Although the Sylva’s title-pages call for “121 fine plates,” there are actually 131 here. The three volumes are illustrated with an abundance of lithographic plates of delicately rendered images of leaves, branches, and fruits, done by the famed Pierre Joseph Redouté, Bessa, G. West, J.T. French, J.B. Butler, E.D. Long, and others, with highly skilled hand-coloring supervised by T.R. Jones. Tragically, the original lithographic stones that were prepared to accompany the text by Sinclair of Philadelphia were lost to a devastating fire. After that 1856 fire, editions of Nuttall bear illustrations different from those found here and in the other pre-fire editions.

As per their title-pages, these exquisite volumes were a three-volume supplement to Andrew Michaux’s work on the same topic and were issued with the three volumes of his work. But they also stand alone on their own for they contain the sylva “not described in the work of F. Andrw Michaux.” For example, they contain “all the forest trees discovered in the Rocky Mountains, the territory of Oregon, down to the shores of the Pacific, and into the confines of California, as well as in various parts of the United States.”

All three volumes are written in the first person and offer, beyond their botanical data, engaging vignettes and vistas of myriad American localities; further, by way of both professional and personal notes of thanks for specimens and observations, they document a grand network of corresponding scientists active in exploring and mapping the continent. We hear of a giant buttonwood measured “twenty years ago” by General Washington, and are told that fine chestnut furniture may be found at “Mr. Crout's cabinet warehouse in Sixth Street,” in Philadelphia . . .

Bindings: Publisher's deep green striped ribbed cloth; predominantly seen in the 1840s, never common, andparticularly unusual for volumes of this size. Front covers each with gilt-stamped morning glory vignette surrounded by a simple blind-stamped border and back covers with same entirely in blind. Spines each with gilt-stamped title, author, and volume number.

•  Sabin 56351; Reese, Stamped with a National Character, 21 (for 1850–51 ed.); Allibone 1445. On striped bindings, see: Krupp, Making a Case for Cloth, p. [11].   Bindings as above, corners with minor rubbing, vol. II with spine head pulled. The plates are slightly age-toned but otherwise in beautiful condition, save for one plate in vol. I with a small area of paper adhesion. Vol. II with intermittent mild foxing. A striking set of this classic of science, art, and American place-lore. (25305)

Binding:  Publisher's brick-colored cloth, front cover with cream medallion stamped in gilt and silver, in silver- and gold-stamped frame with corner fleurons, spine and back cover repeating the corner fleuron motifs. Top edges gilt. Silk bookmark detached but laid in.

•  Binding as above; spine foot chipped, corners rubbed, otherwise fresh and bright inside and out. In fact a lovely little volume, with both the gold and the silver, i.e., aluminum, shine extraordinarily bright and clear. (41288)

Binding:  Contemporary half red morocco and marbled paper–covered sides, spine with gilt-stamped leather title-label and gilt-tooled compartment decorations. Marbled endpapers AND marbled edges, to match sides!

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

•  NCBEL, III, 1143.   Bound as above, moderate overall rubbing with scuffing to paper, spine darkened. Pages with light age-toning and intermittent scatterings of faint to moderate foxing. A nice copy, with plates more brightly tinted than sometimes seen.  (41679)

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

•  Bound as above, extremities rubbed, plain spine very slightly sunned; pages of heavy, rather coarse paper age-toned with scattered spots of foxing. An uncommon example of the genre, in appealing condition.  (41692)

The work was first serially published in Ainsworth's Magazine in 1842–43, with a three-decker book-form printing following shortly after its completion; the present example (described as a “new edition” on the title-page) follows the story's first appearance in one volume in 1843. This copy is in the publisher's original gilt-stamped red cloth binding.

•  NCBEL, III, 912; NSTC 2A5904.   Publisher's textured red cloth, covers with embossed knotwork frames, front cover with gilt-stamped deer and castle vignette, spine with gilt-stamped title and three scenes; joints and extremities rubbed with cloth starting to peel at back corners, spine and board edges somewhat darkened. Frontispiece portrait with upper outer corner waterstained (not affecting image), added engraved title-page darkened, scattered small spots of foxing to pages and plates. A delightful Cruikshank item, and thrill-inducing in its own right as an English Gothic historical novel.   (39887)

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

Binding:  Publisher's light blue straight-grained cloth, front cover and spine with gilt-stamped title, front cover with desert vignette stamped in black and green.

