Rare books from Contact Editions

London: Jonathan Cape, 1927. Book. About Fine.. Leather and Buckram. 1st Limited Edition. Large Octavo. One Quarter dark brown pigskin over light brown buckram. Limited edition of 315 copies only of which this is #123. This is the abridged version of Lawrence's Seven Pillars of Wisdom which he did in order to pay the bills. Much tighter limitation than the limiteds of Seven Pillars done in 1935, it is rare thus. Other limiteds of Seven Pillars are either impossible to find or impossibly priced. Lacks the dust wrapper. Evidence of label removal from the ffep and half title but is otherwise fine but for slight edgewear..

Paris: Kra, Editeur, 1927. Book. Illus. by Foujita. Very Good +. Original Wraps. First Edition. 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall. Sewn signatures bound into printed wrappers with French-fold flaps. Illustrated throughout with black and white lithographic vignettes. There is a bit of wear to the head and heel of the spine, with a 1 inch closed tear at the upper rear joint - now repaired; modest dustsoil over all..

Paris: Contact Editions, Three Mountains Press, 1926. Book. Near Fine. Self-Wraps. Signed By the Author. First Edition. 8vo. Printed in an edition of 200. Signed by McAlmon on the front free endpaper in black ink. Bound in French self-wraps with black title and rule to spine and title front board. Spine lightly creased and browned, extremities browning very slightly, rubbing to head, tiny dark spot and patch of faint stain to rear panel, some very light foxing, top edge slightly darkened..

Montreal: Les Editions De L'Arbre, 1945. Book. Very Good. Original Wrappers. INSCRIBED BY THE ARTIST. First Edition. Square Octavo. Red and black illustrated card covers with the cover title: "F. Legere 1938-44. Les Editions De L'Arbre - Montreal", pp.100 followed by 32 pages containing 38 black & white illustrations. INSCRIBED by Leger: "A. Schapiro / Cordialement / F Leger" on the additional illustrated title-page. Covers a little scuffed, otherwise a very good copy. Text in French..

London: John Murray, 1831. Book. Illus. by W. Westell. Very Good. Half Leather. Second Edition. Quarto. Half red leather, gilt with raised bands, sunned and dampstained, but it has not penetrated, but holding together remarkably well. Gilt edges with criss cross design. Binding tight with marbled endpapers. Ownership signature on the title page, along with small second owner's name stamped. Normal occasional spotting, as often occurs with a book this age. Four fold-out maps, one at the front, others opposite p. 29, p. 271, and p. 289, showing the route taken, along with some assumptions based upon the reports of other mapmakers. Third fold-out map torn, but all parts present.Two other maps, nine illustrations (page protectors present opposite p. 11, 282), and five side-views of the terrain tipped in. Book is complete. Details the travels of two ships in their explorations as far as Melville Island before their progress was halted by ice..

London: Bernard Quaritch, 1893. Book. Very Good. Green Cloth. Limited Edition. Quarto. Three volumes in green cloth elaborately gilt lettered and decorated with Blake's designs. Frayed cloth at head and heel of spines, and a folded cover on the third volume, all expertly repaired. Gilt designs very sharp with minimal wear. Top edges gilt. Limited edition of 500 copies only. Label declaring it to be from the library of George Woodward Wickersham, former Attorney General of the U.S.A. Occassional edgewear to books. In it's time the best edition of Blake extant. A beautiful set..

London: J. M. Dent, 1899. Book. Very Good. Leather. Limited Edition. 8vo. Forty (40) volumes in full brown morocco gilt. Top edge gilt. Gilt dentelles with art nouveau floral design. Linen endpapers and ribbon marker. Edition limited to 500 numbered copies of which this is #356. Each volume with notes and illustrated glossary. Bookplate affixed to front endaper of each volume. Some wear and scuffing to top of spines otherwise a very desirable and uncommon set..

New York: Viking, 1964. Book. VG. Cloth. Signed By the Author. 1st Edition. 8vo. Speckled grey cloth lettered in green and blue. Top stain green. Wrapped in decorative dust jacket. This copy signed and dated 1993 by Kesey on the front endpaper in blue and pink magic marker. Wear to spine and extremities of dj. Story of an independent lumbering family in the pacific northwest was made into a good feature film..

New York: Reynal & Hitchcock, 1947. Book. VG+. Cloth. 1st Edition. 8vo. Maroon lettered grey cloth in decorative dust jacket. Some yellowing to paper. Some sunning to top edge. Dust jacket complete with $3.00 price. Some minor creasing and short tears to edges,. A very tight copy in good shape..

New York: Noneuch Press, 1929. Book. VG. Leather. Limited Edition. 8vo. Seven (7) volumes in full tan Niger Morocco. Gilt letters between bands on spines. Edition limited to 1600 numbered copies. This is #687. Volumes are all uniformly darkened. Expert restoration work done the spine and outside hinges. Interiors are fine. Designed by Francis Meynall. This is probably the finest 20th century edition of Shakespeare based on the first folio text. A very attractive set.

london: Jonathan Cape, 1959. Book. Near Fine. Hardcover. 1st Edition. 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" tall. Gilt lettered black cloth with Gold eyes on the blind stamped skull on front panel. Wrapped in price clipped dust jacket. The 7th Bond book and the third to be filmed. Jacket worn at extremities but overall a very nice copy..

London: Siegle, Hill & Co., 1910. Book. Illus. by F. Sangorski and G. Sutcliffe. Very Good. Hardcover. Signed by Illustrator(s). Limited Edition. Folio - over 12 - 15" tall. Vellum binding, gorgeously gilt in a peacock design, with a brown title label. Faint soiling and spotting on the covers and spine. Limited edition (#150 of 550), printed on handmade paper, and double-signed by the illustrators and binders on the limitations page. Aside from browning page edges, interior is crisp and clean. N.pag. but 116 pages. Introduction by A.C. Benson. Contained in a newly made slipcase. This is one of Sangorski and Sutcliffe's most well-known bindings..

W. & R. Chambers, Limited, 1935. Book. Very Good. Cloth. 1st Edition. Gilt lettered green-blue cloth in pictorial dust jacket. Five stories including "THe Quiet Man" which was filmed by John Ford in 1952 with John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara. Other stories with supernatural content. Dust jacket chipped at extremities and cloth sunned at edges. Inscription on front endpaper. Overall a very nice copy of an uncommon and desirable book..

New York: Pynson Printers Inc., 1927. Book. Illus. by Kent Rockwell. Near Fine. Hardcover. Signed by Illustrator(s). Limited Edition. 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" tall. Full moroccan blue leather with brown, turquoise and red onlay, elegantly gilt. Binding signed by Grabau, 1928. Top edge gilt. Limited edition (152 of 200), signed by the illustrator, Kent Rockwell, on the limitations page. Satin endpapers with gilt leather edges, marred only by a bookplate, ex-lib title page and p67 are stamped, otherwise a exquisite book. .

New York: Random House, 1958. Book. Near Fine. Hardcover. Signed by Author(s). 1st Edition. 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" tall. Set of three volumes. Dust jackets slightly sunned and soiled, (i) rough and chipped at top, line at bottom front, (ii) faint dampstains at bottom, outer edge worn through, scuff marks on front and spine. First edition, signed by the author on a blank sheet between the half-title and the title page. (i) Bookplate and brown mark bottom p82-83, (iii) soiling to the top page edges, o/w clean. Unclipped first state dust jackets, priced $10.00, $12.50 and $20.00. .