Search Results: History, Culture & Ideas from The Manhattan Rare Book Company

London: Oxford University Press, 1940. First Edition. original cloth, original dust jacket. Very Good. FIRST EDITION IN VERY RARE DUST JACKET OF THE FOUNDATIONAL WORK ON ORGANIC FARMING AND AGRICULTURE. "Since the Industrial Revolution the processes of growth have been speeded up to produce the food and raw materials needed by the population and the factory. Nothing effective has been done to replace the loss of fertility involved in this vast increase in crop and animal production. The consequences have been disastrous. Agriculture has become unbalanced: the land is in revolt: diseases of all kinds are on the increase: in many parts of the world Nature is removing the worn-out soil by means of erosion. "The purpose of this book is to draw attention to the destruction of the earth's capital - the soil; to indicate some of the consequences of this; and to suggest methods by which lost fertility can be restored and maintained..." -Preface An Agricultural Testament is among the most influential… Read More

Rome: Henri Le Lieure, 1878. First edition. Framed. Very Good. ALBUMEN PHOTOGRAPH OF GRANT IN MILITARY DRESS, SIGNED BY GRANT ON THE PHOTOGRAPHER'S MOUNT. A very handsome bust-length portrait of Grant taken by photographer Henri Le Lieure during Grant's visit to Rome in 1878. Signed "U.S. Grant" in ink on the original mount beneath the photograph. A handwritten note on the paper backing of the frame reads: "This photograph was autographed by U. S. Grant in April 1878 at the home of Dr. Charles McMillan, Counsel General (Great Uncle of Eunice) in Rome, Italy. Dr. McMillan had served as Medical Director on Grant's staff throughout the Vicksburg Campaign." The frame, with the seal of "The Dayton Company Picture Galleries Minneapolis", on the backing likely dates from early-mid 20th century. (The Dayton Company was a celebrated Minneapolis department store in Minneapolis from 1911-1962, ultimately serving as the parent company for Target.) Grant visited Rome on his hugely successful… Read More

Lyon: Antoine Vincent [Symphorien Barbier], 1561. First edition. contemporary limp vellum. Very Good. THE RETURN OF MARTIN GUERRE - THE VERY RARE FIRST EDITION OF THE JUDGE'S FIRST-HAND ACCOUNT OF A SENSATIONAL SIXTEENTH-CENTURY TRIAL FOR IDENTITY THEFT; THE BASIS OF NUMEROUS LITERARY, DRAMATIC, AND CINEMATIC ADAPTATIONS. This case had everything - an unhappy marriage, a sudden disappearance and a mysterious return, an accusation of impersonation, a possibly complicit wife, a family and a village divided, two dramatic trials, the sudden appearance of a surprise witness at a moment in the second trial when acquittal seemed imminent, a sudden reversal of fortune, the defendant's conviction, his public apology (declaring the wife to be an innocent victim), and his execution in front of the home of the man he impersonated. It is scarcely surprising that the case has inspired, among other things, an essay by Montaigne and one by Leibniz, a novel by Dumas, a short story by Philip K. Dick, an opera, two… Read More

New York: Random House, 1957. First edition. Original cloth, original dust jacket. Fine/Fine. FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE of Rand's masterpiece; INSCRIBED BY RAND TO LUDWIG VON MISES: "To Dr. and Mrs. Ludwig von Mieses- / -Cordially- / Ayn Rand / 8/22/57". A spectacular association copy linking two of the most influential economic figures of the twentieth century. In August 1957 - nearly two months before the book was available to the public - Rand presented this copy of the first edition of Atlas Shrugged to Ludwig von Mises (sometimes spelled "von Mieses"), the Austrian-American economist and philosopher who was one of the leading figures of the modern libertarian movement, and immediately found a sympathetic ear. After reading Atlas Shrugged, von Mises wrote to Rand, offering strong praise for the book. In a letter to Rand dated January 23, 1958, he wrote:

 "... I enjoyed very much reading Atlas Shrugged and... I am full of admiration for your masterful construction of the plot. But 'Atlas… Read More

Princeton, NJ: np, 1943. First edition. nb. Fine. EINSTEIN OFFERS STRONG AND PRESCIENT WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT TO THE LEADER OF THE NAACP IN THE FIGHT AGAINST RACIAL SEGREGATION AND DISCRIMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES. Background: Einstein's fight against racial discrimination in the United States: The imperative "to protect the rights of the individual... was Einstein's most fundamental political tenet. Individualism and freedom were necessary for creative art and science to flourish. Personally, politically, and professionally, he was repulsed by any restraints. "That is why he remained outspoken about racial discrimination in America... As a Jew who had grown up in Germany, Einstein was acutely sensitive to such discrimination. 'The more I feel an American, the more this situation pains me,' he wrote in an essay called 'The Negro Question' for the January 1946 issue of Pageant magazine. 'I can escape the feeling of complicity in it only by speaking out.'" (Isaacson, Albert Einstein, 505).… Read More

