Search Results: Authors starting with S from Phillip J. Pirages Fine Books and Medieval Manuscripts

New York: Éditions de la Maison Française, 1942. FIRST EDITION (preceeding the French edition). No. 431 OF 450 COPIES on Corsican paper (from a total edition of 526). 223 x 183 mm. (8 3/4 x 7 1/8"). 253, [1] (blank) pp. Original tan printed paper wrappers, ENTIRELY UNOPENED. With a small leaf marked "431" in red loosely inserted. â—†Wrapper with two negligible edge tears, but an exceptionally fine copy of a very fragile book, with everything clean and fresh inside and out. This is an unusually attractive, obviously unread copy of the true first edition (preceding the Paris printing by nine months) of Saint-Exupéry's account of his exploits when flying reconnaissance for the Armée de l'Air during the 1940 battle for France. Of his time as a pilot, Saint-Exupéry says that it was hazardous work: of the 23 crews in his unit, 17 were sacrificed in the early days of the battle, "like glasses of water thrown onto a forest fire." Such turns of phrase moved Robert McFarlane, in an essay for "The… Read More

Paris: Chez la Veuve Pissot, 1736. FIRST EDITION. 165 x 102 mm. (6 1/2 x 4"). 4 p.l., 152 pp. Slightly later marbled paper boards, flat spine, paper label, marbled endpapers. Woodcut headpieces, tailpieces, and large ornament on title page. Front pastedown with traces of bookplate. First blank with round, illegible institutional stamp. â—†Marbled paper somewhat rubbed on lower edges and ends of spine, faint dampstaining in lower margin of first three gatherings (slightly frayed in the same spot on first few leaves), text a shade less than bright, but still an excellent copy, the binding solid and pleasing, and internally fresh and clean. Saint-Hyacinthe (1684-1746), born Hyacinthe Cordonnier, did not have a smooth ride in life. He joined the French cavalry, using the sobriquet of Chevalier de Thémiseul, but was captured by the Dutch, and his ardor for the military life was consequently dampened. Subsequently, he tested his mettle as a womanizer, but this resulted in his banishment from France. The… Read More

London: H. Sotheran & Co.; St. Albans: F. Sander & Co, [1886-]1888-90; [1891-]1892-94. FIRST EDITION. 545 x 406 mm. (21 1/2 x 16"). Lacking one text leaf. Two series in four volumes.. Stately contemporary dark brown morocco, upper cover with elaborate gilt frame enclosing a gilt armorial device, raised bands, compartments lavishly gilt and with the name of a previous owner stamped in gilt at tail of spine, all edges gilt. WITH 192 CHROMOLITHOGRAPHED PLATES OF ORCHIDS (96 in each volume) by H. G. Moon, W. H. Fitch, and A. H. Loch, many finished by hand, with new tissue guards. Front pastedowns with the bookplate of Peter Dowding Prankerd. Sitwell, "Great Flower Books," p.135; Nissen 1722. See also: Swinson, "Frederick Sander: the Orchid King" (1970). â—†A hint of shelfwear, but the bindings sound and quite lustrous. Occasional light scattered foxing internally (including a handful of plates), several plates with expert (virtually indistinguishable) repairs to small patches of color (where the tissue… Read More

London: R. Ackermann, 1821. FIRST EDITION. 346 x 273 mm. (13 5/8 x 10 3/4"). 1 p.l. (title), viii, 177, [1] pp. Publisher's red buckram, covers with blindstamped frame, upper cover with gilt titling, flat spine stamped with gilt strapwork panels and with gilt titling, all edges gilt. With engraved color vignette on title page, unsigned aquatint vignette at foot of last page, engraved color map, and 24 FINE HAND-COLORED AQUATINT PLATES by Augustus Pugin and John Gendall. Front pastedown with presentation bookplate to "Master E. Cockayne, / as the reward of merit, / by Mr. Bowling, / Milk Street Academy. / Sheffield, June 23rd, 1848." Abbey, "Travel" 90; Tooley 445. â—†Binding a little soiled, joints and extremities a bit worn, just the slightest offsetting from some plates onto text (one plate with offsetting from text, and half a dozen others with just a hint of the same), other trivial imperfections, but still A VERY DESIRABLE COPY, the binding sturdy and without any major defects, and the… Read More

