"Books are a hardbound drug with no danger of overdose. I am the happy victim of books."
— Karl Lagerfeld
Occult & Esoterica
Mysteries of the Rosie Cross, or, the history of that Curious Sect of the Middle Ages, known as the Rosicrucians; with Examples of their Pretensions and Claims as set forth in the writings of their leaders and disciples.
London: A. Reader, 1891. [Theology and Occult] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.viii; 134; [2]. Advertisements at rear listing books in the 'Phallic and Mystical Series.' Publisher's cream cloth with titles and decoration in red to spine and upper board. All edges untrimmed. Spotting and offsetting to endpapers. An..... More
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
In Darkest England and The Way Out.
Salvation Army, London. [1890]. FIRST EDITION. 8vo., pp. 285 + pp. xxix and fold out colour chart. Publisher's dark blue cloth, gilt. Owner's neat inscription. Very Good. More
Religio Medici and other essays.
London: Chapman and Hall, 1915. Octavo. Bound in contemporary half red morocco over red cloth boards, gilt ruling to boards, with raised bands, gilt decoration and titles in gilt to spine; top edge gilt, other edges uncut, marbled endpapers. Binding is lightly rubbed, corners bumped. Internally very clean, free from..... 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
Omens and Superstitions: Curious Facts and Illustrative Sketches. Nimmo's Series of Commonplace Books.
Edinburgh: William P. Nimmo, no date [circa 1870]. [Supernatural Accounts] EARLY EDITION. Small octavo (16 x 12cm), pp.160; [24]. With an engraved frontispiece and decorated title page by the Dalziel brothers. Publisher's green cloth with gilt titles and decoration to spine and upper board. Brown endpapers; all edges gilt. Bookplate..... More
[Manuscript letter describing the miraculous survival of a storm at sea during the South African Spiritualist Tour of 1928].
1st November 1928. ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT LETTER WRITTEN BY SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE'S SECOND WIFE. Written in black ink over both sides of two sheets of headed note paper from the R.M.S. Windsor Castle, Union-Castle Line. With the original envelope addressed to a Mrs. Hewitt of London, SW7. Stamp and postmarks..... 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
A Public Debate On "The Truth of Spiritualism".
London: Watts and Co., 1920. [Spiritualism] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 14cm), pp.vi; 57; [1] blank. Publisher's printed wraps, stapled twice. Damp staining to bottom part of the textblock, some chipping to the bottom corner, some light spotting. Covers a little soiled, chipped and nibbled, staples rusted. Good. This title..... 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
Mesmerism In India. And its Practical Application in Surgery and Medicine.
Chicago: The Psychic Research Company. 1902. 1902 reprint of 1846 first edition (I can't imagine it was reprinted very often). 165pp. + 4pp ads. Publisher's purple cloth, faded to spine, titled in gilt to front board. Minor scuffing and edgewear, very good indeed. Virulent and somewhat disturbing green and gold..... 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