"There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written. "
— Oscar Wilde
Illustrated & Plate Books
The Comic Blackstone.
London: At the Punch Office, 1846. 8vo.; pp. 252, with 3 illustrations by Cruikshank: a frontispiece, an engraved title page printed in red and black, and a cartouche at foot of last page. Bound in later (20th century) tan half calf with dark brown title label, gilt titles and extra... More about The Comic Blackstone
The Ladies' Pocket Book of Etiquette.
Waltham Saint Lawrence: The Golden Cockerel Press, 1928. [Etiquette] PRIVATE PRESS EDITION. Small octavo (18 x 11cm), pp.[12]; 55 [5]. With four engraved plates by Sainsbury. Number 390 of 500 copies, hand-numbered to limitation page at rear. In quarter cream vegetable parchment with gilt titles to spine and red and... More about The Ladies' Pocket Book of Etiquette
Abbott's American Watchmaker and Jeweller. An Encyclopaedia for the horologist, jeweller, gold and silversmith.
Chicago. Geo. K. Hazlitt and co. 1894. FIRST EDITION. Octavo, pp.354, 14 of adverts. Illustrated with 288 in text engravings. Publisher's pale blue cloth. Some marking to cloth, inner hinges starting, lower inner hinge split. Good. More about Abbott's American Watchmaker and Jeweller. An Encyclopaedia for the horologist, jeweller, gold...
Arctic Island Hunter.
London: George Ronald, 1961. INSCRIBED FIRST EDITION. Octavo, pp.136. With 12 black and white photographic plates and two maps. Warmly INSCRIBED by the author in blue ink to front free endpaper: 'To Mary, / with the warmest Baha'; / greetings / Paul Adams'. In publisher's light blue cloth with red... More about Arctic Island Hunter
A Collection of the Published Writings of the Late Thomas Addison, M.D., Physician to Guy's Hospital.
London: The New Sydenham Society, 1868. [Medical Essays]. FIRST THUS. Octavo (23 x 15cm), pp.xxxii; 242. With a frontispiece engraving of the author and seven lithographic plates, including three hand-coloured. Publisher's brown blind-decorated cloth with gilt titles to spine and gilt bust of the author to upper board. All edges... More about A Collection of the Published Writings of the Late Thomas Addison, M.D., Physician to Guy's Hospital
The Cecil Aldin Book.
London: Eyre and Spottiswoode, no date [1932]. [Illustrated Miscellany] FIRST EDITION. Small quarto (25 x 19cm), pp.193; [1]. With eight plates in colour, seven half-tone plates, and 95 black and white drawings. Publisher's oatmeal cloth with orange title labels to spine and upper board. Quite heavy spotting to first and... More about The Cecil Aldin Book
The Brightfount Diaries.
1955. FIRST EDITION. This is the author's first book. Octavo, pp. 200. Bound in blue publisher's cloth with author's name and title in yellow lettering to spine, in a pink pictorial dustjacket designed by Pearl Falconer who provides illustration throughout. Boards in excellent condition with no visible signs of wear... More about The Brightfount Diaries
Contes.
no place no date [circa 1960]. [Inscribed illustrations] TWO SIGNED PUBLISHER'S PROOF PLATES. One page of text and two publisher's proof plates mounted, framed and glazed. Both plates warmly inscribed and signed by Alexeieff to Max Begg. Overall size (71 x 41cm). Fine. More about Contes
The National Sports of Great Britain.
London: Methuen, 1903. NEW EDITION. Duodecimo. pp. xiii [unpaginated]. With 50 colour illustrations including frontispiece by Alken. In publisher's red cloth with black titles to cream paper label on spine. Edges untrimmed. Light spotting and external wear. Spine sunned. Fair overall. Based on the 1825 edition published by Thomas M'Lean. More about The National Sports of Great Britain
Happy England. As Painted by Helen Allingham. With Memoir and Descriptions by Marcus Huish.
London: Adam and Charles Black, 1903. FIRST EDITION. Illustrated with 81 coloured plates from paintings by H. Allingham, with entitled tissue guards. Publisher's dark blue cloth with decorative green, pink, and red floral design as well as titles in gilt to upper and spine; top edge gilt. Very light shelfwear... More about Happy England. As Painted by Helen Allingham. With Memoir and Descriptions by Marcus Huish
Farthest East, and South and West. Notes of a Journey Home through Japan, Australia and America.
London: W. H. Allen, 1892. FIRST EDITION. Octavo. pp. xii, 343. With 12 photographic plates including frontispiece. In publisher's red cloth with gilt titles to spine and upper board, as well as black/white illustrations. Navy end-papers. Black ink prize inscription to verso of front free end-paper. Reading lean. Clean and... More about Farthest East, and South and West. Notes of a Journey Home through Japan, Australia and America
The Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen.
London: George Newnes, 1899. [Children's Illustrated] FINELY BOUND, FIRST STRATTON ILLUSTRATED EDITION. Quarto (28 x 22cm), pp.[2]; xvi; 320; [2]. With over 400 in-text wood engravings by Stratton. Contemporary green full morocco dated 1900, with raised bands, gilt titles to spine and gilt decorations to upper board. All edges gilt;... More about The Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen
Stories from Hans Andersen. With Illustrations by Edmund Dulac.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1911. [Illustrated children's classic]. FIRST DULAC ILLUSTRATED EDITION. Quarto (29 x 23cm), pp.viii; 250; [2]. Publisher's green cloth blocked in gilt to spine and upper board, illustrated endpapers. With twenty eight tipped in colour plates. Some light spotting to endpapers, preliminaries, and edges, a couple of... More about Stories from Hans Andersen. With Illustrations by Edmund Dulac
The Half: Photographs of Actors Preparing for the Stage.
