First edition, first printing. Publisher's original light brown cloth with gilt illustration to the upper board and titles to the spine, in dustwrapper. Folding map to the rear, as issued. An excellent very good or better copy, the binding square and firm, the cloth with a little marking at the extreme edges but otherwise fresh and the gilt bright. The contents are clean throughout and without previous owner's inscriptions or stamps. The closed text block edges with a few light dustmarks. The folding map is in fine conditon. Complete with the very near fine dustwrapper that is a touch faded to the spine but otherwise without loss or tears. Not price-clipped (£3.50 net to the front flap). An attractive example.

The author's debut novel, rejected by several publishers before Collings accepted it for publication. The book won the Guardian Children's Fiction Award and the Carnegie Medal in it's first year and is now firmly established as a classic of modern English literature.

Original manuscript recipe book written in ink in a neat hand across 96 lined pages (completely full, bar three blank sides). Original blue card wrappers. Condition is very good, the covers, which are becoming a little loose from the textblock, with marking, creasing, small tears and wear to the spine. The contents with toning to the first and last page are otherwise in very good order and clean throughout.

An unusual 1890s recipe book, clearly created by a knowledgeable cheese-maker, collecting together instructions on how to produce a wide variety of cheeses and other dairy foods. Wide-ranging in its geographical scope, it includes recipes for Wensleydale, Cleveland, Caerphilly, Stilton, Camembert, Port du Salut, Pont l'Eveque, Cambridge, Coulommiers, Gervais, Gorgonzola and Cheddar, as well as detailed guidance for making cream cheese, butter and Devonshire cream. It also discusses the leading breeds of dairy cows, how to test milk, and the points observed by the judges of cheese-making competitions.

First UK edition, first printing. Publisher's original light blue cloth with silver titles to the spine, in dustwrapper. An excellent very near fine copy, the binding square and firm, the contents clean throughout and without previous owner's inscriptions or stamps. Top edge of the closed text block a little dusty. Complete with the fine dustwrapper that remains without fading, loss or tears. Not price-clipped (£2.00 net to the front flap).

James Baldwin's fourth book of non fiction. Part memoir with an overview of the author's childhood in Harlem and how it shaped his early consciousness; part social commentary, discussing the turbulent sixties and early seventies including the assassinations of Medgar Evers, Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, and the arrest and incarceration of Black Panthers co-founder Huey P. Newton.

Second edition. Royal octavo. Publisher's deluxe binding of full purple-brown morocco with a gilt vignette depicting a camel and its keeper to each board contained within elaborate gilt borders; the spine with compartments decorated in gilt and titles in gilt. All edges gilt. Illustrated with an additional engraved title page, frontispiece, 25 tissue-guarded fine steel-engraved plates, a folding map and 18 in-text engravings after original paintings by the author-artist. A very good copy, the binding square, firm and bright with a few light scuffs to the boards and some minor rubbing to the joints, corners and board edges. The contents with a contemporary previous owner's inscription to the front free endpaper and some occasional light foxing to the plates are otherwise in very good order and clean throughout. A handsome copy.

A beautifully illustrated account of a journey through Egypt and the Holy Land by the British artist William Henry Bartlett (1809-1854), one of the foremost illustrators of topography of his generation, wonderfully presented in a sumptuous publisher's deluxe binding.

First edition, first printing. Author's presentation copy, inscribed to Alexander George Findlay. Octavo. Publisher's original plum cloth with blind-stamped decoration to the boards and titles in gilt to the spine. Top edge untrimmed. Pale yellow endpapers. Illustrated with 7 engraved maps (two folding, including frontispiece of the Nile Basin, and one in-text). A very good copy, the binding square and firm with some minor marks to the boards, wear to the corners, a little wear and chipping to the joints and spine ends, and possibly a neat repair to the lower joint. The contents with a little toning and very occasional spotting to page edges, occasional offsetting from the maps to facing text pages and a small, neat clear tape repair to the blank margin of the folding frontispiece map and a little creasing to the corner are otherwise in very good order and clean throughout.

Inscribed in black ink to the head of the title page "A. G. Findlay Esq. / From the author". An excellent association copy of this notable work on the exploration of the Nile, presented by one key figure in the charting of the region to another. Charles Tilstone Beke (1800-1874) was an English traveller and geographer, best-known for his explorations and studies of the Nile and its tributaries. A fellow of the Royal Geographical Society - who had received its gold medal for his contributions to the knowledge of Ethiopia - Beke was the first to determine, with any approach to scientific accuracy, the course of the Abay River, otherwise known as the Blue Nile. The present work, although drawing upon on his earlier texts, including his pioneering essay 'On the Nile and its Tributaries', contained much new material concerning the latest discoveries in the region. Having had his theories on the population and geography of the interior of Africa confirmed by the explorations of Sir Richard Burton, Beke also used the present work to call for the opening up of the continent by merchants, missionaries and philanthropists. The recipient of the present copy, Alexander George Findlay (1812-1875), was a geographer and one of the leading hydrographers of the period, who produced charts and maps for a wide variety of famous ventures. Indeed, at the time of Sir John Franklin's loss he sifted all the possible routes; and as a member of the Arctic committee of the Royal Geographical Society worked on the arguments which induced the government to send out the Alert and Discovery expedition of 1875. Much of his time was also devoted to the labours of his friend David Livingstone, as well as African exploration more broadly. Notably, Findlay contributed to the investigation of the sources of the Nile, constructing maps for the Burton and Speke explorations of 1858–59, which in part built upon - and vindicated - Beke's previous work. Pleasingly, the present copy of Beke's most complete study of the Nile valley was thus given to Findlay shortly after this latest expedition had returned home.

First edition, first printing. Hardcover issue. Publisher's original blue cloth with silver titles to the spine, in dustwrapper. Illustrated with 100 black and white photographs throughout. An excellent near fine copy, the binding square and firm, the page edges very lightly toned otherwise clean throughout. Previous owner's small address label affixed to the front free endpaper. Complete with the lightly rubbed and toned photographically illustrated dustwrapper. Not price-clipped (£5.95 net to the front flap). An attractive copy.

Issued simultaneously in paperback by Penguin books. The photographer's first book. "This collection of Ian Berry's superb photographs represents a personal exploration of England and English life – a project he was able to undertake through being awarded the first Arts Council Photography Bursary" (from the jacket).

First English edition. Publisher's original grey cloth with elaborate decoration in black and titles in gilt to the upper board. The front pastedown bearing a bold chromolithographic additional title page, declaring the work to be "a new picture book with characteristical voices". This followed by eight full page colour chromolithograph plates printed on thick card with facing text. The remainder of the book comprising a concealed mechanism with gilt wood sides with fret-carved foliate decoration to the top and bottom edges; the fore-edge with nine string pulls with ivory knobs, which, when pulled and released operate a series of internal paper bellows to produce the specific sound mentioned in the text. 32 x 24.5 cm. Contained within the original carved wooden Black Forest-style hinged box with brass lock plate (key lacking), colour chromolithographic pictorial title panel to the lid, and lined internally with salmon-coloured paper bearing publisher's declaration and instructions. An excellent near fine copy, the binding firm and bright with a horizontal mark to the rear board; the contents with some light scattered foxing are otherwise in very good order. The mechanism remains fully operational, with all the sounds working smoothly. A few of the strings have apparently been replaced, but all of the original knobs are present. The original wooden box not quite closing, with a few small scuffs to the extremities and some rubbing and very minor loss to the chromolithographic panel is otherwise in very good condition. A superb example, rare with the original box and in this excellent state of preservation.

