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Our October Catalogue contains 141 select items of 19th Century British Literature. Included are letters, manuscripts, association copies, and signed books by Browning, Byron, Carlyle, Coleridge, De Quincey, Rossetti, Ruskin, Shelley, Wordsworth, and others, as well as first editions by the above and many others. Most of the items are brand new to our inventory and not offered previously. Future catalogues will feature 19th Century American Literature, author collections of Thomas Merton, Carl Sandburg, Thornton Wilder, and others, as well as fine early printed books and exceptional signed Presidential material. You may also use our OUR FAST SEARCH ENGINE
| 012886 COLLINS, WILKIE. THE MOONSTONE. A NOVEL. * New York: Harper & Brothers 1868.* First Edition.* The First American Edition and the First Illustrated Edition (the first London edition was published in the same year in three volumes and was not illustrated) in publisher's brown cloth with gilt lettering on the spine. Inspired by the case of Constance Kent, who murdered her younger brother in 1860, and by the Northumberland Street murder. A Haycraft/Queen Cornerstone, T. S. Eliot called this book the first and best modern detective story. Minor wear to spine tips.* Near Fine, bright, clean copy, and uncommon as such. (Detective Fiction, 19th C. Literature, High Spot, Wilkie Collins, 19th C. Brit. Lit., Illustrated, Mysteries, Haycraft/Queen, Modern Firsts) |
$1500.00 Order |
| 008181 [COMBE, WILLIAM]. THE THREE TOURS OF DOCTOR SYNTAX. * London: Nattali & Bond n.d..* Ninth Edition.* Three large octavo (5-3/4" x 9-5/8") volumes bound in contemporary half calf, gilt. With two hand-colored engraved titles and 78 hand-colored plates after Thomas Rowlandson. Includes the Search of the Picturesque, of Consolation, and of a Wife. Attractive set of this classic. Offsetting to text pages facing the plates.* Occasional loose page. Minor rubbing. Near Fine (Hand-colored, Thomas Rowlandson, Poetry, Humor, Satire, 19th C. Brit. Lit., Illustrated, 19th C. Literature) |
$950.00 Order |
| 011886 CONRAD, JOSEPH. AN OUTCAST OF THE ISLANDS. * New York: Appleton 1896.* First Edition.* Conrad's second book, present here in the deluxe printing bound in half red roan with matching corners and marbled paper boards.* A Very Good or better copy with minor wear. (Joseph Conrad, 19th C. Brit. Lit., 20th C. Brit. Lit., Nautical Fiction, Modern Firsts, Literary Firsts, Sea Narratives) |
$750.00 Order |
| 011875 CONRAD, JOSEPH. TALES OF UNREST. * London: T. Fisher Unwin 1898.* First Edition.* Original gilt-lettered green cloth with top edge gilt. Keating 18. First Issue of the First English Edition of Conrad's fourth book and his first collection of short stories, published about a week or so after the American edition. (viii), 297, (1) pages + 14 page catalogue. Owner name of K. C. Chetwood-Aiken on the half title page; bookplate of Budd Pollak on the front pastedown with the small booksellers ticket of Pollard of Truro above it. Light foxing to endpapers; mild cracking to front hinge at half title page. Housed in a half green morocco slipcase which chemise. Backstrip of slipcase sunned.* Bright, Near Fine copy housed in a Very Good slipcase. (Joseph Conrad, 19th C. Brit. Lit., 20th C. Brit. Lit., Nautical Fiction, Modern Firsts, Literary Firsts, Short Stories, Sea Narratives) |
$750.00 Order |
| 011911 CONRAD, JOSEPH. TYPHOON. * London: Heinemann 1903.* First Edition.* First British Edition. Slate cloth with life preserver in gilt on front cover. First Edition in book form of all the stories except "Typhoon" whichwas published the previous year in America. This copy is one of the first 1500 of the domestic (first) issue of a total edition of 3000. This copy seems to be a variant of Binding B in that the spine measurement matches but all edges are trimmed and the 32-page catalogue is not present. Keating42. Bookplate of Budd Pollak on front pastedown.* Minor rubbing to spine edges and tips. Near Fine (Joseph Conrad, 19th C. Brit. Lit., 20th C. Brit. Lit., Nautical Fiction, Modern Firsts, Literary Firsts, Sea Narratives) |
