Search Results: Authors starting with R from Ursus Books

1926. RAMSAYE, Terry. A Million and One Nights. Two volumes. lxx, [2], 400; [4], 401-868 pp. Illustrated with frontispiece portraits of Thomas Edison and Charlie Chaplin, plus 100 illustrations throughout (mostly photographic). Large thick 8vo., bound in recent blue half morocco, blue cloth over boards. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1926. First Edition. Thomas Edison is known to have stated: "This is, I believe, the first endeavor to set down the whole and true story of the motion picture." A landmark in the study of early film, owing to the fact that in the creation of this work the author was able to consult with virtually all of the major film pioneers; much of the information cannot be found elsewhere. 100 Books on Hollywood and the Movies, No. 73.

1926. MAN RAY. Revolving Doors. Comprised of 10 pochoir plates [580 x 380 mm]. Folio, loose in original publisher's black portfolio with ties. Laid into a new folding box. Paris: Editions Surréalistes, 1926. A fine copy of this legendary surrealist publication. Between 1916 and 1917, the artist and photographer Man Ray created a series of collages he called "Revolving Doors." He included the series in his third solo exhibition at the Daniel Gallery in New York, in 1919. The collages, whose geometric shapes combine machine-like and anthropomorphic forms, were framed and installed on a rotating pole that the viewer could spin. The original collages were destroyed, but he later reproduced them in this series of pochoir prints, published by Éditions Surréalistes in Paris. This publication represents an important contribution to avant-garde art and together with Jazz and the Prose du Transsibérien comprise the Holy Trinity of great pochoir books of… Read More

1937. MAN RAY. Les Mains Libres. By Paul Eluard. 208 pp., with 66 reproductions of drawings by Man Ray. 4to, 280 x 225 mm., bound in the original illustrated wrappers, in a new slipcase with morocco backed chemise. Paris: Editions Jeanne Bucher, 1937. A pristine copy of this celebrated collaboration between Man Ray and Paul Eluard, inscribed by Man Ray to Souzouki. Man Ray had moved to Paris in 1921 and in the 1930's was one of André Breton's surrealist circles. Unlike most illustrated books where the pictures illustrate the text, this book uses the poems to illustrate the drawings, which are important documents of Man Ray's non-photographic output. One of 650 printed on Chester Vergé of a total edition of 675 copies. From Manet to Hockney 104.

1942. RETCLIFFE, John. Die Geheimnisse des Judenfriedhofes in Prag. 43 pp. Illustrated with 28 photographic plates. 8vo., 209 x 153 mm, bound in publisher's illustrated wrappers in a new blue cloth folding box. Prague: Orbis, 1942. John Retcliffe was a nineteenth-century German anti-semite whose real name was Hermann Ottomar Friedrich Goedsche. This little book reprints part of an earlier text from his 1868 novel Biarritz. It is here accompanied by a series of excellent photographs. Published in the middle of the war, few copies seem to have survived.

1864. RIDDELL, John. Architectural Designs for Model Country Residences. Accompanied by general descriptions and estimates. Prepared expressly for persons who contemplate building, and artisans throughout the United States. [14] ff., illustrated with 20 full-page colour lithograph plates (illustrating 22 country houses) each accompanied by a full-page plan. Oblong folio, 370 x 445 mm., bound in original brown cloth. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott, 1864. Rare American architectural work, illustrated with chromolithographs which must be seen to be fully appreciated. "The successful architect John Riddell is best remembered for his Architectural Designs for Model Country Residences, a book written to encourage prospective clients that -- ironically -- remains his chief monument. Illustrated with twenty lithographs in full colour, Architectural Designs is one of the handsomest American books of architecture published in the nineteenth century. Most of the designs are in the Italianate style,… Read More

1886. RIDGWAY, Robert. A Nomenclature of Colors for Naturalists, and Compendium of Useful Knowledge for Ornithologists. 129, [1] pp. Illustrated with 17 plates, 10 of which are hand-coloured. 8vo, bound in publisher's green cloth. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company, 1886. A fine copy of Ridyway's extremely scarce first book on colour. Ridgway was the first full-time curator of birds at the United States National Museum where he developed his system, which was one of the first and most important colour systems for bird identification. He later expanded it in his classic Color Standards and Nomenclature. Both books are rare, but the early version is extremely so. His works have endured, and everyone from stamp collectors to naturalists to chemists refers to 'Ridgway colors' to identify specific shades. A clipped inscription from Ridgway to Dr. Coues, presumably the ornithologist Elliott Coues, is affixed to the first blank.

