Intentions by Oscar Wilde - 1891

Text in Latin. 2nd (enhanced) edition. Black straight-grain morocco leather over bevel-edge wood boards; gilt ruled frames on covers; brass clasps at fore edge; gilt title and rolls on spine; French Stormont pattern marbled end papers; two color print throughout; large font throughout; woodcut decorative drop-cap initials throughout. Clean covers and spine; front cover detached; light edge wear, somewhat heavier at cover fore corners; brass clasps are intact and VG condition; rear cover, spine and text block are tightly bound; lacking Title Page and 3 other prelim leaves (ll. *7, *8, **1) and 4 interior leaves including 4 plates (pp 56, 250, 264, 314; ll. D4b, Q5b, R4b, V5b,); 53 intact full page copperplate engravings and 35 (of 38) 1/3 page engraved tailpiece vignettes range from Good but light to Fine, though 1 plate has light ink attempt to cover angels privates (p. 662; l. Tt1b); few light smudges interior, otherwise very clean. Note that leaf *7 is lacking which has dedication or honors the… Read More

Paris: Fabrique Générale d'Articles de Voyages, 1840. First Edition. Alexis Godillot (1816-1893) was a contemporary of Louis Vuitton (1821-1892) and first achieved renown in Paris for his beautiful hand-made luggage. With a workshop situated just a few blocks away from Vuitton's, this catalogue comes from this very early period of Godillot's life before he had revolutionised footwear by differentiating the moulding of the left shoe from the right and become the famous shoemaker who would go on to equip over one hundred thousand French soldiers for The Crimean War. 'Godillot' remains a slang French term for 'boot' to this day. The album features superb hand-coloured lithographs with an original sketch showcasing nearly one hundred accessories including bags, picnic baskets, apparel, wonderful old trunks, tents, and hammocks- true 'objets nomades' - many of which are in surprisingly bold and modern designs. A beautiful, rare, and precious catalogue of the articles a traveller might require for… Read More

1664 1st ed NEW YORK George Downing Discourse on DUTCH Settlements Indians 2v
Two exceedingly rare first editions of George Downing's defense of New York!
George Downing was an Irish preacher and political apologist known for his service under Oliver Cromwell in Scotland. In 1664 he wrote a short political letter describing the details of his arrangement of the acquisition of New York from the Dutch. 'A Discourse', as it is called, was written to clear his own name from any misconduct in the exchange. One of the most notable discussions in this work is a report on the miserable interactions of the Dutch settlers with local Indian tribes, as well as business and trade in New York. It should be noted that this work is considered one of the earliest works relating to New York in English! (Stevens).
A year after his first letter was written, he wrote his own reply – a work, which according to 'Rare Americana', was
"privately printed, and relates principally to the affairs of the English and Dutch West… Read More

Paris: S.n., 1788. Fine. S.n., Paris 1788, in-8 (12,5x20cm), xij ; 344 pp.; (4 p.), relié. - Edition originale et unique parution de la traduction et analyse critique par les plus grands scientifiques français sous la direction de Mme Lavoisier de ce texte publié en anglais l'année précédente sous le titre An Essay on Phlogiston and the Constitution of Acids. L'ouvrage est constitué de douze sections, toutes suivies de notes critiques par Louis-Bernard Guyton de Morveau, Antoine Laurent Lavoisier, Pierre Simon de La Place, Gaspard Monge, Claude Louis Berthollet et Antoine François de Fourcroy. Reliure de l'époque en demi basane havane, dos lisse orné de filets et fleurons dorés, pièce de titre de maroquin noir, plats de papier à la colle. Mors très habilement restaurés. Intérieur frais hormis deux traces laissées par des signets aux pages 68-69 et 176-177. Rare envoi autographe de Mme Lavoisier à Joseph Louis de Lagrange, illustre mathématicien et fidèle ami de M.… Read More

Two volumes. Tall Quarto (9 by 11 inches), near-contemporary half-calf and marbled boards. pp. xiii, (21), (1) 2-378; (xxviii), (389) 380-895. With half-titles in each volume and errata leaf with directions to the binder. FIRST EDITION of Godwin' revolutionary masterwork "his passionate advocacy of individualism, his trust in the fundamental goodness of man, and his opposition to all restrictions on liberty have endured" (PMM) a profound influence on Thomas Jefferson, who had the first American edition in his library and is viewed as Godwin's "American born counterpart." Along with those of Burke and Paine, Godwin's Enquiry was one of the most influential English political books of the late eighteenth century. It was an equally important landmark in the development of Utilitarian thought, and on political thinking in general. Godwin-the husband of Mary Wollstonecraft-"saw no good in human institutions and sought to put an end to all organized politics, religion and society… The Enquiry was, and… Read More

