Rare, antiquarian, used & out-of-print books on Books about Books, Book Collecting, Illustration, Printing, for sale at Horizon Books.
BARKER, Nicolas and others; Treasures of the British Library. New York, Harry N. Abrams, [1989], First American edition, 4to [30 x 23 cm]; 272 pp, frontis, 330 illus, 140 colored plates, reproductions of title pages, index, orig cloth, gilt spine title lettering, marbled endpapers, dj, fine and clean, unused.
Superbly illustrated work on the collections of the British Library, showing and describing books, manuscripts and other materials from their collection, from the beginning of book production to the present, includes book binding, oriental books, old libraries, etc.
US$18. bookID # 11236
BASBANES, Nicholas A.; A Gentle Madness; Bibliophiles, Bibliomanes, and the Eternal Passion for Books. New York, Henry Holt and Company, [1995, First edition, third printing, 8vo [23.5 x 15.5 cm]; xvii, 638 pp, 55 interesting illustrations on plates including many full-page, extensive bibliog, index, original cloth-backed boards, gilt spine title lettering, pictorial endpapers, dj (not price clipped), fine, clean and unused condition, signed by the author on the half title page.
Considered by many as the best modern book on book collectors and collecting, the author, a dedicated book collector himself, describes book collectors with much insight, including book thefts, library formation, etc.
US$55. bookID # 13091
BLAND, David; A History of Book Illustration; The Illuminated Manuscript and the Printed Book. Cleveland and New York, The World Publishing Company, [1958], First edition, 4to [28 x 19 cm]; 448 pp, 17 fine mounted color plates including frontis, 395 illustrations, mostly on plates (complete), bibliog, index, orig cloth, gilt title lettering on spine and cover, name on endpaper, fine and clean condition.
A classic and highly respected reference work covering the earliest books, oriental and Byzantine illustrations, medieval, Hebrew Illumination, China, Japan, illustration during the period of the first printed books, up to the twentieth century. Beautifully illustrated from the original sources.
US$40. bookID # 12657
BLUMENTHAL, Joseph; Typographic Years; A Printer's Journey Through a Half Century 1925 - 1975. New York, Frederic C. Beil, [1982], First edition, 8vo [24 x 16 cm]; [viii], 153 pp, illus, some partly in color, index, orig cloth, gilt spine title lettering, fine and clean in dj (short tear),.
A survey of the author's experience as a printer and typographic designer.
US$10. bookID # 12783
BURGESS, Fred W.; Old Prints and Engravings. New York, Tudor Publishing Company, 1948, , 8vo [24 x 16 cm]; xii, [i], 281 pp, frontis, 79 illus on plates, index, orig cloth, gilt spine title lettering, lightly rubbed at edge, near fine and clean, with loose worn dust jacket from another smaller format edition.
A well-illustrated and very useful work covering all printing methods, from wood block, mezzotints to colour printing, Baxter oil prints, arundel prints, lithographs, etc, and much on printer's marks, bookplates, portraits, Japanese colour prints, sporting, military prints, costumes, traders' cards, labels, tickets, cleaning and restoration, scrap books, etc.
US$4. bookID # 13086
BURTON, John Hill; The Book=Hunter [Book Hunter] etc; A New Edition with a Memoir of the Author. Edinburgh and London, William Blackwood and Sons, 1882, Second edition, edition limited to 1,000 copies, this being #990, large and thick 8vo [24 x 18 cm]; x, civ, 427 pp, etched engraved frontis portrait, signed in the plate, tinted engraved plate of the author's library, 2 illustrations, title in decorative border, engraved initials & end-pieces, index, orig pictorial gilt cloth, gilt spine title lettering, edges a little rubbed, tissue guard with minor foxing, bookplate removed from endpaper, overall near fine, interior is fine and clean.
The frontis plate is from drawing by W. B. Hole. The illustrations and the library view are from drawings by Rose Burton and engraved by Miss E. P. Burton. This is considered the best edition of what became a classic in the field, containing an extensive and detailed memoir written by his wife, and with much on book clubs, book hunting, prowling auctions, preservation, etc, the nature of book collecting of the nineteenth century.
US$120. bookID # 12953
BUTLER, Pierce; The Origin of Printing in Europe. Chicago and London, The University of Chicago Press, [1968], First edition was 1940, 12mo [19.5 x 14 cm]; xv, 155 pp, illus including from early sources, bibliog, index, orig black cloth, gilt spine title lettering, bookplate of John M. Fontana, else fine and clean copy.
An interesting history including the cultural import of typography, the technological basis of typography, the earliest existing printing, the traditions of the printing office, manuscripts, etc.
US$7. bookID # 10196
CURIE, Barton; Fishers of Books. Boston, Little, Brown and Company, 1931, First edition, 8vo [23 x 16 cm]; xiv, 350 pp, frontis from drwg, plates, facsimiles of documents, index, orig cloth with orig printed spine title label, and extra label at rear, cover a little faded but very good, interior is clean and fine.
Interesting insights on book collecting, problems faced by collectors, dealer psychology, autographs, collecting subjects, etc
US$18. bookID # 10634
CURWEN, Henry; History of Booksellers, the Old and the New. London, Chatto and Windus, [1873], First Edition, 8vo [19.5 x 13 cm]; viii, [9] - 483, 40 [publisher's ads] pp, frontis with tissue guard, illus & portraits, orig pictorial gilt cloth, gilt picture, gilt spine title lettering, spine ends lightly frayed, spine bit faded but lettering clear, else near fine, clean and unmarked with only slight foxing of few leaves.
