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Dear Friend,
At this week’s Chelsea Rare Book Fair we’ll be introducing a full-length working manuscript translation of Homer’s Iliad, some delicious 18th century bindings, and volumes inscribed by an English revolutionary, the King of England, and a beloved pioneer in LGBTQ rights. If a visit to Stand 23 at Chelsea Town Hall isn’t feasible then you can always order here.
Best wishes,
Christian White
MULTI-LINGUAL JACOBEAN PHRASEBOOK Janua Linguarum, Quadrilinguis — William Bathe — 1617
Third edition of this phrasebook in four languages by the Anglo-Irish Jesuit priest, musician and writer. Quarto (18.5x14.5cm) bound in seventeenth century tree calf, double blind fillet to boards, rebacked to style with red morocco label and gilt lines and date to rounded spine. Three wove-paper endpapers precede the title page with its woodcut device. Preliminary blank lacking, otherwise collates complete with the terminal advertisement leaf and errata leaf to end. A2-P8, Q2. A few early ink a…… Read more
INTERLEAVED & WITH 17TH CENTURY AGRICULTURAL ANNOTATIONS Poor Robin, 1691 — William Winstanley — 1691
Interleaved almanac with 36 additional leaves containing around 50 pages of manuscript notes relating to agriculture in the English Midlands in the late 17th century. Pasteboard binding with intact sewing but no remnant of a leather outer layer, if it ever existed. The 48 page printed text has been augmented by a further 9 inserted manuscript leaves preceding the text of the Almanack which collates correctly, A-C8, including a second title page. Additionally the text is interleaved with a furthe…… Read more
17th & 18TH CENTURY PAMPHLET COLLECTION The Tryal and Condemnation of Mervin, Lord Audley Earl of Castle-Haven.. — Jonathan Swift, Edward Young, John Theobald etc — 1699
Unusually lively Irish-flavoured pamphlet collection from the turn of the 18th century including the notorious sex scandal of Mervyn Touchet (second Earl of Castle Haven), two items attributed to Jonathan Swift and a scarce Dublin printing of An Inquiry into some of the Causes of the Ill Situation of the Affairs of Ireland. Full sheepskin binding, rubbed and worn but sound. Old pencilled casemark ‘X6’ to front pastedown; opposite, old inscription that begins ‘Pret:..’ torn away with corner of le…… Read more
EXTRA ILLUSTRATED Annales Regioduni Hullini: or, the History of the Royal and Beautiful Town of Kingston upon Hull — Thomas Gent - Wenceslaus Hollar — 1735
Extra-illustrated copy by a Mayor of Hull to include Wenceslaus Hollar’s 1642 engraving of Hull in addition to Gent’s six engravings. 19th century full calf in imitation of a 17th century binding with blind panels to the boards, raised spine bands and remnants of a morocco label. Bookplate of G Thorp Wilson of Brantinghamthorpe in the East Riding of Yorkshire to the front pastedown, with his book number ‘250’ and the later signature of ‘Thomas Gray’ - Wilson’s bookplate from 1905 is pasted over…… Read more
OWNED BY THE EDITOR’S FRIEND Paradise Regain’d A Poem, in Four Book To which is added Samson Agonistes.. — John Milton [edited by] Thomas Newton — 1752
Jacob Calton’s copy - a friend of Milton’s editor Thomas Newton - who is thanked in the 1751 printed introduction to this book for his having ‘contributed much to my assistance’ with his ‘penetration and learning as a critic and divine.’ Handsome modern half calf over marbled boards (30.5x23.8cm) with a little fading to the spine. Two new endpapers followed by an original flyleaf which was inscribed two years after Jacob Calton’s death: ‘1771 from the Rev.d Mr Caltons Collection’ - corner square…… Read more
ELABORATELY ANNOTATED The Principles of the Christian Religions explained: In a Brief Commentary upon the Church-Catechism — William Wake — 1753
Interleaved and annotated throughout, a work by one of the leading ecumenical writers of the 18th century. Quarto sized binding for the interleaves which augment this duodecimo eight edition. Sound if worn quarter calf over black paper-covered boards. To the first flyleaf, ownership inscription of ‘Francis Saunders His Book 1769’ and at right angles above, ‘Francis Saunders’ again (possibly Francis Saunders 1699-1776, Jesus College, Oxford & vicar of Harrow on the Hill, Governor Harrow School).…… Read more
