Shop — page 4 of 34

Visually fascinating photographic diary written by an officer with the Royal Army Ordnance Corps who - against all rules - took a camera to the front which allowed him to record the Battle of El Alamein (1942) as well as the chaotic British evacuation from St Nazaire (1940) from where he offers an eye witness account of the sinking of HMS Lancastri… Read more…

Hybrid daybook, notebook and school exercise book used by James Smellie of Carstairs over 50 years from 1802 and into the 1850s to record business transactions, Carstairs’ village meetings, auctions, the activities of the Benevolent Society and on Friday evenings the ‘Church Music Society’. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Small quarto (17x20cm) bound in exce… Read more…

4 volumes bound extremely handsomely at a later date as 2. In notably splendid condition, both volumes are quarter bound in vibrant green marbled boards with stunning brown calf to spine. Boards in very fine condition. Spines in 6 compartments incorporating title lettered in gilt on red ground to top of spine and volume number lettered in gilt with… Read more…

A collection of 10 poetry books, largely firsts, by Jon Silkin all in good condition each containing the author’s signature and written notes to his friend Dennis Saunders. Saunders who died last year was a lecturer in poetry and literature who organised events involving writers who included Silkin himself, Seamus Heaney, Dannie Abse and others. Th… Read more…

FIRST EDITION. THE AUTHOR’S PERSONAL COPY: A compendium of information on matters connected with printing, its first introduction into Europe and its spread throughout the world. The work spans the reputed invention of paper in China in 105 through until the death of Stanley Morrison, typographer, scholar and historian of printing in 1967. PHYSICAL… Read more…

Crammed full of culturally important poems, each typed in black, one per leaf on Dickinson Croxley paper throughout the book. 128 pp. Commencing with the 6 th century BC Greek lyric poet Anacreon, the Roman Rufinus and moving through the courtly poets of France, 16 th and 17 th century English lyrical poets, 18 th and 19 th century Italian and Germ… Read more…

Jan Christian Smuts is a complex figure in South African history. His legacy is contested and evokes strong reactions. This biography is a record of Smut’s life by his son J.C. Smuts, inscribed by both the author and his mother, wife of the biography’s subject. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: South African edition published 1852. Original dust jacket protect… Read more…

Publisher’s dummy for this award-winning if controversial children’s book in which Babette Cole ‘unleashes her endearingly loony sense of humor on the subject of the birds and the bees, and the result is, as expected, hilarious’ (Publisher’s Weekly). In the book a couple of parents attempt to explain the facts of life to their two children, who res… Read more…

Volume 1. A collection of John Ross Macduff’s verses, gathered from his prolific output of essays, books, magazines and papers and dedicated to his brother Hector Macduff Duncan. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Pale blue cloth bound boards in good condition, decoratively ruled in a black repeating pattern and lettered in gilt to front and spine. Lightly bump… Read more…

A small pamphlet by Eric Gill containing an essay/polemic on unemployment with specific reference to Catholicism and therefore, his beliefs. Owned by the critic and w iter Neville Braybrooke: Eric Gill was regarded as one of the greatest craftsmen of this century, a typographer, letter cutter and a wood engraver. His conversion to Catholicism influ… Read more…

Half bound marbled boards with soft calf to spine in fair condition. Boards faded, marked and bumped to corners. Spine panel starting and cracked to top showing 5cm section of binding. End papers age worn, binding visible along gutter but remain soundly attached. Front paste down soiled to fore edge and annotated in a contemporary hand ‘Anne Ellis… Read more…

Presentation copy from Earl Nelson to Horatio Nelson Eyre Matcham (1819-1845), son of George Nelson Matcham whose mother was Lord Nelson’s sister Catherine. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Dark green buckram boards in fair condition, stained to front and rear. Front board loosened along spine hinge. Spine chipped to top and tail, cream title label browned. C… Read more…

