BOOK

warning: Creating default object from empty value in /home/richardf/public_html/dev/modules/taxonomy/taxonomy.pages.inc on line 33.

Typed Letter Signed ('John G. Murray') to 'Mrs. Norsworthy'.

Author: 
John Murray the sixth [John Grey Murray; Jock Murray; John Arnaud Robin Grey Murray (1909-1993), London publisher
Publication details: 
9 March 1936; on the firm's 50 Albemarle Street letterhead.
£28.00

4to, 1 p. Eight lines in typescript and one line in manuscript. Good, on lightly-aged paper. With stamped Envelope addressed in manuscript. The firm is 'sorry to hear' that she intends to 'take two volumes' over her book on Henry III, not considering that 'a biography of him could succeed in more than one complete volume. To take him to 1237 in the first volume would spoil the completeness of what we feel should be a one-volume biography.' He adds in manuscript: 'I hope we will not prove too unwieldy.'

Autograph Letter Signed ('R Seeley') to his business partner Service.

Author: 
Richmond Seeley, son of and successor to Robert Benton Seeley (1798-1886), London publisher [F. Stanley Service; Seeley, Service & Co.; 'Clive Holland' [Charles James Hankinson] (1866-1959)]
Publication details: 
5 February 1908; Holmbury, Epsom.
£85.00

12mo, 3 pp. Bifolium with mourning border. Good: lightly aged and with a slight bloom at the foot. Text clear and complete. Written to a business partner, and providing an insight into the everyday workings of the Edwardian book trade. The beginning of the letter appears to be a response to suggestions by Service of authors to write a book on Holland. Begins 'Dear Mr. Service, | We cannot employ Clive Holland again until he has at least put his "Egypt" into a shape in which we can venture to reprint it.

Autograph Letter Signed to Sonnenschein.

Author: 
James Samuelson, editor of 'Subjects of the Day' [George Routledge & Sons Limited; William Swan Sonnenschein [Stallybrass] (1855-1934), publisher]
Publication details: 
22 September 1890; Trevenna, Grosvenor Road, on letterhead of 'GEORGE ROUTLEDGE & SONS LIMITED | "SUBJECTS OF THE DAY." | (EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT.)'
£30.00

8vo, 1 p. Good, on lightly-aged paper. In response to a 'kind note', Samuelson informs Sonnenschein that 'the next number of our Review, which will appear shortly, is to deal with the Irish question'. He has 'a very copious list of publications' and although he would have welcomed Sonnenschein's assistance, he hardly thinks it is worth his while at the present time to trouble himself over the matter, 'for reasons which I will explain to you some day'.

Autograph Letter Signed ('Robt. Bell Wheler.') to Nichols.

Author: 
Robert Bell Wheler (1785-1857), antiquary [John Gough Nichols (1806-1873), antiquary and printer; Camden Society]
Publication details: 
14 August 1850; Stratford upon Avon.
£45.00

12mo, 1 page. Bifolium with address ('John Gough Nichols Esqre. | 25 Parliament Street | London') on reverse of second leaf. Grey paper. Fourteen lines. Text clear and complete. Good: lightly aged and with one corner slightly creased. Begins 'I have much pleasure in again committing to your care Torkingtons M.S. Pilgrimage with my Transcript, & shall be gratified by seeing it embodied in a Vol: of the Camden Society Publications. How soon will the Volume be issued?' In a postscript enquires after a copy of Sir George Chetwynd's 'Catalogue of Provincial Coins'.

Autograph Letter Signed ('J Bowles') to 'Mr Wright | Piccadilly', confirming his authorship of the 'Letters of the Ghost of Alfred'.

Author: 
John Bowles (1751-1819), barrister and author [John Wright (1770-1841) of Piccadilly, bookseller and publisher of Gifford's 'Anti-Jacobin']
Publication details: 
Tuesday' [no date, but circa 1798]. Place not stated.
£200.00

12mo, 2 pp. Bifolium with address on second leaf. Twenty-five lines. Text clear and complete. On aged, spotted and repaired paper. A significant letter, confirming Bowles's hitherto-tentative authorship of the 'Letters of the Ghost of Alfred', which was printed by Wright in 1798. Bowles informs Wright that he will 'receive some Copies of ye. Ghost of Alfred' the following morning. 'The price [I conceive] should be only 2/6 in boards there being but about 130 pages including thhe advertisements'.