•  Binding as above, minimal wear to extremities, spine with small area of light discoloration. Light pencilled underlining and marks of emphasis, including a star and a wing (all removable). A nice copy of an interesting volume.  (28604)

Binding:  Publisher's dark green cloth, front cover with foliate frame stamped in gilt and light green surrounding a chromolithographed paper onlay depicting the March girls peacefully at work in the woods, spine with foliate motifs repeated.

•  Binding as above; gently rubbed, spine slightly darkened, lower corners bumped. Inscription on front fly-leaf as above. Pages faintly age-toned, with foxing surrounding plates (plates themselves unaffected). Loved and still lovely, with an appealingly sentimental inscription. (41375)

This edition was the first to feature Thomson's charming illustrations, depicting both indoor and outdoor scenes while notably prioritizing well-dressed human figures over Allen's lovingly described gardens and woods.

Binding:  Publisher's olive cloth, front cover and spine with gilt-stamped branch and bird designs (unsigned).

•  BAL 468; Wright, III, 76 & 80 (for first eds.).   Binding as above, spine and board edges sunned. Page edges untrimmed; one signature carelessly opened. Aesthetically pleasing, culturally intriguing, and sure to be of interest to both birders and gardeners. (37531)

This isnumbered copy 733 of 2000 printed, signed at the colophon by the illustrator. Both the appropriate Club newsletter (in its original envelope) and the prospectus are laid in.

•  Bibliography of the Fine Books Published by the Limited Editions Club, 497.   Publisher's fabric-covered binding as above, spine with gilt-stamped leather title-label, in original brown paper–covered slipcase with printed paper label; spine cloth very slightly (and unobtrusively) sunned, slipcase showing only minimal traces of shelfwear.A nice copy of this handsome piece of LEC exotica.  (36838)

Binding:  Bound by Russell-Rutter Company in half white leather with slightly raised bands a gilt-background title label; smooth vellum-paper sides, gold-stamped with a large image of Ruth holding a sheaf of grain and a scythe. Top edge gilt.

•  Limited Editions Club, Bibliography of the Fine Books Published by The Limited Editions Club, 184.   Binding as above, in the original gold foil-covered slipcase; volume with spine and corners moderately darkened and rubbed, slipcase foil with expectable rubbing and spine chipped. LEC newsletter creased, with small stains. In spite of these flaws, still a sturdy case and a pleasing book, internally bright and lovely.  (36857)

Provenance:  Front free endpaper with pencilled inscription of Harry E. Young, dated 1921.

•  American Fiction, 1901-1925, B-858; Gullans & Espey, Checklist of Trade Bindings Designed by Margaret Armstrong, 38.   Publisher's tan paper–covered sides with title stamped in black and grapevine design in green and purple, light green cloth shelfback with matching grape motif, in original color-printed dust jacket; jacket, with spine and back panel slightly dust-soiled, front joint rubbed, three short edge tears and a few tiny edge nicks, in overall very good, attractive condition. The volume itself, in its Armstrong binding, shows a faint narrow band of offsetting across its back cover (only) from “protective” plastic wrapping the dust jacket; otherwise, very clean and fresh. A nice copy of the now-uncommon first edition of a socially interesting novel in an “MA” binding. (37550)

Binding:  Publisher's tan cloth, gorgeously stamped in silver and light and dark blue arabesque motifs surrounding a cream title panel, framed in brown; spine with similar motifs. Top edges gilt.

•  Binding as above, spine gently darkened and with a small light spot of discoloration to front cover, otherwise showing very little wear. Pages with a few scattered small spots of light foxing. A handsome copy of a work offering multiple aspects of interest.  (41394)

Binding:  Publisher's brown cloth, front cover and spine pictorially stamped in red and gilt, signed as above.

