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CHARLES AGVENT 291 Linden Road
Mertztown, PA 19539
610-682-4750
[email protected]; www.charlesagvent.com
Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America (ABAA)
International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB)
SPRING MISCELLANY OF NEW ARRIVALS
1. [ALEXANDER (William)]. PICTURESQUE REPRESENTATIONS OF THE
DRESS AND MANNERS OF THE RUSSIANS. London: John Murray, 1814. First Edition. Large octavo (6-1/2" x 9-1/4") bound in contemporary half black
morocco and marbled boards with morocco corners. Illustrated with 64 fine
hand-colored aquatint plates depicting the costume of the Russian Empire.
Plates 1-17 are of the Finns and Laplanders; numbers 18-35 of the Tartars;
36-50 of the Samoyeds; and 51-64 of the Kalmuk, Mongols and others. Colas
2359; Hiler & Hiller p. 16; cf. Lipperheide Kaa 32. The first edition is
rather uncommon. Scattered minor spotting to both text and the plates,
which are generally clean and fresh; binding rubbed along spine edges with
hinges a bit tender but tight. Very Good. SOLD
2. BEMELMANS, Ludwig. THE DONKEY INSIDE. New York: The Viking
Press, 1941. First Edition. A notebook of several voyages through South
America, with a concentration on Ecuador. Illustrated with color plates of
the Plaza Independencia, Quito, Luchow's Restaurant, House and Garden of
Andre Roosevelt in Quito, and Indians in the patio of the Hotel Sucre in
Otavalo. Copy #8 (or possibly "S") of only 175 numbered copies with an
ORIGINAL DRAWING in color SIGNED by the author, in this case a
portrait of Miss Clavell from the author's beloved children's book
MADELINE. This is the first example of this title we have come across that
not only contains a drawing of a character from his famous children's book
series but that is also additionally INSCRIBED and SIGNED by the
author, as this is on the limitation page: "To Eugenio/Prestinario/from
/Ludwig Bemelmans/1941." Pomerance does not indicate a lettered edition,
nor have we heard of another lettered copy, but given the most unusual
nature of this copy, we cannot rule out that it is lettered rather than
numbered. In any case a very scarce example of original art from one of
the best known children's books of the twentieth century. Darkening of
spine and slight soiling to the cloth. Very Good, lacking the slipcase.
$2,500.00
This book generated a term unique to Ecuadorian Spanish-- "bemelmans": a
foreigner who makes fun of the natives.
3. BENET, Stephen Vincent. JOHN BROWN'S BODY. Garden City:
Doubleday, 1928. First Edition. First Trade Edition after the printing of
201 signed deluxe copies of this popular success and Pulitzer Prize
winner. INSCRIBED and SIGNED "For W. L. Thompson Jr./with the best wishes of the author,/Stephen Vincent Benet/July 25 -1942." Near Fine in
a Good copy of the dustwrapper, missing some small pieces on the spine and
split there but with a very presentable appearance under mylar. $400.00
CALIFORNIA AS AN ISLAND 4. BIZOT, (P.). MEDALISCHE HISTORIE DER REPUBLYK VAN HOLLAND.
In 't Fransch beschreeven door den heer Bizot, en uit die taal
in 't Nederduitsch gebracht, en wel twee derden verm.; nevens
alle de medalien der overtocht van Zyn Hoogheid na Engeland, des
zelfs krooning; enz. tot nu toe in gevoegsaame ordre gesteld:
met een byvoegsel van de grafsteden ter eere der dappere helden
opgerecht. Amsterdam: Pieter Mortier, 1690. First Edition in Dutch.
Quarto (6-3/4" x 9") bound in early calf-backed marbled boards; (6), (36),
364; 40, (16) pages. Originally published in French in 1687, this useful
reference work on Dutch medals of the period 1555-1689 is complete and
profusely illustrated with an engraved frontispiece, engraved title page,
two portraits, 123 numismatic plates, 15 plates of sepulchral monuments,
and many text engravings. The numismatic plates, usually with multiple
images, are very interesting containing portraits, scenes of sea battles,
views of Dutch cities, and maps, including one of California as an island.
Each medal is fully described and accompanied by an explanation of the
historical details. Brunet I, 955 (French edition); Graesse I, 433 (note).
Name dated 1839 in ink on title page. Hinges a little weak. Near Fine.
$750.00
5. Elizabeth Browning's Poems
5. BROWNING, Elizabeth Barrett. THE POEMS OF ELIZABETH BARRETT
BROWNING. Complete in Three Volumes. New York: James Miller, [1881]. Reprint. Three duodecimo (4-1/2" x 6-3/4") bound in contemporary polished
tree calf with gilt-ruled borders, gilt dentelles, all edges gilt, and
marbled endpapers; 458 + 456 + 456 pages. All three volumes recently
rebacked with matching lighter color calf spines decorated in gilt with
contrasting morocco gilt-lettered spine labels. Corrected by the last
London edition, with an introductory essay by H. T. Tuckerman. Owner name
dated January 1882 on the front blank of each volume. Some toning to the
text; light edgewear and creasing of covers. Near Fine. $250.00
6. BROWNING, Robert. POEMS OF ROBERT BROWNING. London: Henry
Frowde/Oxford University Press Warehouse, 1905. Reprint. Octavo (5-1/4" x
7-3/4") bound in 3/4 green morocco with double gilt-ruled borders, a gilt-
decorated and lettered spine with three raised bands, top edge gilt, and
marbled endpapers; viii, 623 pages. Illustrated with a frontispiece
portrait of the poet. Light rubbing to spine and corners. An attractively
bound edition of this poet's works in Near Fine condition. $100.00
7. BROWNING, Robert. THE WORKS OF ROBERT BROWNING with an
AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED (ALS). London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1912. Centenary Edition. Ten octavo (5-3/4" x 8-5/8") volumes attractively bound
in full burgundy morocco heavily gilt-decorated including a central floral
device on each cover with red and green onlay on a solid gilt background;
gilt dentelles. Each volume illustrated with a black-and-white engraved
portrait of Browning done by Emery Walker after various artists. Copy #454
of a limited edition of 526 copies. This set has bound into the first
volume an AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED by the author dated 7 May 1878 to a Mrs. Castle. In full: "Mr. Barnett Smith has written, by an unpardonable
piece of negligence, the word you underline, critic, for 'cricket' - which
pray let mr. Maitland correct - taking my best thanks for his attention to
what could have made us all ridiculous enough. I shall soon make up for my
own disappointment in having missed you - this week has been a very busy
one for me. We all here want much to enjoy your company when you can
arrange to gratify us with it. I am writing now in intense haste, but a
word will serve the purpose." SIGNED "Ever affectionately yours, R
Browning." Minor wear. Near Fine with a handsome shelf appearance. SOLD
8. CAPOTE, Truman. A CHRISTMAS MEMORY. New York: Random House, [1966]. First Edition. Capote's touching tribute to his beloved distant
cousin and caretaker, Miss Sook Faulk. "As for me, I could leave the world
with today in my eyes." Copy #232 of 600 SIGNED by the author on the limitation page. Bookplate on the front pastedown. About Fine in the
original Fine mylar dustwrapper and a Fine slipcase with the gold spine
label intact. SOLD
9. CARTER, Jimmy. SIGNED PHOTOGRAPH Inscribed to Maude Chasen of restaurant fame. Fine 8" x 10" black-and-white photograph of Carter smiling admirably at famed Hollywood restaurant owner Maude Chasen.
