Search Results: Authors starting with V from Rootenberg Rare Books & Manuscripts

Dublin: Chamberlain & Rice, P. Byrne, J. Moore, B.Dornin, Grueber & M'Allister, G. Draper, W. Jones, R. White, J. Milliken, 1790. FIRST IRISH EDITION. Contemporary full calf, worn, rebacked with title in gilt on spine; minor browning throughout. Ex libris, with the bookplate of the Troy Library. First Irish edition. French author, explorer and naturalist Francois Le Vaillant (1753-1824), who was born in Dutch Guiana, recounts his travels throughout Africa from 1780-1785. The author originally published his work in French in 1790, and due to its massive success, it was quickly translated into several languages. He here describes his journeys to the Cape of Good Hope, Cape Town and Saldanha Bay, and the Orange River, in addition to his travels around interior parts of southern Africa. He goes into great detail about the various species of birds he observed.

Padua: Nella stamperia del Seminario, 1710. FIRST EDITIONS. Each work with separate title. With 14 folding plates (10 in the first volume, 4 in the second volume). Contemporary vellum in fine condition; from the library of Antonio Pacchioni (1665-1726), famous anatomist and physician. WITH AN EXCELLENT ASSOCIATION. First editions of Vallisnieri's first two books. In the first work, the author describes the brain of an ox, which supposedly contained some curious stones, petrified during the lifetime of the animal. However, he denies that the mass found in the animal's head is actually its brain. We can't tell you exactly what it turned out to be; you have to read the book. The second work is an important treatise in parasitology, with observations on parasites in the human body. He proved that these parasites were not due to spontaneous generation, as then frequently believed, but grew from eggs.Vallisnieri (1661-1730), the famous pupil of Malpighi, was noted as a physician, professor of medicine at… Read More

Trajecti ad Rhenum [Utrecht, Netherlands]: Apud Guilielmum Kroon, 1729. FIRST EDITION. Title in red and black with engraved vignette, woodcut initials and tailpiece. Contemporary vellum, spine worn; interior excellent. . A SERMON FOR EACH SUNDAY. First edition of this fascinating group of sermons. The book contains outlines for a year-long cycle of sermons (52 Sundays) dealing with questions regarding the Heidelberg Catechism. "The Heidelberg Catechism (also known as the Palatinate Catechism) was composed in Heidelberg at the request of Elector Frederick III, who ruled the Palatinate, an influential German province, from 1559 to 1576. An old tradition credits Zacharius Ursinus and Caspar Olevianus with being coauthors of the new catechism. Both were certainly involved in its composition, although one of them may have had primary responsibility. All that is certain is reported by the Elector in his preface of January 19, 1563. It was, he writes, 'with the advice and cooperation of our entire… Read More

Washington, 1838. Folded, small hole in 1 fold not affecting any printing or manuscript. Seal intact. Land grant of eight acres to John Jarret (?) Johnson of a parcel located in Shawneetown, Illinois. Public lands were allowed to be sold pursuant to an act of Congress of April 24, 1820. As such, this grant was signed by the President as well as the (acting) Recorder of the General Land Office.Van Buren (1782-1862) was the eight president of the United States. He served as Secretary of State under President Jackson, and later as Jackson's Vice-President, becoming Jackson's most trusted advisor. His presidency was shadowed with economic hardship, and he was voted out of office after one four-year term. .

Amsterdam: C.G. van der Post, 1859. With 3 engraved plates. Original printed wrappers, taped (front becoming detached). Unopened. Ownership inscription dated 1859 on cover. An informative, illustrated study of the potto. The potto, also known as Bosman's potto (after its discoverer), is an African primate, largest member of the Loris family. According to Van Campen, the small, wooly-furred animal has flexible ankle and wrist joints, opposable thumbs, a vestigial index finger and special blood vessels in their limbs, allowing the potto to be an amazing tree climber. These blood vessels apparently allow the potto to grip trees for a longer period of time. Van Campen (1831-1859) was a medical student when he suddenly died due to heart and lung defects. This work on the anatomy and physiology of the potto was his thesis, and was published under the supervision of his advisor, Prof. J. van der Hoeven.