The first English edition of German inventor Theodor Brand's marvellous "Speaking Picture Book", containing eight illustrated verses with nine accompanying sounds, or "voices", including "The Cock", "The Donkey", "The Little Lamb", "Robin-Red-Breast", "The Cow", "The Cuckoo", "The Goat" and "Papa and Mamma". Described in the publisher's declaration as "a combination of a picture-book with human and animal sounds", Brand's innovative, interactive creation sought to provide a nursery book "both instructive and entertaining for children and amusing for the adult". Utilising a series of concealed hand-made paper bellows to produce the sounds, the guidance advices the reader on how best to operate the mechanism: "the strings in general are to be pulled moderately fast, till resistance is felt. The string to the cuckoo is to be pulled and let loose swiftly by turns. Use, besides, will soon be the best teacher in fitly handling the strings to the voices". Brand obtained a German patent for the book in 1878, followed by a British patent the following year. The work met with great public success, and was republished numerous times during the late nineteenth century, with subsequent versions produced for the French, Spanish and American markets. A notable invention in the development of children's books, Peter Haining describes the work as "the pièce de résistance of any collection of movables, or toy-books for that matter... an item of such charm and fascination that even the most blasé modern parents or their children can hardly fail to be captivated by it"; whilst Eric Quayle praises it thus: "Pride of place in my own collection of toy-books has been given to The Speaking Picture Book, a musical toy in the form of a book that has fascinated young visitors whenever they have been allowed to hear it in action." (Haining, Movable Books, p.136). An uncommonly fine example.

First edition, first printing. Publisher's original blue cloth with titles in gilt to the upper board and spine. Illustrated with 17 black and white photographic plates, including tissue-guarded frontispiece. A very good copy, the binding firm with toning to the spine and dulling to the gilt and with a touch of rubbing to the extremities. The contents with light scattered foxing to the preliminary pages and occasionally to page margins and an area of slight abrasion to the front free endpaper are otherwise clean throughout and remain free from any previous owners' inscriptions or stamps.

The uncommon first edition of the autobiography of the leading English socialist, poet, philosopher, advocate for women's rights, vegetarianism and 'the simple life', and hugely influential writer and activist in the struggle for sexual liberation and gay rights, Edward Carpenter (1844-1929). Always one for putting his beliefs into practice, the originally upper middle-class Carpenter lived in an openly gay relationship with his working-class partner George Merrill for thirty years; their home at Millthorpe, near Sheffield, becoming a centre for radicals and reformers of every description. In the present work, Carpenter recounts a lifetime at the forefront of progressive politics and culture, as well as the development of his own sexuality.

Original photograph album containing 77 gelatin prints, captioned beneath in ink manuscript. 310 x 235 mm. Original string-bound card covers. The photographs (the majority measuring 110 x 70 mm, with some larger) mounted to both rectos and versos across 18 pages (with two blank leaves at the rear). Condition is very good, the binding firm with a 9cm tear to the spine and some short tears to the edges of the covers. The contents, with some waviness in parts, around 15 photographs with some creasing and 10 slightly dog-eared, are otherwise in very good order.

An unusual travel album documenting the tour of three women, self-captioned as "The Triangle", through Egypt, the Holy Land and Greece. Notably, amongst the various street scenes and views of ancient sites (including a rather splendid group shot in front of the Sphinx), are three original photographs depicting Howard Carter's famous excavation of Tutankhamen's tomb (including one of Carter himself), as well as six more of excavations at the Valley of Tombs and the Temple of Karnak. Elsewhere in the album are images of Jerusalem, Damascus, the Dead Sea, Cairo, Luxor, Baalbek, Athens, Ajaccio, Beirut, and Constantinople. An attractive and interesting album.

First edition, first printing. Publisher's original red cloth with gilt lettering to the spine, in dustwrapper. A very good or better copy, the binding square and firm with a minimal lean to the spine, the contents clean throughout and without inscriptions or stamps. Complete with the lightly rubbed and nicked original dustwrapper which has two short closed tears to the rear panel. Not price-clipped; correctly priced (21s. net) to the front flap.

The first appearance in book form of these eight stories, originally published in pulp magazines between 1935 and 1941. With an introduction by Philip Durham. (Hubin).

First edition, first printing. Original grey cloth with gilt titles to the spine, in dustwrapper. An excellent near fine copy, the binding clean and square, the contents clean throughout and without inscriptions or stamps. Complete with the Youngman Carter illustrated dustwrapper which is nicked at the tips of the lightly toned spine. Not price-clipped (30s net to the front flap).

A collection of fourteen short stories, two of which are published in UK book form for the first time.

First edition, first printing. Inscribed by Charlie Chaplin to Ludwig Koch. Rebound in later brown cloth with the original front panel laid down to the upper board. Illustrated with an engraved portrait frontispiece of Hindenburg. Earlier previous owner's inscription to the front free endpaper: "Meinem lieben schwiegervater / Hans Rei****[?]". A good copy, the binding square and tight; the contents, lacking the three folding maps and the final index page, with toning to page edges (due to the cheaper quality paper stock used), a narrow tide-line to the fore-edge of the preliminary pages, minor loss to the bottom corner margin of a couple of pages, and a little roughness to the edges of the final few pages are otherwise in good order.

Signed and inscribed in blue ink by Charlie Chaplin to the front free endpaper "To my friend Ludwig Koch / Chaplin". The first edition of the autobiography of Paul von Hindenburg, the German general and statesman who served as President of Germany from 1925 until his death in 1934, given by the iconic comic actor, filmmaker, and composer, Charlie Chaplin, to the pioneering sound-recorder and broadcaster Ludwig Karl Koch (1881-1974). A national hero due to his pivotal role in defending Germany from Russian attack during the First World War, following the political instability which marked his presidency, Hindenburg, although personally opposed to their ideology and activities, infamously played a key role in the Nazi Party's seizure of power, through his appointment of Hitler as Chancellor and his signing of the Enabling Act of 1933. The present work forms a memoir of the earlier glory days of this last democratically elected present of the Weimar Republic, and was perhaps a suitable gift from Chaplin, whose leftist and pacifist views first became apparent to his audiences through his famous anti-Nazi satire "The Great Dictator" (1940), to Koch, a German-Jewish broadcaster who had fled to Britain in 1936. An expert on recording animal sounds, Koch had created the first-known recording of bird song and became widely known to the British public through his ornithological sound books and natural history programmes on BBC radio during the 1940s. An interesting association copy.

Reprint. Signed and inscribed by the author to Charlie Chaplin. Publisher's original brown cloth with titles in black to the upper board and spine. Red top-stain. Illustrated with a black and white photographic portrait frontispiece and 15 further black and white photographic plates. A very good copy, the binding square and firm with a little rubbing to the boards, a touch of fading to the spine and a faint water mark to the foot of the spine. The contents are clean and bright throughout and remain free from any previous owners' inscriptions or stamps.

