ANTIQUARIAN & DELUXE EDITIONS

London: Thomas Nelson, 1884 blue cloth with black and extra gilt decoration to upper board and spine, handling soiled cloth, corner tips frayed, spine ends rubbed, all edges gilt, spine rubbed, ink stain to lower (rear) board, original floral endpapers browned, front hinge cracked, assumed first, 221pp with engraved frontis, some minor age spotting. First Edition. Decorative Cloth. Very Good/No Jacket. 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall. more information

Offered by Fortuna Books (New Zealand)

London: Bliss Sands & Co, 1897 red cloth, sun faded spine, gilt vignette to upper board and spine, top edge gilt , fore edge untrimmed, minor surface soiling to boards from handling, remains of gift prize plate to front paste down which is partially removed, offset toning to fep, 332pp + 20pp adverts + 16 b&w plates, frontis tissue guard is foxed, first 27pp are a memoir of the author, some pages are unopened. Robinsons first book as an illustrator and thus rare. shipping includes insurance. First Edition. Decorative Cloth. Very Good/No Jacket. Illus. by W H Robinson. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. more information

Offered by Fortuna Books (New Zealand)

London: Dent, 1968 VG to near fine book in VG DW. DW spine sunned, small patch surface lifted from the foot of the fold in flap where a label has been removed, price clipped. 493pp+ plates + 4pp adverts. #22 in the C.I.C. series. 26 line drawings and 4 colour plates. top edge some spots of foxing otherwise a very tidy copy.. reprint. Cloth. Very Good/Very Good. Illus. by Lionel Edwards. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. more information

Offered by Fortuna Books (New Zealand)

London: John Rodker, 1927 The story 'Sara' taken from 'M Nicholas, or the human heart unveiled' translated by RCM. Salmon quarter cloth, gray papered boards with gilt wreath to upper board. Green printed DW with a diamond hole cut out on spine. The cloth below the hole is faded and has a faint pencil diamond mark to it. DW has some minor surface rubbing and a small splash of white paint on the rear panel. Offsetting brown to end papers, top edge dusted blue, front endpaper [Jill] in ink. xiv 270pp on rag paper with browning to all edges, minor areas of foxing. Top corner of rear half of book water marked. Numbered limited edition #341 of 1000c on Auvergne hand made rag paper for subscribers. tipped in errata commenting on the paper quality. Frontis engraving. Tidy but aged copy.. First Edition thus. Quarter cloth. Very Good/Good. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. more information

Offered by Fortuna Books (New Zealand)

Oxford: Samuel Collingwood, 1834 (500 gram rate) full oiginal leather binding, which is plain apart from a blind stamped oval impression being ' BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY ' leather is uniformly rubbed and just starting at the spine ends, the text block is loose but firm on the three tapes, hinges opened, original gray endpapers soiled, original booksellers label to front paste down for 'G.COLLIER 72 Hutton Garden', minor soilin or discolouration to page edges, rear paste down has some pencil, nice as is or would benefit from a restoration to tighten the text block and revitalise the leather, pages unnumbered but 12mo collation goes A-O so 360pp. Full-Leather. Good/No Jacket. 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall. more information

Offered by Fortuna Books (New Zealand)

London: Oxford University Press, 1913 very tidy near fine in gilt decorated red imitation-leather cloth, spine is slightly sun faded, the leather is drawn over padded boards, all edge gilt, A E G, silk marker ribbon, viii 667pp + port. frontis., small (miniscule) nick from the fore edge of the fep, a very tidy and attractive collection of her works in the "Oxford Edition" , double column. reprint. Decorative Cloth. Fine/No Jacket. 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall. more information

Offered by Fortuna Books (New Zealand)

London: Folio Society, 1962 quarter dark green leather spine to brick buckram boards, copper engravings by Sturt from the 1728 edition, first thus, 290pp + plates, spotted closed edges, minimal foxing to prelims. lacks slipcase, light rubbing spine ends. First Edition. Quarter-leather. Very Good/No Jacket. Illus. by J Sturt. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Private Press. more information

Offered by Fortuna Books (New Zealand)

London: James Goodwin, 1812 (500 gram rate) two volumes bound in one, original (?) full dark leather, red title label, upper board detached at joint but loosely held by cords. some rubbing to leather especially to corners, probably still OK for a rebacking, VOL 1 starts with frontis (with former owners name stamp to its verso [Wm.Craig]) and facing engraved title page, followed by printed title page, this has bottom right corner torn and missing losing some of the publishers information (but this is duplicated in vol 2 title) and has an erased pencil mathematical equation on the blank verso. xxiv + 135pp + 2 engraved plates one has been adeptly hand coloured. VOL 2 engraved title followed by printed title, vii + 143pp + 3 engraved plates + blank fly. Book has front fep missing. Book closed edges are dust soiled, top 20-30mm of all pages have been waterstained varying from darkish to quite light in places. A nice little volume to keep in the pocket while touring the Highlands maybe!. Full-Leather. Good/No Jacket. 16mo - over 5¾" - 6¾" tall. more information

Offered by Fortuna Books (New Zealand)

