"There is no friend as loyal as a book."
— Ernest Hemingway
Occult & Esoterica
Past Feelings Renovated; Or, Ideas Occasioned by the Perusal of Dr Hibbert's 'Philosophy of Apparitions', written with the View of Counteracting any Sentiments Approaching Materialism, which that work, however Unintentional on the Part of the Author, May have a Tendency to Produce.
London: George B. Whittaker, 1828. [Supernatural occurence / mysticism] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 12cm), ppxi; 323. Early two-tone cloth, manuscript label to spine. Contents clean, occasional fold to corners, vintage catalogue description affixed to pastedown, minor rubbing and soiling to covers. A very good copy. Relating to Samuel Hibbert-Ware..... More
The Essays, Colours of Good and Evil, and Advancement of Learning of Francis Bacon.
London: Macmillan, 1902. [Philosophy] LEATHER-BOUND, reprinted. Octavo (23 x 16cm), pp.[xviii]; 422. Contemporary black half morocco over blue cloth boards, with raised bands and gilt titles to spine, top edge gilt, marbled endpapers. Binding is attractive, minor bumping to corners, cloth somewhat soiled, front edge toned. Ownership inscription ("Evie Woods")..... More
K.K.K. Sketches. Humorous and Didactic. Treating the more important events of the Ku-Klux-Klan movement in the South. With a Discussion of the Causes which gave rise to it, and the Social and Political Issues emanating from it.
Philadelphia, PA: Claxton, Remsen and Haffelfinger, 1877. FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 14cm), pp.[2] 192 [2]. Publisher's green cloth with gilt titles to spine and a monogram to upper; brown end papers. Lightly browned as expected. Front free endpaper brittle and nearly detached. Heavy rubbing to outer edges, especially spine..... More
A Discovery Concerning Ghosts: with a rap at the "spirit rappers". To which is added a few parting raps at the "rappers", with questions, suggestions, and advice to the Davenport Brothers.
London: Routledge, Warne, and Routledge, 1864. Second Edition. Octavo, pp.[iv], 60. Bound in recent brown cloth, with gilt titles to spine, original upper bound in. Illustrated by Cruikshank with many in-text woodcut engravings. Binding shows no signs of rubbing. Internally clean, with some light marginal browning, neat ownership inscription to..... More
Superstition and the Dread Prophecies for 1881-1885.
Albany, NY: Published for the Author, 1881. FIRST EDITION. Octavo pamphlet, pp. 63. in light grey pictorial wraps. Paper slightly toned, some marking to wraps with some loss to the spine. A fine copy, scarce. More
Supernatural Pamphlets.
1852-54. Five important pamphlets by a leader in the Spiritualist movement. Bound in contemporary full brown calf with gilt titles and ornate gilt decoration to spine, marbled endpapers and edges. 'The Approaching Crisis: Being A Review of Dr. Bushnell's Recent Lectures on Spiritualism', New York: Published by the Author, 1852..... More
The Case for Spirit Photography.
London: Hutchinson and Co., no date [December 1922]. [Occult] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 14cm), pp.110. Complete with 16 photographic plates showing 31 photographic images. As Green and Gibson note, the illustrations list call for an additional plate, but no copy with this plate has ever been noted; it seems..... More
The Coming of the Fairies.
New York, NY: George H. Doran, 1922. [Spiritualism] FIRST U.S. EDITION. 1500 copies published. Octavo (21 x 15cm), pp.196. Illustrated with photographic plates. Publisher's mid-brown cloth, lettered in black, with photographic illustration laid down to upper, top edge ochre, others untrimmed. Slight toning, ink note 'hobby room' to flyleaf, same..... More
Spiritualism and Rationalism. With a Drastic Examination of Mr Joseph McCabe.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, no date [1920]. [Spiritualism] FIRST EDITION. Slim octavo (20 x 13cm), pp.32. Thick grey paper covers ruled and titled in black. Some spotting, two faint owner stamps to upper. A rare survival of a throwaway item; just one other example is available at the time of..... More
The Vital Message.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, no date [1919]. [Spiritualism] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.228. With four black and white photographic plates. Pages 1-2 are pasted to cover as endpapers (as issued; Green and Gbson, p.302, line 1). Bound in dark grey cloth lettered in gilt to the backstrip. Contents..... More
The Vital Message.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, no date [1919]. [Spiritualism] SIGNED FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.228. With four black and white photographic plates. Handsomely bound in mid-green full oasis morocco, with twin black morocco title labels lettered in gilt, raised bands, gilt rules to spine and boards, top edge gilt..... More
The Christian Defence Against The Fears of Death, with Seasonable Directions how to Prepare Ourselves to Die Well. With an Account of the Death of the Author to which is Added a True Relation of the Apparition of Mrs Veal.
Londopn: Thomas Kelly 1824. New edition, with twelve fine plates including a frontispiece (dated 1823) and a vignette title (dated 1819). Octavo, pp.viii; 557; [1], Directions to the Binder; 8 [The Apparition]. Advertised as a 'New, improved and elegant Edition, with some valuable additions, which is printed with an excellent..... More
The Wolf-Leader. Newly translated by Afred Allinson.