1556. RINGELBERG, Ioachim Fortius. Ioachimi Fortii Ringelbergii Andoverpiani opera, quae proxima pagina enumerantur. 664, [2] pp. Profusely illustrated with Woodcuts. Small 8vo., 165 x 100, bound in contemporary blind-stamped pigskin with a Roman goddess on the front cover, and a portrait of Luther on the back cover. Lyon: M. Sylvius for J. Frellonius, 1556. An exceptional copy of the third edition of Ringelberg's Collected Works divided in 6 parts: 1. 'Ad Grammaticen pertinent'. 2. 'Ad Dialecticen'. 3. 'Ad Rhetoricen'. 4. 'Ad Mathematicen'. 5. 'Ad Diviniationem'. & 6. 'Communis quisdam Naturae sunt'. Joachim Sterck van Ringelberg (1499-1531) was an itinerant scholar from Antwerp who lectured all over Europe on almost every imaginable subject. This compendium covers all of his encyclopedic interests, ranging from science, mathematics and astronomy to Greek grammar and the occult arts (for which the book was placed on the Papal… Read More

1884. ROCHAS, Albert de. Le Livre de Demain. 44 separate fascicles comprising 424 pp., illustrated with 11 original samples of rare old paper, 4 chromatic circles, 6 silhouettes by P. Konewka and 5 plates of which 3 are etchings and 2 are reproductions. 8vo, 225 x 140 mm., loose as issued in the original cardboard folder, in a new half morocco folding box. Blois: Imprimerie Raoul Marchand, 1884. A tour de force of fin de siècle bookmaking printed on 44 different kinds of paper. The first three sections deal with the history of paper, ink, and colour, with the rest of the book being a selection of texts printed on various kinds of tinted paper, all decorated in a variety of colours. The paper samples illustrate the history of paper from papyrus to modern Japanese. Among the authors of the texts are Alphonse Daudet, Paul Verlaine and Robert de Montesquiou. Our copy has the rare four-page promotional "Avis" printed on red paper within a gilt rule frame separately published… Read More

1929. RODCHENKO, A.M. Rechevik: stikhi. [The Orator]. By S. M. Tretiakov. 191 pp. 8vo, 180 x 130 mm., bound in original two-color Constructivist letterpress wrappers designed by Rodchenko. Moscow and Leningrad: GIZ, 1929. A fresh copy of this pamphlet with the stunning vibrant wrappers designed by Rodchenko. The poetical text by the very important Leftist poet Tretiakov. Tretiakov was the author of the plays 'Rychi Kitai!' [i.e. Roar, China!] and 'Khochu rebenka' [i.e. I Want a Child]. This cover is one of Rodchenko's most famous and iconic constructivist designs. OCLC lists NYPL, Getty, Stanford and Waseda. With very minimal wear to the wrappers, rare in this condition. Rowell & Wye, No. 826.

1931. RODCHENKO, A.M. Govorit Moskva [Moscow Speaks]. No. 36 (104), 1931. 18 pp., illustrated throughout. Folio, 314 x 225 mm., bound in publisher's colour peek-a-boo Constructivist die-cut wrappers designed by Rodchenko. Moscow: Vsesoiuznyi kom-t po radioveshchaniiu, 1931. One of the rare issues of Moscow Speaks with the stunning lithographed decorative spirals on the cover by Rodchenko. It includes the poem "Devyasot pyatyi god" [The Nine Hundred and Fifth Year] by Pasternak, its fragility has added to the other conditions that have made it extremely scarce. OCLC lists only a set at the Hoover Institution on War, Revolution and Peace. Stanford University. A fine copy. Rowell & Wy, No. 953 for 1931 no. 11.

