Rare books from David Brass Rare Books, Inc.

London: Frederick Warne and Co., 1903. First Published Edition In the Rare Original Printed Glassine Dust Jacket POTTER, Beatrix. The Tailor of Gloucester. London: Frederick Warne and Co., 1903. First published edition, first issue (printed October 1903), with a single-page endpaper occurring four times. Twelvemo (5 7/16 x 4 1/16 inches; 139 x 105 mm.). 85, [1, printer's imprint] pp. Color frontispiece and twenty-six color plates (included in pagination). Seventeen illustrations are entirely new for this edition; eleven of the illustrations are repeated from the December 1902 privately printed edition. Original maroon boards ruled and lettered in white on front cover and lettered in white on spine. Color pictorial label on front cover within a blind panel in the shape of a truncated pyramid outlined in blind. Color pictorial endpapers (Quinby Plate I, a single-page endpaper occurring four times). Minimal fading to spine. Small circular bookseller's label on rear pastedown. Otherwise a… Read More

London: Frederick Warne and Co., 1911. First Edition of The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes in the Original Printed Glassine Dust Jacket POTTER, Beatrix. The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes. London: Frederick Warne and Co., 1911. First edition. Twelvemo (5 7/16 x 4 1/8 inches; 139 x 105 mm.). 84, [1], [1, blank] pp. Color frontispiece and twenty-six color plates (included in pagination). Black and white vignette on title-page. Original dark green boards ruled and lettered in white on front cover and lettered in white spine. Cover pictorial label (measuring 2 5/8 x 2 1/4 inches; 67 x 57 mm.) on front cover within a blind arch-shaped panel outlined in blind. Color pictorial endpapers (Quinby Plate X). A near mint copy. In the original glazed paper glassine dust jacket printed in black with the price "1/- NET" at foot of spine, with vertical lines at the top and bottom of the spine indicating where the fold should come for the front panel, with an advertisement for "The Peter Rabbit Books" on the rear panel listing… Read More

New York: Random House, 1957. Theodore Seuss Geisel's Most Famous Book First Edition, in the Rare First Issue Dust Jacket SEUSS, Dr. (pseudonym of Theodor Seuss Geisel). The Cat in the Hat. [New York]: Random House, [1957]. First edition, first issue. Octavo (8 15/16 x 6 3/8 inches; 227 x 163 mm.). [2], 61, [1] pp. Color illustrations throughout. Publisher's unglazed color pictorial boards. Color pictorial endpapers. A near fine copy, far better than is usually seen. In the rare original first issue color pictorial dust jacket, with the price "200/200" (i.e. $2.00) on the front flap and with no mention of the "Beginner Books" series on the rear panel. The bare minimum of rubbing at extremities, dust jacket with slight rubbing at folds, otherwise fine. Later editions/issues possessed glazed boards, and the original price of $2.00 was lowered to $1.95. "Dr Seuss's best-known picturebook epitomises the concept of instruction through delight. The Cat in the Hat was composed as a controlled… Read More

London: Walter Scott Publishing Co., Ld., 1902. A Spectacular Cosway Binding with Two Oval and Eight Circular Miniatures By Miss C.B. Currie COSWAY BINDING. RIVIÈRE & SON, binders. CURRIE, Miss C.B., miniaturist. MANSON, James A. Sir Edwin Landseer, R. A. Illustrated with Twenty-one Plates, and a Photogravure Frontispiece. London: The Walter Scott Publishing Co., Ltd.; New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1902. First edition, from The Makers of British Art Series edited by Manson.. Octavo. (7 1/8 x 5 1/8 inches; 180 x 128 mm). [i-vi], vii-xvi, 219, [220] pp. Title page printed in blue and black. Twenty-one engraved plates and a photogravure frontispiece. Handsomely bound ca. 1904 in a full dark green levant morocco Cosway Binding by Rivière & Sons for Sotheran & Co., stamp-signed to front turn in. Spine with five raised bands decoratively tooled and lettered in gilt after a floral and leaf design in compartments ruled in gilt. The front and back covers are ruled and decoratively tooled in a gilt… Read More