YORK MINSTER MUSIC Anthems: for Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, and eight Voices — Thomas Ellway, Master of the Children of the Cathedral of York — 1753
Vigorously executed second edition ‘with the Addition of Fifteen New Anthems’ bound in contemporary sheepskin and Yorkshire provenance. Full sheep binding with blind double fillet framing the boards. Ownership signature of ‘Ann Gelson’ to the first flyleaf (noted in the parish registers of Holy Trinity Church, Goodramgate, York, died 1786). Frontispiece by John Haynes depicting York, Durham and Lincoln cathedrals where these anthems were performed. Woodcuts interspersed through the text. Thomas…… Read more
EXTRA ILLUSTRATED Nuptial Dialogues and Debates: Or, an Useful Prospect of the Felicities and Discomforts of a Marry’ed Life — Edward Ward — 1759
Extra-illustrated in the 19th century with copper engravings by Gerard Van der Gucht and John Pine which were taken from earlier 18th century editions of this book including a portrait of the author. Fourth Edition of this satire by Ned Ward bound in pretty contemporary century calf, with nineteenth century repairs at the top and tail of both spines and 19th century endpapers. All edges red. The 19th century book binder who repaired the volumes has inserted Gucht’s portrait of the author, in a s…… Read more
DELICIOUS CONTEMPORARY BINDING The Works of Jonathan Swift Dean of St Patrick’s Dublin — Jonathan Swift — 1768
Beautifully bound in speckled tan calf, an entirely unrestored Edinburgh edition of Swift’s works, complete in 13 volumes. Uniformly bound with red and black morocco spine labels, gilt decoration and speckled edges to the text block. Apart from a couple of volumes with wear to the headcaps, these bindings are in excellent condition. On the front pastedown each volume has the book label of the Wakefield Quaker banker and abolitionist ‘William Leatham’ (1785-1842) with a penned ‘No 28’ appended to…… Read more
GERMAN INTO ENGLISH MANUSCRIPT An Extract Taken out of Introductory Lectures to the Sacred Books of the New Testament — [John David Michaelis] — 1790
A work by the German philologist and Biblical scholar Michaelis brought into the English-speaking world. Vellum-bound duodecimo with external straps and remnants of clasps. 22 pages of Latin grammar followed by 162 pages of manuscript extracts taken from the 1780 English translation of Michaelis’s Introductory Lectures, preceded by a manuscript title page. The unnamed manuscript writer skips over the generalised bibliographical and philological opening of the book and proceeds to the sections de…… Read more
PICTORIAL TREE CALF 18th CENTURY BINDING Poems and Essays by the Late Miss Bowdler — Jane Bowdler — 1793
Most unusual pictorially illustrated tree calf binding from the final years of the 18th century. Full treecalf with rounded spine and gilt lines, spine label missing; gilt, dotted panel within a fillet close to the edge of the boards. Rubbing to corners; upper hinge starting. Contained within this on both upper and lower boards is the silhouette of an angel holding a trumpet aloft, itself framed within an oval. Armorial bookplate of David Carnegie, 10th Earl of Northesk (1865-1921) on the front…… Read more
EAVESDROPPING ON HERTFORDSHIRE HISTORIAN ROBERT CLUTTERBUCK AT WORK: 4 Antiquarian Source-works with Elaborate Annotation — Robert Clutterbuck — 1805
Four of Robert Clutterbuck’s annotated source-texts for his monumental History and Antiquities of the County of Hertford. Handsome quarto (21.5x26.5) which has been recased in late 19th century half crushed brown morocco over pebbled green boards; all edges red. Marbled endpapers with Clutterbuck’s bookplate laid down on the front pastedown. Clutterbuck’s ownership inscription appears on the second flyleaf: ‘Robert Clutterbuck Walford Herts - the original sewing is visible in the gutter. The vol…… Read more
SPLENDIDLY ILLUSTRATED Elements of Botany — Robert J Thornton — 1812