Inscribed by Emil Ludwig to Charlie Chaplin in pencil on the title page "To Charles Chaplin / Great Fighter against / invisible things / 20.10.33 / Ludwig". An account of the life of the German statesman Otto von Bismark (1815-1898) - mastermind of the unification of Germany in 1871 and the nation's first chancellor - by the German-Swiss author Emil Ludwig (1881-1948), best known for his biographies of "great" historical figures, which combined historical fact and fiction with psychological analysis. A nice association copy, presented to his friend the iconic comic actor, filmmaker, and composer, Charlie Chaplin, with whom he socialised in both the US and the South of France. A reprint of the first American edition of 1927, translated from the German of the 1926 first edition, the book, with its somewhat enigmatic dedication, was likely given by Ludwig during a trip to Hollywood, where he spent time at Chaplin's home; this meeting was captured in a photograph which shows the pair attending a film premiere on 13th October 1933 (a week before the date of the present inscription), and is also recalled in a later letter, in which Ludwig praises Chaplin's famous anti-Nazi satire "The Great Dictator" (1940), and which he ends by fondly stating that "the evenings in your house - I think, in '33, are unforgotten" (Ludwig to Chaplin, 18th Sept. 1941).

Third impression of the 1948 first single volume edition. Signed and inscribed by the author. Publisher's original grey cloth with titles in gilt to the upper board and spine, in dustwrapper. Illustrated with a black and white photographic portrait frontispiece and 18 colour plates of Churchill's paintings. A very good copy, the binding square and firm with a little fading to the edges of the boards and spine ends and some marking and a touch of rubbing to the bottom corners. Complete with the original rubbed, nicked and creased dustwrapper that is otherwise without fading or loss. Not price-clipped (10s. 6d. net).

Inscribed by Winston Churchill in blue ink on the front free endpaper "To / Lady Le Rougetel / from / Winston S. Churchill / 1950". Lady Le Rougetel was the wife of the British diplomat Sir John le Rougetel (1894-1975); awarded the Military Cross during the First World War, Le Rougetel was taken prisoner by the Japanese in 1942 whilst working in Shanghai for the Foreign Office, although was later repatriated. From 1944 to 1946 he was Political Representative in Romania, before receiving his first ambassadorial posting to Tehran in 1946. Le Rougetel later served as British Ambassador to Belgium (1950-1) and as a High Commissioner to South Africa (1951-5). (Woods A125).

Reprint of the February 1941 first edition. Inscribed by Winston S. Churchill. Publisher's original blue cloth with gilt titles to the spine, in dustwrapper. With a half-tone portrait frontispiece. A very good or better copy, the binding square and firm with only minor rubbing to the extremities and a small dark mark towards the base of the spine. The contents with some spotting to the prelims are otherwise clean throughout. Complete with the lightly rubbed and nicked dustwrapper that has a large closed tear to the rear panel fold and a lightly faded spine. Not price-clipped (12s 6d net to the front flap).

Inscribed in blue ink on the front endpaper "Inscribed by / Winston S. Churchill / June 15. 1944 / V". Signed by the British Prime Minister just 9 days after "D-Day" (code-name Operation Overlord), the largest seaborne invasion in history marking the beginning of the campaign to liberate north-west Europe from German occupation. The first of seven volumes of Churchill's War Speeches published between February 1941 and September 1946. (Woods A66).

Third edition (the first was published in June 1942). Inscribed by Winston S. Churchill. Publisher's original blue cloth with gilt titles to the spine, in dustwrapper. Illustrated with 5 half-tone plates. A very good copy, the binding square and firm with only minor rubbing to the extremities. The contents with some spotting to the prelims are otherwise clean throughout. Complete with the lightly rubbed and nicked dustwrapper that has a small chip at the bottom of the upper panel. Not price-clipped (12s 6d net to the front flap).

Inscribed in blue ink on the front endpaper "Inscribed by / Winston S. Churchill / June 15. 1944 / V". Signed by the British Prime Minister just 9 days after "D-Day" (code-name Operation Overlord), the largest seaborne invasion in history marking the beginning of the campaign to liberate north-west Europe from German occupation. (Woods A89)

First edition thus, first printing. Signed by the illustrator and printer. Limited to 500 copies, this copy is unnumbered. Quarter tan morocco with wood-engraved decorative paper-covered boards and gilt titles to the spine. Illustrated with 12 tipped in black and white wood engravings by John Lawrence. A lovely near fine copy, the binding square and tight, the spine a little sunned. The contents are clean throughout and without stamps or inscriptions.

Signed on the limitation page in black ink by John Lawrence and John Randle. The poems, separated into months, describe the rural year with which John Clare was so familiar, and are complimented beautifully by Lawrence's illustrations.

First edition. Nineteenth-century continental binding of quarter patterned cloth over marbled boards with titles in gilt to the spine. Blue speckled edges. 200pp. A very good copy, the binding square and firm with a single small worm hole to the spine, a touch of wear to the corners and a little rubbing to the edges of the boards. The contents apparently lacking a rear endpaper (although possibly bound without), very slightly trimmed for the binding (but still retaining good, wide margins) and with some light spotting to the first few pages, a small hole to pp.117-118 (with no loss to text), a manuscript ink number to the head of the title page and five minor (nineteenth-century) ink annotations to the margins of the first few pages are otherwise in very good order and clean throughout.

A rare mid-eighteenth-century erotic travel novel, recounting the exploits of a fictional French Count as he adventures through Europe, seducing people's wives, "pimping" chambermaids and involving himself in a wide range of ambiguous sexual situations. Full of humorous reflection, endless innuendo, and interspersed with occasional toilet humour, the work rapidly moves between the Count's numerous escapades, cramming a great variety of amorous encounters into a relatively short text. Although often bordering on the explicit (conventionally masked by the liberal use of euphemisms: "I then descended lower, in Expectation of descrying a bushy Cottage, and a snug Retreat"), in describing the activities of this "profess'd Debauchee" the author seeks as much to amuse as to titillate, as the following episode exemplifies: "Sir Timothy Noodle came full charg'd from the St. Albans with Claret and Desire, and must needs have a Tête a Tête with Kitty in her Bedchamber. I was all in a Tremble when I heard the Rap at the Door; I nevertheless approve of this English Custom, and think it an excellent Signal for a Gallant to make his Escape. I took the Hint, and got behind her Tapestry, where I thought myself pretty secure; but Plague on the Baronet's Eyes, and my good Living (I will not add the Thinness of the Tapestry, which did not near cover me, tho' it had been serviceable to me upon many such an Occasion) he discover'd me. He swore Death and Revenge to me and I expected it every Instant, being quite unarm'd, and almost naked. Luckily Jenny the Chambermaid came in to receive Orders; and she favour'd me so far, as to let me escape under her Petticoats." (pp.130-31). Notably, at one point the author directly references John Cleland's 'The Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure' (1749), generally known as Fanny Hill, which is often seen as the first modern erotic novel. He describes the effect of reading the work upon Polly, a ladies maid: "the Theory appear'd to her so fine, that she resolved upon Practice; that is in plain English, she went into Company" (prostitution), quitting her existing role in domestic service to seek her fortune (p.123). Like Cleland's novel, the present work also has a significant focus on forms of prostitution, and, more broadly, takes a similar form to 'The Memoirs', providing prose pornography through the medium of a fictional individual's novelised recollections. According to one contemporary reviewer, the work was "a lascivious, impotent attempt to debauch the morals of youth, by the most indecent, dull, and obscene representations. It is perhaps a sufficient judgement on the author of this performance, that he is reduced to the necessity of living by his wit" (The Critical Review, 1761). Interestingly, in a publication notice for the work in a newspaper dated 17th January 1761, the title is listed as "The Life and Adventures of an Amorous Animal", with (potentially the most provocative) word "amorous" apparently being dropped at the last minute (The London Chronicle). This advertisement also lists the publisher as "J. Freeman, near St. Pauls", this likely being John Freeman, a London bookseller operating in the mid-eighteenth century. A genuinely scarce work; not listed in the ESTC and with no institutional copies recorded globally. The only documented mentions of the work that we can trace come from contemporary publication notices in newspapers and the single review, mentioned above.

