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Dear Friend,
Looking ahead to this week's York Book Fair we’re delighted to share with you George Steiner’s corrected typescript for After Babel, the photographic archive of an English pioneer in Patagonia, a collection of interleaved books, and Lunardi’s account of balloon travel owned by a Newcastle man who probably witnessed the disastrous ascent over that city of September 1786. We have a book (very) rudely scrawled on by the Goons and the autograph manuscript of a Simon Raven novel. Do drop by Stand 52.
Best wishes,
Christian
THE COURT IN TEARS: Or a Narrative of the Life of the late William, Duke of Devonshire... with an New Elegy on his Much Lamented Death — Thomas Grenville — 1707
Rare elegy on the death of William Cavendish (1640-1707) who was one of the ‘immortal seven’ who invited William of Orange to depose James II and thereby won his Dukedom. A very worn little pamphlet (11x17.5cm), pp8, of which the outer bifolium has separated along the spine fold into its two component leaves; browned to edges; close trimmed along the lower border touching the final line of text. Striking woodcut to the title page; small puncture in the middle of this leaf. OCLC records three cop…… Read more
INTERLEAVED: A COLLECTION OF BOOKS WITH BLANK INTERLEAVES, SUBSEQUENTLY ANNOTATED, 1760-1976 — Lucy Hutchinson, Juvenal, Herschel, J S Henslow, HMSO, — 1760
This collection of 32 interleaved books playscripts and cookbooks, technical handbooks, pocket almanacs, botanicals and bibliography. It contains hundreds, perhaps thousands of hours, of work employed by the books’ owners as they added to the printed texts on subjects as diverse as gothic architecture, early music, surgery, roses, illicit marriages, and calculus. The act of interleaving – the insertion of (typically) blank leaves into a printed text – is to expand the possibility of a book, to o…… Read more
OWNED BY A LIKELY EYE-WITNESS TO BALLOON TRAVEL IN NEWCASTLE IN 1786: An Account of Five Aerial Voyages in Scotland [with] Late Disturbances at the Theatre Royal in Newcastle [with] Late Disturbances at the Theatre Royal in Edinburgh [&] Lecture on the Heads — VINCENT LUNARDI [Thomas Davidson, Mrs Elizabeth Kemble] — 1786
‘The Daredevil Aeronaut’, Vincent Lunardi’s account of his first balloon flights made in Scotland’s capital, Edinburgh in a collection of pamphlets which was owned by a leading Newcastle attorney and Clerk of the Peace, Thomas Davidson, who seems likely to have acquired this book in connection with Lunardi’s disastrous subsequent balloon ascent out of Newcastle that year. This flight caused the death of one of Lunardi’s assistants on September 9th when he plunged to his death after being dragged…… Read more
COURT JESTER CHAPBOOK The Second Book of the Witty and Entertaining Exploits of George Buchanan who was Commonly Called the King’s Fool — Dougal Graham (attributed) — 1790
Seemingly unrecorded Newcastle chapbook cum jestbook of the exploits of the Scottish scholar and Latinist George Buchanan who was mistakenly cast in popular culture as James I’s jester or court fool. This chapbook and the incomplete likely ‘First Book’ of Buchanan’s exploits that precedes it forms part of an elaborate popular libel upon the memory of a major Renaissance scholar. Much reprinted in Edinburgh, Falkirk and Newcastle around the end of the 18th century, the exploits of Buchanan in the…… Read more
MARIA EDGEWORTH’S ANNOTATED COPIES Camilla: or, A Picture of Youth. By the Author of Evelina — Fanny Burney — 1796
A remarkable association copy bringing together the three preeminent three novelists - all women - at the turn of the 19th century in a first edition of Fanny Burney’s Camilla that has been owned and covered in critical annotation by Maria Edgeworth - even as the name of the youngest of the three novelists, Jane Austen, nestles in among the list of subscribers. (Austen would refer to Edgeworth as ‘the great Maria.’) After she had read and annotated them, Edgeworth had these books rebound in 1812…… Read more
