Search Results: Authors starting with B from De Simone Company, Booksellers

(Bologna): Imprimatur Casoni. 1839. Broadside. 8vo. 215 x 155mm. (8 1/2 x 7 1/4 inches). Paper stock a bit foxed and toned, but otherwise sound. Rare anonymously written nine stanza tribute to Francesco Orlando for a balloon flight in the central Garden of Bologna in 1839. Orlandi interest in flight was first recorded in 1825 when he made his first balloon trip and a description of his voyage was published in a printed notice in Bologna. Over the next two decades Orlandi continued to develop his skills and modify the design of his craft so it could make longer and higher flights. He constructed balloons for other aviators and published descriptions of his work and design. Not cited in ICCU or OCLC. (124).

Baltimore: John W. Woods, Printer, 1874. Tall 8vo.  250 x 170 mm., [9 ¾ x 6 ¾ inches].  [2], 116 pp.  Contemporary black cloth, chipped at head and tail of spine and corners; shelf mark on verso of the title-page.  This copy with a notice taped in describing the "Delivery of Mercantile Books" to members' homes. "Baltimore 's Mercantile Library was a subscription library formed in 1839 and located in a building at St. Paul and Saratoga Streets. The library was managed by the Mercantile Library Association who produced a first report in 1840 and a constitution in 1841. John W. M. Lee was appointed librarian, August 1870. Apparently, the library functioned successfully until the mid-1880s. An article in the Baltimore Herald [Jan. 3, 1887] reported that the library's collection would be sold resulting in a 'public calamity.'"  Fortunately, a group of prominent citizens donated money and established the New Mercantile Library Association in 1887 which served the Baltimore before merging its… Read More

Folio manuscript collection.  Mostly 250 x 200 mm., [10 x 8 inches]. Letterhead Sheets. 29 pp. total. Folds, light browning, small tears at folds.  Archive comprised of 16 pp. with the American Exchange Bank,  and 12 pp. relating to the Albany City Bank, Frankfort Bank, Herkimer County Bank, Bank of Central New York, Agricultural Bank, Onondaga County Bank, Mohawk Valley Bank, and H.J. Miner's Bank.  There is also a  1 p. letter from Berry P. Churchill to J.A. Rasbach, Little Falls, February 18, 1856. Collection of hand written banking documents with apparent relevance to the Remington Arms Company on letterheads of various historical banks in Upstate New York State.  Most are addressed to J.A. Rasbach who was John Adam Rasbach (1805-1892), an attorney and cashier of the American Exchange Bank in Ilion, New York.  Herkimer County history notes that: "In 1852 Ilion became an incorporated village. The person whom history credits as most entitled to be remembered because of this move was John… Read More

New York: Frederic A. Brady, 1864. 8vo. 312 pp., plus 1 p. ads. Frontispiece caricature of the author at work. Bound in green publisher's cloth, gilt decoration of the author on front board, blind tooled decorated cloth; binding showing some wear and discoloration. Owners signature of Rufus Munyan, Co. D. 18. C.V. (Company D, 18th Connecticut Volunteers). First edition. Comical narrative by a delusionary "adviser" to Lincoln, whose letters pointedly featured the absurdities of war and the madness of the public administration during the 1860's. Barber's view is reflective of many New York writers, whose view of Lincoln and the war was decidedly Democratic, challenging the ferocity of the Radical Republicans who controlled Washington. Written by the satirist Joseph Barber, who also published Crumbs from the Round Table (1866) and The American Book of Ready Made Speeches (1866). The anonymous illustration which introduces the text captures the manic nature of the… Read More

London: Printed for T. Davies, 1768. Bound with:   Sharp, Samuel.  A View of the Customs, Manners, Drama, &c. of Italy, as they are Described in the Frusta Letteraria'; and in The Account of Italy in English Written by Mr. Baretti; compared with The Letters from Italy; Written by Mr. Sharp.  [iv], 82 [2] pp.  London:  W, Nichols, 1768. Bound with:  Baretti, Joseph.  An Appendix to the Account of Italy, in Answer to Samuel Sharp, Esq.  64 pp.  London:  Printed for T. Davies, 1768. Together 3 works in 2 volumes, all first editions. 8vo.  210 x 130 mm.  Bound in contemporary English calf, gilt decorated spine with leather labels; spines rubbed with loss of labels for volume numbers, joints cracked; with faults a desirable copy of Baretti's defense of the Italian character.  "I had long observed, with some indignation, that the generality of travel-writers are apt to turn the thoughts of those young people who go abroad, upon frivolous and unprofitable object, and to habituate them to… Read More