$650.00 Order |
| 014517 CRUIKSHANK, GEORGE. ARCHIVE OF @ 15 ITEMS INCLUDING AUTOGRAPH MANUSCRIPT, AUTOGRAPH LETTERS SIGNED, AND ORIGINAL DRAWINGS SIGNED. * Interesting collection of material featuring eight pieces of paper of varying sizes with ORIGINAL DRAWINGS, some SIGNED by the artist, as well as well as two AUTOGRAPH LETTERS SIGNED, three MANUSCRIPT LISTS, two pages of AUTOGRAPH MANUSCRIPT, and a cabinet card original photograph of Cruikshank. There are also several pamphlets and broadsides and a few loose illustrations. One manuscript is titled "History of Napoleon Bounaparte," and the other is a commentary on his creation, Mr. Lambkin. Sketches and drawing studies include those for an illustration titled "The 'Greatest Happiness' Principle" and for THE BACHELOR'S OWN BOOK; OR, THE ADVENTURES OF MR. LAMBKIN. Altogether a fascinating insight into the artist's work.* Very Good (19th C. Brit. Lit., Manuscript, George Cruikshank, Illustrated, Victorian Lit., Illustrators, Victorian Literatur, Autograph Letters, Signed) |
SOLD Order |
| 014554 DE QUINCEY, THOMAS. AUTOGRAPH MANUSCRIPT FRAGMENT WITH AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED. 29 Dec. [1837].* AUTOGRAPH MANUSCRIPT FRAGMENT by De Quincey of @1200 words, two pages on both sides of a sheet of paper (7-1/2" x 12-1/4") from an unknown work but titled in pencil in another hand "Battle of Taunton," unsigned. Accompanied by an AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED from De Quincey on two sides of a small sheet of paper dated Saturday, December 27, with 1837 added in pencil in another hand. De Quincey comments on the ill health of his wife and daughter and offers an apology.* Very Good (Thomas De Quincey, 19th C. Literature, Manuscript, 19th C. Brit. Lit., Literature) |
$3000.00 Order |
| 014556 DE QUINCEY, THOMAS. CONFESSIONS OF AN ENGLISH OPIUM-EATER. * London: Taylor and Hessey 1823.* Third Edition.* Third Edition, published anonymously, bound in contemporary diced Russia leather with marbled edges and endpapers; iv, 206 pages. First published inbook form in 1822, De Quincey's autobiographical study of his opium addiction is the first literary text in English to chart the evolution of adrug addict. In small script on the rule below the title on the title page is written "De Quincey" in a hand very similar to the author's but very likely not his. There are no advertisements bound at the end of this copy, as were at least with the first two editions. Recently rebacked retaining nearly all of the original spine but not the spine label.* Near Fine (Thomas De Quincey, 19th C. Literature, High Spot, 19th C. Brit. Lit., Classics, Drugs, Autobiography, Romantic Literature, Drug Addiction) |
$450.00 Order |
| 008958 DIBDIN, THOMAS. THE LIBRARY COMPANION; OR, THE YOUNG MAN'S GUIDE, AND THE OLD MAN'S COMFORT, IN THE CHOICE OF A LIBRARY. * London: Harding et al. 1824.* First Edition.* Bound in contemporary half red morocco and marbled boards. The issue in one volume of Dibdin's descriptive catalogue of his ideal library, published in an edition of 2000 copies. According to Lowndes, it contains "much curious and important bibliographical information not elsewhere to befound." Late 19th century bookplate of Harold Lands on the front pastedown with the more modern bookplate of Sherman D. Clough partly pasted over it. On the front endpaper is the armorial bookplate of Fra. Green Goodwin. Hinges are cracked but very secure; moderate rubbing to the binding.* Very Good (Books on Books, Thomas Dibdin, 19th C. Literature, 19th C. Brit. Lit., British Literature) |
$300.00 Order |
