Rare books from Loe Books

London: Printed for Robert Clavel, 1698. Book. Near Fine. Hardcover. First Edition. 8vo (12.5 X 19.5cm). Each work with with separate title page, but paginated continuously; pp. 276 (Pages 47 and 265 misnumbered 46 and 253 respectively); NOTE: the general title and license pages are not bound in, in this copy. The six title pages either dated 1698 or 1699. Titles as follows: An Essay Concerning the Multiplication of Mankind: Together With Another Essay in Political Arithmetick Concerning The Growth of The City of London (1698); Further Observations Upon The Dublin Bills (1698); Two Essays in Political Arithmetick Concerning The People, Housing, Hospitals etc of London and Paris (1699); Observations Upon The Cities Of London And Rome (1699); Five Essays in Political Arithmetick (1699) [printed both in French and English, on facing pages with two title pages - in French and English]; Political Arithmetick, or A Discourse Concerning The Extent and Value of Lands... (1699). Contemporary panelled sheep,… Read More

London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme and Brown; et al., 1816. Book. Very Good. Hardcover. First Edition. Large 4to (25 x 31cm). Complete with 88 fine hand-coloured engraved plates: numbered. I-LXXXIV and 4 Supplementary plates, engraved by H. W. Edwards from drawings by the author; pp. [xxvii], 20, [2 Index] plus (usually) two leaves of letterpress accompanying each plate; half-title present. Bound in later half speckled calf with marbled paper boards, very good with slight rubbing. Contents clean and tight, marbled end papers, no inscriptions, a little minor foxing, and very light offsetting to a few plates. A very nice copy. Provenance: purchased by the previous owner from Francis Edwards catalogue 1019, dated 1979, item no. 245. "Hooker spent twelve years at Halesworth, during which he produced his British Jungermanniae, with his own illustrations, widely considered to be his most beautiful work. This book established hepaticology as an independent entity and made Hooker's reputation."… Read More

London: T. McLean, D.& P. Colnaghi and John F. Lewis [1838]., 1838. Book. Illus. by John F. Lewis. Near Fine. Hardcover. First Edition. Folio (approx. 55 x 36.5cm). Complete with all Lithographic plates as called for; tinted frontispiece, tinted title-vignette, further 27 tinted views on 25 leaves, all by Lewis after Coke Smyth. A very clean bright copy. Finely bound in modern brown morocco to style with gilt lettering to the spine and gilt bands to the top and bottom of the spine. Contents clean and tight, new light brown endpapers in keeping with the new binding, two blank leaves to the front and rear, all pages have been professionally cleaned and restored by a paper conservator, minimal and unobtrusive water staining remains to some pages and plates, mostly confined to the margins and blank areas, most plates unaffected, new archival paper guards to all plates, no inscriptions. A fine complete copy, beautifully rebound. References -. Abbey, Travel II, 394; Atabey 722; Blackmer 1015;… Read More

London: J. Buckland et al, 1790. Book. Near Fine. Full Leather. Second Edition. 12mo (10 x 16cm). A highly attractive and complete set, in excellent condition of the second edition, which includes an additional fourteen poets, (including Johnson himself), added to the original selection of 1779-81. Numerous engraved copper plates to accompany Johnson's "Lives", half-titles/contents summary page to all volumes. Bound in contemporary full polished calf with matching marbled end papers and all edges. Spine decorated and lettered in gilt, with six compartments, the second and fifth with contrasting red and sepia title labels respectively, the third with oval black volume number label, all other compartmens with various gilt motifs and decoration. Gilt Greek key pattern to periphery of boards, gilt dentelles to edges. The condition is excellent with all title labels and number pieces present (a few replaced in facsimile), a little general wear and rubbing, the only fault to mention, the… Read More

London: Printed by Stephen Couchman for W. Curtis, 1813. Book. Very Good. Half Leather. First Edition. 8vo (15 x 24cm). An excellent run with particularly generous margins and bright plates. 1813-1814 & 1816-1820; vols. 37-40 (bound in 2 vols.) & vols. 43-47, together 9 vols. bound in 7. 598 hand-coloured engraved plates of which some folding, plts. 1502-1680 & 1771-2188 [inc. plt. 1888A & 1888B] and one uncoloured plate. Each volume with title page and index. As stated wide margins - leaf size 155 x 250mm, for instance instruction for cancelled leafs printed in the upper margin are retained e.g. page 1912. All plates are bound with the original pale blue tissue guards. Contemporary, green half morocco bindings, lightly rubbed, spines faded to tan-green, a few corners bumped and edges rubbed. Contents clean and tight, plates generally very clean and bright, occasional spotting and light offsetting, mostly to tissue guards. Original end-papers, no inscriptions. An excellent early… Read More

