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The Works of H.G. Wells
Atlantic Edition. London: T. Fisher Unwin, Ltd., 1924-27.

One of 620 hand-numbered copies for the U.K., and signed by the author, this being set 313; rarer than the American sets in cloth-backed green boards. Twenty-eight octavo volumes (8 11/16 x 6 inches; 221 x 153 mm.).

Photogravure frontispieces with tissue guards. Printed on pure rag paper watermarked “HGW.” Publisher’s original dark red buckram. Gilt lettering. Top edges gilt. Beveled edges. A very fine set in the original cream dust jackets printed in red. The best and most desirable edition of Wells’s works, with the author’s revisions to the texts, special preface to each volume, and general introduction to the set. Extremely scarce in the original printed dust jackets in fine condition.

B-A Note: Oh, the things I would do to own this set…

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Hortulus sanitatis, das ist, ein heylsam[en] und nützliches Gährtlin der Gesundtheit.
Durante, Castore. ca. 1609

First and only German edition, coloured by a contemporary hand, of an important herbal originally published in Italian as Herbario Nuovo (Rome 1585), beautifully illustrated with about 1000 woodcuts, at least some drawn by Konrad Gesner (1516-1565). Most, of course, show plants, but there is also a view of a pond with water plants, Ducks and a building, and others showing more than just plants. The translation is by Peter Uffenbach. Durante’s book was the first native Italian publication to give “a fairly full account of the medicinal value credited to tobacco” (Arents).

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Catalogue of the Inaugural Bench Show of the San Francisco Kennel Club
Mechanics’ Pavilion, San Francisco, Cal. May 19, 20, 21, 22, 1897

With 4 inserted plates with photographs of trophies awarded; numerous illustrated advertisements. 23x14.7 cm. (9¼x5¾”), original color lithographed pictorial wrappers.
Rare and fascinating catalogue listing the many participants in the first dog show of the San Francisco Kennel Club, with hundreds of categories, from Mastiffs and St. Bernards to Dachsundes and Yorkshire Terriers. The lineage of each of the participating pooches is given, and other details, including whether they were for sale, and if for sale, the price. A quick perusal reveals prices as high as $10,000, that for a St. Bernard named Tammany. The advertisements are equally entertaining, many relating to dog-related products, breeding fees, etc. No copies are listed in OCLC/WorldCat.

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Winter’s School of Jewelry Engraving…: A Practical Self Teacher as Good as a School…
A Course in Fundamental Principles of Designing and Engraving (wrapper title)
Chicago, Albert A. Winter, 1915.

82 pp. Extensively illustrated. 19x29.5 cm. (7½x11½”), printed wrappers.

All you need to know to become a jewelry engraver. OCLC/WorldCat lists four other publications by Winter, but not this one, and none of the others is earlier than 1926.

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The Famous Tragedy of the Queen of Cornwall at Tintagel in Lyonnesse,
Thomas Hardy. 1923.

First edition, signed presentation copy from the author to Daisy Kennedy Drinkwater with ink inscription: “Thomas Hardy on the day of its performance November: 1923” on fly-leaf and half-title and signed “Daisy Drinkwater”, also small photograph of Thomas Hardy and Daisy Kennedy Drinkwater taken by John Drinkwater in the garden at Max Gate and inscribed by Daisy.

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Two works by Charles Darwin
D. Appleton & Company. New York, 1896.

Includes: Journal of Researches into the Natural History and Geology of the Countries Visited During the Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle Round the World. * Geological Observations on the Volcanic Islands and Parts of South America Visited During the Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle. Two volumes, original half red morocco and marbled boards. Reprints.

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Paolo & Francesca: A Tragedy in Four Acts
Stephen Phillips. London and New York, 1900.

Full brown morocco tooled in blind and gilt with a series of vertical lines with hearts at each end; crisscrossing these is a series of free-flowing lines forming an abstract ornament in the center of each cover with hearts stamped in brown and gold, similar pattern along spine which has five raised bands dividing six compartments; watered silk endleaves, all edges trimmed and gilt. An elegant Arts & Crafts binding in the style of Constance Karslake of the Guild of Women Binders.