First edition. Folio. Sumptuously bound for Hatchards of Piccadilly in contemporary full green morocco decorated in the Arts and Crafts style. The boards ruled in gilt, with foliate devices to the corners incorporating red morocco onlays, and with titles in gilt to the upper board, flanked by two Tudor roses in red and gilt. The spine with five raised bands, compartments ruled in gilt and with titles in gilt. Wide gilt-ruled turn-ins. All edges gilt. Title page printed in red and black. Illustrated with a colour portrait frontispiece heightened in gold, 39 photogravure plates (of which 23 are full page) with original captioned tissue guards, and ornamental initials at the start of each chapter. Engraved bookplate of Gladys Fenwick to the front pastedown. A very good copy indeed, the binding square, firm and bright with the odd minor mark to the boards, rubbing to the corners, a small nick and a minor chip to the head of the spine and a touch of toning to the spine. The contents with some light scattered foxing (heavier to some preliminary pages and a couple of the plates) and with the frontispiece strengthened verso at the gutter with a strip of linen are otherwise in very good order throughout. A splendid copy.

A beautifully bound and finely illustrated history of the life and reign Queen Elizabeth I. The richly detailed photogravure plates depict original paintings, including portraits of Elizabeth throughout her life, in addition to Henry VIII, Princess Mary, Sir Walter Raleigh and Sir Phillip Sidney, as well as her various residences, treasures and personal possessions.

First edition, first printing. Inscribed presentation copy. Publisher's original pictorial boards, in dustwrapper. Illustrated with 13 full page (one double page) colour plates and black and white drawings by the Walt Disney Studio artists throughout the text. An attractive near fine copy, the binding square and fresh with just a little shelf wear rubbing at the corners. The contents are clean throughout and without previous owner's marks. Complete with the very good rubbed, nicked and creased dustwrapper that has several small chips to the edges and some archival strengthening to short closed tears and splits on the underside. Not price-clipped ($1.00 to the top of the front flap).

Signed and inscribed by Walt Disney in black ink on the half title "To Ann Gale / from / Walt Disney". A highly desirable example of Roald Dahl's first book. The Walt Disney Production referred to on the upper cover was abandoned due to copyright issues surrounding the "Gremlin" character, thus copies inscribed by the legendary studio owner and animation pioneer are very scarce.

First edition thus. Publisher's original red patterned cloth with decorative titles in gilt to the upper board and spine. Profusely illustrated throughout with around 100 hand-coloured wood engravings, including one folding. A very good copy, the binding firm with some marking to the spine and lower board and wear to the corners. Expertly re-backed with the original spine re-laid and with the insertion of new endpapers. The slightly shaken contents with an old paper repair to the verso of one of the folds of the folding plate and the occasional minor mark to a handful of pages are otherwise in very good order throughout.

A most uncommon compilation of Dean's wonderfully colourful, and often bizarre, juvenile picture books, comprising nine separate stories in one volume, including: "The Dog's Dinner Party"; "The Prince and His Three Gifts"; "The Three Useful Giants"; "The Mouse and Her Sons"; "The Cats' Party"; "The Little Pig's Ramble from Home"; "The Little Pig's Tale"; "The Donkey's Party and Feast"; and "The Seven Wonderful Brothers". Somewhat confusingly, the illustrated title page for "The Funny Story Book", a slightly earlier compilation volume which was composed of three of the stories which also appear here, is bound in at the beginning as if it were the title of the present work. This bumper combined edition appears considerably scarcer than its constituent parts, with only three institutional copies recorded on WorldCat (British Library, Library of Congress, Univ. Rochester), and with one further copy in the Osborne Collection.

Original ink manuscript diary in the form of a series of letters, contained within a lined notebook. Dark green limp textured cloth, red stain to textblock edges. 17.5 x 11.5 cm. 40pp. of text, with the remainder black (approximately half full). 9 photographs tipped-in throughout the text. The first page inscribed "Mary H. Dendy / from / A. H. Dendy / March 15th 1877". The letters, signed "Mary", begin with 16th July 1869 and end 21st August 1869. There are a few blank spaces within the later section of the text where it appears Dendy intended to insert some further photographs, although never got round to doing so. Condition is very good, the binding firm with a couple of minor marks to the covers; the contents with a little rippling to the pages where the photographs have been affixed and a few spots of occasional light foxing are otherwise in very good order and clean throughout.

An engaging, conversational travel diary charting the voyage of Mary H. Dendy on board the yacht "Star of the Sea" from Plymouth through the Bay of Biscay to Gibraltar, then onto Algeria, Morocco and Southern Italy, wonderfully illustrated with nine photographs including six of Algerian costumes and street scenes, two views of Pompeii and one of the Rock of Gibraltar. Undertaken in 1869, the book (written in 1877) records the letters Dendy sent home from her journey. Describing the conditions of her travels and the places and peoples she encounters, she observes her surroundings with a keen eye, as this extract of her account of Algiers demonstrates: "It is a town built on a very steep hill, the houses rising one above another, but as they are mostly painted white the sun gives them a dazzling appearance. The town itself is a strange mixture of French & Moorish...There are some very good shops under arcades & Moorish Bazaars. There is a large paved square facing the sea, where the band plays in the evening from 6 to 9 o'clock. On one side of this square stands a fine Mahometan mosque [which she enters and describes], & on the other a grove of palms. The variety of costumes seen in Algiers gives a picturesque appearance to the streets. Turks with their red capes & turbans, Arabs with large hooded cloaks & linen bound round their heads with a coil of rope, Moors in short tunics, loose trousers & flowing robes. The Moorish women are all in white, so closely veiled that only their eyes are visible, while their trousers drawn in tightly gives them a most peculiar appearance, but the Jewess women look very gay in silks and satins". She also provides accounts of her visit to the Atlas Mountains, a stop at Malaga in Spain (where she tours a beautiful garden, witnesses an "insurrection", and the captain of her vessel gets a bloody nose from the captain of a Spanish man-of-war), an account of her "African Adventure" in the Bay of Tetuan ("we soon found ourselves in a sandy desert... the only road being a beaten track, while the hot wind blew the sand most disagreeably into our eyes") from which she proceeds to Tetuan itself (of which she provides a detailed description) where her party is received under the protection of the Spanish Consul ("we heard that the Emperor of Morocco had given his subjects leave to shoot any white man they could find in his dominions"), as well as narratives of her final tours around the Bay of Naples and Pompeii.

First edition, first printing. Original quarter cream cloth over decorative paper-covered boards with printed paper title label to the upper board. Illustrated throughout with black and white line drawings by Derrick. A lovely very good copy, the binding square and firm, the boards slightly toned to the edges. The contents, with a contemporary ownership inscription to the front free endpaper and a few small and infrequent spots throughout, are otherwise clean and bright.

A charming collection of poems about the BBC, from "Licence" to "Forecast", written when the broadcaster had only six years under its belt and had functioned as a non-commercial public service corporation for just one year. A particularly poignant read during the BBC's centenary year, and in light of recent announcements of significant changes to its funding. Eleanor Farjeon was a celebrated writer, best know for her children's books and poetry. She wrote across many genres and also wrote hymns, her best known being "Morning has Broken".

