Printed Ephemera

Good clean image of a seventeenth-century engraving, from an earlier idealised portrait of the putative 'father of printing'. It is of irregular shape, the background having been carefully cut away. Neatly mounted on piece of beige paper, illustrated with a brown pseudo-frame with decorative book devices in the four corners. Half-length portrait of a bearded Gutenberg in fur-lined hat and coat, with composing stick in left hand and stylus in right. Dimensions roughly eight and a quarter inches by seven wide. Engraved beneath is 'P Stent Excudit: R Gaywood fecit'.

One page, large octavo. Aged and with light staining. Docketed on second leaf of bifolium: 'Requesting Consuls not to receive Copies of books as presents to Her Majesty'.

One page. Dimensions of illustration roughly seven and a half inches by five and a half wide. A frail survival, aged and creased, but with illustration clear and complete. Glue stains from previous mounting on rear. Unusual and striking illustration, consisting of grotesque caricatures of two men - the first tall and thin and in tartan trousers, carrying the letter I, and the second a dwarf in riding boots and cap, carrying the letter T.

Two pages, on leaf roughly eight and a half inches by five. Very good, with three stab holes along one margin. Headed 'NEW COLLECTION OF VOYAGES AND TRAVELS, [...] This Day is published'.

One page, 8vo, stained and small hole but text clear and complete. Charges for a book on poultry, a Portuguese dictionary and a binding job.

Invoices, one page each, 4to, good condition. Receipts of conventional size, both signed "R. Toley" [not in BBTI]. The subjects are subscruiption editions of Lewis's Topographical Dictionaries of England and Wales (1845), Scotland and Ireland (1847), with prices, including "colouring Atlas[es]".

One page, on rough-edged grey wove paper, roughly nine inches by six wide. An attractive production of twenty-two lines, with ornamental rules top and bottom, headed 'This Day is Published, | IN TWO VOLUMES OCTAVO, | PRICE ONE GUINEA IN BOARDS, | Monographia Apum Angliae; | [...] | By WILLIAM KIRBY, B.A. F.L.S. | RECTOR of Barham in Suffolk. | [...]'. According to BBTI John White traded between 1785 and 1816 and Stephen Couchman between 1774 and 1825.

Paper dimensions roughly fifteen inches by ten and a half wide; print dimensions twelve inches by seven and a quarter wide. Good clear image with border a little dusty and aged. Full-length image of a dour Panizzi standing at a desk holding a book. Page of letterpress on separate leaf of same dimensions, containing spirited account ['he sought refuge in Switzerland, but he was expelled discreditably from that country, [...] Keeper of the Printed Books [...] the man in all Europe most competent to fill it.

c.3.5 x 2.5", verso blank, manually trimmed hence irregular, minor defects. He also advertises his sale of "Mathematical and Sea Instruments, several sorts of Physical Medicines [Dr Daffy's, Stoughton's, "Spirit of Scurvy Grass Golden or Plain"] . . . Also the famous Cephalick or Liquid-snuff prepared for the Queen." He also lists various forms of ink, paper-hangings, "the best of scrampt-Parchment and Paper, Bonds, &c.

Roughly twelve and half inches by nine and a quarter. Neatly mounted on piece of cream paper, with surrounding ink rules. Good, with some ruckling and wear to corners. Characteristically arresting arrangement of type. Reads: 'CAUTION. | THE ONLY CORRECT COPY | OF DONIZETTI'S OPERA | THE FAVOURITE | AS PERFORMED IN ENGLISH AT THE | THEATRE ROYAL DRURY LANE, | IS PUBLISHED BY | JEFFERYS AND CO.

Dimensions roughly one and a half inches by two inches. One page, blank verso. Tipped in on piece of yellow paper. Within ruled border. An attractive item, with an illustration of key at head. Beneath this, in copperplate, 'Bought of I: Crokatt | at the Golden Key near | ye. Inner-Temple-Gate | Fleet-Street.' Crokatt, an associate of Dodsley, with whom Samuel Johnson worked, traded from the 1720s to the 1750s.

