Binding:  Publisher's purple cloth, gilt-stamped title on spine; each cover framed in blind rules, with foliate and drawer-handle motifs surrounding a gilt leaf device at center. All edges gilt.

•  Bound as above, almost entirely sunned to brown and with a very little rubbing. Light to moderate age-toning and foxing throughout; lacks frontispiece, other three plates present and brightly colored. Overall a handsomely done collection of letters about roses (and life).  (35940)

Provenance:  Front free endpaper with small, neatly inked gift inscription reading “Eliza M. Elliott [/] Presented by her brother, B. Elliott 1840"; preliminary leaf with early inked inscription with similar content, in a larger and less precise hand. Later in the library of American collector Albert A. Howard, small booklabel (“AHA”) at rear.

•  American Imprints 31768. Not in Osborne Collection.   Publisher's printed blue paper–covered sides with roan shelfback, spine with gilt-stamped title; sides with small spots of discoloration and offsetting from leather, spine and edges rubbed with extremities chipped. Inked inscription on preliminary leaf (written inside a printed decorative flower urn vignette), this offset onto surrounding leaves including frontispiece. One leaf slightly crumpled during printing. Mild to moderate foxing throughout. A solid and entirely enjoyable copy of this impressive, seldom-encountered collection. (41188)

•  Publisher's printed yellow paper wrappers over printed paper–covered stiff boards; wrappers with spine sunned, minor edge wear. Contents clean and crisp. Very good.  (34969)

•  Bibliography of the Fine Books Published by the Limited Editions Club, 221.   Quarter black calf with gilt lettering to spine, and French marbled paper sides, this copy without the glassine dust jacket and the slipcase; rubbing to corners and spine-ends. Interior lightly age-toned with the very occasional finger-smudge. A compelling copy from the artist's bookshelf; and the illustrations are amusing and bright!  (39561)

•  Contemporary mottled calf, nicely rebacked with calf, spine with gilt-stamped red leather title-label (reading “Francesco”), raised bands, and compartments elaborately blind-tooled; original leather edges worn. First volume only, offering the complete “De insectis” without the “Experimentia naturalia”; the two volumes were published separately and often separated. Title-page with two small early inked markings. One folding plate with short tear from inner margin; outer margins of a few plates slightly ragged or creased. A solid, sturdy, attractive copy of this scientific landmark, with all its fascinating plates.  (40410)

• DeBacker-Sommervogel, VI, 1574; VD18 80341896 & VD18 8034190X.   Contemporary mottled calf, spines with cream leather title-labels and gilt-stamped decorations between raised bands; edges and extremities rubbed, spine gilt all but lost (motifs now appearing blind-tooled on casual inspection), vol. II with early hand-inked numeral on title-label. All edges speckled red. Vol. I front free endpaper with scorched area, some offsetting to title-page. Pages gently age-toned with small spots of light foxing, overall very readable.This is a complete set of both volumes with all plates present, in contemporary bindings, and as such not often seen on the market.  (40102)

Binding:  Publisher's lavender cloth, front cover with lily design stamped in gilt, white, and purple, spine with decorative gilt-stamped title. Top edges gilt, others deckle. Signed “MA,” Margaret Armstrong.

This is one of a series of twelve of Reed's books for which Armstrong did the designs, all on the same lavender cloth. The Reed covers are among her best-known, and this one is quite pleasing with its lily-petal mosaic effect.

•  Smith, American Fiction, 1901–1925, R-122; Gullans & Espey, Checklist of Trade Bindings Designed by Margaret Armstrong, 182.   Bound as above, minimal rubbing to extremities and stamped lilies, minor sunning to spine; front cover clean and bright. Plates with small areas of spotting to upper edges, apparently from printer. A very nice copy. (41298)

The edition was limited to a total of 240 copies; this is one of the 75 unsigned copies printed for the two American publishers, bound in hand-marbled Fabriano paper done by Susan Johanknecht and Claire Van Vliet. The text was hand set in Walbaum, also by Johanknecht and Van Vliet.

