Benjamin Altman Signed Check to W.W. Astor, Worth $500,000 in Today’s Money
B. Altman of Department Store Fame Benjamin Altman Signed Check to W.W. Astor, Worth $500,000 in Today's Money Benjamin Altman Signed Check, 6.5" x 2.75", drawn on the bank of "Astor Trust Company". Dated "October 30, 1909" and made payable to "W.W. Astor" for "Eighteen thousand, seven hundred and fifty", written additionally as "18,750". Signed by Benjamin Altman in full signature "Benjamin Altman". The value of the check in today's money is about $500,000.00. Cancellation holes not affecting the signature. Fine condition. Benjamin Altman, American merchant, art collector, and philanthropist, established one of the world's great department stores, B. Altman & Co. Altman had little formal schooling, but at the age of 25 he opened his first dry-goods store in Manhattan and in 1906 moved it to the uptown section, pioneering the movement of business there. With additions in 1913–14, the store occupied the entire block bounded by Madison and Fifth avenues and 34th and 35th streets. The Astor Trust Company was a financial institution at 5th Avenue and 36th Street headed by John Jacob Astor IV, William Waldorf Astor's cousin. Benjamin Altman was a director and a stockholder in the Astor Trust Company. After Altman acquired property owned by W.W. Astor in 1910 on a long lease, he owned outright more than half of the block bordered by Fifth and Madison Avenues, between 34th and 35th Streets. What he did not own was held on long leases from Astor. This check most probably was payment for property leased by Altman from Astor. In today's terms, this check would be valued close to $500,000.00. The department-store chain Altman founded eventually numbered seven stores in New York and other cities. The chain closed in 1989. This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses. WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!- $300
- $300
Enola Gay Souvenir Navigator’s Log Signed by 3 Crew Members
Enola Gay Enola Gay Souvenir Navigator's Log Signed by 3 Crew Members: Tibbets, Ferebee, & Van Kirk A color poster reproducing the August 6, 1945 navigation log of the B-29 bomber Enola Gay, signed by three of its crew members: pilot Colonel Paul W. Tibbets (1915-2007) as "Paul W. Tibbets" at left; bombardier Major Tom Ferebee (1918-2000) as "Tom Ferebee" at center; and navigator Captain Theodore J. "Dutch" Van Kirk (1921-2014) as "Theodore J Van Kirk" at right. Supplemented by a schematic showing Enola Gay's route inset at lower right, and Van Kirk's comments about local time, geography, and navigational calculations inset at lower center. Tibbet's signature is faded, though still visible. Else near fine. Framed behind glass, not examined out of frame. Overall size measures 19.75" x 25.75" x .75". Ex-Kenneth Rendell. Enola Gay's 12-person crew left their home base at Tinian, in the Northern Mariana Islands, at 2:45 am Tinian time on August 6, 1945. Their objective was to drop an atomic bomb, called Little Boy, on the city of Hiroshima, Japan, located some 2,500 km to the northwest. The reproduction navigation log documents Van Kirk's notes as they passed landmarks, such as Iwo Jima and Mishima, Japan. The plane gradually gained in altitude until it passed over its target of Hiroshima. At 9:15 Tinian time, at an altitude of 31,060 feet and an air speed of 200 mph, Van Kirk listed "Bomb Away" in the Position column. Enola Gay gradually descended and turned south, arriving in Tinian at 2:58 pm Tinian time. Little Boy had enough force to wipe out 90 percent of the city and immediately killed 80,000 people; tens of thousands more would later die of radiation exposure. The Japanese surrendered nine days later. This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses. WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!- $900
- $900
Ignace Jan Paderewski Signed Concert Program
Ignace Jan Paderewski Ignace Jan Paderewski Signed Concert Program, Ca. 1890s Three pieces of ephemera relating to Polish concert pianist Ignace Jan Paderewski (1860-1941), including a program page signed by him and inscribed by him in German. The materials date from Paderewski's American concert tours of the 1890s, when the artist was sponsored by the famous piano manufacturing company Steinway & Sons. The lot includes: 1. Program page from Boston's Music Hall, advertising "Paderewski's Ninth Piano Recital", on February 27, [1892]. Signed by Paderewski as "I J Paderewski" and with six words inscribed by him in German in the upper right hand corner recto. A full page advertisement of Steinway & Sons, containing an endorsement by the British royal family, is found verso. With expected folds. Split along the horizontal fold at center. A few chipped edges, else very good. 5.75" x 9". The pianist was slated to play selections from Liszt, Chopin, Beethoven, Schumann, and Mendelssohn in the afternoon concert, as well as a Nocturne composed by himself. "The 'Steinway' Piano used at all the Paderewski Recitals" appears in bold at bottom recto. 2. Program page advertising "Paderewski's final Boston Recital [which] will occur on TUESDAY AFTERNOON, MARCH 22, 1892, at 2.30 o'clock." Another full page advertisement of Steinway & Sons is found verso, including an illustration of a grand piano. Expected folds, and a minor closed tear at center. Else very good to near fine. 5.75" x 9". 3. An envelope addressed in Paderewski's hand to "Lily F. Kramer / 3658 Forest Ave / Chicago, / Ill." postmarked from Cincinnati, Ohio on February 12, 1896. The pre-printed return address lists three of Cincinnati's concert venues, including the Grand Opera House. Ignace Jan Paderewski was one of the most popular concert pianists of the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries. He was the darling of audiences, who loved his unruly red hair and his intensely physical, often violent manner of playing. (Paderewski was injured during a concert in Rochester, New York, leading to the permanent loss of use of his right ring finger, and his overworked and infected fingers often bled on the keyboard.) He played in an unorthodox style in part because he learned piano late in life. Paderewski began undertaking worldwide concert playing tours after graduating from the Warsaw Conservatory and training in Vienna. Paderewski performed some 107 concerts during the 117 days of his 1891-1892 American tour, of which these winter 1892 concerts were some, under sponsorship by Steinway. This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses. WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!- $300
- $300
David O. Selznick Signed Selznick Corporation Stock Certificate
David O. Selznick David O. Selznick Signed Selznick Corporation Stock Certificate 1p "Selznick Corporation" stock certificate signed by David O. Selznick (1902-1965), the son of company founder Lewis J. Selznick (1869/70-1933), in his role as company secretary as "David O. Selznick" at lower left. Also signed by company vice-president Sam E. Morris. Signed on January 20, 1922. The stock certificate was partly printed and partly handwritten on watermarked cream paper. It granted 28 shares to "Miss Mary Cree Porter". Embossed seal at lower left. Stock transfer section blank verso. Expected light paper folds and a few scattered pencil inscriptions from a former collector, entirely reversible. Else near fine. 11" x 7.625". Selznick Corporation, founded by early motion picture industry producer Lewis J. Selznick, was incorporated on May 1, 1920. The 1,200,000 share company produced films on three studio lots in Fort Lee, New Jersey, and also distributed films to 7,000 American theaters nationwide. Though initial earnings reports exceeded $1 million in net income, the company encountered serious financial reversals and finally folded in 1923. Certificate signee David O. Selznick was the 21-year-old youngest son of Lewis J. Selznick, and brother of talent agent Myron Selznick. David O. Selznick would go on to become one of Hollywood's most famous movie producers, and established his own production company, Selznick International Pictures, in the mid-1930s. David O. Selznick produced Academy Award-winning films such as A Star is Born (1937), Gone with the Wind (1939), and Rebecca (1940). This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses. WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!- $350
- $350
George Patton WWII Signature and Free Frank – PSA
George S. Patton (Washington DC), July 28 1943 George Patton, Jr. FF, PSA/DNA Encapsulated & Graded Mint 9! Part of a free franked envelope signed by future 4-star U.S. Army General George Patton, Jr. (1885-1945) as "G S Patton Jr." at lower left. Patton also wrote "free" in the postage section at upper right. PSA graded Mint 9. Postmarked in Washington, DC on July 28, 1943. Light overall toning, isolated foxing, and expected wrinkles, else near fine. The envelope fragment measures 4.75" x 2.5" while the slab measures 7.125" x 4.125". Patton signed this envelope just days after commanding Seventh United States Army units in Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily, in mid to late July 1943. Patton's Americans facilitated the landing of Bernard Law Montgomery's British Eighth Army, and scourged the island's Axis forces. George Patton, Jr. was a career military officer whose 36 years of military service spanned three military conflicts including both world wars. Patton sortied against partisans of Pancho Villa in Mexico in 1915-1916, and he was later dispatched to the Western Front as a personal aide to General John "Black Jack" Pershing. It was during World War II, however, that Patton made his most indelible mark. "Old Blood and Guts" served as an army commander leading Allied expeditions in North Africa, Sicily, Normandy, eastern France, the Benelux Countries, and Germany. Patton died of complications following a car accident in Luxembourg in December 1945. This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses. WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!- $700
- $700
Lyndon B. Johnson Signed and Inscribed Photo
Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon B. Johnson Signed & Inscribed Photo A black and white vintage photographic print of President Lyndon B. Johnson (1908-1973) inscribed and signed by him as "To John Ball / With best wishes / Lyndon B. Johnson" along the bottom margin. Slight feathering to the words "best" and "wishes", otherwise nicely bold and dark. Currently shrink wrapped on a piece of cardboard. Not examined under shrink wrap. The photographic image measures 11.5" x 7.75" while the stock card measures 14" x 11" overall. The picture depicts President Johnson conversing with a group of men standing under one of the White House colonnades. Johnson's dedicatee was presumably John W. Ball, a judge from the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, whose jurisdiction included Johnson's home state of Texas. This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses. WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!- $400
- $400
James Irwin, Astronaut, Signed Card
James Irwin James Irwin Signed High Flight Foundation Card, PSA Slabbed & Graded Gem MT 10! A business card signed by James B. Irwin (1930-1991), American astronaut and founder of the Hight Flight Foundation, as "Jim Irwin" recto. PSA slabbed and graded Gem MT 10. Slab measures 5.25" x 3.125". James Irwin served as Lunar Module Pilot during the Apollo XV mission (July 26-August 7, 1971.) Irwin was deeply affected by his experience on the moon, and it inspired his later evangelicalism. He resigned from NASA a year after Apollo XV, and in 1972, become the founding member and president of the High Flight Foundation headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The non-profit organization is still active today, and continues to provide emotional, spiritual, financial, and life skill support to military personnel. This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses. WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!- $300
- $300
Atomic Bomb Bockscar Co-Pilot Olivi Signed Document
Atomic Bomb - Bockscar Bockscar Co-Pilot Olivi Autographs First Page of "Birth of the Atomic Age" FREDERICK J. OLIVI, Autograph Endorsement Signed, on copy of first page of Joseph F. Papalia, "Birth of the Atomic Age" typescript. "My Fondest Wishes – To Amy – 31 Aug. 1985 / Lt. Fred J. Olivi Co-Pilot of "Bockscar" / Nagasaki, 9 August 1945" 1 p., 8.5" x 11". Excellent. Frederick "Fred" J. Olivi (1922-2004) was the co-pilot of Bockscar, the plane that dropped the atomic bomb "Fat Man" on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. Born in Chicago, Olivi enlisted in the Army Air Force immediately after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor in December 1941. After the war, Olivi served in the Air Force Reserve until 1971, when he ended his service as a lieutenant colonel. He worked for the City of Chicago until 1988, when he retired. Joseph F. Papalia (b. 1936) became the official historian of the 509th Composite Group in the 1980s. This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses. WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE.- $350
- $350
F. Scott Fitzgerald TLS About Zelda