Autograph Letter Signed ('R. Brimley Johnson') [to Swan Sonnenschein], proposing a work for publication, and outlining his literary achievements.

Author: 
R. Brimley Johnson [Reginald Brimley Johnson] (1867-1932), English author and editor [Swan Sonnenschein, London publishers]
Publication details: 
19 February 1893; on embossed letterhead of Llandaff House, Cambridge.
£65.00

12mo, 4 pp. Bifolium. Good, on lightly-aged paper. He was introduced to the recipient 'by Mr. Philip Malleson of Croydon, when I wanted to send an Essay to The Albemarle'. Asks if he 'might be disposed to let me write a volume on Jane Austen or Leigh Hunt for your Dilettante Library', Austen being 'specially before the public just now'. He has edited Austen's novels and two 'well received' volumes of selections from Hunt for 'Mr. Dent's Temple Library'. 'If you do not care to arrange for either of these authors I would suggest Miss Burney[,] Hazlitt or T. L. Peacock.

Business communication on partly printed form, regarding the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Calcutta.

Author: 
Williams & Norgate, London booksellers [Sir John Philippart (1784-1875); The Asiatic Society of Calcutta]
Publication details: 
30 May 1870; on letterhead of 14, Henrietta-Street, Covent Garden ('Also at 20, South Frederick-Street, Edinburgh.').
£28.00

12mo (21 x 13 cm), 1 p. On green paper. Clear and complete. On aged, creased and grubby paper. Reads (manuscript text in square brackets): Messrs. Williams & Norgate present their compliments to [Sir John Philippart] and beg to inform [him that the Asiatic Socy Calcutta send them the Journal, as it is published to be forwarded to him, if he does not require it, W & N will return the numbers to Calcutta'. Docketed in a contemporary hand at head: '10 packets returned 31st May 1870'.

Secretarial Letter, Signed by Murray ('John Murray'), to 'T. Miller Maguire Esq. LL.D.'

Author: 
Sir John Murray [IV] (1851-1928), London publisher [Thomas Miller Maguire; the Duke of Wellington]
Publication details: 
22 August 1906; on letterhead of 50 Albemarle Street.
£25.00

12mo, 2 pp. Bifolium. Eleven lines. Text clear and complete. On aged, grubby paper. Spike hole in top left-hand corner (not affecting text). Docketed at head. Granting Maguire permission to publish extracts from the out-of-print 'Greenwood's Selections from Wellington's Despatches [sic]', providing he makes 'the full customary acknowledgement of the source whence they are taken'. The two parts of Maguire's 'British Army under Wellington' appeared in 1906 and 1907.

Autograph Letter Signed ('Martin Armstrong') to Thorpe.

Author: 
Martin Armstrong [Martin Donisthorpe Armstrong] (1882-1974), English novelist and poet [Thomas Thorp, Guildford bookseller]
Publication details: 
15 January 1933; Sutton, Pulborough, Sussex, on cancelled letterhead of 37 Great Ormond Street, London.
£45.00

12mo, 2 pp. Good, on lightly-aged and creased paper. Giving the details of three titles from Thorp's 'large catalogue' which he hopes are still available (one is ticked in pencil and the other two marked as sold). 'Also can you let me have a cheap copy of John Masefield's "Sea Life in The Time of Nelson" and J. R. Hutchinson's "The Press Gang Afloat & Ashore." Publishers and prices of both items are noted in pencil, with 'Cheque Noted' in margin.

Autograph Card Signed ('T Fisher Unwin') to Thursfield.

Author: 
T. Fisher Unwin [Thomas Fisher Unwin] (1848-1935), London publisher [Sir James Richard Thursfield (1840-1923), naval historian]
Publication details: 
13 February 1895. Letterhead: 'Office of the "Century Magazine." From T. Fisher Unwin, Publisher, 11, Paternoster Buildings, London, E.C.'
£28.00

Dimensions of card roughly 7.5 x 12 cm. Ten lines. Cream card with letterhead, stamp and other matter printed in brown. Lightly aged but good. Addressed to 'J. R. Thursfield, Esq. | Fryth | Great Berkhamstead [sic]'. Letterhead and text of letter at right angles to the address on the other side. Informing Thursfield that Jusserand's 'Literary History of the English People' ('a copy of which you have received') will be published on 20 February 1895, 'and that notices may appear on or after that date'.

