Rare books from Rarities etc.

Munroe and Francis, Boston, 1832. First Edition. Hardcover (Full Leather). Very Good Condition/No Dust Jacket. A Boston Housekeeper [Mrs. N.K.M. Lee]. The Cook's Own Book: Being a Complete Culinary Encyclopedia, Boston: Munroe & Francis, 1832.12mo, first edition, pp. xxxvi, 300, full sheep, probably a 20th-century binding, gilt stamped lettering and rules to spine, with endpages replaced and no half-title, reverse of ffep preserving a gift inscription, with another ownership signature on title page. Woodcut engraving showing how to break down an ox, with the facing page giving prices of various cuts of meat. See Lowenstein, American Cookery, 160, and Cagle & Stafford 447.OCLC Worldcat locates several copies in American institutions, but this first edition is scarce in the private marketplace, the auction records showing that the last sale took place in 2008 ($1800 at Swann gallery).Condition of this book:Very good and tight, boards worn at… Read More

Knaplock et al, London, 1725. Early Edition. Hardcover (Full Leather). Good Condition/No Dust Jacket. GORDON, PATRICK. Geography Anatomiz'd; or, The Geographical Grammar, London: R. Knaplock etc., 1725.Octavo, 10th edition, pp. [xviii], 416 (misnumbered but all present, lacking rear blanks), contemporary full calf with a hand-written code on spine, five raised bands, 17 folding map plates by John Senex measuring about 23x20cm (8x9 inches), title page in red and black with margin notes. No copies of this edition are located by OCLC or KVK, but a couple copies from 1722 are (earlier appearance of the Senex maps). Senex (1678-1740) operated 2 bookshops in London where he sold maps and was one of the leading mapmakers of his era. Here he perpetuated one of the most famous errors in cartography, showing California as an island off the coast of North America, with a "Red Sea" separating the two land masses.Condition of this book:Boards worn, upper joint cracked,… Read More

Galeries Georges Petit, Paris, 1932. First Edition. Hardcover. Very Good Condition/No Dust Jacket. VRANCKEN, CHARLES. Exposition Picasso, Paris: Galeries Georges Petit, 1932.Quarto, catalog for an exhibition, pp. 77 plus 32 plates in gravure, softcover rebound in maroon buckram with morocco label on spine, presentation copy printed for Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Flechtheim. (Alfred Flechtheim is listed in the back as one of the organizers of the exhibit. He was a Berlin gallerist who would be forced to flee when the Nazis seized power.) The exhibit was one of the most important Picasso shows ever put up. From Wikipedia: Art historian Michael C. Fitzgerald writes that, "displaying 225 paintings, seven sculptures, and six illustrated books, the exhibition was a blockbuster. Apart from sheer size, the show ranged across Picasso's career from 1900 to the early months of 1932." Petit, who was a linchpin of the Paris art scene for decades, was dead by the time the Picasso show was… Read More

Arch, London, 1826. First Edition. Hardcover (Full Leather). Good Condition/No Dust Jacket. Turner, J.M.W. Picturesque Views on the Southern Coast of England, 2 volumes, London: John and Arthur Arch, 1826.Quartos, first edition, unpaginated with 80 engravings, contemporary polished calf with elaborate gilt-stamped floral decoration, red morocco labels and five raised bands on spines, a.e.g., engravings by George and W.B. Cooke and others. Engravings include 48 plates and 32 vignettes. Front pastedowns have the armorial bookplate of Haughton Charles Okeover (see Ellis catalog, entry No. 4132), flyleaf in V.1 has the signature of his mother, Mary Anne Okeover, dated 1827. The son was the high sheriff of Derby in the mid-19th century. The brothers Cooke were among England's most important engravers. This work took them 12 years, with W.B. creating 20 plates and George 14. According to Gordon Ray (Illustrator and the Book in England), this book was released in parts between 1814 and… Read More

Delphic Studios, New York, 1933. First Edition. Hardcover (in Slipcase). Near Fine Condition/No Dust Jacket. BRUEHL, ANTON. Mexico, New York: Delphic Studios, 1933.Folio, Copy No. 1 of an edition limited to 1,000, unpaginated with 25 collotype plates, tan linen boards quarter-bound in black morocco, rebacked, slipcased. Parr & Badger, V.1, p. 81: "The images are close in style to those made by Paul Strand in Mexico in 1932-4, although Bruehl's pictures do not display the sense of suffering that colors much of Strand's work. ... The book is an interesting demonstration of the kind of formalist modernism that does not even pretend to make any social analysis of what is being photographed." Scarce.Condition of this book:Slipcase repaired, fine, preserving original graphics. A few small chips in front lettering, images fine. Size: Large Folio (bigger than A3). Text body is clean, and free from previous owner annotation, underlining and highlighting.… Read More