F. Scott Fitzgerald Asheville NC, October 22 1936 F. Scott Fitzgerald, Perhaps the Last Loving Letter Re: Zelda, 1936 Single page typed letter signed, 8.5" x 11". Dated "Grove Park Inn, Asheville, N.C. /October 22, 1936". Signed by Fitzgerald as "Scott Fitzgerald", written to his secretary Isabel Owens. Near fine with a paper clip ghost and expected folds. The letter dated 1936, takes place in the midst of Fitzgerald moving his wife from the Phipps Clinic at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore to the Highland Hospital in Asheville. From the mid-1930s, Zelda spent the rest of her life in various stages of mental distress, but by 1936 she became violent and reclusive. Fitzgerald was both agitated and worried over his wife's illness noting that "Zelda now claims to be in direct contact with Christ, William the Conqueror, Mary Stuart, Apollo and all the stock paraphernalia of insane-asylum jokes... For what she has really suffered, there is never a sober night that I do not pay a stark tribute of an hour to in the darkness" In the letter offered here Fitzgerald prepares for Zelda's move to the new hospital facility. The importance of this letter cannot be understated as it may in fact be one of his last positive emotional bonds with his wife. He requests of his assistant "It would be nice if you could tell me where certain articles are that I stored: my wife's skating skirt Scotty has been wearing, and my wife's two pairs of skiing boots - the tall ones from Quebec and the ones from Switzerland - are both in heavy demand and I have not even an idea as to where I packed them, though I think they are in one of those miscellaneous trunks. There are other lost articles … It will save time if you will in the meantime have gotten in touch with the Storage company and perhaps have been able to make a visit there to see that in that gray bandbox of Zelda's there are the brush and mirror …" The treatment philosophy at Highland was different. Traditionally, in those days before psychotropic drugs, patients with chronic mental illness were shackled or put in straitjackets. Their idea was, "if you provided people with purposeful activities, good diet, exercise, fresh air and clean water ... that would be helpful for them" However Zelda remained in the hospital while Fitzgerald returned to Hollywood for a $1,000-a-week job with MGM in June 1937.Without Zelda's knowledge, he then began a serious affair with the movie columnist Sheilah Graham. Despite the excitement of the affair, he was bitter and burned out. When their daughter Scottie was thrown out of her boarding school in 1938, he blamed Zelda. Though Scottie was subsequently accepted by Vassar College, his resentment of Zelda was stronger than ever before. Of Fitzgerald's mindset, Milford wrote, "The vehemence of his rancor toward Zelda was clear. It was she who had ruined him; she who had made him exhaust his talents... He had been cheated of his dream by Zelda." After a drunken and violent fight with Graham in 1938, Scott returned to Asheville. A group from Zelda's hospital had planned to go to Cuba, but Zelda had missed the trip. The Fitzgeralds decided to go on their own. The trip was a disaster even by their standards: Fitzgerald was beaten up when he tried to stop a cockfight and returned to the United States so intoxicated and exhausted that he was hospitalized with the ever-growing resentment of Zelda, believing that she had cheated him of his dream. The Fitzgeralds never saw each other again. Financial matters for the Fitzgeralds took an unexpected turn for the worse, and for most of Fitzgerald's final years, finances weighed heavily on him. Fitzgerald, an alcoholic since college, became notorious during the 1920s for his extraordinarily heavy drinking, which would undermine his health by the late 1930s. Just one month prior to this letter, Fitzgerald's deteriorating mental state and drinking habits were captured publicly in an article published by Michel Mok titled "The Other Side of Paradise, Scott Fitzgerald, 40, Engulfed in Despair", first published in the New York Post, September 25, 1936. This is considered to have caused considerable damage to Fitzgerald's reputation and it is rumored that Fitzgerald tried to commit suicide after reading it. The letter offered in this lot also illustrates the state of his finances in his final years in which he discusses paying down a debt. His family had been hit hard by The Great Depression leaving him penniless. A phenomenal letter from a the tumultuous period of the remaining years of Fitzgerald's life. Especially revealing, as the letter was written during the transition of hospitals for his wife, and the gathering of her important personal attire. This perhaps represented one of the last times he would feel a loving bond with her. Fitzgerald wrote his last novel, Tender is the Night, in 1934 with another book of short stories published in 1935. Fitzgerald died in 1940 before he could complete The Last Tycoon. This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses. WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!- $9,000
- $9,000
Charles and Anne Lindbergh Archive 1950-1980
Charles & Anne Lindbergh Charles Lindbergh and Anne Lindbergh Share Life and Loss with Connecticut Neighbor and Author CHARLES A. LINDBERGH, Archive of thirty-four letters, notes, and postcards, most written by Charles A. Lindbergh and Anne Morrow Lindbergh, to John Oldrin, 1951-1980, from a variety of locations. Of the letters, six are written or signed by Charles Lindbergh, twenty by Anne Lindbergh, and a few more by Lindbergh children; most with envelopes; includes two poems, one each by Anne Morrow Lindbergh and Reeve Lindbergh. Approximately 50 pp. Some tears on envelopes from opening, but overall very good. This charming collection of letters includes Charles Lindbergh's reflections on conservation and fame and Anne Lindbergh's love of writing and nature, as they write to their friend and Darien, Connecticut, neighbor John Oldrin over three decades. Oldrin wrote a series of successful children's books regarding animals and shared a love of poetry and children with Anne Lindbergh and a love of nature with all the Lindbergh family. Highlights and Excerpts: Charles A. Lindbergh letters: August 24, 1968, Brazil, 2 pp. "Since I spent only one night at home before leaving on this trip to South America, there was no time for writing; and my schedule in Brazil has been very tight until today. I am now in a small plane over the Amazon river, enroute to a national park area on the northern frontier (adjoining Surinam). The air is a bit rough, so my writing will be even worse than usual." "I am, of course, disappointed to learn of Mrs. [Ioccoci's?] lack of fundamental interest in setting up a nature reserve around the swamp; but I hope that with the definite interest of other property owners in the area we may still be able to put the project across. I look forward to talking to you about it when I return. I'm afraid this letter may be still more delayed in reaching you. Our fueling stops ahead are so far from major centers that it may be advisable for me to take it with me back to Rio for mailing." [P.S.] "I expect to fly to the Far East after leaving Brazil. But I will be back in Scotts Cove by early October at the latest." May 18, 1969, Philippines, 1 p. "This is a much-too-late reply to your April 10th note, but I have been travelling a great deal and it has been difficult to find time for writing. I am now in a small plane over the China-Sea coast of Luzon, returning to Manila. The air is a bit rough for writing; but I won't have another chance and I want to get something off to you." December 15, 1969, Switzerland, 3 pp. "In desperation, I scooped up some of the more important mail from my desk before leaving Scotts Cove, and have in front of me more than a hundred letters demanding an answer. There just weren't hours available to handle them. I am faced with the choice of cutting down on my conservation activities or not answering most of the mail that arises from them. I need a hundred lives, at least, to carry on all the things I'd like to do. Unfortunately I have only one, and it is working under a tempo I am determined not to continue." "Personally, I am not a man for anniversaries, ceremonies, and celebrations. There are always ways in which I would rather spend my time. However, I respect fully the viewpoints of people who do care for these things, and I wish you every success in the anniversary you are planning for. I think your idea of using it to emphasize the essential need of conservation and preservation is excellent." Oldrin served as co-chairman of the 150th anniversary celebration of the town of Darien, Connecticut, incorporated in 1820. n.d. [ca. 1969], "I will mail this letter in Europe" [Switzerland], 1 p.: "Sorry again about the lateness of this reply to your letter. I was on flight 2 enroute to Hong Kong when you left it in the box at Scotts Cove. It's the old problem of mail piling up beyond my ability to handle it when I return from these trips abroad. Replying to your questions in regard to the Darien celebration, I am most anxious to hold down personal publicity in my home area so far as possible. The distractions that impinge on home and on me when we are at home in Connecticut have already mounted so high that we will probably have to live elsewhere if we are to find the time we want to devote to thinking and writing." The Lindberghs purchased land on Maui, Hawaii, in 1971 and built a vacation home there. Over the next several years, they spent more and more time there. Charles Lindbergh died there in 1974. February 28, 1972, Hana, Maui, Hawaii, 1 p., Typed Letter Signed "As usual, I have been abroad and travelling almost constantly, with stops of only a few rushed days at a time in Connecticut and the city of New York. Mail has stacked up in hopelessly high piles. I have taken a few selected letters with me to Hawaii, and am now trying to answer them in addition to working on long-neglected manuscripts." "I am embarrassed, as I know I have written on a number of occasions before, to find myself answering a letter from you, months late -- Your November 30th letter enclosing the map related to wetlands restrictions, and explaining the effect of the restrictions on our property and the swamp. Very many thanks for both the map and the explanation. As you know, the more wetlands and conservation-oriented restrictions the better as far as Anne and I are concerned." October 10, 1972, Vermont, 1 p., Typed Letter Signed "I have reluctantly been forced to the conclusion that to carry on the activities and interests that mean most to me, I will be forced to move my permanent residence away from pressures of the New York area. I say reluctantly because our home on the Cove, where we have now lived for twenty six years, has come to mean a great deal to Anne and to me." "I have devoted so much of my time and money to conservation activities, which I feel are of such fundamental importance to human welfare – even to human existance – that I do not feel able to take part in other activities such as the library project." "Since time does not permit my taking part in the activities of the Connecticut Conservation Association, much as I try to assist conservation activities wherever possible, I will have to decline to become an honorary chairman – with emphasis on my deep appreciation of the offer." Anne S. Murrow Lindbergh letters: April 9, 1951, Note in Card "It is rare that anything in life is just perfect. But the budding magnolia branch in this vase was. It came in a time "In darkest February" (Far worse than darkest Africa!) when the trees were bare – and I could not even smell the blossoms! I return late but with gratitude for that February moment – your vase!" February 5, 1951, Note in Card "I know this isn't enough and I don't know how to thank you for letting Scott, Anne, Miss Knobel & I be children for a whole afternoon we wont any of us forget it. I send you a poem I wrote once on the importance of remaining a child! you don't need to be reminded of it!" May 1, 1952, Scotts Cove, Connecticut, Autograph Letter Signed, 3 pp. "I have just learned – this beautiful Spring morning – of Mrs. Oldrin's death. I know – from my sisters long forewarned death – that no matter how much one may be prepared beforehand and how much one may with one's rational mind feel and know & even be grateful for the release from suffering for the person who has gone – even so – the tearing away of a life one has shared is an amputation – a tearing of oneself in half – almost physical – so it is hard to walk & function alone in new patterns. I want to stretch out my hand to you, though I know of course that you are strong and will be able to meet and carry this as you have so much else – so unbelievably much." Oldrin's first wife, Edna Young Brenchley Oldrin (1881-1952), died on April 29. February 18, 1953, Darrien, Connecticut, Postcard in Envelope "Thank you so much for your note & your kindness in offering to take something down to Captiva for Charles or me. Alas, I am afraid neither of us can get to Captiva this year. Isn't it sad. I shall miss it so. Give my love to its pearly beach, dove-colored & soft. And to you, good fishing & good shelling & - most of all – good