•  Publisher's quarter cream textured cloth with light blue fleur-de-lis printed paper sides, spine with printed paper label; lacking the blue dust-wrapper, small spot of staining at head of spine, otherwise a very nice example.  (28209)

The text itself has many faces, including B.R.'s own Centaur type, and Goudy Newstyle, which was designed specifically for this project. The inserts take various forms: biographical sketch, type (and paper) specimen, letter, tribute . . . each with a separate colophon. The inserts are variously ruled in red, printed in color, illustrated, and/or decorated with ornamental borders. Four of the inserts aresigned by Fred Goudy, Edward Stevens, Richard Ellis, and Charles W. Smith. This copy is no. 91 of 100, as written in ink on the second leaf.

•  Work of Bruce Rogers 767 (bookplate of William Reydel); but this book not in WBR.   Publisher's black cloth with large B and R gilt on rear and front cover, respectively, each letter gilt against a gilt graph background framed by gilt fillets extending across both covers and enclosing title gilt on spine. In protective mylar wrappers. 28 leaves uncut, per style. Reydel bookplate stained, and light stains offset from ornaments in another insert, elsevery nice.  (30681)

The two volumes, printed two years apart, are seldom now found together as seen in the present uniformly bound set. These are the original first editions — not modern reprints.

•  Sabin 8905; Shoemaker 8211; Howes B-924.   Slightly later speckled sheep, spines with gilt-stamped leather labels, housed in a recent green cloth clamshell case with gilt-stamped leather spine label; bindings scuffed, spines chipped, joints opening. Front hinge (inside) of vol. II reinforced. Ex–social club library: 19th-century bookplates, call number on endpapers, pressure-stamp on title-pages. One page with early inked inscription in lower margin inked over; one leaf with lower margin excised. Intermittent smudges and spots, some leaves age-toned, a few corners bumped or torn away, vol. II with occasional small pencilled annotations — these volumes were clearly read appreciatively. Their “imperfections” are characteristic of extensive use, not abuse.  (28164)

The limitation statement asserts that a total of 1250 copies were produced — but the present example is stamped “Exemplaire no. 12392.”

•  Publisher's color-printed ivory wrappers, in glassine jacket and original textured paper–covered slipcase; glassine chipped at extremities and slipcase split along one edge. Wrappers faintly darkened overall and moreso at spine, where they are also a just trifle rubbed/chipped; interior clean and illustrations bright.  (28308)

These six comedies and tragedies — Les illustres ennemis, comedie; Berenice, tragedie; Timocrate, tragedie; La mort de l'empereur commode, tragedie; Darius, tragedie; and Le charme de la voix, comedie — comprise six of the seven plays making up the second volume only of a five-volume set, Les tragédies et comédies de Th. Corneille, printedfor the Elzevirs by Abraham Wolfgang in Holland, 1665–78. Six separate title-pages with the “Quaerendo” printer's mark andsix particularly lively, charming added engraved title-pages precede the six plays, each dated 1662 (the first editions date to 1656–59). This copy is lacking the general title-page dated 1665 and the first play, Le geôlier de soy-mesme (1662); the text, in French, is decorated with woodcut initials, head- and tailpieces, and sparse woodcuts of animals.

Rare: Searches of NUC-Pre1956 and WorldCat find the five-volume set Les tragédies et comédies at just one U.S. institution (Univ. of Chicago), andeach play individually in up to three U.S. locations only.

Provenance:  Inked monogram of Edwin Wolf II on front pastedown, and inscriptions of John Bridgman, Esq., on rear endpaper and pastedown.

A charming old sketch of a woman with a lute graces the front pastedown; a bit of much sketchier sketching marks the rear one.

•  Willems, Supplement, 1727 (b); Graesse, II, 268. Not in Goldsmid.   Contemporary vellum with yapp fore-edges; joints and front hinge repaired, new fly-leaf added. Lacking general title-page and first part, as above. Light soiling to edges with occasional very minor foxing or a light stain, two short marginal tears, one leaf with a corner-tip lost — a nice copy.  (5594)

This volume is in the large ambitious quarto format of the journal's first years, not the octavo format of the later, “New Series”

Provenance:  Front free endpaper with early inked presentation inscription to New Salem Academy from the Honorable Ethan Allen Greenwood (1779–1856), the Massachusetts lawyer who established the New England Museum.