Trico Graphic Design, Prague, 1996. First Edition. Loose folio. Fine Condition/No Dust Jacket. Inscribed by person(s) connected with book. Josef Sudek 1896-1976, printed in 1996 at Trico Graphic Design in Prague.Folio measuring about 17x12 inches or 43x31cm, prints from very small (6x5cm) to large (28x37cm), each tipped onto heavy stock the size of the folio. This is Copy No. 62 of 96 issued, with a gift inscription on the inside of the covers signed by the Czech photographer and photo historian Anna Farova.This is a retrospective spanning the career of Sudek, maybe the Czech Republic's greatest photographer. Original prints can be hard to get because of legal restrictions on the export of culturally important material. These lithographs are very high quality and represent much of the subject matter Sudek was known for.Titles: Egg, 1949;Lightning, 1916 (pigmented);Architectural Detail, 1930;The Svatavitsky Church,… Read More

Limited Editions Club, New York, 1950. First Edition. Hardcover (Original Cloth). Near Fine Condition/No Dust Jacket. THE COMPLETE WORKS OF ROBERT FROST in 2 volumes, New York: Limited Editions Club, 1950.Quartos, copy No. 1131 of an edition of 1,500, pp. xliv, 308; 309-610, 1 (limitation page), denim cloth boards with black morocco labels on spines, lacking the slipcase, illustrated by Thomas W. Nason, designed by Bruce Rogers, printed at Marchbanks Press under the direction of Rogers. Signed on the limitation page by Frost, Nason and Rogers.LEC Quarto-Millenary 208. A high spot for Frost collectors.Condition of these books:Near fine with chipping to labels' edges, boards slightly discolored. First edition of the work in this format and binding, and/or set or series. Size: Quarto. 2-volume set (complete). Text body is clean, and free from previous owner annotation, underlining and highlighting. Binding is tight, covers and spine fully intact. All edges… Read More

Carey, Lea & Blanchard, Phiiladelphia, 1838. Early Edition. Hardcover (Half Leather). Good Condition/No Dust Jacket. JANE AUSTEN. The Novels, Volume 1, Philadelphia: Carey, Lea & Blanchard, 1838.Octavo, second American edition, pp. vi, 387, marbled boards half-bound in contemporary black morocco with gilt lettering to spine, ownership signature on title page. Includes Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion and Mansfield Park, thus lacking Emma, Northanger Abbey and Sense and Sensibility. Printed on double columns.Condition of this book:Both hinges split, repaired with binder's tape -- front board would be loose without tape. Covers generally worn but completely serviceable. Small stain at fore edge, preliminaries marked but inside is clean, free of foxing. Title page has minor stains and does not open perfectly. Size: Octavo (standard book size). One volume of the 2-volume set. Text body is clean, and free from previous owner annotation, underlining and highlighting.… Read More

McCann, New York. First Edition. Hardcover (Original Cloth). Very Good Condition/No Dust Jacket. GEORGE RANDOLPH CHESTER. The Wonderful Adventures of Little Prince Toofat, New York: James A. McCann, 1922.Quarto, first edition, pp. [ii], 70, 6 color plates, gray cloth boards with gilt lettering and black illustration on front, childish hand coloring to half-title and last page, small ownership signature on rear cover, illustrated by Robert Lawson. Lawson was the only person ever to win the Caldecott and Newbery awards, and Toofat was his first book. He went on to illustrate The Story of Ferdinand, Mr. Popper's Penguins and other great children's books. Worldcat locates several copies of Toofat, but this edition is scarce.Condition of this book:Finger marks on covers, corners rubbed and worn, overall good to very good. Size: Quarto. Text body is clean, and free from previous owner annotation, underlining and highlighting. Binding is tight, covers and spine fully… Read More

Shueisha, Tokyo, 1974. Hardcover (in Slipcase). Fine Condition/Fine. Various, Shunsho, Ukiyo-e Series Volume 3, Tokyo: Shueisha, 1974.Large folio (17x12 inches or 43x31cm), pp. 144, printed cream-colored cloth boards quarter-bound in white cloth, slipcased, text in Japanese. Large color plates, some folding, plus explanatory text. Part of a 12-volume set, this book devoted exclusively to Shunsho.Condition of this book:Fine in near fine slipcase (soiling at top and bottom edges). Size: Large Folio (bigger than A3). One volume of the 12-volume set. Text is in Japanese. Text body is clean, and free from previous owner annotation, underlining and highlighting. Binding is tight, covers and spine fully intact. All edges clean, neat and free of foxing. Quantity Available: 1. Shipped Weight: Over 3 kilos. Category: Art & Design; Japan; Japanese Language; Reference. Pictures of this item not already displayed here available upon request. Inventory No: 54631. . This book… Read More