London: Heinemann, 1923 small gift inscritption in initials to fep, light soiling and wear to boards, 226pp + plates etc, has some first publications and a plate by Rackham 'Somebody's Book'. First Edition. Quarter cloth. Good/No Jacket. Illus. by Arthur Rackham. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall. more information

Offered by Fortuna Books (New Zealand)

London: Heinemann, 1923 light soiling and wear to boards, 226pp + plates etc, has some first publications and a plate by Rackham 'Somebody's Book'. First Edition. Quarter cloth. Very Good/No Jacket. Illus. by Arthur Rackham. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall. more information

Offered by Fortuna Books (New Zealand)

Pennsylvania: Franklin Library, 1981 near fine excepting small amount of white paint at tail of the fore edge of the lower board ONLY, deep red / maroon leather with extra gilt panelling, all edges gilt, thick marker ribbon in place, illustrated by Jim Campbell, maroon cloth endpapers, 273pp. First Edition. Full-Leather. Very Good/No Jacket. Illus. by Jim Campbell. 8vo. more information

Offered by Fortuna Books (New Zealand)

London: Folio Society, 2001 first thus edition from the revised 1997 edition by Barry Cunliffe, brick red cloth blocked in gilt Celtic designs, brown papered slipcase with gilt celtic sword and torc design, both excellent condition, book has sewn headband and dusted top edge, xxvi 317pp + plates ( including colour photos ) and many maps, covers European and British / Irish Celtic culture and remains. First Edition. Decorative Cloth. Fine/Fine. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" Tall. more information

Offered by Fortuna Books (New Zealand)

Leipzig: Kurt Wolff, 1924 (500 gram rate) assumed first edition, undated, former owner name and date to front paste down dated 1944, papered boards lightly soiled, rubbed, rubbed joints, chipped at head of spine, split at top of joints, binding loosening a little, 90pp + plates by Emil Preetorius, German language in black letter, black silhouette vignettes as chapter heads. First Edition. Decorative Boards. Good/No Jacket. Illus. by Emil Preetorius. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. more information

Offered by Fortuna Books (New Zealand)

London: Harrap full leather with 3 leather 'straps' riveted to boards at spine edge, embossed D with La Vita Nuova and a coloured raised portrait of Dante in leather relief to upper board, spine ends have perished leather, corners and fore edges a bit of leather flake, seems to have new yellow endpapers, top edge gilt others untrimmed, calligraphic illumination throughout including some full page colour plates, approx 168pp, includes musical score by Alfred Mercer. First Edition. Full-Leather. Good/No Jacket. Illus. by Evelyn Paul. 48mo - over 3" - 4" tall. more information

Offered by Fortuna Books (New Zealand)

London: Cassell Petter & Galpin black cloth with black leather and gilt spine, edges and corners rubbed, front hinge cracked and opened holding by cords as is rear but still quite a tight binding, on reverse of frontis is inscription dated June 21st 1890. colour frontis, rubric title, with short tear at top edge. 222pp + colour full page illustrations. some minor foxing, large type, decorative capitals, 6 colour plates incl frontis in gaudy Victorian reds and golds etc. . Half-Leather. Good/No Jacket. 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall. more information

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London: Reprint Society, 1951 (200 gram rate) first edition thus, being Reprint Society edition of the "Charles Dickens Edition' of 1858-70. quarter red leather spine to brown cloth with gilt title medallion and gilt title to spine, endpapers offset browned, neat rubber name stamp to fep, col frontis + 3 col plates by John Leech, 4 woodcuts, 117pp. VG book, DW has short edge tears top and bottom edge and along spine folds, with minor chipping loss.. First Edition. Quarter-leather. Very Good/Good. Illus. by John Leech. 16mo - over 5¾" - 6¾" tall. more information

Offered by Fortuna Books (New Zealand)

Oxonii: Joannes Henricus Parker, 1851 (viii),(1-3)4-748(ii) text in two bordered columns. Full blue leather, double line gilt border both covers,gilt dec. panels on spine, title panel red leather, end-papers and edges marbled. Raised surfaces are worn and some discolouration to covers through wear. Title page has bottom 3/4" removed, possibly this is a new title added when edition corrected (by substitution of new text leaves?) as it has browned a little in contrast to rest of book. Nine tragedies by Aeschylus, eight by Sophocles, twenty-two by Euripides and twelve comedies by Aristophanes, all in Greek text.Contents, preface and notes in Latin. Near fine interior content. Top right corner of upper panel has worn through leather but only just. Weighs over 1 kg.. Editio Secunda Correctior. Full-Leather. Very Good/No Jacket. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall. more information

Offered by Fortuna Books (New Zealand)

