Rare books from James Cummins Bookseller

Paris: Librairie des Amateurs, A. Ferroud, 1903. Number 49 of 60 copies printed on Japan Paper, with the etched plates in three states, two of which are colored by hand, with an ORIGINAL WATERCOLOR FOLLOWING THE TITLE, SIGNED BY ROCHEGROSSE. 18 compositions de Georges Rochegrosse gravés à l'eau-forte en couleurs par E. Decisy. iii, 82 pp. 1 vols. 4to. Bound in full blue crushed levant, gilt stamped spine in 6 compartments, covers decorated in an open double fillet border, interlaced to form lozenges of various shapes, outer border of 4 fillets; doublures of brown levant morocco decorated with fan shaped gilt tooling, endpapers of brocade silk, gilt over rough edges, original covers bound in, each leaf mounted on separate hinge, by Affolter. In half blue morocco slipcase and chemise. Bookplate of Thomas B. Lockwood. Number 49 of 60 copies printed on Japan Paper, with the etched plates in three states, two of which are colored by hand, with an ORIGINAL WATERCOLOR FOLLOWING THE TITLE, SIGNED BY… Read More

[New York], 1950. In all, 29 pp. 1 vols. 4to. Light creasing to some leaves from prior folding, else fine. In all, 29 pp. 1 vols. 4to. The William Saroyan - Al Capp - Carol Marcus Affair. A Saroyan archive of essential biographical importance. In 1943, Armenian-American author William Saroyan, at the peak of his success and fame, married the 17-year-old socialite Carol Marcus. They had two children, Aram (b. 1943) and Lucy (b. 1946), but by 1949, as this archive painfully documents, the marriage was clearly breaking up. In July 1949, the couple agreed to separate; in September of that year they divorced; and Marcus, as a letter here reveals, began an affair with the cartoonist Al Capp. Eventually, Saroyan and Marcus remarried in 1951, but they quickly divorced again in 1952. This archive contains the following letters and documents relating to the marriage and its break-up: 1. Several typed and carbon drafts of Saroyan's request for annulment of the marriage, with several autograph corrections and… Read More

London: Grant Richards, 1899. First edition. Illustrated with 27 full-page engravings after drawings by the author, printed in color by Edmund Evans. 1 vols. 16mo. Original light green cloth ruled and lettered in dark green. Contemporary owner's signature dated Nov 1 1899 on title. Front hinge repaired, some rubbing and soiling of covers, a few spots in margins. Overall, a good copy of this notoriously fragile book. In green half morocco slipcase and chemise. First edition. Illustrated with 27 full-page engravings after drawings by the author, printed in color by Edmund Evans. 1 vols. 16mo. First edition of one of the most celebrated titles in children's literature, a work whose small illustrated format heralded a change in children's publishing, and a book that has achieved classic status while remaining explosively controversial. Hay, Sambo Sahib (Paul Harris, 1981); Schiller, "The Story of Little Black Sambo," in The Book Collector 23, No. 3 (Autumn 1974), pp. 381-386; Blockson 101, no. 50

London: Bradbury & Evans, 1857. First edition, with early issue points as per Smith (pp. 467-474 uncorrected, etc.). Illustrated with 40 etched plates after drawings by H.K. Browne ("Phiz"). 1 vols. 8vo. Publisher's green cloth stamped in blind and lettered in gilt, spine darkened, covers a little rubbed and faded; plates with usual darkening at margins, title and frontispiece slightly foxed and darkened -- still, quite a good copy and infrequently seen in publisher's cloth. First edition, with early issue points as per Smith (pp. 467-474 uncorrected, etc.). Illustrated with 40 etched plates after drawings by H.K. Browne ("Phiz"). 1 vols. 8vo. In Original Cloth. Smith 12

