[Fine Binding - Zaehnsdorf]; William Shakespeare
The Sonnets of William Shakespeare
George Bell and Sons, London: 1899
- $2,750
A Fine copy. Octavo (6 1/4 x 4 1/2 in; 159 x 122 mm). [154] pp. Printed by the Chiswick Press, with borders and initials by Christopher Dean. Bound in contemporary exhibition binding by Zaehnsdorf (stamp-signed to front free endpaper, with exhibition blindstamp on rear paste-down endpaper) of full black crushed morocco with repeating pattern of gilt WS initials within laurels, and gilt tooled roses, rosettes, and closed and open dots, the design reiterated on spine. Gilt-rolled edges. Turn-ins with gilt roses and stems. Blue silk endleaves. Top edge gilt, others uncut. Expert and almost invisible restoration upper joint, gilt on spine a little dull. Classic verses from the most famous author in the English language, here sympathetically printed by Chiswick and bound by Zaehnsdorf. Founded in 1811, the Chiswick Press was known for their fine and artistic productions: Originally founded by Charles Whittingham I (1767-1840) who was focused on popular classics, the business would be continued by his nephew Charles Whittingham II (1795-1876), who made the press synonymous with high quality typography and printing; they also published some of William Morris' early designs. In an exceptional Zaehnsdorf Exhibition binding. The Austro-Hungarian-born, Joseph Zaehnsdorf (1816-1886) trained with binders in Stuttgart and in Vienna, before moving to Germany, Switzerland, France, and eventually settling London. He worked for various shops before opening his own bindery in 1842. In the face of industrializing production Zaehnsdorf embraced craft and eventually gained recognition for his talent. He was known for his precise finish and elegant design. The firm would continue in his son John William's capable hands; it employed binders like Louis Genth, Roger de Coverly, and Sarah Prideaux. Family run until 1947, it was eventually acquired by Asprey of London in 1983 (Gertz). Fine.
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The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, And other Sketches
First issue, of Mark Twain's first book. "Copies were bound simultaneously in green, terra cotta, dark brown, lavender, blue deep purple, maroon and red cloth" (MacDonnell, "The Primary First Editions of Mark Twain", Firsts, Vol. 8, no. 7/8). This copy features the gilt stamp of the leaping frog centered on the cover, rather than the usual position of the lower left corner (no priority has been established between the two); it has all of the points of a first issue as delineated by BAL, including the leaf of ads by the title page and unbroken type on pages 21, 66 and 198. Small octavo in green cloth, brown coated end papers. A Very Good+ copy overall. Inner joints expertly closed. Slight fraying and rubbing at the spine ends and corners. Minor foxing to the preliminary and terminal leaves. A previous owner's name written in ink on the first blank and a few pencil markings in the margins throughout the text. Housed in a green quarter-leather slipcase with chemise. Mark Twain, with his account of the jumping frog, produced the most famous tale in California history, if not Western history. This little gem of humor propelled the author and his first book to international prominence. As his publisher, Charles Henry Webb, noted, "By his story of the Frog, he scaled the heights of popularity at a single jump." Twain's compilation of tales, along with those of Bret Harte, continues to romanticize and popularize the Gold Rush. The story of the lead-loaded frog (named Daniel Webster) made Angels Camp one of the best-known tourist attractions in the gold country. Twain first learned of the story of the jumping frog when he prospected in the vicinity of Jackass Hill in Tuolumne County. On a rainy January day in 1865 Twain and a friend, James Gillis, went into the bar at the Angels Camp Hotel in nearby Calaveras County and heard a gentleman by the name of Ben Coon tell the amusing story of the trained frog. He repeated the story to Artemus Ward, who in turn encouraged him to write it up and send it to Ward's publisher, Carleton, in New York. The tale's popularity spread across America and Europe until it was collected in the present volume. Huntington Library, Zamorano 80. Exhibition of Famous and Notorious California Classics 17. Johnson, Twain, pp. 3-9. LC. Very Good +. To A God Unknown (Presentation copy)
A Fine copy of the book in Very Good+ dust jacket. A presentation copy: "Inscribed To Paul Jordan Smith | John Steinbeck | (literary curiosities)." With Paul Jordan Smith's bookplate on the front paste-down, and William Strutz's small book label. A Fine, fresh copy, appearing unread with just a touch of toning to the edges of the cloth. Jacket with the spine toned and small chips at the crown, otherwise an attractive example. Scarce to find signed or inscribed. One of just 598 copies produced by Ballou. A moving exploration of man's relationship with nature and faith. Steinbeck's second novel took him five years to complete, following the lukewarm reception of his first book "Cup of God." The story follows the struggles of rancher Joseph, his brothers, and their families as they try to manage their homestead in the face of increasing draught. More than just an economic threat, the draught causes a spiritual reckoning, which demands the ultimate sacrifice. Set in Salinas Valley, Steinbeck uses Christian, pagan, and classical illusions to craft his modern-day American parable. Only later in his career did critics come to appreciate the novel's mystical and environmental themes. This copy was inscribed to Paul Jordan Smith (1885-1971), a writer, editor and literary critic for the Los Angeles Times. Smith was an early supporter of Steinbeck's work. Steinbeck also presented copies of Cup of Gold and Pastures of Heaven to Smith to him, as well as maintained cordial correspondence. Fine in Very Good + dust jacket. The Life of George Washington (in 5 vols.)
