Binding:  Publisher's red cloth with gilt lettering and small gilt and black floral decorations to spine. On the front board, gilt and black lettering and intertwined clusters of black-stemmed gilt flowers, with a coiled, gilt snake at the base. Fore- and bottom edges untrimmed. Signed by Margaret Armstrong.

•  BAL 2371; Minsky, American Decorated Publisher Bindings,1872–1929, p. 77; Gullans & Espey, Checklist of Trade Bindings Designed by Margaret Armstrong, 54; Smith, American Fiction, 1901–1925, C-16.   Bound as above; edges lightly rubbed, minor fading to spine and rear board. A beautifully decorated volume, andArmstrong's cover emblem tells the story.   (38290)

In a more serious vein, Head (1887–1963) was the author of Antiquities of Yale and the New Yale Guide, as well as a poet and a patron and supporter of both the Brick Row Book Shop and the Yale University Library. Several of the items here makeYale references, like the barroom ghosts who “puffed at their pipes and their stogies / And pulled at their Phantoms of Ale, / Recalling the things that were Bogies / When they were assembled at Yale”; Ex is specifically about four different gentlemen expelled from Yale for reasons including bad grades, vandalism, and bawdiness.

•  Folded as issued. 10 of the pamphlets with small inscription “M. Clark” or “Clark” pencilled on front wrapper. Apologia with two pencilled corrections. Upper edges of Hot from Hollywood chewed. Minor age-toning, occasional small spots and edge nicks. Overall a clean, crisp collection of these uncommon pieces.  (36453)

This edifying story isillustrated with a maritime vignette on the front cover, a frontispiece, and five rather large in-text wood engravings. The frontispiece has early hand coloring in blue and a greenish yellow, as does one other image; three others are touched with the yellow alone.

Provenance:  Ownership signature of a young Caleb D. Shreve, dated 1843, on front free endpaper; bookplate with lending rules of the “Library of Upper Evesham Monthly Meeting of Women Friends, at Medford.”

•  American Imprints 11639. Not in Rosenbach, Children's.   Publisher's printed paper–covered sides with sheep shelfback, spine with gilt-stamped and chipped at head; binding darkened and rubbed overall, especially at extremities and unfortunately across the vignette on the cover. Front joint (outside) open. Front free endpaper with early pencilled ownership inscription. A browned copy with spots of minor foxing and staining. Two leaves torn across lower outer corners with loss of last words on several lines, though sense is still clear; another leaf, in a signature where the leaves are smaller, with a chip or paper flaw from bottom taking a word on one side and a few letters on the other. Laid in at p. 120, someone's slip noting that the chapter beginning there refers to the War of 1812 and recouns the history of the American Revolution. Clearly read and loved.  (35238)

Provenance:  Flourishing old signatures of “J. Lowry” to pastedown and title-page.

WorldCat locatesonly three U.S. institutional holdings of this edition.

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

•  Adams C1190; EDIT 16 CNCE 71312; Brunet, I, 1701; Index aurel. 134.670.   19th-century half calf over marbled paper–covered boards, spine with gilt-stamped olive morocco title-label and gilt-tooled bands, all page edges speckled in brown; binding rubbed and worn, joints cracked but holding. First gathering very possibly supplied from a different copy. Front pastedown with two older cataloguing slips affixed; front free endpaper and (tipped-in) fly-leaf with later inked annotations in Latin and Italian. Occasional small spots of foxing and ink staining; a limited circle of light waterstain(?) to last leaf; a very few small early inked marks of emphasis in margins. A solid, eminently readable copy of animportant, readable, and uncommon early prose romanzo d'amore.  (37524)

Despite the large Swedish population of Marshalltown, hints of that cuisine are not found here. We do see a large section of oyster recipes, a remarkable spaghetti “for a Mexican [!!] supper,” and innovative drinks.

Not found in NUC or WorldCat.