Autograph Note Signed ('George A Lawrence') to unnamed publisher [Tinsley?].

Author: 
George A. Lawrence [George Alfred Lawrence] (1827-1876), English novelist
Publication details: 
Undated. On monogrammed letterhead of 25 Mount Street, Grosvenor Square, London.
£35.00

12mo, 1 p. Six lines. Mourning border. Text clear and complete. Aged, creased and a little grubby. Asking to be sent '4 copies of "The Butterfly", if ready', and if not to be told 'when it will be'. Lawrence published his 'Breaking a Butterfly; Or Blanche Ellerslie's Ending' anonymously by Tinsley in 1869.

Autograph Note Signed ('D. Lysons.') to unnamed publisher.

Author: 
Sir Daniel Lysons (1816-1898), English army officer
Publication details: 
11 January 1893; on letterhead of 22 Warwick Square, London S.W.
£56.00

12mo, 1 p. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Large bold signature. He has 'no present intention of publishing any book on [his] career'. It may be that the correspondence planted a seed, as three years after the writing of this note Lysons published 'Early Reminiscences' (John Murray, 1896).

Typed Letter, signed by 'C B', 'per W. & G. Foyle, Ltd, to C. F. Bradshaw, headmaster of the Council School at Cresswell, Worksop, Derbyshire.

Author: 
Foyles Bookshop [W. & G. Foyle Ltd of 119-125 Charing Cross Road, London booksellers]
Publication details: 
18 March 1939; on 'W & G FOYLE LTD' letterhead.
£22.00

4to, 1 p. Good, on lightly aged and creased paper with minor rust stain from paperclip at head. Letterhead, in light and dark blue, featuring globe and the mottos 'BOOKSELLERS TO THE WORLD' and 'STOCK OF NEARLY THREE MILLION VOLUMES'. Thirteen lines of text. Bradshaw is clearly unhappy at the price asked for a copy of Cox's 'Memorials of Old Derbyshire'. 'The writer would point out that we received six reports regarding this book from various clients, but in no case at a price allowing us to quote below 15/-.

Autograph Letter Signed ('H Colburn') to Mrs Samuel Carter Hall.

Author: 
Henry Colburn (1784-1855), English publisher [Samuel Carter Hall;Maria Edgeworth]
Publication details: 
London | <Novr.?> 7.' [no year, but between 1837 and 1849].
£35.00

12mo: 1 p. 12 lines of text. An bifolium, addressed on the reverse of the second leaf, which carries Colburn's seal, with his initials, in black wax. Good, on aged Whatman paper with watermarked date 1837. The drift of the letter is doubtful as it is written in an extremely difficult hand. Colburn will call upon the recipient 'presently'. He then makes a request regarding 'Miss Edgeworth', whose letter should be 'sent to my care' before being 'forwarded to its destination'.

Autograph Letter Signed ('A Helps') to his publisher Alexander Macmillan.

Author: 
Sir Arthur Helps (1813-1875), author and Clerk of the Privy Council [Alexander Macmillan (1818-1896), publisher]
Publication details: 
16 January 1867; no place.
£20.00

12mo, 2 pp. 9 lines of text. With mourning border. Good, on lightly-aged paper. He is glad that Macmillan and 'Mr Doulton' are coming to dine with him, but sorry that they 'will be obliged to leave so soon; but it cannot be helped'.

Autograph Note, in the third person, to his publisher Alexander Macmillan.

Author: 
Richard Monckton Milnes, Baron Houghton (1809-1885), author and politician [Alexander Macmillan (1818-1896), publisher]
Publication details: 
8 November [no year, but after 1863]; 16 Upper Brooke Street [London].
£20.00

12mo, 2 pp. 13 lines of text. Good, on light-aged paper. He has been 'asked by many persons for copies of his speech at the Cambge. Union Socy.', and if 'Messrs. Macmillan cared to print it, he would revise it, no report having been correct'. He wonders 'whether the whole proceedings should not be added, with some of the newspaper letters which have been carried'. Milnes was created Baron Houghton in 1863. In 1866 Macmillan published 'The Cambridge Union Society, Inaugural Proceedings', edited by G. C. Whiteley.