(In octavo). Overall a near fine and much cleaner set than is usually found with the folding plates and maps in excellent and undamaged state. Five octavo volumes (8 3/16 x 5 1/8 inches; 208 x 131 mm.). xxxvi, 579, [1], 2 folding maps; folding engraved frontispiece; viii, 245, 254-633, [3]; folding engraved frontispiece; viii, 570, folding engraved frontispiece and engraving on last page; viii, 684; viii, 843, [5], 10 folding maps, pp. Complete with three folding plates, one vignette and twelve folding maps. Volume two with paper flaw tear (no loss of text) on O2 (pp. 195-196), volume three title-page with small paper flaw crease on blank fore margin, volume four with small paper flaws to lower corner of O2 (pp. 195-196) and upper blank margin of SS7 & SS8 (pp. 637-640). A few minor marginal stains throughout and some very light and occasional browning of the text to volume five. Bound in contemporary mottled sheep, spine ruled in gilt, red morocco spine labels lettered in gilt, three faded, one missing. The hinges and spine extremities have been expertly restored. A near fine, sound and very attractive set - rarely found in its original binding. With the uniform, early ink signature of Peter Trezevant on each front flyleaf. A fundamental biography of America's most important political figure. In this significant work Marshall keeps George Washington's personality and character alive while simultaneously providing an immediate account of early American history. Washington's biography was written by the longest serving Chief justice of the Supreme court, John Marshall (1755-1835). Not only was Marshall a previous member of the House who served as John Adam's Secretary of State, but he was a friend of George Washington having served with him during the American Revolution. Marshall based his five-volume text in part of the personal papers that Washington had bequeathed his nephew Bushrod. The first London edition has five plates that were omitted in the Philadelphia edition and is the only complete edition of this monumental and indispensable work, according to Howes, the best edition of all. Howes M317. Sabin 44788. Near Fine. Jerusalem
Limited edition, number 326 of 500 numbered copies, out of a total edition of 558 copies. A Fine copy. Folio (14 7/16 x 10 1/4 in; 365 x 260 mm). (72) pp. Twenty-five color plates, eight proofs, and commentary at the end. Original quarter brown morocco over hand-marbled paper boards. In the original marbled board slipcase. A refreshing edition of Blake's Jerusalem. Unlike the first Trianon Press facsimile, which used the Stirling copy (1820)â"the only one known to have been completed in color by Blakeâ"the 1974 version was based on Lord Cunliffe's 1818 copy with four additional proof prints from the Preston collection. The workshop of the Trianon Press used the collotype and hand-stencil process to achieve the striking color and similarity to Blakes own hand. The editorial matter was printed by the Imprimerie Darantiere, Dijon, with binding by Reliural, and a hand-made slip-case by Adine, Paris; commentary and bibliographical history by Blake scholar Geoffrey Keynes. Fine. The Poets of Great Britain (in 2 vols.)
A Fine set. Two small octavo volumes (6 1/2 x 4 inches; 165 x 102 mm.). [i]-cxx, [1]-260; [vii], [1, blank], [1]-324 pp. Title-pages printed in black and red. With a memoir of Thomson. Extra-illustrated by the insertion of twelve engraved plates, including four hand-colored, all with tissue-guards. Handsomely bound almost certainly by The Harcourt Bindery ca. 1900, in full red morocco, covers with double gilt border with fancy corner-pieces, enclosing a spray of flowers elaborately stamped in gilt and with green morocco leaf inlays and buff morocco inlaid flowers. Spines with four raised bands decoratively tooled and lettered in gilt in compartments and with three olive green morocco flower inlays. Highly decorative gilt turn-ins surrounding an oval panel of green morocco decorated in gilt with a large central gilt flower with inlaid red morocco flower head, green moire silk end-leaves, all edges gilt. Minimal rubbing to joints, otherwise fine. Although unsigned the binding is almost certainly by The Harcourt Bindery. Scottish poet James Thomson (1700-1748) is famous for his poems The Seasons and The Castle of Indolence, and for the lyrics of "Rule, Britannia!". The Seasons is a four-part pastoral poem, inspired by Milton's narrative blank verse, consisting of Winter (1726), Summer (1727), Spring (1728) and Autumn (1730). The poem would inspire painters and musicians, including Gainsborough and Bach, and would be translated into French and German; it was also at the center of in two legal disputes over publication copyrights. Here his work is reproduced in two volumes as part of a series on the Aldine Poets of Great Britain. Thomson, once popular, had fallen into some obscurity by the time these volumes were published, and a note from the editor argues for his inclusion in the literary canon. This edition brings his work together with a brief biography of the author, and the extra illustrations and elaborate binding pay homage to the pastoral delicacy of Thomson's work. The Harcourt Bindery of Boston has made fine cloth and leather art bindings by hand since 1900. It remains the largest for-profit hand bookbindery in the U.S. When it was founded in 1900, Boston was home to over 47 book binderies and 1,452 craftsmen, according to the company's website. Few large binderies exist today. Before the 1930s, there were about fifteen people working in the Harcourt Bindery; the number fell to five during the Depression, and the company changed hands three times between 1927 and 1931. When binder Sam Ellenport took over Harcourt in 1971, there were only four employees. In 2008, Ellenport sold the Harcourt Bindery to Acme Bookbinding of Boston. Fine. The Silent Traveller in London
