Search Results: illuminated

Very Good. Mars and the Imagination: A monumental and carefully curated collection of over 900 works of both fiction and non-fiction tracing the history of our understanding and obsession with the Red Planet. To begin exploring the collection, please see our description available on this page under "View the Collection". Background Mars and the Imagination was conceived and assembled by the experienced collector David Wenner - whose comprehensive collection on the history of physics now resides at the Niels Bohr Library of the American Institute of Physics - and represents much more than a "collection" of works. Through his years of research and study, Wenner was able to unearth important and previously unrecognized literary and historical texts, making new connections among them. Contextualized in such a way, the items in Mars and the Imagination collectively tell an illuminating story through primary sources that to our knowledge has not been previously attempted. It is the story of our… Read More

1598. Wandesburg (i.e. Wandsbeck, for the author by Philip Ohrs), 1598. Small folio. In the original blue silk binding with richly gilt ornamentation to boards. Professionally recased in the 1970'es with 90% of the original silk boards preserved over new blue silk. Green silk ties. A small, neat restoration to the border of the title-page, barely noticeable. A4 and H2 restored and at margins with newer paper margins in perceftly matching paper. The restoration touches the outer borders, most significantly on H2, where the inner border is almost covered by the new paper. The lower blank border of A4 cropped. Otherwise in splendid condition. 42 ff. With 22 magnificent full-page illustrations, of which 4 are engraved and the rest are woodcut. Title printed in red and black and all pages, including the title-page, printed within woodcut ornamental border. Large woodcut device to title-page, with spere and compass, and allegorical woodcut to colophon. Title-page (which is printed in red and black) is… Read More

Paris, 1400. BOOK OF HOURS. Use of Paris)  In French and Latin, illuminated manuscript, on parchment France, Paris, c. 1400-1410 15 large miniatures by the Master of the Bible Historiale MS fr. 159 (as described by Les Enluminures) This beautifully executed and unusual Parisian Book of Hours was painted at the time of the Duke of Berry. The "realism" seen in the illuminations represents a special moment in Parisian art, one exemplifying its northern origins.  The miniatures are attributed to one of the artists responsible for the Bible Historiale also referred to as the Master of the Bible Historiale fr. 159 (Paris, BnF MS fr. 159).  The female patron who ordered the book appears twice in the miniatures. 224 folios, mostly in gatherings of 8 (i12), complete, pastedowns and two flyleaves at front and back, some catchwords, written in a dark brown ink  in a gothic liturgical script, on 14 long lines, by different hands, ff. 82-82v and ff. 219v-223v written by a slightly posterior  hand, ruled… Read More

Antwerp: Officina Plantiniana, 1591. First edition. THE FIRST MODERN WORLD ATLAS HAND-COLOURED AND HEIGHTENED IN GOLD. Fourth Latin edition of the first modern world atlas, and a copy hand-coloured and heightened in gold. First published in 1570, the Theatrum is the first atlas to contain maps printed in a uniform style and format and to display a catalogue of the authors whose source Ortelius used in the drawing of the maps. Ortelius's atlas "set a standard by which subsequent collections would be judged and compared" (Short). Even though it was the most expensive work published at the time, it proved an instant success with four versions of the first edition being printed in 1570 alone. Several editions were printed at the Officina Plantiniana at the end of the 16th century and from 1585 Ortelius began to include historical maps in a section called Paregon. The maps and plates in the Parergon may be considered "the most outstanding engravings depicting the wide-spread interest in classical… Read More

Como: Gottardo da Ponte for Agostino Gallo and Aloisio Pirovano, 1521. First edition. DIBNER 170: FIRST VERNACULAR EDITION - A SUPERB COPY. First edition in the vernacular, and a superb large copy untouched in its first binding, of one of the finest illustrated books of the Italian Renaissance. "This handbook on classical architecture is the only Roman work inspired by Greek architecture that has come down to us. It is therefore important as a prime source of many lost Greek writings on the subject and as a guide to archaeological research in Italy and Greece. By exemplifying the principles of classical architecture it became the fundamental architectural textbook for centuries. Vitruvius, who lived during the time of Julius Caesar and Augustus, and probably composed his book prior to 27 BC, was basically a theoretical rather than a practising architect and his only known work is the Basilica at Fano. The 10 books of 'On architecture' deal with principles of building in general, building materials,… Read More

