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Our December Catalogue contains 75 great Last-Minute Gifts, priced from $10 to $30,000 and including both new arrivals and selections from stock, mostly illustrated books, classics, fine bindings, and limited editions. We can get any of these to you by Christmas if you order before Thursday, December 20. You may also use our OUR FAST SEARCH ENGINE
| 013261 POTTER, BEATRIX. CHRISTMAS CARD INSCRIBED AND SIGNED. n.d. [@1942].* A small (3-1/2" x 4-3/4") Christmas card in the form of a string-tied chapbook of stiff covers with a color illustration on the front (not by Potter) and two leaves inside with printing on the recto of one leaf containing Christmas Greetings with a quote by Leith Gordon. Beneath that in Beatrix Potter's hand SIGNED by her with her married name is the following: "W & Beatrix Heelis/It is pleasant to think of friends/in a sad time - we are well, but/old & tired-." Though the name of the recipient is not written by Potter, this was part of a lot of three cards from the estate of Bertha Mahony Miller, founder of HORN BOOK MAGAZINE and an important figure in the fight for the idea that children's books should be taken more seriously. She was also a close friend of Beatrix Potter and a champion of her books.* Near Fine (Modern Firsts, Inscribed, Beatrix Potter, Illustrated, Children's, Signed, Christmas, Autographs, Rare) |
$3500.00 Order |
| 007307 PRITCHETT, V. S. CHRISTMAS WITH THE CRATCHITS. * (Berkeley): Hart Press (1964).* First Edition.* Chapbook in printed wraps; illustrated by Victor Anderson. One of 155 copies (limitation not stated) printed as a Christmas greeting with slip from the Harts laid in.* Near Fine (Modern Firsts, Fine Press, Christmas, Christmas Greeting, Limited) |
$35.00 Order |
| 002726 [RACKHAM, ARTHUR] DICKENS, CHARLES. THE CHIMES. * London: Limited Editions Club 1931.* Quarto (7-3/4" x 11-1/2") bound in decorated buckram with gilt highlights. Designed and printed by George Jones. Copy #152 of 1500 illustrated with six full-page black and white illustrations and fourteen smaller black and white drawings throughout the text by Arthur Rackham. SIGNED by the illustrator on the colophon page. Spine darkened but gilt still bright. Miniscule chip at head of spine.* Near Fine in case with long split at top and darkened backstrip. (19th C. Brit. Lit., Signed, Illustrated, Arthur Rackham, Limited Editions, Charles Dickens, Christmas, Fine Press, LEC) |
SOLD Order |
| 003752 REAGAN, RONALD. DOCUMENT SIGNED (DS): A CHRISTMAS MESSAGE. * Washington: [1988].* Copy of a White House Office of Public Affairs release consisting of two (8-1/2" x 11") loose sheets with a depiction of the White House at the top left front. SIGNED by Reagan at the top right of the first page underneath the title "The President's Column": "To Barry--/With Best Wishes./Ronald Reagan." Reagan discusses the meaning of the season and helping needy children at Christmas time on the first page and the tragedy of the Armenian earthquake on the second. Interesting and unusual form of the late president's autograph.* Fine (Signed, Presidential, Modern Firsts, Autographs, Document Signed, Manuscript, Christmas) |
$1500.00 Order |
| 014124 [ROOSEVELT, ELEANOR] GLOVER, FLORIDA R. THE FIRST CHRISTMAS. * New York: E. P. Dutton Co. (1943).* First Edition.* Illustrated by Susanne Suba. This is ELEANOR ROOSEVELT'S COPY with both Roosevelt's bookplate and the small circular estate label, this numbered 1780, on the front pastedown.* Near Fine in Very Good dustwrapper. (Christmas, Eleanor Roosevelt, Children's, Bookplates, Presidential, First Ladies, Modern Firsts, Illustrated) |
SOLD Order |
| 012842 SHAKESPEARE, WILLIAM. THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE. THE CAMBRIDGE EDITION TEXT, AS EDITED BY WILLIAM ALDIS WRIGHT. * Garden City: Garden City Publishing Co. 1936.* Reprint.* Includes the Temple Notes. Quarto (7-1/4" x 10-1/4") richly rebound in halfburgundy morocco with matching morocco corners and marbled paper sides withfive raised bands and a gilt-decorated and lettered spine. Illustrated throughout with full-page plates by Rockwell Kent. Small, faint scratch to spine.* Just about Fine, handsomely bound. (Rockwell Kent, Modern Firsts, William Shakespeare, Fine Bindings, Fine Binding, Christopher Morley, Illustrated) |