A Fine Copy. Octavo (8 7/8 x 5 3/4 inches; 225 x 145 mm.). xix, [i, blank], 255, [1], [4, blank] pp. Thirteen plates including two in color. Specially bound by Leighton-Straker ca. 1938 (stamp-signed in gilt on rear turn-in). Full red morocco, upper cover lettered in gilt with Chinese characters, smooth spine lettered in gilt and Chinese characters, publisher's decorative end-papers, top edge gilt, others uncut. A fine example. A rare perspective from an artist and unwitting expat Chiang Yee (1903-1977), who called himself the "Silent Traveller." He was a poet and author who left China to study economics and administration at the London School of Economics; eventually war left him stuck in England. He traveled widely around the country --and left gloriously observed and highly detailed accounts of his journeys along the way. His travelogues are not just accounts of peoples and places, but also offer perspectives on wartime life and his opposition to Nazism. Eventually he would move to the United States and continued traveling much farther afield: his final book being The Silent Traveller in Japan (1972) published a few years before he finally returned to China (Bromley House Library). This copy was bound by the firm of Leighton-Straker. These binders bound many fine editions, perhaps the most well known being a signed limited edition of Churchill's Marlborough, Rex Whistler's illustrated edition of Hans Andersen, and books for Cresset, Golden Cockerel and Nonesuch Presses. Fine. Stuart Little
First edition (stated on copyright page with 10-5 and I-U). A Very Good + copy in like jacket. Octavo (8 x 5 1/4 inches; 202 x 134 mm.). viii, 131, [1 blank] pp. Five full-page line drawings (including frontispiece) and numerous line-drawings in the text. Publishers gray linen over boards, front cover and spine pictorially decorated in green and white, pictorial endpapers printed in green. In the original first issue color pictorial dust jacket (with $2.00 on front flap). Jacket spine very slightly darkened, chipped at top and bottom of spine, a few short edge tears, and split to front flap. The first children's book by ecological writer E. B. White, it was praised at its release by Malcolm Cowley of The New York Times as "one of the best children's books published this year." Since then, it has become a classic, and it has inspired both film and television adaptations. The story of a talking mouse named Stuart who is born to the Little family, of New York City. From the start, Stuart stands out as differentâ"just over two inches tall, he still thinks and behaves like a seven year old boy, and his parents begin feeling concern about where he will fit in the world. A story of bravery, embracing uniqueness, and developing friendships through kindness and acceptance, Stuart Little is a cornerstone children's book. Hall, A13. Very Good + in Very Good + dust jacket. All Religions are One
Limited edition, number 9 of 600 numbered copies, out of a total edition of 662 copies. A Fine copy. Quarto (11 3/4 x 9 in; 298 x 230 mm). (28) pp. Ten color plates. Original quarter green morocco over marbled boards. In the original marbled board slipcase. "Through aphoristic declarations and accompanying emblem-like designs, Blake argues for the essential unity of all religions as expressions of the "Poetic Genius" within all human beings." (The William Blake Archive). Blake first etched the work in c. 1788, returned to it in 1795, and again in 1818. In this edition, the plates were reproduced by the Trianon Press (France) using the collotype process, with some water-color washes added by hand. The editorial matter was printed by the Imprimerie Darantiere, Dijon, and binding was by Engel, Malakoff, and the hand-made slip-case by Adine, Paris. With a description and bibliographical history by Blake scholar Geoffrey Keynes. Fine. Complete portraiture of William & Catherine Blake
Limited edition, number 135 of 600 numbered copies, out of a total edition of 662 copies. A Fine copy. Quarto (11 3/8 x 8 1/4 in; 290 x 210 mm). 154 p. Ten color plates. Original quarter brown morocco over cloth boards. In the original cloth slipcase. A singular collection of all portraits and related sketches of Blake, his wife, and places they lived, by a range of artists to get at the character of the artist. "This compilation of portraits was a departure for the Trianon Press, which had previously focused on facsimiles of Blake's illuminated books and designs. But with a text by Blake scholar Geoffrey Keynes, who contributed commentary to the other facsimiles, it continued Trianon's incomparable record of bringing all aspects of Blake's work and life to light" (Union College). Fine. The Green Ray
First edition in English, later issue with 32 page publisher's catalogue dated September 1883 at rear (first was November 1882). A Near Fine copy. Octavo (7 x 4 3/4 in; 178 x 121 mm). viii, 312, 32 (publisher's catalog) pp. Frontispiece, title vignette and forty-three black and white plates (included in pagination) by L. Benett, reprinted from the first French edition, one map. Bound in publishers ochre cloth, front cover pictorially decorated in red and black, title lettered in gilt, rear cover decoratively bordered in blind, spine pictorially decorated in red and black and lettered in gilt, blue-gray floral endpapers. The mildest of rubbing to the extremities, internally immaculate. Inspired by the optical phenomenonâ"a split second flash of green light at the end of a sunrise or sunsetâ"Jules Vernes' book is a surprising love story. Here the light plays a pivotal role in the narrative: Helena Campbell refuses to marry until she has seen the Grey Ray, which according to Scottish legend, allows you to see into your own heart and read the true feelings of others. The strange and delightful novel was first published in September 1883, a month before George Munro's pirated "Seaside Library" edition. Taves & Michaluk V023. Myers 31. Near Fine. A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Signed limited edition)