Ravenna: Longo Editore, 1977. Including Baretti's long lost theatical productions, Chisciotte in Venezia; La Filippa trionfant; intermezzo musicali; and his Fetonte sulle rive de Po, and La Voix de la Discorde, ou la Bataille des Violons.   8vo. 116 [2] pp.  Original printed wrappers. Most famous for his association with Samuel Johnson, his Italian/English dictionary, and his critical works published in La  Frusta Letteraria, Joseph Baretti was an Italian emigre forced to leave Italy for England because of his conflicts with authories in his home town of Turin.  In addition to his work on language and literature Baretti wrote these plays, which were never published and found hidden away in the library of the City of Verona.  Baretii was a critic of Goldoni and wrote these theatrical works as a challenge to style and dramatic content of the Venetian dramatist.  With the publication of these works, now appearing for the first time in 1977, it is apparent that his work did not match up to… Read More

New York: H. A. Thomas, Lithographic Studio, 1875. Color lithographic plate. 22" x 28". Printed on paper and mounted to board and varnished; small scuffs & gouges, some pieces of the print are missing, edges worn, but the colors are strong and the images well preserved. An evocative print showing Neptune and his mermaids riding in a chariot, being drawn by a team of eight finely delineated horses and driven by a member of Barnum's circus. A very rare survival and even in this condition, an excellent example of the showmanship of Barnum and his sense of attracting attention to his latest attraction. The lithographer is H. A. Thomas, whose lithographic studio was on Broadway just below Houston Street. Peters provides a very limited biography, focusing more on his production, including a very large lithograph of a tattooed prison. I was unable to locate this image in any of the standard works. See Peters, American on Stone, page 384 for information on the lithographer. (337).

Arnaldo Forni Editore, N.d.. Facsimile reprint of the Ferrara edition, printed by Giuseppe Rinaldi in 1770. The Forni edition was printed in an edition of 300 copies.

1780. 3 pp. 8vo and 12mo. Pasted to a blank sheet of wove paper. Some light soiling from paste. Spranger Barry was a well-known Irish actor whose roles of Othello, Romeo, and Lear were highly regarded by critics of the English stage. These manuscript leaves appear to be notes used for a profile of the actor which includes a brief outline of his early life, with greater emphasis on his work in the theater. The notes including references to the Shakespeare plays he starred in and the dates in which the plays were produced. The manuscript makes references to his association with Garrick, the two playhouses he built in Dublin, and his marriage to the actress Mrs. Dancer and their work together on the London stage. The notes also include a physical description Barry, citing his height and handsome frame. Nice piece of theater ephemera. Concise Dictionary of National Biography, p. 68; Encyclopedia Brittannica 11th Edition, v. III, p.445.

In Roma: Presso Monaldini Mercante di Libri, Nella Stamperia di Gio, Zempel, 1787. 8vo.  180 x 125 mm., [7 x 4 ¾ inches].  61, [3] pp.  Printed on thick paper and illustrated with an engraved title-page vignette by G. Giordano and decorative woodcut initial letters.  Bound in 19th century marbled paper boards with leather spine and tips.  Very good copy. Barraglini was born in Rimini and educated in Rome, where he entered the priesthood.  He began his career studying literature and became interested in Rimini writers and built a collection on the subject.  His bibliographical skills were recognized, and he became the personal librarian of the notable collector Francesco Saverio de Zelada, who served as Librarian of the Roman Church.  Immersing himself in Zelada's library he created a catalogue of manuscripts that remains unpublished.  In 1800 he was appointed Second Custodian to the Vatican Library, and he is remembered today as the librarian who keep the collection safe during the French… Read More

Manchester: Kirkham & Pratt Ltd, 1912. 2 volumes. 8vo. xxiv, 652 pp.; [vi], 653-824, xlviii pp. Illustrated with 43 folding plates, 44 illustrations and diagrams, and 48 pattern cards, each with 2 mounted fabric samples. Bound in publisher's blue buckram cloth, spine gilt with title information;front hinge of volume I cracked yet sound. Very good set. Second edition, originally published in 1905. This edition is entirely rewritten and contains a completely new series of englarged samples, 96 in total, each with full working detains on the page opposite. A third edition of Bean and McCleary's work was published in 1926, attesting to the importance of the work and the demand for a practical manual on the process of finishing cotton goods.