A COMPANION TO THE MAGDALEN-CHAPEL Chapel Containing the Hymns Psalms Ode and Anthems, used there, Set for the Harpsichord Voice German-Flute or Guitar — ‘Eminent Masters’ — 1800
Rare collection of psalms and hymns printed for the Chapel of the Magdalen Hospital in Southwark in London ‘for the Reception of Penitent Prostitutes’. One of the reformed prostitutes is depicted in the frontispiece - the young women who sung these hymns were shielded from view in the octagonal chapel from behind a curtain. The Magdalen Chapel became one of the most fashionable places of worship in Georgian London. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Small quarto in contemporary sheepskin, recently refurbishe…… Read more
THE ROYAL SCOTTISH BURGH OF ELGIN’S COPY: An Act for the Abolition of the Slave Trade. 25th March 1807: Anno Quadregesimo Septimo Georgii III. Regis. — William Wilberforce, James Stephen, William Wyndham Grenville, Charles James Fox — 1807
The first printing of one of the most important 19th century Acts of the British Parliament which ended the slave trade in 1807. The passing of this bill into law on 25 March 1807 marked a turning point in the campaign led by William Wilberforce against this cruellest of trades transporting human cargoes between Africa, the West Indies and the Americas. This imprint is bound up with the other Acts of Parliament for 1807 in a copy bound for and owned by the Royal Burgh and ‘Town of Elgin’ in Scot…… Read more
The Rioters; or, a Tale of Bad Times — Harriet Martineau — 1827
First edition, bound in quarter black roan over worn marbled boards. Ownership signature of ‘Midgley Rushworth’ from 1840 on front flyleaf; similar inscription on final flyleaf. Foxing and browning but internally very good. Martineau’s novella about industrial conflict is set in Manchester. BLx3 only.
SHEPHERD’S VIEWS OF AND AROUND REGENT’S PARK: 37 COLOURED VIEWS IN A FINE BINDING — Thomas H Shepherd — 1827
A selection of 37 window-mounted, hand coloured views around Regent’s Park in a super-luxurious bespoke Sotheran’s binding. Chunky square format (25x25cm) bound in crushed red morocco with gilt lettering, raised spine bands - a little fading to the spine. Marbled endpapers with red morocco turn-ins and slight off-setting to the marbling. Card leaves prefaced by the title page to: Metropolitan Improvements or London, in the Nineteenth Century: Being a Series of Views. from which these images are…… Read more
OWNED BY A LEEDS BUTCHER WHOSE NAME IS PRINTED IN: General and Commercial Directory of The Borough of Leeds; Including the Out-Townships — William Parson — 1839
William Parson’s 1826 Leeds Directory, owned and inscribed by a Leeds butcher and a female family member also from a butchering family - both of whom are referenced in the printed text. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTIONl: Small octavo bound in half black roan; fold out map of Leeds is present but detached. Signatures of ‘John Cockshott Farsley 1826’ and ‘Mary Ann Rushworth, Leeds, 1868’ to the front flyleaf. Cockshott’s name appears in the printed listings as a Farsley butcher at page 225 and ‘Rishworth, Wm,…… Read more
INSCRIBED TO A LEADING CATHOLIC LAYMAN The Office and Work of Universities — John Henry Newman — 1856
Presentation copy of a collection of Newman’s papers written while he worked on his ‘great undertaking’ in Dublin, the establishment of the Catholic University of Ireland. Newman spent most of the 1850s in Dublin working on this project as the university’s first Rector from which emerged this book and his classic study, The Idea of a University. This is one of several known presentation copies with a printed ‘From the Author’ slip and a personalised inscription which together suggest that it may…… Read more
1850s COMMANDER OF BRITISH FORCES IN HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA: His Retained Archive — Major General Charles Trollope [Alexander Bannerman; Jessie Hoyt] — 1856
