Search Results: Authors starting with A from Swan's Fine Books

London: The Author's Syndicate, 1901. Hardcover. Very good. Two volumes (complete), octavo size, 567 pp., inscribed by Biddle to Angelo Heilprin. An interesting work about the history of the Madeira Islands, inscribed to one fascinating man by another. The author, Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle Sr. (1894-1948) was (per Wiki) "a millionaire whose fortune allowed him to pursue theatricals, self-published writing, athletics, and Christianity on a full-time basis." Born into wealth, he became known not only for his writing but also for his skills in hand-to-hand combat, which he used to train both U.S. Marines and FBI agents. Angelo Heilprin (1853-1907), to whom the set was inscribed, was "mostly known for the part he took [in] the Peary expedition to Greenland of 1891-1892...he was also a mountaineer and...founded the American Alpine Club" (in 1902). He went on an expedition to Florida in 1886 and to Bermuda the following year, both for scientific research. 1888 found him in Mexico ascending volcanos… Read More

Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1925. Hardcover. Very good +. All volumes bound into one book, quarto size, 191 pp. "The Lick Observatory Bulletins assembled in this volume (Volume I only) represent contributions by the members of the Staff and by Graduate Students of the Berkeley Astronomical Department of the University of California, principally in application of the writer's modifications of the Laplacean orbit method for deriving preliminary orbits of comets, minor planets, and satellites" (n.b., from Preface). Primarily a research guide, each volume filled with statistics based on observations of named comets, with some entries being more complete giving the date a provenance of discovery, etc. ___DESCRIPTION: Full black cloth lettered in gilt to backstrip, two fold out graphs, quarto size (11.5" by 9.5"), pagination: [i-xviii] 1-160 [1-3 index]. ___CONDITION: Better than very good, the binding without noticeable wear, the corners straight and unrubbed, a strong square text… Read More

New York: The Neale Publishing Company, 1917. First Edition. Hardcover. Near Fine. Twelvemo size, 235 pp. Written after the author had passed 88 years of age, this important early work follows his decision as a young man to leave his home in the East to seek gold in California in 1850. The book chronicles their travel westward and their life in San Francisco, as well as recollections of early Sacramento, Salinas, Native Americans encountered, fighting off attacks by wolves, and even travels in Arizona: a fascinating and somewhat scarce glimpse into early pioneer life in California. ___DESCRIPTION: Orange cloth with gilt lettering on front board and spine, plain endpapers, author portrait as frontispiece with tissue guard; pagination: 235 pp. ___CONDITION: Overall near fine with a strong, square text block, solid hinges, straight corners with a minimum of rubbing. There is very minor soiling to boards, very minor wear to head/tail of the spine, prior owner name in a flowing script on the front free… Read More

Boston: New York Graphic Society, 1979. First Edition. Hardcover. Near fine/near fine. First printing, oblong elephant folio size, 137 pp., signed by Ansel Adams on the half-title page, with the original publisher's shipping box. A celebration of the stunning scenery of Yosemite National Park, this volume contains photographs by renowned photographer Ansel Adams (1902-1984); the breathtaking landscapes exemplify Adams' proficiency in photography and capture the subject for which his work is best known. Nature writer Paul Brooks (1909-1998) provides an introduction to Adams' photographs; a prolific writer and editor, Brooks worked with authors such as James Agee, Rachel Carson, and Winston Churchill, even suggesting the title "Silent Spring" for Carson's seminal work. This volume signed by Adams directly on the half-title page, not on a bookplate. ___DESCRIPTION: Quarter red cloth with slate grey cloth boards, gilt lettering on the spine, frontispiece a black-and-white photograph by Ansel Adams… Read More

San Francisco: The Press in Tuscany Alley, 1994. First and Limited Edition. Hardcover. Fine. One of 75 copies (unnumbered), elephant folio size, 156 pp., with numerous specimens in a custom box, with prospectus and "El Paso keepsake", signed by James Linden. A tour de force of the ephemeral printing of the inimitable Adrian Wilson who, with his wife Joyce Lancaster Wilson, produced some of the finest and interesting private press work in San Francisco during the second half of the 20th century. The Press in Tuscany Alley was one of San Francisco's small private press jewels. Adrian Wilson (1924-1988) was both a book designer and a scholar, authoring "The Design of Books" which is regarded as a classic text on book design. As the New York Times stated in his obituary: "Mr. Wilson designed and printed scores of books, and became a mentor to younger men and women eager to learn the printer's craft. His many volumes, while little-known to the general public, are famous among print connoisseurs, and… Read More

