Search Results: Companions & Reference from Louise Aird

Written by the expert John Kirk, and following a 20-year study, this books presents a new way of looking at American furniture. It examines hundreds of pieces created in the US and Britain in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries and illustrates how American craftsmen drew on their rich European heritage.

It's very useful for dealers, collectors, cabinetmakers, designers and art historians.

This is a stated first edition. 398 pages. 1500 photographs.It weighs just over 4 lbs.

This is ex-library, but it's a lovely book, in excellent condition. You can easily remove all of the library fittings.
The inside is in near-mint condition.

This is a copy of the first reprint of Antiques: Professional Secrets for the Amateur, by the French art expert Michel Doussy. It was first published in French in 1971. It was first published in English in 1973; this copy was printed in 1974. It is still selling. That is because it provides exhaustive and endlessly useful information on everything from identifying pewter to preserving patina to restoring engravings. It's only 373 pages long but the table of contents is 8 pages (see photos).This book belonged to a master cabinetmaker who had it on his workbench when he was restoring an antique mirror. Consequently, the back of the dust jacket and the spine of the dust jacket are splashed with gold paint.The dust jacket also has lots of wear.There is the odd fingerprint on the inside of the book.The covers are perfect. The inside is in near-perfect condition.

Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fableis a reference work containing definitions and explanations of many famous phrases, allusions, and figures--historical and mythical. Originally published in 1870 by the Reverend E. Cobham Brewer, it was aimed at people who did not have university educations, but wanted to understand the origins of phrases and historical or literary allusions. It has since been continuously revised and updated. It is still an essential reference for writers.
This is a copy of the 11th edition, the Centenary Edition (1970), revised by Ivor H. Evans. The dust jacket shows wear and has been repaired. There is a hand-written inscription on the front endpaper. Otherwise, the book is in mint condition, unread, with no marks in or on it.

Cabinet Makers & Furniture Designers was the first in a series on great craftsmen, published by Spring Books. It was first published in 1969; this is the second edition, published in 1972. It is 50 absorbing studies of outstanding makers and designers of furniture, from the 16th century through the 1960s. I attach a photo of the contents. It is very useful for collectors and dealers, as well as for designers, decorators, art historians and craftsmen.9" x 12", 320 pages, packed with photographs.It weighs 3 1/2 lbs.It's now expensive to buy, and verging on rare. It's priced the way it is because it's a former library book; you can remove all of the fittings. It has been well leafed through, and the pages are darkening a little, but the inside is clean and clear.

This is an un-read copy of The Canadian Living Entertaining Cookbook written by the Canadian Living Magazine food writers and prominent food writer Carol Ferguson. It was published in 1997 and was a best-seller.
Soft laminated cover, heavily illustrated with very high-quality photographs. It is laid out by occasion, with occasion ideas, cultural menus, and lots of useful tips (see contents photos). Everything is designed to be elegant and easy.
256 pages.
This book has not been read and is in mint condition.

This is a stated first edition of Care & Repair of Furniture, the essential step-by-step guide to buying, repairing, and finishing furniture. It was written by the British DIY and maintenance experts Albert Jackson and David Day.It contains key skills and hints for all levels of experience, tips on how to browse markets and check the condition of second-hand furniture, basic upholstery and wood repair, techniques for restoring and replacing finishes, and on furniture preservation.Large soft cover.160 pages with 700+ colour illustrations and photos.Near-mint condition, with small marks on two pages.

This is the Collins Encyclopaedia of Scotland, the first UK edition published in 1994.It contains a wealth of information about Scottish history, famous Scottish people, cities, castles, cathedrals, forts, sports and the Scottish way of life, past and present. 4000 entries, 500+ photographs.It is a big book--1046 pages.7" x 10" x 2.5"There's quite a lot of wear to the dust jacket, a touch of fading to the edges of the book and a sprinkling of fingerprints on the inside. Overall excellent condition.

