Featured Books for This Week
1. THE HISTORY OF WORLD SCULPTURE, by Germain Bazin, New York Graphic Society Ltd., Greenwich, CT, 1968, 1st edition, folio, 459 pp. Elaborate Custom red leather inlay on red Morocco, with gilt titles and designs on both covers, and gilt titles and borders on black leather labels on the spine. Raised bands on the spine. Front joint starting to split, apparently from the very heavy weight of the book., but binding is still intact and otherwise very sound. No other marks or damage to covers or text at all. Ornate floral design end papers, and a red silk bookmark sewn in. In a custom slipcase, with marbled boards and cloth edges. There is some shelf wear and slight spotting to the cloth edges of the case.
This is NOT the standard binding for this book, which has a more common art book cloth binding. The name “George Packer” is printed in gilt in an inset at the bottom of the front cover, which suggests that it may have been a unique binding or one of a small number, perhaps for benefactors of the Society. (There is a currently well-known journalist of that name, but he would still have been in his childhood when the book was published, so there does not appear to be any connection there.)
An impressive book in its own right, with more than 1,000 photos of sculpture throughout history, with ample narrative to describe the development of sculpture. But the strikingly attractive binding is almost a work of sculpture itself. Near fine.
$200
2. THE BOTANIC GARDEN, A POEM IN TWO PARTS, Part I Containing the Economy of Vegetation, Part II, The Loves of the Plants, with Philosophical Notes, (Erasmus Darwin), Printed for J. Johnson, London, 1799, 4th Edition, I- (1) xx, 497 pp., and II- (1), xii (2) 282 pp. (2)
Erasmus Robert Darwin (1731 –1802) was an English physician, who was one of the key thinkers of the Midlands Enlightenment, he was also a natural philosopher, physiologist, slave-trade abolitionist, inventor, and poet. His poems included much natural history, including a statement of evolution and the relatedness of all forms of life.
He was a member of the Darwin–Wedgwood family, which includes his grandsons Charles Darwin and Francis Galton. Erasmus Darwin was a founding member of the Lunar Society of Birmingham, a discussion group of pioneering industrialists and natural philosophers.
The Botanic Garden is a set of two poems, The Economy of Vegetation and The Loves of the Plants. The first poem celebrates technological innovation and scientific discovery and offers theories concerning contemporary scientific questions, such as the history of the cosmos. The more popular second poem, Loves of the Plants, promotes, revises and illustrates Linnaeus's classification scheme for plants.
The book was one of the first popular science books, and its intent was to pique readers' interest in science while educating them at the same time. By embracing Linnaeus's sexualized language, which anthropomorphizes plants, Darwin intended to make botany interesting and relevant to the readers of his time. He emphasized the connections between humanity and plants, arguing that they are all part of the same natural world and that sexual reproduction is at the heart of evolution. He did not live long enough to see his grandson, Charles Darwin, elaborate the idea into a full-fledged theory of evolution.
This set is bound in contemporary marbled leather boards with gilt ruling on the spine and has been rebacked with complementary brown leather spines. Gilt titles on red leather badges and the raised banks are decorated in gilt as well. Gilt all around. Marbled endpapers. Engraved frontispieces in both volumes, and 20 additional engraved plates, one of them a foldout and another a two page spread. Both volumes show worn corners and scuffed edges, but both bindings are solid. The front hinges in both volumes are cracking but holding, while all the hinges has been professionally reinforced. The bookplate of John Bell Sedgwick, a 19th century British physician and President of the Leavesden Hospital, is on the front pastedowns of both volumes. There is scattered foxing in both volumes, primarily on the endpapers and plates, which is common for books of this vintage. Good to very good overall. $500
3. NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY OF EMINENT AMERICANS, Including Orators, Statesmen, Naval and Military Heroes, Jurists, Authors, etc. etc. from Original Full Length Paintings by Alonzo Chappel, with Biographical and Historical Narratives by Evert A. Duyckinck, in Two Volumes. Johnson, Fry & Company, New York, n.d. c. 1870’s, Vol. I - vii, 616 pp., Vol. II – iv, 598 pp. The first edition of this work was published in 1861. This is a later reprint, but much expanded from the original, with the addition of the major Civil War notables from both sides. (Lincoln, Grant, Sherman, Lee, etc.) Thus it has approx.. 200 more pages than the original edition, 151 persons included vs. 119 in the original.
