Shop — page 5 of 29

Diary of a young British officer serving with the China Squadron, based in Hong Kong and patrolling Chinese and Japanese waters between 1886-1889. Parker writes in a small octavo which is bound in black textured cloth over thin boards, chipping to spine covering; decorative printed endpapers. Ruled leaves with most stapled gatherings now loose from… Read more…

Signed first edition of Adams' immensely popular novel, a sequel to The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Bound in grey cloth with gilt spine lettering, the text is complete and fine, slight spine lean. The jacket is near fine, price present, a little rubbing at the head of the spine. Read more…

Portfolio of signed comic and erotic sketches by a Nebraskan born artist, apparently compiled while in New York City. The sketches are housed in an ‘Anchor Clasp Envelope’ on which Anderson has written ‘Rough Sketches C.W. Anderson 41 Wash[ington’ Sq[uare] New York City.’ Old repairs to edges of the envelope. Anderson’s drawings are on thin paper (… Read more…

Hamlet post-production screenplay for the 1969 British film adaptation starring Nicol Williamson - seemingly not found in any institutional collection. Foolscap sized paper held together by corroded staples. Rust marks to front cover which is partially detached from the text block. Typescript of c100 pages, mimeograph-printed on the rectos only. Oc… Read more…

Inscribed copy of this second edition of Henry’s fingerprint system which became the 'sole official method employed in the identification of habitual criminals in this country.' Green cloth, near very good, inscribed on the first (browned) flyleaf ‘Major Arthur Griffiths from the writer. Feb.: 1905’. Errata slip bound in ahead of the title page and… Read more…

Collection of Acts of Parliament printed between 1767 and 1812 legislating on Britain’s relationship with its American colonies and subsequently the newly fledged United States. These Acts are disbound and altogether the 25 Acts run to 114 pages. Subjects under British law include the vexed problem of taxation on imports from North America (Rice,Sa… Read more…

Unrecorded perhaps unique surviving set of Cruikshank’s illustrations to Oliver Twist, issued by the book’s publisher as a loose, possibly promotional, set simultaneous with first publication. 20 plates (150x243mm) are loosely contained in a bifolium printed wrapper which has separated along the spine. This bears a modified version of the title pag… Read more…

A compelling collection chronicling the short-lived Antiquaries’ Presidency of Edward King, owned and annotated by a friend of King’s and including 5 unrecorded imprints. Large quarto (27x21.5cm), 18th-century full calf; narrow gilt border to the boards, spine prettily tooled in gilt, red morocco label, marbled endpapers, red sprinkled edges - bind… Read more…

Three manuscript Letter Books (1704-1708) kept by a Franco-British double agent in London which record his efforts to lead a British invasion and his charismatic hold over British and European monarchs and ministers - worthy of a full Hollywood treatment. Antoine de Guiscard’s meteoric rise was followed by an equally precipitous fall from grace whi… Read more…

Richly varied photo album depicting student life at Mills College in Oakland shortly after it was chartered as the first women’s college west of the Rockies. Large oblong album (15x11inches) ‘Photographs’ in gilt to upper, textured cloth covered board. Light wear to edges but the binding remains sound, though some weakening to the cloth covering ov… Read more…

Grub-Street satirist and publican, Ned Ward’s set of military characters, including ‘A Spy’, bound together with an incomplete set of his more common naval characters - 1709 and 1708. Contemporary panelled calf with two spine labels and remains of an overlaid morocco label to the second compartment. Skilful repair to the head and tail of the spine… Read more…

Rare book of specimen type borders and ornaments offered for sale by the most famous of all British letter founders. Large octavo bound in speckled paper covered boards with new acid-free endpapers. Title page with decorative border (with spotting) followed by Caslon’s 1838 ‘Prices of Printing Types’ with tissue guard. A single leaf of letterpress… Read more…

Signed first edition of Evelyn Waugh’s only historical novel, based on the eponymous heroine’s search for relics of the true cross. Blue publisher’s cloth, small dent at the top of the front board; uniformly deep blue cloth, sharp corners. In a near very good jacket, lightly nicked at head of the spine and at the top of the front hinge with the fro… Read more…

