Search Results: Titles starting with D from Whitmore Rare Books

London: Rupert Hart Davis, 1957. First U.K. edition. Fine/Near Fine. A Fine copy of the book in a Near Fine dust jacket. Jacket price clipped and with an early price written on the front panel (now partially erased). Also a note at the top of the front flap attributes the inscription to "Bush Hunter - Hollywood actor." Inscribed by the author: For Bush! Ray Bradbury ****************** The Vintner Himself Signs Twice - To Prove His Friendly Wishes Ray Bradbury Aug. 22, 1963." A lovely copy with a generous full-page inscription. Born from a short story that first appeared in Gourmet Magazine (1953), Dandelion Wine is an intimate semi-autobiographical reflection of a youthful summer spent in Illinois. Set in the fictional Green Town (a stand in for his hometown of Waukegan), the novel explores the rich inner life of a twelve-year-old boy, based on the author himself. Bradbury's evocative prose captures the beauty of life, loss, and power of nostalgia. Fine in Near Fine dust jacket.

London: T. Birt, 1828. First edition. Single sheet measuring 250 x 185mm and printed in two columns to recto. Some edgewear to margins not affecting text; a bit of foxing and toning largely confined to margins. A scarce and delicate survivor, OCLC documents only one example (at the National Library of Scotland). The present is the only example on the market. The Dandy Wife is narrated by a man who aimed "to choose me out a loving wife" at the age of twenty-one, but whose experience becomes a warning to "all young men of high renown": "If you want a tidy wife, Beware of a boarding school." What unfolds is a satire of how the marriage economy is affected when women have access to knowledge -- intellectual and physical -- and how by meeting a man's superficial expectations a woman can fulfill her own more pressing needs. Thinking that a boarding school girl will have the innocence, submissiveness, and domestic skill he desires, the narrator selects a wife from among their ranks. Thinking only of what… Read More

Santa Barbara: Black Sparrow Press, 1981. First edition. Fine/Near Fine. Number 52 of 100 copies signed by the author on the limitation page, with an original oil painting from Charles Bukowski bound in after title page. A Fine copy in nearly Fine publisher's acetate. Cream boards with bright blue tree illustration and dark blue with grey and orange speckled cloth backstrip, maintaining paper title to spine. Slightest toning to board edges. Publisher's acetate with expected scuffing. Complete with blue end papers, tissue guard sheet and abstract painting by Bukowski tipped in after title page. A clean and bright copy, appearing virtually unread. The most limited issue of the first edition. A ferocious collection of poems returning to some of the author's most trusted subjects—gambling, women, writing—but with an additional sense of retrospection. Unafraid of recounting everything from the domestic to pornographic, Bukowski "brought everybody down to earth, even the angels" (Leonard Cohen). A… Read More

Santa Barbara: Black Sparrow Press, 1981. First edition. One of 750 first trade editions. Near Fine in like publisher's acetate jacket. Bound in light grey boards and dark blue cloth backstrip, retaining paper title to spine, and with dark blue endpapers. Minor discoloration to board edges and closed text block, with dust on spine; jacket with expected scuffing and some residue on back. Overall a clean copy appearing unread. A ferocious collection of poems returning to some of the author's most trusted subjects—gambling, women, writing—but with an additional sense of retrospection. Bukowski writes knowingly of the working class and fringes of society: unafraid of the recounting everything from the domestic to pornographic. A classic Black Sparrow Press publication; run by John Martin the avant-garde press was responsible for supporting and publishing Bukowski's work throughout his prolific career. Krumhansl 71.

Los Angeles: Black Sparrow Press, 1969. First edition. Fine/Very Good +. Number 184 of 250 signed by the author on the limitation page. A Fine copy in Very Good+ publisher's acetate. Bound in tan boards with green cloth backstrip and maintaining paper title on spine. Interior appearing virtually unread with like exterior. Publisher's acetate with the expected scuffing and two tears near the crown. A book of poems dedicated to Bukowski's first love, Jane, in which we find the author particularly vulnerable. Although their romantic relationship had ended well before Jane died in 1962, Bukowski was with her in her final days and mourned her afterwards. Multiple poems express the author's longing for their lost love. In addition to vivid and emotional descriptions, readers will delight in the literary references peppered throughout the poems. Krumhansl 32. Fine in Very Good + dust jacket.