Includes the main English booksellers and auctioneers, as well as publishers who at that time were also direct booksellers as well. According to the author, "no work of the kind has ever previously been attempted". The portraits include the most famous of the publishers/booksellers and there are plates of buildings, etc.
US$60. bookID # 12917
DAVIES, Robertson; An Introduction to the Twenty-first Toronto Antiquarian Book Fair. Toronto, letters and Coach House Printing, 1993, First edition, limited to 2,000 copies, 16mo [17.5 x 11.5 cm]; unpaginated and with the colophon, orig heavy paper wraps, title lettering in decorated floral border, fine and clean copy.
The celebrated author describes some of his experiences with books and booksellers.
US$5. bookID # 11678
ETTINGHAUSEN, Maurice L.; Rare Books and Royal Collectors; Memoirs of an Antiquarian Bookseller. New York, Simon and Schuster, 1966, First edition, 12mo [20 x 13 cm]; 220 pp, index, appendix of letters to author from King Manuel of Portugal from 1927 to 1950, orig cloth, gilt spine title lettering and gilt author's signature on cover, dj (spine a bit darkened, not price clipped), near fine in lightly worn jacket.
The memoirs of Dr. Ettinghausen describes his book collecting adventures and detective work in tracking down rare books, with descriptions of his experiences with Thomas James Wise, the book forger, J. P. Morgan, Prince Victor Napoleon, Duke of Windsor, etc.
US$16. bookID # 12954
FITZGERALD, Percy; The Book Fancier, or the Romance of Book Collecting. London, Sampson Low, Marston, Searle & Rivington, 1886, First edition, 12mo [17.5 x 11.5 cm]; vii, 312 pp, engraved chapter head-pieces, title printed in red and black, index, orig cloth, gilt title lettering on spine and front cover, very lightly foxed on title page, but clean fine copy, gilt bright.
An interesting and historical work covering book collectors, book dealers, the Mazarin bible, incunables, cradle books, Elzevirs, Plantins, old printers, Caxtons, the library, bindings, curiosities of printing, grangerising, Dickensiana, illustrated books, luxurious editions, the auction rooms, Shakespeare, etc.
US$45. bookID # 10197
FRANKLIN, Colin; Themes in Aquatint. San Francisco, The Book Club of California, 1978, First edition, limited edition of 500 copies, folio [37.5 x 25 cm]; vii, 104 pp, 16 plates from original aquatints, mostly colored, index, orig cloth backed marbled boards, gilt spine title lettering, very fine and clean, unmarked and unused, with the orig plain dj (short tear), with the extra loose plate in orig printed folder prospectus, with the orig receipt from publisher dated 1979.
This is the finely produced limited edition, printed at Cambridge University Press for The Book Club of California with colour plates printed at the Curwen Press, London, typographical design by John Dreyfus. An excellent and impressive work covering early books on aquatint, sport, the common life, doggerel, city and cottage, view, tours and the visual book, showing the use of aquatint printing of plates through the ages. The illustrations are taken from some of the finest illustrated books from 1775 to 1842, the golden age of aquatint.
US$90. bookID # 12597
GAMBLE, Charles W.; Modern Illustration Process; An Introductory Textbook for All Students of Printing Methods. London, Sir Isaac Pitman & Sons, 1947, , 8vo [22 x 14 cm]; xix, 409, [ii, ads] pp, 53 illus, bibliog, index, orig green cloth, gilt spine title lettering, cloth a little rippled, name on endpaper, clean very good copy.
First published in 1933 and expanded in the second edition to include more recent developments, the work, the work describes the various printing process including intaglio, surface, relief and with two chapters on color, as well as appendices on more technical aspects. The illustrations include examples of different printing process, enlarged to see the effect you would see under magnification, as some of printing equipment.
US$10. bookID # 7350
GERSORF, A. G.; Selling Used Books by Mail; A grass-roots guide for the homeworker. North Fort Meyers, Loup Garou Press, [1990], Second edition, revised, enlarged and updated, 8vo [23 x 15 cm]; viii, 151 pp, illustrations, appendix, original pictorial printed paper heavy wraps, near fine, clean, unused.
Includes chapters or sections on identification of first editions, the handling and care of books, estimating the value of books, where to buy and sell books, advertising and marketing strategies, search services, buying books, how many books should you stock, pricing, mailing lists, packaging, drop shipping, naming your business, writing a description, etc. Loaded with practical advice. Also included with this copy is a loose article, Creating Your First Catalogue to Increase Sales, from Head Office at Home magazine.
US$1. bookID # 13494
GOODRUM, Charles A.; Treasures of the Library of Congress. New York, Harry N. Abrams, [1980], First Edition, 4to [30 x 25 cm]; 318 pp, color frontis, numerous color plates and illustrations, index, large fldg panorama from Bernhard von Breydenbach's Journey to the Holy Land (1486), orig decorated cloth, silver title lettering on spine and cover, dj, fine+.
An impressive array of topics and items, books, photos, maps, artifacts, etc, beautifully and profusely illustrated.
US$10. bookID # 11449
GOODSPEED, Charles E.; Yankee Bookseller, being the Reminiscences of Charles E. Goodspeed. Boston, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1937, First edition, 8vo [21.5 x 15 cm]; xiv, 325 pp, frontis, plates, other illustrations, index, original blue cloth, gilt title lettering on spine and cover in gilt box, light wear, slightly foxed on outer edge of text block, very good copy.
The owner of Goodspeed's Bookshop in Boston provides an interesting autobiographical account of his bookshop over the years.
