Rare books from Besleys Books

Smith, Elder & Co., 1911. Hardback, no dust-wrapper. xv, 160pp. Gilt titles to spine and front board. Frontis. Numerous photographs and coloured plates with coloured illustrations within the text. Limited edition copy no. 198 of 350. Gilt edges. Boards a little marked, slight fraying to head and tail of spine. Some wear to extremities. Some foxing to first and last few pages, with occasional slight foxing thereafter, contents generally clean. (q12). 1st Edition. Hardcover. Good/No Jacket.

Jakeman and Carver., 1876. Originally published in parts, 1876-1885, now 2 vols. 77 chromolithograph plates, tissue guards (some foxed and/or slightly frayed), 4 uncoloured plates, many text wood engravings. Plate LXII browned with slight loss to one corner, some repairs to upper blank margin of this plate and to following text leaves, some soiling and rusty paper clip marks (mainly to text). Recently rebound by Temple Bindery in 1/2 leather with marbled paper-covered boards, contrasting labels to spine with gilt lettering. [Nissen 294].. Illus. by Edith Bull, Alice B. Ellis and W.G. Smith (1 only). 1st Ed.. Hardcover. Good/No Jacket.

Contemporary gilt panelled calf, elaborately decorated. Rebacked but retaining original spines, later red title labels to spines. Edges gilt. Large 4to. 296pp; Additional half title, uncoloured engraved portrait frontispiece, list of subscribers, seventy-nine aquatint and engraved plates, all with contemporary hand colouring. Hinges cracked, but binding remains secure. Binding rubbed and worn with corners repaired. Bookplate of Douglas Lowe to rear pastedown in vol. 1 and front pastedown in vol. 2. Some offsetting of plates to text, plates generally clean and bright. A wide margined copy without the sixteen 'founders' plates. A heavy set, additional postage may be required for orders outside the UK. (a4)

London: The Fleuron, 1923. 7 volume set, all issued. Volumes 1 & 2, quarter cloth with paper covers boards, volumes 3 to 7 full cloth. Volumes 1 to 4: 28 x 22cm, volume 5 to 7: 28.5 x 22.5cm. Numerous colour and monochrome illustrations, tipped-in specimens, papers, facsimiles, some folding. All with a little wear to extremities. Volume 4 a little stained to base of spine, volume 5, small abrasion to rear boards. Bookplate to front pastedown in volume 2.. First Edition. Hard Cover. Very Good.

London: Anne Seile , 1666. Hardback, full-calf, gilt title to spine label. Engraved title page. 1095pp. Complete with all 4 folding maps. 3rd edition 1666. Binding is slightly rubbed, with some cracking to outer joints, binding remains secure. Ink markings to front free end-paper. Some archival tape repairs to back of first and third folding map, wiith small loss to bottom edge of third map (see photo). Some fraying to bottom edge of first map. Small marginal annotations to page 1095 only. A pleasing copy. A heavy book, additional postage may be required for orders outside the UK. (r13). 3rd Edition. Hard Cover. Good.

Gregynog Press, Newtown, 1932. Hardback full, morocco, spine relaid retaining original slightly worn backstrip, new end-papers. 35 x 21cm. [60]. Text in red & black, wood-engravings and title page designed and engraved by Blair Hughes-Stanton. Original prospectus loosely inserted. Number 238 of an edition 250 copies. Contents very clean. A pleasing copy. . Limited. Hard Cover. Very Good.

Robert Boulter, London, 1681. Hardback, recent full morocco, housed in a custom built box. 27.5 x 18.5cm. [5], 1-116pp 131-139pp. with engraved portrait frontis, which has been laid-down, trimmed and perforated with small losses. Marginal repairs to title and following leaf. The pro-Cromwellian verses pp.117-130 cancelled as usual. Some marginal soiling. Recent owner's bookplate on the front pastedown. . First Edition. Hard Cover. Good+.

Ashendene Press, 1935. Hardback, original russet calf, press device in gilt on upper cover, housed in original marbled paper covered slipcase, a little rubbed. 34 x 24cm. [10], 172pp. Number 280 of 390 copies signed by the author/printer C. H. St J. Hornby, printed in red and black in Ptolemy type, plates, illustrations and specimen leaves, some folding, a few with initials supplied by hand by Graily Hewitt, errata slip tipped in to rear. The spine is usually the weak point with this book and this example is no excexception, the leather on the spine fraible and prone to rubbing, Small split at tail of spine, binding remains firm and secure. Slight wear extremities. Contents clean and unmarked. . Signed by Author. First Edition. Hard Cover. Very Good.