A fascinating group of correspondence, ephemera and even a plan of his Halifax mansion, Belle Vue, which was retained by Charles Trollope as a memento of his time as Commander of British Forces in Nova Scotia in the late 1850s. This includes the first ever telegram received in Halifax via the Nova Scotia Electric Telegraph Company. The telegraph was also the means of informing Trollope about political unrest in Newfoundland in April 1861, when the British Governor Sir Alexander Bannerman wrote r…… Read more
SEEMINGLY UNRECORDED My Market Table Showing the Value of Any Article per Pound and Ounce — [Frederick Warne] — 1874
Rare possibly unique survival of this miniature ready reckoner with a record of female ownership, probably to a London family of Covent Garden market traders. Miniature format bound in publisher’s cloth with gilt lettering, faded and marked but sound. All edges gilt. Pencilled ownership signature of ‘Isabelle Levy 1874’ to the yellow-coated flyleaf; collates A-Q2 in miniature folio, unpaginated, but 64 pages. Printed in red and black throughout, a couple of short edge tears and pin marks to page…… Read more
ORIGINAL PORTFOLIO ISSUE: The Scenery of the Broads and Rivers of Norfolk and Suffolk: 24 Photo Engravings: First and Second Series — George Christopher Davies — 1883
A beautiful set of Davies’ 48 photogravure plates depicting the Norfolk Broads still in their original portfolios as first issued, with a distinguished Norfolk provenance. These beautiful and evocative photographs by ‘the man who found the Broads’, (Charles Carrodus) are the works of the first of the great Broads photographers and a landmark in English photography. PROVENANCE: Both portfolios bear the bookplate of the noted Norfolk bibliophile Ronald Fiske although they were not sold at his post…… Read more
THE JOURNAL OF THE YORKSHIRE SPELEOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION — Eli ‘Cymmie’ Simpson, Frederick Hampson — 1907
The first two parts of the Journal of the earliest British club specifically constituted to explore caves. This is one of twelve copies made using carbon paper and containing original silver gelatin photographs as illustrations, painstakingly tipped into each of the copies. There were the only two issues of this journal published but we cannot locate any institutional copy. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Quarto size (22x27cm) bound in restored red cloth, with typed pages held by split pins through three…… Read more
SOCIETAD EXPLOTADORA DE TERRA DEL FUEGO: An English Adventurer in Patagonia, 1907-1920 — Archibald Hayes Willis - Sociedad Explotadora de Tierra del Fuego — 1910
A unique and extraordinary record of the life of an English explorer and adventurer in Patagonia between 1907 and 1920 who worked out of Puerto Prat between 1907 and 1914 and then Ultima Esperanza until 1920. Willis’s Patagonian life is told through his very large album (31x26cmx8cm) that he filled with photographs, panoramas, letters, a dance card from the ‘first dance ever’ in Ultima Esperanza and an image of ‘First Association Football Game played in the Last Hope’ (1912) as well as photograp…… Read more
FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE Howards End — E M Forster - Edwin Morgan Forster — 1910
True first edition, first issue of E M Forster's family saga with the motto 'Only Connect', considered by many to be his masterpiece. This edition has absolute primacy with four pages only of advertisements following the printed text - in the second issue from later in 1910 the advertisements extend to eight pages and include a notice of this novel itself. The red cloth boards are in good condition with sunning to the spine cloth and part of the upper board. ‘Mudie’s Library’ label to upper cove…… Read more
‘UNENDING JOY AND EDUCATION: Margot Glyn’s Unpublished Italian Motoring Adventure with her Popular Novelist Mother, Elinor Glyn — Margot Glyn; Marwin Delcarol — 1911
