Provenance: The front free endpaper bears a neatly inked ownership inscription dated 1860 (J.C.W. Kempe) and an additional inked “sold to” inscription dated 1871 (Aden Mc Bowman); Bowman also signed another blank, and the presentation leaf is made out to Kempe as “P.G.J.C.W. Kempe.”

Binding:  Publisher's deep blue/black diced sheep in imitation of morocco, covers with gilt-stamped vignette of Friendship, Love, and Truth personified within an architectural frame; spine gilt extra with column motif. All edges gilt.

•  BAL 6877; Faxon 609.   Binding as above, joints and extremities rubbed, spine gilt slightly dimmed. Inscriptions and presentation leaf as above. Poetry clippings, fabric swatch, and lock of hair laid in. Scattered staining, generally light, throughout; chromo very bright and nice.  (27041)

Provenance:  Front pastedown with bookplates of prominent Philadelphia collector Robert R. Dearden and Philip Justice Steinmetz, an Episcopal clergyman; the latter design shows a view of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Elkins Park, PA, of which Dr. Steinmetz was the pastor.

•  BAL 10188.   Publisher's slate-green cloth, covers with blind-stamped rococo frame, front cover with gilt-stamped scenic vignette, spine with gilt-stamped author/title and embossed decorations; binding very slightly cocked, extremities rubbed, cloth somewhat faded overall. Front pastedown with bookplates as above and with affixed slip of old cataloguing. Frontispiece and added title-page with margins lightly stained; pages faintly age-toned, otherwise clean.  (29557)

•  Publisher's blue cloth, covers framed and stamped in blind, front cover and spine with elegantly gilt-stamped title; extremities rubbed. Two pages with offsetting from now-absent laid-in item; two small pencilled annotations. A few instances of light spotting; one leaf with outer margin chipped. A pleasing copy.  (30507)

Binding: Publisher's textured green cloth, covers framed in a wide foliate blind roll; front cover with gilt-stamped floral and foliate ring vignette, the same in blind on rear cover. Spine gilt extra, all edges gilt, lovely green patterned endpapers.

•  Faxon 537e (for 1842 ed.).   Bound as above; light wear to corners and extremities, cloth faintly mottled. Front fly-leaf with early pencilled ownership and gift inscriptions, also one not quite readable on free endpaper. Light to moderate foxing throughout; clean.  (30500)

Binding:  Publisher's brown cloth, front cover with gilt-stamped title and scenic vignette stamped in gilt and blue, spine likewise.

•  Binding as above, light wear to joints and extremities, front cover cloth noticeably bubbled but not torn, spine with inked shelving number. Front pastedown with institutional bookplate. A few signatures unopened; pages and plates very clean.  (29140)

lectures Napoleon

Signed binding: Publisher's finely ribbed brown cloth, covers blind-stamped with arabesque designs, spine gilt extra in foliate patterns; binding stamped by Colton & Jenkins of New York. All edges gilt.

Provenance: Front free endpaper with early inked ownership inscription of Louise D. Brown.

•  Binding as above, gently cocked, extremities mildly rubbed, front joint with tiny pinhole spots of insect damage, lower back joint with slightly larger spots. Ownership note as above. Foxing to some portions of the volume, never very dark; frontispiece image bright and clean.  (30203)

As described by the title-pages, the volumes are “Illustrated by upwards of three hundred engravings, from sketches by the author. The steel plates executed [by J. Hamilton and others] under the superintendence of J.M. Butler, the wood engravings by Van Ingen & Snyder.” The plates total 20 altogether, including frontispieces.

•  Very good; board edges, corners, and spine extremities showing light wear, spine slightly dimmed. (1957)

Binding: Also designed by Angelo, this is accomplished in red- and blue-stamped tan cloth and incorporates a “wallet-like flap” following traditional Arabic Qu'ran binding style. Volume housed in publisher's blue cloth-covered clamshell slipcase (with a drop-down front element), box bearing a rectangular stencilled label of gilt applied on the cloth so “The Koran” is left set forth in the underlying blue.