Paris: Pagnerre, 1850. Thirteenth Edition. Revised, corrected and augmented with a comparative examination of democracy in the United States and Switzerland, and an appendix. Text in French. Inscribed by the author: "à M. Courbis offert par l'auteur AT." Bound in a contemporary French binding of green quarter morocco over paper boards, marbled end-papers. Two volumes bound together in one, collating: viii, 512; viii, 476. Binding with slight chipping at the head of the spine, otherwise in excellent condition. Besides the present example, only one other inscribed copy of this 1850 revised edition can be found in the auction record, selling for 11,875 euro in 2013. De Tocqueville's seminal work on American government, first printed the same year in Paris. De Tocqueville, a French aristocrat, visited America between 1831 and 1832, ostensibly to study the penal system, although his interest was considerably broader. It seems logical that France would look to America as a beacon of hope for a successful… Read More

Santa Barbara: Black Sparrow Press, 1979. First edition. Fine/Near Fine. Number 47 of 50 signed copies, with author signature on colophon. A collection 12 unbound leaves measuring 8 1/2 x 6 1/2 inches, numbered 1-11, with 1 unnumbered leaf contained in an envelope. Extremely clean and bright leaves silkscreened with illustrations and text, Fine in nearly Fine envelope. Orange envelope with brown ribbon and silkscreened text and artist's holograph, slight overall fading to colored paper. Artist book in the form of a letter sent to Bukowski with his responses as individual illustrated cards. Read sequentially, the cards offer a humorous play-by-play of a day in the author's life, underwritten with self-loathing yet maintaining levity throughout. An entertaining set. Krumhansl 66. Fine in Near Fine dust jacket.

[Philadelphia]: [National Woman Suffrage Association], 1876. First edition. 4 pages. 10.5 x 8 inches. Chipping at edges and creasing at corners, with light scattered foxing throughout; minor splits along original foldlines. Signed in print by women's rights trailblazers Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, Belva Lockwood and twenty additional suffrage leaders. While OCLC reports 11 institutionally held copies, our recent survey has revealed three of these only possess photocopies or microform; the number will soon be adjusted to report 8. The present is the only example in trade. The Declaration exists in three variant forms, all of which are exceptionally scarce. Following a survey of all OCLC reported institutions with copies, we have confirmed that this version is only one of two known examples of its kind (the other being at Princeton): bearing the famed title Declaration of Rights of Women of the United States, it has only the first call to action (inviting additional… Read More

New York: Random House. First edition. Fine/Near Fine. A Fine copy of the book in a Near Fine dust jacket. The jacket with the spine faded (as often) and with one short split to the front flap fold. "'All the tales are a variety of detective story,' wrote Bowles of this, his first short story collection, 'in which the reader is the detective; the mystery is the motivation of the characters' behaviors.' In such stories as A Distant Episode and How Many Nights, Bowles pushes human character beyond socially defined limits and maps a transformed (often horribly transformed) reality" (Vida). "Brutal and gorgeous, visceral yet perceptive, this timeless collection is one of the most profound, beautifully wrought, and haunting collections in our literature...at once austere, witty, violent, and sensuous" (Wolff). Fine in Near Fine dust jacket.

London: Saunders & Otley, 1836. Second edition in English. Two octavo volumes, collating xliv, 333, [2 ads]; vi [of viii], 462, [2 ads]: with the folding map to the front of volume 1; half-title in volume 1, lacking half-title in volume 2 and lacking the second leaf of the table of contents. Bound in contemporary half-calf over marbled boards, marbled end papers, rebacked but retaining the original spines. Folding map, outlined in color, with a few cracks along the folds, some repaired on the verso, otherwise an excellent set internally. The second edition in English of Part I, which was originally released in French and English a year earlier in 1835. Part II of Democracy in America would not appear in first edition in the Paris or London imprints until 1840. De Tocqueville, a French aristocrat, visited America between 1831 and 1832, ostensibly to study the penal system, although his interest was considerably broader. It seems logical that France would look to America as a beacon of hope for a… Read More