•  Not in Cook, America's Charitable Cooks.   Publisher's orange, printed paper wrappers; worn and chipped, spine once reinforced with cellophane tape, wrappers now detached. First and second leaves partially adhered to front wrapper, with two resulting tears starting from inner margin; last leaf separated. Pages age-toned with some staining, mostly towards the back, and occasional short edge tears or small chips. Some pages at rear either misprinted or have faded beyond ability to read. Worn, clearly much used; still of interest anda hard-to-come-by bit of Iowa ephemera.  (38308)

•  Brunet, I, 1756; Palau 54187.   Contemporary treed sheep, spine with gilt-stamped leather title-label and gilt-ruled bands; binding lightly scuffed (most notably at spine), spine with tiny pinholes, front joint just starting from head. Front pastedown with attractive small ticket of a prominent Madrid bookseller. Pages generally lightly age-toned with scattered faint spotting; some leaves browned.  (29248)

This is the genuine first edition, not a modern reprint.

Binding:  Publisher's olive cloth, front cover with Art Nouveau water lily design and gilt-stamped title, spine with gilt-stamped title.

•  Binding as above, minor rubbing at extremities. Front free endpaper with pencilled Christmas gift inscription dated 1902; back free endpaper with rubber-stamped numeral (no other markings). Pages and plates clean. A very nice copy.  (28585)

Signed by the crown with a wooden stamp, “Yo el Rey.”

This copy sent to Santiago, Chile, and docketed there.

•  Removed from a nonce volume. Clean and untattered.  (25817)

Provenance:  Armorial bookplate of socialite and world traveler Lady Jane Davy (1780–1855; wife of chemist Sir Humphry Davy) on each front pastedown; most recently in the library of American collector Albert A. Howard, small booklabel (“AHA”) at rear of each volume.

•  Kelly, Checklist of Books Published by William Pickering, 1846.2; Keynes, William Pickering (rev. ed.), p. 57. On Lady Davy and Sir Nicolas, see: DNB (online).   Bound as above; spines sunned to old gold, covers rubbed with small leather loss at corners, two repaired tears plus a few small spots, indents, glue residue, and one cut. Light pencilling on endpapers and small marks on first and last leaf of text in each volume. Faint offsetting (most noticeable on title-page), scattered foxing and some edges unevenly trimmed; a few spotted leaves. A solid and handsome set owned by a fascinating woman.  (38362)

WorldCat reportsno institutional holdings of this first edition. Of the second edition (1895), WorldCat locates only one copy (at the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center!).

•  Not in Brown, Culinary Americana; not in Cook, America's Charitable Cooks.   Original printed paper wrappers as above; wrappers separated and much chipped (though not into cover vignette), with old cellophane tape repairs. Pages age-toned and slightly brittle, with some edges chipped or with short tears, some corners dog-eared. Annotations as above. Worn; still, an uncommon and evocative item.  (38108)

The Constitutions and Canons Ecclesiastical was an assemblage of rulings given equal force with the canon law, although the rulings themselves were not based on canon law.

•  STC (rev. ed.) 10076; ESTC S101555.   Removed from a nonce volume. A very nice, clean copy with an array of marginal markings — Xs, asterisks, “vid.,” and the odd hand-with-pointing-finger. (21226)

All the expectable princesses, duchesses, and countesses are present, along with a handful of women represented in other categories — the preponderance falling under the “Vocal Performers” and “Actors” headings.

The first volume is illustrated with12 plates each offering four rows of small portraits, some intriguingly expressive; each volume opens with an engraved frontispiece portrait of a royal George.

•  NSTC 2C23867.   Recent textured maroon cloth, spines with gilt-stamped black leather title and volume labels; title-pages institutionally pressure- (not rubber-) stamped. Scattered light spots of staining, pages generally clean; first few leaves of voI. II with outer margins chipped. A hefty, substantive evocation of Georgian life and times.  (30012)

The work was introduced by Robert Phelps and translated by Enid McLeod.

Gilot and Ben Shiff designed the work choosing 16-point Bembo with four points leading-space between the lines. The title on the title-page and half-title are printed in blue ink. The blue of the inside of the book is matched by the binding by Robert Burlen and Son, which is full deep-blue Chinese pongee silk, stamped in gold on the spine and front. On the whole, a very pleasing production!

The appropriate LEC newsletter is laid in.