London and New York: John Lane, the Bodley Head, 1901. Folio. 2 volumes. [viii], 18 pp., 2 photographic reproductions of portraits of Beardsley and 157 full-page plates; [xii], frontispiece and 173 full-page plates. Original white cloth decorated in gilt; some soiling to the binding, head of spine with tiny fraying, and the spines are toned, but otherwise a sound and attractive set. Volume I is one of 120 copies on Japanese vellum and according to manuscript note that appears on the verso of the half-title in the second volume, "This copy is No. 1 of the American edition / [Signed] Temple Scott. (359).

Genova: Tipografia della Gazzetta dei Tribunali, 1855. 8vo. 245 x 175 mm.; (9 ¾ x 6 ¾ inches).  Contemporary leather backed marbled paper boards, title-page creased, otherwise very good. First edition, rare.  The first part of Becchi's book opens with the transcription of 91 articles of law regulating the press, which were put into place in 1848 by Carlo Alberto of Savoy.  These laws represent the first time that regulations of the press were imposed across the Province of Savoy, which includes the Island of Sardinia.  Part two examines each of the 91 articles and contrasts them with the existing Sardinian statutes, some of which are at odds with the new regulations.  Detailed descriptions include laws concerning offenses against the King, offenses against the legislature, laws regulating periodicals, laws governing engraving, lithography, and illustrations of any kind, and laws regulating printing houses in general.  Becchi's work includes many interesting notes which attempt to clarify… Read More

[Paris]: Les Éditions de Minuit, 1952. 8vo. 187 x 120 mm., [7 ¼ x 4 ¾ inches]. 163 [iv] pp.  Original printed wrappers with small portrait of the author on the rear wrapper. Wrappers a bit dusty but in very good condition.  Discreet bookseller's stamp in the lower corner of the inside back wrapper.  House in a half morocco clamshell box. First edition with colophon which reads, "Il a été tire de cet ouvrage trente-cinq exemplaire sur velin supérieur numérotés de 1 a 35 et constituent l'édition original."  On the following leaf the imprint reads, "Achevé d'imprimer sur les presses de L'Imprimerie Habauzit a Aubenas (Ardéche), en Septembre mil neuf cent cinquante deux.  Dépôt legal 3e trimestre 1952.".

With:  The Unique and Splendid Effects of Fonthill Abbey.  Catalogue of the Extensive Assemblage of Costly and Interesting Property, which Adorns this Magnificent Structure: Embracing part of the Furniture, the Bijouterie, Composed of Precious Gems . . . With: The Pictures and Miniatures at Fonthill Abbey.  Catalogue of the Well-selected and Valuable Collection of Gallery and Cabinet Paintings by Ancient and Modern Artists . . .      London:  Which Will be Sold by Mr. Phillips, 9 September 1823 - 29th of October 1823.  Thirty Seven Days of Sales for the complete contents of Fonthill Abbey, sold by Beckford to John Farquhar who after purchasing the property arranged for the sale of entire contents of the estate. 8vo.  235 x 155 mm., [9 ¼ x 6 inches]. pp. [10], 113, [1], plus blank;  pp [119] -175 [1]; [2], pp.291 - 342 [2]; [8], pp. 231-278; pp. [175]-222; pp. [2], 343-391, [3].  Illustrated with a engraving of Fonthill Abbey.  Bound in contemporary boards, spine worn with part of… Read More