writing!" Both the Lindberghs and Oldrins vacationed on Captiva Island, off Fort Myers, Florida. March 28, 1954, "Little House," Postcard in Envelope "I liked the King Conch very much. (Except for the title which does not suggest its imaginative & yet real-life beauty) Why not do a book of Captiva sketches – shells – birds – etc? Perhaps you already have enough? I am working myself (Between weddings & ski-trips!) on a book that grew out of Captiva, but it is so slow & so hard to find time to write." Lindbergh published Gift from the Sea in 1955. March 1, ca. 1952-1955, Note in Card "your own story of 'Eight Rings on His Tail.' I am sorry to have kept it so long. I think it is excellent. Perhaps even better than your first. At least it gets going to a better start. Seems easier, more relaxed, than Dasher to begin with (First Drafts, I mean). You have a practiced hand now and must go on and on – I hope! My only question was if the episode on the island is really necessary. The book seems complete without it and it is such a dramatic and out-of-the-way incident that it doesn't quite seem in tune with The Meadow." May 3, 1956, Scotts Cove, Connecticut, Note in Card "Thank you for The Happy One which I have read with pleasure & absorption. I watched Scott read it with his usual deep sense of responsibility – and pride that you had asked him! He confided to me that he felt it was your best book. I asked him to elaborate – after I had read it. He said: 'It's more realistic – and you really know how chipmunks live and it has exciting things too – it held my interest.'" "I said, 'I think he has gone deeper into the animal world in this book.' What I meant by this is that you write more & more not as an adult human being trying to impersonate an animal – nor do you make children out of the animals (you do not patronize either animals or children – as many nature writers do.) You do not write down to them or of them. No, you are the chipmunk – and we go with her into her dark forsythia-rooted cosy world. Congratulations!" Oldrin published Chipmunk Terrace in 1958. August 29, 1958, Scotts Cove, Connecticut, Postcard in Envelope "Thank you for your acute perception of Scott – and for putting it on paper for me. You are right. Scott is coming into his own. 'His own,' was something you have always perceived, fed, and strengthened through the years. So you can best perceive its maturing – and feel a creative pride in it, too. You have given to all the children, but Scott needed what you had to give most – and was most blessed by it -as I have been, too, watching." January 11, 1959, Scotts Cove, Connecticut, Note in Card "All of us at Scott's Cove are very grateful for the beautiful Heritage book of the American Revolution that came to us for Christmas from Round Meadows. Scott – as you may know – feels that the American Revolution is his special period (chiefly through Kenneth Roberts). At one point this Fall he considered writing a poem about it. I countered, a little timidly that he might do better writing about 'something he knew about.' – a cold sail – or a trip West? He said he was tired of writing of things he knew about! Besides, he did know something about it! Now, he will know more. It is a fascinating book." The editors of American Heritage magazine published The American Heritage Book of the Revolution in 1958. Kenneth Roberts (1885-1957) wrote historical novels, and published three novels—Arundel (1929), Rabble in Arms (1933), and Oliver Wiswell (1940)—and an essay, The Battle of Cowpens (1958), on the American Revolutionary War. August 22, 1960, Les Paccots, Switzerland, Postcard "I am writing you from a steep meadow to a round one. On my meadow these flowers grow. I am sad to have them cut (by great scythes) as you were long ago on your tractor with Scott. I never hear a story of my children – like the one you wrote me of Scott – without rejoicing that you have Lucy and will have another child. You and Virginia deserve such happiness & not only deserve it but will make such wonderful children & be the most wonderful parents any children ever had. The world seems very right when one thinks of your family. I was touched that you should write me the news." June 28, 1974, Tellina, Darrien, Connecticut, Note in Card with Envelope "Charles is still in the hospital – much better but has occasional fever and they want to get it stabilized before he comes home.... I have been terribly busy – working all day at my manuscript – correcting & editing & notes – except when I go to see Charles at the Hospital." Charles Lindbergh died two months later in Hawaii. October 30, 1980, "Tellina," Darrien, Connecticut, Note in Card "Every time I walk into your meadows I feel grateful to you and Ginnie for all you have given to the community. I have recently been walking around the meadows with a cane (due to a malfunction – Meniere's Syndrome – of the center of balance in my ears!) Even with a cane it is still beautiful. But I am afraid my dog 'Berwick' chases the squirrels (He never gets one but it gives him exercise!)" Also includes a wedding announcement for Anne Spencer Lindbergh, December 23, 1963, in both English and French. Reeve Lindbergh to John Oldrin, ca. 1961, Switzerland, Autograph Letter Signed, 2 pp. "If I knew how to write welcome letters to people like John Wood Oldrin, I would have written him long ago, but I've tried, and I can't. So I wish you'd let him know I made an effort, and I want to say welcome, and see if he'll let me get away with that. I agree, it's terrible manners, but I did try. I wish I were home to meet him, but fairly soon I will be." "Here in Switzerland Spring is really coming, and it's very sad for us skiiers, who have to start packing away the skiis and talking about something else.... Water skiing?.... The skiing has been wonderful this year. Beautiful deep snow, long runs, wonderful weather. But I think there was more snow in New York this winter than there will ever be in the Swiss Alps! Last Wednesday afternoon (the school skiis all afternoon on Wednesday) I got an unbelievable sunburn which kept me in the house for four days. It was worth it though! In Switzerland you come to practically breathe skiing. Noone talks of anything else. Maybe I can interest Round Meadows' future 'Uncle John Jr.'? He'd probably be wonderful on skiis!" Charles A. Lindbergh (1902-1974) was born in Detroit, Michigan, and grew up in Minnesota and Washington, D.C., the son of a Swedish immigrant and later Congressman. He studied at the University of Wisconsin but dropped out early in 1922 to begin flight training in Lincoln, Nebraska. He flew solo for the first time in Americus, Georgia, where he had gone to purchase a World War I surplus biplane. After barnstorming, Lindbergh took a year of military flight training with the United States Army Air Service in San Antonio, Texas. He graduated first in his class of eighteen (out of 104 cadets that began the training), and received his commission as a 2nd lieutenant in the Air Service Reserve Corps. After working as a barnstormer and flight instructor, Lindbergh joined the Missouri National Guard and received promotion to captain in July 1926. From 1926 to 1927, he flew mail routes between St. Louis and Chicago. Lindbergh flew his plane Spirit of St. Louis from Long Island, New York, to Paris, France, in May 1927, to win the Orteig Prize for the first solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean, making him an instant world-wide celebrity. Congress awarded him the Medal of Honor for his thirty-three-and-a-half-hour flight, and Time magazine named him its first and still youngest Man of the Year in 1928. Dwight Morrow, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico in 1927, invited Lindbergh on a goodwill tour to Mexico, where he met Morrow's daughter Anne (1906-2001). They married in May 1929 and had six children between 1930 and 1945. The kidnapping in 1932 of the Lindberghs' young child from their home and the subsequent discovery of his dead body riveted the nation as the "Crime of the Century." After living in Europe from 1935 to 1939, Lindbergh returned to active duty to evaluate the Army Air Corps' readiness for war. He also traveled to Germany several times and observed Hitler's development of the German Luftwaffe. Hermann Goring presented Lindbergh with the Cross of the Order of the German Eagle on one visit. In 1938, the year of the Munich Conference, Lindbergh wrote a confidential memo to British and French diplomats warning them to take the German air threat seriously, and to avoid war. At home he was condemned as a Nazi sympathizer, and President Roosevelt banned him from rejoining the military. He was more an isolationist and anti-communist than a full-blown Nazi sympathizer, though some of his speeches were sprinkled with anti-Semitic references. He was a leading spokesman for the America First Committee, which opposed U.S. entrance into World War II.During World War II, Lindbergh served as a consultant but also flew fifty combat missions in the Pacific as a civilian. After the war, he served as a consultant to both military and civilian air forces and became deeply involved in conservation movements. Anne Spencer Morrow Lindbergh (1906-2001) was born in New Jersey to Dwight Morrow, a partner in J. P. Morgan & Co., U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, and U.S. Senator, and Elizabeth Morrow, a poet and teacher, who served as acting president of Smith College. Anne Morrow graduated from Smith College in 1928 and married Charles Lindbergh in May 1929. That year, she also flew an airplane solo for the first time, and in 1930, became the first American woman to earn a first-class glider pilot's license. Together, the Lindberghs were the first to fly from Africa to South America and explored polar air routes from North America to Asia and Europe. She published her first book, North to the Orient, in 1935. Their first child, Charles Jr., was born on Anne Lindbergh's birthday in June 1930. After the kidnapping of their child in March 1932, the discovery of his body in May 1932, and the press frenzy surrounding the "crime of the century," the family moved to England. There, both Lindberghs developed isolationist views about American involvement in World War II, harming their public image. The Lindberghs had five more children—sons Jon (b. 1932), Land (b. 1937), and Scott (b. 1942), and daughters Anne (1940-1993) and Reeve (b. 1945). After the war, Anne Morrow Lindbergh returned to her literary career, receiving acclaim for the inspirational Gift from the Sea (1955), and writing other poems and essays. She published her diaries and letters in five volumes between 1971 and 1980. Over the course of her marriage to Charles Lindbergh, they lived in New Jersey, New York, England, France, Maine, Michigan, Connecticut, Switzerland, and Hawaii. In the early 1990s, she suffered a series of strokes and required continual care at her home in Connecticut, before moving to live near her younger daughter in Vermont in 1999. John Oldrin (1901-1985) was born in Connecticut and became a banker and civic leader in Darien, Connecticut, where his home was called Round Meadow. During World War II, he worked for Pan-American Air Ferries in the Africa-Orient division. After the war, he worked as an executive for Pan American in New York City. In 1951, he published a children's book entitled Round Meadow about the adventures of a spotted fawn named Dasher. He followed it with Eight Rings on His Tail: A Round Meadow Story (1956) about a raccoon, and Chipmunk Terrace (1958). He married Edna Young Brenchley (1881-1952), in 1932. After she died in April 1952, Oldrin married Virginia Johnson Knowlton (1924-2009) in 1956, and they had two children, Lucy Royer Oldrin and John Wood Oldrin (b. 1961). This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses. WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!- $7,500
- $7,500
William H. Harrison ALS On Christmas, U.S. Senate Bid