•  Bound as above; corners and spine extremities with minor rubbing, front cover with unobtrusive small, faint area of discoloration. Front free endpaper with inked inscription of Walter White, dated 1905. Pages clean; last few leaves opened somewhat roughly, with short edge tears. A handsome book and a tear-jerker of a story. (41337)

•  BAL 2482 (second printing state, with plates included in pagination). Publisher's brown cloth, front cover stamped in gilt and green, spine with gilt-stamped title; front cover lightly scuffed, with corners rubbed. Front fly-leaf with inked gift inscription "to My Daughter," dated 1890; newspaper clipping about Carleton affixed to front fly-leaf, poem affixed to back fly-leaf as described above. Several insurance advertisements, religious leaflets, and other ephemera laid in.  (14367)

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)

Signed Binding: Publisher's teal pebbled cloth, front covers with striking chariot and armorial scene in light blue, tan, and gilt. The “Cibeles” statue found in Madrid's Cibeles Plaza and the coat of arms (and gilt monogram) of the city of Madrid appear with de la Cruz's name stamped in gilt below; spines offer gilt-stamped title and black-stamped griffin decoration. Cover of vol. II is signed “J. Orba.” All page edges are stamped in a Greek key pattern in blue and gilt.

Provenance:  Half-titles each with old-fashioned rubber-stamp of José Carmona y Ramos.

•  Palau 65340.   Bindings as above, edges and extremities showing minor shelfwear, back cover of vol. I with small spots of faint discoloration, front joint of vol. II rubbed. Collector's stamp as above, each front pastedown with small paper label bearing hand-inked numeral. Pages age-toned; edges slightly embrittled, occasionally with small chips or short tears. Scattered light smudges in vol. I; vol. II with mild to moderate foxing. A peacocky set.  (29262)

Binding:  Publisher's light green cloth with gilt lettering to spine and front board. The front board is divided into four compartments by single-ruled black borders; a scene of a man walking along a railroad track stamped in blue, black, and gilt decorates the top section.

•  Wright, III, 1331.   Binding as above; extremities a bit rubbed, spine faded not unattractively. Small waterstain to top edge of about a dozen leaves, minor dirtying and finger-smudges to a handful of pages; overall very nice.  (37534)

Binding: Original brown cloth with beveled edges, stamped in gilt and black with gilt lettering to front board and spine; gilt vignette of the Academy to front board.

Provenance: Cunningham, an affectionate and appreciative graduate of the Academy, has inscribed the front free endpaper“With the compliments of the author, 6/22, '83.” Later in the library of American collector Albert A. Howard, booklabel (“AHA”) at rear.

•  Extremities lightly rubbed, minor bumping; gilt bright on spine and brighter on cover. Very nice, clean copy “personalized” by the author.  (37760)

Binding:  Black pebbled cloth, plain spine, covers bordered with multiple rules. A large rendering of the statue appears in gilt on the volume's front cover along with neat descriptive lettering also in gilt.

•  Binding as above, spine slightly sunned, a touch of rubbing only to extremities. Pages and plates crisp and fresh.  (41396)

Signed binding: Teal cloth, front cover with village scene stamped in dark green, terra cotta, and white, marked with the distinctive intertwined capital Ds of Decorative Designers (Henry and Lee Thayer).

•  Binding as above, slightly cocked, spine dimmed, front panel lightly rubbed. Front free endpaper with early inked ownership inscription of Lottie Ellis. One piece of dried plant matter laid in.  (35665)

•  Publisher's cloth, front cover and spine decoratively gilt-stamped; spine, lower edges, and corners a touch rubbed. Top edge gilt. A few leaves and plates with waterstaining to lower outer corners, scattered spots of light foxing.  (18409)

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)

•  Publisher's embossed cloth, spine with gilt-stamped title; corners and spine extremities showing minor wear, with gilt oxidized. Front free endpaper with pencilled inscription; some page edges with small blotches. Binding very handsome in its subtle way. Impossible! to get a good image of!  (12986)

Provenance:  Daughters with inked ownership inscription of Josephine Sparre, dated 1856; Women with early inked inscription of A.M. Kirwan of Well Park, Drumcondra (Ireland).