Original large water-colour illustration of an eighteenth-century scene, attributed to Sullivan, intended for promotional purposes. Rough pencil sketch of cockerel on reverse.

Author: 
E. J. Sullivan [Edmund J. Sullivan; Edmund Joseph Sullivan] (1869-1933), English book illustrator [Constable & Co.; Oliver Goldsmith]
Publication details: 
Undated (Edwardian?). 'by E J Sullivan' in ink at foot of reverse.
£80.00

On a piece of board roughly 45 x 30 cm. Foxed and discoloured, with the extremities chipped and worn, with loss and closed tears affecting the illustration's border, which is in gold in the style of the carved decoration of eighteenth-century furniture. The illustration itself, roughly 36 x 25 cm, is clear and undamaged. It features full-length depictions, each around 29 cm high, of two stylish figures: on the left a behatted lady, fan in hand, elegantly attired in eighteenth-century costume of orange compere-fronted gown and full yellow skirt.

Autograph Letter Signed to 'Mr Disspain'.

Author: 
Joan Hassall (1906-1988), English wood-engraver
Publication details: 
Undated. On letterhead of 88 Kensington Park Road, London W.11.
£56.00

12mo: 1 p. Eight lines of text. Good, though creased. Letterhead printed with the words 'Joan Hassall' and a 5 cm short rule decorated with a tiny dove. She apologises for the delay in sending 'this signature': 'I lost your nice little piece of paper, and then I broke my pen.' Disspain's 'letters of appreciation' give Hassall 'very real pleasure' and she is 'most grateful' for his 'good opinion'.

Wood's Edition. Napoleon's Book of Fate. [with two woodcuts, including one on cover of David's 'Napoleon crossing the Alps']

Author: 
J. T. Wood [Joseph Thomas Wood (d.1874)] [Napoleon Bonaparte; fortune-telling; astrology; oraculum; chap book]
Publication details: 
Undated [between 1858 and 1874]. London: Published by J. T. Wood, 278, Strand.
£150.00

12mo: 8 pp, unpaginated. Stitched. In original green printed wraps. Text and illustrations clear and complete, on browned high-acidity paper with damp staining at head. Wraps foxed and with slight chipping to extremities. The cover features a striking crude woodcut (12 x 9 cm) of David's 'Napoleon crossing the Alps'. The first page features another woodcut (9 x 7 cm) of a martial figure on horseback, with sword drawn.

Engraving ('Benjamin Green sculpt.') in red and black, with explanatory letterpress, titled 'A View Of The Library Founded In 1429 By RICHARD WHITTINGTON.'

Author: 
Benjamin Green ('Pott') [Thoams Pennant; Richard ('Dick') Whittington; London topography; Christ's Hospital; libraries]
Publication details: 
London Pubd. Jany. 1 1793 by N Smith Gt. Mays Buildings St. Martins Lane.'
£56.00

Printed on one side of a piece of thick wove paper, 21 x 17.5 cm. At the head of the page is the engraving, enclosed in an oval 12.5 cm high and 15 cm wide. A clear impression of a scarce print, on grubby, spotted paper. Within the border is engraved in red 'Part of Christs Hospital taken from the Stewards Office 1765.' According to the six lines of copperplate text at the foot of the page 'It was 129 feet long and 31 feet in breadth, [...] It was furnished with Books at the expence of £556 . 10s of which £400 were given by the founder, and the remainder by Dr.

Nine rejected proofs of the coloured print 'The Gloomy Thick Wood'.

Author: 
Kay Nielsen
Publication details: 
From the book 'East of the Sun and West of the Moon' (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1914).
£250.00

All nine are printed on art paper, roughly 18 x 12.5 cm. Tipped in onto 27.5 x 21 cm leaves. The mounts have the title, 'THE GLOOMY THICK WOOD | By Kay Nielsen' and a border surrounding the plate, both printed in olive. The collection is in very good condition, with occasional nicking to the mount. None of the items carry any indication that they have been cancelled or rejected. Providing a fascinating insight into the quality-control process in early twentieth-century book illustration, with most of the items rejected because the colours are slightly off-register.