William Henry Harrison North Bend Ohio, December 25 1821 William Henry Harrison ALS Requesting Friends Pull Strings to Ensure his U.S. Senate Bid 2pp autograph letter signed by future 9th U.S. President William Henry Harrison (1773-1841) as "W. H. Harrison" on the second page at bottom right. Written in North Bend, Ohio on December 25, 1821. The letter is on cream bifold paper. The first page and address leaf measure 12.25" x 7.875". The first and second pages have been inscribed by Harrison, while the third page is blank. The fourth page, consisting of a holographic integral address leaf, is docketed at top, bears a stamped philatelic marking from Cincinnati, and bears remnants of a red wax seal. Expected paper folds. Minor weathering to the address leaf and a few isolated holes found within the wax. Else near fine, with dark and bold handwriting. William Henry Harrison, the ex-military hero and aspiring Midwestern politician, wrote "MT Williams Esqr. / of the H of R of Ohio / Columbus". This was Micajah Terrell Williams (1792-1844), the Ohio politician. Harrison was writing to ask Williams--and many other mutual friends--to support his eventually unsuccessful bid for the U.S. Senate. Harrison's letter is direct in its persistent requests for Williams to rally Harrison's partisans. The entirety of this remarkable letter has been reproduced below, with unchanged spelling and punctuation: "North Bend 25th Dec 1821 Dear Williams I have written a sort of official notification to Captain Brown as the Senior of the Hamilton Delegation to communicate my wish to be considered as a candidate for the Senate of the U.S. "I rely with confidence on the support of all of you. Mr. Short will be prevented by our commission from taking an active part but the rest can + I am sure will. You + Genl Webb got so well acquainted with the members last year that you will have more in yr power than the others but the exertion of all will probably be necessary. There were a number of the upper members who last year voted against me solely from local considerations. Amongst those were Baldwin Mr Millan, Ogwatt Stone Jennings + Wheeler of the Senate and Harper Galt Lannon House Sloan Whittlesey Wilson +c+c of the House. "Some of these (particularly Wilson) assure me of this in the strongest terms. Will you be so obliging as to remind them of it in as Delicate Terms as possible - not that I consider them in the smallest degree pledged to me. But they all strongly disclaim any personal Hostility and on the contrary possess a friendship for me + a willingness to have (?) served me if an obligation to what they concern to be the interests of their immediate Constituents had not forbade it.Make my Particular Respects to Col. + tell him that I rely upon his aid I would have written to him but I thought it would be better to write as few letters as possible. "Present my regards to your colleague - + believe me yr friend W.H. Harrison M.T. Williams Esqr." William Henry Harrison had gained his first real political experience serving as governor of Indiana Territory between 1801-1812. In 1814, he had retired from the military and uneasily transitioned back to civilian life. Between October 1816-March 1819, Harrison served as an Ohio Congressman to the U.S. House of Representatives. Next followed two bitter political defeats: the first, Harrison's aborted bid for governor of Ohio in 1820; and the second, his loss of a U.S. congressional seat in 1822. Harrison did in fact reach the U.S. Senate, but it was not until March 1825. Harrison's correspondent M.T. Williams represented southwestern Ohio's Hamilton County (which included Cincinnati) in the Ohio House of Representatives. Williams was reelected in 1822-23 and served as the Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives between 1824-1825. Later, Williams acted as a commissioner of the Ohio-Erie Canal. Harrison was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1824 as a Pro-Adams candidate, and served from 1825-1828, when President John Quincy Adams appointed him U.S. Minister to Colombia. He was elected President on the Whig ticket in 1840.He has the dubious distinction of the shortest presidency; Harrison died of pneumonia only a month after taking office. This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses. WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!- $3,000
- $3,000
Greta Garbo Unusual Signed Early Document
Greta Garbo Greta Garbo Unusual Signed Early Document A document signed by Classic Hollywood actress Greta Garbo as "Greta Garbo". Dated July 3, 1940. One legal-sized page, both sides, 8.5" x 14". Four-month-long lease (July 10 - October 9, 1940) facilitated by Guy Price Realtors between Garbo and H.H. Harris for a residence in Pacific Palisades, California. The total cost of the rental was $1,200.00 payable in advance by Garbo. Also signed by Harris verso. Toning over signed panel and front of document, a small spot to the first name of signature and expected document wear, otherwise in fine condition. This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses. WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!- $900
- $900
Robert E. Lee Signed Check
Robert E. Lee Fort Hamilton NY, August 31, 1841 Robert E. Lee Highly Unusual Bank Check Signed A bank check fully engrossed by Robert E. Lee (1807-1870), future Confederate General, and signed by him as "R E Lee" at lower right. Written at Fort Hamilton, New York on August 31, 1841. Check No. 102 was drawn on the Bank of Commerce in New York and made payable to one Daniel Severt in the amount of $24.80. The excellent partly engraved check bears a fine vignette of shipping vessels at upper left. Cut cancellation and two small spindle holes, not touching signature. Age-toned, and with mounting traces verso. Else very good. Narrow oblong 8vo. Accompanied by a German-language newspaper portrait of Lee; and three postcards, one depicting Lee as a young officer, one showing Lee on his famous white horse Traveler, and one depicting Washington and Lee University (Lexington, Virginia). Before he rose to the prominent position of Commander-in-Chief of the Confederate Army during the Civil War, Lee, a West Point graduate, had served in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Lee was transferred to Fort Hamilton, located at the Narrows in New York Harbor, earlier in 1841 to supervise improvements in its fortifications. This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses. WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!- $5,500
- $5,500
Lee Harvey Oswald Gripping Eyewitness Account of His Capture & Arrest
Lee Harvey Oswald Texas, 1963 L.H. Oswald Gripping Eyewitness Account of His Capture & Arrest Two documents relating to John F. Kennedy assassin Lee Harvey Oswald, compiled by Maurice "Nick" McDonald, the Dallas police officer who apprehended Oswald in the Texas Theatre. Comprised of a printed account 2x signed by Officer McDonald; along with a high-quality photocopy of an original Dallas Police Department record signed by Officer McDonald. 35th U.S. President John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) was shot by gunman Lee Harvey Oswald (1939-1963) in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963. Authorities reconstructed Oswald's whereabouts after the lunchtime shooting, tracing him from the 6th Floor of the Texas School Book Depository, to the Texas Theatre located in downtown Dallas. Oswald was discovered hiding in the movie theater by Officer Maurice "Nick" McDonald (1928-2005), who recounted the harrowing arrest in the account below. The lot provides us with eerie insights into the presidential assassin. The lot includes: 1. 2pp printed document entitled "The Arrest and Capture of Lee Harvey Oswald, by Officer Maurice 'Nick' McDonald, 11/22/63". Inscribed and signed by McDonald at the top of the first page as "To Roy Hansel [sic], Best Wishes, Officer Maurice 'Nick' McDonald". Also signed by McDonald at the conclusion as "Officer Maurice 'Nick' McDonald". A gentle corner fold and staple holes at upper left. Else near fine. 8.5" x 11". On the afternoon of November 22nd, Officer McDonald had reported to the Texas Theatre to investigate the shooting of fellow policeman J.D. Tippit, who was his friend and locker mate. Lee Harvey Oswald was the primary suspect. Officer McDonald wrote in part: "After I had entered the Texas Theatre, I went to the exit curtains, to the left of the movie screen… …I notice that there are only 10 or 15 patrons for this Friday matinee, of a showing of the double billed feature, 'Cry of Battle' and 'War is Hell'. How factual their titles would relate to reality in just a few moments!... Like a hunter, I am secretly stalking the prey [Oswald]…I am almost there now. Still no movement from him. The diversion is working. I turn suddenly and quickly, into his row. Moving closer, I notice his empty hands are folded in his lap. As he calmly looks up to me, I speak in a strong voice of authority, 'Get on your feet!' He has suddenly realized that he has waited too long to make a free and open move of aggression. He stands up slowly, facing the movie screen. Turning his head to me, we are face to face. I stare directly into his icy cold, steel blue eyes…" Officer McDonald was injured just moments later when Oswald attempted to fire point-blank range at him. 2. Photocopy of original Dallas Police Department record, Arrest Report on Investigative Prisoner Lee Harvey Oswald, showing McDonald as the primary arresting officer, and signed by McDonald as "M. N. McDonald 1178" along the bottom. In recognition of his heroism in capturing Oswald, McDonald received the Dallas Police Medal of Valor and was also inducted into the National Police Hall of Fame. McDonald retired from the Dallas Police Department as a sergeant, after 25 years on the force, in 1980. One can see from this excerpt that Officer McDonald had a natural talent for writing. He produced a longer manuscript, entitled "Oswald and I", in 1993. This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses. WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!- $500
- $500
Clara Barton War Dated ALS About a Surgeon
Clara Barton Washington DC, January 8, 1865 Clara Barton War Dated ALS About a Surgeon, "a Native of Mississippi, a Natural Abolitionist" and a Member of Freedman's Bureau BARTON, CLARA. Autograph Letter Signed with docketing by Butler's office on verso. Two pages by Barton on card-style bifolium stationery measuring 5" x 8" folded. Folds and light chipping and discoloration to edges. Overall in very good plus condition, with bold, elegant writing. Beautifully penned letter by Clara Barton to General Benjamin Butler, her close friend and political ally. Barton writes on January 8, 1865 from Washington DC on behalf of her friend, Dr. R.O. Sidney, a close friend during the Civil War, who renounced his native Mississippi because he didn't believe in slavery. Barton writes in full, "Dear General / Permit me to introduce to you my old time friend of all the war, Surgeon R.O. Sidney, at present acting under direction of the Freedman's Bureau and stationed on the eastern shore of Va. Dr. Sidney is a native of Mississippi, a natural abolitionist, compelled to leave his home for proclaiming his sentiments some years previous to the war. He was a clerk in the Gen'l P.O. [Post Office] and a member of our family, when the rebellion broke out, and I have known him well during the intervening time. He has been intensely loyal, is naturally enthusiastic, generous, kind hearted & sympathetic, possessing great determination of purpose, and energy of character, and abounding in good practical sense and tact. Very naturally, he now wants to return to his old home, and reclaim the graves of his household, and desires an appointment from Genl Howard of such importance as will sustain him even among his former foes. I have never met General Howard (a circumstance which I daily regret) and in this dilemma I take the liberty to make this explanation to you General, and ask a kindly word from you, on Dr. Sidney's behalf, unless there should be some obstacle in the way which I may not understand. / Very respectfully / Yours / Clara Barton". This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses. WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE.- $2,500
- $2,500
Gagarin Unusual Signed Large Certificate
Yuri Gagarin Czech Republic, April 23, 1961 Gagarin Unusual Signed Large Certificate GAGARIN, YURI. Printed Document Signed, 7" x 9.5", 1 p., Otrokovice, Czech Republic, April 23, 1961. Accompanied by a printed opinion, in Russian, that the signature is authentic and comes from the Cosmonaut's archive. A highly unusual autograph. Karel and Anna Lopatka asked Gagarin to sign their new baby's birth certificate while registering his birth around the time of Gagarin's flight. Apparently, it was a common practice for Czech parents to officially register the name of their baby several months after the actual date of the baby's birth. Abbreviated translation, in part, "To Karel and Anna Lopatka, whose son Karel was born in Karlovy Vary on June 11, 1961 / We welcome Karel to life in April, the month that had witnessed the true miracle of the century. Humanity's dreams became a reality - the Soviet Union had put into orbit the first manned spaceship with Major Yuri Gagarin on board." Yuri Gagarin (1934 - 1968) was a Soviet Air Force pilot and cosmonaut who became the first man to travel into outer space. His capsule, Vostok 1, completed one orbit of Earth on April 12, 1961. Gagarin became an international celebrity and was awarded many medals and titles, including Hero of the Soviet Union, his nation's highest honor. This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses. WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE.- $600
- $600
Rare Civil Rights 1965 Voting Archive
Civil Rights 1965 1965 Voting Rights Archive -- Rare A group of items related to to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, including two publications of the Act and an "Analysis of the Voting Rights Act of 1965." The first publication is 10pp, 6" x 9", entitled "Public Law 89-110, 89th Congress, S. 1564, August 6, 1965: An Act." The second publication, 19pp, 6" x 9", entitled "United States Commission on Civil Rights: The Voting Rights Act of 1965." Printed on salmon paper, the publication was a Commission of Civil Rights Special Publication, No. 4. This publication includes a printed copy of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, along with bulleted summaries of the act's coverage, enforcement, penalties, etc. These copies appear to have been mailed out to Americans following the passage of the act. Finally, there is a 35pp, 8" x 10.5", typed analysis of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, produced by the Washington Human Rights Project. Compiled by Richard Bosson, Reid Chambers, and Peter Johannsen. With an introduction by Director William Higgs. Minor uneven toning and soiling to all. Creasing to the lower corners of the printed analysis. This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses. WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!- $1,500