•  Bibliography of the Fine Books Published by the Limited Editions Club, 534.   Binding as above, in publisher's blue-gray slipcase which shows only minimal shelf wear. Text and illustrations pristine.  (34406)

•  Half black sheep in imitation of morocco over marbled paper–covered sides, leather edges (including corners) with gilt roll, spine gilt extra; binding rubbed and scuffed overall, but still dignified. All edges gilt. Pages slightly age-toned, with occasional small spots; a few instances of offsetting from or uneven fading to colored paper. Some plates foxed. A rich and warmly evocative early 19th-century commonplace book, one emanating both Sense and Sensibility as well cultivated in Accomplishments.  (35342)

Provenance:  Front free endpaper and title-page with inked inscriptions of Henry Williams, the former dated 1740.

•  ESTC T76148; Sweet & Maxwell 31.   Contemporary reverse calf framed and panelled in blind with blind roll inside panel and blind-tooled corner fleurons; spine with worn and chipped hand-inked paper title label partially chewed (with small hole to leather underneath), front cover with spots of discoloration in lower half. Some signatures with sewing starting to loosen slightly; one leaf separated. Tiny spots of worm damage to lower outer corner of front free endpaper and title-page. A very few scattered smudges, pages otherwise clean.  (35367)

WorldCat findsno institutional holdings of this charitable publication.

•  Cook, America's Charitable Cooks, 116.   Publisher's tan cloth–covered boards, front cover with decorative title stamped in olive; cloth dust-soiled and showing mild bubbling, with extremities rubbed. A few corners dog-eared. Occasional small pencil marks; scattered spots of staining. An uncommon item, showing only minimal kitchen wear.  (38307)

a Chartist poet, author, and proponent of political and sexual freedom for women

Provenance:  Residue of the stock of Seven Gables Bookshop (1930–79), via the son of Michael Papantonio (2009).

•  Very good condition. Tipped onto a slightly larger sheet. With the integral blank.  (25726)

•  Good. Ex-historical society copy (rubber-stamps, "New Jersey Historical Society," on front cover and title-page). Pencil marks to front cover. Some chipping to front cover and first page.  (290)

The recipes collected by Mrs. Coit reflect the “cosmopolitan character of San Francisco” during the 1870's and 1880's and show “the influence of the French, Spanish, Mexican, and English traditions in the cookery of the period.”

Illustrated with a frontispiece portrait and one additional illustration.

•  Paperback. Fine. (5461)

This is numbered copy 538 of 2000 printed, signed at the colophon by the illustrator; the appropriate LEC newsletter is laid in.

•  Bibliography of the Fine Books Published by the Limited Editions Club, 479; BAL 4068; Williams & Starrett 1.   Binding as above, in original glassine dust wrapper and publisher's slipcase; binding very clean and fresh, wrapper also, slipcase showing very minor shelfwear only. A very nice copy.  (31258)

•  Forster 32; Toy 156.   Publisher's brown cloth, covers stamped in blind, spine with gilt-stamped title; edges and extremities slightly rubbed, spine with small spots of discoloration. Pages faintly age-toned, otherwise clean; a nice copy.  (33301)

Provenance:  Front free endpaper with inked inscription: “Merry Xmas 1905 [/] C.B.B. from Puss.”

Binding:  Publisher's green cloth, front cover and spine stamped in gilt, black, and yellow. Binding signed “RR” — Rome K. Richardson.

•  BAL 4224.   Binding as above, extremities slightly rubbed, spine gilt with one small spot of rubbing (front gilt bright and fresh); front hinge (inside) tender. Inscription as above; pages gently age-toned. A pretty copy of a rather interesting novel.  (35745)

Binding:  Publisher's terra-cotta cloth, front cover stamped with gilt rose and ribbon design, spine with similar motifs; front coversigned “G.W.E.” — George Wharton Edwards.