[Lodsworth, West Sussex]: , 1955. A Scarce Original, Autobiographical Drawing Not to be Pooh-Pooh'ed SHEPARD, E[rnest] H. Boccherini's Minuet and the Caliph of Baghdad. [Lodsworth, West Sussex, ca. 1955-1957]. Original pen-and-ink drawing by renowned illustrator Ernest H. Shepard of himself at age seven, with his sister Ethel, a few years older, depicting them in practice during a screeching violin lesson. Image size: 3 3/4 x 6 7/16 inches; 95 x 164 mm. Signed with initials at lower left. Additionally signed in ballpoint pen on back "E.H. Shepard / Woodmancote / Lodsworth / Sussex". Matted, framed and glazed. A delightful image of Shepard's childhood, which originally appeared in his autobiography, Drawn from Memory (1957), and was later reproduced only once, on page twenty-seven of The Work of E.H. Shepard by Rawle Knox (1979). Found on page thirty-three of Drawn from Memory, it is captioned, "My little fingers never seemed to be in the right place." "Once a week we all three of us [siblings]… Read More

London: Richard Bentley, 1855. In an Elegant, Beautifully Wrought Pictorial Binding [BAYNTUN OF BATH, binders]. INGOLDSBY, Thomas (pseudonym of Richard Harris Barham). The Ingoldsby Legends. Or, Mirth and Marvels. The Three Series. London: Richard Bentley, 1855. Tenth edition. Three octavo volumes (7 5/8 x 4 3/4 in; 193 x 121 mm). xii, 338, [2]; iv, 288; vi, [2], 364 pp. Twenty engraved plates by George Cruikshank and John Leech, including frontispieces. Uniformly bound c. 1925 by Bayntun of Bath (stamp-signed to front turn-in) in full crushed blue morocco with a multi-colored pictorial onlay vignette to each upper cover, the vignette within an enchanting arabesque-bordered frame with extensive gilt dots as background. Wide turn-ins with triple fillets. Gilt rolled edges. Gilt ornamented raised bands. Gilt framed and ornamented compartments. All edges gilt. Pink marbled endpapers. A fine set, handsomely bound. The exquisite multi-color leather inlays on the front cover of each volume depict as… Read More

London: Constable, 1912. He Doesn't Mind This Outstanding Binding Wonderfully Finished by Christopher Lewis of Bayntun-Rivière ROBINSON, W. Heath. [LEWIS, Christopher, finisher]. [BAYNTUN-RIVIÈRE, binder]. Bill the Minder. London: Constable, 1912. Limited to 380 copies signed by the artist, this being copy no. 228. Quarto (10 5/8 x 8 1/2 in; 270 x 215 mm). xiv, [2], 254, [2] pp. Sixteen tipped-in color plates, including frontispiece, with captioned tissue guards, and 117 black and white illustrations, including full title-pages, vignettes, head- and tailpieces. An exceptional and unique 'inlaid binding', c. 1982, by Bayntun-Rivière (designed and finished by Christopher Lewis) in full red crushed morocco with multi-colored pictorial inlays and black-stamped flowers that reproduce the color plate, "The King of Troy Compelled to Ask His Way," opposite p. 30, within a blind-tooled frame surrounded by gilt double-ruled borders. Raised bands with gilt tools and compartments with gilt ornaments… Read More

Roma: Vitale Mascardi, 1661. First Edition of One of the Rarest of Athanasius Kircher's Books "Post-Vesuvius Crosses" KIRCHER, Athanasius. Diatribe de prodigiosi Crucibus: quae tam supra vestes hominum, quam res alias, non pridem post vltimum incendium Vesuuij Montis Neapoli Comparuerunt. Roma: Vitale Mascardi, 1661. First edition. Small octavo (6 1/2 x 4 1/16 inches; 164 x 103 mm). [viii], 103, [1, blank] pp., one fold-out plate. Roman and italic type. Woodcut initials, head- tailpieces. Nineteenth century full vellum, spine lettered in manuscript. Slight burn mark affecting 1/4 x 1/2 inch of top blank margin of last three leaves of text and rear endleaves (not affecting any text). Later endpapers with original marbled endpapers bound in. An excellent copy of a very rare book. Housed in a fleece-lined half black morocco clamshell case. "During 1661 a further work was published by Kircher which brought a refreshingly rational approach to a problem worrying the people of Naples. Mysterious… Read More