Paris: Seuil, 2017. Hardcover. Fine. Three volumes (complete), quarto size, approx. 1620 pp., all text in French. Offering all three volumes of this set: Volume 1, "De l'Antiquité aux Luminières"; Volume 2, "Des Lumières à la fin du XIXe siècle"; and Volume 3, "De la find du XIXe siècle à nos jours". Per the web site of the publisher: "Alain Corbin, Jean-Jacques Courtine and Georges Vigarello direct this very ambitious 'History of Emotions' in three volumes...the history of mentalities and that of sensitivities, carried by the most recent historiographical renewals. It brings together for the first time the best French and foreign specialists in the history of emotions, all generations combined." ___DESCRIPTION: All three volumes bound in pictorial paper over boards, different illustrations on all three volumes, with several sections of reproductions of photographs and illustrations, both black-and-white and colour; quarto size (9 3/4" by 7 3/4"), pagination: Vol. 1, 541 text pages; Vol.… Read More

Ditchling, Sussex: S. Dominic's Press, 1922. Limited Edition. Wraps. Near fine. Gill, Eric; Jones, David. One of 400 copies (unnumbered), duodecimo size, 115 pp., in a custom clamshell case. The Saint Dominic's Press, founded by Harry (Hilary) Douglas Clarke Pepler, flourished at Ditchling, Sussex, from 1916 to 1936. The first home of the Press was "a disused stable", with a hundred-year-old Stanhope hand-press which supposedly had belonged to William Morris. Pepler endeavored to do everything possible by hand, believing that such would both produce the best results and also be a "more individual or 'humane'...product". He therefore "preferred the handpress to the machine, handmade to machine-made paper, and handset founder's type to the products of typesetting machines." Pepler met Edward Johnston and Eric Gill while living in Hammersmith; Pepler and his family would eventually move to Ditchling to join Gill, who was one of the most important artists to provide illustrations for the St. Dominic's… Read More

Paris: Gustave Havard, 1846. Hardcover. Near Fine. E. de Beaumont, Laisne, et al. Quarto size, 554 pp., in French. Illustrated edition, note that text is entirely in French. Two interesting prior owner bookplates, on the front pastedown is a bookplate belonging to George Paget (1818-1880), a British soldier during the Crimean War who took part in the famous Charge of the Light Brigade; and, on the front free endpaper, is the bookplate for Almeric Hugh Paget, 1st Baron Queenborough (1861-1949 and the last of his line). ___DESCRIPTION: Beautifully rebound in half leather over marbled boards, gilt decorative border on front, spine has gilt rules and decorations, maroon label on spine with gilt lettering, marbled endpapers and edges, engraved frontispiece of Une Fouille a la Bastille, small vignette on title page, 34 illustrations scattered throughout the text, quarto size (approx. 10" high), pagination: (i)-x, 1-544. ___CONDITION: Modern binding is lovely and in fine condition, prior owner… Read More

New York / London: St. Martin's Press / Headline Book Publishing, 2000. First Edition. Hardcover. Fine/fine. The first ten volumes in the set, each the first printing (some US firsts and some UK), octavo size, approx. 2575 total pp., five of the volumes signed by "Edward Marston" The Domesday series feature Ralph Delchard and Gervase Bret, a soldier and lawyer, who are asked by William the Conqueror "to look into the serious irregularities that come to light during the compilation of Domesday Book, the great survey of England" (n.b., from the web site of Edward Marston). Written by Conrad Allen (as Edward Marston, b. 1940) this set includes the first ten volumes; one additional volume ("The Elephants of Norwich") would subsequently be published. The ten volumes here offered are: (I.) "The Wolves of Savernake", pub. 1993; (II.) "The Ravens of Blackwater", pub. 1994; (III.) "The Dragons of Archenfield", pub. 1995; (IV.) "The Lions of the North", pub. 1996; (V.) "The Serpents of Harbledown", pub.… Read More

San Francisco: The Book Club of California, 1985. Limited Edition. Hardcover. Fine. Dean, Mallette. One of 750 unnumbered copies, folio size, 124 pp. An impeccable reproduction of the original bibliography of the Allen Press, with additional entries published subsequent to the original biblilography. The new, updated material was printed letterpress at the Tamalpais Press. ___DESCRIPTION: Bound in full tan cloth, design (depiction of Columbian hand press) in light tan on front board, title stamped in gold on the spine, fore-edge uncut, title page and some reproductions in colour, divisional titles in red, marginal decorations in red and black; folio size (13 3/4" by 9 1/2"), 124 pp. ___CONDITION: Fine, with clean boards, straight corners without rubbing, a strong, square text block with solid hinges, the interior is clean and bright, and entirely free of prior owner markings; clean, crisp, and as new. ___CITATION: BCC 200, no. 180. ___POSTAGE: Please note that this is an unusually large book… Read More

