Rare books from Paul Foster Books

John Grant. Edinburgh.,1908. Two Volumes.8vo.(7.4 x 4.9 inches). Illustrated with 21 full page engraved portraits. Very good copies in fine mid twentieth century bindings of half blue moroco. Spines with raised bands, gilt decoration, rules and lettering. Cloth on boards. Marbled endpapers. Top edges gilt, others untrimmed. Very light fading to the spines but still overall a very attractive set.:

Eyre and Spottiswoode, London.,1930. LIMITED EDITION. Tall 4to. (13.7 x 8.7 inches). 450 copies published, 250 for the British Empire and 200 for USA. This is number 217 and is signed by Frank Adams. Illustrated throughout with Colour Portrait frontis, within a mono border and 13 lithograph illustrations decorating the chapter headings, 9 of these printed in colour. There are also 10 small wood engraved tail pieces, all uncoloured. On the front pastedown endpaper is a printed label from the publisher, giving details of the book, stating the name of the recipient of this particular copy and listing the copy number, both written in in ink. Original vellum backed, marbled paper covered boards.The spine lettered in gilt. Top edge gilt, the others untrimmed. Overall a very good, bright example of this well produced edition.:

Methuen & Co. Ltd. London.,1913. Spurrious First edition. Actually the fourth impression with a cancel title page, stating " First Published 1913" on verso, on the title page stub. 8vo. (7.7 x 5.3 inches). 8 page publishers advert dated Autumn 1913. A very good copy in publishers green cloth binding with spine decorated and lettered in gilt, including the correct spelling of the publishers name at the bottom. Signed by Joseph Conrad on the front free endpaper, Dated 1923. The top of the signed leaf and the half title page have a small indentation where a paper clip has been used.Aside from some light rubbing to the extremities this is a very good tight copy, the gilt on the spine still strong and bright. Loosely inserted is the front panel from the rare dustwrapper, showing a full colour illustration by J. Dewar Mills within a grey border. The whole panel dark blue with grey title and author. An interesting copy, signed by the author and with part of the wrapper, of the less common 1913 Cancel title… Read More

Philip Lee Warner, Publisher to the Medici Society, for the Riccardi Press, London. 1914. LIMITED EDITION. Large 8vo. (9.3 x 6.6 inches). One of 1000 hand-numbered copies printed in the Riccardi Fount on handmade Riccardi Paper. Fine leather binding of recent full deep red morocco. Spine with five raised bands, ruled in gilt. Compartments ruled, lettered and decorated with March Hare and Playing cards motifs in gilt, with floral gilt surrounds. Ruled gilt border on boards. Top edge gilt, others untrimmed. A bright and clean copy of this lovely edition, beautifully printed on fine quality hand made paper and in a decorative leather binding. ----- This edition was published by arrangement with Macmillan and Company using Carroll's revised text of 1896. The wonderful Tenniel illustrations are printed from fresh electros taken from the original wood-blocks, with four being slightly enlarged from the original block designs.

London. Printed for the Editor, and sold by all the booksellers in town and country. 1790. SECOND EDITION. 12mo. (7.3 x 4.5 inches). ix, 373pp. Bound without the half tile. Some minor browning but overall a very good copy in recent half brown calf binding. Spine with five raised bands, gilt. Red title label, Gilt. Marbled paper on boards.

Smith, Elder and Co., London. 1915. FIRST EDITION. 8vo. (7.4 x 5.2 inches). Illustrated with a mono frontispiece of Sherlock Holmes, by Frank Wiles. Some foxing, mainly to the first dozen or so pages, otherwise mostly bright throughout. Finely bound in recent half tan calf. Spine with five raised bands, ruled in blind. Compartments tooled and lettered in gilt. Green title label, gilt. Marbled paper on boards. Top edge gilt. A very good attractive copy of this scarce war time Sherlock Holmes title.

Heritage Press. New York. 1941. First printing of this Heritage Press edition. 8vo, (9 x 6.2 inches). Illustrated throughout with 94 line engravings by John Tenniel, each with double ruled line borders printed in red and blue. A lovely clean copy finely bound, by Maurin, in contemporary full dark blue morocco. Spine with two raised bands, each with gilt wavy lines. Compartments ruled, lettered and decorated in gilt, including the March Hare within a floral border. Double ruled gilt border on both boards with circular gilt illustration of Alice carrying the pig on the front board. Board edges with gilt ruled line. Gilt inner dentelles and double ruled borders. Multi coloured floral endpapers. Top edge gilt. Purple silk page marker. A bump to the top outer corner of the lower board, but otherwise a near fine copy in an attractive mid twentieth century fine binding.

Lion and Unicorn Press. London. 1964. LIMITED EDITION. Folio. (13.7 x 9.8 inches). One of only 400 copies, this number 368. Inscribed by Colin Hayes on the half title page and with a catalogue of his exhibition at the Royal Academy in 2000, plus the order of service from his funeral at Mortlake Crematorium in 2003. Illustrated with 60 fine full page plates. Very good copy in publishers illustrated grey cloth covered boards reproducing pencil drawings by Spencer. White cloth spine lettered in grey. A little rubbing to the extremities of the binding and a single previous owner name on the front pastedown endpaper, but overall a very good copy of this interesting book reproducing sixty drawings produced by Spencer between 1939 and 1949 and housed in four large sketchbooks, larger than reproduced here. The original scrapbook pages measured 16 x 10.9 inches.