Edition deluxe, number 926 of 1,000 copies signed by the artist. Large quarto (11 1/2 x 9 1/16 inches; 292 x 231 mm.). [6], 134, [1, blank], [1, printer's slug] pp. Forty color plates mounted on brown art paper, with descriptive tissue guards. Original vellum over boards pictorially stamped and lettered in gilt. Top edge gilt, others untrimmed. Later silk ties. Bookplate of Agnes Marion Armitage. A bit of mild toning to vellum at edges and spine a little 'mottled'. A Very Good+ to Near Fine copy overall. "Within twelve months appeared Shakespeare's A Midsummer-Night's Dream, De la Motte Fouqué's Undine, and the Grimm brothers' Fairy Tales, all very different in quality and feeling, as demanded by the texts, but all of extremely high quality. The Dream was, of course, an almost perfect setting for Rackham's devic imagination.with the result that some of the fairies, elves and goblins he created for this play are among his finest colour images, and almost all the plates echo perfectly the mysterious interweaving of lightness and depth in this great work. Many of the formal plates are exquisite, whether they depict the principal events of the main theme of the story, such as the translated Bottom with his ass-head mocked by tree sprites, or the night-rule of Titania's haunted grove, those incidents within the subsidiary action, with details hardly dreamed of by Shakespeare, such as the gnomish knife-grinder in a motley group of fairies. Some of the floriated headings for the Dream are the finest of Rackham's line at the time, as for example the heading vignette for Act One, Scene One, which with typical Rackham irrelevance spreads its tendrils over the page, and into the text, ignoring the fact that the setting is supposed, according to Shakespeare, to be the Palace of Theseus, and throwing us immediately into a tangle-wood Rackhamerie, with mice, pixies and a sleeping maiden" (Gettings). Arthur Rackham (1867-1939) is perhaps the most acclaimed and influential illustrator of the Golden Age of Illustration. A prolific artist even from his youth, Rackham got his start as an illustrator working for the Westminster Budget Newspaper (1892). Over the next few years, he took on more and more commissions for children's books, hitting his career high in the first three decades of the twentieth century. Rackham turned his imaginative pen to every classicâ"from Shakespeare to Dickens to Poe. Latimore and Haskell, p. 32. Gettings, p. 177. Riall, p. 87. Europe a Prophecy
Limited edition, number 375 of 480 numbered copies, out of a total edition of 526 copies. A Fine copy. Quarto (13 11/16 x 10 1/4 in; 345 x 260 mm). (48) pp. Seventeen color facsimile plates reproduced from the edition of 1794. Original quarter brown morocco over marbled boards. In the original marbled board slipcase. An elegant reproduction of Blake's illuminated poetic prophetic book (1794), and sequel to America a prophecy. This version includes the four stanza poetical "preface" recounting the fairy song about the five senses of man, which Blake omitted from most copies. "Foster Damon has suggested that Blake [did so] because he identified in it too plainly the sense of touch with sexual pleasure, even though he did not directly name it in the first stanza" (Keynes). The illuminated pages were reproduced by collotype and stencil in the workshops of Trianon Press and M. Crampe, with editorial matter printed by the Imprimerie Darantiere, Dijon, and binding by Engel, Malakoff; includes a description and bibliographical statement by Blake scholar Geoffrey Keynes. Fine. Stuart Little
First edition (stated on copyright page with 10-5 and I-U). A Fine copy in Nearly Fine dust jacket. Octavo (8 x 5 1/4 inches; 202 x 134 mm.). viii, 131, [1 blank] pp. Five full-page line drawings (including frontispiece) and numerous line-drawings in the text. Publishers gray linen over boards, front cover and spine pictorially decorated in orange and green, pictorial endpapers printed in green. In the original first issue color pictorial dust jacket (with $2.00 on front flap). Jacket spine very slightly darkened, minimal wear at top of spine, a few short edge tears, otherwise excellent. The first children's book by ecological writer E. B. White, it was praised at its release by Malcolm Cowley of The New York Times as "one of the best children's books published this year." Since then, it has become a classic, and it has inspired both film and television adaptations. The story of a talking mouse named Stuart who is born to the Little family, of New York City. From the start, Stuart stands out as differentâ"just over two inches tall, he still thinks and behaves like a seven year old boy, and his parents begin feeling concern about where he will fit in the world. A story of bravery, embracing uniqueness, and developing friendships through kindness and acceptance, Stuart Little is a cornerstone children's book. Hall, A13. Fine in Near Fine dust jacket. Lady Windermere’s Fan
One of 50 large-paper copies on hand-made paper. A Fine copy. Quarto (8 5/8 x 6 5/8 inches; 220 x 169 mm.). [i, blank], [i], limitation], [iii-xvi], 132 pp. Handsomely bound by Zaehnsdorf ca. 1897 (stamp-signed in gilt on front turn-in) and with their exhibition stamp in black on rear paste-down. Full dark green crushed levant morocco, covers bordered in gilt enclosing a six-line gilt border. Spine with five raised bands decoratively framed and lettered in gilt in compartments, gilt-ruled board edges, multi gilt-lined turn-ins, top edge gilt, others uncut. With the bookplates of the renowned collector C. S. Ascherson (dated 1897) and Paul Louis Weiller (also a famous book collector and a great friend of J. Paul Getty) on front paste-down. Housed in a felt-lined dark green cloth clamshell case, spine with leather label, lettered in gilt. A couple of tiny and unobtrusive minor stains on blank borders otherwise a clean copy in a wonderful and early, if somewhat austere binding by the great firm of Zaehnsdorf. Oscar Wilde's Lady Windermere's Fan, A Play About a Good Woman was his "first successful dramatic production" and one of his many masterpieces (Mendelssohn). His talent for astute adaptations of traditional comedic tropes like the long-lost child or mistaken motivations are utilized to full effect in this narrative. The four-act comedy was infamously first performed on 20 February 1892. In addition to pulling on popular stars to perform, Wilde had the young men of his entourage arrive at the premier wearing green carnations in their buttonholesâ"something that scandalized attendees when, in a metatheatrical moment, one of the characters onstage appeared with one as well, referencing its cost and symbolism for decadent immorality. Prim attendees were, in fact, surrounded by a generation of young men devoted to such aesthetic ideals and wearing the same flower. Mason, 358. Cranford