Beautifully illustrated first edition with possible Barings family provenance. Full straight grain calf binding with gilt decoration to boards and three wide raised bands to the spine; faded marbling to edges of text block. Green coated endpapers; a little marking to early leaves. Collates complete in two volumes with 176 engraved plates including 4 tables and 24 engraved sectional titles, some bound out of order. Provenance: acquired from a family related to the Bargins - by repute this book de…… Read more
MANUSCRIPT 1820s PICARESQUE MEDWAY JOURNEY TO A CONCERT IN CHATHAM - Inconsideration on a trip to an Oratorio on 27th November 1829 — John S Featherstone [Henry Senior] — 1829
Mock epic narrative poem describing an ill-fated journey by boat, stage-coach and on foot from Sheerness to a concert in Chatham and the ‘inconsideration’ that blighted their return journey. Thin, maroon-coloured roan covered wrappers, rubbing to spine and corners; white tape reinforcement along gutter to verso of wrapper. 18 pages of text, 21 lines per page, c2600 words. Text block sewing intact but detached from binding. Featherstone addressed the poem to his travelling companion Henry Senior…… Read more
AUTHOR’S WORKING MANUSCRIPT The Iliad of Homer (Translated almost Literally in the Spenserian Stanza) with Notes by W G T Barter — Homer - William G T Barter — 1854
William Barter’s working manuscript for his 1854 Longman-published translation of the Iliad with extensive alternations and revisions and scholarly marginalia. Pleasingly bound in limp vellum mock-antique style binding with leather ties and external straps; marbled endpapers. Brown card wrappers bound in with ‘W G Barter’ signed on the verso. Barter has devised two dummy title pages, the first in pencil, the second penned - the printed version was more economical than either. Barter has added a…… Read more
MASSIVELY ANNOTATED BY A LEFT WING READER Political Economy for Beginners — Millicent Garrett Fawcett — 1889
Fawcett’s wildly successful early book which has been almost obsessively studied and annotated from the perspective of a left wing reader. Seventh edition, ‘revised and enlarged’ in publisher’s cloth with the ownership stamp of ‘Charles W Thornton’ to the front flyleaf (possibly of Northampton) if you can see his stamp amidst the note taking. Early on Thornton shows interest in contrasting Fawcett’s claims on the subject of political economy with those of Ruskin (particularly Fors Clavigera), Ch…… Read more
‘I RATHER CRAVE FOR SUNSHINE’ Love’s Coming of Age [SIGNED & WITH A LETTER] — Edward Carpenter — 1897
Inscribed to an English socialist friend and wife of a founder member of the Labour Party, Lucy Henderson, with a letter to her from the pioneer of LGBTQ rights, women’s rights and environmentalism laid in. Second edition bound in publisher’s cloth with gilt lettering; fading to spine and a stain close to the tail. Floral endpapers; the first one only partially attached along the gutter. Carpenter has inscribed the half title opposite: ‘Lucy Henderson All good wishes from E.C.’ Otherwise the boo…… Read more
“CEREBRAL COBWEBS” Composed Written & Illustrated (in Ink) by H N Pendleton - Recreations of a Professional Writer in 1890s London — Henry N Pendleton — 1898
Original poetry by a jobbing London writer working for the popular press of the 1890s, decorated throughout with his distinctive ‘cobweb’ designs. Small octavo (12.5x19cm) bound in half black roan over black shot silk covered boards; rubbing and minor wear; binding sound. Marbled endpapers. Pendleton has paginated his book through to page 261; with 13 preliminaries which are lettered to ‘M’ and are preceded by a manuscript title page which reveals that this was Pendleton’s Volume II in this vein…… Read more
‘A PLEASANT SURPRISE’ Novelty Gentleman’s Vintage Spirits Flask — James Dixon — 1900
Disguised as a book, a leather-bound, pocket-sized flask entitled ‘A Pleasant Surprise’. This is the 4 ounce version (11x8cm) stamped ‘J Dixon and Sons Ltd Sheffield’. The flask has a silver plated detachable bayonet fitting corner cap which gives access to the precious liquor (not included!). Probably dating from around 1900 these leather and silver plated flasks were made for several decades in Sheffield. A delightful addition to your book collection.
