SLIGHTLY FOXED - BUT STILL DESIRABLE. Ronald Searle's wicked world of book collecting by SEARLE. RONALD - 1989

The Ballantyne Press, London and Edinburgh.,1911. Three large 8vo volumes. Printed on India Paper. Limited edition,only 750 sets published. Fully illustrated throughout with colour plates of views of the Holy Land. Fine publishers leather bindings of full brown morocco, by Cedric Chivers of bath, with Line and box design to both boards and spines. Gilt lettering to spines. Top edges gilt. Lovely decorative set.

Constable & Co. Ltd. London. 1917. REPRINT OF 1916 CHEAP EDITION. (Originally published in larger format and with more plates in 1912). Large 8vo. (8.5 x 7 inches). Beautifully illustrated with colour frontis, protected by a printed tissue guard, and 6 full colour tipped in plates, plus 98 line drawings and decorative borders throughout. Finely bound in early half red morocco leather binding by Bayntun (Riviere) of Bath. Spine with five raised bands, the compartments ruled in blind and lettered and decorated in gilt. Red cloth on boards. Marbled endpapers. Top edge gilt. There is a mild stain to the leather at the bottom of the book but overall this is a very attractive copy of this finely illustrated book.

Hurst and Blackett, Limited. London. 1913. FIRST ENGLISH EDITION. 8vo. viii.376,24 pp publishers adverts for Autumn 1913, including blurb for this book with the title The Mysterious Mr. Noel. This was changed to Balaoo before publication but after the adverts were typeset. Very good bright, tight copy with previous owners name written neatly in ink to front blank endpaper. Some light foxing to a few pages but still generally a nice fresh copy. Publishers red cloth with blind ruled border and gilt lettering to front board. Spine lettered and ruled in gilt. A particularly nice copy of this rare title by the Author of The Phantom of the Opera. Originally published in French in 1912, Balaoo is the story of a Monkey who is brought up by a Scientist as a human, Mr. Noel. He is educated and can read and write and wears the latest Paris fashions. Balaoo is suspected of committing many crimes, culminating in the kidnapping of Mlle. Madeline, the daughter of the scientist who brought him up. Filmed three times,… Read More

Nonesuch Library. London. 1939. FIRST EDITION. 8vo. (7.7 x 5.1 inches). 1165pp. Finely bound in recent full red morocco leather. Spine with five raised bands. Spine compartments ruled and decorated with gilt stamped Mad Hatter and Playing card devices. Single gilt ruled border to boards. Top edge gilt. A fine copy.

George Virtue, London. 1851. FIRST EDITION. Folio. (13.2 x 10 inches). Packed with 100's of detailed mono line drawings, the work provides not only a catalogue of the Great Exhibition but its history. A very good copy in attractive early leather binding of full red morocco. Spine with raised bands, the compartments ruled, lettered and fully decorated in gilt. Elaborate decorative gilt panel within single gilt ruled and two blind ruled borders on both boards. Bevelled edges. Gilt inner dentelles. Coated yellow endpapers. All edges gilt. Bound by Lewis and Williams binders of Cardiff and with their small label to the inner rear board. Noted Irish author Joyce Cary's copy with his ex libris, and his son Michael's just below, on the front pastedown endpaper. Some minor rubbing to the edges but overall a very good copy.

The Ballantyne Press, London and Edinburgh.,1911. Three large 8vo volumes. Printed on India Paper. Limited edition,only 750 sets published. Fully illustrated throughout with colour plates of views of the Holy Land. Fine publishers leather bindings of full brown morocco, by Cedric Chivers of bath, with Line and box design to both boards and spines. Gilt lettering to spines. Top edges gilt. Lovely decorative set.

Constable & Co. Ltd. London. 1917. REPRINT OF 1916 CHEAP EDITION. (Originally published in larger format and with more plates in 1912). Large 8vo. (8.5 x 7 inches). Beautifully illustrated with colour frontis, protected by a printed tissue guard, and 6 full colour tipped in plates, plus 98 line drawings and decorative borders throughout. Finely bound in early half red morocco leather binding by Bayntun (Riviere) of Bath. Spine with five raised bands, the compartments ruled in blind and lettered and decorated in gilt. Red cloth on boards. Marbled endpapers. Top edge gilt. There is a mild stain to the leather at the bottom of the book but overall this is a very attractive copy of this finely illustrated book.

Hurst and Blackett, Limited. London. 1913. FIRST ENGLISH EDITION. 8vo. viii.376,24 pp publishers adverts for Autumn 1913, including blurb for this book with the title The Mysterious Mr. Noel. This was changed to Balaoo before publication but after the adverts were typeset. Very good bright, tight copy with previous owners name written neatly in ink to front blank endpaper. Some light foxing to a few pages but still generally a nice fresh copy. Publishers red cloth with blind ruled border and gilt lettering to front board. Spine lettered and ruled in gilt. A particularly nice copy of this rare title by the Author of The Phantom of the Opera. Originally published in French in 1912, Balaoo is the story of a Monkey who is brought up by a Scientist as a human, Mr. Noel. He is educated and can read and write and wears the latest Paris fashions. Balaoo is suspected of committing many crimes, culminating in the kidnapping of Mlle. Madeline, the daughter of the scientist who brought him up. Filmed three times,… Read More

Nonesuch Library. London. 1939. FIRST EDITION. 8vo. (7.7 x 5.1 inches). 1165pp. Finely bound in recent full red morocco leather. Spine with five raised bands. Spine compartments ruled and decorated with gilt stamped Mad Hatter and Playing card devices. Single gilt ruled border to boards. Top edge gilt. A fine copy.

George Virtue, London. 1851. FIRST EDITION. Folio. (13.2 x 10 inches). Packed with 100's of detailed mono line drawings, the work provides not only a catalogue of the Great Exhibition but its history. A very good copy in attractive early leather binding of full red morocco. Spine with raised bands, the compartments ruled, lettered and fully decorated in gilt. Elaborate decorative gilt panel within single gilt ruled and two blind ruled borders on both boards. Bevelled edges. Gilt inner dentelles. Coated yellow endpapers. All edges gilt. Bound by Lewis and Williams binders of Cardiff and with their small label to the inner rear board. Noted Irish author Joyce Cary's copy with his ex libris, and his son Michael's just below, on the front pastedown endpaper. Some minor rubbing to the edges but overall a very good copy.