First edition, first impression, first state. Original black cloth with white titles to the spine, in the Denis Piper illustrated dustwrapper. Illustrated with an engraved frontispiece, 31 black and white photographs, and 3 maps. An excellent fine copy, the binding square and firm, the contents clean throughout and without previous owner's inscriptions or stamps. Complete with the near fine lightly rubbed and nicked dustwrapper that is just a touch faded to the spine but still very much red. Not price-clipped (12s 6d net to the front flap).

The first state of Ian Fleming's first non-fiction book, written in collaboration with the MI5 agent John Collard (under the pseudonym John Blaize). A total of 9,578 copies of the first edition were printed. [Gilbert A15a (1.1)]

First edition, first printing. Original black cloth with gilt titles to the spine, in dustwrapper. A very good copy, the binding square and firm, the cloth lightly rubbed to the extremities and the corners just slightly bumped. The contents, with faint spotting to the text block edges and endpapers, and a neat gift inscription to the front free endpaper, are otherwise clean throughout. Complete with the original Charles Mozley illustrated dustwrapper which is lightly rubbed and nicked and just slightly frayed to the hinges. Not price clipped (18s net to the front flap).

The sixth Marlowes book, and unusual in being the only book of the series that centres primarily on male characters.

Folding telescopic paper peepshow depicting a variety of scenes in Regent's Park, London, printed in lithography with hand colouring. Pictorial card covers with six illustrated cut-out sections in between, joined in folding concertina style, with illustrated rear panel (eight illustrated sections in total). The upper cover with a hole through which to view the scene, continuing through the six internal sections. Each section 14 x 11 cm, extending to c. 70 cm in length. Contained within the original card slipcase with pink paper decorative printed title label to the front panel. An excellent near-fine example, the covers with just a hint of rubbing to the extremities; the contents with a couple of minor marks to the blank paper joints are otherwise wonderfully clean and bright throughout, free from any loss and with the colours remaining vibrant. The case perhaps lacking a tie, with a contemporary owner's name in ink to the head of the front panel and a little wear to the extremities is otherwise in very good order. An exceptional copy.

The first known paper peepshow to have been produced in Great Britain, created by the brothers Samuel and Joseph Fuller. Beautifully composed, exquisitely coloured and with meticulous attention to detail, the work is an outstanding example of its type, with each panel carefully constructed so that no image obscures another and with each layer subtly diminishing in size in order to conjure a marvellous sense of depth. The Fuller brothers opened their shop in 1809, trading as publishers, printsellers, stationers, manufacturers, and artists' colourmen. Operating from the same premises as Rudolph Ackermann Jr, son of the renowned bookseller, inventor, lithographer and publisher, they went on to achieve great success as a producer of quality paper goods during the Regency and early Victorian period. Regent's Park would have certainly been a topical subject matter at this time, its construction being part of George IV's scheme for the improvement of London. Led by John Nash, the scheme aimed to transform London's West End into a picturesque urban landscape for its richer inhabitants. The construction of Regent's Park and the surrounding terraces was completed shortly before the publication of this paper peepshow, which would have functioned as a fine rendition of the new designs. The word 'Areaorama' was coined by the Fuller brothers themselves, who probably took inspiration from the first known paper peepshow, Teleorama No.1, published by Heinrich Friedrich Müller. (Gestetner 193).

First edition, first printing. Publisher's original red cloth with titles in black to the upper board and spine, in pictorial dustwrapper. Illustrated with a black and white photographic portrait frontispiece. A very good copy, the binding square and firm with a minor mark to the foot of the upper board. The contents with a 3cm tear to the foreword page (not encroaching upon the text) and the slightest hint of some faint scattered foxing to the preliminary pages are otherwise in very good order, clean throughout and free from any previous owners' inscriptions or stamps. Complete with the very good lightly-marked dustwrapper which has a 3cm tear to the head of the rear panel, some minor nicks and creasing to the extremities and a touch of fading to the spine. Not price-clipped (2/6 to the front flap).

A propagandist book by Goering, aimed at the English-speaking world, outlining his Nazi ideology and presenting Adolf Hitler as "the man who has raised the Fatherland once again to the level of the great European nations". Uncommon in the dustwrapper.

First edition, first printing. Publisher's original red cloth with black titles to the upper board and spine, in the Bip Pares illustrated dustwrapper. A very good or better copy, the binding firm and cloth fresh, the contents clean throughout and without previous owner's inscriptions or stamps. Complete with the rubbed and nicked dustwrapper which is a little darkened at the extremities. Not price-clipped (7/6 net to the front flap). An attractive example. Scarce.

(Hubin).

Folding telescopic paper peepshow depicting a steeple-chase, printed in lithography with hand colouring. Pictorial card covers with four illustrated cut-out sections in between, joined in folding concertina style, with illustrated rear panel (six illustrated sections in total). The upper cover with a hole through which to view the scene, continuing through the four internal sections. The lower board with titles printed on blue-green paper. Each section 19 x 14 cm, extending to c. 50 cm in length. A very good example, the covers with some rubbing and a little loss to the illustration on the upper cover; the contents with a few old neat paper reinforcements/repairs to the blank paper joints between the panels and minor wear to the edges are otherwise in very good order. Internally the peepshow remains bright and without loss.

A particularly lively and visually striking peepshow by the French publisher Élie Haguenthal (1822-1881), wonderfully capturing the energy and social buzz of a contemporary horse race. Haguenthal was a leading maker of such novelties from around 1850 until his death, winning numerous medals at the annual 'Exposition des produits de l'industrie française' industrial exhibitions. An uncommon paper peepshow; we can trace no copies in either auction records or institutional collections worldwide.

First edition. Second state, with blank endpapers and the disclaimer to the rear pastedown. Published in a limited run of 1000, this copy unnumbered. Original textured tan cloth with black titles to the spine and upper board and an ochre illustration also to the upper board. With seven black and white illustrations by Frederick K. Russell. A near fine copy, the binding square and tight, the cloth lightly toned to the spine and board edges. The contents, the margins just slightly toned, are otherwise clean throughout and without stamps or inscriptions.

Jasper Wood was an American high school student who was so taken with The Spanish Earth, an antifascist film made during the Spanish Civil War (directed by Joris Ivens, written by Hemingway and Dos Passos, and narrated by Orson Welles), that he managed to acquire the publishing rights to Hemingway's text for the film, resulting in this title. Upon seeing the small first run of the book, Hemingway had various complaints, one being the use of F. A. I. (Federación Anarquista Ibérica) on the endpapers, which Wood amended. Wood also made Hemingway's general disapproval and request for his profits to go to a Civil War widow clear on the rear pastedown.

First edition thus. Octavo. Smartly bound in modern half burgundy morocco over marbled paper-covered boards. The spines with five raised bands, compartments ruled in gilt and decorated in blind, and with titles in gilt. Illustrated with 100 fine steel-engraved plates with tissue guards, including an engraved title page to each volume and a frontispiece to volume one, with many labelled 'proof' within the plate. A near fine set, the bindings square and tight; the contents with a largely unobtrusive tide line to the foot of volume two (a little more prominent on a handful of the plates) and a little toning and light spotting to the engraved title pages and some of the plates are otherwise in very good order, clean throughout and free from any previous owners' inscriptions or stamps. The great majority of the plates remain uncommonly clean and fresh. An excellent example.

A beautifully illustrated early nineteenth-century popular edition of the celebrated French naturalist's monumental work. This set unusually containing a group of sharp, crisp and richly detailed proof engravings. Uncommon thus.