United Kingdom, 1840. Book. Very Good. Leather. Original. 24 x 29.5 Cm. A collection of 43 very fine, early/mid 19th century, comparatively large (approximately 285 x 235 mm), original watercolour studies of different species of South African Ericas, each autographed with the species name. Housed in a red straight-grained morocco case with closing flap and the words "In Memoriam Madre Mia" (in memory of my mother). While there is no reference to the originator of these studies, they are executed in a style close to that used by Henry C. Andrews for his Monograph on the Genus Erica (1804-1812). The present watercolours do not correspond directly to those but the composition is similiar and it is possible they were executed by Andrews in connection with the publication. Notwithstanding, they are highly accomplished, reminiscent of the best botanical artists of the day. They are painted onto fine-textured card; this card for a number of paintings is blind embossed to the corners… Read More

London: J. M. Dent & Co.,, 1907. Book. Illus. by Brock, C. E. (Charles Edmund). Near Fine. Hardcover. First Edition, Thus. 8vo. A near fine, bright volume in the publisher's highly decorative vellum binding, extravagent gilt-decoration to front board and spine (to Brock's design), the boards are a little bowed as is often the case with vellum.. Tissue-guarded, colour frontispiece plate, a total of 24 colour plates, no foxing, internal hinges all good, endpapers toned and cracking to the paper only on the front hinge, but to no detriment to the casing strength. A near fine copy in a particularly attractive binding of this very rare edition..

Painting. Illus. by Chris Rose. Fine. Framed. Signed by THE ARTIST. Original. 365mm x 600mm. Chris Rose (1959-) Oil on Board, BLACK TERN ON NEST. Exhibited S.W.L.A. Exhibition Anglesey. The image measures approximately 365mm x 600mm. Frame approximately 550mm x 760mm., near fine, wood painted grey with ditressed gilt. Signed to the bottom left hand corner. Condition is fine, the colours bright. A striking original oil. [Chris spent the first few years of his life in Uganda and this experience, coupled with an early passion for drawing and painting inspired by seeing the work of great wildlife painters in books collected by his father, led to his life-long interest in the natural world. Chris was elected to the Society of Wildlife Artists in 1984. Between 2003 and 2009 he also served on the board of the Federation of British Artists. In a Natural Light; The Wildlife Art of Chris Rose is a superb book published by Langford Press.] Please contact us if you would like to view any of our artwork in… Read More

Oxford: printed by John Baskett, 1717. Book. Very Good. Hardcover. 310mm x 485mm. This, the famous and monumental Vinegar Bible also known as the Baskett full of errors, and generally acknowledged as the most magnificent Bible printed in England. The volume is complete in all respects. It comprises the complete text of the Old Testament, Apocrypha, and New Testament, along with the two title pages and the preliminaries. Both titles display beautiful engravings, with the general title showing a particularly fine view of Oxford. Frontispiece engraved by Du-Bose representing Moses writing the first words of Genesis, letterpress title printed in red & black and with engraved scene of Oxford (both lined to verso). The bible has been expertly re-backed retaining the original calf leather boards with blind stamp decoration, firm near fine. New Testament title dated 1716 with engraving of the Annunciation, Apocrypha present, numerous engraved head & tailpieces throughout, Old Testament leaves P6,… Read More

London: J. M. Dent & Co.,, 1908. Book. Illus. by Brock, C. E. (Charles Edmund). Near Fine. Hardcover. First Edition, Thus. 8vo. A near fine to fine, very bright volume in the publisher's highly decorative vellum binding, extravagent gilt-decoration to front board and spine (to Brock's design). Tissue-guarded, colour frontispiece plate, a total of 24 colour plates, internal hinges all good, endpapers toned as is common, neat name and date, 1909, to the top fo the front free endpaper. A near fine copy in a particularly attractive binding of this very rare edition..