Los Angeles: Bright Dot Publications, 1980. First edition. Photographs in color by Susie Tracy (daughter of SPENCER TRACY). 1 vols. 8 X 8 inches. Printed pictorial wrappers, with color reproduction of Pritt on upper cover. First edition. Photographs in color by Susie Tracy (daughter of SPENCER TRACY). 1 vols. 8 X 8 inches. From Hepburn to her Agent: Tracy's Daughter's Cat Photos. A touching copy, rich with Tracy-Hepburn associations, featuring the photographs of Spencer Tracy's daughter Susie (b. 1934), to illustrate the life of a favorite deaf cat. This copy is inscribed by Hepburn to her agent, Freya Manston: "For Freya & her Cats "with affection "Kate" Spencer Tracy's first-born son, John, was born deaf; Tracy's wife Louise, with Spencer's support and encouragement, founded the famous John Tracy Clinic in honor of their son. It opened in 1942, the same year that Hepburn and Tracy began their legendary association.

[Ethiopia, late 19th century]. 2 [blank], 67 ff. Lettered in Ge'ez in black and red in double columns of twenty-one lines, two ornamental headings. 1 vols. 8 x 10 inches. Hide backed wooden boards. Upper board split in half, joined with old cord repair. Occasional irregularities in skins, lower corners thumbed with some soiling. 2 [blank], 67 ff. Lettered in Ge'ez in black and red in double columns of twenty-one lines, two ornamental headings. 1 vols. 8 x 10 inches. A representative manuscript collection of miracles, including a selection of miracles of the Virgin Mary, and miracles of the saints George, Gabra Manfas Qeddus, and the archangel Michael; the sections record several names of those commissioning the manuscript, Walda Śellāsē, Ḫāyla Śellāsē, and Walda Tenśā'ē. The last gathering of ten leaves appears of slightly later production (20th century?).

[Venice: Aldus Manutius, 1495. First Aldine edition, and the first complete edition of Theocritus (printing 12 of the 30 Idylls here for the first time); the first edition of HESIOD'S THEOGONY; second edition of his WORKS AND DAYS; and first editions of most of the other minor works (enumerated below); and first setting of quires £I °E F and £K °E G.. Title in Greek and Roman, introduction by Aldus in Latin;, text entirely in Greek. Woodcut decorated initials and floral or strapwork headpieces, ILLUMINATED THROUGHOUT IN COLORS AND GOLD IN A CONTEMPORARY HAND. [140] leaves. 1 vols. Folio, (315 x 210 mm.). Bound in early 18th-century mottled calf, spine in 7 compartments with citron morocco lettering piece in one and ornamental tooling in the rest; title soiled and shaved along fore-edge, extensive neatly penned marginalia in Greek and Latin, in two different hands; gilt edges, gauffered to all-over pattern of intersecting diagonal fillets and fleurons. Bookplate of St. Benedict's Abbey, Fort… Read More

London: The Author, 1901. First Editions. With 8 plates of hand-colored flies in the first title. 2 vols. 4to. Original purple cloth over bevelled boards. Some spotting to upper covers of first volume, else fine; second volume fine. Laid into a black quarter morocco and clothdrop box. First Editions. With 8 plates of hand-colored flies in the first title. 2 vols. 4to. Hampton's Angling Bibliography p. 171

New York, 1948. One page, on stationery of Val-Kill Cottage, Hyde Park, Duchess Co., New York. 8vo. Fine, in red morocco-backed custom folding box. One page, on stationery of Val-Kill Cottage, Hyde Park, Duchess Co., New York. 8vo. This note is possibly addressed to Harry Hooker, who was Roosevelt's longtime friend and attorney. Written only a few years after FDR's death (1945), the former first lady was still politically active, as this letter illustrates: "I have just been officially notified that I am to be again appointed as a delegate to the General Assembly of the United Nations which meets in Paris. I shall have to sail on September 13th. In view of this, could you and Nancy come up here in September 4th to stay over Labor Day? I would like to have a birthday party for you and Elliott before I leave! [stroke of exclamation point drawn in with pen]. Affectionately, [signed] Eleanor." Blanche Wiesen Cook, Eleanor Roosevelt, v. 1 (1992)

