WOMEN

Women as Writers, Editors, Translators, Illustrators, & Printers
Books By, For, & About Women
The
Adventure Starts
at
Harvard
. . . Then Boards
a Train &
Heads West
Thanet, Octave [pseud. of Alice French]. The lion's share. Indianapolis: The Bobbs-Merrill Co., © 1907. 8vo. [8], 376 pp.; 6 plts.
$65.00
Click the images for enlargements.
First edition of this detective novel from a prolific female author: A stalwart former military man tries to unravel a convoluted kidnapping scheme involving thwarted financial ambitions and a beautiful young lady who (of course) may or may not be implicated. While the novel opens at Harvard University, much of the action takes place in California, including San Francisco's Chinatown, and the earthquake of 1906 plays an important role. The book is
illustrated with six halftone plates by Edmund Marion Ashe.
Signed binding: Publisher's maroon textured cloth, front cover with blind-stamped lion rampant outlined in black, gilt-stamped title, and outlined heart and roundel decorations. Signed by American illustrator and book designer Thomas Maitland Cleland (front cover blind-stamped “C”).
Binding as above, mild rubbing at extremities and joints, front cover clean and beautiful. Scattered small smudges, pages predominantly clean. A nice copy. (28579)
Thiselton-Dyer, T.F. Folk-lore of women as illustrated by legendary and traditionary tales, folk-rhymes, proverbial sayings, superstitions, etc. Chicago: A.C. McClurg & Co.; London: Elliot Stock, 1906. 8vo (20.9 cm, 8.25"). xvi, 253, [3 (2 adv.)] pp.
$150.00

First American edition, following the first London edition of 1905: Slightly stereotypical proverbs and sayings, as well as charms and “spells,” collected from around the world by the (male) author of Folk-lore of Plants, Folk-lore of Shakespeare, and Domestic Folklore.
Publisher’s red cloth, front cover and spine stamped in black and gilt; binding a bit darkened and faintly spotted, with head of spine chipped. Front free endpaper with inked ownership inscription. A few pages with short edge tears, not touching text.

Herbal/Alternative
Medicine The Thomsonian
System
Thomson, Samuel. New guide to health; or, botanic family physician. Containing a complete system of practice, upon a plan entirely new.... Columbus, OH: Pike, Platt & Co. (pr. by Martin L. Lewis), 1832. 16mo (18.5 cm, 5.3"). 208 pp.
$200.00
Popular yet controversial manual by a self-taught, “Empiric” herbalist who encouraged public resistance to the then-fashionable established practices of treating illnesses with mercury, opium, and bloodletting, establishing his own system based on steaming and on botanical remedies (including lobelia, bayberry, and cayenne pepper). This is the eighth edition, following the first of 1822; Thomson here provides detailed instructions for making home remedies from the plants mentioned above, as well as raspberry leaves, valerian, goldenseal, etc.
Click the images for enlargements.
Among the public health crises Thomson discusses in this guidebook is an increase in
childbirth mortality rates; he notes that many doctors' techniques and prescriptions endangered the lives of women and infants, and strongly recommends that pregnant women rely on experienced midwives instead of greedy, “ignorant pretenders” (p. 179).
American Imprints 14994. Not in Garrison & Morton. Contemporary treed sheep, spine with later paper, hand-inked label; binding moderately rubbed overall, spine head chipped, front joint cracked and back joint starting from foot. One leaf with small hole, not touching text; one leaf with tear from lower margin, extending into text without loss. Foxing, staining, used and fit for more use. (28458)

The Lost Andrade Copy? — Dedicating a School for Girls
Torres, Ignacio de. Sermon de Santa Rita de Cassia, qve en la solemne fiesta, qve le consagra annual la devocion de el Licenciado Antonio Gonzalez Lasso. Mexico: Por Juan de Ribera, en el Empedradillo, 1682. Small 4to. [6], 12 ff.
$3000.00
The charming parochial church in Tlaxcala was where Dr. Torres preached this sermon on the occasion of the dedication of the new building of the “Colegio de Niñas,” i.e., a secondary school for girls. The tie-in to St. Rita is that she was herself the patron of a school for girls.
In his sermon, Torres discusses the need for and goodness that comes from schools for girls. The text is printed in roman with side- and shouldernotes in italic, and contains two woodcut initials.
Rare: Medina knew of this only from the Andrade copy. WorldCat finds no copies, nor does COPAC; no copy was found via the OPACs of the Spanish National Library and the Mexican National Library. We must wonder if this IS the Andrade copy that was seen by Medina.
Medina, Mexico, 1260; Andrade 763. Modern full red morocco, gilt extra on covers and spine; gilt roll of a chain design on the turn-ins. Partial, unidentified marca de fuego on top and bottom edges. A two-digit number in ink in margin of title-page; an old waterstain curving across the bottom outside page corners, light in front and heavier towards the back. In a neat cloth slipcase. (25764)

