"A book should serve as the axe for the frozen sea within us."
— Franz Kafka
Results
The Poems of Lascelles Abercrombie.
London: Oxford University Press, 1930. [Poetry] SIGNED FIRST EDITION. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.[2] x; 550 [2]. With a photogravure frontispiece of the author, SIGNED by him in black ink to lower margin. Publisher's navy cloth with gilt titles to spine and upper. Top edge gilt; others untrimmed. Spine toned..... More
The Zoo Story and Other Plays.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1962. [American Drama] FIRST UK EDITION. Octavo (21 x 14cm), pp.142 [2]. Publisher's blue cloth with silver titles to spine. Top edge yellow. With the dust-jacket designed by Germano Facetti, priced at 18s. A lovely fine copy. The author's first book, featuring ''The Death of Bessie Smith,'..... More
Tea and Sympathy. A Drama in Three Acts.
London: Heinemann, 1957. [American Drama] FIRST UK EDITION. Octavo (20 x 13cm), pp.159 [1]. With a frontispiece photograph of a scene from the 1956 film starring Deborah and John Kerr. Publisher's light green cloth with white titles to spine. With the pink and blue typographic dust-jacket designed by Leslie Needham..... More
The Rocky Horror Show: Mask of Columbia.
Los Angeles: Michael White Productions, n.d. [1974]. EPHEMERA FROM ROCKY HORROR SHOW U.S. OPENING. Card cut out mask of Columbia, approximately 26cm x 19cm with removable eyes and mouth, printed with production notes printed on the rear. Produced as a promotional item for the U.S. opening at the Roxy Theatre..... More
The Metropolis. And the Second Part of the Metropolis.
Dublin: John Barlow, 1805 and 1806. SECOND EDITION. Duodecimo. pp. 69, 87. In recent marbled paper-covered boards with navy titles to cream paper label on spine. Top right corner of title page to part two damaged and repaired. Text unaffected. Otherwise a near-fine example in an attractive new binding. An..... More
The Alphabet Annotated for Youth and Adults in Doggerel Verse by an Old Etonian.
London: Ackermann & Co., no date [1853]. [Illustrated Humour] FIRST EDITION. Folio (33 x 26cm), pp.64. With fine marginal engravings to every page by Terry. Publisher's brown cloth with an engraved paper title label to upper. All edges gilt; yellow-coated endpapers. Repairs to split hinges. Black ink ownership to verso..... More
Birmingham Electrical and Industrial Exhibition, (International) 1889, Programme of Concerts Given in Bingley Hall, On Thursday, August 1st, 1889, at the Opening of the Exhibition by Lady Randolph Churchill. Artistes — Miss Constance Bellamy and Mr. J. W. Turner. Gilmer's Military Band.
Birmingham: printed by J. Upton for the venue, 1889. [Concert Programme] ORIGINAL SILK PROGRAMME. Octavo bi-fold, printed on all sides (22 x 15cm). Cream silk printed in dark blue. Heavy fraying to edges, especially fore-edge, with one large brown mark to the front cover, as well as a few much..... More
Poetical Works of Matthew Arnold.
London: Macmillan, 1913. [Poetry]. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.[xii]; 510. Riviere binding of contemporary brown half morocco over purple cloth boards, with raised bands, gilt title and extra gilt to spine, top edge gilt, marbled endpapers. Presentation note to "Miss D.M. Lapage", the commandant of the Kent 142 Volunteer Ambulance..... More
Collected Longer Poems.
London: Faber and Faber, 1968. [Poetry] FIRST EDITION THUS. Octavo (23 x 15cm), pp.356. Publisher's blue cloth, gilt titles to spine, typographic dust-jacket, repriced by Faber at £2.50 net with a sticker over the original printed price of 45s / £2.25 net. First and last leaves faintly creased at the..... More
Academic Graffiti.
London: Faber and Faber, 1971. [Illustrated Clerihews] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 16cm), unpaginated. 60 poems with an illustration by Sanjust to each facing leaf. Publisher's red cloth with gilt titles to spine. With the dust-jacket also illustrated by Sanjust, priced at £2.00. Light handling; a fine copy. More
About the House.
London: Faber and Faber, 1966. [Poetry] FIRST EDITION, with the errata slip at p.7. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.94 [2]. Publisher's blue cloth with gilt titles to spine. With the green and pink dust-jacket, priced at 15s. South African bookseller's ticket to pastedown. The lightest of offsetting to endpapers. Spine..... More
Collected Shorter Poems 1927-1957.
London: Faber and Faber, 1966. [Poetry] FIRST THUS. Octavo (23 x 15cm), pp.351 [1]. Publisher's blue cloth with gilt titles to spine. With the yellow typographic dust-jacket priced at 42s. Jacket rubbed to spine and edges, with creasing and some loss to head and tail of spine. Very good... More
Making, Knowing and Judging. An Inaugural Lecture delivered before the University of Oxford on 11 June 1956.