London: F H Dougal, 1886 red cloth blind embossed and gilt titled, gilt spine and blind lower board. lower board has minor surface soiling from damp but only to the surface and not through to the paste down etc. Paste down and endpapers are yellow printed with Opinions of the Press which are dated 1886 and I assume this is the date of this edition. Following the endpaper there is a pink leaf and then two blue leaves also printed with adverts and testimonials. Then follows 468pp normal paper stock, but also inserted amongst these are various pages, some folding , on different colour stock of testimonials from those who have gained inheritances from using Douglas' earlier Indices. I f you think you have british ancestry who may have left intestate estates maybe yoiu should have a look in here! Slipped in are 4 pieces of ephemera issued with the book, an A4 Order form folded in two , two A5 Will Search forms and the original addressed envelope on red paper to be used to send the Order form for the relevant details to Douglas'. The prospective next of kin would searcgh the Index then send off these forms to recieve the relevant information to make a claim on the estate. Very uncommon to find these intact and with the book. OVERALL A VG BOOK and also the ephemera VG condition. . Decorative Cloth. Very Good/No Jacket. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. more information

Offered by Fortuna Books (New Zealand)

San Francisco: Paul Elder & Co, 1911 (1500 grams) tan paper covered boards with pasted on photo, 1/2 burlap spine, upper board lightly soiled, with some flaking to the gilt titling and a scuff at the top corner, a larger scuff with loss of top surface of some paper from the lower ( rear) board, 72 pp + 37 tipped in photographic plates, two by Arnold Genth, Contributions by Charles Warren Stoddard, Ina Coolbrith, Joaquin Miller, George Sterling, David Starr Jordan, Frank Norris, Bret Harte, Gelett Burgess, Gertrude Atherton, Edwin Markham, John Muir, printed on tan card stock with the plates tipped on at one edge, tissue guard present at frontis Album of 37 monotone photographs, each tipped-in to a seprate page. Text of book, containing extracts from various California and Western writers and poets, is printed on brown stock. Book is bound in original hardcover binding - canvas-backed spine, brown paper-backed boards, front cover lettered in gold with photograph mounted within gold ruled borders.. First Edition. Decorative Boards. Very Good/No Jacket. Illus. by Arnold Genthe. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall. more information

Offered by Fortuna Books (New Zealand)

London: Ernest Nister undated but presentation plate is dated 1899, bevelled boards , green cloth with red, dark green and gilt decoration, rubbed to edges and the detail on the spine is worn, corners starting to fray, front hinge cracked, 192 pp, all edges gilt, well illustrated, colour frontis, printed in Bavaria, some pages have short marginal edge tears. . First Edition. Decorative Cloth. Good/No Jacket. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" Tall. more information

Offered by Fortuna Books (New Zealand)

London: New English Library large book, 142pp seems to be lacking half title as starts after blank free end paper at title page and there is also no publishing date. The DW is VG although price clipped. There are some double pages that fold out, and all illustrations are in colour ( even colour photos of b&w originals). A two leaf section was misbound and so now sits loose. Includes some very scarce Beatrix Potter panorama books, and a 'Speaking' book. Some wear to bottom edge of boards but generally VG VG.. Hard Cover. Very Good/Very Good. landscape 4to. more information

Offered by Fortuna Books (New Zealand)

London: J Taylor at the Architectural Library, 1813 title continues as ; "an investigation of the principles and proportions of that style of architecture called the gothic and an inquiry into the mode of painting upon and staining glass as practised in the ecclesiastical structures of the middle ages", half calf green leather well rubbed and worn with similar well rubbed marbled boards, corners rubbed back to board tips, lower joint split along top half, 10mm lost from headof spine, edges of boards rubbed to the card boards, front hinge almost completely split holding by lower cord, name stamp ELDER to fep, reverse of fep has some ink which seems to have offset when the page was used as a blotter!, some small tears in the fep also, frontis is damp toned to the edges, and has offset a brown area onto tht title page, a few pages of the preface have damp darkened margins, the text is foxed throughout where it seems the printing ink has had a high iron content, there are also a few stains, viii 251pp + 11 folding plates +20pp index, the plates are reasonably tidy but have offset onto the blank verso of the proceeding plates, the book throughout has a tendency to feathered paper and may benefit from resizing if rebinding is intended, much better than sounds and perfectly suitable as a reference copy, . First Edition. Half-Leather. Good/No Jacket. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. more information

Offered by Fortuna Books (New Zealand)

London: Dent, 1910 first thus illustrated, Hawthornes retelling of Classical myths with illustrations in colour by Granville Fenn. Full decorative cloth upper board and spine, some hndling wear and soiling, spine faded, small splits head and tail, corners lightly bumped and just starting to fray slightly to tips, school prize plate to fep dated 1910, very minor instances of scattered foxing, (xii) 364pp + 24 coloured plates. The text block is still well attached by the sewing but the glue seems to have perished slightly so that the sections show gaps between each other where they are sewn at the binding. Top edge gilt. very nice copy, a little foxing to final page and rear fep. . First Edition. Decorative Cloth. Very Good/No Jacket. Illus. by Granville Fenn. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. more information

Offered by Fortuna Books (New Zealand)

Amstelodami: Abrahami a Someren, 1688 (2500 grams) two vols full vellum with raised bands and hand inked contemporary titling to the spine, also small gilt embellishment at heads of spines, blind stamped medallion to upper boards, the vellum has heavy soiling associated with handling the white boards over the centuries, paste downs show paper scars from removal of bookplates, top corner of the fep of vol 1 has small piece torn off, closed edges dust soiled, title of vol 1 has hair-fine ink underline to two lines of text, some foxing, mainly to the edges and final pages, 764 + 890pp title page rubricated , text consists of Greek, Hebrew and Latin, title reads " [RAShI AVOTh] sive de Historia Sacra Patriarcharum exercitationes selectae, editio secunda, priori multo correctior " vol 1-1688 vol 2-1689, tidy internally and sound binding, printed decorative initials, heavy set of earliest corrected reprinting, commentary on the patriarchs of the Old Testament. second revised edition. Vellum. Very Good/No Jacket. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. more information

