Rare books from Richard C. Ramer Old & Rare Books

Los Reyes [i.e., Lima], Por Antonio Ricardo, 1585.. First Edition. 4°, contemporary limp vellum (slightly darkened), yapped edges, remains of ties. Large Jesuit device on title-page, woodcut initials. Text in Spanish (italic type), Quechua, and Aymara (both roman type). Dampstained and browned. Small tears on leaves 127, 128 and 196 repaired, without loss of text. In good to very good condition. Early signatures on title-page include that of Father Joseph de Acosta, S.J., author of the famous Historia natural y moral de las Indias and editor of this book. Early annotations (some in Quechua) and later ownership signature on endpapers, including a relatively modern one ("Propriedad de Raul Valdes Pinilla"). (8), 215 ll. *** FIRST EDITION. A work of notable rarity, and of great importance for the religious, ethnological, and linguistic history of early colonial Peru. According to the verso of the second preliminary leaf, it was prepared by Juan de Atiença and José de Acosta. Acosta's signature… Read More

[Colophon] Almeirim, Herman de Campos, 1516.. FIRST EDITION. Folio (26.5 x 19 cm.), late-nineteenth- or early twentieth-century blue morocco, covers with triple-fillet gilt edge and panel and elaborate filigree ornament, spine richly gilt, pastedowns burgundy morocco with gilt panels and filigree ornament, facing flyleaves blue moiré, all edges gilt. In a recent navy morocco slipcase with dark blue moiré sides. Full-page woodcut of St. Benedict within woodcut border (putti and twining vines), xylographic title, 2 woodcut emblems of the Order of Aviz, woodcut initials (2 historiated). Gothic letter (Campos 1:105G and 4:122G), 2 columns. Washed and expertly re-sized; nevertheless, in exceptionally fine condition. (5), LIII [i.e., LXIII], (5) ll. Appears to lack preliminary blank, presumably canceled, as in all recorded copies. *** FIRST EDITION of the Rule for the crusading Order of Aviz (the equivalent of the Order of Calatrava in Spain), and one of the earliest and most important books in the… Read More

Seville, Casa de Hernando Diaz en la calle de la Sierpe, 1571.. First Edition. 2 volumes in 1. Folio (29 x 20 cm.), recent period burgundy morocco, elaborately blind-tooled panels with gilt ornaments in center and at corners, spine with raised bands in five compartments with gilt ornaments, all edges gilt; in a folding cloth case with marbled sides. Large woodcut arms of Spain on each title-page. Small light waterstains in the gutter of the last few leaves. In fine condition. Ink signatures of the author on the title page (flourishes shaved) and on the final leaf. Early ten-line title-page inscription in ink, in lower left margin, asserting that the writer has read this work from the first to the very last page. The inside front cover of the cloth case has a printed paper tag (10 x 5 cm.) of New-York Historical Society, with details about the book typed in. The book contains no ex-library markings. (4), 142 ll. [i.e., 138: pagination skips from 130 to 135]; 130 ll. *** FIRST EDITION of this… Read More

, , Ca. 1778.. 8°, contemporary crushed crimson morocco, heavily gilt with floral motif in center and at the corners of each cover and a roll-tooled border; spine with raised bands in six compartments, gilt with a small floral tool; edges gilt and gauffered. Two very small scraped areas on upper cover and a few pinpoint wormholes at head and foot of spine, otherwise very fresh. Written in ink, in a number of different hands (elegant and legible) of the late eighteenth century. Very fine internally; overall in fine condition. Old (contemporary?) library stamp of the Dukes of Lafões on title-page. (9 ll., first 2 blank), 11-37, 37-479, 1-225 pp., (1 blank l.); i.e., 707 written pages in all. *** One of the most copiously informative histories of medicine ever written, this unpublished eighteenth-century "epitome" is no mere summary. It gives a critical account of the whole development of medicine, and more particularly of the medical profession, concentrating on the three centuries between the… Read More

Lisbon, Na Officina Craesbeeckiana, 1650.. FIRST EDITION. Small 4°, disbound in a folding case of antique quarter calf over marbled boards, flat spine with crimson morocco lettering-piece, gilt letter. Woodcut initials. In good to very good condition. (2 ll.), 52 pp. *** ORIGINAL EDITION of one of the narratives that later comprised the História trágico-marítima; extremely rare. As with all of these Portuguese shipwreck accounts from the mid-sixteenth to the mid-seventeenth century, it was later produced in a counterfeit eighteenth-century edition. Boxer noted, "I have never seen a copy of this first edition and have taken the description from the História da literatura portuguesa ilustrada, III, 214" ("An Introduction to the História trágico-marítima," in Miscelânea de estudos em honra do Prof. Hernani Cidade, p. 86, no. 17A). In some corrections and clarifications to his previous article, Boxer refers to a copy in the Torre do Tombo, gives the collation (which agrees with ours) and calls… Read More