Very attractively ¼ bound in brown calf on brown Morocco boards. Gilt titles, raised bands and blind stamped designs on the spines. The gilt name of “E B. Carlin” is printed in gilt on the front covers, so this may have been a premium edition personalized for each subscriber. Very minor bumping of corners and slight scuffing on edges. Minor staining on endpapers, apparently from leather dye. Virtually no foxing or darkening of the text and plates, which is unusual for books of this era. Overall very good to near fine. $350
4. THE POETICAL WORKS OF ROBERT BROWNING, with Portraits, in Two Volumes, Smith, Elder & Co., London, 1898, Vol. I – xvi, 748 pp, (2), Vol. II – vii, 786 pp.
A beautifully bound set in modern, full red leather with gilt titles and raised bands on the spines. Gilt all around. Marbled endpapers. Bookplates of a previous owner on the ffep., and the ink name of another owner on the blank page before the half title page in both volumes. Very slight scuffing at spine ends and edges. No other marks or damage at all.
Robert Browning (1812 –1889) was an English poet and playwright whose dramatic monologues put him high among the Victorian poets. He was noted for irony, characterization, dark humor, social commentary, historical settings and challenging vocabulary and syntax.
An especially attractive set. Near fine. $350
5. MODERN MEN OF LETTERS, Honestly Criticized, by J. Hain Friswell, Hodder and Stoughton, London, 1870, xiv, 370 pp.
Very attractive modern fine binding in full brown leather, with gilt titles and raised bands on the spine, and gilt borders on the covers and spine. Marbled endpapers. Binding and contents both in fine condition, with no marks or damage.
James Hain Friswell (1825 –1878) was an English essayist and novelist. He was a frequent contributor to Chambers's Journal, The Leader, The Spectator, the London Review, the Saturday Review, and the Pictorial World. In 1870, he produced Modern Men of Letters honestly criticized, which contained profiles and engraved plate portraits of 22 of the most prominent authors of the time, primarily British (Dickens, Browning, Trollope, etc.) but also some non-British, (Hugo, Longfellow, Emerson). George Augustus Sala (G.A.S.), whose life was very severely commented on in this work, brought an action for defamation of character against Hodder & Stoughton, the publishers of the book, and obtained 500 pounds damages.
In the advancement of the working classes Friswell took a great interest, delivering lectures, giving readings, and forming schools for their instruction. He also labored earnestly to reform cheap literature for boys, and his efforts were successful in repressing the circulation of some of the most notorious of the penny publications. The majority of his essays attained great popularity; but his novels did not possess the elements of enduring life.
Although the book is readily available in modern reprints, the original 1st edition is surprisingly uncommon. $195
6. THE MALAY ARCHIPELAGO, The Land of the Orang-utan and the Bird of Paradise. A Narrative of Travel with Studies of Man and Nature, by Alfred Russell Wallace, Harper & Brothers Publishers, New York, 1885, xii 13-638 pp.,
Attractive binding in ¾ calf on marbled paper boards. Raised bands and gilt titles on a red leather badge and gilt designs on the spine. Marbled pages edges all around and marbled endpapers to match marbling on covers. No binder name, but very nicely done. 2 foldout maps and 8 engraved plates all present.
Top of front cover and top page edges show minor fading. Very slight scuffing on edges. Binding very sound. A bookplate of a recent owner in on the front pastedown, but no other marks or damage. Text and plates are all clean and bright, with no foxing or other issues.
The Malay Archipelago chronicles Wallace’s scientific exploration, from 1854 to 1862, of the southern portion of the Malay Archipelago including Malaysia, Singapore, the islands of Indonesia, then known as the Dutch East Indies, and the island of New Guinea. During his exploration he travelled over 14,000 miles and collected 125,660 natural history specimens, mostly of insects though also thousands of molluscs, birds, mammals and reptiles.