This is a flexbound, and lightly laminated, copy of
The Color Dictionary of Flowers & Plants for Home and Garden.
It was written by the British botanists Patrick Synge and Roy Hay, with the Brooklyn Botanic Garden taxonomist George Kalmbacher. It was published in association with the Royal Horticultural Society.
It was first published in the UK, in 1969. Its first US printing was in 1975, but it was a best-seller and this copy is from its 11th printing (and update) in 1992.
There is a minor amount of text at the front. Pages 378 to 584 are the printed Directory, and pages 35 to 377 are the corresponding images, all of which are photographed in brilliant color. Altogether, there are 2048 entries, and all have a photo. It is a lovely book and terrific for planning a garden and/or indoor display. And this copy is in excellent condition, with a few dog-ears but no damage of any kind.

This is ex-library, but it's a lovely book, in excellent condition. You can easily remove all of the library fittings.In its main A-Z section, this British publication covers ground not often explored by American guides to antiques and collectibles, including Axminster carpets, "Billies and Charlies,'' fairings, garden gnomes, and trench art. There are other sections as well. See contents photo.This is a first edition. 256 pages. Tons of illustrations and photos, in color and black and white.The inside is in mint condition.

This is an unread copy of Discovering Australian Wine - A Taster's Guide, written by the Australian winemakers and experts Patrick Island and Peter Gago.It is 164 pages of photos, maps, charts and information of all kinds--everything there is to know about Australian wine. I attach a photo of the Contents.Mint condition.

This is the second printing (UK) of The Encyclopedia of World Sea Power, which was first published in the UK in 1988. It shows and describes the capabilities of submarines, aircraft carriers, cruisers, destroyers, frigates, patrol craft, hovercraft, missiles, anti-aircraft weapons, and underwater weapon systems used by the world's navies. It includes 250 color profiles, 500+ photographs and numerous drawings.It's a large heavy book, a former library book, kept in the reference section. It was bought from the library. It has all of the library fittings, which you can remove. It doesn't appear that anyone used it--it's in pristine condition.
Note: If you are outside of North America, the quoted shipping price is for surface mail without tracking. For other options, please contact me.

This is a first US edition of An Encyclopedia of Small Antiques, published in 1975.It was compiled specifically for collectors, and is useful for designers, decorators and art historians. 425 entries, mainly from the last three centuries. 320 pages, 32 colour plates, 350 b/w illustrations.
There's a little bit of wear to the dust jacket the paper is starting to darken. Otherwise perfect.

This is a huge, lavishly produced A-to-Z encyclopedia of culinary knowledge packed with approximately 2,000 recipes for appetizers, hors d'oeuvres, soups, main dishes, breads, salads, desserts--anything and everything to do with food.
It was compiled by Jane Solmson and edited by the American chef Charlotte Turgeon (1912 – 2009), who is well-known for translating and editing the first English-language version of the Larousse Gastronomique.
You may see the 1985 edition of this book listed as its first edition—this is its actual first edition (1982). It was published by Weathervane Books and distributed by Crown Publishers by arrangement with Ottenheimer.
This copy is in near-perfect condition. There are small spill marks on the front endpaper (1) and on pages 418 and 419 (minor). Also, a 2" strip of the red surface—just the top layer of paper—has come off the back cover. There are a couple of little shelf marks on the spine.
It's a big beautiful book. 8 ½" x 11" x 2".
Heavy--5 1/2 lbs. Nearly… Read More

This is a how-to book packed with photographs, drawings and detailed instructions. This time, it's about how to extend your garden into the fall, so you don't get that sudden shut-down in September and your colour will extend until winter.
Soft cover, 9 1/4" x 10"
227 pages plus index, evidently never read
A big beautiful book.

This is a first edition of Glorafilia: The Venice Collection: 25 Original Projects in Needlepoint and Embroidery, produced by the British embroidery and needlepoint pattern firm Glorafilia.
It is a collection of needlepoint and embroidery designs with a Venetian theme. There are projects for cushions, pictures, stool tops, a curtain tie-back and an evening bag. The book also includes a section on needlepoint techniques, how to work the stitches and making up details.
It's a big beautiful book. 160 pages of beautiful paper and gorgeous photographs, with the patterns at the back. No one has ever read this book. It's in mint condition.