Paris: Meynial, 1925. First Edition. George Barbier. A complete and excellent set of the five annual issues illustrated with a total of sixty beautiful pochoir plates, complete with decorated pochoir title pages. 'Falbalas and Franfreluches' (Frippery and Finery: Fashion Diaries) represents a literary and artistic collaboration of unusual elegance and sophistication. French illustrator, George Barbier (1882 - 1932) spared no effort in the making of this beautiful collection, using the finest pigments and up to thirty stencils per print to create images of the highest quality reflecting fashionable themes of the day. The plates portray romance amidst exotic lands and ages past, including a native American idyll on the Missouri, a languid mistress cocooned in a hammock in the tropical Antilles, high baroque debauchery, and, of course, a myriad of lovers depicted in Paris at the height of the chic 1920s. Each annual includes twelve pages of fine writing by Barbier's contemporaries in the Parisian scene… Read More

Venice: Aldus Manutius, 1505. 1st Edition. Vellum. Very Good. 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" tall. 1505 and 1518. 1st editions. Two volumes. Octavo (6"). Period vellum over paste board, gilt titles on slightly later morocco spine labels. Old hand written date and volume number in ink at foot of each volume's spine. [Vol.1] 242 unnumbered leaves; [Vol.II] 172 numbered leaves(Leaves 89, 91, 93, and 95 misnumbered 97, 99 101, and 103), Aldine Press anchor device on title and last page of both volumes. Very Good or better. A charming set of the first editions virtually never found in matching period bindings. Volume I's boards are moderately soiled, with drip staining and a small tear at the fore edge, exposing the paste board. Volume II is only very lightly soiled, with less edge wear than volume I. Both volumes have 19th century marbled paste downs, with matching book plates of Francesco Bubani, of Milano. Last gathering of volume I browned/browning, with some browning on the title page, just above the anchor… Read More

Half brown morocco; ruled raised bands, marbled boards. Mouradgea d'Ohsson was a Swedish historian and diplomat of Armenian descent. This important work is a large expansion of his 1824 publication which was the first serious study of Genghis Khan. Kenneth Meyer Setton, A History of the Crusades notes "among the general histories of the Mongols, d'Ohsson remains unequaled. Avowedly or tacitly most later works rely on it." Two folding genealogical charts; large 1824 folding map of Asia in the thirteenth century to rear of volume four. Previous owner's bookplates removed from front pastedowns. A nice wide-margined set (many pages yet uncut) in a sound period binding.; lxviii,452; 651; 624(1); 774.; 8vo (22 x 15 cm); All shipments through USPS insured Priority Mail.

Paris: Furne, |Dubochet, |Hetzel & Paulin|puisAlexandre Houssiaux, 1842. Fine. Furne, Dubochet, Hetzel & Paulin puisAlexandre Houssiaux, Paris 1842-1855, 14,5x22cm, 20 volumes reliés. - Première édition collective sous le titre d'oeuvres, présentant, en même temps que nombre de textes en édition originale, une nouvelle version de la Comédie humaine, revue, remaniée par Balzac. Cette édition est aussi la première édition illustrée. Reliures en demi chagrin bleu, dos très légèrement éclaircis à quatre fin nerfs sertis de pointillés dorés et ornés de triples caissons estampés à froid aux centres desquels figurent un fleuron doré, plats de papier marbré, gardes et contreplats de papier à la cuve, reliures de l'époque. Quelques rousseurs sur certains tomes, une petite tache à la page 119 du tome 4, une autre à la page 321 du tome 8, une déchirure sur la page de faux-titre du tome 9, une petite tache d'eau en angle de la page 449 et sur les suivantes du tome 10,… Read More

New York: Charles L. Webster and Company, FIRST EDITION, FIRST PRINTING, with all points including the infamous "curved fly" on page 283. Published in 1884-1885. Publisher's half morocco, marbled edges, marbled endpapers, 173 text illustrations after E. W. Kemble. ********Copies in the original half morocco binding with the "curved fly" illustration are the rarest of the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Less than two weeks before publication, the publisher Webster announced that he was binding 20,000 copies in cloth, another 2,500 in sheep, and 500 copies in half morocco. This copy was printed in 1884, before the "curved fly" page was replaced.
First Issue Points:*Page 9 with uncorrected "decided" (this was later corrected to "decides")*At p. 13 the erroneous page reference "88" before being changed to "87"*At p. 57 the misprint "with the was" before it was corrected to "with the saw.
*The "curved fly" Illustration.*Frontispiece Portrait of Twin with tablecloth underneath.Condition:This book… Read More