US$22. bookID # 13452
HAMERTON, Philip Gilbert; Landscape, with Original Etchings and many illustrations from Pictures and Drawings. London, Seeley & Co., 1885, First edition, limited edition of 525 copies on large paper, of which this is #209, folio [36.5 x 27 cm]; xvi, 386, [i, ad] pp, 50 plates including 43 which are fine etchings or engravings, photogravure, heliogravure, mezzotint, index, contemporary full leather, title spine label (bit rubbed), light stain in few outer margins, else clean and near fine, with strong impressions of plates.
This is the large paper edition with very wide margins and 10 original etchings, including by E. P. Brandard, Alfred Dawson, Stephen Parrish, Maxime Lalanne, Heywood Hardy, Colin Hunter. Other plates are by J. M. W. Turner, Samuel Palmer, Gustave Courbet, Camille Corot, Daubigny and many others and with seven plates from authors drawings in sepia or tinted. There was also a smaller format edition of 1250 copies with narrow margins. A superb production.
US$500. bookID # 11194
HARDIE, Martin, introduction by James Laver; English Coloured Books. London, Fitzhouse Books, [1990], reprint of the 1906 first edition, large 8vo [25 x 19 cm]; xxiv, 340 pp, frontis, 28 plates, index, original green cloth, gilt spine title lettering, dj (price clipped), fine and clean, unmarked.
There are two detailed chapters on the origins of coloured printing and of the methods of book illustration from 1500 to 1800. These are followed by 22 detailed chapters on individuals, publishers and the development and improvement of methods and techniques to the twentieth century. There are appendices on colored books with plates by Baxter, Ackerman, Rowlandson, Alien.
US$10. bookID # 13475
HOLLEY, Edward G.; Raking the Historic Coals, The A. L. A. Scrapbook of 1876. Houston, Beta Phi Mu, 1967, First Edition, 8vo [23 x 16 cm]; xv, 142 pp, frontis, facsimiles, orig cloth, near fine.
Relates to the founding of the American Library Association, with letters from prominent librarians.
US$4. bookID # 3299
HOWELL, John, compiled by Michael Horowitz; 100 Rare Books, Autographs Letters, Manuscripts, Maps; and the Herbert M. Evans Collection of Medical & Scientific Classics; Catalogue 40. San Francisco, John Howell Books, 1970, First edition, 4to [28 x 21.5 cm]; unpaginated, colored frontis, 32 other plates including double-page, original heavy paper pictorial wraps, title lettering on spine and cover, very good+, clean and unmarked.
A very detailed and well-illustrated work covering important books in all fields by such authors as Agricola, Aristotle, Bacon, Daniel Boone, Tycho Brahe, Mark Twain, Descartes, Dickens, Einstein, to Ptolemy, to Warre. All with references.
US$30. bookID # 13514
JACKSON, Holbrook; Bookman Pleasure, a Recreation for Booklovers. New York, Farrar, Straus and Company, 1947, First American edition, published in UK as Bookman's Holiday, 8vo [21 x 14 cm]; 264 pp, bibliog, index of authors, orig cloth, gilt spine title lettering, dj (rubbed and chipped at spine ends, price clipped), near fine in good jacket.
Extractions from many diaries, letters, memoirs, biographies, etc, and assembled under various topics such as caricatures, characters, designs for living, travel pictures, interiors, table talk, love, fill the glass, plagiary, etc. An entertaining read.
US$10. bookID # 12237
JACKSON, Holbrook; The Fear of Books. London, The Soncino Press, 1932, First edition, limited edition of 2000 copies of which this #642, 8vo [24 x 15 cm]; x, [i], 199 pp, index, orig cloth, gilt spine title lettering, dj [spine ends chipped and spine bit darkened, not price clipped], endpaper bookplate of Mark Rowe, overall very good, interior is clean and fine, nice wide margins.
The author of the famous Anatomy of Bibliomania here provides a 'rich mine of curious and delightful knowledge. . . a literary banquet', with chapter on women and the fear of books, a digression of aphrodisiacs, poisonous books, good and bad books, books condemned to death, superstitious sabotage, the unwanted book, remedies, etc. With a loose book review of the author's later The Printing of Books.
US$40. bookID # 12377
JENKINS, John H.; Audubon and Other Capers; Confessions of a Texas Bookmaker. Austin, The Pemberton Press, 1976, First edition in book form, 4to [29 x 22 cm]; 120 pp; frontis portrait of author, numerous illus including full-page, orig boards, title lettering on spine and cover, dj (price clipped), fine and clean.
Author, publisher, antiquarian and rare bookdealer and owner of renowned art gallery, Jenkins describes various book related topics, especially the largest single rare book purchase in history, namely the Eberstadt Collection. He sadly died too young.
US$15. bookID # 12963
JENKINS, John H.; Works of Genius; A Catalogue and a Commentary. Austin, The Jenkins Company, [1974], First edition, 4to [26 x 21.5 cm]; [274] pages, frontis, numerous illustrations including full-page, original heavy paper wraps with title on spine and cover, slight cover wear, very good.
One hundred famous books, in all subjects from literature to science, described in detail, by one of the most respected antiquarian bookdealers, well-illustrated.
US$5. bookID # 13508
JENKINS, John H., Michael D. Heaston, Michael Parrish, Dorothy Sloan; The Whole World; Books and Manuscripts on Many Subjects. Austin, The Jenkins Company, [1980], First edition, 4to [26 x 21.5 cm]; [approx 350] pages, frontis, numerous illustrations including full-page, bibliography, original heavy paper wraps with title on spine and cover, slight cover wear, very good.
Descriptions of 1,174 famous books & manuscripts, in all subjects from literature to science, described in detail. Very well-illustrated.