[Colophon] Salamanca, (Juan de Porras), 1517.. First edition in this form. Folio (29.5 x 20 cm.), contemporary blind-tooled morocco over boards, complex interlacing roll alternating with rows of circular punches between sets of 3 parallel lines; expertly rebacked, and corners mended; metal clasps refurbished. Magnificent large woodcut on first leaf of a scholar at his desk in a carefully depicted study, above the title (which runs to 6 lines of gothic type), all within woodcut borders. On verso of first leaf, a large Crucifixion above a smaller vignette of the Last Supper, all within woodcut borders. Full-page woodcut logical charts on ff. 54r and 119v. Text in 2 sizes of gothic type (for the Aristotle text and the commentary), woodcut initials, 2 columns. An extremely rare work, in very fine condition. Contemporary ink notations on front pastedown. 128 ll. [xciii misfoliated xcix, cxvii misfoliated cxviii], signed a4, b-q8, r4. *** First edition in this form of Aristotle's logical work De… Read More

, , 1821-1868.. 34 works in 29 volumes. , Nearly all are in very fine condition; half a dozen or so show some soiling or dampstaining. *** The collection includes pieces printed at Mérida de Yucatán, Durango, Puebla, Ciudad Victoria, Chihuahua, Tlapam, Tabasco, San Luis Potosí, Ures, Jalapa, Saltillo and Tlaxcala. Such provincial printing from Mexico is quite rare. Of these works 17 are not in NUC and six more are cited at only one or two locations. Only five (four in copies inferior to those offered here) appeared in the celebrated Streeter sale—Streeter presumably would have been interested in all, or virtually all, of the items present in our collection, given his strong interest in Mexico, Texas and the Southwest.The constitutions and legislation for the Federal Republic of Mexico also applied to much of the southwestern United States (California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, Texas) until Texas declared its independence in 1836 and Mexico ceded the area north of the Rio… Read More

Lisbon, Na Officina de Miguel Deslandes, 1690.. First and Only Edition. Folio (28.1 x 19.8 cm.), contemporary vellum, originally limp (board stiffeners, warped, new endpapers and leather ties recently added), manuscript vertical title on spine, text-block edges sprinkled red. Woodcut vignette on title-page, woodcut initials, head- and tailpieces. Paper flaw in F3 costing a few letters, light marginal dampstaining at end, occasional light spotting. Internally fine; overall in very good condition. Stamp of the Casa de Cadaval in blank margins of title and 2 text pages. Small square printed paper shelf-ticket of same with manuscript notations near upper outer corner of recto of second (older) front free endleaf. (6 ll.), 479 pp. *** FIRST and ONLY complete EDITION of this very rare chronicle of the province of Madre de Deos, Goa, with hundreds of pages on China, Macau, Cambodia and Ceylon. Excerpts, titled Descripção do Imperio da China … were published in Hong Kong, 1878. That edition is also very… Read More

[Lisbon], Na Oficina de Simão Lopez, 1594.. First Edition. 4°, modern (early twentieth-century?) green quarter morocco over pebbled paper boards (corners worn; some other minor binding wear), smooth spine with fillets in gilt and blind, short author-title and date in gilt, pink endleaves. Title-page in red and black. Woodcut initials. Small repair to license leaf, affecting a few letters of privilege on verso; minor paper flaw touching 1 letter of catchword. Final 18 leaves with outer margins slightly shorter, possibly supplied from another copy. Some light browning. In good condition. Early monogram (?) in ink in lower blank margin of title page, scored. (4), 206 ll. *** FIRST EDITION of one of the most important epic poems in the Portuguese language, generally acknowledged to be second only to the Lusiadas of Camões. Contemporaries of the two poets were far from unanimous in ranking Camões above Corte Real.The poem's subject is one of the most celebrated events in Portuguese history: the… Read More

157 letters. Mostly folio (ca. 29 x 21 cm., a few slightly smaller, a few 8º), first 120 letters bound together in nineteenth-century quarter dark green straight-grained morocco over marbled boards (minor wear to corners, edges), smooth spine with gilt bands and "Cartas de I.F.S." (probably bound by the recipient, Rodrigues de Gusmão); remaining 37 letters laid in at the end. Written in ink, in an even, fairly legible hand. Light browning, but not at all fragile. Some letters include the cover, from which the postage stamp is excised, with occasional loss of a few words when the cover is on the verso of a page of text. In very good condition. A penciled note on the front flyleaf by the son of Rodrigues de Gusmão, dated 10 August 1888, reads: "Colleção de Cartas dirigidas por Innocêncio Francisco da Silva, ed. do Dicc. Bibliographico Portuguez, ao seu amigo Francisco Antonio Rodrigues de Gusmão, A. de varias obras, Socio da Academia Real das Sciencias, etc. Lancei aqui este apontamento no 10 de… Read More