This is numbered copy 972 of 1500 printed by A. Colish, signed at the colophon by Angelo. The appropriate LEC newsletter is laid in.

•  Bibliography of the Fine Books Published by the Limited Editions Club, 284.   Binding and box as above; volume pristine, slipcase showing mild shelfwear with small scuff to gilt title. A lovely copy.  (30158)

Binding:  Publisher's blue cloth, front cover with gilt-stamped title and train vignette stamped in black and gilt, vignette extending onto spine.

•  Binding as above, extremities very slightly rubbed, spine dimmed. Light waterstaining to inner margins of front fly-leaf and half-title, otherwise clean. A volume “got up,” given its content, with remarkable style and charm!  (29124)

Binding:  Publisher's tan cloth, front cover and spine elegantly stamped in gilt, cream, and black, front cover with central medallion bearing ship (surely the Mayflower) vignette.

•  BAL 12122 (for first U.S. ed.).   Binding as above, traces of minimal rubbing. Pages extremely clean. A beautiful, very giftable copy.  (29032)

Bindings: Publisher's textured dark brown cloth, covers with globe and torch design stamped in rich shades yellow, red, green, and black; spines embossed with modest "ruling" and author, title, publisher, volume numbers.

•  Vols. I and IV only. Bindings as above, slightly shaken, extremities rubbed. Pages clean.  (29812)

Binding:  Publisher's tan cloth, front cover with double iris design stamped in green, white, and violet.

•  Binding as above, minimal rubbing only. Pages and plates clean. A beautiful copy.  (28613)

Signed binding:  Publisher's green cloth, front cover and spine with gilt-stamped title; Celtic knotwork-inspired medallion decoration stamped on cover and spine in gray and maroon. Front cover with “F” monogram (Charles Buckles Falls?).

•  Binding as above, minimal wear only to extremities, head of spine with very minor spot of darkening. Front free endpaper with gift inscription dated Christmas, 1904. One leaf with short tear from lower margin, not touching text. A few signatures opened slightly unevenly; pages clean.  (28593)

Click the images for enlargements.

Binding:  Publisher's brown cloth, covers decoratively blind-stamped, spine with gilt-stamped title. In its modest, subtle (and difficult to photograph!) way, this is avery handsome binding

•  Bound as above; binding very slightly cocked, corners and spine extremities with minor rubbing. Ex–social club library: call numbers on fly-leaves, rubber-stamp on title-page and two others, no other markings. Pages clean save for slight offsetting from stamps. A nice copy.  (28238)

•  Contemporary gilt-stamped green cloth with a bit of light wear to the head and foot of the spine, otherwise bright and lovely. Some page edges uncut. (10569)

For SCIENCE,  click here.

WorldCat locating only three U.S. institutional holdings

Binding:  Publisher's green cloth, front cover decorated with black-stamped oak branch motif, gilt-stamped title, and gilt-stamped vignette of a rescuer saving a drowning boy, spine gilt- and black-stamped, back cover blind-stamped.

•  NSTC 0497352.   Binding as above; spine slightly darkened, edges and extremities lightly rubbed, paper cracking at front hinge (inside). Front free endpaper with early pencilled ownership inscription. A very few scattered small spots of foxing, pages otherwise clean. Educational and pretty.  (30648)

Click the images for enlargements.

The volume is illustrated with an added engraved title-page and three steel-engraved plates, done by O. Pelton after designs by T.B. Read and Beaume, and by Charles Phillips after Sir Joshua Reynolds.

Signed binding: Hunter green embossed morocco, covers with cherub vignette in foliate frame; the embossed panel was designed by Francis N. Mitchell and engraved by Alex C. Morin, and the binding was done by Benjamin Bradley, with all three names stamped in panel. All edges gilt.

