Rare books from BATTLEDORE LTD

L'ARMESSIN II (Nicolas de) [1632–1694]
[Habits des Metiers et Professions].
[Paris: chez N. de L'Armessin (ou chez la Veuve de N. de l'Armessin), Rue St. Jacques, à la Pomme d'Or, N.d.] circa 1690–1695.
4to., [62] ff. (last two plates with restoration); bound in green morocco, gilt (second-half of the 19th century) signed Chambolle-Duru.A remarkable collection of 62 engraved copperplates representing the earliest impressions of fantastic figures composed of the tools or attributes of their trades, created and produced about 1690 onwards (thru 1694), enhanced at the time with brilliant hand-coloring, silver and gold paint. These prints are a marvel of inventiveness showing the inspiration and influence of the 16th century painter Giuseppe Arcimboldo (1527-1593) who chiefly imagined only heads, now extended and re-invented for the Court of Louis XIV.
Amongst the most famous prints of the late 17th century, their printing history is rather complicated. Nicolas I de Larmessin (or L'Armessin)… Read More

ONE OF 250 COPIES printed on Large Paper, this 1864 first version known as the Unabridged edition, overhauled by Yale University professor Noah Porter containing 114,000 entries which replaced unsupportable etymologies based on Webster's attempt to conform Biblical interpretations to the evolution of language. James A.H. Murray, editor of the Oxford English Dictionary (1879–1928) says this edition "acquired an international fame. It was held to be superior to every other dictionary and taken as the leading authority on the meaning of words, not only in America and England, but also throughout the Far East." Historically important work in its rarest deluxe format.

(ANTI-SEMITISM) The Jews' Who's Who. Israelite Finance. Its sinister influence [compiled by Henry Hamilton Beamish]. London: The Judaic Publishing Co., Popular edition (first published the previous year), 1921. 8vo, 255pp; publisher's pink boards titled on front, spine and rear covers (flat spine ends worn).A heinous compilation regarding Jewish influence on global politics and economy (blaming Jews for the Boer War), but chiefly presenting as if it were factual that Jews are gaining control over the British economy, the Home Government and the entire UK Empire. The book contains a chronological description of "The Jew Conquest of England" and a list of Jewish economists listing the amounts of money they earn. Other chapters are titled "Our Jew-dominated Press", "Honored Jews and Titled Aliens", "Jew Conquerors of France", &c. OCLC records 20 locations worldwide but copies are unusually rare in commerce.
Henry Hamilton Beamish (1893-1948) was an Irish-born leading British anti-Semite. He founded… Read More

CHUBB (Ralph)The Heavenly Cupid or The True Paradise of Loves.Privately Printed by the Artist, Fair Oak, near Kingsclere, Hants., 1934.One of 43 copies (#9); 30 for sale, each copy signed and numbered; the first 7 copies issued hand-colored. Reid A10a96 lithographic illustrations by Chubb to accompany his printed lithographed script text with signed and dated frontispiece. Folio, original half green morocco with dark green corduroy sides. Except for some binding scuffs, a very good copy. Ralph Nicholas Chubb (1892-1960) was an English poet, printer and artist, heavily influenced by Blake and the Romantics with a highly personal and sexually revolutionary mythology. He privately produced 17 works entirely by his own hand in very small print runs working quietly first from Curridge in Berkshire and then from Kingsclere in Hampshire. Part of his mythology was Chubb being the prophet and herald of the saving of England by a boy god. This eternal Boy-principle of the is announced as The Third Dispensation… Read More

GREENAWAY (Kate) and LOCKER (Frederick):
Cradle Verses. 1880. Illuminated Manuscript of Four Poems by Frederick Locker, written by his own hand, with extensive illustrations in watercolors by Kate Greenaway. This charming book was prepared on commission for presentation on the birthday of Frederick Locker's wife, Jane. 24mo., [48] pages; presentation vellum binding with full watercolors on corners, titled: "Babies and Blossoms", all edges green. Housed in custom green morocco leather box, gilt-lettered: "Hannah Jane Locker | 1880", with hand-made velvet pouch.
Unique and extremely charming miniature book.
Reference: Spielman and Layard p.96, illustrated pp 280-281.
Provenance: Jane Locker Lampson, thence by descent; acquired by Mrs. Robert S. Pirie from Seven Gables bookshop circa 1961.