1936. RODCHENKO, A. and Varvara STEPANOVA. URSS en Construction. Est Consacaré au 15 Anniversaire du Kazakstan. No 11. Unpaginated, illustrated throughout. Folio, 415 x 292 mm., bound in original wrappers, preserved in a recent blue cloth box. Moscow: Editions d'Etat des Beaux-Arts, 1935. A fine copy of one of the issues of this landmark periodical designed by Rodchenko and Stepanova. As Martin Parr says, "From 1930-1940 URSS en Construction employed the best Soviet photo-journalists and graphic designers. Amongst the photographers were Max Alpert, Arkadi Shaikhet, Georgi Zeima, Boris Ignatovich, Semen Fridland and Georgi Shaikhet. Designers included El Lissitzky, Sophie Kueppers, Aleksandr Rodchenko and Varvara Stepanova. All the visual strategies of the propaganda photobooks, designed by Lissitzky, Rodchenko and others -- the elaborate photomontages, innovative photography, fold-out pages, transparent overlays and so on -- were developed in URSS en Construction, one of the… Read More

1958. YACHTING. The Story of American Yachting told in pictures. Text by William H. Taylor and Stanley Rosenfeld. [xiv], 276 pp. Illustrated throughout with black and white photographs by Morris Rosenfeld. Folio, bound in recent full blue morocco, gilt-lettered spine. New York: Appleton Inc., 1958. First Edition. Illustrated by Morris Rosenfeld, reknown marine photographer, with nearly a hundred action photographs documenting the heritage of American yachting on the high seas. Why people sail, how yachting came to America, The America's Cup Races, Ocean racing and cruising, the life of a sailor, the contemporary yachting scene, et al. Fine copy in a full blue morocco deluxe binding.

1839. ROUGET DE LISLE, A. Chromagraphie. Four parts in one volume. 8; 8; 16; 12, 8 pp., illustrated with four wood-engraved vignettes, 10 folding hand-coloured lithographed plates showing over 100 pairs of colour arrangements numbered figs. 1-74; three engraved folding diagrams of weaving designs by Durau fils; one plate of weaving tools and two of stitching details by Leblanc and one fold-out lithographic table. 4to, 275 x 190 mm., bound in publisher's lithographic boards, blue cloth spine, preserved in a slipcase and blue morocco backed chemise. Paris: Chez l'auteur, chez Pitois Levrault, 1839. BOUND WITH: Notice sur les machines et procedes relatifs a la composition, a l'impression des dessins et a la fabrication des tapisseries. [8], 4, [12] pp., illustrated with two full page engraved plates. Paris: 1845. First edition, third and most complete issue, of the first practical manual to employ Chevreul's Law of Simultaneous Colour Contrast, published the same year as his… Read More

1947. MATISSE, Henri. Repli. By André Rouveyre. 163, [6] pp., illustrated with 12 lithographs and 6 linocuts. 4to, bound loose as issued in the original bright yellow wrappers, chemise and slipcase. Uncut and unopened. Paris: Éditions du Belier, 1947. A pristine copy of this scarce book which shows off Matisse's skill as a portraitist and also his sense of whimsy. Rouveyre's poem "depicts the termination of a certain exhausted love" (Rouveyre, quoted in Duthuit). Matisse designed six portraits of a woman's head, representing the object of the poet's affections, to accompany the first part of Rouveyre's text; six variations of Rouveyre's portrait appear in the second part. One of 315 copies on Velin signed by Matisse and Rouveyre, of a total edition of 370. Duthuit 20.