Anonymous pamphlet [attributed in manuscript on cover to Carter] entitled 'Charles Scribner's Sons, 23, Bedford Square, London'. Containing four photographs of the firm's new London premises.

Author: 
Charles Scribner's Sons, booksellers and publishers of New York and London [Charles Kingsley; John Carter; architecture; Bedford Square]
Publication details: 
Charles Scribner's Sons. 'New York, July, 1931.' ['The Scribner Press, 311-319 West 43d Street, New York.]
£45.00

8vo: 4 pp, surrounding a bifolium carrying 4 pp of photographs. Stitched. Printed on laid paper and nicely produced. Lightly creased, and with the covers grubby and lightly-spotted. Begins 'CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS, their London house having outgrown its quarters in Regent Street, have moved to twenty-three Bedford Square where they are occupying one of the old Adam houses, the lease of which they have purchased from the Bedford estate.' The four photographs consist of an exterior view, the 'Manager's office', 'One of the Adam fireplaces' and 'Entrance hall'.

Portrait (stipple engraving) of 'Thomas Miller, Bookseller, Bungay, Suffolk. Died June 24th. 1804 - Aged 73. | Engraved by E. Scriven from a Miniature by H. Edridge Esqr.'

Author: 
Thomas Miller (1731-1804), bookseller of Bungay, Suffolk [Edward Scriven; Henry Edridge]
Publication details: 
[London, circa 1805?]
£35.00

Paper dimensions 25.5 x 19 cm. Plate dimensions 22 x 16 cm. The head-and-shoulders portrait itself is oval, 7 cm high and 5.5 cm wide, contained in a square 11 x 9.5 cm, and with the caption beneath it. Printed on aged paper, with the image itself and the caption are clean and crisp, but the paper carries a crease to the margin, and there is light staining intruding into the surrounding square. Dibdin gives an account of Miller, whose son was the noted bookseller William Miller of Albemarle Street, in his 'Bibliomania' (1811 ed., pp.630-31).

Large engraved armorial bookplate of Hereson de Brecksel.

Author: 
Hereson de Brecksel [bookplate]
Publication details: 
Date and place not stated. [Eighteenth century?]
£50.00

On one side of a piece of wove paper 19 x 14.5 cm, and with the image extending almost to the edges. Lightly aged and creased, but good overall. An usual design, with the coat of arms within a fleece held up by two figures of Hercules, both on pedestals, the one of the left marked 'HUMUS' and that on the right 'SUMUS'. The fleece folds over the left-hand Hercules's right shoulder and reads 'LE CULTE EN' with 'DIFFICULTE' over the left-hand Hercules's left shoulder. Topping the whole design, above a coronet, is a harpy, and at the foot of the paper is 'Hereson de Brecksel'.

Itemised invoice, and receipt signed by Thornton, to 'Llewellin Esqr.'

Author: 
James Thornton, bookseller of 33 High Street, Oxford [Thornton's bookshop; Joseph Thornton (1808-1891)]
Publication details: 
Marked as paid on 17 March 1876. On the firm's printed letterhead.
£56.00

Printed on one side of a piece of paper 13.5 x 16.5 cm. In good condition. Ruled in light blue, with letterhead in black: 'To James Thornton, New and Second-Hand Bookseller, Stationer, &c., 33, High Street, opposite University College Gateway. | Books bought or exchanged. | Binding in all its branches. | Interest Charged after Twelve Months' Credit. | The usual discount for cash.' Lists purchases made on four dates between November 1875 and January 1876, totalling £2 1s 10d, and marked as 'Subject to discount'. Beneath this, in purple ink is written 'Paid 17/3/76.

Obituary notice headed 'MR. JOHN CASSELL. Born January 23rd, 1817. Died April 2nd, 1865.'

Author: 
Cassell, Petter, & Galpin, London publishers [John Cassell (1817-1865)]
Publication details: 
Dated 'CASSELL, PETTER, & GALPIN. LA BELLE SAUVAGE YARD, April 3rd, 1865.'
£25.00

On one side of a piece of paper 21 x 14 cm. Mourning border. Very good, on lightly aged and spotted paper. Twenty-four lines of text announcing the 'death of our esteemed partner [...] for so many years [...] our fellow-labourer in the field of literary enterprise'. Cassell is described as 'a man of vigorous intellect and untiring energy, whose constant aim it was to render effectual assistance towards moral, social, and religious elevation of the people'.