Offered by Fortuna Books (New Zealand)

London: Moxon, 1870 undated reprint of 1870 book, red cloth extra gilt with black titling, backstrip is partially detached and sewn collations are loosening, corners rubbed, will need a simple rebacking and tightening, minor scattered foxing at prelims, all edges gilt, illustrations by Seccombe engraved by F Joubert, The oOld Woman's Golden Leg ( literally) does her no good in the end! 150 + 2pp. reprint. Decorative Cloth. Good/No Jacket. Illus. by Thomas S Seccombe. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall. more information

Offered by Fortuna Books (New Zealand)

London: Castell Brothers navy cloth gilt decorated, bevelled edge light wear to edges frayed tips of corners, lacks fep, text in red and black fancy type, sepia engravings / etchings throughout with the text superimposed, nice thick paper stock, all edges gilt, approx 150pp. Decorative Cloth. Very Good/No Jacket. Illus. by Alice Price & F Corbyn Price . 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. more information

Offered by Fortuna Books (New Zealand)

London: Ward Lock maroon red bevelled cloth boards, decoratiive banded spine, decorative boards, all edges gilt, dec endpapers, two line inscription to fep, rubber stamp of a turtle and the date 3/12/84 in pen to first blank leaf after fep, frontis with tissue guard. a little water marking to top edge extreme margin, spine joints lightly rubbed, two splash marks lower board (faint). With a memoir by Clement Shorter and illustrations by Geoffry Hamlyn. xxx + 468pp. New edition. Decorative Cloth. Very Good/No Jacket. Illus. by Herbert Railton. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. more information

Offered by Fortuna Books (New Zealand)

London: Ward Lock, 1895 maroon red bevelled cloth boards, decoratiive banded spine, decorative boards, all edges gilt, dec endpapers, two line inscription to fep, rubber stamp of a turtle and the date 3/12/84 in pen to reverse of frontis, frontis with tissue guard. spine joints lightly rubbed. 472pp. New edition. Decorative Cloth. Very Good/No Jacket. Illus. by Gordon Browne. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. more information

Offered by Fortuna Books (New Zealand)

London: Folio Society, 2001 near fine both the book and the slipcase, gold boards with cartoon designs, thrid printing of the folio society edition of collected works from Punch magazine, 272pp, illustrated with cartoons etc throughout the text.. reprint. Decorative Boards. Fine/Fine. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Private Press. more information

Offered by Fortuna Books (New Zealand)

London: George Routledge & Sons, 1889 scarce Victorian book on great historical warrior kings, includes Charlemagne, William the Conqueror, Frederic Barbarossa, Richard Coeur De Lion, Edward I, Robert Bruce, Henry V, Francis I, Henri IV, Gustavus Adolphus, Charles XII of Sweden, Frederic the Great, red cloth with black, yellow and gilt decoration, spine leans slightly, light soiling to lower board, verso of frontis has long copperplate prize inscription to Walter Anderson of Charteris Bay School, 378pp + plates and illustrations in the text, includes frontis with tissue guard, Victorian stationers stamp to bottom of title page. First Edition. Decorative Cloth. Very Good/No Jacket. Illus. by A De Neuville. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. more information

Offered by Fortuna Books (New Zealand)

London: Cassell Petter Gilpin & Co (500 gram rate) Twenty-fifth thousand. Blue papered boards with dark blue and gilt decoration of a fairy with a shield riding a bat. backstrip detached at upper joint but holding along lower joint, some edge wear, corners rubbed through to boards, internally VG but glue along the backstrip perished so shows gaps between the sewn sections which still hold well and tight, viii , 160 + 8pp adverts. Undated circa 1880? advert on lower board for Chicken Market is priced at six shillings. All the best Western European fairy tales collected here and nicely illustrated in line, great for instilling European culture in your kids ...or yourself. The fragile papered backstrip could be reinforced with archival tape.. reprint. Pictorial Cover. Good/No Jacket. Illus. by J Moyr Smith. 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall. more information

Offered by Fortuna Books (New Zealand)

New York: Peter Pauper, 1974 (500 gram rate) price clipped DW 62pp + plates. First Edition. Hard Cover. Very Good/Very Good. Illus. by Stanley Clough. 16mo - over 5¾" - 6¾" tall. Private Press. more information

Offered by Fortuna Books (New Zealand)

London: Samuel Bagster, 1825 (500 gram rate) full dark chocolate leather with blind embossed panelling and patterns to both boards, embossed patterned spine with gilt titling, gilt lined fore edges of boards, corners lightly curled, faint pencil to verso of fep, all edges gilt, shorthand (?) pencil to rear free fly and fep, 23 + 188pp includes variant readings chart, double column and tiny type (2 mm high!) in Greek face, beautiful little collectable book. Full-Leather. Very Good/No Jacket. 16mo - over 5¾" - 6¾" tall. more information