A Manchester Alphabet Written & Drawn by Roger Oldham — Roger Oldham — 1906
Playful pictorial guide to turn of the century Manchester with illustrated alphabetical poems from Ancoats via Heaton Park and (The) Guardian to (Bellevue) Zoo. Bound in original printed card wrappers, quite severely discoloured with folds to the corners. and a couple of stains; internally some spotting and dustiness particularly to early leaves. Undeniably scarce: OCLC locates BL, NLS, Cambridge, and John Rylands only. Roger Oldham was a member of the Manchester Society of Architects and such i…… Read more
WITH AN AUTHORIAL LETTER The Soul of A Suffragette — William Leonard Courtney — 1913
Smart first edition in its scarce dustjacket with a letter from the author recommending reading matter to an ailing actor friend. Bright blue decorative cloth binding with the bookplate of Robert N Green Armytage (barrister and book collector) to the front pastedown (designed by 9G H Holloway). A few spots, apparently stains, to the foreedge. Internally a near fine copy. Courtney’s letter is tipped in before the title page, written on black rimmed blue note paper, embossed ‘53 Belsize Park, NW’.…… Read more
ZAEHNSDORFF BINDING Letters of Lady John Russell (Georgiana Byng) To Her Husband 1798-1801 — Georgian Elizabeth (Byng) Russell — 1913
Super-plush and most uncommon private edition of these letters written between two members of one of Britain’s great Whig dynasties, found here in a presentation binding of crushed red morocco by Zaehnsdorff. Near fine binding, fractional rubbing to extremities; red silk doublures, signed ‘Zaehsdorff 1913’; half title precedes the window-framed, hand-coloured frontispiece of the author, with tissue guard. viii, pp138; one letter reproduced in facsimile. OCLC locates Stanford, Duke, BL, Oxford on…… Read more
A SUSSEX NEIGHBOUR OF VIRGINIA WOOLF & HILLAIRE BELLOC: Manuscript & Typescript Poems and Stories — James Murray Allison — 1920
Poems, stories and sketches kept as a personal record of his creative output by the wealthy ex-patriate Australian businessman, publisher and neighbour of Virginia Woolf and Hillaire Belloc in the Sussex village of Rodmell. James Murray Allison (1877-1929) was born in Melbourne, left Australia in 1908, managed advertising for The Times (he wrote a book about advertising) before acquiring the journal Land and Water which achieved great success during the war, published 5 volumes of verse, short s…… Read more
LEE FAMILY HISTORY RESEARCH Lee of Delce Magna Pinchinthorpe & Yarner — Richard Lee — 1920
Spiffy-looking collection of Lee family history papers, a mix of original and copied documents, gathered by Richard Lee of Yarner House on the eastern edge of Dartmoor and relating to the family’s history in north Yorkshire, in Kent and finally in Devon. Attractive folio-size volume bound by Truslove and Hanson, Sloane Street in half crushed blue morocco; blue card endpapers and a manuscript title page, about 100 pages on various paper stocks with blanks to the rear. Lee had devoted himself to g…… Read more
‘ALL PEOPLES SHOULD GOVERN THEMSELVES’ - TRAVELS THROUGH GEORGE ORWELL’S BURMA & 1920s BRITISH INDIA: Manuscript Diary — William Arthur Blackburn Leach (Sinologist and Photographer) — 1927
Sole surviving volume of the diary of the Sinologist and photographer William Leach, written during his travels in Burma and India in 1927. Small octavo (13x19cm) bound in black cloth over stiff card wrappers; all edges red; rounded corners. Leach states that this is ‘Vol II 1927’ on the first flyleaf with a pencil drawing of a chair from ‘Nepal and Mandalay’ below his eventual address in Northampton. Lined paper, paginated by hand, pp 186, c25,000 words; no blanks. Occasional corrections to the…… Read more
Clouds of Witness [IN AN EARLY DUSTJACKET] — Dorothy L Sayers — 1937