- $1,500
Charles Darwin ALS November 19, 1860
Charles Darwin Down Kent England, November 19, 1860 Charles Darwin Autograph Letter Signed 1860 DARWIN, CHARLES. Autograph Letter Signed, "Ch. R. Darwin" over a one penny stamp, November 19, 1860, 1 p., Down Kent. Horizontal fold and toning. Docketed on verso. Darwin writes to his land agent, John Higgins, regarding rent collected from Darwin's farm at Beesby, "Received from John Higgins Esq. / 244: 15: 11, being half year's rent ... This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses. WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE.- $4,500
- $4,500
Mapa topografico de la Provincia de la Visitación de la Merced de Mexico
Lozano, José Apparently unique map of Mexico, printed in Queretaro. 1803. Queretaro. Engraved map, (419 x 304 mm). Overall in excellent condition, usual folds and scattered spotting, lone worm hole, small bit of cello tape along each edge away from printed surface, 1-inch closed tear in upper margin just entering platemark. 7,000 $ First and only edition[?], an apparently unique map printed in Queretaro, which locates the sites of the Mercedarian Order along parts of the country, made by a Mexican Mercedary Friar, later arrested for his preaching in favor of the Mexican independence. The map depicts the heart of Mexico: Zacatecas to the north, Guadalajara and the pacific to the west, Oaxaca, Veracruz and the Gulf of Mexico to the east, and Mexico and Puebla at center. Rivers, mountains, and roads are shown. Convents and hospitals are represented by small icons, as well as the college in Mexico City. The map is further embellished by a cartouche in the lower left margin, which shows five friars working with a globe and sextant. The map seems to be unique, or at least extraordinarily rare, we are unable to locate any copies of the map on OCLC original examples of this map have been traced at auction or in OCLC, although the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia holds a reproduction.- $7,000
- $7,000
OLD TIME PARIS. A Plain Guide to Its Chief Survivals
Edwards, George F. Sm. 8vo. 151,(1)pp. Illustrated original printed wrappers preserved. Finely bound by the French binder Cuzin in full crushed dark brown morocco with 2 different large tan morocco inlays of historic buildings in Paris on the covers. A.e.g. Housed in a morocco tipped marbled paper slipcase. Very attractive.- $500
- $500
LIFE IN PARIS; Comprising the Rambles, Sprees and Amours, of Dick Wildfire. Eccentric Characters in the French Metropolis
Carey, David 8vo. xxiv,489,(3)pp. With the half-title and the final printed leaf, "Directions to binder." Illustrated with 21 fine colored plates by George Cruikshank, and 22 wood engraved vignettes. Full red polished calf, spine ornately gilt with two morocco spine labels. The binding is signed by Riviere. A.e.g. With a bold signature of George Cruikshank dated June 14, 1869, on a piece of stationery mounted to a preliminary blank. This is the first issue. See Cohn #109.- $1,000
- $1,000
![Rio-Janeiro [View of Rio de Janeiro]](https://rarebookinsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/30782272036-600x489.jpg)
Rio-Janeiro [View of Rio de Janeiro]
Rio de Janeiro] Sabatier, Leon and Bayot Large view of Rio de Janeiro by Sabatier. [c.1850s]. Paris Bulla Freres and Jouy & London: E. Gambart. Lithograph by Cattier rue de Lancry 12. (full sheet 570 x 700 mm; engraved surface 548 x 393 mm). Blindstamp of Bulla Freres and Cattier. Slight spotting, excellent condition. 1400 $ Fine lithograph of Rio de Janeiro from the sea by Leon Jean-Babtiste Sabatier and Lauvergue after Sabatier and Bayot, lithographed by Cattier.- $1,400
- $1,400
MEMOIRS OF MRS. FITZHERBERT; with an Account of Her Marriage with H. R. H. the Prince of Wales, Afterwards King George the Fourth
Langdale, Charles 8vo. 202pp. This copy "Extra Illustrated" with 44 plates, mostly portraits and views, many inlaid, a few 18th century, including fine portraits of George II, III, and IV. Bound in fine black morocco, spine gilt stamped including "Extra Illustrated." Binding is a bit rubbed at the bottom of the spine and outer corners, but quite attractive. Binding is signed "Charles E. Lauriat of Boston."- $450
- $450
Noticia de las islas, bajos y otros escollos descubiertos durante el año de 1861 según las que han llegado a conocimiento de esta Dirección de Hidrografía con algunas otras de interés para los navegantes
Australia and Singapore; West Indies; hydrography]. Only known copy of this years publication of the Direccion de Hidrografia, with the most recent discoveries in Australia, Singapore, and the worlds Oceans. 1862. Madrid. Depósito Hidrográfico. 4to. 58 pp., 3 ff. (one with the catalogue of the maps printed by Dirección de Hidrografía in 1860-1861 and books), 2 folded maps. Contemporary red morocco with supralibros with the Spanish arms on boards, all heavily gilt in neoclassical style, gilt-edged, spine gilt with slight cracking on upper spine, edge-rolled gilt tooled doublures, marbled endpapers. Excellent condition, clean and fresh. 3,500 $ Rare, no other copy known, this is the official document where all the geographical discoveries were noted, issued one for each year, there is no other example known for this year; it contains news of discoveries in Australia, Singapore, and the Pacific. Overall this is the official document issued by the Spanish Dirección de Hidrográfíca reporting the discoveries in the world oceans in 1861. Since the 18th century the Dirección had been at the forefront of Spanish oceanic exploration and mapping. In this compilation for 1861 there are reports of discoveries around the world: the rocky seabed off Singapore on the coast of Bintan island; in Australia reefs discovered in the Strait of Torres (21-25) and of a protruding rock off the coast of the Cape of Northtumberland (25-26), buoys and beacons and tide markings (47-48,50); off the coast of New Zealand (27-30) reefs and small islands, off the coast of California also a reef; in Hawaii a correct location is given of two islands, one of them called Paltroon, (26-27). There are also sections on the Philippines (18-20) and Cuba (53-57). At the end there are two folded maps of Cuba, one representing the port of Sagua la Grande. Not in Forbes Hawaian National Bibliography. 1780-1900. Not in Ferguson Bibliography of Australia. 1784-1900. Not in Bagnall New Zealand National bibliography to the year 1960.- $3,500
- $3,500
THE WITS AND BEAUX OF SOCIETY. With Illustrations by H. K. Browne and James Godwin. Engraved by the Brothers Dalziel. Second Edition Revised by the Author. In One Volume
Wharton, Grace and Philip Wharton Thick 8vo. xviii,580pp. Illustrated with a frontispiece and 14 plates, and further "Extra Illustrated" with 90 plates, mostly portraits and some views. Many of the extra illustrations are mounted or inlaid. Ornately bound in full maroon morocco by Morrell Binders, London. Spine ornately gilt. T.e.g. Some light rubbing. Bookplate of J. L. and E. B. Ketterlinus of Philadelphia.- $600
- $600
6 small original works of art, all but one signed, plus 2 other early printed pieces
Cox, Palmer 1. "Snowflake" San Francisco: 1866. (Cox lived in San Francisco 1863-1875) Pencil sketch signed, on an approx. 5" x 3-1/2" piece of paper. 2. "Pet." San Francisco. 1866. Signed pencil sketch on paper approx. 5-1/2" x 3-1/2". 3. Typed card with a quotation from the Brownies made for one George Plummer, 1916. With an original color sketch of a Brownie by Cox. Signed. Card is 3-1/2" x 6". 4. Typed card with a quotation from the Brownies made for George Plummer, 1916. With an original color sketch of a Brownie. Signed. Card is 3-3/4" x 4-3/4". 5. Typed sheet with a poem by Cox made for George Plummer, 1916. With an original color sketch of a Brownie. 6. Autograph note, 8 lines, signed by Cox in 1899, with an original ink sketch of a Brownie. Paper is 3-3/4" x 4-1/2". 7. Color litho. card (3" x 5") 1884 of The Brownies on Parade. 8. Early proof of a wood engraving by Cox of a young lady, on card stock 6" x 4-1/4" Palmer Cox (1840-1924) Canadian-American illustrator and author, best known for "The Brownies" books and comic strips.- $850
- $850
A Dialogue With Solitude
Heath, David New York, 1965 Tall quarto. Grey cloth over boards with pictorial dust jacket. Unpaginated but 92pp. With the photographer's signed inscription to the title page. Dear Marilyn- / to share with you this small / measure of my life's / meaning / /with affection / Dave / May Day 1968. Very good condition throughout. Dust jacket shows some distress with closed tears to edges and small loss to bottom of spine along with some discoloration. "A Dialogue With Solitude, an incomparable book that James Borcoman, curator of photography at the National Gallery of Canada, has described as the most important book by a photographer to appear in the 1960's. A Dialogue With Solitude was the product of more than a decade of personal exploration in photographic self-expression and the resolution of Heath's creative search to enunciate his statement in the visually poetic form of sequence." - Museum of Contemporary Photography.- $2,250
- $2,250
The Horse in Health And Disease; or, Suggestions on His Natural and General History, Varieties, Conformation, Paces, Action, Age, Soundness, Stabling, Condition, Training and Shoeing With a Digest on Veterinary Practice.
Winter, James W. London, 1846 Quarter bound brown leather over marbled boards. 8vo. Frontispiece [viii] pp 376 with nine b/w plates and one color plate. Overall good condition with some wear to the boards and light moisture marks to the plates. Two page corners professionally repaired. Rear free end paper excised. The author, James W. Winter was a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, and of the Association Litteraire D'Egypt and late Veterinary Surgeon to Mehmet Ali and Ibrahim Pasha.- $500
- $500
Frossardi, Nobilissime Scriptoris Gallici, Historiarum Opus Omne, Iamprimum et Breviter Collectum et Latino Sermone Redditum
Froissart, Jean Parisiis, 1537 First edition abridged and translated from French into Latin by Johannes Sleidanus. 16mo, 6-7/8" x 4-3/8", [16],115, [1] leaves. Signatures A-B^8 a-o^8, p4. Printer's device on title page. Palimpsest vellum spine over marbled paper covered boards. All edges tinted red. Occasional marginalia in an old hand (Latin) with some loss to trimming during an early rebinding. Former owner's inscription to ffep "Ex libris belliducis Rottiers, Antr., A. 1839." Light damp staining throughout. All edges worn. From the library of Joseph A. Sadony, with his blind stamp at top of title page. The chronicles of Froissart have been considered, for centuries, as the ultimate expression of the chivalric rebirth of France and England in the fourteenth century, as well as a valuable source of information about the Hundred Years War.- $650
- $650
THE VOYAGES AND TRAVELS OF THE AMBASSADOR SENT BY FREDERICK DUKE OF HOLSTEIN TO THE GREAT Duke of Muscovy and the King of Persia. Begun n the Year M.DC.XXXIII. and Finish’d in M.DC.XXXIX. Containing a Compleat History of Muscovy, Tartary, and Other Adjacent Countries. [by Adam Olearius] WHERETO ARE ADDED THE TRAVELS OF JOHN ALBERT DE MANDELSLO. Into the East-Indies. Indosthan. Japan, China. Faithfully Rendered into English by John Davies. The Second Edition Corrected
Olearius, Adam and Mandelslo, Johann Albrecht von Folio. 2 parts in 1, each separately paginated, with separate title-pages. [Note: in this copy the title page for Mandelslo appears first, in error]. (6),316;(22),232,(10)pp. Complete with an added engraved title (with 5 portraits), 2 separate engraved portraits, and a total of 6 folding or double-page maps. In this copy the very large folding map of the Volga River found at p. 112 has been divided in two, the second half bound at p. 126, with a slight loss at the fold where they were divided. Engraved table of the Ruthenian alphabet in text. 19th century brown morocco spine over old marbled boards (rubbed). Small chip at the top of spine otherwise an attractive copy. This is an odd copy, quite complete, but with certain preliminaries for the first part bound at front of the second part. The second edition revised of the English translation first published in 1662, made from a 1659 version in French. It contains material not found in the original German edition of 1656 and 1658. An important account of Central Asia, including Persia and Russia and the East Indies. The Duke of Holstein's embassies were to negotiate trade. See Cox's THE LITERATURE OF TRAVEL, Vol. 1, pp. 249 and 271 for more details. Wing O270.- $2,400
- $2,400
Artificial Intelligence: A Frontier of Automation.