INSCRIBED and SIGNED as President in the upper right margin: "To my Georgia/friend Maude/Chasen/Jimmy Carter/9-23-77." Matted and framed.
Fine. $750.00
Maude Chasen died at the age of 97 in 2001. Her husband, Dave Chasen,
opened Chasen's Southern Pit Barbecue on Dec. 13, 1936. Frank Capra lent
Chasen his silverware for the restaurant's opening. It was a favorite spot
for many stars including Clark Gable, Jimmy Cagney, Marilyn Monroe, and
scores of others. Presidents John F. Kennedy, Jimmy Carter, Dwight D.
Eisenhower, Richard M. Nixon, and Ronald Reagan, who proposed to future
wife Nancy there, frequented the restaurant which was the site of the
Academy Awards party for many years and which closed in 1995. This
photograph was one of many signed celebrity photos that graced the
restaurant's walls and that were auctioned off in the late 1990s.
10. CARTER, Jimmy. SIGNED PHOTOGRAPH Inscribed to Shari Lewis. Wonderful 8" x 10" black-and-white photograph of Carter kissing on the
cheek a surprised Shari Lewis who is holding her most famous creation,
Lamb Chop. INSCRIBED and SIGNED in the upper left margin: "With
love/to Shari Lewis--/Jimmy Carter." Minor wrinkling. Fine. $1,500.00
Shari Lewis (January 17, 1933 _ August 2, 1998) was a children's
television show host, most popular during the 1960s and 1990s. She
performed at the White House, mostly for Christmas parties, for Presidents
Carter, Reagan, Bush, and Clinton.
11. CARVER, Raymond. CATHEDRAL. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1983. First Edition. Although his previous collection achieved some popularity,
this title is really Carver's breakthrough and break-away (from the
restraints of Gordon Lish's style) book. In it, Carver moved beyond the
constraining label of minimalism to mine an emotional depth not present in
his previous work and which would blossom fully in his next and last book.
The title story and "A Small, Good Thing" rank among the best stories of
the latter twentieth century. SIGNED by the author on the title page in
blue ink, and below that INSCRIBED and SIGNED by him as "Ray Carver" in February 1984 to the owner who has written her name (twice!) on the
front blank, also in 1984. Fine in a Fine dustwrapper. SOLD
12. COLTON, G. Woolworth (maps) and FISHER, Richard Swainson
(text). COLTON'S ILLUSTRATED CABINET ATLAS AND DESCRIPTIVE
GEOGRAPHY. New York: J. H. Colton, 1859. First Edition. Folio (12" x 14-1/2") bound in modern buckram. Illustrated with 113 hand-colored maps,
plans and profiles on 47 sheets, 15 sheets relating to the United States.
Older perforated stamp on the title and last page of text. Toning to paper
but the maps are clean and fresh. Overall Near Fine. SOLD
13. COWING & CO.'S CATALOGUE OF PUMPS, FIRE ENGINES, HYDRAULIC
RAMS, AND OTHER MACHINES AND APPARATUS PERTAINING TO HYDRAULICS
MANUFACTURED AT THEIR WORKS SENECA FALLS NEW YORK UNITED STATES
OF AMERICA. New York: Bradstreet Press, 1867. First Edition. Octavo (5-3/4" x 9") bound in publisher's gilt-lettered green cloth; [1], 118 pages.
Scarce, early trade catalog illustrated with numerous woodcuts of all
types of hand pumps, force pumps, hydraulic pumps, lift pumps, fire-
fighting equipment, garden equipment, and miscellaneous related
manufactured items. Complete but many pages are detached and frayed along
the edges but with no loss. Moderate staining. Contents Fair only, binding
about Fine. $350.00
14. CSOORI, Sandor. MEMORY OF SNOW with the ORIGINAL WOODBLOCK
used for the illustration. Great Barrington: Penmaen Press, (1983). First Edition. One of 200 case-bound copies (of a total edition of 750)
illustrated by Michael McCurdy with a wood-engraved portrait of Csoori on
the dustwrapper cover and the title page. The poet's first book in
English, translated by Nicholas Kolumban. Included with the book is
McCurdy's ORIGINAL WOODBLOCK used for the illustration with this book. Covers soiled, otherwise Near Fine in a Fine dustwrapper. Woodblock in
close to Fine condition. $350.00
15. DREISER, Theodore. SISTER CARRIE. New York: Doubleday, Page & Company, 1900. First Edition. Publisher's wine-red cloth stamped in black.
Dreiser's first and most important book, both a modern classic and a
genuine rarity with only 1000 copies printed and those copies suppressed
by the publisher due to the book's unflinching depiction of an innocent
girl's spiral downward. Many believe that as few as 100 copies now exist.
An uncommon opportunity to obtain a landmark book, one of the scarcest of
the twentieth century, a book that paved the way for a host of writers to
come in dealing frankly with sexual situations that previously were either
hushed or sensationalized. Typical darkening of the spine but the
lettering is still readable. The spine tips, usually found frayed, are
rubbed and soft but intact. The text is fresh and bright. Most
importantly, both hinges--nearly always found split, cracked, or repaired-
-are here completely intact and original. A Near Fine copy and quite
scarce in this condition. SOLD
After Harper and Brothers declined to print the novel, Dreiser approached
Doubleday, Page, and Co., because it had published the writings of Frank
Norris, a promising naturalistic writer whose novel McTEAGUE had recently
caused a stir. Norris was an advisor for Doubleday and enthusiastically
supported the publication of SISTER CARRIE, later calling it "the best
novel I had read in M.S. since I had been reading for the firm." Based on
Norris's favorable praise, junior partner, Walter Hines Page, promised
Dreiser that Doubleday would publish the book. However, after reading
Dreiser's manuscript, Frank Doubleday objected to the immoral behavior of
the novel's characters and urged his firm to reconsider its publication.