Two pages, 4to, stabbed, minor foxing, mainly good condition. It announces that Skelton is preparing a !series of Engraved Illustrations of the Antiquities of the County of Oxford", anticipating 50 plates "from Original Drawings made purposely by Mr. F. Mackenzie" with letterpress by a Member of the University. There will be 12 quarterly parts in Elephant or Atlas 4to. He adds a long list of subscribers from HRH the Duke of Ambridge to "Wykeham, Miss, Thame Park, Oxon." and including the Duke of Marlborough and booksellers (Arch, Major, Munday & Slatter, Simcoe).

Paper dimensions roughly ten and a half inches by eleven and a half; print dimensions eight and a half inches by ten and a half. Aged and with three inch strip, roughly half an inch wide, torn away from surface of print in top left-hand corner. Depicts a crowded and rather grand hall, containing a long horseshoe-shaped table around which are crowded connoisseurs of both sexes contemplating engravings and illustrated books or engaged in discussion. Arti et Amicitiae is an Amsterdam society of artists and art lovers, founded in 1839.

Card, c.4 x 3", soiled, remnants of album page on verso (four corners). Within the Royal Arms of the Duke of Clarence is printed "William Curtis / Bookseller / To H.R.H. the Duke of Clarence / Plymouth". At the botton "Harps, Pianofortes &c. on Sale or Hire."

Printed in red and black on one side of a piece of paper roughly fifteen inches by nineteen wide. Good on aged paper with some offsetting. A few closed tears skillfully repaired on blank reverse with archival tape. Striking and attractive production with ornate thick decorative border and printer's slug in red ink, enclosing text in a variety of types in black, with 'ORDERS RECEIVED WITHIN' at foot. Two dates neatly corrected in a contemporary hand.

Beautifully printed bifolium on thick wove paper. Dimensions of leaf roughly thirteen inches by ten; dimensions of illustration roughly nine and a half inches by eight. Tissue guard. Recto of first leaf and verso of second blank. Letterpress on verso of first leaf reads 'Fernand De Nobele, libraire pres St-Germain-des-Pres, vous adresse ses meilleurs voeux pour l'annee 1969. | [L'abbaye en 1368]'. Illustration signed at foot 'Josephine Beaudouin', with the limitation '190/200'. For De Nobele - President of ILAB between 1965 and 1967 - see Anthony Rota's 'Books in the Blood' (2002).

Dimensions of paper roughly eight inches by five; dimensions of print four and a quarter inches by three and a half. Good clean image, on paper aged and creased at extremities only. A wild-haired octogenarian Gent leans on a pile of books in a stone archway, holding open a copy of his History of Rippon (1733). Taken from Thorpe's edition of Gent's 'Life', published in 1832.

One leaf, c.6.5 x 5", good condition. [Recto] Detailed description of the book, concluding "And also Sold by the Author. It being the most Curiosest Book that ever was Published." [Verso] Headed "Gloria Deo" with some words and music bordering a wood-engraving [?] of the author presumably (seated, pen in hand, maunscript book on a table in front of him. At the foot "Gulielmi Tans'ur [italic] Effigies" [of William Tans'ur]. See DNB for Tans'ur. See S. Rivington, The Publishing Family of Rivington: "Sir James Hodges . . . was the best known of the booksellers on London Bridge." p.12.

One page, 4to, slightly marked, mainly good condition. INSCRIBED in the hand of John Bowyer Nichols, the book's publisher and printer, "Respectfully submitted to Sir Thomas Phillipps Bart." Dawson Turner was to contribute a "Memoir of the Author"

Landscape. Dimensions of paper roughly nine inches by thirteen and a half. Trimmed. Clear image on aged and foxed paper. Captioned 'This ENGRAVING of the BOOKSELLERS' PROVIDENT RETREAT at Abbots Langley, Herts, erected upon ground presented by JOHN DICKINSON, ESQ.