London: Saunders and Otley, 1840. First English language edition. Two octavo volumes collating: xvi, 333, [2 ads]; viii, 365, [2 ads]. Contemporary half calf over marbled boards, marbled end papers, black morocco spine labels, rebacked but retaining original spines. An excellent copy internally in a handsome contemporary binding. The first English language edition of de Tocqueville's seminal work on American government, first printed the same year in Paris. De Tocqueville, a French aristocrat, visited America between 1831 and 1832, ostensibly to study the penal system, although his interest was considerably broader. It seems logical that France would look to America as a beacon of hope for a successful democracy. After France embraced the goals of equality and democracy in 1789 at the start of the French Revolution, it found itself first in a dictatorship under Napoleon and then in one constitutional monarchy after another during the years following. De Tocqueville's astute observation of several… Read More

London: Saunders and Otley, 1840. First English language edition. Near Fine. Third Edition of Part One and First Edition of Part Two. Four octavo volumes (pages: 198 x 120 mm) bound uniformly in the publisher's cloth, likely sold together as a set in 1840 (using the remaining 1838 sheets for part one). Collating: xxxvi, 302, [2, ads]; viii, 325, [2, ads]; xv, 333, [2, ads]; viii, 365, [2, ads]; complete with the folding map in part one, half-titles to the first two volumes and 2 pages of ads at the rear of each volume. A touch of foxing to the final volume, but otherwise exceptionally clean internally. Extremely rare in cloth in any condition, let alone in such an exquisite state of preservation. Near Fine overall, unread and completely unrestored. De Tocqueville, a French aristocrat, visited America between 1831 and 1832, ostensibly to study the penal system, although his interest was considerably broader. It seems logical that France would look to America as a beacon of hope for a successful… Read More

York: W. Alexander, 1813. First edition. Contemporary calf rebacked to style with gilt and five raised bands to spine. Generally a bit shelfworn and rubbed, but a tight, square copy. All edges marbled. Marbled endpapers. Armorial bookplate to front pastedown. Original owner's notes on recto and verso of title page in ink: "Purchased at...8 Sept 1821. Visited the Retreat Saturday aftern., 8 September 1821...with cleanly appearance & admirable arrangement of buildings, the Inmates looked far happier than could have been expected. The Matron & her husband have the most benevolent countenances that we had ever beheld." Light scattered foxing throughout, else unmarked. Complete, including three folding plates. An account of the groundbreaking work of the Tuke family and the Society of Friends for improving the care and dignity with which mental illness was treated. At a time when the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness was often inhumane, William Tuke stepped forward in 1796 to found The Retreat.… Read More

London: A. Strahan for T. Cadell, 1802. First English language edition. The first complete translation into English of Dante's "Divine Comedy." Bound in recent, full maroon straight-grained morocco, smooth spines ruled and titled in gilt, marbled end papers, all edges sprinkled red. The odd spot or bit of foxing internally, heaviest in the third volume, but an excellent set overall. Three 8vo volumes (pages 211 x 132 mm), collating: vi, [2], 408; [ii], 56, [ii (divisional title)], 57-62, 65-384 (complete); [ii], 420pp., engraved frontispiece portrait plate of Dante by Thomas Stothard in vol.1; complete. One of the world's great masterpieces and a foundational text of Italian literature. The Comedy took over a decade for Dante to write, he worked on it in exile, having been sent out of his native Florence in 1302, when his political faction fell out of favor. The work's genius was quickly recognized -- Boccaccio himself was so obsessed with it that he was responsible for adding the prefix "Divine."… Read More

London: A. Strahan for T. Cadell, 1802. First English language edition. The first complete translation into English of Dante's "Divine Comedy." Bound in full contemporary calf. Boards ruled in gilt with decorative blindstamped borders. Armorial insignia of the Dunalley baronage blindstamped on the front of each board. Marbled end papers and text block. Spines joints and corners repaired. Internally clean and fresh, with Catherine Dunalley's name written in pencil on the title page of each volume (wife of Henry Prittie, 1st Baron Dunalley). A handsome set overall. Three 8vo volumes (pages 215 x 128 mm), collating: vi, [2], 408; [ii], 56, [ii (divisional title)], 57-62, 65-384 (complete); [ii], 420pp., engraved frontispiece portrait plate of Dante by Thomas Stothard in vol.1; complete. One of the world's great masterpieces and a foundational text of Italian literature. The Comedy took over a decade for Dante to write, he worked on it in exile, having been sent out of his native Florence in 1302, when… Read More

