Rare books from Alcuin Books, ABAA-ILAB

London; 1803-1806: Np. Folio. These reports were issued between 1715 and 1801 and were not inserted into the Journals. The reason they are so important for research is that before 1801 very few House papers were printed. Those that were printed were simply included in the Journals. The public demand increased after the Act of Union with Ireland. Charles Abbot, elected Speaker of the House in 1801, ordered the Clerk of the House to gather and list all the papers in his custody which became the Abbot Collection, this set fills in many gaps for the student of 18th Century Egnland. It is now commonly known as the "First Series". All volumes are bound in half red lether over red cloth, spines lettered in gilt, with occaisonal leaves with either browning or scattred foxing. Vol. 1. Miscellaneous subjects, 1715-1735 , viii, 707 pages, 26 pages, index. deals with the poor, smuggling, Tea, tobacco, pages 443-535 give details on the 1732 fire as Ashburnham House, the Cottonian Library with a listing… Read More

London: H.S. Nichols, 1897. Large Octavo. The translation by Sir. R.F. Burton, with seventy-one original illustrations which are from the original oils painted by Albert Letchford. Housed in the original casket with the Arabic title gilt-stamped [Alf Laylah wa Laylah, English transliteration which translates: Thousand Nights and a Night], measuring 23" x 12" known as the casket case with the key and among the most elusive of the collectible sets. There were only 500 sets issued in a leather casket case with the original key, (Penzer, An Annotated Bibliography of Sir Richard Francis Burton, p. 120-121.) Originally published in 1881, it has become the pre-eminent English translation of the Middle Eastern classic. It is the keystone of Burton's literary reputation. It is, of course, the unbridled eroticism that horrified Victorian readers. Virtually, every chapter is a case of seduction such as the case of King Shahrye where the young prince has always been free to relieve the young women of their… Read More

Boston(1897 and 1901): J.B. Millet Co. Folio. The Shogun Edition limited to only 25 lettered copies of which this is Letter "M". In 10 volumes. With an essay on Japan art by Kakuzo Okaura, director of the Imperial Art School at Tokyo Japan. Limitation pages within each volume. This set includes the two rare supplemental volumes The Art of Japan which were issued in 1901. Captain Brinkley's work was already being collected as early as 1903 when the Yamanaka Company featured their work in their catalog Rare Japanese Prints. In the same year, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle wrote on the finest rare books which featured the "Shogun Edition" noting that it was issued in an edition of only 25 copies. The feature explained that each volume had an original picture by a major Japanese artist and that some were delicately printed on silk. When the estate of James A. Bailey of the Barnum and Bailey circus came on the market in 1931, this set headed the list of rare books at the George Fischer Galleries on Wilshire… Read More

Small Octavo. Diary of Samuel James Reeves, Iron Master, who became the chief officer of the Phoenix Iron Company of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. approximately 141 pages (some at the end are written upside down)-a special page is inserted. He was the son of David Reeves, President, who designed the Phoenix column. In this diary, he was sent to visit the chief iron and steel manufacturing centers in Europe. Note: The front pastedown has pencil notes and a drawing of pillars. Since the diary is unnumbered, we have supplied in light pencil page numbers for each leaf on the recto of each succeeding page. The initial pages (1-13 deal with the voyage from New York to England) N [ew] York Dec 9th [1840] 1 PM left wharf on good ship Great Western. Travels to iron and ship manufacturers in England and France. Initially, he notes ships carrying large amounts of coal 30 to 50 tons, and the size of the ship's sail, the coal from Newcastle to London was on ships of 200 to 300 tons and so built alike, hard to… Read More

London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1908. First Edition. Octavo. Inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper "Inscribed by/Winston S. Churchill/1946. Portrait frontispiece of Churchill. half-title, 226pp., [16]p. publisher's catalog at the rear, illustrated with three maps and photographic illustrations by the author and Lt. Col. Gordon Wilson. While on his journey through Africa, Churchill wrote each day. Many of his writings during this period had already been published in Strand Magazine, which did help him a bit with expenses. The present work is his continuous narrative of the lighter side of his journey which he considered an inspiration and delightful time he spent in the wild while hunting and getting to know the people of Africa. A handsome copy finely bound in full red morocco, raised bands, double black morocco spine labels gilt, all other compartments decorated in gilt, marbled endpapers, with the original covers bound in at the rear, scattered foxing to fore-edges with occasional… Read More