[Fine Binding - Zaehnsdorf] Gaskell, Mrs. [Elizabeth]; Hugh Thomson (illustrator) Early reprint of the 1891 first Thomson illustrated edition. A Near Fine copy. Octavo (7 1/2 x 5 inches; 191 x 127 mm.). Frontispiece, xxx, 297, [1] pp. With 110 black and white illustrations in the text. Occasional foxing or staining especially on pp. 16/17; 104/105; 144/145, and 270/271. Bound in an 'Exhibition' binding by Zaehnsdorf, executed in 1897 (stamp-signed in gilt on front turn-in). Full crimson crushed levant morocco, covers bordered in gilt and decoratively tooled in gilt and pointille in an elaborate floral design, front cover lettered in gilt. Spine with five raised bands, decoratively tooled and lettered in gilt in compartments, gilt ruled board edges,wide and elaborate gilt decorated turn-ins, ochre silk liners and end-leaves, top edge gilt, others uncut. The rear liner has the Zaehnsdorf 'Exhibition' stamp in gilt. Joints expertly and almost invisibly repaired, one corner a little bumped, still a very early and excellent example of a Zaehnsdorf 'Exhibition' binding, housed in a red morocco edged, felt-lined, red cloth slipcase. Elizabeth Gaskell (1810-1865) was an important proto-Feminist writer who often tackled unorthodox subjects in her novels. Cranford, for example, is an episodic book concerning a country village community of lower and middle class unmarried older women and the social changes coming to an industrializing Victorian Britain. "The greatest charm of Cranford, which has kept it unfailingly popular, is its amused but loving portrait of the old-fashioned customs and 'elegant economy' of a delicately observed group of middle-aged figures in a landscape" (Oxford Companion to English Literature). "Elizabeth was an active humanitarian; her novels convey many messages about the need for social reconciliation, for better understanding between employers and workers and between the respectable and the outcasts of society. Her writing was carefully researched, and she took particular care in reproducing northern dialects accurately" (Gaskell Society). Gaskell was part of a wide literary circle: she was friends with Charlottee Bronte and John Ruskin, and clashed with Charles Dickens when he edited Cranford for serialization in the magazine Household Words. In this lovely copy, are images by Hugh Thomson (1860-1920), famed at the turn of the century for illustrating works by luminaries including Jane Austen and William Shakespeare. The Austro-Hungarian-born, Joseph Zaehnsdorf (1816-1886) trained with binders in Stuttgart and in Vienna, before moving to Germany, Switzerland, France, and eventually settling London. He worked for various shops before opening his own bindery in 1842. In the face of industrializing production Zaehnsdorf embraced craft and eventually gained recognition for his talent. He was known for his precise finish and elegant design. The firm would continue in his son John William's capable hands; it employed binders like Louis Genth, Roger de Coverly, and Sarah Prideaux. Family run until 1947, it was eventually acquired by Asprey of London in 1983 (Gertz). Near Fine.- $2,750
- $2,750
The Outline of History
Wells, H.G. A Very Good + copy. Twenty-four quarto parts (11x 8 1/2 inches; 280 x 216 mm.), 780 continuous pp. Forty-seven color and miscellaneous black & white illustrations throughout by J.F. Horrabin. In publisher's wrappers printed in full color. Original pictorial publisher's notice affixed to upper wrapper of volume 15 to announce a price increase for the subsequent issues. Approximately one third of the front wrapper of volume VI neatly excised, loss to upper corner of upper wrapper to volume XVII, pencil under-linings and marginal notes in some volumes. Some wear to a few spines, nonetheless, a good example, scarce in the original parts. Chemised in a full black morocco slipcase with gilt lettering and rules, with a bit of wear to edges. "Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe" wrote H. G. Wells in The Outline of History. Believing that education could save humanity from horrific conflicts (like the first World War that Wells and his compatriots had recently lived through), the father of science fiction set out to write a comprehensive history of mankind from the origins of the earth until present day. The epic tome was published serially between November 1919 - November 1920. Illustrations were completed by radical socialist artist James Francis "Frank" Horrabin (1884-1962), who had an active career for news and book publications. Likely ideologically aligned with the project, his images bring the sweeping narratives to life. The Outline of History was such a success that it was published in book form in 1920 and saw many revisions and reprintings. In its fragile, original multi-part state (as here) with fine cover illustrations by various artists, it remains scarce. Hammond E18. Wells 70(n).- $750
- $750
Poems by Robert Bridges