Inscribed with ‘Prayers’ from a saint - John Henry Newman’s Letter to Pusey inscribed in his hand on the verso of the title page: ‘with the kindest wishes & prayers of the Author Decr 10. 1872’. Collection of 9 Anglo-Catholic church pamphlets bound in contemporary half calf with marbled boards, spine label lettered in gilt on maroon leather, some r… Read more…

Portraits in childhood of the Edinburgh-born women’s rights campaigner and future author of British Freewomen: Their Historical Privilege, Charlotte Carmichael, by her father, the landscape artist James Ferrier Carmichael and by herself. Charlotte Carmichael (1840-1929) was part of the first university level classes for women in Edinburgh under Pro… Read more…

Corrected and emended copy, apparently with a view to reprinting in an improved version. Green wrappers marked and stained; later ex libris of David W H Walton to the flyleaf. The corrections begin on the verso of the title page and continue throughout the 24 page printed text. A heavy ink stain at the tail of the page runs right through. The corre… Read more…

Collection of comic skits inscribed by the author ‘Gracie Critchley from RCM January 1902" with a short poem written below. Very good in green cloth with gilt titles, all edges gilt, brown coated end papers. The boards are rubbed to the edges and spine. The text is crisp and fresh. Copies at Dundee and NLS only. Read more…

Alexander Todd’s personal archive including school prizes from Glasgow schooldays, his Nobel Prize lecture and dozens of retained copies of his papers and speeches. Alexander R Todd (1907-1997) was awarded the 1957 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on the synthesis of nucleotides - the groundwork for Watson and Crick’s elucidation of DNA. Born… Read more…

[RESERVED] Pre-printed diary used interestingly by a member of Earl Haig’s family as a commonplace/ day book. Chunky small quarto bound in full calf, splitting slighly at outer hinges but very robust still. Laid in is a selection of quotations from Carlyle written on ‘Ramornie Ladybank’ headed paper. Marbled endpapers. Preceding the diary pages are… Read more…

A Nobel prize-winning physicist and Edinburgh University Professor presents his latest English translation to a fellow physicist. Born’s typed letter was sent from Bad Pyrmont in west Germany where he had retired after leaving his Edinburgh professorship in 1953. Writing to Professor Edward Neville da Costa Andrade in London, he says that ‘I have a… Read more…

18th century manuscript record of land rentals on the Dunlop family estates in East Ayrshire. Slim vellum-bound notebook with wallet-style binding and external straps. Later gilt lettering on spine suggesting a strong motivation to preserve the manuscript. Laid paper with horizontal chainlines; 20 pages of manuscript headed pages, beginning ‘Rental… Read more…

Pew pass bought by a wealthy Scottish family living in London in the 1840s - adorned on the verso with the seal of a 17th century Scottish Bishop and Principal of Edinburgh University. Toned card (9x6cm) printed and then accomplished and signed in manuscript by a church official, Adam Scott, for ‘Mrs Sangsters Servant’ for 6 months tenure of No 10,… Read more…

Owned and elaborately annotated by a mid 19th century Knaresborough local - ’R Lofthouse’ - with corrections and enlargements to the printed text. Small octavo bound in publisher’s brown cloth, marked and stained; outer hinge splitting between upper board and backstrip; binding remains robust. The book is complete as issued but extensively improved… Read more…

Inscribed by the President’s former Special Assistant - and with an excellent letter written from the White House in September 1962 thanking friends in Houston where Kennedy had just given his speech declaring ‘we choose to go to the moon’. 6th printing of this memoir of the Kennedy years, warmly inscribed by Powers on the half title ‘To Claud and… Read more…

A contributor’s copy of a rare pre-war Cambridge periodical published by Selwyn College students though not found in any Cambridge collection. Octavo volume bound in quarter vellum over green cloth; Bill Pickard bookplate to first pastedown; overleaf a photograph of the ‘Elysium Publishing Association’ with names laid down opposite a manuscript ‘Br… Read more…