G. Allen, Orpington, 1883. Hardback, vellum spine over paper covered boards. 30.5 x 24cm. viii, 133pp. Frontispiece drawn by A.H. Mackmurdo, engraved by G. Allen. The design for the title page is recognised as the first expression of the Art Nouveau in England. On this example the title page design is not mirrored on the front cover, which is decorated with a small flowing Art Nouveau motif. Boards rubbed and worn to extremities. Vellum spine age discoloured. Previous owner's book plate on the front pastedown. A 4pp hand-printed homage by the previous owner to Mackmurdo loosely inserted. Blank leaf facing title page foxed and offset, but the all important title page is bright and clean with just a few marginal spots. Generally clean with just the occasional spot. Firmly bound. An important work and rather rare. . First Edition. Hard Cover. Good.

Golden Cockerel Press, 1936. Two volume set. Original red half morocco over cloth, bound by Sangorski & Sutcliffe. Each 25.5 x 20cm. Volume 1 Thesis: 55, [1]. Volume 2 Letters: 61pp. Numerous illustrations. Number 690 of 1000 copies. Complete with two maps in pocket to rear. Bookplate of Helen and Michael Oppenheimer to the front pastedowns. Slightest rubbing to spines, which are a little faded. Contents clean and unmarked.. Hard Cover. Very Good.

Kelmscott Press, 1894. Hardbacks, 3 volume set, original limp vellum bindings with gilt lettering on spines. 21 x 14cm. 1894-1895. [6], 399pp ; iv, 412pp, [2] ; viii, 421pp. Full page woodcut title page in vol 1, numerous woodcut borders, decorations, and initials. Printed in Morris's Golden Type. One of an edition of 250 copies on paper. Wedding gift inscription on the front pastedown of each volume and an armorial bookplate on the front end-papers. Some variation and toning to vellum. The odd spot but generally very clean. Slightest wear only. Housed in a modern cloth slipcase.. Limited. Hard Cover. Very Good.

Nonesuch Press, 1929. Hardbacks, 7 volume set, full morocco, gilt titles. Each volume 24 x 16.5cm. 1929-1933. No. 850 of a total of 1600 sets, 1050 for sale in the UK and 550 for the USA. Edited by Herbert Farjeon. Designed by Francis Meynell. Set in Monotype Fournier. Some variation in the colour of the bindings between volumes. A few small scuffs and marks but only slight wear. Contents clean and unmarked. An attractive set. . Hard Cover. Very Good.

Folio Society, 2002. Hardback, full Nigerian goatskin, with elaborate gilt decoration. 41 x 29cm. ii, 554pp. Number 131 of an edition 1000 copies printed for The Folio Society by Cambridge University Press. Some denting to the corners of the box, thankfullty the book remains in undamaged. A finest facsimile of the Kelmscott Chaucer. A very heavy volume, substantial additional postage charges likely for delivery outside the UK. . Limited. Hard Cover. Very Good.

London: Printed By John Norton for John Maynard, 1640. Hardback, an attractive recent full-calf with decorative blind-stamping to boards, ornate gilt spine. 18cm x 11.5cm. 2 works bound into 1 volume. The First Book. The Discovery of a New World. or, a Discourse Tending to Prove, That tis Probable There May Be Another Habitable World in the Moone. With a Discourseconcerning the Possibility of a Passage Thinker...bound with...A Discourse Concerning a New Planet. Tending to Prove, That 'tis Probable our Earth is one of the Planets. Pp. 242, 246. An additional engraved pictorial title by W. Marshall (laid down), a letterpress title to first and second book. Several woodcut diagrams within the text. Errata to first book (R2) bound in after A2, C1 and C2 of first book misbound, lacks blank a1 to second part, Marginal damp-staining throughout, more so to first 50 pages. A few marginal manuscript annotations. A light pencil colour illustration to page 156 and plate opposite (see photo). An interesting read.… Read More

Bern: Urs Graf-Verlag , 1950. Hardbacks, 3 volume set, 2 volumes boxed and one in a slipcase. Vol. 1&2 bound in vellum, front boards and spines decorated in gilt and black by Otto Walter Ltd, vol. 3 with vellum spine decorated in gilt and black, blue boards. Plain paper dust-wrappers for all 3 books, some tears. A limited edition of only 500 copies. The text volume includes an introduction by E. H. Alston, 'Notes on the Art and Ornament' by Peter Meyer, and a 'Collation of the Text with the Vulgate' by G.O. Simms. The boxes/slipcase are slightly marked and worn. Books themselves in excellent condition. A very heavy set, additional postage will be required for orders outside the UK. . Hard Cover. Near Fine.