Skokholm, 1948. Painting. Illus. by Charles F. Tunnicliffe. Fine. n/a. Original. 230mm x 170mm. Two original watercolour paintings for the plates in The Cinnamon Bird (Skokholm)by Lockley (including a Signed copy of The Cinnamon Bird, 1948 published by Staples Pub., dust jacket chipped and worn but professionally restored). Both plates are newly framed, acid free mount, backing mount and solid oak frame. Illustration 230mm x 170mm; frame 440mm x 370mm. The first features Sea-Blue, Heliotrope and Kitty together, nesting amongst lichen-covered rocks, this is plate 2 that appears opposite page 33 in the book. The second, opposite page 48, a dramatic illustration of a Sparrow-hawk taking a canary flying over a rocky cliff studded with sea-thrift, the shimmering sea far below, set against the background of the landing steps at North Haven Point, the cliffs of the mainland in the far distance.They have never been framed and presumably kept in a drawer for the last 75 years, so are as bright as the day… Read More

Painting. Fine. Framed. John Cyril Harrison (1898-1985) A monumental watercolour of a Verreaux's Eagle with outstretched wings on a rocky outcrop with the Dragensburg mountains stretching away into the distance. This was certainly a painting that pleased Harrison as, at some point, in the 1960s it hung on his studio wall (see attached image). Signed lower right. Very large, the painting measuring 940 x 610 mm (37" x 24"). Gilt frame with double acid-free mount, overall dimension1,160 x 810mm. Condition is excellent, very light wear to the frame. Harrison, later in his career spent much time in Africa particularly focusing on the birds of prey. An undoubted favourite species was Verreaux's Eagle of the Dragensburg Mountains. (Also known in Southern Africa as the Black Eagle, though this name usually refers to another unrelated species from south and southeast Asian.) We are aware of at least six other paintings featuring Verreaux's Eagle, two of which are very closely… Read More

1964. Painting. Fine. Framed. 530 x 370 mm. Signed and dated 1964, bottom left; 53 x 37 cm, gouache and watercolour. Framed and glazed, original limed-oak frame (76 x 62 cm), recent Larson Juhl extra thick (2.4mm) acid-free mountboard and under-mount. This work was painted in the year in which Basil Ede became a full-time artist, his reputation was rapidly growing and he was at the height of his powers. It was probably exhibited at either the 1964 or 1965 Tryon Gallery shows (see biography and notes below). In excellent condition (an out-of-frame inspection has revealed no damage and no noticeable fading.) A superb example of Basil Ede's work. [Biography and Notes. BASIL EDE (12 February 1931-29 September 2016). "Probably the finest living painter of wild birds, an acknowledged master in the art of portraying them", so proclaimed Frank Lewis in his Dictionary of British Bird Painters (1974). As a child Basil Ede displayed a propensity for drawing and on leaving school he attended… Read More

1961. Painting. Fine. Framed. Signed by THE ARTIST. Original. 580 x 780 mm. A magnificent, large watercolour and gouache painting, signed and dated "Philip Rickman 1961" bottom left. A typical spring downland scene, a pair of English Partridge (Grey Partridge) amongst flowering gorse. One bird standing, the other dusting; in the foreground is a Stonechat and the spring flowers Germander Speedwell and Cowslip. A well-balanced composition with big skies and long views. Finely presented in a hand-made gilt frame and acid free mount with extensive hand-drawn wash lines. Painting 580 x 780 mm, the mount and frame 860 x 1070 mm. In very good condition, no obvious fading or other defects. Superb. Rickman at his best. Provenance: Christie's, London, 15 March 1994, Watercolours and Pictures of Birds, lot 150,( made £6,900). Biography - Philip Rickman (1891 - 1982) was known affectionately as The Grand Old Man of British Bird Painting, and make no mistake, he was one of the greatest… Read More

Painting. Fine. Framed. A monumental, watercolour with gouache, of Spectacled Eider alongside a single male drake Common Eider, swimming in the ice floes of the Northern Bering Sea. A brilliant, atmospheric work: Rickman at his best. Image 560 x 800 mm, signed & dated 1965 lower right, framed & glazed (1080 x 880mm), acid-free double mount with hand-drawn wash lines. Excellent condition, no signs of fading. Philip Rickman (1891 - 1982) was known affectionately as The Grand Old Man of British Bird Painting, and make no mistake, he was one of the greatest ornithological artists of the twentieth century. However Rickman is somewhat out of fashion today and his work does not always garner the attention it should. Christine Jackson writes "At his best he could match Thorburn...but he was inconsistent."* and herein lies the problem: when at his best he was outstanding, the best of the best, but he was prolific and not infrequently produced indifferent work. It is this that has… Read More