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First edition of Slim Aaron’s photographic study of the ‘life of America’s elite from coast to coast’. Crisp navy blue cloth with gilt lettering, small mark to endpaper, no inscriptions, slight spotting to half title otherwise near fine. In a good jacket, lightly nicked to edges, a closed tear running down from the top of the spine fold with the fr… Read more…

R A Millikan announces his oil-drop experiment which defined the elementary electrical charge on an electron. Single journal article from Volume 19, No. 110 of the Philosophical Magazine (February 1910) which subsequently gained him the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1923. Bound together as Volume LXVII - Sixth Series, Volume 19 - for the period Januar… Read more…

Simon Bailey’s copy - an Anglican priest who was among the earliest to develop AIDS and stay in parish ministry. Black roan, a large octavo binding, faded and rubbed to edges. Bailey’s bookplate appears on the first black flyleaf: ‘Simon Bailey Westcott Hl[ou]se Eastertide 1981.’ A well-used copy, particularly around the printed order for Holy Comm… Read more…

Andrew Carnegie's copy, 1 of 30 printed, with the bookplate on the front pastedown of the industrialist bearing his motto 'Let there be light'. Half brown morocco over marbled boards with light rubbing to corners and hinges. Lettering in gilt to spine; all edges gilt. Marbled endpapers, 'Thirty copies printed' on verso of title page. Blank leaves b… Read more…

A presentation copy inscribed by Playfair ‘For Mr. & Mrs. Wickens in gratitude for their kind and continued appreciation of my small endeavours. Nigel Playfair’ on a blank before the main book. The book has been rebound later to accommodate the fascinating insertions which illustrate Playfair’s career. The binding is half russet silk with decorativ… Read more…

Probably unique surviving copy of this specification for demolition and construction of a new warehouse in Blackfriars, London for the retailer, J Sainsbury. Printed card wrappers, black cloth spine, fraying somewhat. A very detailed index of contents is followed by the 148 page text, reproduced from manuscript. Arthur Sykes (1862-1940) was the arc… Read more…

Photo-book bound in dove grey buckram with gold lettering, a fine copy in very nearly fine dustjacket. This is Shafran’s successor to his Ruth Book which was highly praised by Badger and Parr in their guide to the photo-book. Copac locates only one institutional holding of this scarce volume. Read more…

From Laurie Lee’s personal collection, the poet’s copy of this anthology that he appears in, dating from the 1960s. Decorative paper covered boards, big bump at the base of the spine, in a very good jacket. Lee has written a somewhat dismissive original piece of verse in pencil to the flyleaf, gently mocking his fellow poets: ‘And in this Poets of… Read more…

The Warden of All Souls’ copy of the Oxford Dante in a special edition complete with presentation box. The three volumes are bound in crimson leather with gilt edges, marbled endpapers and printed on thin, high-quality paper; a very little rubbing to the spine ends. They collate: pp672 (Inferno); pp442 (Purgatorio); pp494 (Paradiso). The books’ own… Read more…

xvi, pp 302. Oxford presentation copy to the former Warden of Keble College, inscribed on the first blank: 'Walter Lock From E. B. Poulton, in memory of much kindness & much fresh stimulus received from him while a colleague in work at Keble, and in years of friendship since then. Oxford. March 1924.' Bound in publisher's blue buckram, slight fadin… Read more…

Out of sequence edition containing three original drawings by the artist and writer and an additional suite of woodcuts preceding the text. Unnumbered, but resembling one of the first 13 copies, the book has been rebound in crushed burgundy morocco with gilt decoration, top edge gilt, a silk book mark and marbled endpapers. A female nude in red cra… Read more…

[pp] 26 + blanks. Attractively bound Japanese photo album, pictorial fabric over card wrappers, green silk ties and tassel. Black endpapers followed by twenty six pages of photographs which are accomcpanied by white pen annotations of domestic, family and professional scenes including kimono-dressed women, mothers and infants, a visit to a shrine a… Read more…

Rather lovely twentieth century embroidered binding which fits snuggly over the publisher's boards. The embroidery was likely executed by one or other of 'From Amy to: Norah with Love. March 2nd. 1941' -their gift inscription appears on the first blank. Otherwise a near fine, clean copy of this gently devotional work. Read more…

pp 438 Olwyn Hughes' bound galley proof of the first publication of her sister in law Sylvia Plath's letters, annotated by Sylvia Plath's daughter, Frieda Hughes. In addition to Frieda Hughes' annotations this early version of the galley proof contains at least three preliminary drafts of Aurelia's editorial commentary to be subsequently removed or… Read more…

pp 16. One of twelve copies of this illustrated collection of verse produced by the Lilac Tree Press in Wallasey on the Wirral. The volumes was presented to Lea's native 'Southport Libraries from the author' with a letter tipped in explaining how Lea taught at the Liverpool College of Art and 'the Dean of Liverpool, who is one of the printer's subs… Read more…

Touchingly sincere letter to the Editor of Gay News, thanking him for the 'your presentation of Noctures in your paper. The illustration of the long figure in the piazza certainly captures the spirit of the chapter... As someone who has been an editor, I know how easy it is to bungle something like this.' Signed in blue biro 'Edmund White' on Febru… Read more…

Inscribed on the first blank 'a Mr Rudler, amical souvenir de Paul Valery' - a 'souvenir' being a typical formula used by the French poet in his inscriptions. Original printed wrappers, browned to edges and a closed tear at the foot of the upper cover. Overall a good copy only. A contemporary French newspaper review of the work is laid in along wit… Read more…

pp [2] iv; xi [13] pp173; lxvii. 1729 edition bound in beautiful mottled calf with speckled edges to the text block, ownership signature of 'H Whitmore' to the final pastedown. A very little wear at the foot of the outer hinges, otherwise a very good binding, mild browning and a few spots to early leaves. A lovely 'editio quinta' copy of this biogr… Read more…

pp 80. No 184 of 200 copies with the prospectus laid in. Brown buckram, boards sunned in irregular patterns; book label of Rainforth Armitage Walker (an expert on Aubrey Beardsley) to the front pastedown otherwise fine internally with the bifolium prospectus offering this small folio book on Turner's engravings 'in which all the known working proof… Read more…

pp 48 + blanks. Water-stained Gallipoli naval diary culminating in the actions in the Dardanelles in February and March 1915: 'The Captain told us were were going to take part in the forcing of the Dardenelles... a real hot time shells dropping all round us and going "plonk" against the ships side...'. Red cloth-bound manuscript book, water-damaged… Read more…

A companion volume to the first 'Edinburgh musical miscellany' with engraved music throughout and a mostly manuscript title page where the original was somehow lost. Bound in nineteenth century textured khaki paper over boards with a red morocco spine label this stand alone volume followed on from the success of its predecessor. There is at least o… Read more…