After finding that Doubleday and Page was legally obligated to print the
novel, he allowed its publication but refused to promote it. As a result,
the novel sold only 456 copies, and Dreiser received a mere $68.40 in
royalties. It was only after Dreiser had established his literary
reputation with later novels and after a 1912 reprint by Harper and
Brothers had been published that the story of SISTER CARRIE was
acknowledged for its stark and realistic depiction of a young woman's
struggles. Though many would not think of Theodore Dreiser as an advocate
for women's rights, this novel was enlightening in its portrayal of a
young single woman's struggle to survive in a post-Victorian urban
environment. His work shortly after as editor-in-chief of the magazine
THE DELINEATOR provided further evidence for Dreiser's concern for women's
struggle to survive in early 20th century American society.
INSCRIBED TO PETER TAYLOR 16. EDGERTON, Clyde. RANEY. Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin Books of
Chapel Hill, 1985. First Edition. Author's first book, a humorous take on
Southern marriage, SIGNED on the title page and additionally SIGNED on the front endpaper by the author to fellow Southern author Peter Taylor
and his wife and dated 14 September 1987. Fine in Fine dustwrapper. SOLD
17. FERRARIO, Jules. LE COSTUME ANCIEN ET MODERNE OU HISTOIRE
DU GOUVERNEMENT DE LA MILICE, DE LA RELIGION, DES ARTS, SCIENCES
ET USAGES DE TOUS LES PEUPLES ANCIENS ET MODERNES.... Milan: De L'Imprimerie de L'Editeur, 1823. First Edition. Nine royal quarto (10" x
14-1/2") volumes uniformly bound in 12 volumes in half brown. Comprising
most of the set including all four volumes for Asia, both volumes for
Africa, and three of the six volumes for Europe, lacking the two for
America. Illustrated with 866 (of 895 listed) plates, most hand-colored,
including 4 LARGE folding hand-colored maps. According to Brunet II,
columns 1232-1233, this immense work was published in 143 parts
simultaneously in French and Italian between 1816 and 1834. Some browning
to plates, occasional light foxing; rubbing to extremities. Plates mostly
clean and fresh. Very Good. SOLD
18. FROST, Robert. A FURTHER RANGE. New York: Henry Holt and
Company, (1936). First Edition. A later printing of the First Trade
Edition of Frost's third Pulitzer Prize winner. This copy is INSCRIBED
and SIGNED by the author on the half-title page to a professor at the University of Texas, Philip Graham, with two stanzas, a total of eight
lines, from the poem "A Drumlin Woodchuck," which is included in this
volume: "My own strategic retreat/Is where two rocks almost meet/And
still more secure and snug/A two-door burrow I dug./With those in mind at
my back/I can sit forth exposed to attack/As one who shrewdly
pretends/That he and the world are friends." Owner name on the front
endpaper. Spine sunned. Near Fine, lacking the dustwrapper. $5,000.00
19. FROST, Robert. NEW HAMPSHIRE. A POEM WITH NOTES AND GRACE
NOTES. New York: Henry Holt, 1923. First Edition. First Trade Edition of one of Frost's most notable books and winner of his first Pulitzer Prize
containing such poems as "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" and "Fire
and Ice." Illustrated with woodcuts by J. J. Lankes. This copy is SIGNED by the poet on the front endpaper. Light wear to the spine tips with
rather faint dampstaining to the bottom portion of the spine and rear
cover. Very Good, lacking the dustwrapper. $2,000.00
"Something there is that doesn't love a wall." 20. FROST, Robert. NEW HAMPSHIRE. A POEM WITH NOTES AND GRACE
NOTES. New York: Henry Holt, 1923. First Edition. Fourth Printing of
this, one of Frost's most notable books and winner of his first Pulitzer
Prize containing such poems as "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" and
"Fire and Ice." Illustrated with woodcuts by J. J. Lankes. This copy is
INSCRIBED "For Roger Williams" and SIGNED by the poet on the title page with one of his most famous first lines, from "Mending Wall" from his
collection NORTH OF BOSTON: "Something there is that doesn't love a wall."
Light wear to the corners and faint dampstaining to the very edge of the
boards and endpapers. Near Fine, lacking the dustwrapper. $2,000.00
21. FROST, Robert. WEST-RUNNING BROOK. New York: Henry Holt and Company, (1928). First Edition. Cloth-backed boards decorated with a
pattern of maple leaves. Crane A10.1: "Though printed in the same year as
the first [trade] edition by the same publisher, this edition is in an
entirely different setting and format with different pagination."
Illustrated with a frontispiece and three woodcuts by J. J. Lankes, each
plate SIGNED by the artist in pencil. Copy #59 of 1000 SIGNED by the author on the limitation page. Contains the title poem, "Spring Pools,"
and "Acquainted With the Night," among others. The scarce original
glassine has a couple of small chips but is in very nice condition. The
slipcase is split along the bottom and side edges but is complete. Fine,
bright copy in the original glassine and a Good slipcase. $1,000.00
22. GAUTIER, Theophile. THE WORKS OF THEOPHILE GAUTIER. New
York: George D. Sproul, 1900. Hand-Made Edition . Twenty-four octavo (5-
3/4" x 8-3/4") volumes attractively bound by The Trautz-Bauzonnet bindery
in full green morocco, the boards surrounded by gilt fleur de lys devices
within a double-ruled gilt border and a large gilt central fleur de lys
device onlaid in red morocco; the spine with five raised bands lettered
and decorated with gilt gilt fleur de lys devices; green and red morocco
doblures elaborately tooled with fleur de lys devices, marbled endpapers,
top edge gilt. Each volume is illustrated with plates in two states. Each
volume is copy #9 of a limited edition of 300 copies. Light rubbing to
some spine edges, mostly the first volume; some sunning to the spines.
About Fine with a handsome shelf appearance. SOLD
Gautier wrote plays, poetry, novels, short stories, and theater criticism.
His most famous work is MADEMOISELLE DE MAUPIN, an historical romance
based on the life of French opera star Mlle Maupin, who was a first-rate
swordswoman and often went about disguised as a man. Another well-known
work is his short story "La Morte Amoureuse," the story of a priest who
falls in love with a beautiful woman who turns out to be a vampire.