| 011028 DICKENS, CHARLES. A CHRISTMAS CAROL IN SUPERB COSWAY-STYLE BINDING. * London: Chapman & Hall 1843.* First Edition.* Bound Cosway-style by Bayntun-Riviere in full red crushed levant morocco with five raised bands, spine and covers elaborately tooled and lettered in gilt with the front cover set with a large oval miniature painting of Dickens under glass, gilt dentelles, silk doublures and endpapers, all edges gilt. Small octavo, 4" x 6-1/2"; [8], 166, [2, ads] pages with the original cloth covers bound in at the rear. First edition, first issue: "Stave I"; text entirely uncorrected; green-coated endpapers; blue half-title page; red and blue title page. Four hand-colored steel-engraved plates by and after Leech and four wood-engraved text illustrations by W. J. Linton after Leech. Two tiny pinholes, one at the bottom of the front joint and the other at the bottom of the rear joint. Housed in a red cloth slipcase.* Fine, sumptuous copy with Dickens portrait, in slipcase. (Christmas, Rare, 19th C. Brit. Lit., Modern Firsts, High Spot, Cosway Binding, Charles Dickens, Movie Fiction, Fine Binding) |
$30,000.00 Order |
| 003227 DICKENS, CHARLES. HARD TIMES. * London: Bradbury & Evans 1854.* First Edition.* Bound in the first binding of original green cloth. An old catalogue description is tipped to the pastedown. Some uneven fading to cloth. Minor wear to spine tips.* Small (1/4") nick rear edge halfway up spine. Quite good. (19th C. Brit. Lit., Victorian Lit., 19th C. Literature, Modern Firsts, Charles Dickens) |
$1200.00 Order |
| 014518 DICKENS, CHARLES. MEMOIRS OF JOSEPH GRIMALDI. * London: Richard Bentley 1838.* First Edition.* Two volumes bound in later half black morocco with matching corners and marbled boards. First Issue, bound without half titles and the ads. With a frontispiece portrait of Grimaldi and twelve full-page plates by George Cruikshank. Some rubbing along spine edges, neatly retouched.* Near Fine (19th C. Brit. Lit., Charles Dickens, George Cruikshank, Illustrated, Victorian Lit., Victorian Literatur) |
$1000.00 Order |
| 013246 DICKENS, CHARLES. [THE WORKS OF CHARLES DICKENS]. * London: Chapman & Hall n.d. [@1890].* Ten large octavo volumes (7-1/2 x 10-7/16") bound in recent 1/2 brown morocco with morocco corners and a gilt-decorated and -lettered spine with five raised bands and marbled paper sides. Illustrated throughout with engravings. A great set to look at on the shelves and to read.* Minor bump to spines of two volumes. Fine, handsome set. (Fine Binding, Fine Bindings, Gift Ideas, Charles Dickens, Sets, Victorian Lit., 19th Century Lit., British Literature, Illustrated) |
$2000.00 Order |
| 009153 (NONESUCH PRESS) DICKENS, CHARLES. THE NONESUCH DICKENS. * Bloomsbury: Nonesuch Press 1937-38.* Twenty-five large octavo volumes bound in the publisher's linen buckram which varies in color throughout the set, gilt title on black leather spinelabels, top edges gilt. Numerous plates, some in color, and text illustrations from the original steel plates and woodblocks. Printed on Worthy rag paper, imported from America, by R. & R. Clark, Edinburgh. Limited to 877 copies, the quantity determined by the number of steel plates and woodblocks available. The twenty-five volumes include a drop-back box containing the woodcut "The Evil Genius of the House of Boffin" by Marcus Stone with the original woodblock and a letter from the publisher Chapman & Hall attesting to its authenticity. Also included is The Nonesuch Dickens: Retrospectus and Prospectus and the pamphlet A Note on the Format. The publisher Mitchell Kennerley believed the Nonesuch Dickens to be "the most interesting, the most satisfactory, the most enduringly beautiful, the most monumental and the most desirable collected edition of the works of any author I have ever encountered." Considered themost "complete and perfect edition to be put upon the market" by editor andDickens scholar Arthur Waugh. Some mild sunning to the spines of several volumes with four volumes having some minor mouse nibbling to the fore-edgeof the boards toward the bottom but not causing any great damage.* All told, a Near Fine and complete set of this impressive work. (19th C. Literature, Rare, Sets, Literature, 19th C. Brit. Lit., Charles Dickens, Fine Press, Fine Printing, Nonesuch Press) |
$14,500.00 Order |