A handsomely bound and illustrated typescript of Margot Glyn’s unpublished account of a six-week Italian motoring holiday taken in 1911 with her mother, the scandalous romance novelist and coiner of the term ‘It Girl’, Elinor Glyn. Glyn amply illustrated with her own photographs and related art and tourist postcards and clippings. Margot Glyn (1893-1966) could not match her novelist and screenwriter mother, Elinor, (1864-1943) for commercial success or scandal but here the younger generation rep…… Read more
THREE TITANIC NEWSPAPERS, April 20, 1912 - IN MEMORIAM NUMBER, The Daily Graphic [&] Daily Sketch: ‘Where the Captain Stood till Death’ [7] The Daily Mirror ‘Bandsmen Heroes...’ — N/A — 1912
Three newspapers published on Saturday April 20, 1912, 5 days after the sinking of the RMS Titanic in the North Atlantic. The Daily Graphic, pp20 is the most ambitious of the three; about very good condition. The Daily Mirror, pp16 reproduces the whole of Nearer my God to thee on the front page; also very good. The Daily Sketch, pp16, is split along the spine fold and is in fair condition only. All three newspapers are illustrated throughout and together rehearse many of the themes that have com…… Read more
OBSCENELY ANNOTATED - ‘GOONIFIED’ - BY PETER SELLARS, SPIKE MILLIGAN AND HARRY SECOMBE: Stubbs and I Being the Adventures of Two Boy Scouts — Peter Sellars, Spike Milligan, Harry Secombe [Frank Fortune] — 1922
Gloriously rudely scrawled-on 1920s children’s tale in which the trio of Goons have played off each other’s surreal suggestions to create a new and outrageously humorous hybrid book-manuscript, recalling the style of Joe Orton’s legendarily defaced library books. The Goons have misused in the most energetic way imaginable a first edition of Frank Fortune’s novel about boy scouts ‘during the Great War’, covering 274 of the book’s 380 pages, as well as reworking the adverts and blank endpapers to…… Read more
ONE WHO KNEW POE - Vincent Starrett Correspondence & Proofs Collected by his Publisher, John Mayfield — Vincent Starrett [to] John S Mayfield — 1927
A fascinating archive out of Chicago’s ‘literary renaissance’ containing letters, typescripts and proofs relating to the publication of Vincent Starrett’s pamphlet about the relationship between Edgar Allan Poe and and John Hill Hewitt which was written by the Chicago crime reporter, Sherlock Holmes expert, little magazine editor and book collector, Vincent Starrett. This collection was compiled by the recipient of these letters Starrett’s young publisher, John S Mayfield (1904-1983), son of the…… Read more
‘I AM OVERWHELMED WITH WORK AT PRESENT’ 20 Letters from Eric Gill to a friend and Artistic Patron — Eric Gill [Desmond Flower] — 1928
20 letters and notes from the artist Eric Gill to his friend the publisher, book collector and artistic patron of his work, Desmond Flower. In these letters Gill writes about his work at the BBC and creating a sculpture on the Lancashire coast in Morecambe, makes corrections and emendations to his book Art Nonsense which was published by Flower’s family publishing firm, Cassell, and accepts the commission for Flower’s personal bookplate which Gill designed for him. Desmond Flower (1907-1997) was…… Read more
Dadie Rylands’ Marked-up Production Copy of TWELFTH NIGHT — William Shakespeare - George ‘Dadie’ Rylands — 1930`
Annotated Cambridge edition of Twelfth Night owned by the life-long Shakespearian, George ‘Dadie’ Rylands who began directing Shakespeare at school, oversaw professional recordings of the plays and schooled in Shakespeare some of the leading actors of the twentieth century. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Twelfth Night: Ticket of Cambridge bookshop, Galloway & Porter, to pastedown. Inscribed ‘George Rylands’ to front flyleaf; Act I scene i with Rylands’ annotation: ‘Lights down Music 20 secs Curtain up 10…… Read more
‘TO HAVE AS A STUDIO QUEEN ELIZABETH’S OLD BED CHAMBER’ Letters from Laura Knight — Dame Laura Knight — 1933
Seven lively and affectionate letters from a pioneer in British 20th century art written to a lifelong friend, accompanied by a small portrait watercolour depicting Pauline Konody in their art school days in Nottingham. Knight writes warmly and sympathetically to Konody, sharing her excitement at big commissions including her work on a big portrait of the Duchess of Rutland which allowed her to live at Haddon Hall in Derbyshire. Four of the letters to ‘my dear dear friend Pauline’ date from the…… Read more