Oxford: at the Clarendon Press, 1956. [Literary Criticism] FIRST EDITION. Octavo pamphlet (23 x 15cm), pp.33 [3]. Publisher's plain typographic paper covers, sewn. Sewing broken; covers detached. Quite heavy wear, and a crease, to covers. Good. More
Thank You, Fog: Last Poems by W.H. Auden.
London: Faber and Faber, 1974. [Poetry] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (23 x 15cm), pp.[2] 57 [5]. Publisher's blue quarter cloth with gilt titles to spine and light blue paper over boards. With the black and grey dust-jacket, priced at £1.75. Jacket lightly toned to spine, with the lightest of handling to..... More
Lays of the Scottish Cavaliers and Other Poems.
Edinburgh: William Blackwood and Sons, 1870. [Poetry] FINELY BOUND AND ILLUSTRATED, a later edition. Quarto (26 x 19cm), pp.[12]; 268. With frequent wood engraved vignettes by the Patons. Contemporary green full morocco by R. and A. SUTTABY of London, with raised bands, gilt titles and decoration to spine, and gilt..... More
![Scrapbook]. Mary BATES](/pictures/thumb/51119.jpg?v=1592497803)
[Scrapbook].
[Privately produced]. 1892- circa 1903. LATE VICTORIAN SCRAPBOOK. Small quarto (26 x 19cm), pp.[16]; 1-2; 9-68. With three leaves removed near the beginning, and two from the back. Containing a great panoply of decorative monograms, crests and printed signatures and addresses belonging to the English gentry, cut from letters or..... More
![En Attendant Godot [Waiting For Godot]. Samuel BECKETT](/pictures/thumb/54808.jpg?v=1569253767)
En Attendant Godot [Waiting For Godot].
Paris: Les Editions De Minuit, 1952. [Drama] FIRST TRADE EDITION. Octavo (18 x 11cm), pp.163; [1], blank; [1], note; [3], blank. White card covers printed in black and blue, advertisements for 'Malloy' and 'Malone Meurt' to rear cover, with photo of the author. Title and rear leaves unopened (uncut edges)..... More
The Hostage.
London: Methuen and Co. Ltd., 1958. [Modern Drama] FIRST EDITION of the play in book form. Octavo (18 x 12cm), pp.92. Publisher's black cloth lettered in gilt to spine, photographic dust-wrapper priced at 10/6. Top edge dusty, jacket with a few chips and tears, sunned to spine; very good... More
The Lady with a Lamp.
London: Victor Gollancz, 1929. [Drama] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 12cm), pp.136. Publisher's black cloth with red paper title label to spine. With the plain dust-jacket, priced at 3/6 for paper, or 5s for cloth. A small blue ink gift inscription to fly-leaf. Quite heavy spotting and offsetting to endpapers..... More
Poems in the Porch.
London: S.P.C.K., 1957. [Poetry] ILLUSTRATED EDITION, a later printing. Octavo (23 x 15cm), pp.[28]. With in-text illustrations by Piper. Publisher's soft covers titled in blue and red, stapled twice and priced at 2s. Blue ink gift inscription to half-title. Covers toned with some light handling. Very good. Some blank verse..... More
State of the Nation: British Theatre since 1945.
London: Faber and Faber, 2007. [Theatre] INSCRIBED FIRST EDITION. Octavo (24 x 16cm), pp.viii; 435; [5]. With a suite of four double-sided colour photographic plates. INSCRIBED by the author in blue ink to title page: "For Edward | Best Wishes | Michael Billington | 19th November 2007". Publisher's orange cloth..... More
Auguries.
London: William Heinemann, 1913. [Poetry] FIRST EDITION, first impression. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.[8] 97 [3]. Publisher's brown cloth with gilt titles to spine and upper. Some offsetting to endpapers, and faint signs of a label or bookplate removed from front pastedown. Light wear to cloth. Near fine. More
The Horkey.
London: Macmillan and Co., 1882. [Children's illustrated] ILLUSTRATED BY GEORGE CRUICKSHANK (the younger). Slim quarto (25 x 21cm), pp.48. Printed with colour illustrations to every page. Illustrated paper-covered boards, green cloth spine, all edges green. Blind stamp of W.H. Smith Library to flyleaf, some toning and light spotting. Boards rubbed..... More
![Rural Tales, Ballads, and Songs [and] The Farmer's Boy, A Rural Poem. Robert BLOOMFIELD](/pictures/thumb/49899.jpg?v=1512736293)
Rural Tales, Ballads, and Songs [and] The Farmer's Boy, A Rural Poem.
Paris: Parsons and Galignani, 1804. [Poetry]. FINELY BOUND, early editions, two volumes bound as one. Octavo (16 x 10cm), pp.75-146 [2]; pp.74 [4]. With an etched vignette title page for each volume. In contemporary marbled boards, recently re-backed in light brown calf with black titles to cream paper label on..... More
Rural Tales, Ballads, and Songs.
London: Printed for Vernor and Hood, 1803. [Poetry] THIRD EDITION. Small octavo (16 x 11cm), pp.[2] xii; 119 [1]. With an etched frontispiece portrait of the author, and numerous woodcuts. Contemporary full marbled calf, with gilt titles to a red label and further gilt decoration to spine. All edges speckled..... More