•  BAL 4200.   Binding as above, gently faded overall, slightly cocked, edges and extremities rubbed. Top edge gilt. Front free endpaper with early inked ownership inscription. A few scattered faint spots, pages overall clean.  (35835)

•  Original wrappers, lacking rear one, front wrapper with old inked numerals. Clearly once bound in a nonce volume and now removed; paper good and quite clean.  (38405)

•  Bibliography of the Fine Books Published by the Limited Editions Club, 498.   Binding as above, in original glassine wrapper and slipcase; binding and wrapper all but unworn, slipcase spine label wrinkling very slightly.A gorgeous, fresh, clean copy.  (30640)

Provenance:  Stamps of two U.S. Redemptorist libraries (one in Ilchester, MD; the other in New York state).

•  VD17 1:001581Y; DeBacker-Sommervogel, II, 1899; Robbins 283; Graesse, Magica, 47; Coumont, Demonology and Witchcraft, D45.3.   Contemporary limp vellum with slightly yapp edges, evidence of now-lacking ties; vellum soiled, front joint (outside) with excellent repair, new endpapers. Scattered waterstains; discoloration in some margins from old damp; some gatherings and individual leaves browned, as in all other copies seen. Title-page trimmed at top, not quite into plate; without the folding table in Book II; old library stamps in some margins and an old sticker. A solid, satisfying copy.  (33026)

•  Not in Brown, Culinary Americana. Front wrapper says “Mother's Club,” but all online references to the organization give either “Mothers' Club” or “Mothers Club.”.   In original hand-inked wrappers, on original plastic rings; wrapper design faded, edges worn with short tears. Pages clean, unmarked, and unstained. A surely uncommon if not now unique item, with no holdings discoverable.  (38138)

Beyond matters of authorship, there is quite a lot of general Mormon history here, including a good deal on polygamy; the perspective is not friendly.

Provenance:  From the libraries of the Rev. C. C. Bitting and Crozer Theological Seminary.

•  Flake & Draper 2832.   Publisher's green cloth, spine chipped at head and foot. Title-page separated from binding, but present; shallow chipping along edges. Short closed tears to top edge of pp. 29–32 and 103–106 and outer edge of one page chipped; several page corners chipped/creased. Ex-library with bookplate, card and pocket, pressure-stamp on title-page, inked numeral, penciled notation, two rubber-stamps. A few penciled check-marks.  (24434)

Dietrich (1901–92) was an active performer for much of the 20th century; she reinvented her image many times — going from film actor to humanitarian during World War II to cabaret artist — and maintained her popularity and glamorous image throughout the years. In 1947, she received the Medal of Freedom for her work supporting Allied troops.

The volume includes a section of black-and-white photographs of Dietrich in various roles and with co-stars and friends.

Signed by Dietrich on the front free endpaper, where the book is also numbered (94).

•  Publisher's white cloth with gilt lettering to spine; original pink pictorial dust jacket present with faded spine, light wear to corners, minor creasing and rubbing to front panel with short tears to upper edge, and small piercing at front joint. Volume under jacket, pristine.  (37966)

From the preface: “This fifth edition of the Lonkundo Hymn Book is a result of the joint labor of the missionaries and the native Christians.”

Evidence of readership: Several hymns have pencilled emendations.

Provenance:  Signature of “Mrs. Hensey” on front fly-leaf, followed by, in same hand, “School & Church, as revised by me (in 1918).” Per Smith, “Alice Ferren Hensey, 1907–1931 [was a] talented musician and poet . . . [she] translated many hymns and songs, and taught them to new Congo Christians.”

This is a mission press production and was actually printed in Bolenge.

•  On the Disciples of Christ Congo Mission, see: Fifty Years in Congo by Herbert Smith.   Publisher's black and brown textured cloth, title stamped in blind on front cover and pencilled numeral to its upper outer corner; front free endpaper lacking and sewing beginning to stretch or weaken, with two gutter cracks apparent though the textblock is, still, essentially sound.  A nice copy.  (37586)

•  Fine.  (19234)

Binding:  Publisher's sage green paper–covered sides with dark green cloth shelfback, front cover with decorative title and train vignette both stamped in gilt and dark green, spine with gilt-stamped title. Top edge gilt, outer edge deckle.

•  Binding as above; edges, joints, and extremities rubbed, front cover mottled. Front pastedown with inked ownership inscription. Pages and plates clean.  (29126)