INSCRIBED ON EZRA POUND’S 65th BIRTHDAY: Ezra Pound: A Collection of Essays edited by Peter Russell to be Presented to Ezra Pound on his sixty-fifth Birthday — Peter Russell [editor]; T S Eliot, Ernest Hemingway, Wyndham Lewis etc — 1950
From the library of a distinguished British scholar of Ezra Pound, this collection of essays has been inscribed by its editor the poet Peter Russell: ‘For mother with love from Peter [Russell] October 30th, 1950 - the date of publication, being the sixty fifth birthday of Ezra Pound’ with Russell’s ownership stamp and ‘Please return to’ above - no doubt inherited back from his mother after her death. A near fine copy, a little spine lean, spotting to the endpapers in very good jacket. Peter Russ…… Read more
INSCRIBED BY FLEMING’S CO-WRITER The Diamond Smugglers — Ian Fleming - ‘John Blaize’ - John Collard — 1957
First edition, first state inscribed with gratitude to South African friends who had supported Fleming’s co-writer John Collard - credited as ‘John Blaize’ in the book - with the creation of the work. Blaize has written on the flyleaf: ‘Gene and Myrtle. Sorry this is not the original but I did appreciate your encouragement! With best wishes to you both. John (”Blaize”). Dec. 57.’ Previously John Collard had worked for the International Diamond Security Organisation (IDSO) and assumed the alias ‘…… Read more
Dadie Rylands’ Marked-up Production Copy of JULIUS CAESAR — William Shakespeare - George ‘Dadie’ Rylands — 1956
Annotated Cambridge edition of Julius Caesar owned by the life long Shakespearian George ‘Dadie’ Rylands who began directing Shakespeare at school, oversaw professional recordings of the plays at Cambridge and schooled in Shakespeare some of the leading actors of the twentieth century. In association with the Marlowe Society and a group of professional actors Rylands directed a series of professional audio recordings of the plays - his annotations to this text suggests it might relate to his rec…… Read more
AUTOGRAPH MANUSCRIPT Friends in Low Places, the second novel of Arms for Oblivion — Simon Raven — 1964
A very busy, comprehensively revised, first draft autograph manuscript comprising nearly half of Raven’s second novel from his witty and scabrous novel sequence, Alms for Oblivion. Perhaps on account of his rackety later years Raven’s manuscripts do not appear to be represented in any of the major research libraries; this one was gifted to a ‘Dr Schwartz’ in October 1964 with the promise, presumably unfulfilled, that ‘If you are interested, I can send you the rest of the MS as it becomes availab…… Read more
ROBERT BOOTHBY’S COPY: Winston Churchill 1914-1916: Volume III — Martin Gilbert — 1971
A very pleasing association copy of Volume III of Gilbert’s monumental biography presented by the author to Churchill’s friend and Parliamentary Private Secretary from the 1920s, Robert Boothby: ’Inscribed with many thanks for a most superb lunch Martin Gilbert. London January 1975’. Additionally Boothby has signed his name as ‘Boothby’ on the dedication page. There is a single reading mark - a very large dog ear at page 445 highlighting Churchill’s role in the 1916 crisis that ended Asquith’s p…… Read more
GEORGE STEINER’S EXTENSIVELY CORRECTED TYPESCRIPT FOR AFTER BABEL — George Steiner — 1975
A heavily corrected full-length typescript of George Steiner’s magnum opus on translation bearing around 500-700 autograph emendations and additions to the text. These range from single word corrections to full paragraphs in Steiner’s hand. The typescript comes from the estate of Elsa Southern, Steiner’s longterm secretary and assistant in Cambridge whose role in his work is credited in several of his printed works. After Babel is a seminal work that explores the ‘intricate and multifaceted natu…… 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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