Offered by Fortuna Books (New Zealand)

London: John Cumberland & Duncombe, 1826 3 volumes uniformly bound, half calf marbled boards, spines with raised bands and gilt decorated panels, black morocco label with gilt 'PLAYS VOL. I, II or III', corners rubbed, upper board of VOL I neatly rubbed back in the centre to the board beneath, marbled endpapers with binders labels of Deighton & Moxon, 19 Pavement York, closed edges faded marbling, Each title may have slight offsetting from the facing engraved frontis, the frontispieces to the Dolby printed plays are by J R Cruikshank, a uniformly bound set of nineteenth century playbills, all in same format etc, some in the Dolby's British Theatre imprint, others not but in same format including; ---Henry Milner's Frankenstein: or The Man and the Monster. A Romantic Melo-Drama, in Two Acts. FOUNDED PRINCIPALLY ON MRS. SHELLEY'S SINGULAR WORK ENTITLED FRANKENSTEIN; OR, THE MODERN PROMETHEUS (1826) 28 pp. Copper-engraved frontispiece portrait of Mr. O. Smith as the Monster in Frankenstein. Figure drawing at end of text showing the position of the characters when the curtain falls. Duncombe’s Edition. This has as a frontis the first pictorial representation of the monster in print. Early Frankenstein playbill, the script of the 1826 staged theatre production as performed at the London Theatres. Preceded only by the first two editions of Shelley's book this item precedes the scarce third London edition by five years. Lists characters and the actors who played them, listing the Monster with six asterisks only, but giving the actor's name,--- this is bound in with eight other play bills into VOL I, viz; ( approx 300pp) The Barber of Seville by FAWCETT / The Highland Reel by O'KEEFE / Monsieur Tonson by MONCRIEFF/ Humphrey Clinker by DIBDIN/ Oberon, or The Charmed Horn by WIELAND / The Robber's Wife by POCOCK / Frankenstein, or, The Man and The Monster by MILNER & Mary Wollstonecraft SHELLEY / The Irishman in London by MACREADY/ Intrigue, or, The Bath Road by POOLE, all published by John Cumberland, London excepting Frankenstein & Intrigue which are by Duncombe, London, VOL II, ( approx 400pp) The Pilot by FITZ-BALL / The Busy Body by CENTLIVRE / She Stoops to Conquer by Dr GOLDSMITH (Dolby 1823) / The Stranger by THOMPSON ( a four leaf section pulled at head with short margin tear and the pages sitting a little proud but still attached) / All in the wrong by MURPHY (Dolby 1824) some light foxing / The Fall of Algiers ANON (Dolby) small brown stain to text at foot of frontis and some offset to title over the publisher information ( a dark water mark) and some other minor foxing VOL III, ( approx 500pp) King Henry VIII / King Henry IV part II by SHAKSPEARE / Brutus or the Fall of Tarquin by John Howard PAYNE / The Fatal Dowry by MASSINGER / The Devil's Ducat by Douglas JERROLD / Cymbeline by SHAKSPEARE / The Grecian Daughter by Arthur MURPHY / The Road to Ruin by Thomas HOLCRAFT. ( NB- the scan shows the offset marking on the title and the colour of the boards as darker than appears to the naked eye, we will only accept a telegraphic bank transfer as payment for this item) Henry Milner's Frankenstein or the Man and the Monster (1826), a minor work, which nevertheless is still known for being the first version that showed the creation/awakening of the Monster. In Shelley's novel the actual creation is only described in a few lines: "It was on a dreary night of November that I beheld the accomplishment of my toils. With an anxiety that almost amounted to agony, I collected the instruments of life around me, that I might infuse a spark of being into the lifeless thing that lay at my feet. It was already one in the morning; the rain pattered dismally against the panes, and my candle was nearly burnt out, when, by the glimmer of the half-extinguished light, I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open; it breathed hard, and a convulsive motion agitated its limbs." (Shelley 1992: 56) In Peake's Presumption the Monster is still created off-stage. At the end of the first act Frankenstein disappears to his laboratory. A servant watches him through a window, but runs off frightened when Frankenstein cries, "It lives!" A horrified Frankenstein reappears on stage when suddenly the Monster himself, throwing down the laboratory's door, rushes on stage and presents his monstrosity to the audience. Like Mary Shelley Peake did not reveal the secret how Frankenstein animates his Monster. Milner, however, provides exact stage directions for the creation scene in Frankenstein or the Man and the Monster: "Laboratory with bottles and chemical apparatus. First sight of the monster an indistinct form with a black cloth...music....A colossal human figure of a cadaverous livid complexion, it slowly begins to rise, gradually attaining an erect posture. When it has attained a perpendicular position, and glares its eyes upon him, he starts back with horror." (Milner 1. iii 1826) In subsequent years many stage and film productions of Frankenstein would present similar creation scenes.. First Edition. Half-Leather. Very Good/No Jacket. Illus. by J R Cruikshank. 16mo - over 5¾" - 6¾" tall. more information