This is The Golden Encyclopedia of Music, written by the American academic Norman Lloyd and published in 1968. It includes a 24-page color section produced by the Metropolitan Museum of Art curator Emanuel Winternitz.

It begins with the musical note 'A' and ends with 'Zither'. In between, entries include biographies of the major composers and performers in classical, blues, jazz and film/stage music. There are longer articles on certain subjects, plus reference sections on signs and symbols, foreign terms and phrases, abbreviations etc.

It's a thick heavy book. 8 1/2" x 11 1/2" x 1 3/4". 720 pages.

There is a bookplate on the front endpaper, which you can cover or remove. There is some waving to the first 6 pages (see photo), a couple of spots on the cover and a couple of dogears, at the front only. Other than that, it's in perfect condition.

This is a first edition of Great Maritime Museums of the World, a very high-quality coffee table book. Each museum covered has case histories and descriptions written by their curators.
The museums covered are: Australian Maritime National Museum, Sydney, AustraliaMaritime Museum of the Atlantic, Halifax, Nova Scotia, CanadaFisheries Museum of the Atlantic, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, CanadaVancouver Maritime Museum, British Columbia, CanadaViking Ship Museum, Roskilde, DenmarkMusée du Bateau, Douarnenez, FranceMusée de la Marine, Paris, FranceMusée de la Pêche, Concarneau, FranceDeutsches Schiffahrtsmuseum, Bremerhaven, GermanyYokohama Maritime Museum, Yokohama, JapanNederlands Schhepvaart Museum, Amsterdam, NetherlandsMaritime Museum Prins Hendrik, Rotterdam, NetherlandsNorsk SjØfartsmuseum, Oslo, NorwayMuseu de Marinha, Lisbon, PortugalBarcelona Maritime Museum, Barcelona, SpainNational Maritime Museum, Stockholm, SwedenVasa Museum, Stockholm, SwedenThe Iron Screw Steamship The Great Britain,… Read More

This is a first edition (1985, Great Britain) of The Guinness Rail Fact Book, by the British railway expert John Marshall. Called 'the essential reference book for rail enthusiasts', it is 208 pages of facts and statistics on route lengths, rolling stock, motive power, tunnels, bridges and railway systems. It includes 80 photographs. There are a couple of creases and dogears but it's in superb condition.

Also included is a 5 1/8" wooden Two-Tone Steam Train Whistle, made in Poland and sold by Restoration Hardware in the '80s. It is in pristine condition.

I also include a miniature 1940 New York Hodge Steamer, which is a pencil sharpener. It's beautifully made (in Hong Kong) and is in mint condition.

Note: The stated shipping price is for North America. If you are outside of North America, please contact me for shipping options.

Peter Quennell's A History of English Literature is a reference book, but it is known as one that people actually read straight through.
From a review: "This book is a delight. Quennell is besotted by the English language and he presents to the reader a procession of gifted wordsmiths both famous and obscure, from the dawn of British literature to the present. You will be introduced to a full array of English eccentrics, including the poet who permitted his farm animals to roam free in his vicarage, and chose this as an opportunity to teach his pig to drink from a tankard. We travel to to the Mermaid Tavern, where Ben Johnson and Donne and Will Shakespeare met for ale. Quennell's knowledge is prodigious and his judgements are both fresh and reasoned; the text is well-illustrated."
This is a first edition, unread, unopened.
512 pages, heavily illustrated.
Outside, it is almost perfect--there is a little white spot at the top of the back cover. No dust jacket.
Inside, it is in pristine condition.

This is a first edition (2000) of How to Speak Dog: Mastering the Art of Dog-Human Communication, written by the Canadian psychologist and renowned dog expert Stanley Coren.With the help of dozens of illustrations, it tells you how to communicate with your dog, what your dog is saying or trying to say, and how you can use communication to train and get along your dog. It's fun and informative--it was a massive best-seller.This copy's original owner put a bookplate in it. There is a light mark on the inside of the dust jacket, and that has transferred, very faintly, to the spine of the book. But the book does not appear to have been read and, on the inside, is in perfect condition.