“As Slap-Happy
& Rootin'-Tootin'
a Piece of Fiction
as
Ever
Graced Publisher's List”
Tripp, C.E. Ace High the 'Frisco detective or, the girl sport's double game. San Francisco: The Book Club of California, 1948. Folio. [8], 56 pp.; illus.
$65.00
Click the images for enlargements.
“A story of the Sierra & the Golden Gate City . . . reprinted from Beadle's Half-Dime Library, Number 814, February 28, 1893.” This double-barreled dime novel gambling and adventure tale was printed at the Grabhorn Press and limited to 500 copies, with a title-page and vignettes printed in red and black; the illustrations were done by Mallette Dean.
Is it giving away too much if we reveal that “The Girl Sport” is also known as “The Bonanza Widow”???
Publisher's quarter red cloth and printed paper–covered sides; spine sunned, extremities rubbed. The printed spine label is laid in. Pages clean.
Swell. (28247)

A Widow's Plea
United States. Congress. House. Committee on Pensions and Revolutionary Claims. [drop-title] Report of the Committee on Pensions and Revolutionary Claims, on the petition of Elizabeth Morgan, widow of Zaquille Morgan, in behalf of herself and children. January 26, 1816. Read, and ordered to be printed.
[Washington: William A. Davis, 1816]. 8vo. 2 pp.
$10.00
Click the image for an enlargement.
Concerning the petitioner's claim for compensation for the death of her husband from exhaustion while serving as a captain in the Army during the defense of Washington in 1814. At head of title: “[31]”. Government document: House document (United States. Congress. House); 14th Congress, 1st session, no. 31.
Shaw & Shoemaker 39609. Removed from a nonce volume; inner edge a little irregular; remnants of paper adhered in inner margin. First page rubber-stamped by the War Department Library. (13169)
Sumptuously
Bound by DAVID
for
Cortlandt
Bishop
Uzanne,
Octave.
Son altesse la femme. Paris:
A. Quantin, 1885. Small folio (27.5 cm; 11" ). [2] ff., [i]–xii, 312 pp.,
2 l. illus. (part col.).
$1875.00
Click the images for enlargements.
Definitely this work was created
by a bibliophile for fellow lovers of the book. When this
work appeared, Uzanne (1852–1931) was in full stride as a leader of the
Paris circle of men and women interested in handsomely illustrated, printed,
and bound works of literature. In 1880 he launched Miscellanées bibliographiques
and, soon after Son altesse la femme appeared. he introduced the influential
periodicals Le Livre, Le Livre moderne, and L'Art et l'Idée.
In 1889, he took part in the creation of a publishing company, the “League
of Contemporary Bibliophiles.” He counted among his friends the artists
Jean Lorrain, Barbey d'Aurevilly, and Remy de Gourmont.
Son altesse la femme essays most satirically the position of women in
society from the medieval to the author's time. The chapters are: Le vray
mirouer de sorcellerie, La mie du poete, La précieuse, La caillette,
La citoyenne française, Les galanteries du directoire, Sous la restauration,
L'amour aux champs, La parisienne moderne, and Mulieriana.
The work was limited to 100 copies, all printed on Japan vellum. It has an
engraved vignette on the black and red printed title, small illustrations
or vignettes on 50 text pages, 11 vignette borders or headpieces (three of
them in color, 10 of them in an
extra
state), and 10 tipped-in color plates. The illustrations are
by Henri Gervex, J.A. Gonzalès, L. Kratké, Albert Lynch, Adrien
Moreau, and Félicien Rops.
Binding:
Full red crushed morocco with five raised bands. Covers with a triple-rule
gilt border; spine gilt extra with gilt beading on bands. Triple gilt fillet
on board edges. Wide turn-ins richly tooled in gilt and with cream and blue
leather inlays that are also gilt-tooled. Blue silk pastedowns and free endpapers.
Marbled paper fly-leaves. All edges gilt.
Binding
signed “David.”
Provenance: Red leather
bookplate of Cortlandt Field Bishop, the famed collector of the early 20th
century and, at one time, owner of the TWO most important auction galleries
in NY/USA.
Original
full-color wrappers bound in.
Vicaire, VII, 924. Uncut copy. Bound as above with original
wrappers bound in. Light refurbishment of front joint (outside).
A
fabulous copy. (26675)