1929. RUECKERT, Otto. Die Kunsthandwerkliche Förderung des Baumalers. 63, [1] pp., illustrated with 42 colour halftone plates, and a few small diagrams in the text. 4to, 229 x 178 mm., bound in publisher's printed cloth-backed boards. Dresden: Verlag des Verbandes Sächsischer Vereinigungen selbständiger Maler und Lackierer, 1929. First edition of this most appealing survey of design and colour for Bauhaus architecture and home construction, with chapters on the aesthetics of house surfaces, colour in interior design, the psychology of colour, the effects of colour in space, etc., plus a few passages relating to typography. The plates, in muted colours, show a variety of colour charts, colours on room walls, overviews of house plans showing differently coloured rooms and an illustration of perspective; all strongly evoking the Bauhaus style. Spine somewhat faded, otherwise a tight and clean copy. Rückert's Kunsthandwerkliche is a visual gem of architectural bookmaking.

1555. 169673 RUSCELLI, Giralomo et al. Del tempio alla divina signora donna Giouanna d'Aragona. [48], 388 [i.e. 404]; 159 [i.e. 147], [37] pp. With woodcut initials throughout. Small 8vo., 148 x 100, bound in contemporary vellum, title in manuscript on the spine. Venice: Per Plinio Pietrasanta, 1555. $2500.00 First Edition of a collection of neo-Platonic verse by members of the academy, among them Ruscelli, Alessandro Piccolomini, Annibal Caro, Benedetto Varchi, Lodovico Domenichi, Giovanni della Casa, and Pietro Aretino, as well as six women poets: Anna Golfarina, Colletta Pasquale, Fausta Tacita, Gaspara Stampa, Isabella Pepoli de' Riarii, and Laura Terracina. The first part contains poems in Italian, while a second part, includes poems in Latin, Greek, and Spanish. The publication of the "Tempio" was approved by the academy in 1551, and the text of the decree appears in the introduction. The poems together constitute the "tempio," a place of worship in honor of… Read More

1970. RUSCHA, Edward. Real Estate Opportunities. [2] pp. Illustrated with 25 black and white photographic illustrations. 8vo., 178 x 140 mm, bound in publisher's white paper wrappers. [Los Angeles: Edward Ruscha], 1970. $ 2500.00 First Edition. Ruscha's early photographic work on empty lots and "real estate opportunities" in the surrounding Los Angeles area. The black and white photographs capture various run-down buildings and plots of land that were currently for sale. Inscribed to Paul Cornwall-Jones by Ruscha. With Ed Ruscha's card laid-in.

1967. RUSCHA, EDWARD. Royal Road Test. Unpaginated artist's book with 36 b&w illustrations. Small 4to, spiral bound wraps. 1967. First edition. Ruscha, Mason William and Patrick Blackwell "test" a Royal typewriter by throwing it from a moving car on a desert highway southwest of Las Vegas. Photographs scrupulously record the aftermath.

1970. RUSCHA, Edward. Babycakes with Weights. [4] pp. Illustrated with 22 black and white photographic illustrations. 8vo., 192 x 155 mm, bound in publisher's light blue paper wrappers with pink ribbon for stitching. [Los Angeles]: Edward Ruscha, 1970. First Edition. One of Ruscha's celebrated early photographic books. The photos record one slightly hungry-looking baby and 21 photographs of assorted cakes, pies, sweetbreads, pastries and tarts with the weight of each item. The title on the binding is printed in light green felt with a soft fuzzy texture and the pink ribbon is tied into a knot on the verso. A fine copy. Johnson, Artists' Books in the Modern Era 1870-2000 No. 157.

1966. [RUSCHA, Edward] Mason WILLIAMS. The Night I Lost My Baby: A Las Vegas Vignette. 64 pp. Illustrated with 20 black and white photographs by Patrick Blackwell. 8vo., bound in gold cloth covered boards. Los Angeles: [self published], 1966. Designed by Ruscha in which he collaborates with Williams, in a similar fashion as he did in Royal Road Test in 1967, this little known book consists of a series of black and white photographs of Las Vegas paired with commentary words. Although the subject is Las Vegas rather than his well known Los Angeles, the tone of the book delivers very much in keeping with his other works. Edition of 500. Inscribed by Mason Williams.