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The Courtier’s Calling: Shewing the Ways of Making a Fortune, and the Art of Living at Court, according to the Maxims of Policy & Morality. In Two Parts.
Jacques de Caillieres. J.C. for Richard Tonson, 1675.

The first concerning noblemen: the second concerning gentlemen. By a person of honour, engraved frontispiece, errata at end.

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Dante’s Inferno
Michael W. Kaluta (illus). Christopher Enterprises, 1975. Limited edition, (12” x 16”), 8 full-color plates in orange illustrated folder. A fine copy.

Notable horror-fantasy artist Michael W. Kaluta trains his eye on the epic Dante’s Inferno, with this gorgeous illustrated limited edition portfolio of eight (8) full-color plates measuring 12” x 16”, published in 1975 by Christopher Enterprises. One of 2000 copies produced, this being number 47, SIGNED by Kaluta on the inside portfolio cover. In overall excellent condition, bright and clean throughout. A rare limited edition portfolio from a gifted illustrator, whose contemporaries included the likes of Jeff Jones and Bernie Wrightson.

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Anansi Boys
Neil Gaiman. Dagmara Matuszak (illus). Ossining, NY: Hill House, 2007.

Brilliant limited edition of 750 copies, this being a publisher’s copy, noted as PC on the special limitation page, which is also SIGNED by author Neil Gaiman and designer/illustrator, Dagmara Matuszak. Quarterbound in black leather and black cloth in matching black cloth slipcase with wood inlay of ornate spider design.

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Lord Jim
Joseph Conrad. First edition, spotting and offsetting, ownership inscriptions to front free endpaper, publisher’s illustrated cloth gilt, soiled, upper hinge splitting, 8vo, William Blackwood, 1900.

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To the white men in the waterside business and to the captains of ships he was just Jim—nothing more. He had, of course, another name, but he was anxious that it should not be pronounced. His incognito, which had as many holes as a sieve, was not meant to hide a personality but a fact. When the fact broke through the incognito he would leave suddenly the seaport where he happened to be at the time and go to another—generally farther east. He kept to seaports because he was a seaman in exile from the sea, and had Ability in the abstract, which is good for no other work but that of a water-clerk. He retreated in good order towards the rising sun, and the fact followed him casually but inevitably. Thus in the course of years he was known successively in Bombay, in Calcutta, in Rangoon, in Penang, in Batavia—and in each of these halting-places was just Jim the water-clerk. Afterwards, when his keen perception of the Intolerable drove him away for good from seaports and white men, even into the virgin forest, the Malays of the jungle village, where he had elected to conceal his deplorable faculty, added a word to the monosyllable of his incognito. They called him Tuan Jim: as one might say—Lord Jim. ~Excerpt from Chapter 1

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I collect and document books with hand-written inscriptions, and this is one of my favorites. Inscription reads: “To my dear friend Dennis, In loving appreciation of all your efforts to insure [sic] that Jim had the proper and efficacious funeral he so richly deserved. John”

The Victor Book of the Opera
Victor Opera Records
1915 

(Many more at my blog!)

Beautiful! Thank you, togetherasalways.

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Author: Miller, Arthur
Title: Death of a Salesman
Place: New York
Publisher: Viking
Date: 1949

Orange cloth, dust jacket. First Edition.
First state of the dust jacket with the second S in Salesman touching Willy Loman’s right arm in the front panel illustration, Miller’s photograph on rear flap. Death of a Salesman was the first play to win all three major drama awards upon its opening in 1949: the New York Drama Critics Circle Award, the Tony Award, and the Pulitzer Prize.

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Louis’ Mixed Drinks, With Hints for the Care & Serving of Wines
Louis Muckensturm. Boston, 1906.

Original red cloth decoratively stamped. First Edition. A turn of the century guide for mixed drinks of the day.