[Fine Binding - Zaehnsdorf]; Robert Bridges A Fine copy. Octavo (7 3/8 x 5 inches; 187 x 127 mm.). 9, [3], 125, [3] pp. Printer's Aldine anchor device on final leaf, decorative woodcut headpieces and initials. Bound ca. 1900 by Zaehnsdorf in full dark green morocco, stamp signed in gilt on front turn-in and with the 'blind' exhibition stamp on rear paste-down. Covers with gilt fillet border, inlaid violet morocco frame, central panel of upper cover with inlaid bouquet of five pink morocco flowers on curving gilt stems, this surrounded by an animated frame of gilt latice-work, pointille, and curling vines bearing a gilt blossom in each corner, lower cover with central panel outlined by gilt vines and flowers in similar style, smooth spine with inlaid bar of violet morocco at head and foot, with a volute emitting a spray of leafy branches above and below the central gilt title, double-ruled gilt board edges, gilt turn-ins with similar volutes at either side of drawer-handle corner-pieces, dark green silk endleaves, top edge gilt. Small rectangular bookplate of Joseph Manuel Andreini on front blank. Green cloth chemise housed in a green cloth slipcase. A very fine example of a Zaehnsdorf 'Exhibition' binding. The late-Victorian poet Robert Bridges was driven to create poetry and music that moved the soul. This book is his first book of poetry; which was quickly withdrawn from circulation by Bridges, thus making it quite scare. It includes one of his most famous poems, "Elegy on a Lady Whom Grief for the Death of Her Betrothed Killed." Bridges was still working as a doctor when this volume was published, and it marks the beginning of what would become a significant and acclaimed career. He would become poet laureate in 1917. This is an extremely pretty Exhibition example of the Zaehnsdorf workshop's outstanding craftsmanship. The Austro-Hungarian -born, Joseph Zaehnsdorf (1816-1886) trained with binders in Stuttgart and in Vienna, before moving to Germany, Switzerland, France, and eventually settling London. He worked for various shops before opening his own bindery in 1842. In the face of industrializing production Zaehnsdorf embraced craft and eventually gained recognition for his talent. He was known for his precise finish and elegant design. The firm would continue in his son John William's capable hands; it employed binders like Louis Genth, Roger de Coverly, and Sarah Prideaux. Family run until 1947, it was eventually acquired by Asprey of London in 1983 (Gertz). The present binding combines delicate inlay work with exuberant gilt, demonstrating the expertise of its finishes, led by Genth. Provenance: From the library of Joseph Manuel Andreini (1850-1932), a writer and printmaker, who wrote about etched and engraved book plates as well as about Cuban postage stamps. Fine.- $7,500
- $7,500
Orlando (Signed ltd edition)
Woolf, Virginia Octavo. First edition, number 638 of 861 copies, signed by the author in her customary purple ink on the verso of the half-title. Original black cloth, titles and English rose decoration to spine in gilt, publisher's device to front cover in gilt, cream endpapers, top edge gilt, others untrimmed. Frontispiece and 7 photographic illustrations, including one of her lover and muse Vita Sackville-West as Orlando. A Very Good + copy with minor chipping to the spine ends, cloth worn at the upper corners, and slight separation to the text block at the signed leaf. This signed edition preceded the first trade edition, published in the UK, by nine days, and consequently constitutes the first publication of the novel. Released at the height of Woolf's literary celebrity, Orlando was a thrill to contemporary reviewers: "Those who open Orlando expecting another novel in the vein of Mrs. Dalloway and To the Lighthouse will discover, to their joy or sorrow, that once more Mrs. Woolf has broken with tradition and convention and has set out to explore still another fourth dimension of writing.In this new work she is largely preoccupied with the time element in character and human relationships, and with a statement of the exact complexion of that intangible moment.which we refer to as the present" (Contemporary New York Times review). Blending literary narrative with feminist theory, Orlando explores Einstein's theory of relativity through the lens of a single life that is spread and evolves throughout centuries. "At the beginning of the book, Orlando is a [Elizabethan era] boy of 16, melancholy, indolent, loving solitude and given to writing poetry.the book ends on the 11th October 1928, and Orlando is a thoroughly modern matron of 36 who has published a successful book of poems and has evolved a hard-earned philosophy of life" (Cleveland). The result is an allegory that questions the stability of any human category -- individual character, gender, selfhood -- and a novel that considers how time causes change on micro and macro levels. A testament to Woolf's innovative mind, and to her role as one of the most important early contributors to feminist and queer literature. Very Good +. Get Off the Steps: Woman Suffrage Takes Precedence
[Women's Suffrage] The Wasp Large chromolithograph centerfold from the California magazine The Wasp. Measuring 513 x 339mm and in excellent condition, retaining its bright colors with only the slightest bit of foxing and toning to the margins. Focused on social and political satire, the influential Western publication weighed in on what they viewed as the shifting tides of the national women's suffrage movement. Scarce institutionally, with only a few libraries reporting full runs that would include this year, the present is the only copy on the market. "Established in 1876, The Wasp rose above the dozen or so weekly magazines in the area, primarily due to its vibrant illustrations.And the magazine did what it could to sway political opinion" (Nast). The present is an example of the complex and problematic relationship of the American woman suffrage movement to issues of race and class; and it further encapsulates the damaging misogyny and homophobia that shaped the media's depictions of women's equality activists. In a large image depicting the U.S. Capitol steps adorned with a sign "Notice: Keep Off the Grass, Keep Off the Steps," a fashionably dressed woman waving a "Woman Must Have Her Say!" banner while stepping over the battered protesters Carl Browne and Jacob Coxey, who hold a protest bill and a warrant for disturbing the police. The title beneath declares: "Get Off the Steps, Woman Suffrage Takes Precedence Over Coxey and His Cause." Earlier that spring, "Carl Browne had helped Jacob S. Coxey lead the first march on Washington.setting out from Massillon, Ohio and marching to Washington, DC with a few hundred unemployed people. Together they advocated