A story of war time adventure first published in serial form in Blackwood’s Magazine. Escapes and Adventures chronicles the author’s attempts to escape Ruhleben camp, a civilian detention camp in Germany during World War I and his subsequent time at Stadt Vogtei Prison Berlin during the war years. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Third impression. Signed by t… Read more…

Better known for his books on mid twentieth century British artists, architects and designers, Alan Powers also produced a considerable body of paintings and graphics, mostly in the 1980s. This booklet dated 1985 contains 6 reproductions of b/w theatrical in their style, drawings of fire places and their surrounds published by Alan Powers and his w… Read more…

FIRST EDITION of C.S Lewis’s famous radio talks on theology delivered in the Spring of 1944 with several additional chapters. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Pale yellow cloth covered boards in good condition with small brown stain to front board but otherwise clean, crisp and unmarked. Blue lettering to spine panel which is slightly bumped towards top. Dust… Read more…

Scarce Dundee Directory with the portrait of Winston Churchill, then MP for the town. The General Notice at the front of the directory notes in detail events leading to the by-election of Saturday 9th May which led to the announcement of Mr Churchill’s victory as MP for Dundee. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: In good condition bound in red cloth covered boar… Read more…

A copy owned by two generations of 18th century London apothecaries, the second donating the book to the Society of Apothecaries. Contemporary speckled calf, cracked along outer hinges, boards attached but fragile. Bookplates of John Field (armorial) and below that Henry Field’s bookplate featuring an armillary sphere proferred by a mailed fist. Op… Read more…

Scarce and sturdy little volume of the Dundee Directory dated 1904 -1905 which includes advertisements, ecclesiastical lists, judicial lists, municipal lists, postal directories, street, trades and professions directories and a fold out plan of Broughty Ferry, plan of Newport and Wormit and plan of Tayport. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: In good condition b… Read more…

A sturdy and handsome daybook which tells the story of the trading activities of a Lancashire merchant between the years 1824 – 1827. Packed full of hand written transactions, pricing and customer details pertaining to the provision of oats, barley, beans, salt etc in areas including Deansgate, Didsbury, Eccles, Salford, Bridgwater and Worsley. Tod… Read more…

A sturdy volume of the Dundee Directory dated 1896 -1897. Includes advertisements, ecclesiastical lists, municipal lists, judicial lists, postal directories, street, trades, general and professions directories and a fold out plan of Broughty Ferry. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: In good condition bound in brown cloth covered boards incorporating blind rulin… Read more…

FIRST EDITION: Published by subscription and compiled from original sources with an introduction by Hamon Le Strange. Includes within 8 signed hand written letters from the author to WT Bewley Esq. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Good original cloth boards showing modest spots of wear and a little surface abrasion with bevelled edges and gilt lettering to fr… Read more…

An opera lover’s copy of this unique account of the different characters and traditions of twenty famous opera houses in 14 European cities. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: 1957 Second impression. Pale blue cloth covered boards in fair to good condition. Gilt title over red ground to spine which is damp stained. Dust jacket in good condition, nicked to spine… Read more…

The manorial estate of Aperfield Court was broken up after its purchase in 1895 by Frederick Henry Dougal of Wandsworth and the land sold off cheaply in small parts. It was not until after the Second World War however that the name of the area was changed from Aperfield to Biggin Hill in recognition of the Biggin Hill Aerodrome and the role played… Read more…

First edition with authorial ephemera laid in of Colin Clair’s personal copy of Human Curiosities in which the author explores human nature and the shocking popularity throughout history of exhibitions, fairs and shows which set up human beings as freaks to be stared at by the public. PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Dark blue paper covered boards embossed in… Read more…

An offshoot of the famed British satirical magazine Punch, ‘Punch’s Pocket Book’ was an annual publication functioning simultaneously as a ledger, diary, almanac and source of entertainment and business information. This 1866 pocket book is full of Punch’s characteristic wit and wonderfully Illustrated by prominent English illustrators including Jo… Read more…