•  Publisher's red pebbled cloth, covers elaborately stamped in blind, spines with gilt-stamped titles and embossed decorations; volumes with edges and extremities rubbed, small scuffs and spots of discoloration to sides, spines gently sunned, Daughters cloth somewhat lighter overall. Daughters: Offsetting from frontispiece to title-page. Mothers: Frontispiece lightly foxed; light pencilled marks of emphasis. Wives: Front free endpaper lacking; frontispiece foxed. Inscriptions as above; occasional small spots of foxing, smudges, and edge chips scattered throughout; box with scuffs and wear, cracks to leather at top refurbished. A removable dais has been added to the foot of the box in order to fit the presently contained volumes more snugly; markings to the cloth lining of the box suggest that, at one time, taller volumes resided there. Some of Ellis's most successful and influential writing in a desirable uniformly bound set, within the rarely surviving and quite charming display case. (41250)

The work opens with an introduction from the publishers, who dedicated the Life to the members of the First Christian Church and Society of Kittery, ME. The frontispiece portrait of Fernald was engraved by John Sartain, after a daguerrotype.

Binding:  Publisher's textured black cloth, covers framed in blind rules and with foliate designs surrounding central gilt-stamped floral motifs on both boards. Spine gilt extra, all edges gilt.

•  Bound as above; spine extremities and corners rubbed, cloth showing small split starting at foot of front joint (hinge holding). Mild foxing to margins of frontispiece, with offsetting to title-page from guard leaf; two pages with small section of offsetting from now-absent laid-in item; pages otherwise clean. A solid, worthwhile copy with its gilt shining bright and crisp. (38618)

Binding:  Publisher's green cloth, front cover and spine stamped in black, gilt, and yellow, with a frame of apples and greenery surrounding a decorative title and small gilt motifs.

•  Binding as above, corners and spine extremities very slightly rubbed, dust jacket lacking. Endpapers and a few pages sprinkled with spots of faint staining, pages generally clean A popular and entertaining author, in an attractive and well-preserved binding.  (35257)

Binding:  In the style of a percaline mosaïquée, but the gilt and mosaic are applied to a textured pebbled cloth. Spine gilt extra with added “mosaic” of green, white, red and blue. Front cover with a blind-stamped border incorporating elegant corner-pieces; within this, “Souvenir de Versailles” gilt-stamped in an arc above a large on-laid crowned coat of arms flanked by banners and flags, this embellished in gilt with rich use of blue, white, red, blue, and green. Rear cover with similar blind-stamped border and a different large gilt-stamped center device strikingly incorporating an on-lay of blue stamped in gilt with a military medal. All edges gilt.

•  On this type of binding, see: Morris & Levin, The Art of Publishers' Bookbindings, pp. 94–97.   Binding as above, rubbed to the underlying boards at the corners of the boards and top of spine slightly pulled with one bit of rubbing. Scattered pale brown stains mostly on interleaves and sometimes visible on versos of plates; some discoloration in some margins of plates and occasionally into one; overwhelmingly a clean copy, remarkably bright and unfoxed. A strong and nice example of this category of “souvenir” and of a gilt mosaic binding.  (30464)

•  Publisher's green cloth binding, front cover stamped in black and gilt; bright and clean, with cloth showing only very minor wear to corners and extremities. All edges gilt.  (14437)

•  Publisher's teal cloth, front cover and spine with gilt-stamped title and decorative floral motifs; back cover and corners showing very slight scuffing. Back hinge cracked and front hinge starting; front free endpaper excised. Still, an attractive copy.  (18393)

Binding:  Publisher's red cloth, covers and spine gilt-stamped with avian and foliate designs; all edges gilt.

•  Faxon 786.  Spine and edges moderately rubbed with front hinge cracked; spots of staining to bottom part of front cover. Front free endpaper with good portion torn away, back free endpaper lacking; waterstaining in varying degrees to lower outer corners after p. 120 and some soiling. One signature extruded and others heading for that; one plate shaved very very close to image at top but image itself not quite touched! Not a fresh copy, still, an interesting one. (12944)

Binding:  Decorated publisher's binding: blue cloth with “silver”-stamped lettering and fleur-de-lis decorations to front board and spine, front cover with large “silver”-stamped vignette of a medieval gentleman holding a cage with two owls. “Silver” work actually aluminum and very bright!