•  Sabin 64182.   Contemporary quarter sheep and light blue paper–covered sides, spine with gilt-stamped leather title-label and gilt-stamped date; rubbed and stained overall, spine leather with cracks and chips, spine head with remnants of small paper label, refurbished: spine caps readhered, front cover reattached, edges reinforced, leather consolidated. Front free endpaper with inscription as above. A later hand has laid in a number of leaves of annotations and commentary on various pieces herein, along with some account of the lacking portions; occasional pencilled annotations in text as well. One leaf with inner margin neatly reinforced; some tears repaired and loose leaves secured. Pages occasionally creased; varying degrees of browning and foxing. Outer edges trimmed closely, occasionally with loss of final letters. Upper portion of one leaf torn away, with loss of weekly header and about three paragraphs of text; one leaf chipped along fold, with loss of several letters; lower outer portion of one leaf torn away, with loss of roughly two paragraphs. Nos. 13, 14, 32, and 34 each lacking final leaf; no. 33 lacking. Pp. 395/96 bound in out of order. Several pieces of dried plant matter laid in at various points. This volume of the Port Folio is as meaty and full of just plain interesting stuff as they all were, despite its lacking bits; and, it represents the journal's beginnings.  (29227)

Provenance:  Front free endpaper with early inked presentation inscription to New Salem Academy from the Honorable Ethan Allen Greenwood (1779–1856), the Massachusetts lawyer who established the New England Museum.

•  Sabin 64182.   Contemporary quarter sheep and light blue paper–covered sides, spine with gilt-stamped leather title-label and gilt-stamped date; worn and stained, front cover with (child's?) pencilled name, spine head with remnants of paper shelving label, spine leather cracked. Volume refurbished, with leather consolidated, joints repaired, edges reinforced with repair tissue. Lacking one issue, no. 12, apparently never bound in; one stanza of one poem excised. Some leaves creased, with occasional tears into text; varying degrees of age-toning and foxing; scattered small holes. Lower outer portion of one leaf torn away, with loss of several lines. A few pencilled marks of emphasis; a later hand has laid in several sheets of annotations and commentary on various pieces herein. Dried plant matter laid in. Price reduced recognizing absent No. 12; but a volume of interest both simply as a substantial Port Folio and as the one produced in such a significant year for the proprietor.  (29238)

Provenance & Evidence of Readership: Front pastedown with early inked and pencilled inscriptions of Simon Elliot, front free endpaper with early pencilled presentation inscription of Dr. Willard Putnam, first text page with inked inscription of Simon Elliot along upper inner margin. A later hand has laid in several sheets of annotations and commentary on various pieces herein; there are occasional pencilled marks of emphasis and a few annotations. Laid-in letter from a modern bookseller noting that he is sending the present volume and will look for another.

•  Sabin 64182.   Contemporary quarter red sheep; marbled paper all but entirely worn away from sides, spine sunned and scuffed. Some early leaves with lower corners creased or stained along inner margins and starting to separate; scattered light to mild foxing. One leaf with one paragraph excised, affecting a few lines of the biography on the reverse; pp. 29/30 of vol. VI, no. 2 excised; upper portion of pp. 409/10 of vol. VI torn away with loss of a few lines. Some pages printed slightly askew, resulting in occasional shaving of letters or even (infrequently) lines. A slightly battered copy, but still — like all Port Folios, meaty and full of just plain INTERESTING stuff.  (29347)

The title-page bears a woodcut of a man stargazing with telescope, with a globe and other tools at his feet.

The American Antiquarian OPAC notes that the calculations were done by Joshua Sharp: “All the calculations on the calendar pages, as well as the eclipse predictions, are identical with those in Father Tammany’s almanac for 1802 (Philadelphia), which bears Sharp’s name on the title page.” There was a variant printing in the same year with the publication information “Printed and sold by H. & R. Rice”; neither version is common.

•  Shaw & Shoemaker 481; Drake 10581.   Sewn as issued, sewing loosened and sometime renewed. Corners bumped and the whole darkened, with typical spotting and waterstaining; paper good, not brittle.  (29499)

signed by the artist at the colophon

•  Bibliography of the Fine Books Published by the Limited Editions Club, 487.   Binding as above, with ochre linen shelfback and gilt-stamped title, in original glassine wrapper and yellow paper–covered slipcase with gilt-stamped title; wrapper with two small nicks at spine extremities, slipcase showing minimal shelfwear, otherwise an clean, fresh, beautiful copy.  (30688)

inked gift inscription from the author/illustrator

•  Publisher's dark green textured paper–covered boards in light green paper wrapper; paper of cover cleanly and evenly cracked along front joint (slightly but not severely affecting stability), jacket with very short tear at back upper corner, otherwise clean and unworn. Adorable, and potentially the perfect gift for a dedicated bookstore browser.  (30653)

Although the present example of his work features slightly less hunting material than some of Surtees's other novels, that is still to say that it offersa great many scenes of horse and hound. First published in 1858 in 13 monthly parts, it appears here “printed for subscribers from the plates of the Original Edition issued by Bradbury, Agnew & Co.”

