Rare books from Alcuin Books, ABAA-ILAB

Chicago: Boy Scouts of America, 1930. First Edition. 12mo. Pictorial Cover. 51 pp. Dark green cover with orange drawings by the author. No. 3196 in Boy Scouts of America Service Library. Some light soiling in text. Techniques and designs for totem poles, frequently used in Scout camping.

London: For Abel Roper and Arthur Collins, 1709. Octavo. 470pp. An early issue with an index but without the careful indexes done in later issues especially with the work of Burke. The first printed peerage of England. Bound in a modern purple flexible cloth with yapped edges, spine lettering gilt, owner's name stamped in gilt to front cover,renewed endpapers, outer margins of title page and preface are trimmed in old clear tape, pages 17 and 18 small old clear tape repair to inner margin, page 159 has old clear tape mend to inner margin and upper margin, edges darkened.

New York: Association for Stamp Exhibitions, 1926. First Edition. Quarto. 287pp. The letter details everything that went into the preparation of the catalog which the recipient of the letter had assisted although he had been unable to attend. Klemann details the surprising sales of the White Plains stamp, and a Mr. Eidsness, the Superintendent of the Stamp Division noted sales in excess of $40,000. An unnamed stamp of Mr. Hinds was exhibited for $32,500. The catalog issued in an edition of 5000 was sold out by Thursday afternoon. The auction was one of the most celebrated in philatelic history consequently revealing insight into the task of organization with headaches, triumphs, etc. A copy of the catalog accompanies this letter. Bound in original pictorial paper wraps, front wrapper detached but present and now in clear mylar wrapper, small damp stain near the foot, no ownerships or marks of any kind.

Philadelphia; (2002): John Benjamins Publishing Co. Octavo. 339p. appendices; index. The You-Thou usage is examined in three speech-related genres from 1560-1760. Besides examining usages in drama and comedy, the quantitative and qualitative analysis usage in Trials and Depositions provides many important insights. Bound in paper covered boards lettered in black and white. A fine copy.

Dallas, Texas; (1977): The Texas Arts Journal, Cameron Northouse. Limited Edition. Quarto. Limited to only 22 copies, 109pp., illustrated, folder contains 5 typed manuscripts from one of their stories or play published in this particular issue and signed by each William Saroyan, John Updike, George Garrett, and James Purdy. Morse Peckham's page is not signed but with a few corrections. The Texas Arts Journal is published only four times a year and the above named writer's are part of their contributors. A fine collection housed in a custom slipcase and quite scarce.

Paris (nd, ca.1894): Societe De Beaux Arts. Limited Edition. Tall Octavo. one of 550 copies, xli pp. preface by Leo Claretie, 249pp., extra-illustrated with double tinted plates with protective tissue guards, exquisitely bound in full red crushed morocco, both boards elaborately decorated in gilt with green onlays while framing a family crest in gilt on upper board, raised bands with compartments lettered and decorated in gilt, full morocco red and blue crushed morocco doublures highly decorated in gilt, silk free endpaper and marbled endpapers, top edge gilt, all others uncut. upper joint professionally repaired and finely done. A very handsome volume.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, (1943-1950): Kalmbach Publishing Co. Oblong Quarto. 18 volumes of 19 lacking volume #11 but includes the volume 19 which is title circus trains., each volume illustrated in either color or black & white, plastic comb bound, all combs in working order with the exception of volume one which has only one comb broken. A very nice collection, condition from near fine to very good. These books cover every major railroad, eastern, mid western, far western, southern, etc.

Various. Octavo and Quarto. A collection of pamphlets and off-prints in original wraps bound together into a quarto size cloth binding with spine lettering gilt, typed table of contents, 24 works in French, one in English. Most of these works are extremely scarce with only a handful located via OCLC, none for sale. A sample listing of titles: La Psychologie de la recherche scientifique, 1925; La Biologie moderne et le Probleme de la vie, 1930; les cultures de tissue en dehors de l'organisme, 1939; la tension superficielle de liquides de l'organisme, 1931; refelxions sur l'organisation du laboratoire de recherche, 1936; physiological time, 1944; la France inspiratrice. Quelques grands inventeurs, 1946, etc. From 1920 to 1927 he was an associate of the Rockefeller Institute in New York and from 1922 until his death in 1947, head of the division of biophysics at the institute Pasteur in Paris. In 1937 he was named director of the Ecole de Hautes Etues of the Sorbonne. But, he was best known for his… Read More

Paris: Isidore Liseux, 1879. Limited Edition. 12mo. Limited to a thousand copies, plus twenty-five copies on china paper, six volumes translated by Antoine Le Macon, illustrated, bound in 3/4 red morocco over marbled paper covered boards, raised bands, spine lettering and top edge gilt, marbled endpapers, original red printed front covers bound in.. A handsome and fine set with just a sprinkling of foxing to fore-edges.

