198, [2]pp., with half-title, unobtrusive library stamp to front endpaper, some occasional light foxing, orig. half calf, marbled boards, rubbed, upper cover detached.
RUSSELL (John)
8vo, [8], 77, [1]pp., the final section 'The art of painting in miniature. Translated from the. French,.' has a separate title page; register and pagination are continuous, some minor foxing and staining, later blue cloth. First and only Irish edition, published a year after the first London edition of 1772. John Russell RA (17451806), English painter renowned for his portrait work in oils and pastels, and as a writer and teacher of painting techniques. This work discusses how to make and use crayons (similar to modern pastels) in the eighteenth-century, as well as many recipes for different coloured crayons. The author also discussed other topics such as water colour painting.
DUTHIE PARK.
First edition, small 4to (248 x 175 mm), [8], 104pp., with photogravure frontispiece and 4 mounted woodburytype plates, all views by George Washington Wilson, original bevel-edged red cloth, pictorial gilt, waterstain to lower boards, red stain from cloth has bleed through to lower margin of text, a very good working copy. An important photographic record of the opening of this notable Aberdeen park in 1883, the text attributed to James Mitchell as noted in ink of title, the photogravure frontispiece printed by Annan of Glasgow who held the patent for this new process of reproduction.
MACCLESFIELD SUBSCRIPTION LIBRARY.
4to (238 x 188 mm), [4]pp., printed on blue paper, pages [2-4] are blank, signed in letterpress at foot of page [1] Thomas M. Colville, president, Library, Park Green, Macclesfield, 19th January, 1858, a fine copy. A leaflet (printed text on p.[1] only) containing information on the library management and rules for subscribers.
LUCE (Louis)
32mo (106 x 65 mm), 8ff. early MS. notes to front fly-leaf, marbled endpapers, full contemporary red morocco, small gilt dot tool to corners of both upper and lower board, smooth spine ruled in gilt a lettered direct, turn-in and board edges tooled in gilt, some minor rubbing otherwise a fine copy, housed in a green quarter morocco slip-case. A fine copy of this rare specimen of microscopic type. This specimen presents Luce's "Perle" type in roman and italic (4 point), the smallest type cut to that date. This small specimen contains 3 pages composed exclusively of ornaments, and each page is printed within rules and vignettes. Louis René Luce (c.1695?1774) Type designer, punchcutter and engraver at the Imprimerie Royale, from about 1740 until 1770. He was the third royal engraver of this name, preceded by his father-in-law Alexandre, who had succeeded Philippe Grandjean. "One of the greatest achievements of Louis Luce was his cutting the character which he named "La Perle," which was the smallest body that had ever been cut or cast. [he issued this] specimen of his microscopic type, both Roman and italic, which was cut in emulation of the celebrated Sedanoise editions. Although much smaller, it is nevertheless superior."Bigmore & Wyman. In 1773 all of Luce's work, i.e., 7 typefaces, 8 sets of initial caps, some vignettes, some ornaments, and 15 "poetic" typefaces, were purchased by special command of Louis XV for 100,000 Livres. Provenance: Two bookplates to front endpapers: Ex-libris Le Mis. de Biencourt; "Ex-libris Biencourt-Poncins." Audin, no. 3 ; Birrell and Garnett, p. 16 ; cf. Bigmore and Wyman I, 446. Brunet III, 1204, Graesse IV, 277.
ROBINSON (William H.)
4to, x, 11-189, [1], cxci-cxcxpp., frontis., 194 illustrs., orig. boards, a little soiled, 194 items. A wide selection of books and manuscripts representing items in most phases of book-collectingfrom the first book printed in the English language, in 1475, to the second book printed in Australia, in 1805.
First edition, 4to, xxii, [2], 168pp., with half-title, unobtrusive library stamp to front endpaper, some occasional light foxing, 4 plates, orig. half calf, rubbed.
2 Vols., & supplement in one, [10], 242, [6], 243-314pp., orig. cloth. An important bookseller's catalogue being a bibliography of over 800 items with extensive annotations covering astronomy, chemistry, mathematics, geography, geology, paleontology, botany and zoology.
Large 4to (340 x 275 mm), ix, [1], 251, [1]pp., limited to 300 copies, coloured frontis., 118 illustrations of bindings (4 in colour), signs of a label having been removed from verso of title page, orig. quarter vellum, a little worn, lacks spine label. One of the best and most important surveys of bookbinding written by one its greatest historians. Each of the 119 bindings, most illustrated in full page reproductions, are described in such detail by Nixon that the annotations constitute a history of bookbinding. "Essential reading for any student of bindings."Breslauer. Breslauer, The Uses of Bookbinding Literature. p. 30.
8vo (210 x 130 mm), [iv], 36, 492pp., nineteenth-century calf calf, marbled boards, spine compartments richly tooled in gilt, a nice copy. This is the last work of Charles Nodier who died in January 1844. It is his description of his own highly important library in its final state before it was sent to auction in 1844. Nodier had previously consigned books to auction from his library in 1827 and 1830. The present work contains the 36 page life of Nodier by Francis Wey, but as often it is without the 7 page introduction and 2 or 3 short additions which were only added to a few copies. 1254 books are described, often with detailed notes. Vicaire VI, 143.
Second Edition, 8vo (178 x 110 mm), 228pp., with half-title, wide margin copy, frontispiece and 4 lithographed plates, some light spotting prelims and plates, orig. publishers printed boards, uncut, a very nice copy. 'Notice sur la Lithographie' was first published in 1818 without the 'Essai sur la Reliure', which first appeared in this second edition. "The lithographic matter extends over 68 pages. In the preface it is stated that the previous edition had been quickly sold off, and the author had been solicited to issue a second. In complying with this request he added the matter relating to bookbinding. The new edition was printed in a far superior manner to the old one, and the plates are much better executed, marking the progress which had been made in the interval between the two publications. Copies are now seldom met with."Bigmore & Wyman. "Manuals on bookbinding and its sister arts published throughout the nineteenth century also contained instructions on marbling so the French binders could learn to decorate their books' edges. The earliest of these was the second edition of François-Amboise Mairet's 'Notice sur la lithographie'. with eight of its pages devoted to 'Tranche marbrée'."Wolfe. Provenance: Engraved circular bookplate of Bibliothèque de L. Loireau. Twyman, Lithography, p. 92-93; Bigmore & Wyman II, p. 14; Pollard & Potter, Early Bookbinding Manuals. 52; Wolfe, Marbled Paper. p. 117.