| 014506 GASKELL, [MRS.] ELIZABETH CLEGHORN. SYLVIA'S LOVERS. * London: Smith, Elder and Co. 1863.* First Edition.* Three volumes attractively bound in full green morocco by the Harcourt Bindery with gilt-ruled and decorated panels and spines, five raised bands, gilt dentelles and marbled endpapers, top edges gilt. Bound without the half-title page in the first volume but with the terminal imprint leaf and without the two pages of ads at the end of the third volume. Gaskell's only historical novel and according to Michael Sadleir (935) one of her scarcest. Some rubbing and flaking to the joints but the covers are tight. Spines and portions of one or two covers pleasantly faded to brown.* Near Fine in lovely binding. (Mrs. Gaskell, Victorian Lit., Victorian Literatur, 19th C. Literature, Victorian Novel, Triple Decker, Triple Deckers, Women's Literature) |
$1750.00 Order |
| 002667 HAGGARD, H. RIDER. HEART OF THE WORLD. * London: Longmans, Green 1896.* First Edition.* First English Edition, First Issue with error on page 271. Preceded by the American edition. With a 24-page catalogue at end dated 4/96. Light to moderate foxing.* Spine lightly sunned, gilt bright. Very Good (H. Rider Haggard, Modern Firsts, Literary Firsts, 19th C. Brit. Lit.) |
$100.00 Order |
| 002666 HAGGARD, H. RIDER & LANG, ANDREW. THE WORLD'S DESIRE. * London: Longmans, Green 1890.* First Edition.* 23-page catalogue at end dated 10/92. Light soiling and foxing.* Tiny split bottom of front joint. Very Good or better (H. Rider Haggard, Andrew Lang, Modern Firsts, Literary Firsts, 19th C. Brit. Lit.) |
$100.00 Order |
| 013606 HARDY, THOMAS. THE DYNASTS. AN EPIC-DRAMA OF THE WAR WITH NAPOLEON, IN THREE PARTS, NINETEEN ACTS, AND ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY SCENES.... * London: Macmillan and Co., Limited 1927.* First Edition.* ...THE TIME COVERED BY THE ACTION BEING ABOUT TEN YEARS. Three quarto volumes in original vellum-backed batik boards in the uncommon printed dustwrappers. Printed in red and black on hand-made paper by the Chiswick Press. First published twenty years previously this is the First Limited Edition and is one of 525 sets SIGNED by the author. Illustrated with an etched frontispiece portrait of the author by Francis Dodd SIGNED by the artist in pencil. Lacks the slipcase.* Fine set, bright in just about Fine printed dustwrappers. (Modern Firsts, 19th C. Brit. Lit., Limited, Literary Firsts, 19th C. Literature, Thomas Hardy, Napoleon, Verse Drama, Signed) |
$950.00 Order |
| 006115 HARDY, THOMAS. HUMAN SHOWS FAR PHANTASIES. * New York: MacMillan & Co. 1925.* First Edition.* Copy #17 of only 100 numbered copies. Obviously a scarce issue of this book, issued without a dustwrapper but with a slipcase.* Fine in Good slipcase with top edge split. (Modern Firsts, 19th C. Brit. Lit., Poetry, Literary Firsts, 19th Cent. Lit., Limited, Thomas Hardy) |
$250.00 Order |
| 011885 HARDY, THOMAS. JUDE THE OBSCURE. * New York: Harper and Brothers 1896.* First Edition.* The First American Edition and the First Illustrated Edition of Hardy's classic novel in the publisher's green cloth with gilt-decorated front cover. Illustrated with twelve plates. Touch of fraying to spine head; upper corners frayed. Owner name dated 1896 on front endpaper.* Near Fine (Thomas Hardy, Victorian Lit., Victorian Novels, Victorian Novel, Victorian Literatur, Modern Firsts) |
$250.00 Order |
| 008073 HARDY, THOMAS. A PAIR OF BLUE EYES. * New York: Henry Holt and Company 1873.* First Edition.* First American Edition, issued in the Leisure Hour Series. Publisher's decorated cloth. Hardy's third novel and the first published under his own name. Fraying to spine tips. The light-colored cloth is foxed and soiled. The first sentence of most of the chapters have a pencil notation that seems to be the reader's response to the chapter titles.* Very Good (Thomas Hardy, Victorian Lit., Victorian Literatur, Victiorian Novels, Victorian Novel, 19th C. Literature, 19th C. Brit. Lit.) |
$1500.00 Order |