Offered by Fortuna Books (New Zealand)

Christchurch New Zealand: Caxton Press, 1941 AREOPAGITICA marbled boards blue buckram quarter bound, paper spine label ( as well as spare tipped in at rear of book). minimal hard to spot silverfish surface damage to top of boards. Printed on Francis antique laid paper. 55 pages. Limited edition of 150. Typographical and limitation notice at rear, name in light green ink to fep , minimal scattered foxing to end papers, top edge dusted blue, very nice copy. No dustwrapper. A nice example of the quality achieved by Christchurch's premier (semi-) private press. . First Edition. Quarter cloth. Very Good/No Jacket. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. limited edition. more information

Offered by Fortuna Books (New Zealand)

Paris: Nelson 6 vols complete. tight tidy small volumes gilt title and dec to cover and spine, off white buckram slightly dust soiled , top edges dusty, each vol has frontis. and some plates as well. various pagination average 500 -550 per vol + adverts at rear, all VG postage will be equivalent to two or three octavos, I will quote on request. COMPLETELY FRENCH TEXT.. Cloth. Very Good/No Jacket. 16mo - over 5¾" - 6¾" tall. more information

Offered by Fortuna Books (New Zealand)

Soho: Nonesuch, 1924 vellum spine, papered boards slightly soiled, untrimmed fore edges, foxed endpapers, numbered limited edition #562 / 1250 copies, laid watermarked paper, anthology of famous poetry, ix 128pp including 43pp of Moore's 'Thesis'. First Edition. Quarter Vellum. Very Good/No Jacket. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. limited edition. more information

Offered by Fortuna Books (New Zealand)

London: Folio Society, 1952 two toned quarter bound cloth, lacks slipcase, slight foxing to prelims or closed edges, VG, 208pp + plates. edited by Morpurgo from Trelawny's recollections of the two great poets.. First Edition. Cloth. Very Good/No Jacket. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Private Press. more information

Offered by Fortuna Books (New Zealand)

London: Harrap, 1928 (2000 gram rate) blue green pebbled grain leatherette cloth with gilt panel to upper and blind panel to lower board, gilt titled and decorated spine, joints rubbed and showing cloth along the edges, name and date to fep dated 1932, light foxing to prelims and closed edges, half title has a small tear along the hinge fold at the top part, final illustration page after last page of text is almost detached but neatly along the hinge, as is final free end paper, book size 11 x 8 inches, 382pp + 32 b&w and colour plates by Harry Clarke and with decorations in the text, beautiful and eerie art deco style gothic illustrations to complement the dark masters poetry and prose. reprint. Cloth. Very Good/No Jacket. Illus. by Harry Clarke. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall. more information

Offered by Fortuna Books (New Zealand)

London: Book Club Associates, 1979 reprint facsimile of the Harrap 1935 edition. light grey boards with black skeleton, black quarter cloth. dec endpapers. VG dustwrapper very minor spine fade. 318pp + plates. 12 colour + 17 b&w illustrations. . reprint. Quarter cloth. Very Good/Very Good. Illus. by Arthur Rackham. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall. more information

Offered by Fortuna Books (New Zealand)

London: A H Bullen, 1904 3 volumes in browned buckram cloth, top edge gilt, gilt titled spines, insect damage visible to surface of the buckram to all 3 vols. appears as lighter part of the cloth where surface layer of pigment has been lost etc. untrimmed edges shows some foxing, light foxing to prelims. 14 plates all with tissue guards. occaional minor foxing. xlvi, 240 + x, 265 + xi, 307pp approx 2.5KG for shipping. nice edition with large borders. engraved illustrations by Louis Chalon. Urquhart published his translation of the first two books in 1633; Motteux added the third in 1693, based on Urquhart's papers, and translated the fourth and fifth book himself in 1708.. reprint. Buckram. Very Good/No Jacket. Illus. by Louis Chalon. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall. more information

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Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd, 1870 two works bound into one volume. first works title continues "designed as a practical introduction to correctness and perspicuity in writing and to the study of criticism; with copious exercises, for the use of schools" seventeenth edition, the second work is an undated 'new edition'. 134 [2 blank] 114, 24 pp adverts. original marbled eps, plum red blind embossed leather with greek key design to borders, rubbed an worn to edges, joints partially split but holding, black spine label with gilt title 'REID'S COMPOSITION AND KEY" some minor staining to boards. small advertising errata tipped in at title.. reprint. Full-Leather. Good/No Jacket. 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall. more information

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London: Religious Tract Society (200 gram rate) single elaf folded once to make 4pp, type set broadside with decorative titling and illustrated headpiece to first page, edges are worn with short splits, lightly browned, undated, final line after publisher details= [Price 1s per 100] assumed late 1880s ? Religious Tract Society publication. First Edition. Newsprint Broadside. Good/No Jacket. 16mo - over 5¾" - 6¾" tall. Booklet. more information

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London: Harrap, 1929 red cloth with decorative boareds and gilt dec spine, gilt embossed arms of St Bede's College Chritstchurch New Zealand, pasted to fep is prize plate awarded to William Logan of St Bede's 1930, spine cloth rubbed and frayed at head and tail, and also rubbed to corner tips, 358pp + plates, two titles, sixteen colour plates by Roland Wheelwright, nice large illustrated edition with clean contents, first thus. First Edition. Decorative Cloth. Very Good/No Jacket. Illus. by Roland Wheelwright. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. more information