23. (GOLDEN COCKEREL PRESS) BRABY, Dorothea. FOUR SKETCHBOOKS
CONTAINING PENCIL DRAWINGS AND WATERCOLORS. n.p.: [The Golden
Cockerel Press], [1940s - 1950s]. First Edition. Four sketchbooks (@8" x
10") filled with Braby's pencil drawings and occasional watercolors
comprising the preparatory work for THE LABYRINTH OF THE WORLD, published
by the Golden Cockerel Press, 1950, as well as various other personal and
possibly professional projects. Some pages loose with at least one text
block detached from the cover. Occasional soiling. Very Good and a scarce
collection. SOLD
Dorothea Braby was born in London and studied at the Central School of Art
and Design under John Farleigh and Noel Rooke, and later in Florence,
Paris, and at the Heatherley School of Fine Art. She worked as a portrait
painter and as a commercial artist but is best known for her book
illustrations. Working mostly in black and white, her illustrations are
produced by wood engraving, pen and ink, or occasionally by scraperboard.
Her best work was done for private presses, particularly the Golden
Cockerel Press. Her wood engravings were uniquely conceived and
brilliantly executed, and her creative talents flourished during the
revival of wood engraving that took place in the inter-war period. In her
own lifetime she was recognized as an exceptionally gifted wood engraver
and she regularly exhibited at the Society of Women Artists and the
Society of Wood Engravers. In 1960, however, Dorothea Braby gave up
professional art to devote herself to social work.
24. GOLDSMITH, Oliver [Thomas ROWLANDSON]. THE VICAR OF
WAKEFIELD; A TALE, BY DOCTOR GOLDSMITH. London: R. Ackermann, 1817. First Edition. Large octavo (9" x 10") in late nineteenth-century full
olive morocco by Riviere, covers and spine tooled in compartments with
gilt floral ornaments, gilt dentelles, top edge gilt, burgundy endpapers.
The First Rowlandson Edition with 24 lovely hand-colored aquatints by the
artist. Complete with the Introduction leaf, the Advertisement leaf, and
the two Memoir leaves. Prideaux, page 138. Tooley, 436. Leaves a bit dust-
soiled along edges, occasional very light scattered soiling to leaves and
plates. Rubbing to the front joint of this attractive binding, covers
firm. Near Fine. $1,500.00
25. [GRAZZINI, Antonio Francesco (editor)]. TUTTI I TRIONFI
CARRI, MASCHERATE O CANTI CARNASCIALESCHI ANDATI PER FIRENZE DAL
TEMPO DEL MAGNIFICO LORENZO DE' MEDICI FINO ALL' ANNO 1559. In
questa seconda Edizione corretti, con diversi MSS. collazionati,
delle loro varie lezioni arricchiti, notabilmente accresciuti, E
co' RITRATTI DI CIASCUN POETA ADORNATI. Cosmopoli [Lucca]: [Pel
Benedini], 1750. Second Edition. Two quarto (6-1/2" x 9") volumes; [1]-
256; [257]-594 pages. Illustrated with two engraved allegorical pictorial
title pages and 44 inserted portraits engraved after contemporary prints,
paintings, and medallions. Among those depicted are Lorenzo Medici and
Niccolo Machiavelli, both of whom contribute songs to this collection. A
very interesting copy for several reasons. First, it exists in an unbound
state with modern cardboard covers and appears never to have been bound
previously. On the half-title page of each volume in early ink is written
a statement in Italian regarding one F. Enrico of Bologna applying for
license. This copy matches the second impression point of Brunet, V,
columns 988-989, regarding the spelling of "Mostreremvelo," but the
information regarding signatures OO and PP and the errata does not match
either the first or second impression. Graesse, VI: II, page 217, which
essentially repeats in distilled form the information in Brunet. No
endpapers present; offsetting to text from portraits. Near Fine.
$1,000.00
A collection of songs for carnivals, processions, masquerades, etc., first
published in 1559. Grazzini, the compiler, was better known as "Il Lasca,
Academico Fiorentino," a quarrelsome scholar regarded as one of the
masters of Italian prose.
26. HOMER. THE ILIAD OF HOMER. London: The Cresset press Limited, 1928. Royal octavo (7-1/2" x 11-1/4") bound by Bayntun in 3/4 navy blue
morocco with five raised bands and gilt lettering and decoration on the
spine, top edge gilt, marbled endpapers. The First Twelve Staves,
translated into English by Maurice Hewlett. Edition limited to only 750
copies, of which 725 were for sale in England and America, this copy not
numbered. About Fine. SOLD
27. HUXLEY, Aldous. EYELESS IN GAZA. London: Chatto & Windus, 1936. First Edition. Cloth-backed decorated boards. Copy #167 of 200 copies
SIGNED by the author on the limitation page. This autobiographical novel with a pacifist theme was the first book by Huxley published after BRAVE
NEW WORLD. Its title derives from a phrase in John Milton's SAMSON
AGONISTES and, as with Milton's poem, recalls the biblical story of
Samson, who was captured by the Philistines, his eyes burned out, and
taken to Gaza, where he was forced to work grinding grain in a mill.
Issued without dustwrapper or slipcase. Light wear to corners; mild foxing
to the title and limitation pages. Near Fine. SOLD
28. Ingersoll's Works
"The destroyer of weeds, thistles and thorns is a
benefactor, whether he soweth grain or not" 28. INGERSOLL, Robert G. THE WORKS OF ROBERT G. INGERSOLL. New York: The Dresden Publishing Co./C. P. Farrell, 1902. Autograph Edition .
Twelve octavo (6" x 9") volumes attractively bound in 3/4 green morocco
and marbled boards with gilt rules, the spine with five raised bands and
four floral gilt decorations with red morocco onlays for the petals. Each
volume is illustrated with a frontispiece, mostly portraits, with the
first volume also containing a hand-colored title page and a check
SIGNED by the author bound in. Each volume is copy #2 of a limited
edition of 250 copies. Light wear to some corners, a nick here and there.
About Fine with a handsome shelf appearance. $4,000.00
Ingersoll was a popular orator who spoke on many subjects, his favorite
being agnosticism, and he often poked fun at religious belief. He was
known in his time as _the great agnostic." Ingersoll enjoyed a friendship
with the poet Walt Whitman, who considered Ingersoll the greatest orator
of his time: "It should not be surprising that I am drawn to Ingersoll,
for he is Leaves of Grass... He lives, embodies, the individuality, I
preach. I see in Bob [Ingersoll] the noblest specimen_American-
flavored_pure out of the soil, spreading, giving, demanding light."
Ingersoll delivered the eulogy at the poet's funeral in 1892.