SAMUEL, ARTHUR L. A scarce reprint from The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Sicial Science, Vol. 340 (March, 1962), pp. 10-20. Fine, stapled in printed orange wrappers, with no markings in the text. Samuel was noted for his ground-breaking pioneering efforts to program computers to play the game of checkers.- $200
- $200
High-Rise
Ballard, J.G. First edition. Some bumps to the upper edge and to the head and tail of the dust-wrapper (price-clipped, as so many copies were, by the publisher, with Cape's new price stickers (£6.95 net), one atop the other); else fine. Signed by Ballard on the title-page. An essential Ballard title, and difficult to find un-sunned. Looking into the belly of the great urban beast: the high-rise apartment building. Beneath the smug middle-class smiles beat savage hearts. Turned into a 2015 film directed by Ben Wheatley and starring Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irons and Sienna Miller.- $950
- $950
Tales of “The Trade”
Kipling, Rudyard Copyright edition, preceding the first appearance in book form. Stapled card-bound in three octavo parts (I: Some Work in the Baltic, II: Business on the Sea of Marmora, III: Ravages and Repairs). Near fine. Then as now, no comprehensive copyright agreement obtained between the two largest anglophone book-markets: the U.K. and the U.S. As a British citizen -- Henry James enjoyed the best of both worlds -- Kipling could not publish works in America that were protected by copyright unless they were published in America first (no relation to the current administration's modus regendi). Thus Kipling and his agent Watt contrived to publish limited runs, sometimes as few as eight copies, with Doubleday in order to secure the American copyright while having the trade edition come out first in Britain. Thus these are the true first editions (see our other items in this category) of many of Kipling's stories in the 1910's and beyond. Verses relating to the travels and travails of British submarines and submariners. Eventually published as the second of a trilogy of Sea Warfare, preceded by The Fringes of the Fleet and followed by The Destroyers at Jutland.- $550
- $550
The War in the Mountains
Kipling, Rudyard Copyright edition, preceding the first appearance in book form. Stapled card-bound in five octavo parts (I: The Roads of an Army; II: Podgora; III: A Pass, a King and a Mountain; IV: Only a Few Steps Higher Up; V: The Trentino Front). Near fine. Then as now, no comprehensive copyright agreement obtained between the two largest anglophone book-markets: the U.K. and the U.S. As a British citizen -- Henry James enjoyed the best of both worlds -- Kipling could not publish works in America that were protected by copyright unless they were published in America first (no relation to the current administration's modus regendi). Thus Kipling and his agent Watt contrived to publish limited runs, sometimes as few as eight copies, with Doubleday in order to secure the American copyright while having the trade edition come out first in Britain. Thus these are the true first editions (see our other items in this category) of many of Kipling's stories in the 1910's and beyond. A reflection of the British infantry effort in Italy, produced at the suggestion of the Ambassador Sir Rennell Rodd.- $650
- $650
The Fringes of the Fleet
Kipling, Rudyard Copyright edition, preceding the first appearance in book form. Stapled card-bound in six octavo parts (I-II: The Auxiliary Fleet, III-IV: Submarines; V-VI: Patrols). Near fine. Then as now, no comprehensive copyright agreement obtained between the two largest anglophone book-markets: the U.K. and the U.S. As a British citizen -- Henry James enjoyed the best of both worlds -- Kipling could not publish works in America that were protected by copyright unless they were published in America first (no relation to the current administration's modus regendi). Thus Kipling and his agent Watt contrived to publish limited runs, sometimes as few as eight copies, with Doubleday in order to secure the American copyright while having the trade edition come out first in Britain. Thus these are the true first editions (see our other items in this category) of many of Kipling's stories in the 1910's and beyond. Based on articles Kipling wrote for the Daily Telegraph, these survey the activities of the navy in World War I. Edward Elgar wrote a song cycle in the following year using these as the basis of the lyrics. Eventually published as the first of a trilogy of Sea Warfare, followed by Tales of "The Trade" and The Destroyers at Jutland.- $495
- $495
The Destroyers at Jutland
Kipling, Rudyard Copyright edition, preceding the first appearance in book form. Stapled card-bound in four octavo parts. Near fine. Then as now, no comprehensive copyright agreement obtained between the two largest anglophone book-markets: the U.K. and the U.S. As a British citizen -- Henry James enjoyed the best of both worlds -- Kipling could not publish works in America that were protected by copyright unless they were published in America first (no relation to the current administration's modus regendi). Thus Kipling and his agent Watt contrived to publish limited runs, sometimes as few as eight copies, with Doubleday in order to secure the American copyright while having the trade edition come out first in Britain. Thus these are the true first editions (see our other items in this category) of many of Kipling's stories in the 1910's and beyond. Accounts of the destroyers at the Battle of Jutland, based on very immediate (and somewhat confused) accounts. Eventually published as the second of a trilogy of Sea Warfare, preceded by The Fringes of the Fleet and Tales of "The Trade."- $550
- $550
A scene of Temperate Indifference (an excerpt from a novel in progress, WOMEN)
Bukowski, Charles Four pages of typescript (recto only), corrected throughout and signed on the fourth page by Bukowski and dated 1977. Paperclip residue to p. 1 along with a few spots of foxing. Faint transverse crease to the pages. Near fine. The novel was brought out by Black Sparrow Press in 1978. This section takes place before Harry Chinaski (Bukowski's alter ego; on p. 4, the editor identifies them, combining two separate lines of dialogue into one with the marginalium "Both Buk!") is to give a reading. It mentions William Burroughs living in the next apartment, and has Chinaski signing "an early book of poems, poems I had written while I was in the post office" with a drawing. Purchased at Sotheby's Allen Ginsberg and Friends auction in 1999. Presented in a ribbon-closure hard portfolio. [NB: these images have been digitally watermarked.]- $4,950
- $4,950
Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There
Carroll, Lewis; illust. John Tenniel Limited edition (numbered 28 of 1500 copies signed by "the original Alice," Alice Hargreaves (née Liddell)). Some chips and scuffs to the extremities, else fine. Presented in the publisher's original box, toned at the edges, without dust-wrapper (as issued). Carroll (Charles Lutwidge Dodgson) was a student (i.e., a fellow) of Christ Church, Oxford. The Dean (head) of Christ Church, Henry Liddell, had a daughter, Alice, for whom Carroll told and wrote amusing and diverting tales. Many features of the books (low doors and Cheshire Cat trees) are to be found on the grounds of the college.- $1,750
- $1,750
District and Circle
Heaney, Seamus First American edition. Fine in a fine dust-wrapper. PRESENTATION COPY from Heaney to Jonathan Galassi, president and publisher of FSG, and Heaney's editor, inscribed: "for Jonathan -/ in the circle/ and holding the line -/ with great affection/ Seamus/ 9 June 2006/ Union Square Café" on the title-page.- $1,450
- $1,450
The New Army
Kipling, Rudyard Copyright edition, preceding the first appearance in book form. Stapled card-bound in six octavo parts ([I]: The Men at Work; II: The Quality of the Machine; III: Guns and Supply; IV: Canadians in Camp; V: Indian Troops; VI: A Territorial Battalion, and a Conclusion. Near fine. Then as now, no comprehensive copyright agreement obtained between the two largest anglophone book-markets: the U.K. and the U.S. As a British citizen -- Henry James enjoyed the best of both worlds -- Kipling could not publish works in America that were protected by copyright unless they were published in America first (no relation to the current administration's modus regendi). Thus Kipling and his agent Watt contrived to publish limited runs, sometimes as few as eight copies, with Doubleday in order to secure the American copyright while having the trade edition come out first in Britain. Thus these are the true first editions (see our other items in this category) of many of Kipling's stories in the 1910's and beyond. Based on articles Kipling wrote for the Daily Telegraph, these describe of training troops after Germany's invasion of Belgium in 1914.- $475
- $475
THE ORATORS, An English Study.
Auden, W. H. W.H. Auden. THE ORATORS, An English Study. Auden's third book of poetry, published in London, by Faber & Faber Limited, in 1932. The book is in very fine condition in an exceptionally nice dust jacket (see scan of front panel) with slight chipping at the top of the spine, and a small triangular chip on the rear panel. Neither chip affects any of the text. There were only 1,000 copies printed. This first edition is particularly important because it is the only time that it was printed in this original text. Auden reprinted it a number of times, beginning in 1933, but each subsequent printing had significant alterations and omissions. Conn [Bloomfield and Mendelson A3.]- $650
- $650
Olive, Again
Strout, Elizabeth First edition, first printing. The faintest of scuffs to the peripheries of the dust-wrapper (as is so common with this matte coated paper); else fine. Signed by Strout on the title-page. The sequel to Strout's volcanically popular Olive Kitteridge (Pulitzer, NBCCA; adapted into a mini-series starring Frances McDormand) and written in the same form: thirteen interwoven short stories bringing Olive through to her eighties in various situations in Crosby, Maine and its environs.- $114
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- $114
True Grit
Portis, Charles First edition, first printing (stated) in book form, after serialization in The Saturday Evening Post. Very good in a good dust-wrapper. With price-sticker residue to the front paste-down. Spine lovely and bright, unusually. The recollection of Mattie Ross of Dardanelle, Arkansas, who seeks vengeance for the killing of her Daddy, accompanied by the U.S. Marshal "Rooster" Cogburn. The basis of two acclaimed films: 1969's Kim Darby/John Wayne picture and 2010's Coen brothers picture, starring Hailee Steinfeld and Jeff Bridges.- $424
- $424
Welcome to the Monkey House
Vonnegut, Kurt, Jr. First edition, first printing ("First Delacorte printing"). A light scratch through the author's name and a small closed tear to the rear of the dust-wrapper; else fine (unusually bright). Vonnegut's off-kilter Orwellian surrealism is in full late-60's flower (printed in August of 1968) in his second collection of short works. The dust-wrapper was designed by the legendary Paul Bacon (who also designed the wrapper of Slaughterhouse-Five).- $848
- $848
10:04. A novel
Lerner, Ben First edition, first printing. Faintest bumps to the dust-wrapper, else fine. Signed on the title-page by Lerner. Written in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, 10:04 sees a Lerner-like protagonist navigating life in death in a time of new uncertainty. Hari Kunzru in his Times review called it "frequently brilliant." Shortlisted for the Paris Review's Folio Prize. (There are several variants of the dust-wrapper (the present item featuring a reversed photograph looking northward from south of Manhattan), as well as another 2014 New York edition published by McClelland & Stewart; outs would seem to be the true first.)- $144
- $144
THE DELIGHT MAKERS.