London: Longmans, Hurst, Rees and Orme, 1806. 4to. 295 x 230 mm. (11 1/2 x 9 inches). [xii], 184 of 186 pp., missing the half-title to Essay VI at p. 105-106. Illustrated with 7 engraved plates and stipple engravings in the text. Near contemporary black leather spine and tips, marbled paper boards; some light rubbing to the joints, otherwise very sound and attractive. Engraved bookplate of Thomas Picton Rose Richards. Like his older brother John Bell, Charles was not only a noted and highly regarded surgeon, but also an accomplished artist who brought his skills at drawing and painting to the field of anatomy. In this work on the anatomy of expression Bell's goal was to provide artists with a better understanding of the physiological nature of the human body in order for them to better delineate emotions in their artwork. The text engravings that accompany much of the text demonstrate Bell's skills, both as an observer and practitioner of the art of drawing. Some are quite disturbing as he… Read More

Philadelphia: Published by Anthony Finley, 1816. Bell, John M.D. Engravings of the Bones, Muscles and Joints. Philadelphia: Published by Anthony Finley, 1816, 1815. $ 400.00 Two volumes. 4to. 275 x210 mm. (10 3/4 x 8 1/4 inches). 108pp.; 123 pp. Illustrated with 32 full-page engravings after designs by the author. Bound in contemporary American sheep, rubbed yet sound; gently foxed throughout. Ex-libris of Dr. Willard I. Myers. First American Edition from the Second London. John Bell was Scotland's most important teacher of surgery and anatomy at the turn of the 19th century and drew large audiences to anatomical lecture theater at the Royal Academy of Surgeons in Edinburgh. A controversy over teaching schedules and access to the lecture hall prohibited him from continuing to teach and for the next three decades he dedicated himself to private practice and research. He is the author of Discourses on the Nature and Cause of Wounds (1793-95), Principles of Surgery (1801) and his Anatomy… Read More

Providence: Carter and Wilkinson, 1794. (Bewick, John). 12mo. 160 x 100 mm., (6 1/4 x 4 inches). [8], 252 pp. Illustrated with 37 cuts by John Bewick. First American Edition. Contemporary calf binding with red leather spine label. Leather rubbed. Pages toned with some worming to margins. Binding sound. Hamilton calls for an engraved frontispiece by S. Hill of Boston that is not present in this copy. These morality stories for children by the French author and poet Arnaud Berquin (1747-1791) originally appeared in monthly installments in a magazine called L' Ami Des Enfans. The tales were so popular they were collected and published together in French and English. Berquin's work is notable for its realism and lack of fantasy - no castles or supernatural powers are found within these pages. He wrote with the "conviction that children should be addressed directly, in language they could readily understand." [Lathey] Hamilton, 152; Gillian Lathey, The Role of Translators… Read More

Firenze: Stampata in Bologna con licenza de'Superiori et restampata in Firenze, 1592. 8vo.  145 x 95 mm.,  [5 2/4 x 4 inches].  [4] leaves. Title printed with an typographical border.   Bound in recent half red morocco over marbled paper boards, title gilt on spine.  A fine copy. Originally published in 1590, this is the second edition of this rare poem in praise of the pork.  Written in the form of a eulogy the author, praises the part of the pig and briefly discusses their preparation and the delicate flavor that each can achieve under the direction of a master chef.  The author is unknown other than for this publication, and it may be surmised that having been originally published in Bologna, its' publication is a celebration of the quality of the beast and many gifts if offers to a hungry and adoring public. This title is cited in the Italian Union Catalogue (SBN ICCU) but only the 1590 edition and specific copy is listed.  It does not appear in OCLC or NUC. See Westbury, Handlist of… Read More

[New York]: New Direction Books, 1948. 8vo. 210 x 150 mm., [8 1/4 x 5 1/2 inches]. vi, 397 pp.  Publisher's tan linen cloth, title on spine in red, and outline image of a leaf in red on upper board, dust jacket; scuff to lower board, dust jacket with chips at head and tail of spine with minor loss, edges rubbed of color; some minor water staining.  A good copy only. "The Sky is Red is a war book, but one in which there are no battles, no politics, and no speeches.  It has nothing to say about patriotism or rivalries of nations and classes.  It is just about people -- the survivors in a bombed Italian town -- and the way they patch up the wreckage of their lives and on on:  hoping living, and living" (dust jacket blurb).