Venice: Vindelinus de Spira, 1471. FIRST EDITION. 418 x 298 mm. (16 1/2 x 11 3/4"). Double column, 50 lines in roman type. Attractively matted. Finished by hand with paraphs in red or blue, chapter title in upper corner written in red. BSB-Ink B151; ISTC ib00214500. Not in Goff or BMC. â—†Fore edge a little chipped and a faint crease in lower corner, small area of very light staining in lower margin, a hint of soiling in a couple of places, but still an excellent example of a stately leaf--the paper clean and with expansive margins--from this first printing of Bartolus. .

Zwolle: Peter van Os, 20 November 1495. 240 x 188 mm. (9 1/2 x 7 3/8"). Double column, 40 lines plus headline in gothic type. Attractively matted. Capitals struck with red, red paragraph mark and three-line initial, and WITH A TWO-PANEL WOODCUT (107 x 135 mm.) OF CHRIST BEFORE PILATE. Goff L-356; BMC IX, 88; ISTC il00356000. â—†A couple of faint red dots (offset from adjacent rubrication), scattered faint foxing to margins, but an excellent leaf, clean and fresh. .

Zürich: Brodtmann, 1824. FIRST EDITION. 324 x 235 mm. (12 3/4 x 9 1/4"). Engraved title page, IV, 349, [5] pp. Two volumes.. Text volume in speckled paper boards backed with sprinkled calf, raised bands, one red and one black morocco label. Plates in contemporary black quarter roan over green marbled boards, vellum tips, flat spine with gilt rules, rolls, and lettering. WITH 177 HAND-COLORED LITHOGRAPHED ILLUSTRATIONS, comprised of pictorial title page and 176 plates, 17 of humans, the rest of mammals, the majority with original tissue guards. TItle page of text volume with ink stamp of Physiologisches Institut Tübingen and handwritten shelf[?] notation. Nissen ZBI 3672. â—†Text volume with corners rather rubbed, half-inch of leather lifting at head of spine, text with isolated short marginal wromtrails, occasional minor brown stains (from laid-in botanical specimens), but general clean and fresh in a solid binding. Plate volume with cover surfaces and extremities somewhat rubbed, corners gently… Read More

Paris: Les Bibliophiles de l'Amérique Latine, 1930. No. 60 OF 100 COPIES printed for members of the Society and SIGNED by Schmied, from a total edition of 140; this copy printed for Madame la Princesse de Faucigny-Lucinge [Baba d'Erlanger]. 253 x 199 mm. (10 x 7 3/4"). [73] leaves.Designed by Theodore Schmied. DRAMATIC SIENNA CRUSHED MOROCCO, GILT AND INLAID TO AN ART DECO DESIGN BY THERESE MONCEY (stamp-signed by Moncey on front turn in and by Fache, Doreur, on rear turn-in), covers and smooth spine with wrap-around design of inlaid morocco stars formed by blue lozenges and citron triangles alternating in a row with circles of silver and gold, the silhouette of this band outlined by one gilt and three blind rules, gilt-rule triangles emanating from either side of each circle and reaching toward head and tail edges, gilt lettering to spine, navy blue suede doublures and free endleaves, all edges gilt. Original wrappers bound in. Original matching morocco-trimmed chemise and slipcase, housed in a… Read More