| 014545 HARDY, THOMAS. TESS OF THE D'URBERVILLES. A PURE WOMAN. * London: Macmillan and Co., Limited 1926.* First Edition.* The First Limited Edition, royal quarto (7-3/4" x 11-1/4") bound in vellum-backed marbled boards and illustrated with 41 wood-engravings, including the frontispiece, by Vivien Gribble and a folding map at the end.One of 325 copies on Large Paper SIGNED by the author. The uncommon four-page prospectus laid in. Minor wear to corners, slight soiling to spine.* Near Fine, lacking the dustwrapper. (Modern Firsts, 19th C. Brit. Lit., Limited, Literary Firsts, 19th C. Literature, Thomas Hardy, Movie Fiction, Signed) |
$2500.00 Order |
| 011115 HARDY, THOMAS. TWO ON A TOWER. A ROMANCE. * London: Sampson, Low, Marston et. al 1882.* First Edition.* Three volumes bound in early blue 3/4 morocco by Riviere with gilt lettering and design on the spines and five raised bands. All half-titles present, and the original green cloth spines are bound in at the rear of each corresponding volume. The first volume has been SIGNED by Hardy above the title. A novel relating the love affair between Lady Viviette Constantine and Swithin St. Cleeve who meet at the astronomical observatorythat St. Cleeve has set up atop an abandoned monument tower on Lady Constantine's estate. Hardy made considerable revisions in the text of all three volumes, beginning with the second edition of 1883, and added new prefaces, as the various later collected editions of Hardy's works appeared. In his Preface to the 1895 Wessex Edition, Hardy wrote that his novel was "the outcome of a wish to set the emotional history of two infinitesimal lives against the stupendous background of the stellar universe, and to impart to readers the sentiment that of these contrasting magnitudes the smaller might be the greater to them as men." These originaltexts, as they were published in book form, are now generally considered the most sought after and the current Penguin series of Hardy's novels usesthis text, even reproducing the title page of volume I. Sadleir ranks this as Hardy's "seventh scarcest book" and all original editions of Hardy's novels that have been SIGNED by him are exceptionally uncommon. Front jointof first volume cracking with a small nick at the head of the spine.* Text clean, bindings bright and firm with minor rubbing. (Modern Firsts, 19th C. Brit. Lit., Rare, Literary Firsts, 19th Cent. Lit., Thomas Hardy, Signed) |
$9500.00 Order |
| 014555 HARDY, THOMAS. THE WORKS OF THOMAS HARDY. * London: MacMillan & Company, Ltd. 1919-20.* The Mellstock Edition consisting of thirty-seven volumes bound in publisher's blue cloth with gilt medallions on the front covers and heavily gilt-decorated spines. Limited to 500 unnumbered copies SIGNED by the author on the limitation page in the first volume. Illustrated with a portrait frontispiece of Hardy by William Strang in the first volume. Light, occasional wear to covers; a few volumes slightly shaken. Contents generally clean.* Very Good to Near Fine set. (Modern Firsts, 19th C. Brit. Lit., Fiction, Thomas Hardy, 19th C. Literature, Poetry, Sets, Limited, Signed) |
$7500.00 Order |
| 007937 HARDY, THOMAS. [WORKS] THE WRITINGS OF THOMAS HARDY. * New York/London: Harper n.d. [1915].* The Autograph Edition consisting of twenty volumes bound in the original green buckram with the scarce dustwrappers. Limited to only 153 numbered copies SIGNED by the publishers and by Thomas Hardy beneath a printed statement: "This is the Authorized and Definitive Edition of my books." Illustrated with photogravures. A remarkably nice set with all of the extraspine labels tipped in at the front of each volume and all of the original plain dustwrappers with spine labels identical to that of the books present. The dustwrappers are for the most part in Very Good to Fine condition with the exception of the first two volumes which have the front panels detached and a few tape repairs. Each volume has a tasteful bookplate placed over an earlier bookplate, probably that of Arthur H. Masten, for whom the volumes were bound.* Fine set, especially scarce in the original dustwrappers. (Modern Firsts, 19th C. Brit. Lit., Fiction, Literary Firsts, 19th Cent. Lit., Poetry, Sets, Limited, Signed) |
$9500.00 Order |
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