29. KEROUAC, Jack. SIGNED CHECK to the IRS. A check made out in Kerouac's hand to the Internal Revenue Service, in the amount of $300,
drawn on the account of John L. Kerouac and his mother, Gabrielle Kerouac,
at Security National Bank of Northport, NY, dated 11 April 1963 and
numbered in ink by Kerouac as check #51. SIGNED as John L. Kerouac. As a writer Kerouac would have had to make a quarterly payment to the IRS. This
check is one of those payments. Usual cancellation marks, none affecting
the signature. Fine. SOLD
30. LEHNE, Dr. Adolf (editor). FÄRBER-ZEITUNG. ZEITSCHRIFT FÜR
FÄRBEREI, ZEUGDRUCK UND DEN GESAMMTEN FARBENVERBRAUCH. Jahrgang
1902. Berlin: Julius Springer, 1902. First Edition. Quarto (7-1/4" x 10-1/4") bound in half black leather and cloth; x; 399 pages. Containing 34
inserted plates with over 260 actual fabric samples ranging from small
swatches to larger pieces several inches long. The title page calls for 24
plates, and indeed there are 24 numbered plates as well as 10 unnumbered.
Some plates creased but all fabric samples present and in Fine condition.
Binding quite rubbed with some loss of leather but covers are tight. Very
Good. SOLD
31. LUKYEN (JAN). AFBEELDINGEN DER MERKWAARDIGSTE
GESCHIEDENISSEN VAN HET OUDE EN NIEUWE TESTAMENT. Amsterdam:
Johann Covens and Cornelius Mortier, 1729. First Edition. Large folio (12"
x 20") bound in red calf-backed marbled boards. Illustrated with 67
double-page engravings, of which 6 are maps, and 30 half-page engravings.
The maps are mainly of the Holy Land, including a plan of Jerusalem, but
the world map depicts California as an island. Tears along folds of a few
plates; the last page with a long vertical tear with no loss. Moderate
foxing, toning; the plates generally quite clean. Very Good. SOLD
32. EVANGELICAE HISTORIAE IMAGINES
32. NATALIS, Hieronymus. EVANGELICAE HISTORIAE IMAGINES. Antwerp: [Martinus Nutius?], 1596. Second Edition. Small folio (8" x 12")
bound in calf-backed marbled boards. Illustrated with an engraved title
page and 153 engraved plates with many depicting scenes from the life of
Christ engraved by Anton Wierix, Hieronymus Wiericx, Mallery, and others.
About a dozen pages with marginal tears of various sizes repaired on the
versos. Clean copy with little wear to the binding. Very Good. SOLD
33. (NERI, Antonio; MERRET, Christopher; KUNCKEL, Johann). ART
DE LA VERRERIE, DE NERI, MERRET ET KUNCKEL AUQUEL ON A AJOUTÉ LE
SOL SINE VESTE D'ORSCHALL ; L'HELIOSCOPIUM VIDENDI SINE VESTE
SOLEM CHYMICUM ; LE SOL NON SINE VESTE; LE CHAPITRE XI DU FLORA
SATURNIZANS DE HENCKEL, SUR LA VITRIFICATION DES VÉGÉTAUX; UN
MÉMOIRE SUR LA MANIÈRE DE FAIRE LE SAFFRE; LE SECRET DES VRAIES
PORCELAINES DE LA CHINE & DE SAXE.... Paris: Durand & Pissot, 1752. First French Edition. Quarto (7-1/2" x 9-3/4") bound in contemporary
mottled calf with a heavily gilt-decorated spine with five raised bands
and a gilt-lettered red morocco spine label, rebacked at an early date
retaining the original spine. Illustrated with an extra engraved title
page (mounted on the recto of the engraved frontispiece), 15 folding
engraved plates, and several text engravings. The first treatise devoted
to the manufacture of glass, originally published in Italian in 1612 and
translated into English by Merret in 1662. This French edition combines
the best 17th and 18th century works on glass-making and deals also with
the fabrication of fayence, porcelain, mirrors, imitation gems, glazing
techniques, the creation of various colours, etc. Beautiful plates with
glass production, melting furnaces, tools etc. See J. R. Partington, A
HISTORY OF CHEMISTRY, Volume II, pages 361-377. Armorial bookplate on the
front pastedown. Early pencil and ink notes on front blanks. Near Fine
copy. $1,600.00
34. [NEW YORK CITY]. CENTRAL PARK SCENERY. New York: Charles
Magnus, n.d. (@1875). First Edition. A four-page integral lettersheet (9-
1/2" x 11-1/2" opening to 19" x 11-1/2") with the front having the bottom
portion ruled and the top portion (9' x 6-1/2") containing a hand-colored
lithograph of 16 vignettes of scenes in Central Park. About Fine.
SOLD Charles Magnus was one of the largest publishers of Civil War
topographical prints, song sheets, and city views, as well as pictorial
envelopes with Civil War camp scenes, etc. Magnus's pieces were printed on
notoriously cheap paper and few examples have survived.
35. O'BRIEN, Tim. IF I DIE IN A COMBAT ZONE. London: Calder & Boyars, (1973). First British Edition. Issued the same year as the
American edition. His scarce first book. SIGNED by the author on the half-title page to Barry with the quote: "Box Me Up + Ship Me Home!"
O'Brien was much more willing to add the rest of the title with his
signature closer to the time of publication. Fine in a Fine dustwrapper.
SOLD
36. O'BRIEN, Tim. THE THINGS THEY CARRIED. Boston: Houghton
Mifflin, 1990. First Edition. First Trade Edition after the Franklin
Library edition of this superb book, perhaps the best evocation so far of
the Vietnam conflict. SIGNED by the author on the title page. Fine in a Fine first issue dustwrapper. SOLD
37. PLINY. THE HISTORIE OF THE WORLD, COMMONLY CALLED THE
NATURALL HISTORIE OF C. PLINIVS SECVNDVS. London: Adam Islip, 1601. Second Edition. Two folio (8-1/4" x 12-1/2") volumes bound in one in early
full tree calf with a gilt-decorated spine and a red morocco gilt-lettered
spine label, recently and neatly rebacked; [42], 614, [42] + [12], 632,
[84]: Lacks several leaves: the front and rear blanks, The Dedicatory
Letter, The Preface to the Reader, the errata leaf to the first volume,
The Preface or Epistle Dedicatorie to Prince Vespasian, and the
advertisement leaf at the end. Translated from the Latin original by
Philemon Holland. THE FIRST EDITION IN ENGLISH of this foundational book
of science, the greatest scientific work to emerge from the Roman Empire.
In 37 books, Pliny compiled an encyclopedia of the accumulated wisdom of
his time in fields as diverse as mathematics, physics, astronomy,
geography, ethnography, medicine, zoology, anthropology, physiology,
philosophy, history, agriculture, mineralogy, art history, and literature.