The volume is illustrated with14 hand-colored and 18 steel-engraved plates by famed caricaturist John Leech. Virtually every plate that does not feature at least one horse does display at least one pretty dress; the coloring is skillfully and pleasingly done.

Binding:  Publisher's crimson cloth, front cover and spine stamped with wooing and hunting vignettes and hound decorations in black and gilt.

•  NCBEL, III, 967. On Surtees, see: Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online.   Binding as above, spine much sunned but covers bright and fresh, corners with minor shelfwear, back lower outer corner lightened. Signatures unopened. Lower outer fore-edge once wet, waterstaining visible almost exclusively on closed edges only and with title-page (only) showing lightly tinted tide mark in that corner. Despite its minor issues a tremendously charming volume.  (30438)

See the end of the first paragraph in our first “Surtees” entry, for a general note on him.

First published in 1843 and first printed with illustrations in 17 monthly parts 1853–54, the misadventures of the enthusiastic Mr. Jorrocks appear here “printed for subscribers from the plates of the Original Edition issued by Bradbury, Agnew & Co.” The volume is illustrated with 16 hand-colored, steel-engraved plates and 31 wood-engraved plates by famed caricaturist John Leech. The colored scenes, many involving horses or hounds or both, are carefully and artistically tinted; the social scenes are more delicately shaded than the vivid hunting scenes. In addition to the color and black-and-white plates, numerous in-text wood-engravings decorate the text.

Binding:  Publisher's crimson cloth, front cover with horse and hound vignettes stamped in black and gilt, spine with black and gilt portrait of Jorrocks himself.

•  NCBEL, III, 967. On Surtees, see: Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online.   Binding as above, spine much sunned but covers bright and fresh. Signatures almost entirely unopened; contents pages and a few other early signatures awkwardly opened with resulting edge tears, including to upper margins (only) of five uncolored plates. One colored plate with tiny scuff in image. Despite described faults, still a solid, bright, beautifully illustrated copy with a great deal of charm.  (30448)

See the end of the first paragraph in our first “Surtees” entry, for a general note on him.

First published in 1847, these vividly rendered hunting scenes appear here “printed for subscribers from the plates of the Original Edition issued by Bradbury, Agnew & Co.” The volume is illustrated with8 plates by Phiz, hand-colored, and 13 steel-engraved plates by W.T. Maude. While Phiz's caricatures are sharp and witty, the coloring itself is rather elegantly restrained. In addition to the color and black-and-white plates, numerous in-text wood-engravings decorate the text, the whole providing many depictions of the hunt.

Binding:  Publisher's crimson cloth, front cover and spine stamped with hunting vignettes and hound decorations in black and gilt.

•  NCBEL, III, 967. On Surtees, see: Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online.   Binding as above, spine much sunned but covers bright and fresh, minimal wear to extremities. Signatures unopened. Save for the dimmed spine, a beautiful and bright copy.  (30434)

See the end of the first paragraph in our first “Surtees” entry, for a general note on him.

First published in 1865 in 12 monthly parts, this vividly rendered novel — Surtees's last, sometimes titled Mr. Facey Romford's Hounds — appears here “printed for subscribers from the plates of the Original Edition issued by Bradbury, Agnew & Co.”

The volume is illustrated with24 hand-colored and 4 steel-engraved plates by John Leech and Hablot Knight “Phiz” Browne. The colored plates are particularly neatly and artistically tinted. In addition to the plates there are numerous in-text engravings, the whole providing many depictions of the hunt, as well as fancy social scenes and less-fancy but still saucy servants in livery. The famed caricaturist Leech began the illustrations for this novel, with Phiz taking them over after Leech's death: either Surtees nor Leech lived to see this work appear in print.

Binding:  Publisher's crimson cloth, front cover and spine stamped with hunting vignettes and hound decorations in black and gilt.