A Poor Clare from a
Wealthy & Loving Family
Valdés, Joseph Eugenio. Vida admirable, y penitente de la v. m. sor Sebastiana Josepha de la SS. Trinidad, religiosa de coro, y velo negro en la religiosissimo Convento de señoras religiosas clarisas de san Juan de la penitencia de esta ciudad de Mexico. Mexico: Imprenta de la Bibliotheca Mexicana, 1765. 4to (20 cm; 8"). [4] ff., 396 pp., [2] ff., plt.
$1750.00
Click the images for enlargement.
Sole edition of this Descalced Franciscan's extensive biography of Sebastiana Josepha de la Santíssima Trinidad (1709–57, née Sebastiana Josefa de Maya), a Poor Clare and native of Mexico. Valdés details her life before entering religious life, her motives for taking the habit, and her life, piety, devotions, achievements, and charities as a nun. He includes quotations from her writings and interestingly details her confessors, who included Father Margil. Her family commissioned the work and paid publication costs.
The work is illustrated with a fine full-page engraving by Jose Morales of the biographee kneeling in devotion before an elegant shrine to the Christ Child in her book-graced cell. A woodcut of the Trinity appears at the top of the dedication page, and there are a few nice initials and head- and tailpieces.
Provenance: Marca de fuego in upper edges of the Convento de San Cosme of the Franciscans of Mexico City, and another marca de fuego in the lower edges.
Medina, Mexico, 5022; Puttick & Simpson, Bibl. Mej., 1703. Contemporary limp vellum with remnants of green silk cord ties, with title, cross, and old red shelfmark inked to spine; text block loose, held by threads. Light waterstain across early leaves and the occasional spot or soiling elsewhere; worming in lower margins, extending into text beginning on p. 355, touching or costing letters but not whole words (some appropriately repaired). A nice book. (29522)
Vallejo, Fernando de. Pregon en que su magestad manda, que ninguna muger de qualquier estado y calidad que sea pueda traer, ni traiga guardainfante, ò otro instrumento, ò trage semehante, excepto las mugeres que con licencia de las justicias publicamente son malas de sus personas. Madrid: En la imprenta de Francisco Martinez, 1639. Folio (28.2 cm, 11.1"). [4] ff.
$750.00


Declaration forbidding farthingales (the “guardainfante” was so-called because it could be used to conceal pregnancy) and excessive displays of decolletage by women except for prostitutes and ladies with special licenses.
Click the image for an enlargement.
Palau 236212. Removed from a nonce volume. Title-page with small early inked numeral and shadow of pencilled numeral in upper margin; publication authorization leaf with small hole just touching letters, without loss of sense.

Lore & Line Drawings
Verrill, A. Hyatt. Perfumes and spices including an account of soaps and cosmetics. New York: L.C. Page & Co., (copyright 1940). 8vo. Col. frontis., xv, [1], 304 pp.; illus.
$35.00
Click the image for an enlargement.
First edition: “The story of the history, source, preparation, and use of the spices, perfumes, soaps, and cosmetics which are in everyday use.” The color-printed frontispiece depicts various fruits and flowers including bergamot, frangipani, nutmeg, rosemary, and Balsam of Peru.
Publisher's light blue cloth, front cover and spine stamped in black; spine sunned. (24484)