Rainbird, London, 1958. First Edition. Hardcover (in Slipcase). Near Fine Condition/No Dust Jacket. Signed by Author and Illustrator. HENRY MOORE. Heads Figures and Ideas, London: George Rainbird, 1958.Folio measuring about 19x13 inches or 48x30cm, No. 110 of an edition of 150, unpaginated, blue printed boards half-bound in gray morocco by Zaehnsdorf, with a color lithograph (Cramer 41) tipped onto the reverse of the first title page, signed and dated in pencil by Moore, slipcased. The lithograph, Thirteen Standing Figures, was printed at Curwen Studio, London. Includes three pages of commentary by Geoffrey Grigson, the rest of the book given over to illustrations by Moore.Condition of this book:Covers show small blemishes, rubbing at spine ends, Slipcase chipped at edges. All else fine. Special Limited Edition, first issue in this format. Size: Large Folio (bigger than A3). Text body is clean, and free from previous owner annotation, underlining and highlighting. Binding… Read More

Wetstein, Amsterdam, 1718. First Edition. Hardcover (Full Leather). Very Good Condition/No Dust Jacket. CORNEILLE LE BRUN (DE BRUYN). Voyages par la Moscovie, en Perse, et aus Indies Orientales, Volume 2, Amsterdam: Freres Wetstein, 1718.Folio, first French edition, pp. 253-468, contemporary marbled calf boards with morocco labels and gilt ornaments to spine, marbled edges, brown cloth-covered solander box, text in French, extensive illustration by the author. With 152 etched plates, many double-page and fold-out, numbered 111-262.This volume includes a long section on Persepolis, with 27 panoramic views of the ruins -- pillars, facades with ornaments and reliefs, columns, tombs of the king of Persia, figures, etc. Other plates show views of China, Arabia, animals, plants, Balinese slaves, various settlements, a "savage man of the South," and much more.The author was a painter and explorer who traveled from 1701 to 1708 to Russia, Persia, India, Ceylon and… Read More

Abrams, New York, 2004. First Edition. Hardcover (Original Cloth). As New/As New. DWECK, MICHAEL. The End, Montauk, N.Y., New York: Abrams, 2004.Tall folio, first edition, unpaginated, beige cloth boards with blind-stamped lettering on spine and front, dust jacket with translucent overwrap, about 150 halftone and color photo plates profiling the free-spirited surfing community at the eastern end of New York's Long Island. The photographer wrote of Montauk: "It's 100 miles from Manhattan, yet almost no one locks their doors and the taco stand extends credit. Everyone knows the freewheeling vibe can't last, they're just determined that it won't disappear on their watch. ... I focused on the subjects I was most interested in, the surfers. By and large these are kids who are the same age I was when I first fell in love with the place. They are beautiful and sexy and tribal in a way no one who hasn't been part of the surf community can… Read More

Eugene Arnoult, Paris, 1839. First Edition. Hardcover (Quarter Leather). Very Good Condition/No Dust Jacket. EUGENE ARNOULT [editor]. L'Institut, Journal General des Societes et Travaux scientifiques ..., 52 weekly issues, Nos. 262-313, Paris: 1839.Quarto, pp. 479, bound in marbled paper boards, quarter leather.These issues include the first reports of the spectacular developments in photography's miracle year of 1839, when Louis Daguerre's achievements in image-making were revealed to the world. Arnoult, founder, owner and editor of the journal, was probably in attendance at the Royal Science Academy meetings during the academy's discussions of Daguerre's work, although all articles in his journal are unsigned.The first article appeared on Jan. 10, reporting Academy Secretary Francois Arago's public revelation of Daguerre's discovery at an academy meeting three days earlier. This was screaming-headline news, presented in a few dry… Read More

Hyperion, New York, 1941. First Edition. Hardcover (Original Cloth). Very Good Condition/No Dust Jacket. WILLIAM SAROYAN. Harlem as Seen by Hirschfeld, New York: Hyperion Press, 1941.Large folio (about 18.25x14.25 inches), copy No. 151 of an edition of 1,000, unpaginated with a 6-page introduction by Saroyan and 24 mounted lithographs by Al Hirschfeld, printed boards with hand-colored illustration on front panel, rebacked in cloth.The artist was known for his Broadway caricatures but he occasionally ventured into other parts of New York to capture real life. Why he added five lithographs of Bali dancers is hinted at by Saroyan in his introduction: The whole book is actually about the dance and the rhythm of life.Condition of this book:Covers show faint stains and darkening, a few finger marks inside, lithographs fine. Special Limited Edition, first issue in this format. Size: Large Folio (bigger than A3). Text body is clean, and free from previous owner… Read More