"The 'Natural History' of Pliny the Elder is more than a natural history:
it is an encyclopedia of all the knowledge of the ancient world" (PRINTING
AND THE MIND OF MAN). Among the many diverse subjects discussed by Pliny
are mermaids, wine, witches, herbal medicines, skin care, and aphrodisiacs
("if the seed of that Mallow that runneth up in one stalke; bee reduced
into powder and strewed upon that part of a woman which Nature hath
hidden, shee will bee so wood after the companie of a man, as she will
never be satisfied nor contented with embracing"). "As a purveyor of
information both scientific and non-scientific, Pliny holds a place of
exceptional importance in the tradition and diffusion of Western culture"
(DICTIONARY OF SCIENTIFIC BIOGRAPHY). Pforzheimer 496. First title page
with early signature and neatly laid down on paper. But for the missing
preliminary matter, a Fine copy, bright and clean. SOLD
The Natural History is among the single largest literary works to survive
from antiquity. It is also the only work extant of the 132 written by
Pliny, an indefatigable seeker of knowledge who lost his life in 79 A.D.
while trying to observe at close hand the eruption of Vesuvius.
38. [ROGERS, Bruce]. THE HISTORY OF OLIVER AND ARTHUR. (Cambridge): (Houghton Mifflin), 1903. First Edition. Imperial octavo
bound in contemporary red half morocco and black boards with marbled
endpapers. Copy #245 of 330 designed by Bruce Rogers and printed at the
Riverside Press in double columns of red and black letter on Arnold
handmade paper with upward of 50 engravings redrawn from the woodcuts that
appeared in the original of this medieval romance written in French in
1511, translated into German by Wilhelm Liely in 1521, and here rendered
into English by William Leighton and Eliza Barrett. Laid in is a two-page
typed letter from the publisher dated 1904 describing and offering the
book. Spine darkened, gilt still bright. Near Fine in a Very Good example
of the original slipcase with a paper label on the spine. SOLD
39. ROOSEVELT, Eleanor & FERRIS, Helen. YOUR TEENS AND MINE.
Garden City: Doubleday & Company, Inc., (1961). First Edition. SIGNED by the former First Lady on the front endpaper. Roosevelt advises how a teen-
age girl can grow to be a gracious lady by recounting her own experiences
of overcoming shyness and facing her fears. A few pages in the penultimate
chapter have pencil and pen markings with some words crossed out and a few
added, apparently in preparation for reading from the chapter. The
handwriting does not appear to be Roosevelt's but possibly may be
Ferris's. In any case, it's an interesting alteration to an already
uncommon book, especially when autographed. Near Fine in a Very Good
dustwrapper. $1,000.00
40. ROOSEVELT, Franklin D. WHITHER BOUND? Boston & New York:
Houghton Mifflin Company, 1926. First Edition. The future President's
first book, comprising the text of a lecture delivered at the Milton
Academy on the Alumni War Memorial Foundation on 18 May 1926. SIGNED by the author on the title page. Near Fine in a Good dustwrapper. SOLD
41. [ROOSEVELT, Franklin D.] MALTBY, Albert Elias. NAVAL
SKETCHES OF THE WAR IN CALIFORNIA. Reproducing Twenty-Eight
Drawings Made in 1846-47 by William H. Meyers Gunner on the U.
S. Sloop-of-War Dale. New York: Random House, 1939. First Edition. Tall Folio (11" x 15-1/2") bound in marbled boards backed with white morocco
and a gilt-lettered burgundy morocco spine label. One of 1000 copies
printed at the Grabhorn Press. Illustrated with 28 full-page color plates
by William H. Meyers.Heller and Magee, Bibliography of the Grabhorn Press,
1915-1940: 317: The method of color reproduction employed in NAVAL
SKETCHES OF THE WAR IN CALIFORNIA is novel in the history of printing:
first the original drawings were reproduced in black and white by a
gravure process, then the color blocks were cut in linoleum, and printed
over the black and white prints, shading was effected by sandpapering the
linoleum. Introduction by Franklin D. Roosevelt. This copy SIGNED on the and dated 12 January 1940 by Franklin Roosevelt. Very Good SOLD
42. [ROOSEVELT, Franklin D.] WILSON, Carey. THE PRESIDENT'S
BIRTHDAY PARTY BROADCAST. First Edition. Quarto (8-1/2" x 11") bound in full gilt-lettered red morocco; 12 pages. An ORIGINAL typed Andy Hardy
radio script by Carey Wilson that followed the birthday broadcast for
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in1939 This copy is INSCRIBED to
Wilson and SIGNED by Roosevelt on the last page. Laid down to a front blank page is a letter from the Secretary to the President, Stephen Early,
on White House stationary dated 7 February 1939: "This is by way of
acknowledging your letter to me under date of January thirty-first, with
enclosed script of the Hardy Family program which followed the President's
Birthday Address on the air. I am happy to advise you that the President
has signed a copy of your manuscript by name and has asked me to forward
it to you with an expression of his best wishes." Not only a rare script
from the Andy Hardy legacy but a truly unique Presidential item. Minor
wear. About Fine. $4,500.00
Carey Wilson, one of the 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts
and Sciences, was a writer, narrator, and producer. His many screenwriting
credits include BEN HUR and MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY for which he was
nominated for an Oscar. As a producer he contributed to the rise of many
notable screen stars including Lana Turner, Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland,
Esther Williams, Margaret O'Brien, and Red Skelton. His films included THE
POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE, GREEN DOLPHIN STREET, and SCARAMOUCHE. Wilson
is perhaps best known, however, as the creator of the film series DR.
KILDARE and ANDY HARDY (played by Mickey Rooney), said to be the most
successful and most popular film series ever made in the United
States.Wilson has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
43. ROOSEVELT, Theodore (Teddy ROOSEVELT). AFRICAN GAME TRAILS.
AN ACCOUNT OF THE AFRICAN WANDERINGS OF AN AMERICAN HUNTER-
NATURALIST. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1910. First Edition. The First Trade Edition bound in publisher's decorated cloth; xv, [i], 529
pages. Illustrated with photographs, drawings, and maps. INSCRIBED and
SIGNED on the front endpaper by the author less than 3 months prior to his death: _Inscribed for/Mr. L. DeSales Casey/with the best wishes
of/Theodore Roosevelt/Oct. 18th 1918._ Roosevelt loved travel and was the
first standing president to travel abroad. Shortly after he retired from
the presidency in 1909, he sailed for Africa returning a year later. This
book is an account of his African hunting trip and is not often seen
signed by Roosevelt outside of the edition limited to 500 copies issued by
the publisher signed. The front endpaper has a little wear along the edge
not affecting the inscription. There is also a two-inch tear on the top of
page 260 with no loss. On the facing illustration is a fingerprint in ink
(Roosevelt's?). The top of the spine has a half-inch closed tear. Near
Fine. SOLD
Casey was the Art Editor of Collier's Magazine during the early 1900s and
had a passion for collecting autographs.