Paris: F. L. Schmied, 1924. THE ARTIST'S OWN COPY ("Exemplaire d'artiste") SIGNED BY SCHMIED, from a total edition of 140 copies. 305 x 245 mm. (12 x 9 3/4"). [90] leaves. MAGNIFICENT MIDNIGHT BLUE CRUSHED MOROCCO BY DEVAUCHELLE (stamp-signed on front turn-in), INLAID AND GILT TO AN ART DECO DESIGN INSPIRED BY SCHMIED, covers with gold and silver geometric tooling, with metallic and tan morocco inlays, smooth spine with vertical titling, fawn-colored suede doublures and free endleaves edged with brown morocco, all edges gilt. Original illustrated paper wrappers bound in. Housed in the original matching morocco-backed chemise and slipcover. WITH 50 COMPOSITIONS ENGRAVED ON WOOD IN COLOR AND ENHANCED WITH SILVER AND GOLD BY FRANÇOIS-LOUIS SCHMIED. Nasti, "Schmied" B5, p. 116; Ray, "The Art Deco Book in France," p. 57-8. â—†A bit of offsetting from the illustrations, otherwise A PRISTINE COPY inside and out. This is François-Louis Schmied's own copy of the book Ray deemed "the Art Deco book par… Read More

Paris: F.-L. Schmied, 1927. FIRST EDITION. No. 50 OF 170 COPIES, SIGNED BY SCHMIED. 318 x 241 mm. (12 1/2 x 9 1/2"). 8 p.l. (first four blank), 145 pp., [9] leaves (last four blank). Unbound as issued in original printed paper wrappers. With 14 full-page color wood engravings (including the frontispiece signed in pencil by Schmied) and 635 color panel borders, line fillers, and tailpieces in the Art Deco style, all by Schmied. Recto of limitations page with a facsimile inscription by the author to Schmied. Carteret IV, 263. â—†Short ink mark to margin of title page, just the faintest isolated smudge or freckled foxing, otherwise a very fine copy, clean and fresh, with the fragile wrapper unsoiled and remarkably well preserved. This is an excellent example of the impressive book arts productions of François-Louis Schmied (1873-1941), a man who raised Art Deco to its highest level in the field of bibliophilic publishing in France and someone who generally was responsible (as here) for every aspect… Read More

Frankfurt, Liége, and Paris: Bassompierre, 1760, 1761, 1766. 185 x 98 mm. (6 1/2 x 3 3/4"). xviii, [2], 211 pp.; lvi, 401, [3] pp.; vii, [5], 201 pp. Three separately published works.. First two works in contemporary marbled sheep, spines gilt in compartments (first work with inelegant repair to spine); the third work in half sheep over marbled boards. Front pastedowns with ex-libris of Daniel Berditchevsky. â—†Short crack to tail of a couple of joints, boards with insignificant worming, extremities a little rubbed, but the bindings sound and not displeasing; excellent copies internally, clean and fresh with only minor imperfections. Intended to promote piety in an increasingly secular world, these works were written by a man deemed the "Enemy of the Philosophers" for his defense of traditional Christian spirituality against Enlightenment rationalism. Marquis Louis-Antoine Caraccioli (1719-1803) was born in Paris to a noble Neapolitan family and travelled the Continent trying a variety of careers,… Read More

Boston and New York: Houghton, Mifflin and Company, 1902. The "Cambridge Edition.. 213 x 149 mm. (8 3/8 x 5 7/8"). Five volumes.. LOVELY CONTEMPORARY RED HALF MOROCCO, BEAUTIFULLY GILT IN THE STYLE OF THE DOVES BINDERY, raised bands, spines in fine gilt compartments featuring sprays of tulips, marbled boards and endpapers, top edges gilt, other edges untrimmed and (except for the prefatory material in the first volume) ENTIRELY UNOPENED. With frontispiece portraits. â—†Small portions of two spine bands, corners, and just a few joints with insignificant wear (the rubbing carefully refurbished), one leaf with jagged fore edge from rough opening, but A LOVELY SET IN NEARLY FINE CONDITION, the bindings unusually lustrous, and the text virtually pristine because obviously unread. In the words of DNB, from the time of its publication, this work "has been regarded, along with Boswell's 'Life of Johnson,' as one of the most important works in the history of biography." Perhaps no one was better situated to… Read More