[Minneapolis]: [Privately published], 1888. FIRST EDITION. Green cloth decorated and titled in black and gilt on front cover and spine, boards lightly soiled and rubbed; previous owner's signature on front paste-down. First edition of the author's work on the early days of Fort Snelling and her travels through the pioneer mid-west. Van Cleve (b. 1819) was the first white woman born in the Wisconsin territory, in the settlement of Prarie du Chien. As a child, she accompanied the troops who established Fort Snelling at the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers. After the start of the Civil War, she met and married Horatio Phillips Van Cleve (1809-1891), a general in the Union Army. Graff 4455, Howes V21.

Indianapolis and New York: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, 1934. FIRST EDITION. Frontispiece plus 14 illustrations. Publisher's blue cloth, author and title in gilt on front cover and spine. An excellent copy. First edition of this excellent biography of Custer.

Brussels, 1937. Printer's sample book with 43 tipped-in examples of funereal and memorial letters dated between 1898 and 1937. DEATH ANNOUNCEMENTS. Rare collection of interesting examples of letters of condolence and sympathy to send to the bereaved. When the family of a deceased wanted to step up above placing the same old notice in the obituary pages of the local newspaper, they sent out formal printed letters of their loss. And here we have a slew of samples. Letters are directed to family friends, acquaintances, the nobility and landed gentry, etc., printed by specific name to whom they are sent. The text mentions the deceased (obviously), with the usual added supplements (loving husband, father, grandfather, uncle, etc.) After this information is imparted, one can create their unique letter, including, for example, when and where the burial took (or will take) place, additional funeral information, when mass will be celebrated, and related facts that might be important. Of particular interest… Read More

Braunschweig: Friedrich Vieweg und sohn, 1906. FIRST EDITION. Half-morocco over marbled boards, title in gilt on spine. An excellent copy from the Mount Wilson Observatory, with a presentation bookplate to the Observatory by the Dutch astronomer Adriaan van Maanen (1884-1946), and with his signature dated 1906 on the half-title. First edition of this important work in thermodynamics and chemistry.

Philadelphia: George W. Jacobs & Company, 1912. Frontispiece plus 15 full-page plates. Beautiful decorated binding with title and author in gilt. Uncut; a fantastic wide-margined copy. First edition of this fine history of cards, including playing cards, tarot and fortune-telling. A very nice copy.

Rome: Carlo Mordacchini, 1825. Contemporary vellum, gilt spine and red spine label; text is very clean. An excellent copy. AN UNKNOWN AND UNLOCATED EDITION. Unknown edition of Varano's famous tragedy of the story of John of Giscala, the tyrant of the temple of Jerusalem. OCLC locates no copies of this imprint. There is a copy of another work by Varano printed by Mordacchini in 1825 entitled Saeba, regina di Ginge, e di Taniorre. Tragedia.

CHRISTY, Howard Chandler (1872-1952), Painter and illustrator
Manuscript letter, ink on personalized stationery, 1 page (bifolium written on front side only), accompanied by signed portrait photograph of the artist inscribed to Basil O'Connor.
Letter dated July 3, 1923, to Postmaster General New, saying that Christy had sent the requested portrait of General Hays to be hunt in the post office. In very good condition, old pencil note at the top. Photograph apparently unrelated to the letter. Christy was famous for his "Christy" Girls, the successor to the Gibson Girl as well as his World War I military recruitment posters.
FROST, A[rthur] B[urdett] (1851-1928), Painter and illustrator
Manuscript letter, ink on paper, 1 page (bifolium written on front side only).
Letter dated December 26, to a Miss Emily (presumably his future wife, Emily Louise Phillips), apologizing for missing her that morning and asking her to visit that afternoon. In excellent condition, old date inferred in pencil.… Read More

Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1934. FIRST EDITION. Frontispiece plus 12 maps and illustrations. Light blue cloth, author and title on spine in red lettering, without the dust jacket. Laid in is a typed letter from the author and signed by him. First edition of Volume 7 of the Civilization of the American Indian Series. In two parts, the first details the Ghost Dance among the Sioux and the second part treats Sioux history, compiled from statements to Indian and white eye-witnesses of the events narrated.