London, 1986-2009: Brill. Small Quarto. In 13 Volume with the Index plus the Six Supplemental Volumes. Sir Hamilton Alexander Rosskeen was an Arabic scholar who was born in Alexandria, Egypt but at age 5 sent to England for his education. His major articles on Islam led to his becoming the editor of the Encyclopedia of Islam. When the final Index Volume was issued in 2009, it allowed the most important reference work on all aspects of Islam accessible for the serious reader or scholar. Besides the set being complete in in near fine condition, it also has the supplements called for in OCLC (Glossary and index of technical terms; index of subjects; index of subjects and supplement, Index of Proper Names (ed. E. van Donzel and the Glossary and index of terms). While the six supplemental volumes are not essential to the set, they do make quick access to key themes as well as proper names in the set. All bound in green cloth lettered in gilt, the supplemental volumes are in wraps, two volumes have light… Read More

Oxford: The Clarendon Press, 1930. First Edition. Octavo. 257 pages. The author was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1933 along with Schrödinger. In one of the classics of quantum mechanics ('On the theory of quantum mechanics') Dirac in August 1926 incorporated Erwin Schrödinger's new wave mechanics into his own theory and thereby created a more general and powerful formalism which he immediately applied to develop what subsequently became known as Fermi-Dirac quantum statistic. This copy belonged to Harold Cave who was a graduate student of Lord Rutherford at Cambridge in 1927-30. Harold Cave signed and dated the book from Munich in July 1930 where he studied with Schrodinger and Arnold Sommerfeld. In Cormac McCarthy's The Passenger, at midpoint, there is a serious discussion of Dirac and other key physicists such as Feynman. A fine bright copy bound in a dark blue-black cloth, spine lettering gilt, in a very nice unclipped dust jacket with toning, head with very light chipping, jacket split down upper… Read More

Washington: Beverley Tucker, 1855-59; George W. Bowman, 1861 and Thomas H. Ford 1860. Quarto. 12 Volumes in 13. As stated by Wagner-Camp, these reports were printed as they were received. There is no overall system or arrangement, nor are there general indices to the volumes, and as Camp has pointed out, there is the usual duplication of print and lithography by both houses of Congress. Some of the published volumes were lacking plates; others have a few duplicate plates. Of course, these faults are amply compensated by the richness of the material within and with illustrations that show the beauty found in the land, animals and its people of the mysterious American West during this period. A highly significant and monumental work. All uniformly bound in publishers in black cloth, decoratively stamped in blind, spines rebacked, renewing endpapers, lettering gilt, some corners bumped, some scattered foxing or toning to black and white plates, volume ii is an ex-library copy dated 1861.… Read More

London; 1870 and 1872: Macmilland and Col. Octavo. In two volumes. Through the Looking-Glass- First edition, first issue with "wade" for "wabe" in the second line of the Jabberwocky verse on page 21. 224pp., (1)pp. publisher's ads, illustrated with 50 fine illustrations by John Tenniel. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Twenty-Third Thousand (first published in 1866). 192pp., (1)pp. ad at rear. Also illustrated by John Tenniel with 42 fine illustrations. A fine set bound by Bayntun-Riviere in full red pictorial gilt morocco centrally stamped in gilt....Through the looking Glass with the Rabbit and Alice in Wonderland with the Queen stamped in gilt, edges ruled in gilt, raised bands with compartments beautifully decorated and lettered in gilt, all edges gilt, marbled endpapers, morocco turn-ins gilt. Both volumes have the original covers bound in at the rear. Set housed together within a felt lined publisher's cloth slipcase with ribbon pulls. No names or bookplates, just a hint of foxing to one title… Read More

London: Published by the Author at the Egyptian Hall, 1841. First Edition. Octavo. Two volume set, first issue with "Frederick" for "Zedikiah" on page. 104. The first edition of Catlin's famous book, one of the most important works on American Indians published in the 19th century. The book contains hundreds of line drawings of southern and western Indians. It has both the important maps showing the locations of Indian tribes as well as the important chart. A remarkable copy not only given by George Catlin to the publisher John Murray but also contains a very rare pass written and signed by Catlin to admit Mr. Hughes and Party to the Catlin's Indian Exhibition. As Brian Dippie has pointed out, George Catlin's quest for patronage began with his friend Charles Augustus Murray, who helped him to acquire a provisional booking for the largest room within the Egyptian Hall. He then appealed to John Murray (iii) to be the publisher; however, the prospect even of producing 300 images was too big a project so… Read More