•  NCBEL, III, 967. On Surtees, see: Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online.   Binding as above, spine much sunned but covers bright and fresh, minimal wear to extremities, lower outer corners lightened. Signatures unopened; early owner(s) possibly more interested in the pictures than the text? Lower outer corners once wet, staining visible primarily to closed edges with title-page, several guard-leaves, and a few plates showing lightly tinted tide marks in that area. Despite issues cited, still a lovely and generally bright copy with tremendously appealing plates.  (30436)

See the end of the first paragraph in our first “Surtees” entry, for a general note on him.

First published in 1853 as a 13-part serial, the Sporting Tour appears here “printed for subscribers from the plates of the Original Edition issued by Bradbury, Agnew & Co.” The volume is illustrated with13 hand-colored and 30 steel-engraved plates by famed caricaturist John Leech. The colored scenes, most of which depict hunting or riding scenes, are carefully and attractively done with nicely shaded tints. In addition to the color and black-and-white plates, numerous in-text wood-engravings decorate the text.

Binding:  Publisher's crimson cloth, front cover and spine stamped with horse and hound vignettes in black and gilt.

•  NCBEL, III, 967. On Surtees, see: Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online.   Binding as above, spine much sunned but covers bright and fresh. Signatures unopened. One leaf holed in text with loss of a few words and with some light discoloration around this, without loss of sense. Save for the dimmed spine, a beautiful and bright copy.  (30426)

See the end of the first paragraph in our first “Surtees” entry, for a general note on him.

First published in 13 monthly parts in 1860, the machinations of Rosa and her mamma appear here “printed for subscribers from the plates of the Original Edition issued by Bradbury, Agnew & Co.” The volume is illustrated with12 hand-colored, steel-engraved plates and 8 wood-engraved plates by famed caricaturist John Leech. The colored scenes, some involving young ladies in elegant dress and some horses and hounds, are carefully and artistically tinted; the social scenes are more delicately shaded than the vivid hunting scenes. In addition to the color and black-and-white plates, numerous in-text wood-engravings decorate the text.

Binding:  Publisher's crimson cloth, front cover with black- and gilt-stamped hound decorations and a gilt-stamped vignette of two flirting equestrians, spine with black and gilt Cupid vignette.

•  NCBEL, III, 968. On Surtees, see: Oxford Dictionary of National Biography online.   Binding as above, extremities slightly rubbed, spine much sunned but covers bright and fresh. Signatures unopened. A clean, unread copy, with lovely plates.  (30470)

Binding:  Publisher's green cloth, covers framed in blind, front cover with gilt-stamped decorative title and basket vignette, spine with gilt-stamped author and title.

•  Light wear only to joints and extremities, cloth showing small spots of faint discoloration. Front free endpaper with pencilled ownership inscription dated 1910, front fly-leaf with same owner's inked inscription. Pages gently age-toned, otherwise clean.  (30499)

miracle drug

This is no. 1120 of 1500 copies, designed by Bert Clarke and printed at The Thistle Press in monotype Caslon Old Style, with an introduction by Norman Strouse and15 full-page color plates & numerous illustrations in text by Lynton Lamb, who signed the colophon. The handsome book is bound by Russell-Rutter Company in full forest-green cloth with a spine label set in the gilt-stamped outline of a medicine bottle.

The appropriate LEC newsletter is laid in.

•  Bibliography of the Fine Books Published by the Limited Editions Club, 307.   Binding as above, in publisher's yellow slipcase with paper label; minor shelf-wear and discoloration. Spine base lightly scuffed, elsefine.  (30469)

This work is rarely found in the deluxe binding: The handsomely gilt-stamped publisher's cloth is the norm.

•  NSTC 2W24418; Allibone 2762.   For binding, see: Morris & Levin, Art of Publisher's Bookbindings, 44. Binding as above, showing minor wear to extremities and front cover vignette, original silk bookmark detached and laid in. Volume slightly shaken with text block starting to pull away from spine; this is the kind of volume that wants to do that, and the reader will want to “cradle” it in hand — that done, no worries. Front fly-leaf with early pencilled gift inscription and with a Maine druggist's small ticket. Mild to moderate foxing. Both funny and decorative, in a publisher's binding that may fairly be called “DAZZLING.”  (26748)

•  Publisher's brown paper–covered boards, front cover with title and author's signature stamped in black, and with affixed printed paper illustration; without dust-jacket, paper mottled, edges and extremities rubbed, front cover with two small scrapes. A few faint smudges to some pages, otherwise clean.  (29138)