SOLD Order |
| 013107 SHAW, GEORGE BERNARD. THE COMPLETE PLAYS OF BERNARD SHAW. * London: Odhams Press Limited (1937).* Reprint.* Large octavo (6-1/2" x 9-3/4") bound in full navy blue smooth grain morocco with triple gilt-ruled borders, gilt dentelles, gilt-decorated and lettered spine with five raised bands, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, and top edge gilt. All of Shaw's plays contained in one thick (2 inches) volume.* Fine, beautifully bound. (Theater, Plays, Modern Firsts, Theatre, George Bernard Shaw, Fine Binding, Nobel Prize, Fine Bindings, Irish Literature) |
SOLD Order |
| 010763 SHELLEY, PERCY (HUTCHINSON, THOMAS: EDITOR). POETICAL WORKS. * London: Oxford University Press (1967).* Reprint.* Beautifully bound by Lauriat of Boston in 3/4 navy blue morocco and blue cloth with a gilt-decorated and lettered spine, top edge gilt. xxiii, 918 pages. Neat owner inscription on the front endpaper.* Fine in a lovely binding. Would make a wonderful gift! (Modern Firsts, Poetry, Romantic Poetry, Percy Shelley, Fine Bindings) |
$250.00 Order |
| 014163 SPENSER, EDMUND. THE FAERIE QUEENE. DISPOSED INTO TWELVE BOOKES FASHIONING XII MORALL VERTUES. * Oxford: Limited Editions Club 1953.* Two large quarto volumes (7-3/4" x 11-3/4") bound in gilt-decorated green cloth and illustrated with pen decorations by John Austen and wood engravings by Agnes Miller Parker. Copy #1144 of 1500 SIGNED by Parker on the colophon page. A nicely printed set beautifully illustrated. The uncommon dustwrappers are present as is the slipcase. The spines of the dustwrappers are sunned with some foxing on the panels, as usually the case. The slipcase is lightly sunned but solid and intact. One of the underrated books of the press.* Fine in Very Good dustwrappers and Fine slipcase. (LEC, Fine Press, Poetry, 16th C. Literature, Signed, Agnes Miller Parker, John Austen, Wood Engravings, Limited Editions) |
$300.00 Order |
| 014168 STOWE, HARRIET BEECHER (COVARRUBIAS, MIGUEL). UNCLE TOM'S CABIN. * New York: Limited Editions Club 1938.* Quarto (7-1/2" x 10-1/2") bound in half brown morocco with morocco corners and marbled boards. Introduction by Raymond Weaver. Copy #31 of 1500 copies illustrated with sixteen powerful lithographs drawn on the stone by Miguel Covarrubias and SIGNED by the artist on the colophon page. Mild sunning to the spine with a few small rubbed spots.* Near Fine in Fine slipcase. Uncommon thus. (LEC, Fine Press, Americana, 19th C. Amer. Lit., Signed, Miguel Covarrubias, Harriet B. Stowe, Lithographs, Limited Editions) |
$600.00 Order |
| 011860 THACKERAY, WILLIAM MAKEPEACE. THE ROSE AND THE RING. * New York: Limited Editions Club 1942.* Quarto (8-1/2" x 11-3/4") bound in decorated buckram. With Thackeray's original illustrations enlarged and redrawn by Fritz Kredel, with the full-page plates colored by hand under Kredel's supervision by Charlize Brakeley. Copy #834 of 1500, issued unsigned.* Fine in glassine and Fine chemise and Very Good slipcase. (LEC, William Thackeray, Illustrated, Hand-colored, 19th C. Brit. Lit., Signed, Limited Editions, Christmas, Fritz Kredel) |
$175.00 Order |
| 011390 THEROUX, PAUL. THE SHORTEST DAY OF THE YEAR. A CHRISTMAS FANTASY. * (Leamington Spa): Sixth Chamber Press (1986).* First Edition.* Black cloth with printed label on front cover. Illustrated with color ornaments by Sebastian Carter composed in typographical material from the collection of Hellmuth Wiessenborn. Copy #11 of 175 numbered copies (of a total edition of 201) SIGNED by the author.* Fine without dustwrapper, as issued. (Modern Firsts, Christmas, Limited, Paul Theroux, Signed) |
$150.00 Order |
| 014164 THOREAU, HENRY DAVID. WALDEN OR LIFE IN THE WOODS. * New York: Limited Editions Club 1936.* Quarto (6-3/4" x 10") bound in black linen and blue-green paste paper-covered boards. Illustrated with photographs by Edward Steichen. Designed by D. B. Updike and printed at the Merrymount Press. Copy #749 of 1500 SIGNED by the photographer on the colophon page. Contents fine; boardsfine; spine mildly sunned with two 1/4" closed tears at the top of the spine. The slipcase lacks a small piece at the top outside edge and has tape repairs at the bottom edge.* Very Good in Good or better slipcase. (LEC, Fine Press, Modern Photography, Henry David Thoreau, 19th C. Amer. Lit., Edward Steichen, Signed, D. B. Updike, Limited Editions) |