US$5. bookID # 13509
KING, Edmund M. B.; Victorian Decorated Trade Bindings, 1830-1880; A Descriptive Bibliography. London, New Castle, The British Library and Oak Knoll Press, [2003], First edition, 4to [28 x 22 cm]; xxiii, [iii], 324 pp, numerous illus including in color, bibliog, index, original blind-stamped cloth, gilt title lettering on spine in gilt border, gilt titling on cover, fine, clean, unmarked, as new in orig clear glassine jacket.
Nicely illustrated with over 200 illustrations and 91 colored plates of book covers and bindings, the work describes in detail 752 books, with these fabulous bindings, the books covering various subject areas, from literature to travels. As well there is good introductory material, including of biographies of artists and binders, illustrations of bookbinders' tickets, etc.
US$70. bookID # 13109
KNUTSON, Amy, Colleen Sell (editors); BIBLIO, the Magazine for Collectors of Books, Manuscripts and Ephemera. Eugene, Aster Publishing, 1996-1999, First editions, 4to [28 x 21 cm]; complete in 31 issues, all published, from Volume 1, Number 1 (the scarce premiere issue) to volume 4, number 4, filled with colored and black and white illustrations, orig pictorial heavy paper wraps, fine and clean condition.
A complete set of all 31 published numbers of this short-lived but impressive magazine covering all aspects and fields of book-collecting, with detailed articles by many of the more famous experts in their fields. Fascinating and well-written and illustrated articles.
US$180. bookID # 11070
KOTIN, David B. and Marilyn Rueter; Reader, Lover of Books, Volume Two: The Book Arts in Ontario. Willowdale, North York Public Library, 1981, First edition, limited to 1,000 copies, 8vo [22 x 14 cm]; 79, [i] pp, frontis and 54 illustrations from photos, bibliog, indexes of authors, illustrators, printers, artists, presses, orig heavy paper wraps with title on spine and cover in red and black, with the orig loose prospectus and one-page flyer announcing the exhibition on which the book was based, fine and clean condition.
Based on the exhibition of over 80 works at the North York Public Library and the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library at University of Toronto, this finely produced book provides an updated descriptive checklist of Ontario private presses (including 57 previously unrecorded books), and includes selected statements from the printers and binders.
US$15. bookID # 12765
KOTIN, David B. and Marilyn Rueter, introduction by Douglas Lochhead; Reader, Lover of Books, Lover of Heaven. Willowdale, North York Public Library, 1978, First edition, limited to 1,000 copies, 8vo [22 x 14 cm]; 109 pp, frontis and 59 illustrations from photos, bibliog, indexes of authors, illustrators, printers, artists, presses, orig heavy paper wraps with title on spine and cover in red and black, fine and clean condition.
Based on an exhibition of the book arts in Ontario, the work includes a checklist of private presses in Ontario, bookbinders and their bindings, a directory of hand bookbinders in Ontario, list of papermakers, all nicely illustrated. This book was awarded the American Institute of Graphic Arts' Certificate of Excellence.
US$12. bookID # 12766
KRAUS, H. P.; A Rare Book Saga; The Autobiography of H. P. Kraus. New York, G. P. Putnam's Sons, [1978], , 8vo [23.5 x 16 cm]; xxvii, [i], 386 pp, frontis and illus on plates from photos, full-page reproductions from important books, index, pictorial endpapers, orig cloth, gilt spine title lettering and gilt cover signature of Kraus, dj (price clipped, bit rubbed at edge), else fine and clean.
The fascinating story of the most important book collector and dealer of his century with excellent illustrations.
US$30. bookID # 12375
LANG, Andrew; The Library, with a chapter on modern English illustrated books by Austin Dobson. `, Macmillan & Co, 1881, First edition, limited edition of 185 copies printed on handmade paper, 8vo [23.5 x 15 cm]; xvi, 184 pp, frontis with tissue guard, plates including 2 fine colored plates (chromolithographs) of book bindings, other illus, title in red and black, with the half title page, index, orig cloth, gilt spine title lettering in gilt border, edge lightly rubbed, else a clean fine copy, with a loose portrait plate of the author, signed in the plate by him.
Various interesting chapters on book hunting, the library, preserving books, enemies of books, books of the collector, illustrated books, etc.
US$80. bookID # 12373
LEWIS, Roy Harley; Antiquarian Books: An Insider's Account. New York, Arco Publishing Company, [1978], First American edition, 8vo [22 x 14.5 cm]; 200 pp, illustrations on plates, bibliog, index, original cloth, gilt spine title lettering, dj (price clipped), fine, clean and unmarked.
An well written work by this antiquarian bookdealer, with much on booksellers, literary detective, book thieves, auction selling, talismans & spells, trends, etc.
US$5. bookID # 13087
MANASEK, F. J.; Under Cover; Death Stalks the Book Dealer; Twelve tales of intrigue, murder, mayhem, that infect the rare book world. Norwich, Museum Street Press, [1997], First edition, 8vo [22 x 14.5 cm]; 142, [i] pp, frontis and full-page illustrations from paintings, original red cloth, gilt title lettering on spine and cover, dj (not clipped), no ownership marks, fine and clean, unused.
The author, a rare book and map dealer, who also wrote Uncommon Value: A rare bookdealer's world, and Collecting Old Maps, provides stories with settings at rare and antiquarian book fairs.
US$10. bookID # 13449
MANASEK, Francis J.; Uncommon Value; A Rare Book Dealer's World. Ann Arbor, Arbor Libri Press, 1995, First edition, 8vo [23.5 x 16 cm]; 146 pp, original cloth, gilt spine title lettering, dj, fine and clean, unused.