Boston: American Stationers Co., John B. Russell, 1837. First edition. Publisher's circular device on title-page. [4, ads], [5]-334, [2], [16, catalogue] pp. 1 vols. 8vo. Publisher's brown embossed cloth, title stamped in gilt to spine. Light wear and staining to covers, cloth split at rear joint, foxing throughout. In a custom blue morocco pull-of case, gilt, by Stikeman. First edition. Publisher's circular device on title-page. [4, ads], [5]-334, [2], [16, catalogue] pp. 1 vols. 8vo. His Second Book. Hawthorne's second book, and although it was not the dismal failure that Fanshawe had been, it attracted hardly any notice when it was issued thus in 1837. Now, of course, it is one of the most famous collections of short fiction in American literature. Vincent Starrett said of the story "Mr. Higginbotham's Catastrophe": "it comes close to becoming a detective story in the purest sense" and Edgar Allan Poe said the story is "vividly original and managed most dexterously" (see Queen's Quorum, p. 10).… Read More

Fresno: Wilson Press, Inc, 1958. Seventeenth Printing. Illus. 384 pp. 1 vols. 8vo. Blue boards. Fine in VG pictorial dj by Ben Fedder, Inc. Seventeenth Printing. Illus. 384 pp. 1 vols. 8vo. INSCRIBED. Inscribed on ffep, "To Norman Martin-/ With Warmest Regards-/Always-/ Pappy Boyington." AND ABOVE: "Masajiro "Mike" Kawato Japanese WWII Ace 19 Victories/ I shot down Col. Greg/ Pappy Boyington/ Jan. 26, 1982.

London: Bradbury and Evans, 1848. First edition. With engraved frontispiece, engraved title-page, 38 engraved plates, and numerous engravings on steel and textual wood illustrations by the author. xvi, 624 pp. 1 vols. 8vo. Bound in full red morocco, with oval Cosway-style portrait on the upper cover, a.e.g., by Aspreys. Skilfully rebacked preserving spine. Fine. First edition. With engraved frontispiece, engraved title-page, 38 engraved plates, and numerous engravings on steel and textual wood illustrations by the author. xvi, 624 pp. 1 vols. 8vo. With a fine Miniature Portrait. Van Duzer 230; Grolier English 87

New York: Charles L. Webster and Company, 1885. First American edition, later Issue. With One Hundred and Seventy-Four Illustrations by E.W. Kemble. 366pp. 1 vols. Square 8vo. Bound in full modern brown calf. First American edition, later Issue. With One Hundred and Seventy-Four Illustrations by E.W. Kemble. 366pp. 1 vols. Square 8vo. Issue points: Title-page BAL #2 of 3 p.13-BAL2 p.57-BAL 2 p.282-BAL4 p.155-BAL 3 Portait-BAL3. BAL 3415

London: Methuen, 1928. First edition. Illustrated by Ernest H. Shepard. 8vo. Original salmon cloth stamped in gilt, illustrated endpapers, t.e.g., illustrated dustjacket. Endpapers toned from jacket flap, some darkening and wear to jacket, very good. E.H. Shepard. First edition. Illustrated by Ernest H. Shepard. 8vo. First Edition. First edition of the second collection of Pooh stories.

New York: D. Appleton, 1872. First edition, second issue of Adventures; first edition of Looking-Glass, first issue with "wabe" misspelled. Illustrations by John Tenniel. 2 vols. 8vo. Original red cloth gilt. Adventures expertly rebacked with original spine laid down, Looking Glass lightly rubbed, lower inner hinge tender. Very good plus overall. Housed together in half morocco clamshell box. First edition, second issue of Adventures; first edition of Looking-Glass, first issue with "wabe" misspelled. Illustrations by John Tenniel. 2 vols. 8vo. The Immortal Alice. An attractive set of the Alice books, with Alice's Adventures in Wonderland in the first printing, second issue, comprising the sheets of the original London printing of 1865 sent to America with new title pages bearing the Appleton imprint. This printing had been rejected by Dodgson because illustrator John Tenniel strongly disliked the way the illustrations were printed, but it is the earliest obtainable edition (only about 15 copies are… Read More