Rare Book Monthly

Book Catalogue Reviews - December - 2018 Issue

The Book Arts, Illustrated Books, Literature, First Appearances & More from the Kelmscott Bookshop

Catalog 16 from the Kelmscott Bookshop.

The Kelmscott Bookshop has printed their Catalog 16. What is there to be found? They have provided a concise summary: Artists' Books & Private Press, Movables, Miniature Books, Designer Bindings, Illustrated Books, Literature, Children's Books, First Periodical Appearances & Book Editions of Melville, Poe, Twain, & Whitman, Plus More. We might add that many of the artists' books are of recent vintage, from artists active today, not some time in the distant past. With that, there isn't much more needed in the way of introduction, so we will move right ahead to a few examples of items to be found inside.

 

We begin with one of the illustrated books. While illustrated books often imply beauty, in this case, the illustrations were meant more to enhance the message of the text, this being the most influential American book of the 19th century. This is not to take anything away from the skillful artwork of George Cruikshank. He was one of the most notable illustrators of the 19th century, his work often appearing in the books of Charles Dickens. Come to think of it, an illustrator of the downtrodden who appear in Dickens' novels is a perfect choice for this book. Item 108 is the first illustrated edition of Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin, published in 1852, the same year as the first American edition. This was the book that turned slavery from an abstract bad idea to a horror to which many Americans could relate on a personal basis. Its influence on large parts of the American public was enormous, leading to the realization that something had to be done. Unfortunately, no resolution was to be found other than war. Priced at $300.

 

Many people think of Gutenberg as the inventor of printing, which is not entirely accurate. The Chinese had invented paper and developed printing at least seven centuries before Gutenberg. What was notable about Gutenberg was his invention of movable type, which allowed for printing on a large scale and in volume. Chinese printing depended on woodblocks, a more time-consuming method which effectively limited it to single sheets. Item 78 is Paper and Printing in Ancient China by Berthold Laufer, published in 1931. Kelmscott notes that Laufer was the leading sinologist of his generation. This book came from a lecture he delivered to the Caxton Club, one of 250 copies. In it, Laufer describes the importance of paper and printing to the progress of civilization. The book was printed by noted printer and book designer Elmer Adler at his Pynson Printers in New York. Item 78. $225.

 

Here is one of those recent artists' books, except it isn't really a book at all. It is a collection of maps in a chest. It was created by Pat Sweet of Bo Press Miniature Books in 2017. The chest is made from varnished mahogany and leather with triangular brass decorations along the sides. Inside are 13 rolled up maps. These maps won't help you get anywhere. They are fantasy maps, taken from various novels. Such maps frequently appeared on the endpapers of fantasies. Among them are maps of Robert Lewis Stevenson's Treasure Island, Gulliver's maps from Jonathan Swift, Thomas More's Utopia, and an ocean chart from Lewis Carroll. Item 8. $365.

 

Next is one of those first appearances of a book that ran first as a serial in a magazine. Item 135 is volumes 22-24 of The Cosmopolitan, from 1897-1898. They included the first appearance of H. G. Wells' The War of the Worlds. It appeared in nine parts, each accompanied by illustrations by Warwick Goble (which Wells did not much like). The story would be published as a novel later in 1898. This story of an invasion of Earth from Mars has long been a popular science fiction thriller, never out of print. However, much of its fame rests with the radio production four decades later when many listeners thought an invasion from Mars was actually taking place, not realizing it was just an enactment of a fictional story. $850.

 

Item 99 is quite a collection of plays. It is a set of 25 volumes entitled The British Theatre; Or, A Collection of Plays, which were acted at the Theatres Royal, Drury Lane, Covent Garden, and Haymarket. They were gathered by Mrs. Elizabeth Inchbald and published in 1808. Mrs. Inchbald was herself a playwright and actress and contributed five plays. However, many come from writers far better known, starting with Shakespeare, along with others popular in their day but mostly forgotten now. Each volume contains five plays, beginning with an illustration. Each volume is bound in brown leather with marbled boards. $1,600.

 

The Kelmscott Bookshop Rare Books may be reached at 410-235-6810 or info@kelmscottbookshop.com. Their website is www.kelmscottbookshop.com.

