Rare books from Downtown Brown Books, ABAA

Los Angeles: Graham, 2005. Hardcover. Fine/Fine. The deluxe limited issue of this 50th anniversary illustrated edition of Brabury's great dystopian novel. The book includes full-page color illustrations by the illustrator Ralph Steadman, who is widely known for his work with Hunter S. Thompson. There were 451 copies of this edition, with a special introduction by Bradbury written just for this book. This is one of 52 lettered copies presented in a lovely folding clamshell box for the book and an original signed lithograph, "The Hound", by Ralph Steadman. This is a wonderful pairing of one of the great novels of the second half of the 20th century with one of the best illustrators of adult books of the same era. A fine copy in a fine dust jacket and a near fine clamshell box. This copy is SS of 52, signed by Bradbury and Steadman, with a fine example of the Steadman lithograph in a fine envelope, as issued.

Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press: An Imprint of Harvard University Press, 2002. First Edition. Hardcover. Near Fine/Near Fine. A synthesis of three decades of study and writing about evolutionary theory. Gould, ever the historian of science, traces the development of evolution in order to make his case that biologists put too much emphasis on the "design" embodied in natural selection and too little on random chance. Gould, fighting cancer for a second time, pushed to finish this book, and it seems likely that it would have been shorter if he had had more time. The book is written for a general audience, providing Gould's unequaled clear explanations of complex theories while pushing the boundaries of contemporary science on the strength of his ideas. This book is one of Gould's most widely cited works. The Structure of Evolutionary Theory was published two months before Gould died, on May 20, 2002. It is now in its fifth or sixth printing and has been cited some 6000 times in the scientific… Read More

New York: The Macmillan Company, 1936. First Edition. Hardcover. Very good. The first edition, first printing ("Set up and electrotyped. Published May, 1936." with no other printings noted on the copyright page) of the great Civil War novel, turned into one of the most popular American films of all time. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize. First edition. A very good copy in the original gray publisher's boards. Spine only slightly darkened. With a half-inch tear at the top of the spine cloth and an old ownership signature in pencil on the front free endpaper. An above average copy, but lacking the dust jacket. A FACSIMILE jacket is supplied to protect the book and make it look sweet on your shelves.

Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 1981. First Edition. Hardcover. Fine/Near fine. An account of the often brutal interactions between white settlers and the Native Americans living in the Round Valley, in Northern Mendocino County, California. Since descendants of some of the worst offenders still live in the region, rumors of their attempts to supress the book abound. Its relative scarcity is due to a more prosaic chain of events. After an allegation of (unintentional) plagiarism was leveled against the section written by Estle Beard, the publisher investigated, agreed with the complaint, and withdrew the book from sale. Since both authors have since passed away, it seems unlikely that this book will ever be republished or converted into an e-book. The original hardcover is the only way to read about this troubled era in Northern California's history. 403 pages. First and only edition (first printing). A fine copy in a fine dust jacket, but for a short tear to the front panel. An… Read More

Millbrae, CA: Celestial Arts, 1981. First Edition. Hardcover. fine. A massive, full-color collection of Carl Barks's influential Scrooge McDuck comics, with introductions to each story by Barks. This book was issued in a numbered edition of 5000 copies, with a color offset lithograph signed by Barks. Introduction by George Lucas; edited by Edward Summer; recolored by Peter Ledger. 376 pages. 9-3/4 by 13-1/8 inches. First edition (first printing). A fine copy in brown leatherette stamped in gilt. This is copy 904 with an offset lithograph with a matching number, signed by Barks. The print is in a glassine envelope laid in at the back of the book.

Mexico [Mexico City]: Cuadernos del Unicornio, 1958. First Edition. Pamphlet. Very good. The first book by Pacheco, an important Mexican poet. This, however, is a short story, published in a thin chapbook in tan wrappers illustrated with a drawing of a unicorn head printed in red-orange ink. One of 400 copies. Series edited by Juan José Arreola. First edition (first printing). A very good copy (a bit of loss at the top of the spine).

New York: Dial Press, 2014. First Edition. Hardcover. Fine/Fine. Short stories by the author of The Giant's House. First edition (first printing). A fine copy in a fine dust jacket. Signed by McCracken on the title page. This copy comes from the Parnassus Books first edition club, with the informational card laid in. This card is written by the novelist and store co-owner, Ann Patchett. Since this is an early entry in the series, the card is signed "Ann" by Patchett. Uncommon with the card.

[San Francisco]: [Probably Taber Photo], 1880. Ephemera. Near fine. An imperial plate (8-1/2 by 12-1/2 inches) image of the Three Brothers mountains with the Merced River in the foreground. Watkins returned to this spot over and over and made many photographs from this vantage point. Watkins took this image between 1878 and 1881. It may have been printed by Isaiah Taber, after Taber took over Watkins's bankrupt photo studio. However, it does not have the Taber imprint but the mount matches another Yosemite image with Taber's logo in the negative. This view is very similar to two of Watkins's mammoth-plate images (Naef and Hult-Lewis, Carleton Watkins: The Complete Mammoth Photographs, nos. 172 and 172) and was almost certainly taken at the same time. In addition to the albumen print offered here, another example of this imperial plate image is in the Yosemite Museum, on a larger mount. While it is generally known that Watkins regularly took his 18-by-22-inch mammoth glass-plate camera and a… Read More