Paris: E. Michaud, 1843. First Edition. Octavo. half-title, xxix, 188pp., (1)p. table, bound in 3/4 red morocco over marbled paper covered boards, raised bands with compartments uflly gilt decorated in a floral motif, top edge gilt, marbled endpapers, ribbon marker. This is an historical play by Hugo, first performed by the Comedie-Francaise on 7 May 1843. (as stated on the verso of the title page) It takes place along the Rhine and features the return of Emperor Barbarossa. A lovely copy.

Paris: Ancienne Maison Michel Levy Freres, Calmann Levy, Editeur, 1880. 12mo. Full page pen & ink drawing with added water-color before title page signed Ulysse-Roy. 6 other black and white illustrations signed in the plate J[ean].Massard tipped in, and two unidentified artist plates between half-title and title page, 256(1) with 12 engraved vignettes by Henry Maigrot. OCLC records a limited edition of 25 copies of this work with the original 12 vignettes on Chine and tipped in as opposed to only vignettes printed above the text. An additional two copies of an unidentified illustrator with tipped in plates between half-title and tile page, although none are included in collation and does not make mention of a color illustration by Ulysse-Roy. The first six chapters of this volume are the result of the first two chapters of the volume entitled: Madame et Monsieur Cardinal (Mr. and Mrs. Cardinal) published in 1872. Bound in 1/2 blue-gray morocco over decorative paper covered boards, spine lettered and… Read More

Philadelphia; (1988): Temple Univ Pr. First Edition. Octavo. 328p. index. A very nice inscription: "to George Alperts, many thanks, never B#, Never Bb; just B natural [symbol] all the best Milt "Judy's" Hinton with sketch of bass and dated 89. With a foreword by Dan Morgenstern. Illustrated throughout with black and white photographic images. Hinton was considered the "Dean of bas players" and experienced the jazz world firsthand for more than five decades. He was a member of Cab Calloway's orchestra for sixteen years. He played with most of the jhazz greats of this century including Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Billy Holiday and several other of the jazz greats. `A near fine copy bound in red cloth, spine lettering black, in a very good pictorial dust jacket with one small closed tear and chip to rear panel.

Quarto. The collection contains 125 pieces of original correspondence including both TLS (Typed Letters Signed) and ((LS) Letters Signed. What began as a small electrical shop for the repair and manufacture of telephone equipment in 1884 as the north Electric Works grew to become the North Electric Company in 1889. By the early 20th Century the company became one of the most prominent manufacturing business in Ohio employing over 300 workers. After being in business for over a century, the business first was taken over by Ericsson and the by IYTY. These letters pertain to the problems stemming from a patent for the automatic ringing mechanism, switch boards and operators as well as dealing with their manufacture under Canadian Parents which became know as the Telechronometer Co. The big change ended the flat-rate system and introduced meters which could measure the length of calls and, of course, increase the cost to the consumer. For the next sixty years, the telephone company became a monopoly… Read More

New York: Harper & Brothers, 1928. First Edition. Thick Quarto. Grey considers the fishes of the South Seas to be the fiercest in the world. He tells his stories of the tuna, sailfish, wahoo, and swordfish which would make any fisherman envious. Mr. Grey caught a 618-pound Silver Marlin, apparently a new species at the time and he tells of the fight of 1040 pound Striped Marlin and includes a photo of this incredibly huge fish along with 48 other photographs taken by the author. A fine bright copy bound in green cloth lettered in gilt, spine lettering gilt, pictorial endpapers, in unclipped pictorial dust jacket with wear along the top edges, a piece torn away at the head and small tear along the bottom of the front panel. Internally fresh without foxing, no names or plates.

Chicago; (1908): The Reilly and Britton Co. First Edition. Octavo. First printing. 256pp. In the first state binding in light blue cloth with full color pastedown with gold background, spine stamped in black, with Tin Woodsman in metallic silver, publisher's spine reads "The Reilly and Britton Co.". light wear to corners, spine ends rubbed, pictorial endpapers of a greenish-yellow outlined in black, small white spot to white area between two black rules to upper board, rear board has a light stain to outer edge, very small (1/4 cm) closed edge tear to frontispiece which appears to have been reinserted, a few scratches to the gold background as usual. A very nice copy.