[San Francisco]: Pacific Editions, 2009. Limited Edition. Hardcover. Fine. Hobson, Charles. No. 5 of 39 copioes, folio size, 11 pp., signed by Roger Angell and Charles Hobson, with TLS. For those touched by a love of sailing and the sea, this work, masterfully blending Angell's essay with Hobson's design, personifies that love and makes it touchable. The text is an essay by Roger Angell (b. 1920), award-winning writer of mainly sports literature (he has been referred to as the "Poet Laureate of baseball ") and a regular contributer to The New Yorker. Charles Hobson, book artist extraordinaire, has incorporated into his design old maritime charts of Maine, overhead views of islands based on those provided by Google Earth, model sails and rigging, and a pastel of a baseball cap (the BoSox, of course) signed by him beneath. Includes a TLS from Hobson to the original owner of the book loosely laid in, dated July 28, 2009, wherein he walks the recipient through the book pointing out salient features -… Read More

San Francisco: Thomas C. Russell, 1922. First and Limited Edition. Hardcover. Fine/near fine. First edition in book form, octavo size, 405 pp., signed by Thomas Russell. This the first edition in book form of the letters of Dame Shirley, in which she recounts her experiences living in a mining camp in California in the mid-nineteenth century. The letters tell of life in the mining camp in rich detail and offer a unique perspective from an intellectual New England woman, and form a personal picture of the hardships and innovation during the California Gold Rush. The sources wax rich with praise: per Howes, the work is "a vivid and unexcelled picture of everyday life in the mines." Gary Kurtiz ("The California Gold Rush") has a wonderful short essay on both the author and the various early publications, saying in part: "The 'Shirley Letters' have received the highest possible praise. The important of her letters was recognized early on and influenced the views and writings of Josiah Royce, Hubert… Read More

New York: Harcourt, Inc, 1996. First Edition. Hardcover. Near fine/near fine. First U.S. edition, octavo size, 493 pp. From the dust jacket flap: "The record of a great love affair and a lifelong conversation - a love and a marriage that were the 'safe haven' for two hunted fugitives in dark times." (Quote from The New York Review of Books.) Hannah Arendt (1906-1975) is known as one of the "most influential political theorists of the 20th century" (n.b., quote from Wiki). ___DESCRIPTION: Bound in full aubergine paper over boards, gold lettering and publisher's device stamped onto the spine, stated First U.S. edition on the copyright page with full lettered line below, beginning with "A"; octavo size (9 3/8" by 6 3/8"), pagination: [i-iv] v-xxxii [2] 1-459. In the publisher's dust jacket with the original printed price of $35.00, summary of the book on the front flap, short bios of Arendt and Blücher on the back flap. ___CONDITION: Volume fine overall, with clean boards, straight corners… Read More

Munich and Zurich: Piper, 1985. Hardcover. Fine/very good. Octavo size, 864 pp., note that all text is in German. From the dust jacket flap: "Die Korrespondenz zwischen Hannah Arendt und Karl Jaspers - es sind an die 420 Briefe erhalten - wird in dieser Ausgabe vollständig abgedruckt und durch einige Briefe ihrer Ehepartner ergänzt." Hannah Arendt (1906-1975) is known as one of the "most influential political theorists of the 20th century" (n.b., quote from Wiki). ___DESCRIPTION: Bound in full blue cloth over boards, gold lettering stamped onto the spine; octavo size (9" by 6"), pagination: [1-4] 5-859 [5 pp. publisher's ads], note that ALL TEXT IS IN GERMAN. In the publisher's dust jacket, unclipped although without a printed price. ___CONDITION: Volume fine overall, with clean boards, straight corners without rubbing, a strong, square text block with solid hinges, the interior is clean and bright, and the sole prior owner marking being a gift inscription (in German) on the front free… Read More

Dunmow Essex: The Workshop Press [Mark Arman], 1988. Limited Edition. Hardcover. Fine. One of 170 copies, quarto size, 63 pp., signed by Mark Arman. The author, Mark Arman, began printing in 1949; at that time, he shares in the book's Introduction, "type decorations did not interest me." He goes on to elaborate on his growing interest in these decorations, which interest and knowledge would eventually culminate in this book. Not only is the work a fascinating look at the history and use of type decorations, but the insights into the printing process of this particular book, as set forth in the Postscript, is a delight to those, such as myself, who are only vaguely aware of the amount of time it tooks to produce a hand-set, hand-printed book: "...at this time there is a consciousness that making such a book has taken a year of one's life." Truly this is a work which is both useful and beautiful, stuffed with specimens. ___DESCRIPTION: Bound in quarter rust-coloured cloth with marbled Cockerell… Read More