London: Methuen, [1904]. Octavo, pp. 8 [advertisements]; 115. In publisher's decorated wraps, white card overprinted in red and black. Front of book features stylised titles and author's name bordered by a sword design, with central image of the 'wolf-leader' surrounded by a pack of ferocious wolves. Book is in extremely..... More
Elements of Negro Religion. Being a Contribution to the Study of Indo-Bantu Comparative Religion.
Edinburgh: Edmondston-Scott and Co., 1910. FIRST EDITION. Octavo (23 x 16cm), pp.xvi; 244; [3 of advertisements]; [1]. Publisher's green cloth, gilt titles to spine. Some offsetting to endpapers, a few dinks to top edge. Cloth a little rubbed to extremities. Very good. More
Wrecked Among Cannibals In The Fijis. A Narrative of Shipwreck and Adventure in The South Seas.
Salem: Marine Research Society. 1923. First edition. 8vo. Publisher's blue paper covered boards with black cloth spine titled in gilt. In dustwrapper with very light soiling. Essentially a fine copy. Pages unopened. Internally clean and fresh. A splendid copy. An account of the wrecking of the ship "Glide" out of..... More
The Meini Hirion and Sarns of Anglesey. Considered in relation to the early hundred system.
Published by the Author at Pen-y-Bont, Red Wharf Bay, Anglesey. 1927. First (and only edition, until very recently when the printers did a facsimile). 8vo. 54pp. Publisher's brown cloth titled in black to spine and front board. Minor edgewear, clean and bright, very good indeed. Internally clean, minor toning to..... More
The Meini Hirion and Sarns of Anglesey. Considered in relation to the early hundred system.
Published by the Author at Pen-y-Bont, Red Wharf Bay, Anglesey. 1927. First (and only edition, until very recently when the printers did a facsimile). 8vo. 54pp. Later cloth binding with titles to spine and upper in gilt. A little foxing and toning to sheets else fine. Binding is unmarked. A...... More
An Essay Towards A Theory of Apparitions.
London, Cadell and Davies. 1813. FIRST EDITION. Slim 8vo. Contemporary marbled boards with vellum corners, later leather spine titled in silver gilt to green title label. Alastair Robb-Smith's bookplate to front pastedown. Some light foxing, three institutional stamps partly erased to front, middle and rear (not affecting text). The first..... More
Pause to Wonder. Stories of the Marvelous, Mysterious, and Strange.
New York: Julian Messner, Inc., 1944. FIRST EDITION. Octavo, pp.xix; 572. Bound in publisher's grey cloth with red title to spine, in a pictorial dustjacket. Book in very good condition, binding holds well, tape repairs to boards, endcaps pushed, some markings along board edges, and discoloured areas to rear board..... More
Sane Occultism.
London: Rider, n.d. [1929]. FIRST EDITION. Octavo, pp.192. In publisher's green cloth with gilt titles to spine. Black ink ownership inscription to front free endpaper. Slight reading lean; edges lightly spotted. Contemporary tram ticket loose to rear. Light outer wear; very good overall. In an earlier age Dion Fortune would..... More
Adonis Attis Osiris. Studies in the History of Oriental Religion.
London: Macmillan and Co., 1906. [Religion]. FIRST EDITION. Octavo (23 x 17cm), pp.xvi; 339; [blank]; [4 of publisher's advertisements]. Publisher's dark blue cloth, gilt titles to spine. Internally fine. Remains of a small label to top of spine, spine head very slightly chipped, cloth lightly rubbed to extremities. Near fine..... More
The Golden Bough. A Study in Magic and Religion.
London: Macmillan and Co., 1922. [Occult] FIRST ABRIDGED EDITION. Octavo (23 x 15cm), pp.xiv; 756 [4]. With a frontispiece reproducing an engraving after J.M.W. Turner. Publisher's blue cloth with gilt titles to spine and gilt decoration to upper. All edges untrimmed. Offsetting and spotting to preliminaries. Some rubbing and marking..... More
Romance and Reality of the Puritan Coast.
Boston: Little Brown 1897. FIRST EDITION. Octavo. Illustrated. Attractive Art-Nouveau style binding in full green morocco, gilt, all edges gilt, inner gilt dentelles. with gilt floral endpapers. Spine sunned else fine. Includes a chapter on Salem. More
Magic Without Apparatus. A treatise on the principles, old and new, of sleight of hand with cards, coins, billiard balls and thimbles.
New Jersey; Fleming Book Company. 1945. Conjuring. First US edition. Large 8vo. 527pp. Bound in publishers light blue buckram titled and decorated in gilt to spine and front board. Clean and bright, very good indeed. Minor edgewear. Internally clean and bright, a comprehensive and fascinating work on simple sleight of..... More
The Professional and Other Psychic Stories.
London: Hurst and Blackett, 1900. First edition. Octavo. Publisher's blue cloth titled in white to spine. Lightly rubbed to edges. very good indeed. Bumping to spine ends. Internally clean, light spotting to prelims. A selection of short stories of a psychic and supernatural bent by a woman who has been..... More