Edinburgh: Printed for Archibald Constable and Co., 1824. FIRST EDITION, First State, with 1823 watermark and comma following title on the title page of volumes I and II. 203 x 127 mm. (8 x 5"). Without two leaves of ads at the end of volume III. Three volumes.. Pleasing 19th century brown quarter morocco over marbled boards by René Asper of Geneva (stamp-signed on front pastedown), raised bands, gilt titling, edges untrimmed. Todd & Bowden 178Aa. â—†A hint of rubbing to the joints, trivial scratch to one board, occasional minor foxing, other insignificant defects, but still an excellent set, the text fresh and clean, and the bindings showing little wear. This collection of tales in the "Waverley" series of novels is set during a fictional third Jacobite rebellion in support of Bonnie Prince Charlie. It includes the chilling supernatural short story "Wandering Willie's Tale," an account of a tenant's trip to hell to obtain a rent receipt from his deceased landlord, a piece the Oxford Companion… Read More

Edinburgh: Printed for Archibald Constable and Co, 1822. FIRST EDITION, First Impression. 222 x 140 mm. (8 3/4 x 5 1/2"). 8 pp. (ads), [1] leaf (blank) 8 pp. (ads), [3] leaves (half-title, title page, dedication), [7]-109, [1] pp., [1] leaf (notes). ORIGINAL DRAB PAPER WRAPPERS, titling printed on cover, untrimmed edges. Verso of front flyleaf with engraved bookplate of Graham W. Murdoch. Todd & Bowden 158Aa. â—†Tiny losses to backstrip, covers very slightly soiled, leaves faintly browned at edges with occasional minor foxing, but an excellent copy, the fragile original wrappers still entirely sound, and the text clean and fresh. Although this lesser-known work is written as a "dramatic sketch," Scott tells us in the preface that it is not intended to be produced on the stage. "Halidon Hill" tells the story of the reconciliation between two feuding Scottish chiefs before they die valiantly in the fight against Edward III of England. The "Eclectic Review" of September 1822 says, "This is a 'sketch,'… Read More

Edinburgh: printed by the assigns of Alexander Kincaid, 1788, 1785. 178 x 108 mm. (7 x 4 1/4"). [216] leaves. VERY PLEASING CONTEMPORARY SCOTTISH CRIMSON MOROCCO, HANDSOMELY GILT, covers with single fillet outer border and entwined feather and bead gilt roll as inner border, smooth spine panels decorated with gilt curls at corners and one of three large and elegant centerpieces (spider's web within starburst, urn with garland, and urn with stylized bird alighting on its finial), black morocco label, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt. Verso of first preliminary blank neatly signed in ink by early owner Helen Campbell. Griffiths 1788/9. â—†Upper joint just slightly rubbed and flaked, faint soiling to covers, one gathering trivially browned, but a very pleasing copy, clean and fresh internally, and in a solid binding that still gleams. Looking very pretty on the shelf, this is an elegant Edinburgh binding with Neoclassical elements that hint at the influence of James Scott. Working outside the two… Read More

Venice: Sebastiano Manilio, and Stephanus and Bernardinus di Nallis, 14 April 1494. First Edition in Italian. 320 x 205 mm. (12 1/2 x 8"). 6 p.l., 170 leaves. Single column, 42 lines, roman type.Translated by Sebastiano Manilio. 18th century sprinkled calf, joints renewed, raised bands, spine compartments with gilt quatrefoil, later red morocco label. Moss II, 591; Goff S-382; BMC V, 545; ISTC is00382000. â—†The leather used for rejointing now beginning to lift, short crack at head of front joint, paper along front hinge separated (with the board beginning to wobble), leather with a few scratches and other minor problems. First quire a little soiled with slightly frayed fore edges, first leaf with blank corner replaced and with a four-inch arching tear into text (but no loss), n3 with repaired curving diagonal tear nearly the length of the page (three or four words affected, but no meaning lost), final leaf rather browned and with repaired marginal tear; unsightly at beginning and end, but quite… Read More