Perugia: Xilocart, 1988. Limited Edition. Wraps. Near fine. Leboroni, Mariaelisa. One of 180 copies, oblong quarto size, 5 text pp. and 7 woodcuts, signed by the artist/printer, text in Italian. Saint Francis of Assisi (ca. 1181-1226) is almost synonymous with the love of animals and the earth, and his "Canticle of the Creatures" has been sung for centuries. This a lovely publication of the "Canticle" with five full-page woodcuts (plus smaller cuts on the title page and colophon) done by Mariaelisa Leboroni, an Italian artist who publishes her work under the imprint of "Xilocart". Per her web site: "Perhaps more than for the sense of history conveyed by Mariaelisa's books, people love her work for its whimsy. Contented frogs, cheerful cityscapes, smiling suns, and simple pictures of trees in autumn grace the covers of her books, all in lovely color combinations. Because each print is handmade and one-of-a-kind, no two books will have exactly the same image..." A stunningly lovely publication of… Read More

Bath: The Old School Press, 1995. Limited Edition. Hardcover. Near fine. Allen, Peter. One of 150 copies, octavo size, [37] pp. A stunning re-telling of the legend of the Phoenix, "one of the great myths of mankind with all it tells us of our many deaths and re-births" (n.b., from translator's note on p. [13]). Published by The Old School Press, known for publishing texts "in limited editions with specially commissioned illustrations. We use traditional letterpress printing techniques - metal type and fine papers - and our books are hand-bound to our designs" (n.b., from the web site of the Press). A lovely work, printed from blocks made from original calligraphy, and with pochoir hand-stencilled illustrations by Peter Allen who "studied printmaking and book arts in the UK...[his] images are made up of lots of observed details, imagination and humour. Their strong, graphic character is inspired by folk art, picture books, postage stamps and indie video games" (n.b., from the web site of the… Read More

[Boston]: [The Merrymount Press (D. B. Updike)], 1904. Hardcover. Near fine. Octavo size, 98 pp., "Note on [the] New Type" loosely laid in. Michelagnolo (now spelled "Michelangelo") di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (1475-1564) has likely been the artist with the most pervasive influence on Western art. Not only his sculptures (the "Pieta" and the "David) but also his paintings (for example, the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel) have instilled a sense of awe in viewers for centuries. This book a lovely reprint by the inimitable Daniel Berkeley Updike of a biography written (in 1603) within fifty years of his death, by a contemporary who enjoyed "love, conversation and close intimacy" with Michangelo (n.b., p. ix). ___DESCRIPTION: Bound in full blue laid paper over boards, title and a single ornament in black on the front board with the same on the spine (printed in the European manner, with the lettering going from the tail to the head of the spine), fore- and bottom edges uncut, title page in black… Read More

Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2014. First Edition. Hardcover. Fine/Fine. First printing, octavo size, 333 pp. From the dust jacket flap, "Erich Auerbach (1892-1957)...a prophet of global literary studies [and] best known for his classic literary study Mimesis, [here] presents a wide selection of essays, many of which are little known outside the German-speaking world...twelve have never appeared in english before, and one is being published for the first time..." ___DESCRIPTION: Bound in full light grey cloth over boards, gilt lettering stamped on spine; octavo size (9 7/16" x 6 1/4"), pagination:[i-v] vi-xlix [1,blank] [1-3] 4-284. Dust jacket cover with front panel of "The Great Flood", black and brown lettering with author bio and summary of book on front flap, editor and translator blurbs on back flap, review blurbs on back panel. ___CONDITION: Volume is fine, with clean boards, straight corners without rubbing, a strong, square text block with solid hinges, the interior is clean… Read More

San Francisco: The Book Club of California [Printed by Patrick Reagh], 1997. Limited Edition. Hardcover. Fine. One of 350 copies, quarto size, 385 pp., with prospectus. From the prospectus, this "is...the first full publication in English of the richest and perhaps best description ever written of early California....written by Captain Auguste Duhaut-Cilly and newly translated and edited by August Frugé and Neal Harlow". Per the Zamorano 80 entry for this work, "Duhaut-Cilly, a French trader, arrived at Yerba Buena...in January 1827...he traversed the coast of California, visiting virtually all the missions, presidios, and pueblos, and many of the ranchos...He was the first outlander to become intimately acquainted with, and describe, the then thriving Spanish California". This work designed and printed via letterpress by Patrick Reagh and bound by Marianna Blau, and is in every aspect of the highest quality; a work to be treasured both for its content as well as for book-as-object.… Read More