Brest: Edouard Anner, 1845. FIRST AND ONLY EDITION. With half-title and 1 engraved plate. Stiff blue marbled wrappers, with some light wear to spine. From the library of Jerry Stannard, with his book-label. PRIZE WINNING ESSAY ON SWAMPS. First and only edition of this prize-winning essay, written in response to a contest put together by the Société Véterinare de Finistère, for the improvement and creation of grasslands. Vincent, a civil engineer and mayor of the small village of Landévennec, France, gives excellent suggestions for the use of the region's swamps and marshes, proposing their drainage and conversion into grasslands. He details a step-by-step process, from drainage of the swamps, to irrigation of the new grasslands, to suggestion of what types of grass to grow, proposing hay and other grains which can be used to feed livestock. He not only explains the methods and machinery to be used for the drainage, he also goes into the varying techniques of irrigation, as well as the… Read More

Berlin: A. Hirschwald, 1865. FIRST EDITION. Original printed wrappers; an excellent copy. First edition of the famous eulogy by Virchow, summing up his great teacher's scientific abilities. Schönlein himself wrote very little; however, under his influence, Virchow became exposed to the experimental laboratory, and to physical diagnostic methods which greatly inspired him throughout life.

Berlin: August Hirschwald, 1863. FIRST EDITION. With 2 engraved frontispieces and 250 text woodcuts. Contemporary pebbled cloth, gilt on spines, faded; interior fine. From the library of Dr. L. Aschoff with his bookplate.

Berlin: August Hirschwald, 1858. THIRD EDITION. Half-title and 144 text woodcuts. Contemporary half-cloth and marbled boards, minor wear on edges and corners; an excellent copy. PMM 307c.

4to. With 28 etched plates of architectural plans and elements, each with an accompanying leaf of descriptive text. Later sheep-backed boards.
Later edition of Galiani's renowned vernacular recension of Vitruvius' landmark architectural treatise. Replete with footnotes and prefatory text, this is considered the finest Italian translation. The delicate illustrations show designs for columns, theaters, temples, roofs, aqueducts, galleries, and more.
Galiani (1724-1774) was an architectural historian and archaeologist.

Paris: chez Louis Bilaine au Palais, 1665. Complete as issued, with the Nouvelles lettres and the Metamorphoses. Interesting title device. French sprinkled calf, joints starting; some minor foxing and stains, a tear on page 3 affecting text. Early note on flyleaf, plus a contemporary signature of Eugène de Breza on title and a bookplate (Karl Spitzweg's The Bookworm) signed by Robert J. O'Toole. This edition of the author's works of prose is sometimes found bound with his Les Oeuvres. Our copy, which is complete, has the tables of the first and second works here bound together, along with the privilege du Roy .Voiture (1597-1648) was an eminent French writer. His letters were translated by John Dryden and others in the Familiar and Courtly Letters to Persons of Honour and Quality, by Mons. Voiture (London, 1701).

Padua: [Cominus Press], 1737. FIRST EDITION. Woodcut devices on title and last leaf. Beautiful initials, head- and tailpiece, printer's device on colophon. Original quarter vellum over marbled boards; wide-margined copy on heavy paper. Only copy of this finely produced publication of the Comino Press in Padua, founded by the brothers Volpi. Giovanni Antonio Volpi (1686-1766), Italian printer and classical scholar, established a press called Libreria Volpi-Cominiana (fl. 1717-1756) in conjunction with the printer Comino. For many years he was a professor of rhetoric and philosophy at Padua, and author of Latin poems and other works. From this celebrated press he issued excellent editions of the classics in very small editions.