•  Faxon 713. On binding, see: Wolf, From Gothic Windows to Peacocks, 178; Spawn & Kinsella, American Signed Bindings, 53.   Binding as above, extremities with very minor rubbing; frontispiece lacking. Offsetting from plates, two pages with offsetting from now-absent laid-in item, scattered light spotting elsewhere. A gorgeous example of the binding, with interesting reading inside.  (26737)

•  Publisher's dark blue cloth, front cover and spine stamped in silver; corners and spine extremities slightly rubbed. Front hinge (inside) cracked and back hinge tender; endpapers partially adhered to pastedowns.  (22222)

For more RELIGION,  click here.

Signed binding: Publisher's brick-colored cloth, front cover and spine with decorative gilt-stamped title and twining vine and flower motifs, front cover with “AR” monogram of designer Amy Richards (fl. 1896–1918).

•  Binding as above, slightly cocked and with corners a little bumped, spine very gently darkened and back cover with small spots, front cover with a few pinprick-type holes not detracting overly from overall appearance of design. Top edges gilt. A few page margins with faint smudges, otherwise clean.  (29769)

•  Publisher's cloth, front cover black- and gilt-stamped, spine simply gilt-stamped, binding gently worn with minor spotting to spine and lower edge of front cover. Ownership inscription to front free endpaper. A nice copy.  (2901)

Signed binding: Publisher's striped cloth, predominantly seen in the 1840s and never common: Brown ripple-textured cloth thinly striped in light blue, covers each with blind-stamped frame and gilt-stamped harp and shamrock vignette, spine with gilt-stamped title and strapwork; front free endpaper with pressure-stamp of the Benjamin Bradley company. All edges gilt.

•  On binding cloth: Krupp, Bookcloth in England and America, 1823–50, Rip3.   Binding as above, cocked, corners rubbed, spine extremities chipped, short stretch of insect damage in front joint; overall more attractive than these notes suggest. Front hinge (inside) tender. Pages gently age-toned; a few leaves of preface with light staining along inner margins. A very popular work, here in an unusual and distinctive binding.  (30344)

Binding:  Publisher's brown cloth, front cover with black-stamped title and gilt-stamped vignette of an 18th-century mob-capped lady tasting from a steaming cauldron.

•  Bitting 337 (for first ed.); Brown, Culinary Americana, 2452 (likewise). Not in Cagle & Stafford.   Binding as above, minimal rubbing to extremities. Back pastedown with 19th-century Brentano ticket. Pages faintly age-toned, otherwise clean. A very nice copy.  (30093)

Signed binding: Publisher's quarter blue cloth and light blue paper–covered sides, front cover with black-stamped title and larkspur decoration, spine with gilt-stamped title and larkspur. The design is signed “C.S.” (unidentified, but not the square letters of C.H. Simonds).

•  Binding as above, paper split at corners; spine extremities slightly rubbed. Pages faintly age-toned with occasional tiny spots of light foxing, mostly quite clean.  (28589)

The volume opens with an oversized, color-printed map of Ireland on green paper; it is further illustrated with a frontispiece and 31 other plates mostly representing churches and abbeys but also Irish landscapes (“The Shannon above Limerick”), historical moments (“Massacre at Drogheda”), and prominent figures. One split image contrasts a tormented Irish family with the same family happy and prosperous in America; interestingly, that same split plate is reproduced at the back of the volume as two facing plates with new captions — “Ireland As She Is” and “Ireland As She Ought to Be.”

Binding:  Publisher's pebbled blue cloth, front cover with gilt-stamped title and gilt-stamped vignette of a radiant monolith surrounded by shamrocks; back cover with same vignette in blind, and spine with decorative gilt-stamped author, title, and publisher. All edges gilt.

Provenance:  Back free endpaper with pencilled ownership inscription of Maggie Brennan of Philadelphia; we note, but dare not speculate on the import of, her surname's matching that of one of the authors here.