for a public jobs project for the unemployed. On arrival, Coxey decided to speak on the Capitol grounds, even though it was illegal. Both Coxey and Browne were arrested and imprisoned" (Mall History). The Wasp strategically compares the two movements, noting in its caption, "A tremendous flutter is now marking the progress of the question of woman's suffrage in the Eastern states. The agitation has not, as usual, been confined to the 'short haired women and the long-haired men.' It has been taken up by the leaders of fashion and some of the best known women of New York. The situation is highly interesting and indicating the progress of a movement towards the political emancipation of the weaker sex." While Coxey and Browne lie bruised and cast down on the steps following their protest on behalf of the working class, the silk-clad suffragist in her corset, flounces, and train pushes them down further to clear the path for her and those like her. The implication from the image captures the suffrage movement's problematic privileging of white women of means in its efforts -- and its disregard for poorer, less educated, or more racially diverse women's interest. The text, meanwhile, suggests that it is only with such women as representatives that the movement will gain traction -- that a white feminine ideal will succeed by proving that activists are not only violators of gender norms or members of queer communities. Notably, The Wasp does take a dig at Coxey, Browne, and their supporters as well, with the text of their protest sign reading "We Will Stay Here All Summer (If It Costs Nothing)" -- thus suggesting that the unemployed have a lazy, freeloading nature. A complex social commentary, made only more interesting for the advertisements and literary selections on the verso. And a set of views promoted by one of the most influential political magazines in California and the Western US. Near Fine. Memoirs of Mrs. Hetta L. Ward with Selections from her Writings (Presentation Copy)
[Women's Education] [Companionate Marriage] Ward, Hetta L.; Reverend Ward; Susan Hayes Original publisher's cloth binding with gilt to front board. Minor loss of cloth to crown of spine. Faint residue of removed library label to spine and front board. Peach endpapers. Light scattered foxing as is typical of the period. Inscribed on the front endpaper by Ward's husband, the compiler: "Reverend Mr. Ellingwood with the respects of J.W. Ward." Bookplate on the front pastedown reveals that the recipient Rev. Ellingwood went on to donate the volume to the Theological Seminary of Bangor, Maine. A scarce and important example of a published American elegiac volume, produced in this case by an eminent family to mourn the loss of an educated woman. Memoirs is unrecorded by OCLC and has never appeared at auction. In their marriage, James Wilson Ward and Hetta Lord Hayes Ward united two prominent Northeastern families. A senator and Congregationalist minister, James descended from the founders of Plymouth and had attended Andover and Amherst. Hetta, the daughter of a judge and niece of a Dartmouth president, was herself a graduate of Miss Grant's Seminary Academy. The present volume, released "exclusively for private circulation among the friends of the deceased," is a testament to Hetta's value not as a daughter who married well or a wife who effectively managed a house, but as a companion, an intellectual, and an individual. In this sense, it deconstructs the period's expectations of separate spheres or hierarchy between sexes. With an opening letter by Susan Hayes, Hetta's mother, as well as a copy of the eulogy conducted by her husband, the book reveals vast details about who Hetta was as a person. Both describe her as tender and affectionate; but time and again, emphasis is placed on her mind. Though Hetta was skillful with a needle as a child, according to her mother, "her numberless questions interested and surprised me.She acquired a fondness for poetry.She became as much interested in the in the study of the exact sciences as in the works of imagination, making herself acquainted with the higher branches of Mathematics, Algebra, Geometry, etc." James, similarly, eulogizes his wife. What becomes clear is that he is grieving the loss of a companion and equal. "If we have found a friend of distinguished excellence, and for years rejoiced with that friend in mutual interchange and warm affections, it is natural when death intervenes and separates us from the dear object of our love, to contemplate their virtues.First characteristic which I would notice which she possessed in an eminent degree is an ardent love of truth.She possessed great powers of abstraction.She saw with great clearness the point of an argument and was quick to distinguish between sophistry.She loved to trace the workings of the human mind." Not satisfied simply to have their own testaments to Hetta's extraordinary mind, the compilers included to the last half of the book a collection of her own poetry and prose. A scarce work, in a genre underappreciated in American literature and history. Such coterie publications of intimate mourning were uncommon for the time, particularly for a woman. National Cyclopedia of American Biography 148. Very Good +. Elsie Ainslie, A Victim of Social Wrong