New York: n.p., 1896. First edition. Fine. STUNNING LARGE HISTORIC PHOTOGRAPH OF TESLA, SIGNED AND INSCRIBED BY TESLA TO EDWARD EVERETT BARLETT. Albumen print, signed and inscribed by Tesla on the original gray mount: "To my friend E. E. Bartlett, New York, June 9, 1896, Nikola Tesla." The photograph shows Tesla in profile seated before the spiral coil of his high-voltage transformer at his East Houston St., New York, laboratory. The photograph, in addition to being arguably the most famous and dramatic portrait of Tesla, is scientifically significant, for it served as a demonstration of the power of his new technique of providing illumination with vacuum tubes. A reproduction of the photograph appeared in the May 20, 1896 issue of Electrical Review, alongside an article where a reporter interviewed Tesla about the novel circumstances of the creation of this photo: "As to his continuous efforts to improve his system of lighting by vacuum tubes, with which he has been identified during a number… Read More

Engraved map of the world, printed on four sheets joined, surrounded by 20 engraved circular and ovoid maps, all with original outline hand-colour, mounted on canvas on a four fold screen, some loss to edges of screen affecting title and imprint, a few maps with areas of loss, the majority skilfully repaired in facsimile, decorative border below, some cleaning and restoration to furniture.
George Willdey's magnificent atlas of World in the form of a screen.
The present screen consists George Willdey's large four-sheet world map, surrounded by twenty oval or circular maps, and was advertised by Willdey in the Post Man (issue 4112) on the 23rd - 25th November 1721:
"A large New and Correct English Map of the World, laid down according to the newest and most accurate Observations and Discoveries made by the Royal Society of London, and the Royal Academy of Sciencies [sic] at Paris, in several different Projections, including the Trade Winds, Monsoons, Variations of the Compass, and illustrated with the… Read More

[160] ll.A Rouen Book of Hours of outstanding quality and in slightly larger than usual format, commissioned by a female patron who is portrayed in the last miniature awaiting the arrival of the Messiah.The style of illumination is typical of that practised in Rouen during the late 15th century. Characteristic features include the profuse use of gold highlights on draperies and hillsides, often cross-hatched; cross-hatching of grassy areas in landscapes; a palette predominantly based on pink, blue, brown and green, and the use of grey for the modelling of facial features, men having rather swarthy flesh, and women very pale skin; the rather peremptory manner of painting hands; the grey-blue acanthus on flat gold backgrounds for borders. Also the liturgical use points to Rouen as the place of production: the sparse calendar includes St Romanus (23 October) in gold, as well as St Evodius (8 October) and Mellonus (22 October), all three were bishops of Rouen; Romanus and Mellonus also appear in the… Read More

New York: Albert Bunn, 1895. Softcover. Near Fine. First edition. Octavo. 53pp. Publisher's coated pictorial wrappers printed in blue-green ink. Portrait of Edison and numerous photographic plates and illustrations throughout. A few spots and creases and with some professional restoration at the spine and upper foredge of the front wrappers, else near fine. Housed in custom red quarter morocco clamshell case. A remarkable copy of the first book on the motion picture. This copy belonged to A.R. Allen of Famous Productions Inc. in Universal City, California, and is accompanied by a typed letter signed to Allen from Iris Barry, curator of the Museum of Modern Art Film Library, dated Dec. 4, 1939, who states: "...I do not think there can be much doubt that the Dickson 'History of the Kinetoscope' is the first book on the motion picture ... ." This book details the invention and early experimentation of the kinetoscope with numerous images and closes with this bold but accurate prediction: "What is the… Read More

Springland Cot, Pa.: W. Birch, 1800.. Engraved titlepage by William Barker with vignette of the arms of Philadelphia, engraved plan of the city by Barker, twenty- seven handcolored copper engravings by and after William and Thomas Birch, letterpress list of subscribers, letterpress leaf of introduction with list of plates. Large oblong folio. Contemporary half mottled sheep and plain paper-covered boards. Moderate scuffing and soiling to boards, corners and spine ends worn, paper along bottom edge of boards a bit chipped. Repaired vertical tear on verso near gutter of "Frontispiece" plate, long horizontal repaired tear on verso of "Preparation for War" plate extending about 1 1/2 inches into image area, minor repaired marginal tears to verso of four other plates. Scattered foxing and minor toning, leaf of introduction heavily foxed and with a repaired horizontal tear just touching two words. Overall, good plus. In a brown half calf and cloth box, spine gilt, gilt leather label on front cover. The… Read More

The first map of the Arabian peninsula ever printed, from a woodcut, here finely coloured by a contemporary hand and adorned with unique, hand-drawn illumination added by a contemporary artist. The map was published in the first atlas printed outside Italy, the first atlas to be illustrated with woodcut maps. Remarkably, the hand-drawn vignette illustrations include a depiction of the relief of Makkah (Mecca), besieged by Abrahah, through the Ababeel birds, who pelted the attacking army of war elephants with burning stones from the pits of the fires of hell. The image shows a gigantic blue-and-gold Ababeel bird above the city, engulfed in flames - not only one of the earliest depictions of Makkah but also an amazing example of cross-cultural exchange of narratives during the early Renaissance, proving a Western illustrator’s familiarity with a Middle Eastern tradition famously referenced in the Qur’an (sura 105, known as al-Fil, The Elephant): "Wa ’arsala ’Aalayhim tayran ’Ababeel, Tarmeehim… Read More

