Rare books from Thomas Dorn ABAA

Toronto: Coach House Press, 1973. 1st ed., 1973. 8vo. 71 pp. Original blue cloth binding. SIGNED by Ondaatje on the title page. As with The Collected Works of Billy the Kid, published by Anansi, only a very small number were published in hardcover and are uncomon. This is one of the hardcover copies. The book is tight, fine in a very bright, fine DJ.. Signed by Author(s). 1st Edition. Hardcover. As New/Dust Jacket Included.

NY: Harrison Smith and Robert Haas, (1933). 1st ed., 1933. 8vo. Bound inthe original tan cloth with mounted green half-tone illustrations by Lynd Ward. The signed/ltd edition of 350 copies, numbered and signed by Faulkner; this is copy number 300. This is a near fine book with some light darkening of the spine and the edges of the boards as usual. Cover illustrations very fresh. A lovely book.. Signed by Author(s). 1st Edition. Hardcover. Near Fine.

NY: Dick & Fitzgerald (1865). 1st ed., 1865. 8vo. 186 pp. + [2] pp. ads. Original printed orange wrappers, with ads front verso and rear recto and verso. Seminal in the development of modern American detective fiction, John Brampton Williams' Leaves from the Note Book of a New York Detective is considered to be the first instance of American detective fiction. This collection of 29 short stories opens with the title piece which recounts the meeting between a medical doctor, John Babbington Williams (the actual author of the stories), and detective James Brampton. They become acquaintances, and after Brampton has retired after twenty years of service, he sends his case notebooks to Dr. Williams to be edited and published. In each of the stories private investigator Brampton uses his superior powers of deduction and penetrating observation to solve the crimes and anticipates by twenty years 19th century's most famous sleuth, Sherlock Holmes. The stories include: "The Silver Pin,"… Read More

NP [Nashville, TN] 1923., 1923. 1-200 copies numbered and SIGNED by Wills and Tate, this being No. 115. 8vo. 32 pp. Original stiff tan stapled wrappers with black letterpress title embossed on front cover. This book, now of noted rarity, was self-published by the authors in Nashville. It is Allen Tate's first book. Both authors were active members of the Southern or Fugitive Agrarians and contributed to I'll Take My Stand: The South and the Agrarian Tradition. The Golden Mean was written as a parody of T. S. Eliot's The Wasteland. The cover of the book has some toning around the extremities, a very small 1/2" tear top of spinal fold and very light edge wear. Contents bright. Overall a very good plus to near fine example of a fragile production. Seldom coming on the market, this is a rare book.. Signed by Author(s). 1st Edition. Soft cover. Near Fine.

NY: The John Day Company, 1957., 1957. First American printing. 8vo. 316 pp. Illustrated, including a map. Original yellow cloth binding. SIGNED by O'Brian on the title page. From the Richard Mattie Patrick O'Brian collection. Signed by O'Brian aboard the Sea Cloud during the "Partrick O'Brian Mediterranean Cruise"in April 1999. This is a tight, fine book in a bright, very good DJ with a chip bottom of rear panel. A rare book signed, especially with such impeccable provenance.. Signed by Author(s). 1st Edition. Hardcover. Fine/Dust Jacket Included.

(NY) The Century Co. (1889)., 1889. First printing. BAL 7117. Tall 4to. 145 pp. 19 B & W illustrations by Edward. W. Kemble. Original pictorial yellow paper over boards (illustrated front and rear covers and spine), printed in red and black. One of Harris' southern masterpieces. The book has some light spinal darkening, but is completely readable, with light wear at the extremities; the hinges are tight. A very good plus book. In the very RARE original fragile dust jacket. The jacket has been archivally backed, with some edge restoration, and is visually quite stunning. Housed in period custom slipcase. A true rarity in jacket.. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Very Good/Dust Jacket Included.

London: No imprint, 1778.. Tall 8vo. [2] 73 pp. [1] pp. Printed rectos only. Original marbled wrappers. This is the second, greatly enlarged edition by Ducarel after the original 1777 list printed by William Bowyer and compiled by Joseph Ames. This book was Andrew Ducarel's personal copy and bears his signature dated 1778 on the top corner of the front cover verso. In addition it has his bookplate affixed to the verso's center. The book has at least 9 corrections to the text in Ducarel's hand, several of which are substantial. It is additionally INSCRIBED by Ducarel on the half-title page "Presented by Andrew Ducarel to W. Teggel(?)meyre | July 28th 1781." Ducarel (1713-1785) was a noted English librarian, lawyer, antiquary and archivist. He was keeper of the Lambeth Palace Library from 1757 until his death. Ducarel's numerous publications range from travel to history to law. The book's original marbled wrappers have some chipping at the extremities but the book remains… Read More

NY: Conde Nast, 1933-36, 1933. Folios. 18 issues: 1933 -- January, February, August, September, October and December. 1934 -- October. 1935 -- January, April through December. 1936 -- January. All but one issue (October 1934) contain articles by Robert T. Jones, Jr. (Bobby Jones). Overall, the condition of these large fragile magazines is very good or better, with the following exceptions: August 1933 the covers are partially separated (but present); October 1934 there is a faint damp stain in the rear; April and May 1935 the covers are detached but present and July 1935 there is a large chip rear cover. Four issues have an ad neatly excised (not affecting text or photographs). These magazines were profusely illustrated with photographs, and many issues contain substantial pieces on women's golf. They have all become scarce, especially those issues with classic articles by Bobby Jones.. 1st Edition. Soft cover. Very Good.