44. ROOSEVELT, Theodore (Teddy ROOSEVELT). BIG GAME HUNTING IN
THE ROCKIES AND ON THE GREAT PLAINS: Comprising "Hunting Trips
of a Ranchman" and "The Wilderness Hunter." New York: G. P.
Putnam's Sons, 1899. First Edition. Thick quarto (8" x 11") bound in the
original publisher's cloth with a gilt elk on the spine, a bear stamped in
black on the rear cover, and gilt-stamped labels on the spine and on the
front cover incorporating a moose and a gun. Copy #384 of 1000 copies
SIGNED by the author below the frontispiece portrait of him standing proudly in his Rough Rider uniform. Comprises two earlier books, HUNTING
TRIPS OF A RANCHMAN and THE WILDERNESS HUNTER. With 55 illustrations by
Remington, Frost, Beard, and others. Recently rebacked retaining the
original spine. Ex-library copy with a small bookplate on the front
pastedown, a small perforated stamp on the title page, a few small ink
stamps on front blank pages, and ink numbers on the spine. Contents quite
clean. Overall a nice copy of this desirable book, increasingly uncommon
in the original binding. Near Fine. $6,500.00
45. RUSKIN, John. KING OF THE GOLDEN RIVER OR THE BLACK
BROTHERS with AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED. New York: William Edwin
Rudge, 1930. Full black calf. Introduction by Eugene A. Noble. Illustrated
by F. H. Horvath with the frontispiece pencil SIGNED by the artist. Copy
#30 of only 50 with an original SIGNED holograph letter by Ruskin bound in, this copy with a one-page letter dated 5 November 1873 to Madame E.
Stuart: "I wish I could write a pretty picturesque hand like yours. --
still one word puzzles me in your address Les B[?] ? -- please tell me if
it is some Breton(?) word." Housed in the original felt-lined yellow
folding box. Fine copy in a close to Fine example of the box. SOLD
A sumptuous edition of Ruskin's charming fairy tale, (first published in
1851), which he wrote for Euphemia Gray, to whom he was later unhappily
married. "In this new edition the artist and the author are engaged in the
joint task of giving something that will be worth remembering. So
intimately has Mr. Horvath entered into the spirit of Mr. Ruskin_s story
that his pictures have the exceptional merit of unfolding the inner
meanings suggested by words. The imagination of the picture maker has been
enlivened by that of the writer, resulting in perfect accord, and a new
interpretation is made for the delight of those who read" (introduction).
46. SHAKESPEARE, William. THE POEMS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE,
ACCORDING TO THE TEXT OF THE ORIGINAL COPIES, INCLUDING THE
LYRICS, SONGS, AND SNATCHES FOUND IN HIS DRAMAS. [London]: (Essex House Press), (December 1899). First Edition. Octavo (6-3/4" x 9-1/8")
bound in publisher's full vellum with yapped edges and both tie strings.
Copy #382 of 450 copies arranged and carefully collated with the original
texts of the earliest editions by F. S. Ellis and printed in red and black
at the Essex House Press under the care of C. R. Ashbee, published by
Edward Arnold. Illustrated with a full-page plate and scores of decorative
initial capital letters. Owner name partially erased on front endpaper.
Vellum a bit soiled and wrinkled. Very Good or better. $750.00
47. SMITH, Charles Hamilton. SELECTIONS OF THE ANCIENT COSTUME
OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND FROM THE SEVENTH TO THE SIXTEENTH
CENTURY. London: William Bulmer, 1814. First Edition. Folio (10-1/2" x 15-1/2") bound in contemporary half red morocco and marbled boards with
morocco corners, neatly rebacked retaining the original spine. Extra hand-
colored pictorial title, two engraved dedication pages, one colored, and
60 full-page hand-colored aquatint plates etched by John Augustus
Atkinson. Complete with Preface, List of Subscribers, Directions to
Binder, and the errata sheet. Colas 2755; Lipperheide 988; Tooley 455.
Plates clean and fresh; binding with just minor wear. Near Fine.
$1,500.00
48. STEVENS, Wallace. NOTES TOWARD A SUPREME FICTION. Cummington, MA: The Cummington Press, 1942. First Edition. White cloth
lettered in black and gray. Copy #L of 80 numbered and SIGNED copies of a total edition of 273 printed on Worthy Hand & Arrows paper of this
important poem. Edelstein A 6.a. Light, scattered foxing; owner name with
price paid dated 1946 on upper corner of front endpaper. Cloth a little
soiled, as usual. Near Fine, without the scarce glassine. $4,000.00
49. STEVENS, Wallace. TRANSPORT TO SUMMER. New York: Alfred Knopf, 1947. First Edition. Second Printing: Edelstein A 11.a.2: 1500 copies
printed (There were only 1750 copies of the first printing.). SIGNED by the poet above the title of the poem "The Creations of Sound" on page 34.
Near Fine in a price-clipped, Near Fine. SOLD
50. STOWE, H. B. THE WRITINGS OF HARRIET BEECHER STOWE. Cambridge: Riverside Press, 1896. Large-Paper Edition. Seventeen volumes
(5-3/4" x 8-3/4") attractively bound in 3/4 green morocco and green cloth
with gilt rules, the spine with five raised bands and gilt decorations and
lettering, top edge gilt. Includes the 16 volumes of the WRITINGS plus the
additional volume of the LIFE OF STOWE. Illustrated with frontispieces in
both an uncolored and colored state. Copy #17 of 250 sets with an inserted
sheet SIGNED and dated by Stowe on 5 January 1896. As Stowe signed only a few sheets at a time, each inserted sheet bore different dates. This is
the second to earliest date listed. Bookplate on front pastedown of each
volume. Spines uniformly faded to brown, some with light flaking at joints
and tips, but all sound and attractive overall; Volume 11 professionally
and almost invisibly rebacked; Volume 10 with dampstaining to the first
section of contents, not visible from the spine. Near Fine. $7,500.00
51. STRONG, Asa B., M.D. THE AMERICAN FLORA, OR HISTORY OF
PLANTS AND WILD FLOWERS…. New York: Green and Spencer, 1853; 1849. Quarto (7-1/4" x 10") bound in publisher's full gilt-decorated red
morocco, recently rebacked with red. The title pages state that there are
70 "Beautiful Colored Engravings Taken from Nature" in the first volume
and 54 in the second. In fact, the books are complete and illustrated with
a total of 98 full-page lithographic plates, 97 of which are hand-colored,
some with two images per page (accounting for the discrepancy with the
title page statements), including a colored engraved title page and
letterpress title page in each volume. Two supplemental volumes were also
issued by the publisher, evidently in very small quantity as these later
volumes are rather scarce. Sporadic foxing present on both text and
plates, as is common, with most tissue guards present. Very Good. SOLD
52. STURGES, Preston. STRICTLY DISHONORABLE. New York: Horace
Liveright, 1929 (1930). First Edition. Fourth Printing of this romantic
comedy play first produced on Broadway in 1929. It has been adapted for
the screen twice, first in 1931, then again in 1951. The play was
Sturges's second Broadway production and the first of his plays to be made
into a film. This copy is INSCRIBED with an unidentified poem and
SIGNED as "Preston" in January 1933: "What good to know this greenery / Is only shoddy scenery-- / That Cupid is a stupid little fool-- / That the
firmament conspires / To gratify desires / That pass away when day is
dawning cool?" Slight offsetting to the endpapers from the dustwrapper
which has a slightly darkened spine. Near Fine in a Near Fine dustwrapper.