SOLD Order |
| 006873 TWAIN, MARK [CLEMENS, SAMUEL]. THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN. * New York: Limited Editions Club 1933.* Large octavo (6-1/4" x 9-1/2") bound in full green cloth stamped in blind and gilt with an illustration of Huck in gilt on the front cover. With a new introduction by Booth Tarkington and the original illustrations by E. W. Kemble including a new illustration for the title page by Kemble who not only was still alive 50 years after the original publication of this classic but who was living within a mile of the home of the publisher of the Limited Editions Club, George Macy. Designed by Carl Purington Rollins. Copy #710 of 1500 SIGNED by the designer.* Spine a touch sunned. Near Fine in like slipcase. (19th C. Amer. Lit., Signed, Mark Twain, Modern Firsts, Limited Editions, LEC, Illustrated, E. W. Kemble) |
$200.00 Order |
| 014154 TWAIN, MARK [CLEMENS, SAMUEL]. THE ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER. * Cambridge: Limited Editions Club 1939.* Octavo (6-1/4" x 9-1/2") bound in full blue denim with a paper spine label, here a little wrinkled. Edited with an introduction by Bernard DeVoto. Designed by C. P. Rollins. Illustrated with 70 drawings by Thomas Hart Benton. Copy #371 of 1500 copies SIGNED by the artist on the colophon page. Light foxing to the endpapers. Lightly soiled slipcase is intact with neat repair to top edge split.* Spine a bit sunned, as usual. Near Fine in Very Good slipcase. (LEC, Fine Press, Illustrated, Mark Twain, 19th C. Amer. Lit., Signed, Thomas Hart Benton, Limited Editions, Bernard DeVoto) |
$600.00 Order |
| 012875 TWAIN, MARK [CLEMENS, SAMUEL]. "EVE'S DIARY" IN HARPER'S MONTHLY, #667, DECEMBER, 1905. * New York: Harper & Brothers December 1905.* First Edition.* Original printed wraps. The Christmas issue. In addition to the selection by Twain, there are pieces by Grover Cleveland and Edmund Gosse, stories by Jack London and W. D. Howells, and an article about pirates by Howard Pyle with four color illustrations by him. Front cover with some chipping along bottom and fore-edges but not terrible.* Spine a little chipped. Very Good (Periodicals, Booth Tarkington, Christmas, Mark Twain, 19th C. Amer. Lit., Jack London, Edmund Gosse, Grover Cleveland, Howard Pyle) |
SOLD Order |
| 014153 TWAIN, MARK [CLEMENS, SAMUEL]. LIFE ON THE MISSISSIPPI. * New York: Limited Editions Club 1944.* First Edition.* Octavo (6-1/4" x 9-1/2") bound in dark gray-green morocco-backed brown linen boards with a lithographed scene by Thomas Hart Benton. The addition of hitherto suppressed passages totaling 15,000 words makes this the True First Complete Edition of this classic work by Mark Twain with the text conforming to the original manuscript. Edited by Willis Wagner with an introduction by Edward Wagenknecht. Designed by Will Ransom and printed by W. E. Rudge's Sons. Copy #519 of 1200 numbered copies illustrated by ThomasHart Benton with nearly 60 drawings, including the first color pictures by him in a book. SIGNED by the artist on the colophon page. Very light wear to spine tips. Case with typical sunning and some wear to the corners.* Near Fine in Very Good case with intact label. (LEC, Fine Press, Illustrated, Mark Twain, 19th C. Amer. Lit., Signed, Rare, Limited Editions, Thomas Hart Benton) |
SOLD Order |
| 012876 TWAIN, MARK [CLEMENS, SAMUEL]. "MENTAL TELEGRAPHY. A MANUSCRIPT WITH A HISTORY" IN HARPER'S MONTHLY, #499, DECEMBER, 1891. * New York: Harper & Brothers December 1891.* First Edition.* Original printed wraps. The Christmas issue. In addition to the article by Twain, there are pieces by Richard Harding Davis, James Russell Lowell, and others, with illustrations by Harry Fenn, Frederic Remington, and Howard Pyle.* Some soiling and tears. Very Good (Periodicals, Mental Telegraphy, Christmas, Mark Twain, 19th C. Amer. Lit., Spiritualism, 19th C. Literature, Frederic Remington, Howard Pyle) |
$100.00 Order |