London: Faber and Faber, 2010. [Photography] FIRST SOFTCOVER EDITION. Quarto (28 x 21cm), pp.xii; 308. Black and white photographs throughout. With the black and white soft covers, priced at £20.00. A fine as-new copy. From the library of the writer, media and film executive Edward Milward-Oliver. More about The Half: Photographs of Actors Preparing for the Stage
Family Secrets. or hints to those who would make home happy.
London: Fisher, Son and Co., no date [1843]. [Literature] ILLUSTRATED Three volumes, octavo (21 x 14 x 8cm). Brown half calf over brown cloth sides, gilt titles on darker brown calf squares to spine. Each volume with an engraved frontispiece and half title page plus another twenty-five plates spread between... More about Family Secrets. or hints to those who would make home happy
A Book of Designs of Deep Sea Racing Craft. Issued Under the Auspices of the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club.
London: Ernest J. Day and Company, [1932]. FIRST EDITION. Oblong quarto, pp.viii, 116. Bound in full dark blue Morocco with gilt emblem to upper board, later respine to style. Marbled endpapers, all edges gilt. Introduction by Malden Heckstall-Smith, followed by 116 pages of plans. Some light spotting to prelims, some... More about A Book of Designs of Deep Sea Racing Craft. Issued Under the Auspices of the Royal Corinthian...
The Dolly Dressmaker. Original Book of Cutting and Dressing with Original Artwork of 10 Paintings on board.
Printed in England, B.B. (Birn Brothers) Ltd., 1950's. The Book: Folio. No. 509. Soft pictorial covers with 16 pages, 8 of which are printed in colour. The Artwork: 10 hand painted hard board leaves, same size as the book, being the original artwork for the front and back covers as... More about The Dolly Dressmaker. Original Book of Cutting and Dressing with Original Artwork of 10 Paintings...
The Life and Times of Dick Whittington: An Historical Romance.
London: Hugh Cunningham, 1841. First Edition. Octavo. Bound in original publishers cloth, rebacked; boards decorated with blind panelling, with gilt titles, and gilt portrait of Whittington and cat to spine; all edges uncut. With 22 illustrations. Binding is rubbed, gilt to spine somewhat faded. Text is clean, but illustrations show... More about The Life and Times of Dick Whittington: An Historical Romance
London Views.
N.D. Circa 1890's. Small Octavo. Twenty three images of London, presented on one long concertina folded page. green cloth with ornate gilt and black titles and decoration. Some rubbing and marking to the covers, rear joint has split. A charming souvenir. More about London Views
Neues Panorama Des Rheins Von Mannheim Bis Coln; and, The Rhine From Maynece To Cologne.
Mainz: Verlag von D Kapp, and Mainz: Joseph Halenza, n.d. [c.1880]. Leporello, or concertina map, in tall octavo boards (30 x 17.5cm; map extends to 242cm). In stiff paperboards with recent red cloth spine, decorative foliate border with titles in black to front board, reproduced to rear board with alternative... More about Neues Panorama Des Rheins Von Mannheim Bis Coln; and, The Rhine From Maynece To Cologne
Tonbridge Legends, Etc.
London: Kent and Co, Tonbridge: Richard Ware, n.d. [1866]. FIRST EDITION. Octavo, pp.232. With seven engraved plates. Green cloth with ornate gilt margins to boards, gilt titles and decoration to spine and upper board. All edges gilt. Spine has at some point been professionally rebacked. Bookbinders label of Hanbury and... More about Tonbridge Legends, Etc
A Panoramic View From Bunker Hill Monument.
Boston, MA: Luther Stevens, c.1848. LARGE FOLD-OUT. Octavo, pp. 16; 1 [panoramic fold-out]. Bound in publisher's dark green card boards, cloth spine, Victorian lettering and presentation of publisher's details printed in black to front cover, matching decorative border to rear. The famous "Battle of Bunker Hill" (fought on June 17... More about A Panoramic View From Bunker Hill Monument
The Centenary of Lord's Cricket Ground, 1814-1914.
[Privately Printed]. n.d. [1914]. RARE BOOKLET. Octavo, pp.[2]; 40; [2]. With 6 lithographic plates reproduced from photographs. In original red cloth with gilt titles to upper board. Black ink ownership inscription of Arthur L. Watson, listed as attending Centenary Dinner at the Hotel Cecil on 23rd June 1914, to front... More about The Centenary of Lord's Cricket Ground, 1814-1914
The Interlude of Youth.
London: Gowans and Gray, 1922. ORIGINAL ILLUSTRATED JACKET. Duodecimo. pp. vi, 39. In publisher's paper covers with rice paper jacket illustrated in colour by Jessie M. King. Jacket spine torn; binding very weak. A very fragile little edition - fair overall. More about The Interlude of Youth
Coney Island and Brooklyn, N.Y., Illustrated.
New York, NY: Manhattan Post Card Co., no date [circa 1900]. [Coney Island] EARLY POSTCARD IMAGES. Octavo pamphlet. Dichromatic printing on clay paper, with colour-illustrated card covers, stapled. 16 double-sided black and white photographic plates, totalling 64 individual images. Some small losses to edges of first and last leaves. Rubbing... More about Coney Island and Brooklyn, N.Y., Illustrated