Gay and Bird. London. 1904. LIMITED EDITION. Small 8vo. (5.2 x 3.3 inches). One of 60 copies printed on Japanese vellum, numbered and signed by the Publishers. Portrait frontis and a handful of head and tail pieces by Herbert Cole. Finely bound in early full dark brown morocco by Zaehnsdorf. Raised bands on spine, each with gilt piping. Compartments ruled lettered and decorated in gilt. Gilt double ruled borders on boards with elaborate floral corner pieces. Board edges ruled in gilt. Burgundy silk endpapers. Decorative gilt tooled borders and floral design to turn-ins. Top edge gilt. A fine and attractive binding.

Longmans, Green and co. London. 1889. THIRD EDITION. 8vo. (7.4 x 5.6 inches). Frontis and ten full page mono plates, plus 52 smaller engravings throughout the text. A few pages with marks and spots but overall a very good copy in a fine early full leather binding, by Sotheran & Co, of full burgundy Morocco. Spine with raised bands, each ruled in gilt. The compartments fully decorated and lettered in gilt. Decorative and ruled gilt borders to the boards. Decorative gilt roll to board edges and inner dentelles. Attractive floral gold and green endpapers. All edges gilt. Blue silk page marker. Some rubbing to edges but overall a very good copy. ---- Previous owners bookplate on front pastedown endpaper - A. E. Ledger Hill, perhaps a relative of the late nineteenth century Hampshire and England Cricketer A. J. Ledger Hill.

Constable & Co. Ltd. London. 1917. REPRINT OF 1916 CHEAP EDITION. (Originally published in larger format and with more plates in 1912). Large 8vo. (8.5 x 7 inches). Beautifully illustrated with colour frontis, protected by a printed tissue guard, and 6 full colour tipped in plates, plus 98 line drawings and decorative borders throughout. Finely bound in early half red morocco leather binding by Bayntun (Riviere) of Bath. Spine with five raised bands, the compartments ruled in blind and lettered and decorated in gilt. Red cloth on boards. Marbled endpapers. Top edge gilt. There is a mild stain to the leather at the bottom of the book but overall this is a very attractive copy of this finely illustrated book.

T. Nelson and Sons. London 1858. FIRST EDITION. 12mo. (5.8 x 3.8 inches). 48pp of text, with 14 vignette engravings among the text, and 12 colour tinted plates. Original publishers paper wraps, printed in gold, both front - which is illustrated, and rear, are bound in. Attractive early leather binding of full red pebble grained morocco. Gilt ruled and dotted line, with floral devices, design to both boards and spine. Front board lettered in gilt. Board edges with gilt dots. Marbled endpapers. Eight line poetic inscription to the front blank free endpaper. Faded light purple ex library stamp to the title page and the leaf with the inscription. Overall a very good and attractively bound copy of this uncommon little book. Copac shows just 3 copies of this 1858 edition, and one of those listed as only having 10 of the plates.

Macmillan and Co, Ltd. London. 1910. FIRST EDITION. 8vo.(8.1 x 5.6 inches). Illustrated with four full page mono plates by Frank Craig. Publishers original burgundy cloth boards. Gilt lettering to the spine. Front board with raised circular Ganesha device in gilt. Top edge gilt. In the rare original dustwrapper, with repeat pattern of Macmillan double M design over the whole surface and red lettering to the spine and both outer panels. Lower panel has correct publisher adverts, as listed in David Alan Richards' Bibliography of Kipling. Inner flaps with repeat Macmillan design but nothing else. The cloth and gilt are bright and fresh. Some spotting to the fore edge of the pages and a few leaves affected with fairly mild foxing, mostly to the margins and away from the text. The inner hinges are cracked but holding firm and a slight lean to the spine, otherwise a very good copy of the book in a very good dustwrapper with some minor chipping to the extremities and the spine a bit darkened. The red… Read More

Victor Gollancz Limited. London. 1938. FIRST EDITION. 8vo. (7.9 x 5.4 inches). Some very minor browning to the page edges, as is common with the cheap paper used in this book, and a couple of pages with a crease to the outer corner of the page, otherwise a very good copy finely bound in recent full black morocco, spine with five raised bands, the compartments lettered, ruled and decorated in gilt. Top edge gilt.

Methuen & Co. Ltd. London. 1926. FIRST EDITION. 8vo. (7.7 x 5.2 inches). Illustrated throughout with beautiful line drawings by E. H. Shepard. Decorative map endpapers. A neat previous owner address has been blind stamped to the front blank endpaper and there are a few minor marks to a handful of pages but overall this is better than very good copy in original dark green cloth, decorated to the front board with an illustration of Christopher Robin and Pooh, within a single ruled border, and double ruled lines and lettering to the spine, all in gilt. Top edge gilt, others untrimmed. The cloth and gilt still sharp and fresh. A beautiful copy in the original correct first impression dustwrapper which has some very minor loss to the top and bottom of the spine and corner tips, a couple of small marks and is a little toned to the spine but is still overall a very good example. A lovely copy of this classic.