•  Fine, Janus Press 1975–80, 40.   Publisher's lilac marbled paper–covered boards with tan shelfback, front cover with printed paper label. A clean and crisp copy.  (32334)

NUC and WorldCat locate only five U.S. libraries reporting ownership (Yale, Boston Public, Duke, Notre Dame, John Carter Brown). Searches of CCPB and the OPAC of the Spanish national library locate three Spanish libraries reporting ownership; COPAC finds no copies in Britain.

The number of “splendid ceremonies” books produced in colonial Peru is small: There is no census but we suspect the number to be around 20.

Other interesting aspects of the work are that it is an important source on the social and artistic life of Lima in the decade following the Tupac Amaru rebellion and that it is from one of Latin America's famous presses of “orphan children.”

•  John Carter Brown Library, Catalogue, 1493-1800, III,324; Medina, Lima, 1697; Sabin 73902; Vargas Ugarte, Impresos peruanos, 2546.   Contemporary limp vellum with neatly inked title on spine; all edges inked decoratively. Old blurred stamp on front free endpaper, old single numerals very faintly on title-pages. Small tear in margin of plate, not into image. Overall a very good copy, very clean and with wide margins.  (34668)

Rare: WorldCat locates only two copies in the U.S.

An important source on the social and artistic life of Lima in the decade following the Tupac Amaru rebellion.

•  John Carter Brown Library, Catalogue, 1493-1800, III,324; Medina, Lima, 1697; Sabin 73902; Vargas Ugarte, Impresos peruanos, 2546.   Contemporary limp vellum with late, neatly inked title on spine. Some foxing. Plate lacking lower half and small portion of upper one; a handsome skeleton (memento mori) archer is the focus of what remains. Bookplate sometime removed; rubber-stamps on several pages, including title, reading (yes, in English), “Bought of F. Perez Velasco October 1912.”  (25771)

The engravings: The frontispiece, depicting the pope conducting the king's funeral service, was engraved by Raphael Morghen after Stefano Tofanelli, as were the headpiece to the dedication (a medallion with the profiles of Charles IV and his queen, surrounded by a cupbearer, a mother with children, and Athena with sword and scales) and the large vignette on p. 1 (another medallion — this one of the deceased — surrounded by a figure holding the pontifical hat and keys of St. Peter, a mourner holding a mirror, and Athena leaning on a pillar, accompanied by a lion). Three more vignettes, one incorporating the abbreviated Spanish royal coat of arms, were engraved by Giovanni Volpato after Tofanelli, and the text is additionally decorated with two engraved decorative capitals (unsigned). All of the engravings were extremely well accomplished, with de Lama praising their graceful execution.

Provenance:  Front pastedown with bookplate of Brian Douglas Stilwell.

Of this quarto edition, WorldCat locates only two U.S. libraries reporting ownership (Huntington, Sacramento Public).

•  Brooks 384 (for another edition); De Lama, II, 55/56.   Modern half red morocco and marbled paper–covered boards, spine with gilt-stamped title and gilt-ruled raised bands. First and last few leaves with light foxing in upper portions. A very nice copy of this very attractive production, here in an unusual state.  (40139)

Binding: Publisher's blue-green cloth binding with front cover and spine stamped in gilt, burnt sienna, and green (we have seen a variant in a wine colored cloth). Front cover with a paper portrait onlay signed by Christy.

Provenance:  Front fly-leaf with inked inscription “From the Hedding girls, Mar. 12, 1905.”

•  BAL 16657.   Binding as above, slight rubbing to extremities, dust jacket and box not present. A clean, fresh, very giftable copy — particularly for childhood sweethearts! (41260)

Binding:  Publisher's green cloth with a young farmer's vignette stamped in white, black, and gilt on the cover, spine with gilt-stamped title and bird vignette.