Provenance:  On front free endpaper, two ownership stamps of Sarah E. Lembeck.

•  BAL 6747 (state A imprint, state A binding).   Bound as above; spine cocked and extremities and joints lightly rubbed. Stamps as above. Crease to p. 42; interior otherwise unspoiled. A handsomely medieval-esque production.  (37506)

Binding:  Blue publisher's cloth, spine stamped in gilt with fancified title and partly arabesque design, covers decoratively framed in blind.

•  Not in Faxon, nor Thompson, American Literary Annuals & Gift Books; for another year, see Tepper, American Gift Books & Literary Annuals. (Second edition), p. 100.   Bound as above, recently well rebacked with original spine laid on and new endpapers, gently rubbed, small sticker on spine. Light age-toning and foxing (especially around the frontispiece as usual), with occasional other spotting or staining (some perhaps in press); a sound copy representingan interesting phenomenon in marketing.  (37262)

•  BAL 7841.   Publisher's tan cloth, front cover with affixed color-printed paper illustration; binding somewhat darkened (especially spine), corners and spine extremities rubbed, a few small spots of discoloration to front and back covers. Front pastedown with pencilled gift inscription, front free endpaper with bookseller's small ticket. Pages clean. A very nice book. (20839)

•  BAL 7940, state C.   Publisher's cloth as above, dust jacket not present; extremities rubbed, spine slightly dimmed, front hinge (inside) tender. Clippings about Hearn's life and his funeral attached to back endpapers. Pages evenly age-toned with one leaf torn in two places not touching text; two leaves with tiny chips in lower margins. An attractive and intriguing copy, owned by someone interested in Hearn's life. (41512)

Reproduced in black and white,Walter Paget's eight illustrations depict dramatic scenes of survival including a boxing match with a prisoner, a bear attack, and a fight with hostile Samoyeds; they are accompanied by one double-page map of the Russian empire.

Binding: Publisher's teal cloth, front cover with gilt-stamped title and scene of a bearded man either tying or untying the hero stamped in black, brown, and gilt, spine similarly stamped; midnight blue endpapers and all page edges stained to match boards.

•  Dartt, pp. 40-41; Newbolt 58. Bound as above, binding very slightly cocked with edges and extremities lightly rubbed. Text clean.A nice copy of one of Henty's less common titles. (38686)

Despite Hope's having been English and even knighted, this work was apparently never printed in England.

Binding:  Publisher's red cloth, front cover with gilt-stamped title and blind-stamped garden design, spine with gilt-stamped title. Signed binding: Front cover with monogram of a J crowned with E (unidentified designer).

•  Binding as above, cocked, with minimal rubbing to extremities. Front free endpaper with inked gift inscription dated Christmas 1904. A few corners bumped, one torn away. Pages very clean. A bright, pretty copy.  (29132)

•  BAL 9401. Green publisher's cloth, front cover stamped in white and gilt, spine with gilt-stamped title; clean and solid, with only very slight traces of wear to extremities. Front free endpaper with inked owner's name.  (16665)

Binding:  Publisher's green cloth elaborately stamped in gilt on front cover with an overall pattern of torches with bows, surrounding a central cartouche with the title and author in gilt.

•  BAL 9577 (for first edition).   Binding as above, lightly rubbed at base of spine, small area of minor discoloration on spine. Ex–social club library: call number on endpaper, rubber-stamp on title-page, no other markings.  (26805)

Binding:  Publisher's tan cloth, front cover and spine stamped in gilt and dark brown foliate motifs incorporating the motto, “I hold”; signed as above.

•  Bound as above, lacking the seldom-seen dust jacket; spine with gilt very slightly dimmed and minimal wear to extremities, otherwise clean and bright. Front free endpaper with early inked ownership inscription and “Xmas 1913.” Pages slightly and evenly age-toned. Very good. (41339)