| 010015 UPDIKE, JOHN. QUERY. * n.p.: Albondocani Press (1974).* First Edition.* Stiff card covers with drawing by Robert Dunn. First issue with the cover drawing printed upside-down, one of only 75 copies thus of an intended 400 copies total, the remainder said by the publisher to have been destroyed, but at least a dozen or more survived. This poem by Updike was printed as aholiday greeting from Albondocani Press and Ampersand Books, with the errata statement from the publisher still tipped in. Also with a printed statement from the publisher about the publishing history of the piece and offering copies of the suppressed first issue at $100.* Fine in envelope. (John Updike, Christmas Card, Modern Firsts, Ephemera, Limited, Fine Press, Modern Poetry) |
$250.00 Order |
| 012889 WARD, LYND [TWAIN, MARK (CLEMENS, SAMUEL)]. ORIGINAL ARTWORK OF HUCK FINN AND TOM SAWYER. * An ORIGINAL CHALK AND INK DRAWING on artist's board depicting Twain's two most beloved characters, one digging a hole and the other leaning against a tree smoking a corncob pipe: image size 11-1/2" x 4-1/4", overall size 14" x 6". SIGNED by the artist, Lynd Ward, with his initials in the lower left corner with the number "14" in the lower right corner and "Mark Twain" written in an unidentified hand in ink on the rear. Possibly from the book AMERICAS MARK TWAIN, which was illustrated by Ward.* Fine (Original Art, Lynd Ward, 19th C. Literature, Mark Twain, 19th C. Amer. Lit., Signed, Illustrated) |
$850.00 Order |
| 011842 WHITE, GILBERT. THE NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. * Ipswich: Limited Editions Club 1972.* Quarto (8-1/2" x 11-3/4") bound in quarter gold-stamped calfskin and green boards decorated with a morning glory pattern repeated on the slipcase. Illustrated by John Nash with 16 full-page lithographic plates and many vignettes in the text. Copy #33 SIGNED by the artist on the colophon page. Monthly Letter laid in.* Fine in Fine slipcase. (LEC, Fine Press, Natural History, 19th C. Brit. Lit., Signed, 18th Century, John Nash, England, Limited Editions) |
$250.00 Order |
| 010019 WILBUR, RICHARD. HAMLEN BROOK. * n.p.: Albondocani Press (1982).* First Edition.* Stiff card covers with drawing by Robert Dunn. One of 400 copies reserved for use as a holiday greeting. This copy contains the Albondocani Press and Ampersand Books printed greeting.* Fine in envelope. (Richard Wilbur, Christmas Card, Modern Firsts, Ephemera, Limited, Fine Press, Modern Poetry) |
$35.00 Order |
| 014156 WILDE, OSCAR. THE BALLAD OF READING GAOL. * New York: Limited Editions Club 1937.* Quarto (7-1/2" x 11"). This copy beautifully rebound in elegant full black morocco with gilt rules on the covers and spine, gilt-lettered spine, gilt dentelles, all edges marbled, and purple silk endpapers and pastedowns. Copy #343 of 1500 illustrated with 8 full-page ORIGINAL LITHOGRAPHS by Zhenya Gay and SIGNED by the artist.* Fine, beautifully bound, without slipcase. (LEC, Fine Press, Illustrated, 19th C. Brit. Lit., Limited Editions, Oscar Wilde, Signed, Orig. Lithographs, Fine Binding) |
$350.00 Order |
| 014158 WILDER, THORNTON. OUR TOWN. * Avon, CT: Limited Editions Club 1974.* Quarto (8-1/4" x 11-3/4") bound in full brown corduroy with an oval leatherspine label. With an introduction by Brooks Atkinson and a note by the author. Illustrated by Robert J. Lee with four double-page color plates, three full-page monochrome plates, and eighteen marginal sketches printed in a rosy terra-cotta. Copy #802 of 2000 numbered copies SIGNED by the artist and by the author, the only limited edition of this play and certainly the easiest and least expensive way to obtain a signed copy. Mild sunning to the spine.* About Fine, lacking the slipcase. (LEC, Thornton Wilder, Illustrated, Signed, Modern Firsts, Pulitzer Prize, Plays, Theater, Limited Editions) |
$250.00 Order |
| 007317 WITHER, GEORGE. A CHRISTMAS CAROL 1622. * (Berkeley): Hart Press 1963.* First Edition.* Chapbook in printed wraps; illustrated by Victor Anderson. One of 160 copies (limitation not stated) printed as a Christmas greeting with slip from the Harts laid in.* Near Fine (Poetry, Fine Press, Christmas, Christmas Greeting, Limited) |
$25.00 Order |
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CHARLES AGVENT
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