Cambridge: Galloway & Porter, 1914. FIRST EDITION. ONE OF 250 COPIES. 257 x 183 mm. (10 x 7 1/4"). 5 p.l. (dedication and foreword), plus plates. Printed on rectos only.Translated by Edward FitzGerald. Publisher's black cloth with gilt lettering and illustrations, top edge gilt, others untrimmed. With 31 plates of black & white illustrations (including illustrated title) by Mera K. Sett. Front pastedown with bookplate of Max Klinghoffer, M. D. (1916-2003), decorated medic in World War II and afterward a media figure as part of his work to further disaster preparedness in America. Potter 104; Paas 1939. â—†Binding just a bit worn at extremities, free endpaper at front and back with overall toning (from binder's glue used on facing pastedown), one or two trivial thumb smudges, but an unusually clean and essentially fine copy of an insubstantially made book seldom found in attractive condition. This highly original and provocatively illustrated edition of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam is the work of a… Read More

London: Richard Bentley, 1836. FIRST EDITION. 220 x 135 mm. (8 5/8 x 5 3/8"). Without half titles. Two volumes. Edited by G. Wingrove Cooke, Esq. Contemporary purple pebble-grain morocco, covers with thick and thin blind-stamped frames surrounding scrolling gilt centerpiece featuring tulips and floral tendrils, raised bands with gilt diamond roll, gilt in compartments with triple fillet border and curling horn cornerpieces, all edges gilt. Frontispiece engraving of Anthony Ashley Cooper, First Earl of Shaftesbury. â—†Corners slightly bumped, minor scratches on covers and spines (masked by refurbishing), a bit of foxing on frontispiece and title page, but internally quite clean and fresh, in pleasing bindings. This is an attractively bound biography of the well-born and well-connected Anthony Ashley Cooper (1621-83), first Earl of Shaftesbury, whose turbulent political career spanned the English Civil War and Restoration. Viewed by John Locke as "a strenuous Defender [and] vigilant Preserver [of]… Read More

London: Willis & Sotheran, 1864. FIRST EDITION. 179 x 117 mm. (7 x 4 1/2"). Three volumes. Edited by W. Carew Hazlitt. Attractive 19th century red half morocco over marbled boards, raised bands, spines densely gilt. â—†A touch of wear to edges, marbled boards just slightly rubbed, occasional spot or bit of soiling internally, but a fine set with only trivial wear. This is a very pleasing set of the "reprints of the early and very rare jest-books supposed to have been used by Shakespeare," collected and edited by renowned bibliographer William Hazlitt. This is an invaluable resource to anyone interested in Shakespeare and early modern English literature, with the added bonus of looking quite handsome on the shelf..

Stratford-on-Avon: Shakespeare Head Press, 1904-07. No. 335 of 1,000 Copies. 268 x 182 mm. (10 3/8 x 7 1/8"). 10 volumes.. EXCELLENT CRIMSON CRUSHED MOROCCO BY SANGORSKI & SUTCLIFFE (stamp-signed on front turn-ins), raised bands, spine panels with a British heraldic symbol (eagle, three lions, Tudor rose, or rampant lion), gilt lettering, gilt-ruled turn-ins, marbled endpapers, top edges gilt, other edges untrimmed. Housed in two red buckram slipcases. Each volume with a frontispiece portrait, with tissue guard, printer's device on title and final pages. â—†Volumes I and X with a small, faint scratch near head of spine, volume VIII with three minute spots in text of two leaves, but A VERY FINE SET, clean and bright inside and out. This is a lovely copy of the publishing raison d'être of the Shakespeare Head Press, offered in a Sangorski & Sutcliffe binding with Elizabethan overtones in its spine decorations. The Shakespeare Head Press was established by Arthur Henry Bullen (1857-1920) at… Read More