Princeton: np, 1937. First Edition. Very Good. AN EXTRAORDINARY LETTER BY EINSTEIN TO HIS SON OFFERING LIFE ADVICE AND DISCUSSING FREUD, SHAKESPEARE, AND SCHILLER. Addressed to his son Eduard "Tetel" Einstein and signed "Papa", the letter, written in ink on both sides of one sheet, reads in full (translated from the original German): 

Dear Tetel,

 I hope by now you've received Freud's lectures from Vienna. I've read most of them myself in the past. They really made me admire the Author, but they didn't convince me that his theories were correct. 

I must admit however that, based on my personal experiences, my conviction about those theories is weakening -- I feel now that he was onto something, at least in regards to the main theses. I would have written to you sooner, but work is keeping me very busy. Even though they say that the work of a single person will not have much of an impact in the big picture, it does not diminish the passion in which we pursue our interests, and… Read More

Camden, NJ: np, 1888. First edition. Fine. WHITMAN AS A BOOKSELLER, TRYING TO SELL LEAVES OF GRASS. In this letter, Whitman has written to New York publishers Dick & Fitzgerald mentioning Leaves of Grass. He offers the book to them at a 33% discount and signs the letter with his full signature "Walt Whitman". Framed alongside the letter is the famous photo of Whitman touching the (prop) butterfly from the first edition of Whitman's "Specimen Days & Collect". The letter, dated Feb 18, 1888 from his 328 Mickle Street address (Camden, New Jersey) reads in full: "After some delay I have succeeded in getting you a two Vol. set (in perfect order half leather binding) those portraits from life, of Leaves of Grass and Two Rivulets ed'n 1876 - Shall I send the vols to you? The price is $6.66 (+10 - one-third off). [signed] Walt Whitman" Matted and framed with UV filtered glass with opening on back to show the address side of post card. Framed alongside Whitman's letter is the photograph of Whitman from… Read More

New York: np, 1953. 1st Edition. No Binding. Fine. Strong, impassioned, and revealing letter from Wright to his longtime friend, the architecture critic Lewis Mumford, defending his architectural philosophy after the appearance of Mumford's article in the New Yorker evaluating Wright's life and work. Written on The Plaza, New York letterhead (from December 3 1953), the letter reads in full: "Dear Lewis-- Read your "appreciation" in the plane coming in last night-both glad and furious- Read? Insults my clients and myself-I may be vain but I am not stupid-neither are my clients-- He harks back to the view that an individual should go to 'a style' for his home, be the guest of a style rather than the guest of a great architect-? Yes? Good argument for the communist against Democracy-- He should talk to my clients. So you talked to one-one Paul Hanna. From him you got a false impression-at least so he says and so say I.-- Just one word slipped[;] the word 'my' was actually 'your' in reproving… Read More

Washington, D.C.: np, 1869. First edition. custom folder. Very Good. A LOVE LETTER FROM "FATHER WHITMAN" TO A CIVIL WAR SOLDIER. A rare and significant letter to one of the young soldiers Whitman aided at a military hospital during the Civil War. Whitman corresponded with Pratt for some 8 years, beginning after Pratt's hospitalization in 1865. Whitman's letter is a response to Pratt's own of May 9, 1869, in which Pratt asks why he has not heard from Whitman (despite having sent several letters to him) and in which Pratt gives report of his health. Pratt's letter, which is addressed to "Father Whitman," essentially affirms that Whitman saved his life in 1865: "had it not been for that smiling countenace [of yours] I should have been no more". Whitman's letter in response to Pratt's letter was initially dated "June 28, 1869" and subsequently revised by Whitman to July 1. In his letter Whitman gives brief report of his life and affectionately affirms "Dear boy I would like to see you, that we might… Read More

Rome: Aldine Press/ Aldus [Paulum Manutium], 1564. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Very Good. EXTREMELY RARE 1564 FIRST PRINTING of the Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent, one of the most important publications in the history of the Catholic Church; printed by Paulus Manutius and Aldus the Younger of the Aldine Press and the request of Pope Pius IV. The Council of Trent (1545-63), was "highly important for its sweeping decrees on self-reform and for its dogmatic definitions that clarified virtually every doctrine contested by the Protestants. Despite internal strife, external dangers, and two lengthy interruptions, the council played a vital role in revitalizing the Roman Catholic Church in many parts of Europe. Pius IV confirmed the council's decrees in 1564 and published a summary of its doctrinal statements; observance of disciplinary decrees was imposed under sanctions. In short order the catechism of Trent appeared, the missal and breviary were revised, and eventually a revised version of the… Read More