The author's 'travels in search of antiquarian books, maps and other items have taken him around the world and he shares with us his insights on finding, buying, pricing and selling antiquarian items. . . his impressions of the dealers, collectors and other fauna of the auction, bookshop and bookfair world'.
US$15. bookID # 13092
MARZIO, Peter C.; The Democratic Art; Chromolithography 1840-1900; Pictures for a 19th-Century America. Boston, David R. Godine, Publisher, [1979], First edition, 4to [28.5 x 22 cm]; xiv, [i], 357 pp, color frontis, 128 color plates, 44 text figures, bibliog, index, orig two part cloth, gilt spine lettering, dj (slightly rubbed, not price clipped), fine and clean fine.
Since it was published, this beautifully illustrated work has become a standard reference for the subject. It covers Currier and Ives, Louis Prang, P. S. Duval, Strobridge, etc. The author was director of the Corocoran Gallery in Washington.
US$30. bookID # 11446
MCCLINTON, Katharine Morrison; The Chromolithographs of Louis Prang. New York, Clarkson N. Potter, [1973], First edition, 4to [31 x 23 cm]; [x], 246 pp, 28 color plates, 247 other illus, appendices, index, orig two-part cloth, spine title lettering, tear at spine, fine and clean in very good cover, in good dj (tears, price clipped).
Prang was a pioneer and master of chromolithography, making color prints from lithographer's stones. This work is a comprehensive study of his prints, beautifully illustrated, with appendices, including his catalogues, lists of chromos, etc, his prints being described in detail in the text.
US$22. bookID # 11445
MCLEAN, Ruari, preface by Brian Baumfield; Catalogue of Exhibitions of British Coloured Books 1738 - 1898; Including a selection from the Royal Library at Windsor graciously loaned by Her Majesty the Queen. London, British Printing Machinery, 1980, , 8vo [25 x 16.5 cm]; 139, [i], [i, ads] pp, colored plates from paintings, bibliog, index, original pictorial heavy paper wraps with title lettering, dust jacket with gilted decorations, slight crease in few margins, else near fine and clean.
A description of hundreds of colored plate books, most descriptions including much on the collation and the importance or history of the book.
US$8. bookID # 13473
MCTIGUE, Bernard (editor) and others; American Book Collector, volume 2, no. 2 to volume 8 no. 6, 44 issues. New York, The Morteus Press, 1981-1987, First editions, 8vo [25 x 17.5 cm]; 44 issues, many illus in each, orig heavy paper pictorial wraps, minor wear on few covers but near fine and clean overall.
A good run of this respected and highly useful periodical on all aspects of book collecting and fine printing, 44 issues until its demise in 1987, the last issue ever published being volume 8, number 6. In its last year it had become a monthly but was originally published bi-monthly or less. The issues in this lot including the following in the new series: volume 2, nos 2, 3, 5, 6; volume 3, nos 1-6; volume 4, nos 1-6; volume 5, nos 1-6; volume 6, nos 1-6; volume 7, nos 1-12; volume 8, nos 1-6.
US$110. bookID # 11065
MELOT, Michel; The Art of Illustration. New York, Skira/Rizzoli, [1984], First American edition, folio [34 x 25 cm]; 269 pp, 350 illustrations, 110 colored illus including full-page, bibliog, index, original cloth, gilt title lettering on spine and cover, dj, fine, clean, unused and unmarked, in the orig publisher's slipcase (unworn).
A beautifully illustrated, large format book describing the history of illustration from the Book of Kells to the Dram of Polyphilus, from the Codex Atlanticua of Leonardo da Vinci to the Illustrated London News to Talbot's the Pencil of Nature, the first book with photos, to the comic strip, fascinating and informative text. Originally published in Switzerland.
US$35. bookID # 13089
MILNE, James; The Memoirs of a Bookman. London, John Murray, [1934], First edition, 8vo [21 x 15 cm]; xiii, 316, [iv, ads] pp, index, orig cloth, gilt spine title lettering, lightly foxed on margins of three leaves, near fine copy.
The heard of John Murray publishers for some twenty years writes here of his experiences, the authors, the books, etc.
US$15. bookID # 12239
MINER, Dorothy [foreword]; The History of Bookbinding 525-1950 A. D.; an Exhibition Held at the Baltimore Museum of Art November 12, 1957 to January 12, 1958; Organized By the Walters Art Gallery and Presented in Cooperation With the Baltimore Museum of Art. Baltimore, Trustees of the Walters Art Gallery, 1957, First edition, limited to 3,000 copies, 4to [28.5 x 22 cm]; xi, 275 pp; plus 106 plates from photos, each with 1-3 illus, bibliog, index, orig pictorial cloth, spine title lettering, edge slightly rubbed, small inscription on endpaper, else near fine and clean, in mylar protector.
The description of over 700 fine books including treasure bindings, near eastern binding, Greek and Armenian, medieval, renaissance, examples of bindings from 17th, 18th, 19th and earth 20th centuries, Russia, America, French, trade bindings, artists' wrappers, miniature books, etc.
US$60. bookID # 12962
MYERS, Robin, and Michael Harris; A Genius for Letters; Booksellers and Bookselling from the 16th to the 20th Century. Winchester; Delaware, St. Paul's Bibliographies; Oak Knoll Press, [1995], First edition, 8vo [21.5 x 15 cm]; xiv, 188 pp; illustrations including portrait, map, figures and charts, index, original pictorial boards, title lettering on spine and boards, fine, clean and unmarked copy, as new.