Cambridge 1903--1909: Riverside Press. Limited Editions. Octavo. In 22 volumes. Illustrated throughout with striking photogravures. The 12 volumes of the Centenary edition of Emerson's Complete Works are limited to 600 copies signed by the publisher and with one of Emerson's 2 page manuscript bound in. The present set is number 78. The 10 volume large paper edition of The Journals is also limited to 600 copies. The present set is number 74. Both sets are unopened. The Journals were postponed until The Centenary Edition was published. In the introduction, Houghton, Mifflin, and Co. asked whether Mr. Emerson's Journals could be published, following the annotated edition of his Complete Works which they were to bring out in honor of his birth which was quickly approaching. Emerson had made Mr. James Cabot his literary executor, trusting his good judgment and taste. After a little consideration he finally said yes as he agreed, many people would love to read Emerson's first record of his thoughts and… Read More

Boston: Ticknor and Fields, 1854. First Edition. Octavo. 357 pp., 8 pp. of ads situated between the rear pale yellow endpapers, vignette title page showing Thoreau's cottage he built himself, a lithographic map of Waldon Pond, and with a bookseller's ticket on the front free endpaper "Sold by A. Stacy, Bookseller, Concord, MA." Bookseller John Stacy also served as the librarian to the library housed in back of his store in Concord's Mill Dam business district. The library was owned jointly and used by several shareholders including Ralph Waldo Emerson who served one term as president. John Stacy's son Albert succeeded him in 1850. While the bookseller's ticket states "Sold by" Albert never sold the book in his shop, however when Walden was published, he purchased a copy for $0.75 presumably for the library. In his book, Thoreau writes "One of my greatest luxuries has been in books..., good books I value beyond most all else in the world of earthly treasures, after my family." Bound in publishers… Read More

Los Angeles: Black Sparrow Press, 1968. First Edition. Octavo. #6 of 75 copies, signed and numbered, and with an inscription on flyleaf: "For Lee Rolland (wife of Richard Roland co-owners of Either/Or Books Shop, Hermosa Beach) direct from Terror Street, Charles Bukowski, 5-7-68". This copy is in a mixed state: While it does contain the original tipped in painting by Bukowski, a double tan paper spine label printed lengthwise in red and the colophon has Bukowski's name above the colophon and with the number 6 in red below the colophon, it also contains the Zinc cuts used for the blind stampings of an excerpt of a Bukowski letter ("l.a. Sunday August 20 hello Mike...."), excerpted from a letter to Michael Forrest. The excerpts read from tail to head, on the verso of the third leaf, recto of the title page and the recto of the last leaf. Zinc cuts were also used for blind stampings of illustrations by Bukowski located on the sixth leaf (verso of the half-title) and the leaves between pp. 42-43 and pp.… Read More

New York/France: Maecenas Press-Random House, 1969. Limited Edition. Folio. # 1638 of 2500 numbered portfolios printed in France on Mandeure paper, signed in pencil on the titlepage by Salvadore Dali and includes 12 color woodcut remarque illustrations. One original color etching signed in the plate, contents loose as issued in gilt-lettered cloth chemise housed within a 1/4 morocco over beige cloth clamshell, spine lettering gilt, with bone and morocco clasp. As new in original inner portion of the original shipping box and wrapped in the original paper each with their corresponding numbers of this particular issue. A remarkabley beautiful copy.

Tucson, AZ: Loujon Press, 1966. First Edition Limited. Octavo. This is the black oasis/signature edition limited to only 11 copies. The present copy is letter "M". This edition was not described in the original advertising prospectus nor identified in the colophon but appears to have been published at the same time as the other issues. The signature page reads in red: "M"/ [diagonal rule] / Henry Miller/ 9/5/66. [The letter "M" was taken from Henry Miller's name] This issue was to have only a postcard from Miller to Jon Webb but this particular copy has a two paged letter with the original envelope following the signature page. The two page ALS of Henry Miller is dated 9/11/1967 to Loujon Press (Tucson) with mailing envelope. "Dear Jo, ...OK about slow delivery to me of Cork editions, do you mean you have to have enuf to take care of re-orders?.....Will be delighted if you send Mme Reichel corrected copy and some extras "gratis" for her to give to friends. Yes, I believe I inscribed the last (3)… Read More