Bandelier, Adolf F. THE DELIGHT MAKERS By Adolf F. Bandelier. A strikingly beautiful copy with both the book and the rare dust jacket in fine condition. There are no markings in the text, and no ownership notations. Published by Dodd, Mead in New York in 1918. 490 pages following xvii pages of introductory matter. With a photographic frontispiece portrait of the author and 16 photographic illustrations taken specifically for this edition.- $345
- $345
![Theorie de la Perspective [with:] Nouvelle Theorie du Melange des Coulêurs. Tirée de l'Optique de M. Newton . [Paris](https://rarebookinsider.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/30623450518-600x853.jpg)
Theorie de la Perspective [with:] Nouvelle Theorie du Melange des Coulêurs. Tirée de l’Optique de M. Newton . [Paris, ca 1757]
LACAILLE, Nicolas-Louis, Abbé de (1713-1762) Folio (370 x 240 mm), ff [10], with one loose folded sheet of tables and one partsheet of astronomical observations (see below), ink on paper, with numerous diagrams and tables, text and tables with extensive revisions and corrections; in very good condition, unbound. A detailed manuscript on perspective and optics, with extensive tables for calculating the distance of objects, probably used in Lacailles courses on mathematics which he taught at the Collège Mazarin in Paris. The work begins with the Théorie de la Perspective. This is followed by Pratique de la Perspective. Five full-page and detailed tables follow, with the vertical columns titled Distances de lObject au Plan du Tableau, and the horizontal columns titled Distances de lObject au plan Horizontal ou au plan Vertical, containing 10,000 calculations. The next section is titled Regles pour trouver La Perspective des Objets dont les faces sont inclinées au Plan du Tableau, accompanied by another extensive table with 1700 calculations. The final perspective section is titled Sur Le Point de vuë, et le Lieu de loeil. The second part is devoted to Newtons theory of colours, and seems to be based upon the French edition of Brook Taylors work on perspective. The French translation appeared in Amsterdam in 1757 and was titled Nouveau Principes de la Perspective Linéaire, which contained Essai sur le Mêlange des Couleurs, par Newton. However, LaCailles text is not a translation of that of Taylors, and in fact a radical reworking of the basic geometric principles of perspective. The tables are unique, the result of a massive effort of computation, one of Lacailles noted skills. Many of these techniques are related to his observational skills in astronomy and in calculating astronomical positions and distances. The small astronomical manuscript relates to observations he made at the Mazarin: Par un milieu entre six observations dun coté deduites au 1 Jan 1748 du egard a la observation eu à la precéssion. LaCaille was an astronomer who was a prodigious observer and calculator, having observed over 10,000 stars in the Southern hemisphere, and named 14 of the 88 constellations. Initally he was assistant to Jacques Cassini and participated in a series of surveying projects, and in 1739 in remeasuring the arc of the meridian. Appointed professor of mathematics at the Collège Mazarin, he built his own observatory where he carried out astronomical observations. In 1752 he made an astronomical expedition to the Cape of Good Hope, where he built an observatory and carried out a prodigious series of observations, including the discovery and cataloguing of 42 nebulae. Lalande stated that he made more observations and calculations than all previous astronomers combined. Upon his return to Paris in 1754 he resumed his post and teaching duties at the Mazarin. His students included the great chemist Antoine Lavoisier- $7,500
- $7,500
Autograph letter signed to biologist Henry lee, concerning the identification of species of barnacles, dated 23 December 1871.
DARWIN, Charles (1809?Äì1882) DARWIN, Charles (1809?Äì1882). Autograph letter signed to biologist Henry lee, concerning the identification of species of barnacles, dated 23 December 1871. Down, Beckenham, Kent, 23 December, 18718vo (2 pages on a single folded sheet, 200 x 259 mm) on printed letterhead Down, Beckenham, Kent?Äô, in ink, with original envelope addressed in Darwin?Äôs hand, stamped and postmarked; in very good condition, in a quarter-leather folding case. $18,500A fine and fascinating letter (with the original addressed envelope; these rarely survive), written in Darwin?Äôs scientific maturity but reverting to his early expertise in the anatomy of barnacles. Barnalces were the subject of his first major scientific monograph, published in two volumes by the Ray Society in 1851, 1854 (A monograph of the sub-class Cirripedia, with figures of all the species. The Lepadid? ; or, pedunculated cirripedes . ). Darwin undertook the anatomical investigation of barnacles both as a result of specimens he collected during the Beagle voyage and also to demonstrate his mastery of detailed anatomical and taxonomic investigation. His work established the nomenclature and classification criteria that became standard up to this day.The letter concerns specimens of gooseneck barnacles submitted to Darwin by Henry Lee for classification. Darwin replies in detail with his characteristic attention and kindness to any serious scientific correspondent, even while he was engaged in correcting proofs for the sixth edition of the Origin of Species. Darwin conducted microscopic anatomical examinations of Lee?Äôs specimens and writes: ?ÄòI have now looked at both lots of specimens, & I think both are the variable L. ?anatifera.?Äî I have disarticulated the right-hand scutal valve in both & the umbonal teeth are plain in both. This with position of the carina suffices, though the latter ought to be disarticulated and cleaned. But I have hardly any doubt that both are L. ?anatifera . ?Äô.?ÄòDarwin's work on barnacles (Cirripedia), conducted between 1846 and 1854, has long posed problems for historians. Coming between his ?transmutation notebooks ?and the ?Origin of species, it has frequently been interpreted as a digression from Darwin's species work. Yet when this study is viewed in the context of Darwin's earlier interests, in particular his studies of marine invertebrates carried out during his student days in Edinburgh and later on board the ?Beagle, the ?monograph on the Cirripedia ?seems less anomalous. Moreover, Darwin's study of cirripedes, far from being merely a dry, taxonomic exercise, was a highly theoretical work that addressed several problems at the forefront of contemporary natural history. Treating a group of organisms of considerable interest to mid-nineteenth century naturalists and approaching their classification using the most recent methods available, Darwin was able to provide a thorough taxonomic study that has remained a standard work in cirripede morphology and systematics. For Darwin personally, the barnacle work perfected his understanding of scientific nomenclature, comprising both theoretical principles and technical facility with the methods of comparative anatomy. It also provided him with an empirical means of testing his views on the species question (Crisp 1983) ?Ä Darwin's evolutionary interpretation of the meaning of classification explains why he readily adopted embryology as a methodological tool for revealing homologies?Äô (Cambridge University, Darwin On-line).Darwin exchanged several letters with Henry Lee.Henry Lee, naturalist, succeeded John Keast Lord (1818?Äì1872) as naturalist of the Brighton aquarium in 1872, and was for some time a director there. While at the aquarium he instituted important experiments on the migration of smelts, the habits of herring, and the nature of whitebait and crayfish. His Aquarium Notes (1875) for the use of visitors, was able and attractive. Lee was also author of The Octopus (1874), The White Whale (1878), Sea Fables Explained (1883), and Sea Monsters Unmasked (1883). The last two works were part of a series of handbooks issued in connection with the International Fisheries Exhibition in London in 1883. He also published The Vegetable Lamb of Tartary: a Curious Fable of the Cotton Plant (1887).?ÄòLee was also an energetic collector of natural history specimens, and a skilful worker with the microscope. On 5 April 1866 he was made a fellow of the Linnean Society, and he was founder of the Croydon Microscopical and Natural History Club established on 6 April 1870. He was also a member of the Geological and Zoological societies of London?Äô (ODNB).Darwin Correspondence Project n 8118B (partial transcript only)- $18,500
- $18,500
M? chanique analytique.
LAGRANGE, Joseph Louis (1736?Äì1813) LAGRANGE, Joseph Louis (1736?Äì1813). M? chanique analytique. Paris, La Veuve Desaint, 17884to (256 x 195 mm), pp xii, 512; a fine copy in contemporary French calf, gilt neoclassical panels on sides and gilt panels with wreaths and urns on spine.First edition of Lagrange's masterpiece, which has been described as ?Äòperhaps the most beautiful mathematical treatise in existence.?Äô This is the scarcest of Lagrange's major works.?ÄòIt was reserved for Lagrange to mould theoretical mechanics into a system, and by combining the principle of virtual velocities with D'Alembert's Principle, to derive fundamental mechanical equations which describe the motion of any system of bodies. These important results were set forth in Lagrange's masterpiece, the M? chanique Analytique (Paris, 1788), which laid the foundations of modern mechanics, and which occupies a place in the history of the subject second only to Newton's Principia. The two works differ in one essential respect, namely, whereas Newton derives his results purely geometrically, or synthetically, with the aid of figures, Lagrange, dispensing with diagrams, treats the subject in an entirely analytical manner. He followed the example of Euler in his analytical treatment and his efforts to find the most comprehensive formulae which should enable as many particular cases as possible to be treated on the same lines. In this sense Lagrange's work has been described by Mach as one of the greatest contributions to the economy of thought?Äô (Wolf, History of science. in the eighteenth century, pp. 69-70).Provenance: gilt arms of the ?âcole centrale du d? partement du Tarn on upper cover and stamp of ?âcole sup? rieure de commerce et d?Äôindustrie, Bordeaux, on title and one other leafDibner 112; En fran?ßais dans le texte 179; Horblit 61; Norman 1257; Parkinson p 216- $15,000
- $15,000
Magic Flute: Queen of the Night
SENDAK (Maurice) MAGIC FLUTE. 1980, original lithograph on stone, each drawn and fully signed in pencil by the artist Maurice Sendak, each example numbered in pencil lower left 9/10, dated 02 indicating when signed by Sendak but actually printed twenty-two years earlier by Ken Tyler at Tyler Graphics Ltd (New Bedford NY) on partially deckled-edged rag paper with the Tyler blind stamp insignia in lower right corner: Frank Corsaro (Producer of this version) as Queen of the Night 15-1/4 x 12-3/8 inches- $7,500
- $7,500
Three Boys (Child Spirits) and Mozart
SENDAK (Maurice) SENDAK (Maurice0: MAGIC FLUTE. 1980, original lithograph on stone, each drawn and fully signed in pencil by the artist Maurice Sendak, each example numbered in pencil lower left 9/10, dated 02 indicating when signed by Sendak but actually printed twenty-two years earlier by Ken Tyler at Tyler Graphics Ltd (New Bedford NY) on partially deckled-edged rag paper with the Tyler blind stamp insignia in lower right corner: Three Boys (Child Spirits) and Mozart. Captioned Dragon Act 1 Scene 1 / Temple No. 1 Measures 15 x 12-1/4 inches- $7,500
- $7,500
Metreon: Watermelon Moon
SENDAK (Maurice) SENDAK (Maurice): METREON: Wild Things Watermelon Moon . 1996 Metreon Wild Thing Transformation Original Pencil study for Metreon installation in San Francisco Measures 5 x 9-3/4 inches on larger paper Signed in full at bottom center image of a Wild Thing Eating a Watermelon Moon Reference: Schiller Sendak Abrams 2013 (p. 74)- $12,500
- $12,500
Little Lulu and Friends
BUELL (Marjorie H "Marge")) BUELL (Marjorie H Marge), attributed [19041993] Little LULU with Friends. 1947. Watercolor and mounted cut-out figures. Cover design for McLoughlin Bros catalogue: Childrens Books 1947. The image was used for the last catalogue published by the firm. Measures 14-11/16 x 12-1/2 inches- $5,000
- $5,000
Observations diverses sur la sterilité, perte de fruict, fecondité, accouchements, et maladies des femmes et enfants nouveaux naiz .