Logroño, Arnão Guillen de Brocar, 1517.. First Edition. Folio (36 x 24.5 cm.), contemporary blind-tooled calf, boards nicely refurbished (but with some recent damage to corners and rubbing to spine); very skillfully rebacked, and with new clasps. Large woodcut on title-page, 2 full-page woodcuts, printer's device below colophon. Gothic letter (Norton types 8:117G, 10:99G, 18:68G), printed in red and black throughout. Minor soiling and stains (including some marginal dampstaining on first few leaves), 4 tiny wormholes touching a few letters per page through quire q. Crisp. In very good to fine condition. Early manuscript record of sale at foot of title, in ink. (2 blank), (26), 254 [i.e., 255], (2 blank) leaves, signed 10, A-B8, a9, b-z8, aa-hh8, ii6. *** FIRST EDITION. This magnificent classic was produced, according to the colophon, at the command of Charles V by his printer Arnão Guillen de Brocar; this is the first intimation we have that Brocar had been appointed royal printer. Later… Read More

, , 1640.. 4° (25.4 x 18.5 cm.), contemporary limp vellum, worn. Written in ink, in a seventeenth-century hand, large and fairly legible, with copious corrections and annotations. Engravings on 3 leaves: title, author and date within a cartouche on one of opening leaves; portrait of author with his arms, motto, and an inscription; engraved arms (of dedicatee?). Occasional light dampstaining and soiling. In very good condition. (5 ll.), 68 ll. [skips 44, text appears complete], 23 ll., (5 ll.), 71 ll. [skips 48, text lacking], (3 ll.), 22 ll. [skips 8, text appears complete], 31 ll. [skips 1-4, 6-7, 17-29 with text lacking, also undetermined amount at end], (6 ll.), 30-44 ll., 24-32 ll., 27-34 ll., (1 l.) [=245 ll.]. *** A very substantial and important unpublished manuscript covering the principles and fundamentals of fencing, plus tactics to use in specific situations. The manuscript consists of two books: a lengthy "Adbirtencias praticas y primeros principios para el conosimiento de lo que se… Read More

[Pernambuco, Officina Typographica da Segunda Restauração de Pernambuco], dated 10 March 1817.. FIRST EDITION. Broadside, folio (23 x 31 cm.), unbound. Paper fold causes very slight printing defect. Minor stains, slight soiling. In very good condition. On papel selado with tax stamp of 10 reis upside-down at foot of verso. (1 l.) *** EARLIEST PERNAMBUCO PRINTING. During the 1817 revolt in Pernambuco, this broadside was printed to inform the public of events from March 5th to March 10th. It attributes the revolt to the proscriptions of March 5th and relates the overthrow of the royal government and the establishment of a provisional government. Authorship has been attributed to either José Luis de Mendonça or Antonio Carlos Ribeiro de Andrada. Holmes notes, "This paper, today, is a true and most valuable relic of the first organized attempt to proclaim the independence of Brazil. It was drafted by an able lawyer, who paid for it with his life."Ricardo Fernandes Castanho, a Recife businessman,… Read More

Lisbon, Impresso por Pedro Crasbeeck, 1605.. FIRST EDITION. 4° in 8s, contemporary calf (almost pristine, with only the slightest wear), spine gilt with raised bands in five compartments, short title gilt in second compartment from head, covers elaborately decorated in blind, text block edges rouged. Woodcut initials. Text and "Tabula" in two columns. Light soiling on title page. An attractive copy, in very good to fine condition. Small armorial stamp on title page of António José da Cunha Reis da Mota Godinho. Armorial bookplate of his great-great-great grandson, António da Cunha Reis, with initials "A.C.R.". Rectangular stamp of António da Cunha Reis above bookplate on front pastedown endleaf. [10], 351, [7] ll. ¶10 A-Z 2a-2x 2y (¶1 verso blank; ¶10 and 2y6 blank). Licenses in Portuguese. *** FIRST EDITION of one of the most important early accounts of Hernando de Soto's expedition. Two issues of the title page are said to exist, one with the date 1605 (as here), one without date.… Read More

[Lisbon, Manoel de Lyra], 1595.. FIRST EDITION. 4°, full crimson morocco by Sansorski & Sutcliffe, London (mid-twentieth century?), spine gilt with raised bands in six compartments, short author-title lettered gilt in second compartment from head, place and date lettered gilt at foot, covers triple ruled gilt, with gilt tooling at corners of inner rule. Edges with double gilt rule. Inner dentelles gilt. All text block edges gilt. In a slipcase of marbled boards. Woodcut arms of the dedicatee, D. Joeronymo de Castro, on title page. Numerous woodcut and typographical headpieces, tailpieces and initials. Large woodcut printer's mark on verso of final preliminary leaf, repeated on leaf 162 verso. Overall in fine condition. Armorial bookplate of Walter Corrêa de Sá e Benevides. (4), 186 [i.e., 184], (3) ll. [ ]4, A-Z8, ¶3. Lacks the final blank leaf ¶4. Error in foliation.: skips from 176 to 179. *** FIRST EDITION, very rare, of the collected works of Sá de Miranda. The second edition of 1614 is… Read More