•  BAL 16671.   Binding as above, dust jacket lacking, very minor rubbing to extremities and front cover vignette. Front pastedown with ownership inscription of Alice Grace Stone. Clean and fresh.  (35049)

•  Bibliography of the Fine Books Published by the Limited Editions Club, 518.   Publisher's quarter navy buckram and light blue paper–covered boards, spine with author stamped in silver, in original matching slipcase; slipcase showing minor shelfwear with spine and edges gently sunned, volume spine likewise gently sunned, otherwise crisp and solid.  (37247)

•  Howes R311; Sabin 71530.   Publisher's ribbed brown cloth, covers with blind-stamped foliate frames surrounding publisher's arabesque cartouche, spines with gilt-stamped title and blind-stamped decorative bands; corners rubbed, spine heads chipped and reinforced with brown cloth tape, lower board edges showing very faint water damage, lower back cover of vol. I and lower front cover of vol. II slightly warped, endpapers stained by bleed-through of binder's glue. Ex–social club library: 19th-century bookplates, call number on endpapers, rubber-stamp on title-pages and a few others, no other markings. Vol. I: Two plates with small spots of light staining; light waterstaining to lower outer corners of a few leaves, including one plate. Vol. II: mild waterstaining to lower portions, extending into text; signatures in latter portion unopened. A slightly rough copy, still solid and readable and decent on shelf.  (29427)

•  NSTC 2R11677; Lowndes 2099; Hugo, The Bewick Collector, 434.   Contemporary half dark green morocco with red marbled paper sides, spine with gilt-stamped title; some rubbing and with a bit of green discoloration to paper of front cover. Minor offsetting to frontispiece and title-page; mild to moderate foxing in first third of volume and to last few pages.  (21934)

The contents of these two volumes appear to be based almost entirely on John Roach's Beauties of the Poets of Great Britain, although Roach is not cited as the editor, the pieces are in a different order than originally presented, and there are a few minor changes: “The Negro Boy” is not included here, while several “runic odes” by Mathias and Penrose have been added. The expected highlights of Pope, Gray, Cowper, Burns, Chatterton, Goldsmith, etc. are present, as well as lesser-known pieces such as Mrs. Carter's “Address to Meditation,” Mary Darby Robinson's “Trumpeter,” and Helen Maria Williams's “Sonnet to Twilight” and “Sonnet to Hope” (the latter memorized by Wordsworth, whose first published poem was “Sonnet, on seeing Miss Helen Maria Williams Weep at a Tale of Distress”).

The volumes are illustrated with 18 wood-engraved plates signed by Sears, Willis, and others — not the 1793 originals.

Provenance:  Ownership note of “Adams Jewett, M.D.” to top of title-page.

•  This ed. not in NSTC, Lowndes, or Allibone. Not in British Library OPAC, not in NUC Pre-1956, not in OCLC, not in COPAC.   Recent marbled paper–covered boards, spines with printed paper labels. Each title-page with early inked ownership inscription in upper margin as above. Some pages with offsetting; spots of light to moderate staining; one page with pencilled annotation.  (25339)

The author, who spent most of his life in Derby, was a sculptor as well as a Derbyshire historian, and he appears to have supplied theoriginal illustrations here himself. The two pairs of plates (one lithographed, one steel-engraved) are done in notably different styles — we suspect that two different engravers worked from Robinson's sketches. Robinson wrote one additional Twitcher piece in 1881, describing a visit to the Royal Agricultural Show, not included in this gathering.

All the Twitcher books are now scarce: WorldCat finds very few U.K. holdings of these titles and virtually no U.S.

Provenance: First text page with early pencilled ownership inscription of Mr. H. Mills in upper outer corner.

•  Crismas: NSTC 2R14138; Visit: NSTC 2R14139; Second Visit: NSTC 2R14140; Watter Cure: NSTC 0643751.   Later quarter green calf and fine combed marbled paper–covered sides, spine with gilt-stamped title; minor shelfwear. Pencilled ownership note as above. Light age-toning; first two works with mild foxing and last leaves with avery light, old waterstain across a lower corner. A highly personal production in text *and* illustration; an entertaining and very uncommon gathering.  (36501)

Provenance:  From the children's book collection of Albert A. Howard, small booklabel (“AHA”) at rear.