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London: A & C Black, 1891 dark navy buckram with extra gilt decorative tooling, upper board title and thistle design covers full panel, spine title author and publisher + thistle motif, lower board plain. top edge gilt, front hinge cracked and open, pencil initial to fep, frontis with tissue guard faces egraved title, followed by printed title with rubric,rear hinge cracked, 375pp . vignettes etc throughout the text, an attractive copy., corners lightly bumped. . Decorative Cloth. Very Good/No Jacket. Illus. by Birket Foster & John Gilbert. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. more information

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London: W. Johnston and B. Collins, 1772 (500 gram rate) volume three only of the second edition (stated), lacks boards, leather spine with bands and red title label with gilt, front and back have blank fly leaves with some wear and chipping, (4) 275pp erased pencil date at foot of title, useful to complete a set. Second Edition. Disbound. Good/No Jacket. 16mo - over 5¾" - 6¾" tall. more information

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Oxford: John Henry Parker, 1847 (500 gram rate) "...the prayers being fitted to the several days of the week; to which is added a guide for the penitent, also festival hymns, according to the manner of the ancient church, composed for the use of the devout, especially of younger persons." black pebble grain leather, blind ruled boards, gilt title spine with 5 embossed bands, a little minor rubbing, all edges gilt, contemporary R Robinson bookbinder and bookseller Newcastle label to front paste down, endpapers a little dust soiled, first signature stands a little proud, viii 135pp + 8pp adverts, Christian devotional . reprint. Full-Leather. Very Good/No Jacket. 16mo - over 5¾" - 6¾" tall. more information

