"Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it."
— P.J. O'Rourke

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
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
London: Michael Joseph, 1954. [Children's Illustrated] FIRST EDITION. Quarto (25 x 20cm), unpaginated, with three fine chromolithographic plates including a frontispiece tipped in and 16 further sketch illustrations by Whistler. Publisher's red quarter cloth over grey cloth boards, gilt titles to spine gilt figure to upper, light blue endpapers, dust-jacket..... More
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1911. [Illustrated children's classic] FIRST DULAC ILLUSTRATED EDITION. Quarto (29 x 23cm), pp.viii; 250; [2]. With twenty eight tipped in colour plates. Smartly bound in green half calf over original gilt-stamped green cloth sides, gilt-lettered twin red title labels, spine in six compartments with raised bands..... More
London, George G. Harrap and Co. Ltd., 1932. [Fairy tales] FIRST RACKHAM EDITION, SIGNED LIMITED deluxe issue. Large octavo (26 x 19cm), pp.288. With twelve full-page coloured plates with tissue guards and many full page and in-text black and white illustrations. Publisher's gilt-stamped parchment over boards, top edge gilt, others..... More
London: Hurst and Blackett, 1861. [Colonial Exploration] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.xxii; 364. With 17 wood engravings by Zwecker and Pearson, including a frontispiece and vignette title page. Contemporary red full calf with raised bands, gilt titles to a navy label on spine, further gilt decoration to spine..... More
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Boston, MA: Luther Stevens, c.1848. LARGE FOLD-OUT. Octavo (24 x 18cm), 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. Some discolouration to front board and noticeable..... More
no date [circa 1890's]. [Crest and Monogram Album] CREST AND MONOGRAM COLLECTION. Small quarto (24 x 19cm), title page and 35 unpaginated leaves, all completed with crests and monograms in various colours cut from envelopes and headed paper. Blue leather-grain-effect cloth over boards with blind decoration. All edges gilt. Clean..... More
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
London: the London General News and Book Agency, no date [circa 1916]. [Wartime Propaganda] FIRST EDITION. Slim quarto (28 x 20cm), pp.62. A collection of photogravure images printed on clay paper showing German prisoners of war engaging in wholesome and enjoyable activities, including gardening, tailoring, amateur dramatics, sport, and model..... More