London: Westminster Gazette, 1894. First edition. The scarce first issue (July 1894) with "Dolly" as running headline and "price one shilling" at the extreme lower right corner; subsequent issues have "The Dolly Dialogues" as running headline and the price location shifted upward. Yellow pictorial wrappers, blue lettering and illustration. Mild wear and soiling to wrappers, especially on spine. The title-page is signed in black ink "Anthony Hope Hawkins." Small octavo (7 3/16 x 5 9/16 in; 182 x 142 mm). Collating 111, (1, blank). Four black and white illustrated plates in half-tone by Rackham at pp. 32, 42, 82, 104. An excellent copy. Only two copies of the first issue have come to auction within the last thirty-five years: The first had chipping, the second lacked the backstrip. " The stories that make up The Dolly Dialogues were published in the Westminster Gazette from Oct. 1893 to June 1894 and were not illustrated. In July 1894 they were collected and issued as the Westminster Gazette Library -… Read More

London: Bradbury and Evans, 1848. First edition. Fine. Very early issue, with all but 5 of Smith's 'internal flaws.' Finely bound full red morocco with a portrait of Dickens on the front cover and his signatures on the rear in gilt (binding unsigned, but seems to be Bayntun). Gilt titles and decorative spine compartments on the spine, all edges gilt. Marbled end papers. Bound without half title else complete, with vignette title, eight-line errata, and all 40 engraved plates (including the first example of a "dark plate" facing page 547). A handsome copy in a lovely binding. Housed in a custom slipcase. Dombey and Son tackles a number of key themes that appear throughout Dickens' authorial career—concerns about family duty, class position, child welfare, and the dangers of arranged marriages in particular. As the titular Dombey builds his shipping company, he fantasizes that his son will someday take over the business and continue his legacy. But England is changing rapidly due to the effects of… Read More

London: Bradbury and Evans, 1848. First edition. Near Fine. Finely bound by Morrell in three-quarter green morocco, all edges gilt, spines with intricate details and raised bands, marbled end papers. An excellent copy overall, with four additional portrait plates bound in, depicting characters from the novel. Dombey and Son tackles a number of key themes that appear throughout Dickens' authorial career—concerns about family duty, class position, child welfare, and the dangers of arranged marriages in particular. As the titular Dombey builds his shipping company, he fantasizes that his son will someday take over the business and continue his legacy. But England is changing rapidly due to the effects of industrialization, and its effects ripple throughout Victorian culture. One symbol of industrialization's promise (and its perils) is the railroad. In chapter six, Dickens calls the railroad's impact a "great earthquake." Dombey and Son grapples with the effects of industrialization, and the… Read More

London: Bradbury and Evans, 1848. First edition. Fine. Very early issue, with all but 3 of Smith's 'internal flaws.' Finely bound by Bayntun in full red morocco with a portrait of Dickens on the front cover and his signatures on the rear in gilt. Gilt titles and decorative spine compartments on the spine, all edges gilt. Marbled end papers. Complete, with the half title and vignette title, the eight-line errata, and 40 engraved plates (including the first example of a "dark plate" facing page 547). A handsome copy in a lovely binding. Dombey and Son tackles a number of key themes that appear throughout Dickens' authorial career—concerns about family duty, class position, child welfare, and the dangers of arranged marriages in particular. As the titular Dombey builds his shipping company, he fantasizes that his son will someday take over the business and continue his legacy. But England is changing rapidly due to the effects of industrialization, and its effects ripple throughout Victorian… Read More

London: Bradbury and Evans, 1848. First edition. Near Fine. A lovely, Near Fine copy of the book in the publisher's full green morocco. Spine titles stamped in gilt, all edges gilt, pale yellow end-papers. Complete with half-title, 2-line errata leaf (bound at the end) and all 40 original plates. Extra-illustrated with the additional 12 plates by H. K. Browne (Phiz) produced by Chapman and Hall in 1848 (produced in two parts, a first set of 8 additional plates and a second set of 4 additional plates, all depicting characters or scenes from the novel). Some foxing to the plates, as usual. With the first appearance of a "dark" plate in a Dickens' work, used more extensively in later novels like Bleak House and Little Dorrit. The last copy at auction in the publisher's full morocco binding made 5,625 pounds at Sothebys in 2019 (part of the Larry Drizen collection) and did not include the rare extra suite of twelve Phiz plates produced by Chapman and Hall. Dombey and Son tackles a number of key… Read More