Nuremberg, Anton Koberger, 1483. *** Splendide édition de la Bible, illustrée de 109 gravures sur bois, toutes coloriées à l'époque. L'exemplaire est d'un très beau coloris. Les couleurs utilisées, bleu, jaune, vert, parme, marron sont d'une teinte profonde. La majorité de ces gravures sont apparues dans une édition de la bible, en bas allemand, donnée par Bartholomaeus de Unkel et Heinrich Quentell, à Cologne vers 1478-79. Anton Koberger, plus connu pour son "best seller", de l'époque, la "Chronique de Nuremberg" a fait un usage remarquable de ces illustrations. Elles ont été imitées dans les illustrations des bibles parues par la suite. On y trouve même son influence dans la série de gravures de l'Apocalypse de Dürer parues en 1498. Anton Koberger était du reste le parrain d'Albrecht Dürer, dont la famille habitait la même rue. Tout d'abord orfèvre, Koberger s'installa imprimeur en 1471. Il devint vite le premier imprimeur d'Europe, employant jusqu'à une centaine d'ouvriers,… Read More

Bracciano: Andreas Phaeus, 1630. First edition. EXTREMELY RARE LARGE AND THICK PAPER COPY. First edition, extremely rare large and thick paper copy, of the most lavishly illustrated astronomical work published in the first half of the seventeenth century, with many full-page illustrations of Scheiner's observations of the sun and of the optical instruments he had designed for the purpose. "For his masterpiece, Scheiner produced the first monograph on a heavenly body, the Sun. Even today it is still an impressive volume, with scores of engravings of sunspots and the various instruments needed for solar observations" (Jesuit Science in the Age of Galileo). "Scheiner's drawings in the Rosa Ursina are of almost modern quality, and there was little improvement in solar imaging until 1905" (Britannica). In this work "Scheiner agreed with Galileo that sunspots are on the Sun's surface or in its atmosphere, that they are often generated and perish there, and that the Sun is therefore not perfect. Scheiner… Read More

FASCINATING MEDIEVAL BOOK OF HOURS WITH EXTENSIVE ILLUMINATIONS BY THREE DIFFERENT ARTISTS. In Latin and some French, illuminated manuscript on parchment, Southern Netherlands, Mons, c. 1460 (original portion), c. 1480-1490 (updated). Dimensions 167 x 116 mm., 199 folios, lacking one text leaf, written by two different scribes in gothic textualis bookhand in single column on 17 lines; BINDING: seventeenth century brown calf over wooden boards, spine with four raised bands, gold-tooled, gilt title ("OFFICIU / BEATEM / VIRGIN", partly worn out), gilt edges. ILLUSTRATION: 22 full-page miniatures within full rinceaux borders by the Mildmay Master (13), the Master of Philippe de Croÿ (7), and a third Mons illuminator, follower of Simon Marmion (2), and 4 small miniatures by the Mildmay Master, additional sixteen full rinceaux borders, and 5-line initials in pink or blue on burnished gold grounds. The Mildmay Master was responsible for the core of the original manuscript; the artist paints elongated… Read More

SUBSTANTIAL BOOK OF HOURS IN GOOD CONDITION WITH MANY LARGE AND SMALL MINIATURES. Illuminated manuscript on parchment, in Latin, Southern Netherlands, Ghent or Bruges, c. 1460-1470. Dimensions 179 x 124 mm., 118 folios, complete, written in brown ink in a textualis formata bookhand on 19 lines, one-line initials, 2- to 3- line champ initials, fourteen 6-line initials, one HISTORIATED INITIAL (5-lines), ELEVEN SMALL MINIATURES (6-lines), FOURTEEN FULL-PAGE MINIATURES, 28 FULL BORDERS. BINDING: nineteenth-century dark brown calf, gold-tooled, contains words in gilt (mostly rubbed out) MARIE (front board) and ROSARIE (back board), gauffered edges. ILLUSTRATION: Painted in the style of the Masters of the Beady Eyes, this Book of Hours is distinguished by its unusual and enigmatic details. The artist is eager to represent architectural and structural details, which sometimes lead to curious spatial arrangements and juxtapositions. PROVENANCE: The painting style situates the production of this book in Ghent… Read More