Nine leading authorities in the history of the book trade (Anthony Hobson, Luigi Balsamo, Germaine Greer, Giles Mandelbrote, Christopher Edwards, James Tierney, William Zachs, Simon Eliot, Bill Bell) show that across many generations the men who set themselves up as booksellers very often displayed an understanding for their market and an originality in their approach to business that kept them at the very center of the print culture. Including Italian merchants expanding across frontiers, the successful John Murray, antiquarian dealers in 18th century London, the circulating libraries of Mudie and W. H. Smith, etc.
US$20. bookID # 13095
MYERS, Robin, and Michael Harris; Property of a Gentleman; the Formation, Organisation and Dispersal of the Private Library 1620-1920. Winchester; Delaware, St. Paul's Bibliographies; Oak Knoll Press, , , 8vo [21.5 x 15 cm]; xiv, 188 pp; illustrations including portrait, map, figures and charts, index, original pictorial boards, title lettering on spine and boards, fine, clean and unmarked copy, as new.
This collection of essays by leading specialists in the field (Frank Hermann, Clive Wainwright, Esther Potter, Brian North Lee, Christopher de Hamel, David Stoker, T.A. Birrell, Robin Myers), some with extensive auction-house experience, reveal how a variety of collectors at different periods set about amassing their libraries, what they acquired, how they organized, catalogued and displayed them, and the means by which their books came to be dispersed. The interesting topics include: the emergence of the book auctioneer as a professional; the library as a living room; gentlemen and their book-plates; the ill-gotten library of "Honest Tom Martin"; reading as a pastime: the place of light literature in some gentlemen's libraries of the 17th century, etc.
US$25. bookID # 13096
OLMERT, Michael; The Smithsonian Book of Books. Washington, Smithsonian Books, 1992, First edition, 4to [28 x 23.5 cm]; 319, [i] pp, 284 color and 99 black and white illustrations, including some full page, index, orig red cloth, gilt spine title lettering, dj, fine and clean condition.
From the book review of AB Bookman's Weekly of November 1992: 'This magnificent volume, celebrating the world of books, offers a comprehensive historical account of the history and development of books of all types, in an illustrated popular format. . . can be appreciated by scholars. . . through four millennia from clay tablets through the world of modern books and bookmaking. A highlight of the work is the introduction by Christopher de Hamel. . . describing the era of scribes and manuscripts. . . and the joys and satisfactions of the collector.' Book review inserted loose.
US$20. bookID # 11199
ORCUTT, William Dana; In Quest of the Perfect Book; Reminiscences & Reflections of a Bookman. Boston, Little, Brown & Company, 1926, First edition, edition limited to 350 copies of which this is number 98, signed by the author, 8vo [24.5 x 16.5 cm]; [vii], 316, [i] pp, color frontis with tissue guard, numerous plates, portraits, facsimiles, manuscripts, including the 6 plates that are only in the limited edition, bibliog, index, orig vellum backed boards, gilt spine title lettering, top edge gilted, spine slightly darkened, endpaper bookplate of Brownie W. McCormick, orig ribbon bookmark, fine and clean condition.
The author was able to find books now only found in major libraries but its a pleasure to read about his finds and discoveries, including illuminated manuscripts, finely printed books, early books, manuscripts, typography, Laurenziana, etc.
US$80. bookID # 12655
ORCUTT, William Dana; Master Makers of the Book; Being a Consecutive Story of the Book from a Century before the Invention of Printing through the Era of the Doves Press. Garden City, New York, Doubleday, Doran & Company, 1928, First edition, 12mo [20 x 13 cm]; 271 pp, frontis (portrait) with the letterpress tissue guard, bibliog, index, orig blind-stamped pictorial cloth, gilt title lettering, spine slightly faded, dj (edge chipped, not price clipped), signature on endpaper, near fine, clean and sound.
The famous bookman describes Aldus and his forerunners, Robert Etienne, Geoffroi Tory, Plantin, Elzevir, Baskerville, Didot, Bodoni, Ibarra, William Morris, Cobden-Sanderson and Emery Walker, and their work.
US$30. bookID # 10236
ORCUTT, William Dana; The Kingdom of Books. Boston, Little, Brown & Company, 1927, First edition, edition limited to 450 copies of which this is number 267, signed by the author, 8vo [24.5 x 16.5 cm]; xii, 290, [i] pp, color frontis with tissue guard, numerous plates and illustrations, facsimiles from early or rare books, portraits, including the 6 plates only in the limited edition, bibliog, index, orig vellum backed boards, gilt spine title lettering, top edge gilted, spine a little darkened, endpaper bookplate of Charles Willcox, orig ribbon bookmark, fine and clean condition.
Detailed discussions of great books published through the ages, masters of typography, bindings, etc, and the authors explorations in hunting for them, including chapters on modern masters of typography, old book stalls in Paris, incunabula, bookbinding, etc.
US$60. bookID # 12654
ORCUTT, William Dana; The Magic of the Book; More Reminiscences and Adventures of a Bookman. Boston, Little, Brown & Company, 1930, First edition, edition limited to 350 copies of which this is number 230, signed by the author, 8vo [24.5 x 16.5 cm]; xii, 314 pp, colored frontis with tissue guard, 70 plates, portraits, including from photos and facsimiles from rare books, manuscript, etc, bibliog, index, orig vellum backed boards, gilt spine title lettering, top edge gilted, spine a little darkened, endpaper bookplate of Barbara Horton, orig ribbon bookmark, fine and clean condition, partly unopened and unread.
Detailed discussions of great books published through the ages, masters of typography, bindings, etc, and the authors explorations in hunting for them, including chapters on the Vatican library, type, Sweynheym, Pannartz, Bodoni, Red Cross archives, book investments, etc.