Early jacketed reprint of the Gollancz edition of the second Lord Peter Wimsey novel. First published in 1926 by Unwin - 'This reissue of Clouds of Witness (which has received some corrections and amendments from Miss Sayers)...' - was first published thus in 1935 by Sayers' new publisher Victor Gollancz and reprinted here in July 1937. Blue cloth with black spine lettering, spotting to the edges of text block, minor spine lean, in a near very good jacket, bright colour to upper cover, especiall…… Read more
IN A GLASSINE DUSTJACKET Beelzebub and other Poems: Hogarth Living Poets, No 3 — R C Trevelyan — 1935
First edition in its uncommon glassine wrapper. A near fine copy, just a little browning along the top of the paper covered boards - designed by John Banting. The glassine wrapper survives with some loss to the upper panel. The Woolfs printed 400 copies of this title which was published in october 1935. Woolmer 377… Read more
GAS IN WARFARE - Second World War Manuscript of the Dangers Britain Faced from Nazi Gas Attack — A F Wilson — 1942
Second World War Midlands-based study of the history of gas in warfare and the best ways to counter and deal with its renewed use over Britain. Small notebook (10x16cm) bound in grey cloth covered card, contained within an anonymous black folder. Author’s signature on the front pastedown: ‘A F Wilson 8 Stychedale Ave, Coventry’. Opposite an Index of contents with ‘folio’ numbers: 56ff - 112 pages of manuscript text in a mixture of pencil and inks with red for highlighting and diagrams - Wilson w…… Read more
SIGNED LIMITED EDITION A King’s Story: The Memoirs of H.R.H — Edward, Duke of Windsor — 1951
Signed limited edition of the Duke of Windsor’s enormously successful personal memoir. Sumptuously bound in crushed blue morocco with gilt decoration; top edge gilt. Signed ‘Gray’ to the front pastedown - this example bound by John P Gray of Cambridge. A little offsetting to the flyleaves from the royal blue turn-ins. This is Number 229 of the 250 copies, signed in blue-black ink ‘Edward’ to the limitation page. A fine copy in its original slipcase, a little browned with one small rust mark. Let…… Read more
INSCRIBED TO A FRIEND OF WILLIAM MORRIS: William Morris Romantic to Revolutionary — E P Thompson — 1955
Remarkable association copy inscribed by the preeminent historian of the left E P Thompson to ‘one of the first of the pioneers’, the socialist Fred Henderson, a friend of William Morris, whose correspondence from Morris was printed as a result of this letter, in Thompson’s debut book. A very good plus copy in black cloth, a little spotting to text block edges; inscribed by Thompson on the first flyleaf: ‘To Fred Henderson, one of the first of the pioneers, with grateful memories of an afternoon…… Read more
WITH AN AUTHORIAL NOTE Mani: Travels in the Southern Peloponnese — Patrick Leigh Fermor — 1958
First edition with an exclamatory presentation note from Paddy laid in: ‘I do hope you enjoy Mani! Patrick Leigh Fermor’ - written on his 13 Chester Row notecard. Very good plus book, spotting to the edges of the text block; bright red boards; minor spine lean; inside, a small book label to front pastedown, otherwise internally fine in a price-clipped very good jacket bearing John Craxton’s magnificent design.… Read more
BARNES WALLIS PRESENTATION COPY The Royal Society Its Origins and Founders — Sir Harold Hartley (editor) E S de Beer, John Summerson [Barnes Wallis] — 1965
First edition presented by the inventor of the Bouncing Bomb to his philosopher son in law, Harry Stopes-Roe, son of Marie Stopes. Near fine book in magenta cloth, inscribed by Barnes Wallis at the head of the first flyleaf and evidently read with some care by Stopes-Roe who has made half a page of pencilled notes on the verso of the final flyleaf. Also occasional pencilled marginalia, responding for example to Douglas McKie’s criticism of the futility of Baconian induction ‘but this was general…… Read more
Dr. Christian White
Christian White Rare Books
287 Leeds Road, Ilkley, LS29 8LL
07811 455398
info@christianwhiterarebooks.com
www.christianwhiterarebooks.com
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