Folding telescopic paper peepshow depicting the view between Bingen and the Lorelei along the Rheine River in Germany, printed in lithography with hand colouring. Pink patterned paper-covered card covers with seven illustrated cut-out sections in between, joined in folding concertina style, with illustrated rear panel (eight illustrated sections in total). The upper cover with a hole through which to view the scene, continuing through the seven internal sections. Each section 17 x 12 cm, extending to c. 70 cm in length. Contained within the original blue card slipcase with pictorial printed paper title label to the front panel. A very good example, the covers with just a little rubbing and toning; the contents with a couple of old tape marks to the blank verso of each cover and some light occasional spotting to the blank paper joints are otherwise clean and bright throughout, free from any loss and with the colours remaining bold. The slipcase with a little spotting is otherwise in very good order. An excellent example.

A beautifully produced German telescopic peepshow offering a luscious, vibrantly-coloured view along the Rheine river looking towards the Lorelei rock (depicted on the final panel).

First edition. Two volumes. 12mo. Handsomely bound in contemporary full straight-grained black morocco with boards ruled in gilt. The spines with five raised bands, compartments ruled and decorated in gilt and with red morocco title labels lettered in gilt. Marbling to the edges of the textblock. Marbled endpapers. Navy blue silk page marker bound in to each volume. Illustrated with 189 wood-engravings by Josiah Whymper after drawings by Emily Stackhouse, many full page, including a frontispiece to volume one. A near fine set, the bindings square, firm and bright with a little rubbing to the joints and corners. The contents with a little cracking to the front hinge of volume two and some light scattered foxing to the endpapers and a handful of page margins are otherwise wonderfully clean and fresh throughout and remain free from any previous owners' inscriptions or stamps. An excellent set.

A beautifully produced guide to the forest trees of Britain, combining scientific information with folklore, by the botanist and educator Charles Alexander Johns (1811-1874); delicately illustrated with almost 200 wood engravings by Josiah Whymper after original drawings by the female Cornish botanical artist and plant collector Emily Stackhouse (1811-1870).

Limited edition, number 281 of 325 copies printed on Dutch Pannekoek laid paper (from a total edition of 376). Quarto. Publisher's original blue cloth with gilt vignette by John Buckland-Wright to the upper board and titles in gilt to the spine. Page edges untrimmed, with many pages unopened. Illustrated with a wood-engraved portrait frontispiece and 10 further wood-engraved plates by Buckland-Wright. Attractive near-contemporary bookplate for Helge Loewenberg-Domp to the front pastedown. A very good copy, the binding square and firm with a little wear to the corners and spine ends, a few minor marks to the lower board and a touch of fading to the spine. The contents with a little toning to the endpapers are otherwise clean and bright throughout.

An attractive example of John Buckland-Wright's first illustrated book. (Reid A1d).

First edition, first printing. Publisher's original red cloth with titles in black to the spine, in dustwrapper. Illustrated with a photographic portrait frontispiece. 24pp. publisher's advertisements at the rear. Two associated newspaper cuttings loosely laid in. A very good copy, the binding square and firm; the contents with a little foxing to the edges of the textblock are otherwise clean throughout and remain free from any previous owners' inscriptions or stamps. Complete with the very good price-clipped dustwrapper which has a minor mark to the upper panel and a few small nicks to the extremities.

The first edition of this sensational account of Hitler's private life, apparently written by his maid Pauline Kohler, although actually produced by the British Ministry of Information as anti-Nazi propaganda, with Kohler herself likely a fictional creation.

First edition, first printing. Bound in contemporary full vellum by Leighton-Straker with gilt black morocco title label to the spine. Possibly a publisher's presentation binding. All edges gilt. Illustrated throughout with Clare Leighton's sumptuous black and white wood engravings depicting plants and country life. A very good copy, the binding square and firm with a little marking and dust-soiling to the vellum. The contents, with a little faint spotting to the preliminary pages and occasionally to page margins, are otherwise clean throughout and without stamps or inscriptions.

This beautiful book eloquently tells the story of a garden throughout the course of a year, beginning in April. Clare Leighton was a prolific, successful illustrator who expressed her love of nature and country life through her work during a period in which society was increasingly focussed on technological advancement and urbanisation. The first woman to produce a book about wood engraving, she became one of the most renowned practitioners of the art form. The binding of the present copy was executed by the firm of Leighton-Straker, the director of which was Robert Leighton, the author's father. An attractive copy in an unusual binding, with an appealing family association.

Limited edition, one of 24 hand-painted copies, part of a larger limitation of 225 deluxe copies printed on Japon Vellum and containing the suite of illustrations in two states, this being number 111. Publisher's deluxe binding by Sangorski & Sutcliffe. Quarter tan morocco over patterned paper-covered boards with titles in gilt to the spine. Top edge gilt, the others untrimmed. "One of 24 copies hand-painted" in manuscript red ink to the limitation page. Illustrated with two sets of 6 captioned-tissue-guarded plates by Stuart Blanch, with one set hand-coloured, and numerous head-pieces, the first being hand-coloured. Contained within the original quarter morocco over tan cloth fleece-lined slipcase. A very good copy indeed, the binding square and firm with minor rubbing to the extremities, a little wear to the corners and a touch of fading to the spine. The contents with a minor tear to a couple of the tissue guards are otherwise wonderfully clean and bright throughout and remain free from any previous owners' inscriptions or stamps. The hand-coloured plates remain bold and fresh. A most attractive copy.

Signed by the editor, N. M. Penzer, and illustrator, Stuart Blanch, in ink to the limitation page. A beautifully produced edition of Lucian's satirical dialogues, embellished with a suite of exquisitely hand-painted semi-erotic plates.

First trade edition. Two volumes. Publisher's original dark green cloth with elaborate gilt decoration to the upper boards and titles in gilt to the spines. Top edges gilt, the others untrimmed. Title pages printed in red and black. Illustrated with 36 colour plates by William Russell Flint, including a tissue-guarded frontispiece to each volume. A very good set, the bindings square and firm with a vertical crease to the upper board of volume one, light wear to the spine ends and a bump to the top corner of the lower board of volume two. The contents with a contemporary previous owner's inscription, and a further later inscription, to the front free endpaper of each volume and some toning to the endpapers are otherwise clean and bright throughout. An attractive set.

The first trade edition, following the four-volume limited edition of 1910-11, of Flint's lavishly illustrated version of Malory's classic chronicle of Arthurian legend.

First edition, first printing. Original blue cloth with black lettering and blind stamped borders to spine and front panel; blind stamped canon illustration to the upper portion of the front panel, in the supplied first state dustwrapper. A very good copy, the binding square and firm, the contents clean throughout. The spine is moderately faded with a few light stains and some pushing and scuffing to tips. Front and rear panels remain bright with a little softening to corners. The rare first state dustwrapper, except for a little rubbing, a 1 cm closed tear to the upper edge of the front panel, and a few nicks to edges and corners, is remarkably complete, clean and bright. Priced 6/– net to the spine, as called for.

Translated from the French by Jules Castier and Ronald Boswell. Following the popular 'The Silence of Colonel Bramble' (1918, English trans. 1919), 'General Bramble' is another collection of fictionalised sketches based on the wartime experiences of the author.