1910. England, [Douglas Cockerell / John William North], no year [c.1910]. Folio (34 cm wide x 42.5 cm high). 216 pages. Hardcover / Binding in full green morocco with lettering and Dante's head as bronze sculpture per inlet to front cover. Binding by Douglas Cockerell, signed "WHS", during his directorship of W.H.Smith & Son (1905 - 1914). The manuscript is on excellent paper, watermarked O.W.P. & A.C.L. [O.W. Paper & Arts Co. Ltd., established by English painter John William North (1842-1924) in 1895]. The binding rubbed and with some small damages, in need of some minor restoration but overall still very good. The interior, the paper and the artwork all in excellent condition besides one of the juxtaposed photographs (Filippina Lippo) removed from the manuscript with some residue of the photograph remaining and some of the photographs with some dogears and minimal discoloration. All the original artwork in spectacular and fresh condition. The manuscript is a spectacular find and the quality of… Read More

Italy (Venice?), 1300. Italy (Venice?): 1300. Illuminated manuscript on vellum. Small quarto (8 x 5 9/16 inches; 203 x 142 mm.). 281 leaves, plus one blank leaf at front and two blank leaves at end (fols. 279 and 281 apparently conjoint with two blank vellum leaves, fol. 280 on a stub between the foliated leaves). Apparently complete. Two columns of thirty-four lines. Written by two Italian scribes in black ink in gothic bookhands between four verticals and thirty-five horizontals ruled in faint brown, the verticals extending across the margins. Justification: 5 1/4 x 3 7/8 inches; 133 x 98 mm. Faint early ink foliation. Horizontal catchwords within ink frames in lower right margin of final versos. Pricking along the upper edges. Rubrics in red, paragraph marks alternately of red or blue, alternately red or blue one-line initials for the list of contents (fols. 1v-2), numerous two-line initials alternately in red flourished with blue or blue flourished with red, with penwork usually extending for… Read More

A BEAUTIFUL ILLUMINATED COPY OF THE COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLES OF PAUL BY HAIMO OF AUXERRE COMMISSIONED BY Jean II Budé. Illuminated manuscript on parchment, in Latin, France, Paris, c. 1460-1480 and c. 1500. Dimensions 278 x 105 mm. 193 folios, catchwords, guide words, numerous small initial in red and blue, TEN LARGE DECORATED INITIALS in blue or red and gold accented with foliage and flowers, LARGE FRONTISPIECE MINIATURE with acanthus leaf border and bas-de-page the arms of Jean Budé. BINDING: Late eighteenth-century red morocco attributed to Bozerian, with fitted red slipcase. TEXT: This manuscript contains the commentary on the Epistles of Paul by Haimo of Auxerre apart from Romans and 1-2 Corinthians which never intended to be included. Haimo of Auxerre taught at the school of the Benedictine house of Saint-Germain at Auxerre in the ninth-century and is the author of many widely-read commentaries on the Song of Songs, Revelations, and the Minor Prophets, as well as of many sermons. He was best… Read More

1880. Thomas Edison Acquired by us directly from the descendant of Edison’s chief laboratory machinist John Kruesi, and never before offered for sale; This invention led to the lighting of New York City, the United States, and then globeThe Smithsonian displays an artifact with the same provenance: A lamp used to illuminate Menlo Park on December 31,1879, when Edison introduced his invention to the world. It is currently on in the exhibition Lighting A Revolution at the National Museum of American History.Thomas Edison propelled the world out of the gaslight era and into the electric age. With dreams of lighting up entire cites, Edison lined up financial backing, assembled a group of brilliant scientists and technicians, and applied his genius to the challenge of creating an effective and affordable electric lamp. With unflagging determination, he and his team tried out thousands of possibilities, convinced that every failure brought them one step closer to success. They succeeded where so many… Read More

BOOK DESCRIPTION: classic example of an illuminated Gothic Psalter from Paris. In Latin, illuminated manuscript on parchment, France (Paris), c. 1230-1250. Dimensions: 122 x 84 mm., 211 folios, lacking two leaves from the calendar, otherwise apparently complete, written in a good gothic bookhand in eighteen long lines by two scribes. SIXTEEN CALENDAR ROUNDELS depicting zodiac signs and occupations of the months and EIGHT HISTORIATED INITIALS by the Soissons Atelier. BINDING: bound in old red velvet, flat spine, green silk doublures, blue speckled edges. TEXT: this manuscript is an example of an illuminated Gothic Psalter from Paris, from the calendar with vignettes of the Labors of the Month and Zodiac and the historiated initials illustrating the major liturgical divisions of the Psalms, to the exuberant penwork line fillers and playful marginal decoration, replete with fish, dogs, dragons, and birds. PROVENANCE: Although written and illuminated in Paris in the second quarter of the thirteenth… Read More