US$80. bookID # 12653
PEARSON, Edmund; Queer Books. Garden City, New York, Doubleday, Doran and Company, 1928, First edition, 8vo [21 x 14.5 cm]; x, 298 pp, numerous illus including full-page, frontis, orig gilt decorated cloth, gilt title lettering, dj (lightly rubbed, spine ends slightly chipped, not price clipped), near fine in very good dj.
Interesting work including temperance novels, propaganda novels, making the eagle scream, unfortunate lovers, side whiskers and seduction, a yankee Casanova, genteel behaviour, etc.
US$30. bookID # 10772
PORTER, Anna; The Bookfair Murders. Toronto, Little, Brown and Company, [1997], the true First Edition, first printing, 8vo [23.5 x 16 cm]; 383 pp, orig cloth, gilt spine title lettering, dj (not price clipped), fine and clean copy.
A bibliomystery, taking place at the Frankfurt International Bookfair, filled with intrigue, twists, turns, a 'sexy and hilarious romp through the world of publishing'. The author of several previous mysteries lives in Toronto.
US$15. bookID # 12645
RABINOWICZ, Harry M.; Treasures of Judaica. South Brunswick, New York, London, Thomas Yoseloff, [1971], First American edition, 4to [28.5 x 22 cm]; 240 pp, hundreds of illustrations including in color, many on plates, glossary, bibliography, index, original cloth, spine title lettering, fine and clean in good dj (wear, repairs, not price clipped, short tear).
The author describes the collections housed at the British Museum, British and Foreign Bible Society, Lambeth Palace Library, Mocatta Library, St. Paul's Library, Monument Room of Westminster Abbey, Wiener Library, Sassoon collection, John Rylands Library and others, very well-illustrated, reproducing documents, books, portraits, etc.
US$8. bookID # 13375
ROSENBACH, A. S. W.; Books and Bidders; The Adventures of a Bibliophile. Boston, Little, Brown, and Company, 1927, First edition, edition limited to 760 copies of which this is #409 signed by author, 8vo [24.5 x 17 cm]; xv, 311 pp, frontis, numerous illus and plates, including facsimiles from original sources, index, with an extra title spine label at rear, orig cloth-backed boards, title lettering on spine label, top edge gilted, a bit rubbed at edges, internal hinge cracked but firm, very good, interior quite clean and unmarked.
The premier bookdealer of his time writes of his finds, discoveries and haunts, most of which no longer exist. He discovered some of the great treasures now in major libraries. This limited edition had wider margins than the trade edition. This copy includes a loose paper by Michael Sadleir, entitled Pleasures and Problems of Book Collecting from another source.
US$50. bookID # 11581
ROSTENBERG, Leona and Madeleine B. Stern; Old Books in the Old World; Reminiscences of Book Buying Abroad. New Castle, Oak Knoll Press, 1996, First edition, 8vo [23.5 x 15 cm]; viii, 175 pp, illus from photos, orig cloth, gilt spine title lettering, dj (not price clipped), very fine, clean and unmarked, as new.
A charming account of postwar book buying abroad by the 'Holmes and Watson' of antiquarian books. Filled with tales of steamships, cobblestone streets and dusty rare bookshops, bookish tales, the work draws from diaries, letters and contemporary recollections.
US$10. bookID # 12707
SINGER, Hans W. and William Strang; Etching, Engraving and the Other Methods of Printing Pictures. London, Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co., 1897, First edition, 8vo [22 x 18 cm]; xiv, [i], 228 pp, frontis, 14 plates using the different printing processes, each plate with tissue guard and letterpress, bibliog, index, title page printed in red and black, orig cloth, gilt title lettering on spine and cover, faded, spine repaired, light foxing on title page, interior clean, very good sound copy.
Each method of printing is illustrated with a print made by that process including, soft-ground etching, woodcut, engraving, etching, dry point, mezzotint, lithograph, zinc process, half tone, collotype, photogravure, etc, accompanied by detailed description, making it easy to learn to identify the methods and processes.
US$150. bookID # 12372
SLATER, J. H.; Book Collecting, A Guide for Amateurs. London, Swan Sonnenschein & Co., 1892, First edition, large paper edition, limited to 500 copies of which this is #344, 8vo [20.5 x 14 cm]; [ii], 130 pp, illus from early sources, index, orig gilt decorated cloth, gilt title lettering, spine ends a little frayed, very good, sound copy.
A survey of all aspects of book collecting that were popular at the time, including famous book collectors, book publishers and presses, and with an interesting list of UK booksellers who published catalogues, many of whom are no longer in business, but gives a good picture of what it was like at that time.
US$14. bookID # 10201
SOTHEBY'S, ; Fine Books and Manuscripts from the Library of the late Alan G. Thomas. London, Sotheby's, 1993, First edition, 4to [27 x 21 cm]; 285, [xv] pp, hundreds of illustrations, including colored and including full-page, frontis, photo and biography of Thomas by Christopher de Hamel, bibliography, index, original pictorial heavy paper wraps, title on cover and spine, fine, clean, with the prices realized on loose sheet.
A beautifully illustrated Sotheby's sale of important and historical books, describing 474 lots in detail, sale held in London, 21-22 June 1993, including from 580 BC, through medieval times, incunabula, to the nineteenth century.