SOLD
One of Hollywoods greatest filmmakers, Preston Sturges was the first
writer to direct his own script; thus, the credit "written and directed
by" first appeared before his name in THE GREAT MCGINTY. He also won the
first Academy Award ever given for Best Original Screenplay for that
script. Among his other films are SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS (perhaps the finest
movie-about-a-movie ever made), CHRISTMAS IN JULY, UNFAITHFULLY YOURS, THE
MIRACLE OF MORGAN'S CREEK, and THE LADY EVE.
53. THATCHER, Margaret. STATECRAFT. Norwalk: Easton Press, 2002.
First Edition. Bound in full gilt-decorated blue leather. SIGNED by the former prime minister of England, as issued. As new, still in shrinkwrap
and publisher's shipping box. SOLD
54. THOMPSON, Hunter. FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS. A SAVAGE
JOURNEY TO THE HEART OF THE AMERICAN DREAM. NY:Random House (1971). First Edition. His second, and most desirable, book, illustrated by Ralph
Steadman and made into a movie in 1998 starring Johnny Depp and Benicio
Del Toro. Typical mild sunning to edges of boards and slight foxing to
bulked top edge and fore edge, both common minor faults for this title.
Near Fine in price-clipped, lightly soiled, Near Fine dustwrapper. $650.00
55. WASHINGTON, Booker T. UP FROM SLAVERY. New York: Doubleday, 1901. First Edition. Classic turn-of-the-century autobiography by the
successor to Frederick Douglass as the foremost American black leader of
his time. Born a slave, Washington founded Tuskegee Institute, becoming
its first president, at the age of 25. This copy of his best known book is
SIGNED by the author on the front free endpaper to "Booker T.
Washington/Tuskegee Alabama/Jan. 25, 1902." Signed First Editions of this
classic of African-American history are quite uncommon. Owner name in ink
below the author's. Mild wear to the spine tips and corners with the spine
edges rubbed. Near Fine. $7,500.00
56. WILSON, Woodrow. ADDRESS OF PRESIDENT WILSON AT THE
BROOKLYN NAVY YARD BROOKLYN, N. Y. MAY 11, 1914. Services in
memory of those who lost their lives at Vera Cruz, Mexico. Washington: [Government Printing Office], 1914. First Edition. Printed
wraps, 8 pages, including the covers. SIGNED by the President at the end of the text. Toning to text. Near Fine. $3,000.00
"We have gone down to Mexico to serve mankind, if we find out the way. We
do not want to fight the Mexicans. We want to serve the Mexicans, if we
can, because we know how we would like to be free and how we would like to
be served if there were friends standing by in such case ready to serve
us. A war of aggression is not a war in which it is a proud thing to die,
but a war of service is a thing in which it is a proud thing to die.
“Notice how truly these men were of our blood. I mean of our American
blood, which is not drawn from any one country, which is not drawn from
any one stock, which is not from any one language of the modern world; but
free men everywhere have sent their sons and their brothers and their
daughters to this country in order to make that great compounded Nation
which consists of all the sturdy elements and of all the best elements of
the whole globe. I listened again to this list of the dead with a profound
interest because of the mixture of the names, for the names bear the marks
of the several national stocks from which these men came. But they are not
Irishmen or Germans or Frenchmen or Hebrews or Italians any more. They
were not when they went to Vera Cruz; they were Americans, every one of
them, and with no difference in their Americanism because of the stock
from which they came. They were in a peculiar sense of our blood, and they
proved it by showing that they were of our spirit, that no matter what
their derivation, no matter where their people came from, they thought and
wished and did the things that were American; and the flag under which
they served was a flag in which all the blood of mankind is united to make
a free Nation."
57. WOLFF, Tobias. THIS BOY'S LIFE. London: Bloomsbury, (1989). First British Edition. Wolff's first book of memoirs, made into a film
starring Robert DeNiro and Leonardo DiCaprio. A wonderful book, chosen in
a recent survey as one of the 100 best books of non-fiction written in the
20th Century. This copy SIGNED by the author on the title page. Fine in a Fine dustwrapper and rather uncommon. SOLD
58. WORDSWORTH, William. THE POETICAL WORKS OF WILLIAM
WORDSWORTH. London: Henry Frowde, Oxford University Press, 1910. Reprint. Sextodecimo (4-3/4" x 7") bound in full dark blue padded leather with
florets in red and gilt on the front cover and spine, all edges gilt, and
marbled endpapers; xxxii, 985 pages. Edited with a preface by Thomas
Hutchinson and including a chronological table. Illustrated with a
frontispiece portrait of the poet. Near Fine. SOLD
59. WRIGHT, Richard. ECOUTE, HOMME BLANC (WHITE MAN, LISTEN!). Paris: Calmann-Levy, (1959). First French Edition. Pictorial wraps. Four
lengthy essays on race relations. INSCRIBED and SIGNED by the author on the half-title page: "A-/Melle. Lenone Chevalier/avec mes
hommage/Richard Wright." Books signed by Wright are uncommon. He died in
Paris a year after the publication of this book at the age of 52. Many
pages unopened; slight and natural aging of the text, with minor
dampstaining toward the front. Near Fine. SOLD
60. YEATS, W. B. THE TREMBLING OF THE VEIL. London: T. Werner Laurie, 1922. First Edition. Original gray boards with parchment spine.
Photogravure frontispiece portait of Yeats after Charles Shannon. Copy
#187 of 1000 numbered copies SIGNED by the author on the limitation
leaf. Wade 133. A Near Fine copy with slight darkening of the spine and
bumping to the corners. Lacking the uncommon dustwrapper. $1,350.00