•  NSTC 2D7678. Not in Gumuchian; not in Osborne Collection.   Publisher's original printed paper–covered boards; paper slightly darkened, edges and extremities rubbed, joints refurbished. Now in a sturdy, dark blue cloth–covered clamshell case and matching slipcase. Pages evenly age-toned. One leaf with tear from lower margin, touching two lines of text and lower edge of one illustration (without loss); one leaf with short tear from lower margin not touching text. A worthwhile copy of this unusual parody, in its original binding and nicely box-housed. (39980)

•  Publisher's blue cloth, front cover with gilt-stamped title and fish vignette with blind-stamped decorative borders; spine slightly darkened, small spots of light discoloration, extremities rubbed. Sewing just barely starting to loosen but holding; pages clean. A more than decent copy of this interesting and, shall we say, “highly personal” work.  (35139)

Binding:  Contemporary black morocco, covers framed in gilt rolls and fillets with inner blind roll and blind-tooled corner fleurons surrounding gilt-stamped title (“Essays of the Rocket Club. 1885); spine with gilt-stamped raised bands and gilt-tooled compartment decorations. Board edges with gilt roll, turn-ins with blind roll; marbled endpapers and top edges gilt.

•  Bound as above, spine head repaired and refurbished; somewhat rubbed and a little scuffed — a volume that was both used/referred to and treasured. Many leaves with short tears from outer margins, often with old, possibly contemporary repairs; some leaves showing faint, pressed-out creases most likely from mailing. Unique, enjoyable, and eminently worthy of study.  (36353)

The book is illustrated with 100 engraved plates and numerous in-text engravings, as well as a frontispiece map of the Holy Land in each volume. The plates are mostly figural illustrations taken from paintings in catacombs and on sarcophagi, illuminated manuscripts, mosaics, ivory figurines, murals, etc. The title-pages are printed in black and red ink, and decorated with an engraved vignette.

•  Publisher's red cloth, stamped in gilt on the spines and front covers. Spines sunned and front cover of vol. II slightly sunned along fore-edge also; cloth of spines frayed at extremities and chipped in other places. Hinges (inside) of vol. I a little weak, stitching exposed; corners bumped with cloth damage; pages very shallowly bumped. Ex-library, with shelf labels on spines, institutional bookplates on front pastedowns, pressure-stamp to title-pages and one other page in each volume. Paper very good; pages clean and bright.  (24688)

•  Publisher's printed paper wrappers, stapled; small scuffs, back wrapper with streak of staining, pressure point from a front-wrapper scuff or prick unobtrusively carried throughout. This ephemeral, eye-opening item is now scarce.  (41057)

“This edition follows exactly the text of the original Belfast issue of 1897 except that certain misprints have been corrected,” according to the edition statement; the text is ornamented with reproductions of the originalthree wood engravings by W.M.R. Quick. The present example is numbered copy 719 of 1250 printed.

Provenance:  Calligraphic bookplate of Norman J. Sondheim, American collector of fine press books.

•  McKitterick/Rendall/Dreyfus 33.   Publisher's half sheep and pink, red, and brown mottled paper–covered sides, spine with gilt-stamped title; spine gently sunned, extremities a bit rubbed. Front pastedown with bookplate as above; light foxing to endpapers, with a very few faint spots elsewhere. Lovely Nonesuch production of a “must read it to believe it” novel!  (32039)

Provenance:  From the library of American collector Albert A. Howard, small booklabel (“AHA”) at rear.

•  Rosenbach, Children's, 603; Shoemaker 5091.   Publisher's plain salmon-colored paper over light paste boards. Some plates browned as in all copies; glue stains showing through frontispiece. A few leaves mildly foxed. A nice book, a charming book.  (38470)

Rosenbach was the leading bookseller in America during the first half of the 20th century, helping to form the collections of Huntington, Folger, Widener, Doheny, Bell, Lilly, Clements, and many others. His personal collecting included American Judaica and Early American children's books. This is the highly illustrated and very bibliographically detailed catalogue of his personal collection of the latter. The collection was donated to the Free Library of Philadelphia.

The introduction is by A.E. Newton, Rosenbach's friend and customer, and a man whose own books on the joys of collecting helped fuel the fashion for it in the 1920s and 30s.

•  Blue pigskin, embossed in black on covers with an early American design; rebacked in plain blue morocco; abraded joints nicely refurbished. In the original black cloth slipcase but without the paper label. A good+ copy.  (34040)

•  NSTC 2A17980 (for all years 1855–61).   Removed from a nonce volume. Title-page with small inked numeral in upper outer corner, otherwise clean.  (17033)