Vintage Photographs of the War-time Bombing of SHANGHAIAH FONG:
The Sino-Japanese Hostilities 1937. Shanghai.
Photo by Ah Fong, 819 Nanking Road, Shanghai, [1937].
Album of 110 original gelatin silver prints, two in a panoramic format (2 x 7-1/2 inches, 4.7 x 19 cm), the remainder 2-1/4 x 3-1/2 inches (5.5 x 8.3 cm), a few titled in the negative, five images (including one panorama) toned red to represent Chapei district burning at night, all prints numbered on mounts according to a printed index with captions tipped in at front.
Oblong 8vo,. [47] pp. with tissue guards between facing images; black paper boards with black cord tie (corners a litlte rubbed), the upper cover stamped in silver illustrating a city skyline ravaged by Japanese aircraft dropping bombs and tanks crashing into buildings, with a warship seen in the far background.Following the Mukden (or Manchurian) Incident in September 1931 when the Japanese invaded the north-eastern part of China, a boycott was declared on all… Read More

(Sherlock Holmes)An iconic souvenir of Basil RATHBONE (1892-1967) British Actor, famous for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes in a number of films, and Nigel BRUCE (1895-1953) British Character Actor, famous for his portrayal of Dr. Watson alongside Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes. Very rare vintage and iconic signed and inscribed photograph by both Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce individually, measures 9 x 6-1/2 inches, the image irregularly trimmed following the contoured edges of the photo and neatly mounted to card (with some light to extensive surface creasing - see images). Despite the extensively reconstructed and restored state, nevertheless, one could not imagine a more perfect representative image.The image depicting the two actors in half length poses together in costume as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in a scene from one of their films,Signed by both actors in dark fountain pen inks to clear areas of the image, Bruce adding an inscription in his hand, dated 1943. During this year, they… Read More

Original carte-de-visite photographs of Charles Sherwood Stratton, better known by his stage name "General Tom Thumb", a dwarf who achieved great fame as a performer under circus pioneer P. T. Barnum, here photographed with his wife Lavinia Warren, AUTOGRAPHED in Stratton's handwriting on verso "Genl Tom Thumb & Mrs Tom Thumb - 1863 August". The couple were married in February 1863 for which it is said President Lincoln hosted them with a reception at the White House. The 2nd picture of the Strattons in their wedding costumes, also a picture of their best man and bridesmaid Commodore Nutt and Minnie Warren (Lavinia's sister), and the wedding party together, all in especially fine condition with dark brown hues, each having facsimile autographs on the verso by their subjects. In addition, an 1865 photograph of "Gen. Tom Thumb, Wife and Child" (verso blank). Altogether, 5 carte-de-visite original mounted photographs, the first with imprint verso backboard of Charles D Fredericks & Co, 587 Broadway,… Read More

LEAR (Edward)A BOOK OF NONSENSE with many new pictures and versesLondon: Routledge, Warne and Routledge, [1862].Oblong 8vo., [ii] 112 ff. (the final leaf unpaginated); printed pictorial boards (a bit worn and scuffed), red cloth spine rebacked following the original format.Third Edition, but in actuality the FIRST ENLARGED PRINTINGFirst appearance of Edward Lear's unique woodcut illustrations, most of which are based on his earlier lithographs from 1846Edward Lear was an English writer and artist. The youngest child in a large family, he received little formal education, and was looked after by his eldest sister until he found success as an illustrator, publishing a folio of parrot lithographs. He later honed his untrained style at the Royal Academy and became a popular landscape painter. Lear was a constant traveller, chiefly in the Mediterranean and Middle East regions, and published numerous travel books, usually generously illustrated. He is certainly best known for his nonsense verse and… Read More

(SENDAK, Maurice):
Poems from William Blake's Songs of Innocence.
London: [The Stellar Press for] The Bodley Head, [1967]. Eight illustrations by Maurice Sendak (including one repeat: title/p.11), each printed in sanguine. 12mo.,19 pp. + [1] colophon; semi-stiff covers with wrap-around pictorial paper dust-jacket, spine stitched as issued (spine ends lightly rubbed).
PRESENTATION COPY Inscribed in ink on front free-endpaper: "Dear Sylvia – Mit Liebe! Maurice & Gene". The recipient, Sylvia Milgram, was Teacher-Coordinator for the Bureau of Art, New York City Board of Education and a Lecturer at the Museum of Modern Art, New York [d. 2000]. Gene is Eugene Glynn (1926-2007), psychoanalyst and Maurice Sendak's partner for more than fifty years.
First and only printing, limited to 275 copies issued as a Christmas keepsake for presentation to friends of the publisher and of the artist. No copies were ever offered for sale at the time of publication. While on a promotional tour for the British… Read More

SZPILMAN (Wladyslaw):
[The Pianist] Śmierć miasta ("Death of a City").
Warsaw, 1946.
8vo, pictorial paper wrappers.