First UK edition with these illustrations. Beautifully bound in full black leather with titles in gilt to the upper board and spine. Hand sewn endbands. All edges gilt. With 272 woodcut illustrations throughout the text by Rockwell Kent. A fine copy, the binding square and firm, the contents clean and bright throughout and without previous owner's inscriptions or stamps. Housed in a bespoke black cloth, wool lined solander case with titles in gilt on the spine.

A classic of modern book illustration and the most collectable edition of Melville's tale, after the first edition.

First edition, first printing. Signed and inscribed by the author to Valdemar Josef Glückstadt. 8vo. Publisher's original grey cloth with an image of a polar bear in white and titles in black to the upper board and with titles in gilt to the spine. Top edge gilt, the others untrimmed. Illustrated profusely throughout with numerous black and white photographs, two maps (one folding) and a chart. Attractive engraved bookplate for Valdemar Glückstadt (which depicts the part of Greenland that was named after him) to the front pastedown. A near fine copy, the binding square, firm and bright with a little bumping to the corners. The contents with a later inscription (dated 1927) to the front free endpaper, a little toning and some light scattered foxing to the preliminary pages and scattered foxing to the edges of the text block are otherwise clean and bright throughout. An attractive example, scarce signed.

Signed and inscribed by Enjar Mikkelsen to the front free endpaper "Til Hr. Konsil Valdemar Glückstadt / venskabeligt / Ejnar Mikkelsen". An excellent association copy of the Danish explorer's first published work, inscribed to expedition committee member Valdemar Josef Glückstadt (1868-1942). In 1906-07, Mikkelsen and Ernest Leffingwell led the ambitious Anglo-American Polar Expedition to north Alaska and northwestern Canada, determined to discover and map a supposed land mass - known as 'Keenan Land' - that was thought to exist at the top of the world. Not long into the expedition their ship, the Dutchess of Bedford, became locked in trap ice and was then destroyed, with the crew members salvaging the wood to build a cabin. The expedition over-wintered at Flaxman Island, Alaska, and then proceeded on foot, using dog sleds, over the ice of the Beaufort Sea in search of the new land. Ultimately, they found that the water increased in depth the farther north they travelled, the pattern of their findings conclusively proving that there was no land mass in the north polar region, and establishing the presence of a continental shelf. Mikkelsen was, however, still very satisfied with the results of the expedition, declaring that although they "had not found the land we had so implicitly believed in, it was a consolation for us to know that to prove the absence of land was of as much scientific value as to find it!". Valdemar Glückstadt was a Danish businessman and Consul-General, after whom Vlademar-Glückstadt Land on Greenland was named following his sponsorship of Mikkelsen's expedition. [Arctic Bibliography 11421].

First edition, first printing. Signed by the author. Publisher's original blue cloth with titles in gilt to the spine, in dustwrapper. A very good copy, the binding square and firm with some old damp marking to the boards. The contents with a few scattered ink annotations are otherwise in very good order and clean throughout. Complete with the very good price-clipped dustwrapper which has some rubbing and few small nicks to the extremities.

Signed and inscribed in black ink by Oswald Mosley to the front free endpaper " To / F Guttman / with thanks / O. Mosley / 15/2/66". An uncommon signed copy of British Union of Fascists leader Sir Oswald Mosley's key work on European policy, arguing for the creation of a European Nation.

Signed, numbered, limited edition of 775 copies, 750 of which were for sale. Some of the non-trade copies were publisher's presentation copies and some were reserved for the author. This copy is identified on the limitation page as "author's copy 3". In addition to the signature on the limitation page, this copy is additionally signed and personally dedicated to the Danish-American novelist, professor and O'Neill scholar, Sophus Winther. There is a small paper label affixed to the front pastedown noting that the volume was presented by Winter to Indiana University. Original Japanese vellum-covered beveled boards with blue ruled borders, facsimile of the author's signature stamped in gilt to the front panel; black label ruled and lettered in gilt to the spine. Complete with the orange paper-covered card slipcase with a buff paper label lettered in brown to the spine. The text is printed in blue and black ink on laid paper watermarked with the author's signature (the rear colophon explains that "the printing in two colors was done to achieve the author's intention to distinguish, in his dialogue, the spoken words from the actual thoughts of his characters"). Housed in a fleece-lined custom made box with hand-decorated cloth-covered boards, quarter-bound in black leather with a burgundy label lettered and ruled in gilt to the spine. A very near fine copy, the binding square and firm, the contents clean and bright throughout. The paper-covered boards are uniformly mottled (a near-universal phenomenon with this volume), and the slipcase is moderately worn and scuffed, notably to lower edges. A very attractive association copy of O'Neill's Pulitzer Prize-winning play.

Dedicated on the front free endpaper "To Sophus — / in memory of your visit here – / with all friendship! / Eugene O'Neill / Casa Genotta, 1936". Stephen A. Black, in his biography of O'Neill, describes that visit thus: "In late August, new friends from Seattle arrived for a visit, Sophus and Eline Winther. Sophus Keith Winther of the University of Washington had written a book on O'Neill that the playwright liked. In correspondence O'Neill had mentioned he wanted to move to the West Coast. The Winthers suggested a visit to Seattle, and Eugene agreed. Winther arranged for them [O' Neill and his wife, Carlotta] to rent a secluded house high on a bluff in the Magnolia district with westward views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Peninsula." The friendship between O' Neill and Winther continued for the remainder of the author's life. 'Strange Interlude', an experimental, nine-act work lasting five hours, took many years to write (O' Neill began work on the play in 1923) and is notable for its novel and extended use of soliloquy (a characteristic that was parodied by Groucho Marx, no less, in the great 'Animal Crackers' (1930), where O' Neill's play is subtly name-checked). The play opened on January 30, 1928, at the John Golden Theatre on Broadway, and won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama that year (the third of four such awards bestowed upon the author). 'Strange Interlude' was adapted by Bess Meredyth for the 1932 film directed by Robert Z. Leonard, starring Norma Shearer and Clark Gable; as well as a 1988 television adaptation directed by Herbert Wise and starring Edward Petherbridge and Glenda Jackson (broadcast as part of the PBS series, American Playhouse). (Stephen A. Black, 'Eugene O'Neill: Beyond Mourning and Tragedy', 1999; Atkinson A 30-II-1).

Folding telescopic paper peepshow depicting the coronation of Charles X in Rheims Cathedral, printed in lithography with hand colouring. Pictorial card covers with four illustrated cut-out sections in between, joined in folding concertina style, with illustrated rear panel (six illustrated sections in total). The upper cover with a hole in the form of a door, opening via the lifting of a ribbon, through which to view the scene, continuing through the four internal sections. Each section 12 x 14.5 cm, extending to c. 50 cm in length. Contained within a custom-made brown leather slipcase with titles in gilt to the front panel (erroneously stating the coronation date as 1826). A very good example, the covers with a little rubbing and light marking; the contents with a few old neat paper reinforcements/repairs to the blank paper joints between the panels and a little marking to the top left corner of the rear panel are otherwise in very good order. Internally the peepshow remains clean and bright and without loss. The slipcase with some light scuffing is otherwise in very good condition. An attractive example.

Upon opening the door of the grand cathedral, the viewer is met with a sumptuously decorated interior, crowded with courtiers, attendants and onlookers, gathered to witness what was to be the last coronation at Rheims. The kneeling king is surrounded by four cardinals, one of whom lowers the crown. Vividly and meticulously hand-coloured, this splendid souvenir captures the pomp and grandeur of this final French post-revolutionary royal occasion. (Gestetner 83).