8vo, spike-hole, good condition. "[MS.] to Designing & Engraving a Block of 'Soldiers Funeral £2.10.0". An example of the engraving is laid down in the top left corner, an image of a church at distance, a country lane, the entry to the churchyard and a solitary figure walking down the lane) a female carrying a basket?). The receipt, tipped on to the invoice, is in a different hand, and is signed "[Wm?] Dorrington". The invoice is doketed on the verso "No 4 Dorrington's Bill for Wood Cut."

One page, c.6.5 x 4.5", verso blank, right edge irregular (extracted?), small tear, sl.ightly marked, good condition. "In pursuance of an Order of the House of Peers, of the Nineteenth Day of March 1746, I do appoint SAMUEL BILLINGSLEY to Print the whole Proceedings in the House of Peers, upon the Impeachment exhibited by the Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses, in Parliament assembled, in the Names of Themselves, and of all the Commons of Great Britain, against Simon Lord Lovat, for High Treason; And do forbid any other Person to Print the same. / Hardwicke C."

Two pages, 4to, slightly foxed and soiled, small tear at fold. INSCRIBED in the hand of John Bowyer Nichols, the book's printer, "Respectfully submitted to Sir Thomas Phillipps Bart."

Four pages, fol., tear on fold marks, other defects but text clear and complete. The ten signatories also include W. Morrison (presumably the philanthropist, Walter), T[homas]. Brassey, R.M. [Castor?], Auberon Herbert ("the originator of Voluntaryism" (Wikipedia - see alos DNB), Hodgson Pratt (Peace advocate (DNB), [P.H. Hillard?], Edw. Owen Greeening, Tito Pagliardini and another (undeciphered). A socialist project concerning which I have found little information.

Dimensions of paper approximately 36 x 25 cms. Good, though lightly foxed and with corners a little dog-eared. His Lordship, in full-sleeved clericals, is seated, and bare-headed, looking to his right with a piercing stare. Dated 1815 by the National Portrait Gallery.

On one side of a piece of paper roughly 22 x 14 cms. Good, apart from some repaired damage at head from scorching, resulting in loss to two lines of text. Title followed by the eight rules of the Society over twenty-one lines of text. At foot names of the sixteen members of the Committee (eight ladies and eight gentlemen), together with those of the treasurer and secretary. According to BBTI William Cowdroy Jr was a printer, publisher and newspaper proprietor between 1795 and 1824.

Two columns of small type, in total seventeen inches long and each two and a half inches wide. Good, on lightly aged paper. Neatly laid down on a piece of blue paper docketed 'Written by | [signature] Hubert Smith | 4 March 1884. Smith was the town clerk of Bridgnorth, but he is best-known as the husband of the Gypsy Esmeralda Lock, who left him for Francis Hindes Groome (1851-1902) and was painted by Dante Gabriel Rossetti.

12mo, two pages. Printed on one side of a piece of paper roughly nine inches by seven, folded one to make a bifolium. Lists the Orchestra's officers (conductor; committee - the Hon. Mrs. Noel Farrer, Miss Olive Macleod and Miss Stack (Hon. Librarian); and hon. treasurer Hon. Noel M. Farrer) before setting out its rules over fifty lines, beginning 'The object of this Orchestra is to meet weekly or fortnightly to play good music well and efficiently.' A websearch for the Orchestra (which was perhaps exclusively for women) and for members of the Farrer family yields no results.

On piece of paper roughly three and a half inches by three wide. Good, lightly aged with a little creasing to one corner. Pleasant armorial design within floral arrangement. Motto 'VIGILANS' on scroll above 'Sir Richard Burton' in copperplate at foot. Indentation of plate around edge.

Octavo, 16 pages. In original cream wraps, tied with blue ribbon, and with the insignia of the Lodge printed on the front. Good, if a little aged. Creased where folded in half. With the signatures of seven of the Lodge's members in pencil on front wrap (Bob Bradley, P. H. Crozier, Herbert L. Hawkes and others). From the collection of the pamphlet's printer Robert W. Bradley, who is listed among the Lodge's Officers as 'Organist', and who signs 'Bob Bradley'.