[Women and Race] [BIPOC] Mecracken, Sara L. Two variants of the first edition, both in publisher's printed wraps lettered in red to front. Both exceptional survivors, one in untrimmed wraps with some offsetting to the rear and fore-edges a bit chipped. Preliminary and terminal leaves uniformly toned, else internally fresh. Collating [2], 108 with adverts to interior of wraps. Second copy in trimmed wraps, complete in 108 pages with dedication to verso of front wrap and adverts to recto of rear wrap, issued without title page. Some toning to the first and final leaves, else fresh. A scarce work considering the sexual dangers faced by women, including women of color, in a society that inadequately prepares them for male treachery. OCLC reports 8 first editions at libraries. The present pairing gives researchers a unique opportunity to study the print history of this rare work on gender and race. A contemporary publisher's advertisement for Sara Mecracken's tale of "social wrong" touts it as the story of "a beautiful, pure young girl from New York" who is courted, kidnapped, and forced into marriage; and the publishers market her tragedy as "thrilling, dramatic, and touching.appropriate for the home of every mother who would prepare her daughters to meet the dangers of society." Such an overview, focused on sensational thrills and conservative morality, belie the sharp social critique that Mecracken delivers to white patriarchy. At its opening, the book introduces us to an elderly Elsie. Watching her innocent grandson play, she realizes that she has an opportunity to counteract a violent system in some small way by educating him to value the bodily rights and autonomy of women: "No, he shall not be one to mar the life of the innocent, nor wear the victor's crown of debauchery and wrong; my few remaining days shall be devoted to pluck one brand from the seething hell of social wrong. He shall be taught the true responsibilities which belong to his own soul." As the narrative unfolds, the reader learns that in her youth, Elsie, a white woman, trusted her suitor Albert Ainslie, who would go on to sexually assault her, abduct her, and force her into marriage. Painfully aware now of her own vulnerability within the sexual economy, she further learns that she is not the only woman Albert has victimized: he also assaulted Mira and Dora, women of color, "beautiful creole" girls, who went on to be institutionalized and die by suicide. Women of any race are commodified and devalued by the system Albert operates within. Yet even they have stratified levels of empowerment. That the narrative comes from Elsie's perspective is notable. The suggestion persists throughout that Elsie' racial purity allowed for her survival, her (coerced) marriage rather than abandonment, and the chance to procreate and change the future through her offspring. Preserved by her whiteness, she is freed from patriarchal oversight by the story's end in a way no other women are -- her father is fatally shot by Albert while attempting to free her, and Albert subsequently flees to California and dies of alcoholism. No longer a victim but a survivor and a free woman under the legal system, she can become a savior to future generations of women by preventing at least one boy from growing into violent manhood. In this sense, Mecracken's story is progressive and conservative, placing blame for systemic violence on the patriarchy while placing responsibility for its solution on individual women. Near Fine. Handwritten suffrage speech from Pennsylvania’s Justice Bell tour and the push for amendment ratification
[Women's Suffrage] 6 page Autograph Manuscript in two hands, the majority in ink with a separate hand making pencil corrections. Header trimmed close, causing loss to stationery address and leaving only "Bell Phone" at top of pages. Vertical fold line down the center of each page. Sheets measure 8.5 x 9 inches. This unsigned suffrage speech comes from a critical moment in the women's equality movement, as Alice Paul and her cohort organized state-wide rallies following the progress of the Justice Bell and urging the ratification of a state amendment granting franchise. The National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) sent representatives and speakers to every county in an effort to raise support and earn men's votes. "In 1915 the women of Pennsylvania waged a massive campaign of conferences, rallies, parades, and open-air talks in support of an amendment to the state constitution that would give women the right to vote. They sent speakers to every county. Although the campaign ultimately failed, it spawned a powerful new symbol of the suffrage movement -- the Justice Bell" (Murphy). The bell, modeled after the Liberty Bell, but with its clapper tied silent until women gained the franchise, toured the state. The rallies that followed it created a frenzy locally, as well as mapping out a strategy for other states and the NAWSA to use nationally. The present speech comes from such a rally, hosted in or near Richland, PA. The anonymous speaker remains highly gender-neutral in her rhetoric throughout, only once giving away her gender ("we women"). And she relies, as so many NAWSA speeches and promotional materials did, on a combination of stirring eloquence with factual detail. "Mr. President, Honorable judges, Ladies & gentlemen," she begins, "The issue this evening is whether or not women shall have the right of suffrage." From the opening, she emphasizes that the stereotyped notions of women "honored for their singleness of purpose & devotion to duty even at the cost of personal suffering and self sacrifice" means that under their current conditions, they suffer even more greatly. After all, misogyny and anti-suffragist sentiment heap hardship upon them, even as they lack a voice to defend themselves in government. But while "suffragists of today are not universally admired or supported in their forward & progressive march to freedom," they will ultimately prevail while "their maligners will have long been forgotten by history." The main body of the speech ultimately focuses on the greater argument for American independence, applying it to women: "taxation without representation is morally wrong, and moral wrongs are legal wrongs and should be so.Taxation without representation has never been accepted." Alongside this principle are examples of women being taxed while having no say in the use of those funds. Finally, the speaker makes the case that woman's suffrage is only the start of an equality movement. "Good as [suffragists'] work is now, their work will not have been finished but will just have begun.for we shall have to consecrate our lives for universal suffrage, because that is the only solution to that great expression, A Government of the People, by the people, for the people." A stirring survivor from a critical women's rights campaign. 