The memoir written by the Polish musician of Jewish origin who survived the German deportations of Jews to extermination camps, the 1943 destruction of the Warsaw Ghetto, and the 1944 Warsaw Uprising during World War II.
Szpilman wrote his memoir in 1945, shortly after the war's end which was suppressed by Poland's communist authorities. Not many copies of the book were printed, and it was ignored for more than 50 years.
In 1998, Szpilman's son Andrzej Szpilman republished his father's work, first in German as Das wunderbare Überleben ("The Miraculous Survival") and then in English as "The Pianist". It was later published in more than 30 languages. In 2002, Roman Polanski directed a screen version, also called The Pianist, but Szpilman passed away before the film was completed. The movie won three Academy Awards, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Film Award, and… Read More

McCAY (Winsor) [1866–1934]
Little Nemo in Slumberland: Santa Hunts for Little Nemo or else Christmas would need to be postponed. TWO sequential original Colored Printer's Proof Sheets for The New York Herald Sunday Pages 1907, each dated respectively "Dec. 15 '07" and "Dec. 22 '07" in pencil at upper right margin Captioned in 6 and 8 numbered panels, printed as proofs on coated paper, each sheet measures 25-3/8 x 17-3/4 inches (minor handling creases, slight edge tear).
Provenance: Alfred B Hunt Collection, then to his great-grandchildren Carmen and Jennifer Armstrong, afterwards Bonhams NY 11 December 2013.
Hunt (1854-1947) was head foreman of the press and worked directly with McCay coloring the Slumberland series from its inception in The New York Herald October 1905 until McCay joined Hearst's papers in June 1911. Hunt is credited with adapting LITTLE NEMO's finished black and white drawings to its eventual surrealist Ben-Day color scheme, an intricate, labor intensive… Read More

(DICKENS, Charles)
DARLEY (Felix O C) [1822–1888]
Oliver Twist: First meeting with the Artful Dodger, 1882
Original pencil and watercolor wash drawing depicting this
pivotal scene from the novel by Charles Dickens
Measures 8-3/8 x 6-3/4 inches
Signed and dated by the artist "F O C Darley /82" at bottom left
Darley is considered amongst the pioneers of American illustration.

CHINA RECONSTRUCTS (62 issues). Beijing: China periodical, 1955-1971, edited in Wai Wen Building, distributed by GUOZI SHUDIAN, printed in the People's Republic of China. Small folio (23×30 cm), each issue approx. 52 pages; original pictorial colored wrappers. All issues are English language texts.
China Reconstructs is a monthly magazine published in English, French, Spanish, Arabic and Russian by the China Welfare Institute (Soong Ching Ling, Chairman) to present a positive image of China to the outside world. These interesting magazines are filled with articles on a huge range of subjects: Eternal Glory to the Great Leader and Teacher Chairman Mao Tsetung; Four Young Woodcut Artists; Is Selling Vegetables Revolutionary Work?; Socialist Drama; A Model for Revolutionary Peking Opera; The Red lantern; Workers Armed with Mao Tsetung's Thought Are Most Resourceful; During the Great Leap Forward period, articles about great progress in Agriculture; Industrial, Education was published in No. 4, 1959.… Read More

BINDING: Gutta-Percha
Parables of Our Lord [edited by Henry Noel Humphreys]. London: Longmans, 1847. Chromolithographed title page and 31 chromolithographed pages, with text, symbolic borders, miniatures and initials printed in gold, black, and colors, also 2pp letterpress (spotted) identifying the various parables: The Prodigal Son, The Sower, The Tares, Two Debtors, Good Samaritan, Rich Fool, Barren Fig Tree, Rich Man and Lazarus, Pharisee and the Publican, the Vineyard, the Marriage Feast, and the Ten Virgins. 6 1/4 x 4 1/2 inches, papier-maché boards, covered with black plaster, molded to appear like a Gothic carved wood binding, with black leather backed spine. Among the earliest examples to reproduce antiquarian handmade work which met with considerable commercial success. Except for the slightest chip at top rear cover frame, this fragile binding is in remarkable preservation, possibly re-cased using vintage swirling endpapers. Ray, The Illustrator and the Book in England, 231; Abbey,… Read More