The book describes each island that he visited in turn, giving a detailed account of its physical and human geography, its volcanoes, and the variety of animals and plants that he found and collected. At the same time, he describes his experiences, the difficulties of travel, and the help he received from the different peoples that he met.
Uncommon in such excellent, near fine, condition. $450
7. (2 Works) 1. THE SLAVE’S FRIEND, Vol. II, No. IV, Whole No 16. In plain printed wrappers, 16 pp.
The Slave's Friend was an anti-slavery magazine for children produced by the American Anti-Slavery Society just from 1835 to 1838, with just 38 monthly issues produced. The short-lived magazine was the first abolitionist magazine targeted to a juvenile audience in the United States. With a view to producing a periodical that could be comfortably handled by diminutive readers, a small physical format was used for the magazine,( just 2 ¾ “ x 4”). A readership ranging in age from 6 to 12 appears to have been the target audience.
The magazine included a mix of original anti-slavery writing, poetry, and reprints of relevant material from other popular periodicals of the day. Each issue of the publication included woodcut illustrations, which typically revolved around the theme of the cruelty and abuse which inevitably accompanied forced physical servitude. These depictions of beatings and the implements of violence were frequently contrasted to other happier images of black and white children attending school and playing together
This issue is complete, although both wrappers have detached. Paper has age darkened, particularly on the wrappers, and there is minor spotting on the wrappers, but none on the contents. Overall good for its age.
Copies of this magazine are quite rare. This copy from 1836 was found laid inside….
GOD AGAINST SLAVERY, and the Freedom and Duty of the Pulpit to Rebuke It, As a Sin Against God, by George B. Cheever, D.D., Am. Reform Tract and Book Society, Cincinnatti, (1859), viii 272 pp. (4). Early edition
In original brown cloth, with gilt titles on the spine and blindstamped design on both cover. Covers show moderate fading and gilt titles on spine are nearly worn away. Minor scuffing to spine ends and edges, but binding is still sound. Ink name of a previous owner in on the front pastedown and there are pencil notes on the rear endpaper. Some foxing, primarily to endpapers, but no other marks or damage. Overall good.
The rare magazine and the book it was found in $350
8. THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE (7 Vols.), by Edward Gibbon, Edited with Introductions, Notes and Appendices by J. B. Bury, AMS Press, New York, 1974 (reprinted from Methuen & Co., London, 1909).
One of the most important historical works ever produced, this is a pristine set. All volume in ½ brown leather on brown cloth. Gilt titles on the spine and front cover on black leather badges. And additional gilt titles and designs on spines. Colorful endpaper maps relating to each volume. No marks or damage at all to any of the volumes. The set could readily pass for new.
Fine. $175
9. THE ADVENTURES OF TELEMACHUS, The Son of Ulysses, written by the Archbishop of Cambray, A New Translation, (2 vols.), Third edition, Printed for R. Taylor, Berwick Upon Tweed, 1776, Vol. 1, 272 pp., Vol. 2, 292 pp.. Rebacked ¼ brown leather on original mottled leather boards. Gilt titles on red badges on spines and gilt bands and vol. nos. on spines. New endpapers. Corners of both volumes are worn and the covers are slightly scuffed, but bindings are tight and sound. Ink names of three previous early owners on ffep’s, and address label of a recent owner on the front pastedown of each volume. Title page missing in Vol. II. First few pages of each volume are age darkened, but otherwise the text is unmarked, with only very slight age toning.
François de Salignac de la Mothe-Fénelon, more commonly known as François Fénelon (1651 –1715), was the French Catholic Archbishop of Cambrai, theologian, poet and writer. Today, he is remembered mostly as the author of The Adventures of Telemachus, first published in 1699. When it was published, it enraged Louis XIV, for it appeared to question his regime's very foundations. Even after Fénelon abjured his Quietist views, the king refused to revoke his order forbidding Fénelon from leaving his archdiocese.
Both volumes very good+ $125
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