(Nakuru, Kenya Colony) Privately printed, ND (1946)., 1946. First printing. With a Foreword by The Rt. Hon. Lord Cranworth. 8vo. xvi, 173 pp. Illustrated with B & W photographs. Original green cloth binding stamped in white. With reportedly 400 copies of this book printed, it appeared shortly after the death of the author (complications of malaria and pneumonia). Anderson was a founding member of the famed East African Professional Hunters Association. One of the scarcer, important books on African elephant hunting. Some cloth soil and splotchiness else this is a very good minus copy.. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Very Good.

Cape Town: Atkinson & Partners (S.A.) Limited, 1929., 1929. Edition Deluxe limited to 500 numbered copies, these being number 495. Two Volumes, complete. Very large, very heavy folios. Frontispiece portrait photograph of His Excellency The Real of Athlone and title page photograph, with tissue guard. xv, 624 pp.; frontispiece photograph of The Rt. Hon. Cecil Rhodes and title page photograph, with tissue guard. xiii, 526 pp. Both volumes are profusely illustrated with B & W photographs. Bound in red leather over beveled boards, 5 raised spinal bands, all edges gilt. Coated marbled endpapers. Both volumes are very tight, with the red leather unfaded and bright; interiors are bright and unfoxed. South Africa and Rhodesia has just very light rubbing and is near fine; South Africa has modest rubbing at the extremities and on the covers, very good plus. Overall a superior set and uncommon thus.. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Near Fine.

London: Longman, Brown, Green, Longmans & Roberts, 1857-1858., 1857. First British printings. 8vos. Variously paginated. Illustrated. Bound in 3/4 calf with marbled papers over boards. Complete with 60 lithographed plates and 15 folding maps plus extensive woodcuts. The first 3 volumes were printed in 1857 and the last two in 1858. All are first editions bound uniformly as best the binder could, as the printer marbled the edges in 1857 but didn't in 1858, or publisher used a different printer which may explain tissue guards in volumes 4 and 5 and not in the first 3. Edges on volume 4 and 5 are plain. Small stain to corner of frontispiece in volume 2 not affecting the image. A tight, very good plus or better set.. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Very Good.

Edinburgh: J. Ruthven for G. G.J . and J. Robinson, 1790., 1790. First British printings. 4tos. xxxiii, 535 pp.; vii, 718 pp.; viii, 759 pp.; viii, 695 pp.; xiv, 230 pp. + index and errata. Illustrated with 58 engraved plates plus 3 foldout maps (all present). Bound in 3/4 contemporary calf and marbled boards with all edges marbled; raised spinal bands. Volumes lack the half-title pages. Volume 1 starting along the hinges at the crown, small chip to the base; Volume 2 hinge tender; Volume 5 chipped at the crown, hinge tender. Plates with some foxing. Engraved bookplate of Francis Robert Davies. A very good set.. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Very Good.

(Munich: Bremer Press, 1934)., 1934. 1-50 unnumbered folios of 40 loose woodcut impressions. Large Folio (22 3/8 x 16 3/4 ). 40 sheets (21 3/4 x 16 1/4 ) printed on handmade, watermarked paper with deckle edges (plus 1 unprinted sheet). Presented in a light brown coarse-linen covered folio folder with beveled edges, cloth ties, and gilt-stamped titles front. The history and story of the Vesalius blocks which were cut using Vesalius original drawings and used in the printing of his monumental De humani corporis fabrica and his Epitome in 1543, is a story of epic proportions. The woodcuts were so massive and done with such precision and creativity, that for several hundred years they were widely attributed to the master Titian. Lost, refound, sold, lost again many times and finally rediscovered, for the final time, in 1932 by Samuel Lambert with the help of the renowned printer from the Bremer Press, Willy Wiegand, in the attic of the LMU Munich Library in a crate containing 230 blocks. Perhaps the most… Read More

Paris: Chez Lauteur, J.B Bailliere, 1847-1855. Two Volumes and Folio Atlas., 1847. Two Volumes and Folio Atlas. First printing. 8vo. vii, 841 pp.; 1108 pp.; 28 pp. + 30 plates + [2] pp. ads. Two text volumes expertly rebacked in 1/3 black leather with original marbled boards; new marbled endpapers. Folio in original 1/4 leather with marbled boards. Malgaigne (1806-1865) was a most prominent French surgeon, professor of surgery in Paris from 1850 until his death. He was the first to operate under general anesthesia in France (approx.3 yrs after Morton in Boston). He is notable for this monumental fracture work. His description of bilateral vertical fracture of the pelvis ("Malgaignes Fracture") is in Vol. 1, pages 650-56). The two text volumes have some wear at the extremities of the boards, else very tight, contents bright. The folio Atlas has wear along the leather spine and extremities, a large chip on the marbled paper of the front cover. The title page and text have some foxing but the… Read More

New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1910., 1910. 1-500 numbered copies SIGNED by Roosevelt, this being #195. Two volumes. Large 8vos. Frontispiece photograph of Roosevelt with printed tissue guard. xvi, 268 pp; frontispiece illustration with printed tissue guard, viii, 269-529 pp. 50 illustrations (photographs, photogravures, and drawings)with printed tissue guards, and including a map. Rebound in modern 3/4 tan pigskin with gray paper over boards, new endpapers. Both volumes have a light damp stain top edge which extends down from 1/2" to 1" and from the center out approx. 3" and not affecting text or images. The books are very tight, very good (other than the aforementioned damp stains). Uncommon.. Signed by Author(s). 1st Edition. Hardcover. Very Good.