London: Richard Bentley, 1838. Charles Dickens Unromantic Portrayal of Criminals and Their Sordid Lives DICKENS, Charles. Oliver Twist. By Charles Dickens. Author of "The Pickwick Papers" In Three Volumes. Vol. I. [II. III. ] London: Richard Bentley, 1838. First edition of Dickens' second novel. The "Charles Dickens" issue, with the title-page authorship credit to Charles Dickens instead of "Boz" and with the "Church" version of the final plate. First state of volume III with "pilaster" instead of "pier" or "pedestal" on page 164. Almost all the internal flaws according to Smith present. Three octavo volumes (7 15/16 x 4 7/8 inches; 202 x 124 mm.). Volumes I and III in twelves, volume II in eights. [iv], [1]2-331, [1, blank], [4, advertisements]; [iv], [1]2-307, [1, blank]; [iv], [1]2-315, [1, blank] pp. No half-title called for in Volume III. Twenty-four engraved plates by George Cruikshank. Small piece (3/4 x 3/8 inch) torn away from upper corner of second plate in volume II, repaired tear to… Read More

Boston: Ticknor, Reed, and Fields, 1852. First Edition, First Printing of Nathaniel Hawthorne's Most Famous Children's Book Six Tales Adapted from Greek Myths HAWTHORNE, Nathaniel. A Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys. With engravings by Baker from designs by Billings. Boston: Ticknor, Reed, and Fields, 1852. First edition, first printing, with the misprint "lifed" for lifted" on p. 21, line 3. Small octavo (6 5/8 x 4 3/8 inches; 169 x 111 mm.). [2, flyleaf], [i]-vi, [7]-256, [2, flyleaf] pp. Frontispiece and six inserted engraved plates after designs by Hammat Billings, all with original tissue-guards. Original gray-green, vertically ribbed cloth, covers stamped in blind, spine lettered in gilt, pale yellow wove endpapers. Some occasional and minimal light marginal soiling. Spine extremities expertly and almost invisibly strengthened (only visible under ultra-violet light), minimal rubbing to corners. Original endpapers and hinges untouched. A wonderful example of this superb collection of six… Read More

Roma: Georgius Plachi, 1709. The Rare Catalogue of the Great Kircher Museum [KIRCHER, Athanasius]. BONANNI, Filippo. Musaeum Kircherianum, sive Musaeum a P. Athanasio Kirchero In Collegio Romano Societatis Jesu jam pridem incoeptum Nuper restitutum, auctum, descriptum, & Iconibus illustratum... Roma: Typis Georgii Plachi Caelaturam Prositentis, & Characterum Fusoriam propè S. Marcum, 1709. First edition of Bonanni's catalogue of the Kircher Museum in Rome. Folio (14 5/8 x 9 3/4 inches; 372 x 247 mm.). [xii], 1-39, [40, blank], [21 leaves of illustration numbered 40-60], 61-79, [80, blank], [4 leaves of illustration numbered 60-63], 84-115, [12 leaves of illustration numbered 116-127], 128-146, [147, blank], [14 leaves of illustration numbered 147-160], 161-183, [184, blank], [15 leaves of illustration numbered 184-197.2], 198-224, [225, blank], [2 leaves of illustration numbered 248-226], 225-247, [248, blank], [18 leaves of illustration numbered 284-300], 264-283, [21 leaves of illustration… Read More