A Fundamental Work
Handsomely Printed
by
the Widow Hogal
Villaseñor y Sánchez, José Antonio de. Theatro americano, descripcion general de los reynos y provincias de la Nueva España y sus jurisdicciones. México: En la Imprenta de la Viuda de D. Joseph Bernardo de Hogal, Impresora del Real y Apostólico Tribunal de la Santa Cruzada en todo este Reyno, 1746–48. 2 vols. in 1 (29.5 cm; 11.5"). I: [9] ff., 232 pp., [2] ff., pp. 233–382, [5] ff., lacks engr. title. II: [6] ff., 428 pp., [5] ff., lacks engr. title.
$7500.00
Click the images for enlargements.
The distinguished historian and bibliographer Don Guillermo Tovar de Teresa writes extensively of this work, but here we will quote only a small portion of what he says. “El Teatro Americano es una obra fundamental para todos aquellos estudiosos interesados en formarse una idea de la poblaciones de la Nueva España: su ubicación geográfica — longitud y latitud — con la descripción de los lugares circunvencinos; clima, aguas,y vegetacion; gobierno eclesiástico y civil, familias de indios, españoles y castas, templos y, sobre todo actividades económicas: comercio, ganadería, obrajes, minería, etc.”
Don Guillermo wrote that in his bibliography of works illuminating colonial Mexican art — and these two large volumes also have much to say, not noted above, about architecture, arts, sculpture, etc.!
The volumes are from the famous press of the widow of José Bernardo de Hogal, the Baskerville of Mexico, and they retain all of the fine characteristics that are associated with the Hogal name, including handsome black and red title-pages, great typography (here in double-column format), and use of good quality paper.
The author was general accountant of the Treasury's office of mercury accounting (the element was important in silver refining) and one of the most illustrious Cosmographers of New Spain. He wrote this treatise at the insistence of the viceroy, who was greatly pleased by it.
Sabin 99686; Medina, Mexico, 3802; Tovar de Teresa, Bibliografía novohispana de arte, II, 86/87. Recent full dark brown calf, round spines, raised bands accented with gilt rules; green and red leather spine labels; gilt center devices. Covers with elaborate gilt roll at edges, concentric center compartments and gilt corner devices. Lacking the engraved title, only. Present are intermittent touches of limited worming and, in vol. II, the occasional old stain to a top margin's edge. This is a clean and indeed
BEAUTIFUL SET. (26378)
MEXICO is one of our great specialties.
For our MEXICANA, click
here.
For COLLECTED PRESSES
& TYPOGRAPHY, click
here.
Copiously & Usefully Illustrated
Vindel, Francisco. Solaces bibliográficos. Madrid: Instituto
Nacional del Libro Español, 1942. 12mo. xi, 193 [1] pp., illus.
$110.00
Short bibliographical essays on such topics as Spanish-language
printing in Italy in the 16th century, Spanish books on chess and on
women
in the 15th through the 17th centuries, and the Ibarra press.
Click
the images for enlargements.
This copy with an authorial inscription to a recipient whose name has been
gently, but entirely, obliterated!
Good quality red cloth, original wrappers bound in; grey spine
label. Very good copy. (21546)

A Risqué Look at Jeanne D'Arc — Lushly Illustrated by les Meilleures Artistes
Voltaire, François-Marie Arouet. La pucelle d'Orléans, poëme en vingt-un chants. Paris: Crapelet, VII [1799]. 8vo (22.8 cm, 9"). xiii, [1], 223, [5], 243, [1] pp.; 22 plts.
$975.00
Click the images for enlargements.
One of the last great 18th-century illustrated editions of Voltaire's best-selling, ribald burlesque on the importance of Joan of Arc's virginity — an irreverent epic poem banned by the Roman Catholic Church in 1767.
This is two volumes in one, with the half-title versos giving “de l'imprimerie de Crapelet.” The frontispiece portrait of Joan was done by Goucher and the 21 plates by Ponce and others after designs by Monsieau, Marillier, and Monnet. In some editions of this work, the illustrations were actually pornographic; in this case, they are often erotic (many featuring bare breasts or vigorous Action), but not quite explicit. (The frontispiece portrait of Joan with perky hat, hand on hip, head cocked, expression at once coy and come-hither, and nipples just perhaps slightly showing, rather presages what's to come.)
Bengesco, Voltaire, 514; Cohen & de Ricci 1035; Graesse 393. Not in Ray, Art of the French Illustrated Book. Mid-19th-century half dark green morocco and marbled paper–covered sides, leather edges with gilt fillet, spine with gilt-stamped title; spine faintly sunned, minor wear to corners and spine extremities. Top edge gilt. Front pastedown with unidentified dolphin and anchor bookplate. Tissue guard present following frontispiece but not elsewhere. Original ribbon bookmarker present and intact. A very few instances of small, light spots, most pages and certainly the “figures gravèes”) clean and fresh. (28347)
PLACE
AN ORDER | E-MAIL
US | PRB&M HOME