First edition. Original dark green paper covered boards with pictorial onlay. A very good copy, the binding square and firm with neat repairs at spine tips and some rubbing to the extremities. The contents are entirely complete and without loose or torn pages. There is a contemporary previous owner's inscription to the blank reverse of the frontispiece otherwise the contents are clean and bright throughout.

With the notice board present in the illustration on page 14 as required for the earliest copies. (Linder p.428).

First edition. Publisher's original grey / green paper covered boards with colour pictorial onlay. Pictorial endpapers and 27 colour plates, each with a page of text opposite. A very good copy, the binding firm with a little rubbing at the extremities and mild fading of the spine. The contents with inner front hinge cracked but holding, and a contemporary presentation inscription to the blank reverse of the front endpaper are otherwise clean and bright throughout.

(Linder p.427).

Folding telescopic paper peepshow depicting the 1851 Great Exhibition held at the Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London, printed in lithography with hand colouring. Pictorial card covers with eight illustrated cut-out sections in between, joined with linen sides in folding concertina style, with illustrated rear panel (ten illustrated sections in total). The upper cover with a hole through which to view the scene, continuing through the eight internal sections. Each section 17.5 x 16 cm, extending to c. 65 cm in length. The central fountain still retaining its original glitter, which serves to represent the tumbling water. A very good example, the covers with a little rubbing and browning; the contents with some minor toning and the occasional mark are otherwise excellent, free from any loss and with the colours remaining bright.

The Great Exhibition of 1851 was the first international exhibition of manufactured goods; it marked the beginning of an ongoing series of World's Fairs, showcasing culture and industry, which became popular during the second half of the nineteenth century. Organised by Henry Cole and Prince Albert, it was held in the purpose-built Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London, and met with great public success, with millions of tickets sold and many famous figures in attendance (including Charles Darwin, Karl Marx, Michael Faraday, Charlotte Brontë, Charles Dickens, Lewis Carroll, George Eliot, Alfred Tennyson and William Makepeace Thackeray). The Exhibition spurred great international interest, and became the topic of a large variety of souvenirs, including many optical toys. Indeed, the Exhibition was one of the two most popular subjects of the paper peepshow in the nineteenth century, the other being the Thames Tunnel. The present example is one of the best-known of these Exhibition souvenirs and wonderfully captures, in miniature, a sweeping view of the grand spectacle, enabling visitors to take home a memento of what would have been a most remarkable experience. (Gestetner 255).

First edition, first printing. Publisher's original dark red cloth with gilt titles to the spine, in the Bip Pares illustrated dustwrapper. An excellent near fine copy, the binding square and firm, the cloth fresh. The contents with a small erased pencil inscription to the front endpaper are otherwise clean throughout. Complete with the very lightly rubbed dustwrapper that has a single short closed tear to the upper edge of the rear panel. Correctly priced 7/6 net to the front flap.

(Hubin).

First edition. Original textured blue paper covered boards with an illustration plate to the upper board. An interactive board book with large colour illustrations by Ries and rhyming text on every page. Each page has slots into which the accompanying paper dolls and items can be slotted. The 45 paper dolls (depicting people, animals, toys, and food) are in the original envelope, which has instructions printed on it as well as advertisements for other Atlantic Books paper doll books. A very good copy, the binding firm, the paper chipped off at the extremities of the boards, the corners a little bumped. The contents, with a little dustiness, very infrequent spotting, and a little rubbing to the slots, are otherwise clean and without stamps or inscriptions. The paper dolls are also in very good condition, with only two, the horse and the sword dancer, having notable damage (both have a foot that is barely, but still, attached). A beautiful and scarce book, particularly in this condition and with this many surviving dolls.

Library hub lists one copy (V&A libraries), which retains 49 dolls. Gerta Ries worked as an illustrator and designer in the early 20th century, and in later life designed a series of medallions for the Jewish-American Hall of Fame, for which she was awarded the Numismatic Art Award for Excellence in Medallic Sculpture in 1998 at the age of 100.

First edition. Attractively bound in contemporary full tan calf with decorative gilt borders. The spine with five raised bands, compartments decorated in gilt and red morocco title label lettered in gilt. Gilt dentelles. All edges gilt. Illustrated with 20 hand-coloured lithographic plates, including the frontispiece. A very good copy, the binding square and firm with a little wear to the joints, spine ends and corners. The contents with the tissue-guard to the frontispiece almost detached, toning to the endpapers and the occasional spot of foxing are otherwise clean throughout and remain free from any previous owners' inscriptions or stamps. The hand-coloured plates remain bold and fresh.

An attractive copy of this splendidly illustrated guide to the woodland trees of Britain by the English natural history writer Mary Roberts (1788-1864).

First edition with these illustrations. Publisher's original grey cloth with gilt titles and illustrations to the upper board and spine. Illustrated endpapers. Illustrated throughout with line drawings, colour lithographs and 16 mounted colour plates. A lovely near fine copy, the cloth clean and the gilt bright with only light rubbing and bumping to the spine tips and board corners. The contents, lightly toned to the margins, are entirely complete, without inscriptions or stamps and in fine condition throughout. A lovely copy.

First edition, first printing. Publisher's original brown cloth with silver titles to the upper board and spine, in the Stanley Orton Bradshaw illustrated dustwrapper. Top edge green. Illustrated with three full page plates by W. E. Narraway. A better than very good copy, the binding square and firm the cloth clean and fresh. The contents are clean throughout and without previous owner's inscriptions or stamps. Complete with the lightly rubbed and nicked price-clipped dustwrapper that has a couple of tape repairs to the underside. Great wraparound artwork by Stanley Orton Bradshaw. Scarce in this condition.

First edition, first printing. Beautifully bound in full navy blue leather with titles in gilt to the spine. Hand sewn endbands. All edges gilt. A fine copy, the binding square and tight, the contents clean throughout and without previous owner's inscriptions or stamps. Housed in a bespoke blue cloth, wool lined, solander case with titles in gilt on the spine.

This is the first complete edition of T. H. White's Arthurian epic, containing four novels. The Sword In The Stone has two new chapters added to that of the 1938 edition; The Witch In The Wood has been re-written and renamed The Queen Of Air Darkness, The Ill-Made Knight is largely unaltered and The Candle In The Wind is published here for the first time.

First UK edition, first printing. Publisher's original black cloth with red titles to the spine, in the Bip Pares illustrated dustwrapper. A lovely very near fine copy, the binding firm and the cloth fresh. The contents are clean throughout and without previous owner's inscriptions or stamps. Complete with the near fine lightly rubbed and creased dustwrapper that remains without loss. Not price-clipped (7s 6d net to the front flap). Scarce.

(Hubin).

Seven volume edition, revised by the poet. Handsomely bound in contemporary full straight-grained green morocco. The boards ruled in gilt with decorative corner devices; the spines with five raised bands, compartments richly decorated in gilt, and with gilt red morocco title and volume labels. Board edges and inner dentelles also decorated in gilt. All edges gilt. Volume I with a steel engraved portrait frontispiece by W. H Watt after a painting by H. W. Pickersgill. Engraved armorial bookplate for the Honourable C.C. Neville to the front pastedown of each volume. A near fine set, the bindings square, firm and bright with a touch of rubbing to the extremities, a small scuff to the upper board of volume VII, and a few minor marks to the boards of the other volumes. The contents are clean and bright throughout, remaining free from foxing and inscriptions.

A splendid set of Wordsworth's poetical works, based upon the 1836-7 collected edition prepared by the poet.