London: Ward, Lock and Co., , 1888. I consider that a man's brain originally is like a little empty attic, and you have to stock it with such furniture as you choose." A Great Detective's Debut, or The Case of The Missing Rare Book DOYLE, Arthur Conan. A Study in Scarlet. London: Ward, Lock and Co., 1888 [i.e. March 1889]. First edition in book form of the first Sherlock Holmes story (preceded only by the story's appearance in Beeton's Christmas Annual 1887). Second impression with mis-spelling "youuger" for younger in the second paragraph of the publishers' preface. Octavo (7 1/4 x 4 3/4 inches; 185 x 121 mm.). [iii] title; [iv] blank; [v] publisher's preface (with paragraph 2, line 3: youuger); [vi] blank; [vii] contents; [viii] blank [1]- [169]; [170] blank; advertisements; [171- 182] pp. With six line drawings within the text by Charles Doyle, the author's father, on pp. 32, 57, 64, 98, 124, 158. The title-page has been very neatly repaired at the edges and pp. 75-78 with very slight fore… Read More

London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1906. A Most Significant Copy of Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens  Inscribed by J.M. Barrie to "Tootles" RACKHAM, Arthur, illustrator. BARRIE, J.M. Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1906.  First edition, first impression. A remarkable presentation copy inscribed in ink on the half-title "To Joan Burnett / from her friend / J.M. Barrie / Christmas 1906"  On the verso of the half-title is another ink inscription "To dear Renée Deschamps / In loving memory of her Cousin / "Joan" / a gift from her / mother / Auntie Amy Donds / With much love to dear René / September 27 1922 / 7 New Steine Brighton / England" Quarto (9 7/8 x 7 3/8 inches; 251 x 187 mm.). xii, 125, [126] pp. Tipped-in color frontispiece and forty-nine tipped-in color plates all mounted on heavy stock dark gray paper, each with a lettered tissue-guard.  On the half-title (on the top left above the inscription) is a booksellers neat pencil note "17184 / GIKRT / $150"… Read More

Oxford: Oxford at the Clarendon Press, 1912. A Spectacular 'Pointille' Binding from Rivière & Son During their Best Period RIVIÈRE & SON, binders. The Oxford Book of English Verse 1250-1900. Chosen & Edited by Arthur Quiller Couch. Oxford at the Clarendon Press, 1912. Small octavo (6 9/16 x 4 3/16 inches; 167 x 106 mm.). [x], [1]-1084 pp. Printed on thin India paper. Bound by Rivière & Son ca. 1912 in full midnight blue morocco, covers elaborately stamped in gilt pointille in a wonderful floral design. Spine with five raised bands elaborately tooled and lettered in gilt in compartments, double gilt ruled board edges. Red morocco doublures with an elaborate gilt design, cream watered silk end leaves, all edges gilt. Joints very slightly cracked - almost invisible. A spectacular binding from the house of Rivière & Son during the best years. The elaborate pointille design is almost breathtaking and the inner red morocco doublures equally pleasing. The Oxford Book of English Verse, 1250-1900 is… Read More

London: Robt. Riviére & Son., Ltd., 1928. An Exceptionally Fine Rivière Rubaiyat With Twelve Hand-Colored Illustrations by Gilbert James [RIVIÈRE & Son, binders]. The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám. Translated by Edward Fitzgerald. [Illustrated by Gilbert James]. London: Robt. Riviére & Son., Ltd., 1928. "This special edition of the Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám, with twelve hand-coloured illustrations, is printed in Caslon Old Face type on Studio hand-made paper." Octavo (8 x 5 3/8 inches; 204 x 137 mm.). [ii, blank], [iii-viii], 75, [1, imprint] pp. With twelve illustrations by Gilbert James hand-colored and heightened with gold, and printed with blue initials for each stanza. Some light marginal foxing to plates, otherwise fine. Bound ca. 1928 by Rivière & Son (stamp-signed on front turn-in) in full blue crushed levant morocco. Front cover with a central oval panel with an onlaid brown-spotted serpent twining around a large gilt chalice. This central panel is surrounded by a floral border of… Read More