A Catalogue of New & Popular Works, And of Books for Children, Suitable for Presents, Sunday School Libraries, and Prizes.

Author: 
E. P. Dutton & Co., publishers, New York [book catalogue; children's books; juvenile]
Publication details: 
[October 1881] New York: E. P. Dutton & Co., 713, Broadway. Griffith & Farran, St. Paul's Churchyard, London.
£30.00

12mo. 32 pages. Unbound. On browned high-acidity paper. Loss to margins of first and last leaves, but text clear and complete, save for the dating in bottom left-hand corner of the title: <...> 8. 81. Cancelling all previous Editions of this Catalogue.' Line in blue pen around the words 'for Children' in the title, and pencil markings (by a child) to p.30. Circular engraving beneath title captioned 'Goldsmith introduced to Newbery by Dr.

Receipt, signed 'B Nichols, 25 Parliament Street', for a guinea subscription to Forby's 'Vocabulary'. Countersigned by Fletcher.

Author: 
John Bowyer Nichols and Son, Printers and Booksellers; John Kitson; Simon Wilkin, Norwich bookseller; Josiah Fletcher, Norwich bookbinder [The Gentleman's Magazine]
Publication details: 
11 December 1829. On printed company letterhead.
£25.00

On one side of a piece of wove paper roughly 10.5 x 17.5 cm. Good. Printed in top left-hand corner: 'To J. B. Nichols and Son. Printers and Booksellers. 25, Parliament Street, Westminster. ***Office, 10, King Street, Westminster.' Asks that the 'Subscription to Forby's Vocabulary 1 1 0' be paid to him or to 'Mr Wilkin, Bookseller, herewith'. Countsigned crosswise 'Received for S. Wilkin | [signed] Josiah Fletcher | Jan 25/30'. Docketed on reverse. BBTI has Wilkin as a bookseller in Norwich from before 1821 to 1830; and Fletcher as a binder and printer there from around 1820 to 1835.

A Brief History of Boys' Journals. With interesting Facts about the Writers of Boys' Stories. With handbill advertisement for 'The "Old Boys' Book Club'.

Author: 
Ralph Rollington, pseud. [Herbert John Allingham, father of Margery Allingham; boys' stories; The Old Boys' Book Club, Seaforth, Liverpool; George Emmett; E. J. Brett]
Publication details: 
Leicester: H. Simpson, Grove Road. [Appendix dated 'Leicester, July, 1913.']
£75.00

8vo: 111 pp. Frontispiece portrait of author, and eight plates (including portraits of George Emmett and E. J. Brett). In original grey printed wraps (title incorrectly given on front as 'The Old Boy's Books'). Tight, on lightly-aged and foxed paper. Grubby frontispiece and worn and lightly-stained wraps. Uncommon. COPAC lists copies at the British Library, the National Libraries of Scotland and Wales, Oxford, Aberdeen and the University of London. The British Library entry ascribes the book to Allington. Pasted to the inner back wrap is an advertisement headed 'JOIN! JOIN! JOIN!

Memorial keepsake obituary of 'Jane Bissell Grabhorn 1911-1973' by David Magee.

Author: 
David Magee (1905-1977), San Francisco bookseller of English extraction [Jane Bissell Grabhorn; Grabhorn Press; Book Club of California; Andrew Hoyem; Frederic W. Goudy; Lawton & Alfred Kennedy]
Publication details: 
November 1973. [California.]
£38.00

8vo bifolium on good wove paper. Leaf dimensions roughly 22.5 x 14.5 cm. Good, on lightly creased paper. Illustration of horse, 7.5 x 9 cm, on recto of first leaf, with 'JANE BISSELL GRABHORN | 1911-1973'. Memorial, with same title, across inner pages, signed in type by Magee. The following on reverse of second leaf: 'This memorial is presented to the members of the Book Club of California by Andrew Hoyem, who composed the text in Friar, a type given to Jane by its designer, Frederic W. Goudy, and by Lawton & Alfred Kennedy, who did the press work, Nov. 1973.'

Syndicate content