US$14. bookID # 13341
SOTHEBY'S, ; Sammlung Rudolf Von Gutmann; including Chinese School Watercolours in Two Albums Containing Fine Landscapes and Interiors ( c. 1790); Melchior Pfintzing Teuerdank Printed on Vellum (1517) and the Talman Albums c. 1720. London, Sotheby's, 1993, First edition, 4to [27 x 21 cm]; 117, [x] pp, many illustrations, almost all colored, including many full-page, bibliography, index, original pictorial boards (hardcover), title lettering on spine and cover, fine, clean, unmarked and unused, with the original loose sheet of the prices realized.
A beautifully illustrated Sotheby's sale of important books, from the library of noted collector, describing the items in detail, very well-illustrated, sale held in London, 2 April 1993. A useful reference.
US$12. bookID # 13369
SOTHEBY'S, ; The Continental Library of Archibald, 5th Earl of Rosebery and Midlothian. London, Sotheby's, 1995, First edition, 4to [27 x 21 cm]; 222, [x] pp colored frontis plate, hundreds of fine illustrations, mostly colored, including many full-page, bibliography, index, index of provenance, original pictorial heavy paper wraps, title lettering on spine and cover, fine and clean, with the loose leaf of prices realized, pictorial endpapers.
A beautifully illustrated Sotheby's sale of books, from a collection amassed over many years, describing 408 lots in detail, very well-illustrated, sale held in London, 25 May 1995, sale LN5576. A very useful reference with a detailed and illustrated introduction describing the building of this fabulous library.
US$12. bookID # 13377
SOTHEBY'S, ; The Jaime Ortiz-Patino Collection of Important Books and Manuscripts. London, Sotheby's, 1998, First edition, 4to [27 x 21 cm]; unpaginated, [over 300 pages], many illustrations, including colored, full-page, colored frontis, preface by Pierre Beres, indexes by provenance, author, illustrator, original pictorial heavy paper wraps, title on cover and spine, fine and clean, unmarked, with prices realized on loose sheets.
Sale 7119. An impressive sale catalogue, with detailed and scholarly descriptions, of some of the great works of literature including Diderot, Buffon, Flaubert, Baudelaire, Hugo, Apollinaire, Proust, etc, many with royal provenance, plus incunabula's, early bibles, illuminated manuscripts, fine bindings, atlases, etc. Includes hundreds of illustrations of bindings and parts of the books and manuscripts. The sale took place April 21, 1998.
US$10. bookID # 13513
STARRETT, Vincent; Bookman's Holiday; the Private Satisfactions of an Incurable Collector. New York, Random House, [1942], First edition, 8vo [23 x 15 cm]; [viii], 312 pp, illus from drawings, original pictorial cloth, title lettering on orig spine paper label, fine, clean and unmarked in very good + pictorial dust jacket (lightly rubbed at edge, not price clipped), the jacket designed by Paul Galdone.
The well-known and popular author describes his travels and adventures collecting books with chapters including Chinese detective stories, Blondin, Mother Goose, cats, Japan, Sherlock Holmes' landlady, etc, all beautifully written.
US$30. bookID # 13090
THEBERGE, C. B.; Canadiana on Your Bookshelf; Collecting Canadian Books. Toronto, Dent, [1976], First paperback edition, 12mo [20 x 13.5 cm]; 134 pp, well-illustrated including photos, title-pages, bibliography, original heavy paper pictorial wraps, title lettering on cover and spine, clean and near fine.
Written by a long-time collector, book provides a useful and practical guide on collecting books and pamphlets on Canada, covering all aspects including searching, specializing, judging and including detailed glossary with definitions commonly used.
US$4. bookID # 13451
WAY, W. Irving; Migratory Books, Their Haunts & Habits. Los Angeles, Ernest Dawson, 1924, First edition, limited to 500 copies, 4to [29.5 x 19 cm]; [iii], 10, [i] pp, vignette on title, printed in red and black, orig paper wraps with rust-colored paper cover and printed title label on cover, bookplate of Catherine Coffin Phillips on rear endpaper, light toning of endpaper, fine, clean and crisp with presentation inscription from Ernest Dawson, the publisher.
Interesting and entertaining item on book collecting. O'Day 37.
US$50. bookID # 11075
WHETTON, Harry; Practical Printing and Binding; a Complete Guide to the Latest Developments in all Branches of the Printer's Craft. London, Odhams Press, nd, , 8vo [23 x 15 cm]; 448 pp, frontis, hundreds of illus, including full-page, colored plates, index, original cloth, gilt spine title lettering, light cover use, few notes on rear endpaper, overall very good+ but interior is clean and near fine.
A comprehensive and very well-illustrated work including many of equipment and machines, covering all aspects from stereotyping, lithography, photogravure warehousing, paper making, inks, costing, bookbinding, with chapters by various experts.
US$5. bookID # 13088
YERUSHALMI, Yosef Hayim; Haggadah and History; A Panorama in Facsimile of Five Centuries of the Printed Haggadah from the Collections of Harvard University and the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. Philadelphia, The Jewish Publication Society of America, [1975], First edition, second printing, 4to [30 x 21.5 cm]; 494 pp, 200 plates, bibliog, index, pictorial endpapers, original pictorial gilt cloth, gilt title lettering on spine and front, dj (short tear, slight wear at edge, not price clipped), a fine and clean copy, unmarked.
An important and beautifully produced book, describing the most popular and most beloved of Jewish classics, the Passover Haggadah, from the beginnings of Hebrew printing in the fifteenth century to the present, which mirrors the last five centuries of Jewish history. The 200 plates reproduce representative pages from rare printed Haggadahs in two the world's outstanding Judaic collections, complemented by Yerushalmi's fascinating historical introduction and richly detailed plate descriptions. A large format, massive work.
US$30. bookID # 13251
Return to Horizon Books' Home Page.