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London: W Pickering , 1845 small vol seems to be original cloth, paper label is rubbed and worn 45 of the date still shows though as well as most of the other text, spine rubbed and chipped to ends, bookseller label front paste down, FEP inscribed [William H Curtler | Rugby School | 1846 | F*n Coll: Oxford | 1851] faint residue of a rubber stamp (?) below this. rubricated and decorated half title and title, v-xix is dedicatory epistle to Lord Richard Earl of Carbery xxi-xxiv contents, 1-262, + 4 pp works published by William Pickering, rear paste down has residue of library pocket and shelf mark and a cancelled otago university library stamp, A nice early letterpress edition with clean crisp pages and type. Christian classic. ** [William H Curtler | Rugby School | 1846 | F*n Coll: Oxford | 1851] taylor holy dying AN insight into the Curtler family and their wide influence in church and legal circles in Worcester through Victorian times and the early decades of the 20th Century is to be found on the Worcestershire History Encyclopaedia website. The lengthy article is the result of painstaking research by local historian Joan Harris. She goes into the most intricate detail, but space only permits me to give a thumbnail sketch of the Curtlers. The story begins in the second half of the 18th Century with a James and Elizabeth Curtler of Bromsgrove. One of their eight children, Thomas Gale Curtler, born 1797, trained as a solicitor and was Town Clerk of Droitwich for several years until 1836. His brother John was also a solicitor in Droitwich, for many years. In 1824, Thomas Gale married Anne Ricketts from a prosperous Droitwich family and they had three sons, but, alas, Anne died young. In 1837, and at the age of 40, Thomas married again to Mary Oldham, the widow of the Rector of Doverdale, near Ombersley. Mary brought into the marriage her five children, who retained the surname Oldham. In fact, Joan Harris's article offers much information about the Oldhams and their descendants. Some went into the church, and Thomas Oldham gave the original communion plate and two chalices to St Stephen's Church, Worcester. He also left money to provide the children of Claines Parochial School with a tea party, games and entertainment each Whit Tuesday. But back to the Curtlers. Thomas Gale Curtler and his second wife, Mary, set up home in 1837, at Bevere House, the impressive Georgian property he bought on the northern edge of Worcester. It was to be the family home for several generations. Thomas became a solicitor at Worcester, and also a keen agriculturalist, raising shorthorns on the Bevere Estate and eventually owning 720 acres of land, mainly in Worcestershire. He also became heavily involved in public life and was a county magistrate, vice-chairman of Worcestershire Quarter Sessions from 1845 to 1866, a Deputy Lieutenant of Worcestershire, chairman of the Visiting Committee of the Powick County Asylum, a leading figure in the Worcestershire Agricultural Society, and a member of the boards of the Worcester Royal Infirmary and the Royal Albert Orphan Asylum. Thomas Gale Curtler also gave considerable support to the Worcester sisters, Jane Lavender and Mrs Mary Gutch, when they gifted the money to build St Stephen's Church which opened in 1862. We now follow the Curtler dynasty via Thomas Gale Curtler's three sons from his first marriage - Thomas Gale junior, William Henry and Martin. All three went to Rugby School where Thomas junior was Head Boy, and two continued on to Oxford University. Thomas junior, who married his step-sister Harriette Oldham, went into the church and was Vicar of Doverdale in the 1850s and then the first Vicar of the "new" St Stephen's Church at Worcester, from 1862, until his death in 1891. His wife Harriette seems to have been much-loved in the parish and after her death in 1876, a memorial window to her was placed in St Stephen's. William Henry Curtler also went into the church and was Vicar of Lympstone, in Devon, from 1858 until 1872. He married his step-sister Fanny Oldham and they had three sons, one becoming a priest and another a barrister. William spent his final years at Bevere House and died around 1891. According to Joan Harris, Martin Curtler was probably the most widely popular and influential of Thomas Gale Curtler's three sons, both inside and outside the family. "He was a pillar of society, a fixer of family things, and a great benefactor to worthy causes and churches in Worcestershire and Herefordshire," says Joan. She would dearly love to see a photograph of Martin Curtler - if anyone knows the whereabouts of one! Following in his father's footsteps into law, Martin was articled into the Worcester firm of Hyde & Tymbs and became a solicitor practising first at offices in Pierpoint Street and later at Sansome Place. He married Laura Jane Powell of a wealthy Herefordshire land-owning family and had six children. Two of his sons, Walter and Lawrence joined him in his solicitors practice but only Walter stayed to become a partner with his father. Martin lived with his family for most of his life at Bishop's House in Lansdowne Crescent. He became Treasurer of the County Court and was agent for numerous estates and, like his father, he too bought land and led an active public life. Thomas Gale Curtler senior died in 1885. The eldest son, the Rev Thomas Gale Curtler inherited Bevere House and much land. Second son, the Rev William Curtler was left £12,000 and land, while Martin Curtler received land at Westwood, Salwarpe and Hadley, together with May House Farm and Ripridge at Ombersley. Thomas junior moved into Bevere House, while Martin and his family transferred from Lansdowne Crescent to Bevere Knoll. Thomas junior died in 1891, his brother William probably in the same year, and Martin in 1901. The Rev Thomas Curtler's son Frederick inherited Bevere House and its estate and remained there until his death in 1938, when he bequeathed it to his daughter Helen. Joan Harris is not sure how much longer afterwards Bevere House remained in the Curtler family though for some years now it has been divided up and in use as apartments. Martin was succeeded as head of the family's law practice at Sansome Place by his son Walter who, in turn, passed the reins to his son, Captain Walter Lawrence Curtler, who eventually took into partnership the late Robert Hallmark. Capt. Curtler retired in 1970 and moved to the Isle of Man where he later died. The Curtler offices at Sansome Place still survive but the firm was re-named in recent years from Curtler & Hallmark to Hallmarks. The practice is now headed by Robert Hallmark's son, David, who recently sent me a copy of a letter he had received from a descendant of the Curtlers, Pat Venvil of Solihull, West Midlands, who is also tracing the family tree. She is the great-great granddaughter of John Curtler, who was a solicitor at Droitwich and the brother of the first Thomas Gale Curtler. There are no longer any Curtlers in Worcester, but Joan Harris has been in contact with descendants in other parts of the country and in the USA, including a leading American academic, Professor Hugh Mercer Curtler. He is professor of philosophy at the South West State University in Minnesota, and is the great-grandson of Worcester solicitor Martin Curtler. His grandfather, William Henry Ricketts Curtler, one of Martin's six children, is believed to have been an academic and certainly wrote a large-scale book The History of British Agriculture. When he died, his widow took her family to live in America. . reprint. Cloth. Very Good/No Jacket. 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall. Ex-Library. more information

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Amsterdam: P N van Kampen & Zoon Grey cloth decorated in black and gilt to cover and spine, offset browning to fep, bookplate lower corner fep. 208pp Black & white illustrations by Anton Pieck. Undated. Een en twintigste druk. Unclipped DW spine browned, edge wear generally VG. Very clean and tidy copy.. reprint. Decorative Cloth. Very Good/Very Good. Illus. by Anton Pieck. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall. more information

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London: Smith Elder & Co, 1867 (2.5 kg rate includes insurance) ORIGINAL CLOTH Victorian double decker first British edition in book form (after Cornhill serialisation), scarce, tidy copies in green cloth with extra gilt decorative titling to spine and boards, spines have some black blocking, lower boards stamped in blind, original chocolate endpapers, VOL 1 = rubbed at spine ends, minor patch of white at tail, corners of bevelled boards starting to split, small patch soiling to upper board, (i-ii) 1- 313 (+1 printers imprint) +2pp adverts, VOL 2= lightly rubbed spine ends with minor fraying, two small holes rubbed into upper joint, corners rubbed but not yet frayed, (i-vi) (1-)309 + 2pp adverts, No half-titles called for, all sixteen engraved plates by H. Harral after M. Ellen Edwards (including frontispiece in each volume) with tissue guards intact, plate facing pp 225 of vol 1 has small water mark to top margin, faint sporadic foxing throughout both volumes, this is very minimal and infrequent but mentioned for completeness, all edges untrimmed, binders ticket "Bound by Burn. 37 & 38 Kirby St." on rear pastedown of vol 1, bank transfer as payment for this item please. First Edition. Decorative Cloth. Very Good/No Jacket. Illus. by M. Ellen Edwards. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. more information

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