New York: Henry G. Langley, 1844. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Very Good. FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE (with only New York in imprint), complete with large folding map. One of the most valuable and comprehensive sources for understanding pioneer life in the Great Plains and Southwest. The large folding map is the first to display the Staked Plains of Texas. Hailed as a cartographic landmark, it includes the locations of forts, military roads, and trading posts. It also identifies the Oregon Trail and Native American settlements, and traces the routes of the earlier explorers Boone, Long, Pike, and Cooke. Convinced that a journey west was necessary to restore his health, Josiah Gregg, in 1831 set out from Missouri on the first of what was to become eight journeys across the prairies. An acute observer, Gregg took careful notes of the geography and geology of the Southwest, and the attitudes and culture of the people (including particularly valuable insights into the Indians of Texas and New Mexico). Over a… Read More

Boston: Garrison and Knapp, 1832. First edition. Original wrappers. Very Good. VERY RARE FIRST PRINTINGS OF THE CONSTITUTION AND DECLARATION OF AMERICA'S FIRST SOCIETIES TO PROMOTE THE IMMEDIATE ABOLITION OF SLAVERY. By the first half of the nineteenth century, abolitionism in America was gaining traction in the nation's public conscious. As a movement, organised abolition groups were propelled in particular by Quaker and evangelical communities, who highlighted the fundamentally un-Christian nature of slavery. It is from these roots that the New England Anti-Slavery Society (NEASS), America's first immediatist society, emerged in 1832. Organising a national Anti-Slavery Convention the following year, the early forum for anti-slavery activists advocated in the strongest terms for the total abolition of slavery in all states. Adopting the term from British anti-slavery activists, NEASS and the Anti-Slavery Convention pushed for Immediatism, which "however variously it was interpreted by American… Read More

San Francisco, 1966. First edition. Very Good. One-of-a-Kind Beatles Images Portend the End of an Era. This original contact sheet of rare 1966 images of The Beatles was discovered by artist, photographer, musician, and Beatles enthusiast Dave Seabury at a garage sale near San Francisco in the late 1980s. These photos, which we have on offer, were taken at the Fab Four's final concert at Candlestick Park on August 29, 1966. The story of how these images were discovered is almost as fascinating as the images themselves. Seabury frequented garage sales for years inquiring about Grateful Dead or Beatles photos and never had any luck. On one fateful day the seller said, "Yeah, there are some Beatles pictures in that box over there." (Marks) In the box Seabury found a contact sheet with 73 black-and-white images of The Beatles taken by someone who clearly had privileged access to the band. The photos were close-up and deeply moving, however there was no date on the photos and no photographer stamp.… Read More

London: Printed by W. Strahan for J. and P. Knapton, et al., 1755. First edition. Calf. Very Good. FIRST EDITION OF JOHNSON'S LANDMARK DICTIONARY. A monumental work by anyone's standards, Johnson's Dictionary took over eight years to complete. "With no real library at hand, Johnson wrote the definitions of over 40,000 words... illustrating the senses in which these words could be used by including about 114,000 quotations drawn from English writing in every field of learning during the two centuries from the middle of the Elizabethan period down to his own time" (W. Jackson Bate). "Johnson introduced into English lexicography principles which had already been accepted in Europe but were quite novel in mid-eighteenth-century England. He codified the spelling of English words; he gave full and lucid definitions of their meanings (often entertainingly coloured by his High Church and Tory propensities); and he adduced extensive and apt illustrations from a wide range of authoritative writers... His… Read More

New York and Washington: Walt Whitman, 1865. First Edition. Publisher's Cloth. Very Good. FIRST EDITION OF WHITMAN'S IMPORTANT COLLECTION OF CIVIL WAR POEMS. THE PREFERRED "SECOND ISSUE" WITH THE FIRST APPEARANCE OF THE "SEQUEL" CONTAINING POEMS WHITMAN WROTE AFTER THE DEATH OF LINCOLN. Drum-Taps, Walt Whitman's first book of poems not entitled Leaves of Grass, emerged from seismic shifts in Walt Whitman the man, Walt Whitman the writer, and the American nation. While Leaves of Grass is a work of joyful exuberance, youthful exploration, sexual liberation, and a metaphorical consummation of a man's love for his nation, Drum-Taps offers no such euphoric exaltations. After years of civil war, Whitman could no longer embrace the nation as a unified land of hope, open spaces, and endless possibilities; indeed, after visiting his brother George on the battlefield in 1863, Whitman famously joined the war effort - not as a soldier - but as a nurse. Beside the injured and dying men on the battlefields,… Read More