•  NSTC 0558744 (for 1878 ed.).   Bound as above, front cover and spine aged to dark brownish blue and volume moderately rubbed overall. Folding map with tear from inner margin, extending inside frame (close to but not touching actual image). Pages browned in from edges due to nature of paper, but not brittle; dried plant matter laid in at three spots and an old tassel at another. A very solid copy, with hinges holding (unusual for copies of this hefty volume).  (29569)

Binding:  Publisher's light green cloth, front cover stamped with wreath and star design in dark green, red, and gilt, spine with green-stamped title.

•  Sternick, Children's Series Books, 920.   Binding as above, spine and board edges sunned. Front fly-leaf with inked inscription: “Bought with money Sarah sent me Christmas 1898.” Sewing starting to loosen in some signatures. Page edges slightly age-toned, otherwise clean.  (28920)

•  Publisher's brown cloth, covers and spine with blind-stamped decorations and gilt-stamped vignettes; extremities rubbed, spine head chipped, gilt lightly rubbed. Ex–social club library: paper shelving label on spine, 19th-century bookplate, front free endpaper lacking, pressure-stamp on title-page, no other markings. Small crescent burn mark to upper margin of title-page, a very few small smudges elsewhere, otherwise clean.  (28291)

Binding:  Publisher's blue cloth, front cover pictorially stamped in cream, black, and gilt, spine stamped in cream and black.

•  Binding as above, minor rubbing to extremities, a few spine letters with tiny spots of rubbing. One leaf with lower outer corner torn away. Clean and fresh.  (28606)

Binding: Publisher's brown cloth, covers framed in blind, front cover with gilt-stamped urn of flowers, back cover with same design in blind. All edges gilt.

•  Faxon 655.   Bound as above, corners bumped/rubbed and base of rear joint and spine a little rubbed; gilt bright. Endpapers with early pencilled inscriptions, frontispiece with adhesion of a sliver of paper from title-page along inner margin, title-page with brown spot in lower margin offset onto lower edge of frontispiece. Sewing loosening with some early and final leaves starting to separate, title-page all but separated. Pages generally clean, with a few scattered spots; one upper margin with pencilled inscription mostly erased. A read and cherished copy, still sweetly sentimental and interesting to look at.  (30368)

•  Publisher's brown cloth, stamped in black and “silver”; front and spine with decorated with a frontier scene showing Conestoga wagons in a wilderness landscape with rising sun in the background. (We can't seem to get a photograph of this that doesn't “glare out.”)  Bright with a few flecks of white (paint?). Spine slightly rubbed on joints and at head and base. Pages toned. Good+. (20739)

affixed chromolithographed illustration

•  Binding as above, spine slightly darkened, edges and extremities moderately rubbed, front cover with one old stain. Front free endpaper with early inked gift inscription. Pages faintly age-toned with a few light spots of staining; one plate with tiny edge nicks. Read, but gently, and all but unmarked by childish hands.  (30645)

In addition to a total of eight plates (six steel-engraved and two wood), the text isillustrated with 34 wood engravings.

Binding:  Publisher's red straight-grained cloth, both covers with gilt-stamped arabesque motifs and Queen Victoria vignette, spine gilt extra. All edges gilt.

•  Faxon 386.   Binding as above, corners and spine extremities rubbed; back free endpaper neatly excised. Someone (a would-be au courant gift-giver?), added one final “I” to the roman numeral on the title-page; pp. 33/34 of second part absent with no discernible interruption. First two and last few signatures (including one plate) with offsetting and browning, pages and plates otherwise clean. A pretty and interesting gift book in pleasing condition.  (30502)

•  Publisher's red cloth, front cover and spine stamped in black, spine with gilt-stamped title label (gilt just showing in our photograph); cloth very slightly rubbed over corners and spine extremities, with a small smudge to front cover near head of spine and spine stamping a bit dimmed. Reverse of frontispiece with inked gift inscription dated [18]87. One leaf with short tear from outer margin, not quite touching text. (14353)