San Francisco: Taber Photo, 1880. Ephemera. Near fine. An imperial plate (8-1/2 by 12-1/2 inches) portrait of Galen Clark holding a rifle and standing in front of one of the first famous trees from the Yosemite area. Watkins took this image in 1865 or 1866, during one of his extended trips to Yosemite. It was printed by Isaiah Taber from the original negative, after Taber took over Watkins's bankrupt photo studio. The Getty owns a copy of this image and it is very similar to one of Watkins's mammoth-plate images (Naef and Hult-Lewis, Carleton Watkins: The Complete Mammoth Photographs, no. 104). While it is generally known that Watkins regularly took his 18-by-22-inch mammoth glass-plate camera and a stereoview camera to Yosemite, the existence of imperial plate photographs suggests he took a third camera with him on his trips. Amy S. Doherty ("Carleton E. Watkins, Photographer: 1829-1916" in the Syracuse University Courier vol. 15, no. 4, 1978) proposed this idea based on an examination of a bound… Read More

Chicago: Wahl Institute, 1944. First Edition. Hardcover. Very good. A reference book from one of the leading beer researchers and educators in the first half of the twentieth century. This volume covers barley, malt, malting, malting adjuncts, hops, and technical materials. 623 pages. First edition (first printing). A very good or better copy in thin leatherette boards. No dust jacket, possibly as issued. This copy belonged to William F. Blitz, an executive of the Portland brewery, Blitz-Weinhard.

Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company, 1982. First Edition. Hardcover. Very good/Near fine. The biography of one of the leading dancers with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. 294 pages. First edition (stated). A near fine copy in a near fine dust jacket but for REMAINDER spray on the bottom edge. This copy is inscribed by Jamison to the collector Oliver St. Clair Franklin, To Oliver, Thanks for being a great human being & collector. Judith Jamison." Uncommon signed.

[San Francisco]: [Probably Taber Photo], 1880. Ephemera. Near fine. An imperial plate (8-1/2 by 12-1/2 inches) image "made on the path leading from Hutchings's Upper House hotel to his residence a few hundred yards north of the hotel, north of present-day Sentinel Bridge," Naef and Hult-Lewis, p. 90. Watkins took this image between 1878 and 1881. It may have been printed by Isaiah Taber, after Taber took over Watkins's bankrupt photo studio. However, it does not have the Taber imprint but the mount matches another Yosemite image with Taber's logo in the negative. This view is very similar to one of Watkins's mammoth-plate images (Naef and Hult-Lewis, Carleton Watkins: The Complete Mammoth Photographs, no. 200) and was almost certainly taken at the same time. In addition to the albumen print offered here, another example of this imperial plate image is in the Yosemite Museum, on a larger mount. While it is generally known that Watkins regularly took his 18-by-22-inch mammoth glass-plate camera and… Read More

[San Francisco]: [Probably Taber Photo], 1880. Ephemera. Near fine. An imperial plate (8-1/2 by 12-1/2 inches) image of the El Capitan, one of the best-known rock formations in the Yosemite Valley. Watkins made at least five mammoth-plate images from this vantage point over a period of at least 20 years. Watkins took this image between 1878 and 1881. It may have been printed by Isaiah Taber, after Taber took over Watkins's bankrupt photo studio. However, it does not have the Taber imprint but the mount matches another Yosemite image with Taber's logo in the negative. This view is very similar to one of Watkins's mammoth-plate images (Naef and Hult-Lewis, Carleton Watkins: The Complete Mammoth Photographs, no. 136) and was almost certainly taken at the same time. It is easily distinguishable from images taken at another time because this image and the corresponding mammoth-plate view have a white reflection of the mountain in the water in the foreground. In addition to the albumen print offered… Read More

Braunschweig: Druck und Verlag von Friedr. Vieweg & Sohn, 1921. First Edition. Pamphlet. Very good. A notable paper on the impact origin of moon craters. Wegener considers the three leading explanations at the time-the bubble or explosion hypothesis, the tidal hypothesis, and the volcanic hypothesis-and finds them inadequate. He then elaborates his own theory of projectile hypothesis, which he simulated by impacting cement projectiles into cement dust and comparing the results to known data about moon crater shape and proportions (several plates are based on photographs of the results). Wegener is most well-known today for his pioneering work on continental drift but he made important contributions to a number of fields, including this work on astrophysics. A crater on the dark side of the moon is named for him. 48 pages, plus three black-and-white photographic plates. Published as no. 55 in the Sammlung Vieweg Tagesfragen aus Naturwissenschaften und Technik series. For more information, see… Read More

Sacramento, CA: Yorozu Shoten Shutchojo, 1916. First Edition. The earliest work treating the Japanese from Hiroshima Prefecture in California which stresses agricultural activities. Provides statistics for the years 1912-1913 broken down into Gun origins, data on the distribution of those engaged in agricultural pursuits, and information on the various prefectural organizations throughout the state. Concludes with a Who's Who in California."-Buried Past, 311. In the author's introduction, he says work on the book began in October 1913 and continued for two years. He traveled throughout California to meet and interview farmers and business owners for the Who's Who section. The book is illustrated with 37 pages of halftone plates of Japanese American businesses, farms, and prominent families. The Who's Who has in-text halftone portraits of many of those profiled. The prefaces provide context for this early directory and history. Despite the anti-Asian sentiment in the United States, the Japanese… Read More