BOURGEOIS [BOURSIER], Louise (1563-1636) 8vo (167 x 95 mm), ff [12] 12 [recte 3, without terminal blank], with fine engraved allegorical title and two engraved portraits (the author and Marie de Medici, Queen of France); a fine copy, in nineteenth-century French brown morocco, panelled in blind with gilt corner ornaments, spine gilt, slightly worn. First edition, first issue, very rare, of the first obstetrics book written by a woman to be published, and a work that founded obstetrics as a science. It was one of the most popular and influential textbooks of its day, and was credited by Jean Astruc with greatly advancing French midwifery. 'She was one of the pioneers of scientific midwifery; her Observations was the vade mecum of contemporary midwives' (Garrison and Morton).Louise Bourgeois became interested in midwifery after the birth of her first child, with the result that she studied medicine and obstetrics practice under her barber-surgeon husband, Martin Boursier, and his teacher the great Ambroise Paré. The guild of midwives tried to oppose her application for a licence, fearing her increasing reputation amongst Paré's circle of surgeons. Their opposition was of no avail, however, and she was summoned to attend the confinement of Marie de Medici, Queen of France, for the birth of the future Louis XIII. She thus became midwife to the French court for 27 years, and delivered all the children of Marie de Medici. The death by puerperal sepsis of the child of the Duchess of Orléans, the princess Marie de Bourbon-Montpensier, in 1627 brought an end to her reign at the age of 64, and as a result Louis XIV required that at all future royal births a surgeon should be present.Bourgeois drew on the practice of Paré and Guillemeau. She 'advocated the induction of premature labor for contracted pelvis and gave original descriptions of prolapsed umbilical cord and face presentation and their management' (Speert).The collation of this work is a8 e4 A-P8, Q4, with I8 cancelled, with numerous errors in foliation and two in signatures (D3 and E3); the work was reset correcting these errors in the later issue, which can be distinguished by having Q4 blank (or absent)Provenance: presentation inscription on front flyleaf 'Au Docteur L. Santé Amicitior memoria sacrum Langres 1915 Paris [infinity sign] Georges Grappe'; Georges Grappe (1897-1947) was an art historian and curator of the Rodin museumGarrison and Morton 6145; Cutter and Veits pp 73-76; Speert Iconographia gyniatrica pp 72-73; Krivatsy 1625 (imperfect); Waller 1365; OCLC records NLM, UCLA, Yale, Kansas, Johns Hopkins, Duke, Philadelphia College of Physicians, and UBC for North America (both issues, mostly the second)- $9,500
- $9,500
Gabinetto mineralogico del Collegio Nazareno descritto secondo i caratteri esterni e distribuito a norma de’ principi constitutivi.
PETRINI, Giovanni Vincenzo] (1725-1814) Two vols, 8vo (218 x 145 mm), pp LII 384 [2, errata and blank]; XXXIX [1, blank] 387 [1, blank]; some faint marginal waterstaining to first leaves of second vol, some corners of prelims crumpled, really a very attractive, fresh, and unpressed copy in contemporary Italian patterned boards (differing but both vols with the same provenance), slightly worn. First edition of this extensive catalogue of the mineralogical museum in the Collegeo Nazareno in Rome, founded by the author, Father Petrini and arranged by Scipione Breislak.'Rare. Extensive descriptive collection catalog of the mineral specimens held in at Nazareno College in Rome at the end of the 18th century. The preliminaries of the first volume provide some history of the formation of the collection and a synopsis of the new chemistry of Lavoisier. The catalog then commences, classifying the specimens into a standard structure of salts, earths, bitumens and flammable bodies, and metals. Volcanic objects and fossils are given their own classifications and are treated at the end of volume two' (Curtis Schuh, Biobibliography of Mineralogy online). The organiser of the collection, Scipione Breislak (1750-1826) was '. one of the founders of volcanology in Italy, Breislak was the first to determine that basaltic rocks were of extrusive origin; he also emphasised that the tufaceous deposits of Campania originated under water, and he reconstructed the evolution of Vesuvius' (DSB). He was the author of Introduzione alle Geologia (Milan, 1811).'Antiquarians and polymaths in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries pursued del Riccio's interest in the geological and geographic origins of marble with even greater scientific rigor. The secretary of the papal nephew Francesco Barberini, Cassiano del Pozzo, assembled a vast collection of drawings of the objects, buildings, and other material remains of the ancient world. This corpus of drawings, known as the paper museum (museo caraceo), included a catalogue of stones painted on paper. Dal Pozzo worked with the Venetian painter Jacopo Ligozzi and the director of the opificio fiorentino, Matteo Nigetti, in painting and compiling the samplings. Painted compilations such as Dal Pozzo's became the actual marble-sample panels of the eighteenth century: to this end Father Giovan Vincenzo Petrini (1725-1784) founded a mineralogical museum in the Collegio Nazareno in Rome' (Radical Marble, Architectural Innovation from Antiquity to the Present, J. Nicholas Napoli and William Tronzo, eds)Provenance: early ownership inscription 'C. Guicciardi' on both endleavesWard and Carozzi 1754; OCLC records Smithsonian, Chicago, Illinois, Oklahoma, McGill, and Cornell in North America- $3,250
- $3,250
Alcuni opuscoli filosofici . Al serenissimo, e reverendiss. principe il sig. cardinale de’ Medici.
CASTELLI, Benedetto (1578-1643) 4to (224 x 160 mm), pp [viii] 79 [1, blank], title with large vignette of the arms of the Medici dedicatee, engraved by Pietro Tedeschi, and five woodcut optical diagrams in text; a fine copy on thick paper, unpressed, in nineteenth-century calf-backed boards, minor wear to spine. First edition of this rare posthumous publication, containing Castelli's most important contributions to the field of optics. The text comprises miscellaneous pieces, including the first publications of two letters to Galileo (dated 27 June 1637 and 2 August 1638, pages 47-79) detailing experiments on the absorption and transmission of radiant heat by differently coloured surfaces.'Castelli's optical investigations were continued in a treatise sent to Giovanni Ciampoli in 1639 and published in 1669 [in the present work]. Included are many observations and conclusions with respect to the persistence of optical images, by which Castelli explained the perception of motion, the illusion of forked tongues in serpents, and other phenomena. In the same treatise he recommended the use of diaphragms in telescopes to impede transverse rays, anticipating Hevelius. His discussions of the camera obscura, the inversion of images on the retina, and of cataract (from which Galileo had recently lost his sight), although less novel, are not without interest.'More celebrated is Castell's discussion of heat in a series of letters to Galileo (1637-1638) and particularly his experiments with the absorption of radiant and transmitted heat by black and white objects. Two of these letters, in which the pursuit of experimental science is even more clearly described than in Galileo's work on bodies of water, were published in 1669 [in the above]' (DSB).In a treatise on the preservation of grains (pp 39-46) Castelli suggests keeping wheat in sealed containers so that pathogens are kept out, anticipating later discoveries by Francesco Redi in microbiology and the discrediting the theory of spontaneous generation.Carli and Favaro 322; Riccardi I 291 n 3; OCLC records Cal Tech, Huntington (Burndy), Yale, American Philosophical Society, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and UC Berkeley for North America- $16,500
- $16,500
De viribus vivis dissertatio .
BOSCOVICH, Ruggero Giuseppe] (1711-1787) 4to ( 221 x 164 mm), pp XLIX [1, blank], with folding engraved plates; a very faint occasional marginal spotting, a very good copy in plain wrappers.First edition, first issue of Boscovich's earliest published work on his dynamic point theory, and which was the precursor to his great Philosophiae naturalis theoria redacta ad unicam legem virium in natura existentium (1758), a work considered as the 'birth of atomic physics' and praised by Faraday, Maxwell, and Heisenberg. Boscovich stated in the Philosophiae naturalis theoria that his work originated in this 1745 publication.Boscovich's dynamic point theory 'was not only the first general mathematical theory of atomism . but more specifically it was the first scientific theory: to treat all the ultimate constituents of matter as identical; to employ finite numbers of point particles; to eliminate Newtonian mass as a primary quantity, substituting a kinematic basis; to postulate a relational basis for the mathematical treatment of inertia and of all space and time observations; to propose to derive all physical effects from a single law; to eliminate the scale-free similarity property of the Newtonian law, introducing natural lengths into continuous laws so as to determine unique equilibrium positions and other scale-fixed properties; to employ a power series to represent an observable.' (L. L. Whyte in Roger Joseph Boscovich . Studies of his life and work, London, 1961).'The Theory of Natural Philosophy is now recognized as having exerted a fundamental influence on modern mathematical physics . As the title of his book implies, he considered that a single law was the basis of all natural phenomena and of the properties of matter; that the multiplicity of physical forces was only apparent and due to inadequate mathematical knowledge' (PMM).Boscovich's 'heterodoxy in mechanics began to be apparent at least as early as 1745, when he published an important discourse on the subject of living force (vis viva) . This discourse contained the first statement of Boscovich's universal force law.'That law was inspired partly by Leibniz's law of continuity and partly by the famous thirty-first query with which Newton concluded the fourth edition of his Opticks. There Newton raised speculatively the question whether there might not exist both attractive and repulsive forces alternately operative between the particles of matter. From this idea Boscovich proceeded by way of an analysis of collision of bodies to the enunciation of a "universal law of forces" between elements of matter, the force being alternately attractive or repulsive, depending upon the distance by which they are separated. As that distance diminishes toward zero, repulsion predominates and grows infinite so as to render direct contact between particles impossible. A fundamental role is played by the points of equilibrium between the attractive and repulsive forces. Boscovich called such points "boundaries" (limes, the Latin singular). Some of them are points of stable equilibrium for the particles in them and others are points of unstable equilibrium. The behavior of these boundaries and the areas between them enabled Boscovich to interpret cohesion, impenetrability, extension, and many physical and chemical properties of matter, including its emission of light.Extended description upon requestThere are two issues of this publication, an academic one as here, and a commercial one, the latter containing a differing imprint and also naming Boscovich as the author. A comparison of the two makes clear that both were printed from the same standing type, apart from the title page. The commercial issue has the imprint 'Sumptibus venantii Monaldini bibliopole', and also a different title ornament.Manuscript corrections to the text on pages V, IX, and XXXIX, as in the BSB copyRiccardi I.1 174 n 21; Sommervogel I 1832 n 22; OCLC records Huntington, Smithsonian, American Philosophical Society, Harvard, Princeton, and Brown for North- $9,000
- $9,000
Flora: Seu, DeFlorum Cultura. Or a Complete Florilege, Furnish with All Requisites Belonging to a Florist.
Rea, John Brown call, re-backed. Engraved title-page and 16 (garden) plans on 8 plates. Sales receipt dated 1934 tipped onto front endpaper. Bookplate of former owner on front paste-down. Intermittent light imperfection (spotting, light dampstaining (not offensive), age toning to page perimeters, etc. Size: 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall- $1,800
- $1,800