Wakefield, Massachusetts: np, 1888. First edition. Custom box. Very Good. ONE OF THE EARLIEST PHOTOGRAPHS OF LIGHTNING. This striking photograph by Alfred H. Binden (1837 England - 1892 United States) is among one of the earliest photographs of lightning. When Binden captured the image from his home in Wakefield, Massachusetts during a summer storm in 1888, he created a valuable tool for better understanding the natural phenomenon that was often referred to as "electric fluid" in that time. The photograph was a sensation. It was exhibited in newsrooms and bookstores throughout the country where viewers were encouraged to examine its details with a magnifying glass. Contemporary news reports describe it as "a most interesting picture as showing...the [electrical] current has a sinuous or rotary motion, being twisted like a rope or ribbon during its progress to the Earth." Articles about the photograph circulated for the next few years and in 1892 The Boston Herald wrote that Binden's lightning… Read More

Pesaro: [Camillo Franceshini], 1572. First edition. Very Good. RARE HISTORICALLY-IMPORTANT EDITION OF THE WORLD'S MOST INFLUENTIAL MATHEMATICAL TREATISE: THE FIRST "COMMANDINO" EDITION. Having established himself as a noted scholar, Federico Commandino of Urbino at the behest of his pupil Prince Francesco Maria translated into Latin Euclid's Elements, configuring it into 15 books and adding extensive commentary. A gorgeously printed work, profusely illustrated with 865 in-text diagrams, Commandino's edition, first published in 1572, was "made use of by subsequent editors for centuries" (Thomas-Stanford). EUCLID; COMMANDINO, FEDERICO. Euclidis Elementorum Libri XV. Unà cum Scholijs antiquis. A Federico Commandino Urbinate nuper in Latinum conversi, commentarijsq'ue quibusdam illustrati. Pesaro: [Camillo Franceshini], 1572. First edition. Folio (8.5 x 13 in; 216 x 330 mm); *,**6, A-Z, Aa-Zz, Aaa-Sss4: [12] (title-page, papal authorisation, dedication to Prince Frederico Maria of Urbino, contents),… Read More

London: John Harrison, George Bishop, Rafe Newberie, Henrie Denham, and Thomas Woodcocke, 1587. Second Edition. 18th-century calf rebacked. Very Good. THE SECOND EDITION (1587) OF HOLINSHED'S "CHRONICLES": THE BOOK AND THE EDITION USED BY SHAKESPEARE AS A SOURCE FOR A DOZEN OF HIS PLAYS. "In 1548, the prominent London printer and bookseller Reyner (or Reginald) Wolfe ambitiously decided to produce a universal history and cosmography... of the world. After Wolfe's death in 1573, his assistant Raphael Holinshed took over the project, hired more writers and restrained its scope to the British Isles. The Chronicles was first published in 1577 in a two-volume folio edition, illustrated with numerous woodcuts. After Holinshed's death in 1580, Abraham Fleming published the significantly expanded revised second edition of 1587 in a larger folio format, this time without illustrations" (British Library). By scholarly consensus, it is the second (1587) edition, offered here, that Shakespeare used as the… Read More

Petersburg, VA: Eden & McCreery, 1865. First edition. framed. EXTREMELY RARE FIRST ISSUE OF "GRANT'S PETERSBURG PROGRESS" PRINTED BY UNION SOLDIERS ON A CONFEDERATE PRESS THE DAY PETERSBURG AND RICHMOND WERE SEIZED, SIX DAYS BEFORE LEE'S SURRENDER. "When, on that famous Monday, the third of April, 1865, the advance line of attack on Petersburg found the city evacuated by the Confederate troops, almost the first Federal soldiers to enter her doors took possession of the office of the Express and, before the day was over, from its presses there issued number one, volume one, of Grant's Petersburg Progress. It was a single sheet, twelve by twenty inches in size, printed on one side of the paper. Its cry was 'We are here!' Major Eden, 37th Wisconsin Volunteers, was editor, assisted by Captain Charles H. McCreery, 8th Michigan Veteran Volunteers and Chaplain D. Heagle. They proposed 'to publish a live paper as ling as circumstances will permit; that is, as long as we can steal the paper and get men… Read More

Amsterdam: Contact, 1947. First Edition. Original boards, original dust jacket. Very Good/Very Good. RARE FIRST EDITION; AN OUTSTANDING COPY IN THE EXCEEDINGLY RARE FIRST ISSUE DUST JACKET. One of only 1500 copies printed of one of the central works of the twentieth century. Complete with three photographic plates, including the frontispiece portrait of Anne Frank. "The diary written by Anne Frank is probably the single most widely read book to come out of the Holocaust (Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, 1952; first published as Het Achterhuis, 1947). Millions of readers have read the story of the teenage girl's two years in hiding. It has been translated into more than thirty-five languages and published in as many countries. Her diary was also the foundation for a successful drama performed worldwide (The Diary of Anne Frank, 1956) and a film of the same title (1959). Especially in the last twenty years, many schoolchildren and adults alike have had their first exposure to the effects of… Read More