Rare Book Monthly

  • Fonsie Mealy’s, Dec. 12-13: Roberts (David) & Croly (George). The Holy Land, Syria, Idumae, Arabia, Egypt and Nubia. Lond. 1842 - 1843 [-49]. First Edn. €10,000 to €15,000.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Dec. 12-13: Incunabula: O'Fihily (Maurice). Duns Scotus Joannes: O'Fihely, Maurice Abp… Venice, 20th November 1497. €8,000 to €12,000.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Dec. 12-13: An important file of documents with provenance to G.A. Newsom, manager of the Jacob’s Factory in Dublin, occupied by insurgents during Easter Week 1916. €6,000 to €9,000.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Dec. 12-13: WILDE (Oscar), 1854-1900, playwright, aesthete and wit. A lock of Wilde’s Hair, presented by his son to the distinguished Irish actor Mícheál MacLiammóir. €6,000 to €8,000.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Dec. 12-13: Heaney (Seamus). Bog Poems, London, 1975. Special Limited Edition, No. 33 of 150 Copies, Signed by Author. Illus. by Barrie Cooke. €4,000 to €6,000.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Dec. 12-13: Binding: Burke, Thomas O.P. (de Burgo). Hibernia Dominicana, Sive Historia Provinciae Hiberniae Ordinis Praedicatorum, ... 1762. First Edition. €4,000 to €6,000.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Dec. 12-13: COLLINS, Michael. An important TL, 29 July 1922, addressed to GOVERNMENT on ‘suggested Proclamation warning all concerned that troops have orders to shoot prisoners found sniping, ambushing etc.’. €3,000 to €4,000.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Dec. 12-13: Scott Fitzgerald (F.) The Great Gatsby, New York (Charles Scribner's Sons) 1925, First Edn. €2,000 to €3,000.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Dec. 12-13: Yeats (W.B.) The Poems of W.B. Yeats, 2 vols. Lond. (MacMillan & Co.) 1949. Limited Edition, No. 46 of 375 Copies Only, Signed by W.B. Yeats. €1,500 to €2,000.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Dec. 12-13: Miller (William) Publisher. The Costume of the Russian Empire, Description in English and French, Lg. folio London (S. Gosnell) 1803. First Edn. €1,000 to €1,500.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Dec. 12-13: Miller (William) Publisher. The Costume of Turkey, Illustrated by a Series of Engravings. Lg. folio Lond.(T. Bensley) 1802. First Edn. €800 to €1,200.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Dec. 12-13: Mason (Geo. Henry). The Costume of China, Illustrated with Sixty Engravings. Lg. folio London (for W. Miller) 1800. First Edn. €1,400 to €1,800
  • Sotheby’s
    Important Modern Literature from the Library of an American Filmmaker
    8 December 2023
    Sotheby’s, Dec. 8: Kerouac, Jack. Typescript scroll of The Dharma Bums. Typed by Kerouac in Orlando, Florida, 1957, published by Viking in 1958. 300,000 - 500,000 USD
    Sotheby’s, Dec. 8: Hemingway, Ernest. The autograph manuscript of "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber." [Key West, finished April 1936]. 300,000 - 500,000 USD
    Sotheby’s, Dec. 8: Miller, Henry. Typescript of The Last Book, a working title for Tropic of Cancer, written circa 1931–1932. 100,000 - 150,000 USD
    Sotheby’s, Dec. 8: Ruscha, Ed. Twentysix Gasoline Stations, with a lengthy inscription to Joe Goode. 40,000 - 60,000 USD
    Sotheby’s, Dec. 8: Hemingway, Ernest. in our time, first edition of Hemingway’s second book. 30,000 - 50,000 USD
  • Swannm Dec. 14: Lot 2:
    John Ford Clymer, U.S. Troops' Triumphant Return to New York Harbor, oil on canvas, circa 1944.
    Swannm Dec. 14: Lot 44:
    Edward Gorey, Illustration of cover and spine for Fonthill, a Comedy by Aubrey Menen, pen and ink, 1973.
    Swannm Dec. 14: Lot 50:
    Harrison Cady, frontispiece for Buster Bear's Twins by Thornton W. Burgess, watercolor and ink, 1921.
    Swannm Dec. 14: Lot 54:
    Ludwig Bemelmans, Pepito, portrait of Pepito from the Madeline book series, mixed media.
    Swannm Dec. 14: Lot 79:
    Gluyas Williams, Fellow Citizens Observation Platform, pen and ink, cartoon published in The New Yorker, March 11, 1933.
    Swannm Dec. 14: Lot 86:
    Thomas Nast, Victory, – for the moment, political cartoon, pen and ink, 1884.
    Swannm Dec. 14: Lot 91:
    Mischa Richter, Lot of 10 cartoons for Field Publications, ink and pencil, circa 1940.
    Swannm Dec. 14: Lot 111:
    Arthur Getz, Sledding In Central Park, casein tempera on canvas, cover of The New Yorker, February 26, 1955.
    Swannm Dec. 14: Lot 124:
    Richard Erdoes, Map of Boston, illustration for unknown children's magazine, gouache on board, circa 1960.
    Swannm Dec. 14: Lot 155:
    Robert Fawcett, The old man looked him over carefully, gouache on board, published in The Saturday Evening Post, June 9, 1945.
    Swannm Dec. 14: Lot 170:
    Violet Oakley, Portrait of Woodrow Wilson, charcoal and pastel, circa 1918.
    Swannm Dec. 14: Lot 188:
    Robert J. Wildhack, Scribner's for March, 1907, mixed media.
  • CHRISTIE’S
    Valuable Books and Manuscripts
    London auction
    13 December
    Find out more
    Christie’s, Explore now
    TREW, Christoph Jacob (1695–1769). Plantae Selectae quarum imagines ad exemplaria naturalia Londini in hortus curiosorum. [Nuremberg: 1750–1773]. £30,000–40,000
    Christie’s, Explore now
    VERBIEST, Ferdinand (1623–88). Liber Organicus Astronomiae Europaeae apud Sinas restituate. [Beijing: Board of Astronomy, 1674]. £250,000–350,000
    Christie’s, Explore now
    PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF ALICE & NIKOLAUS HARNONCOURT. Master of Jean Rolin (active 1445–65). Book of Hours, use of Paris, in Latin and French, [Paris, c.1450–1460]. £120,000–180,000
    Christie’s, Explore now
    A SILVER MICROSCOPE. Probably by Antoni van Leeuwenhoek (1632–1723), c.1700. £150,000–250,000
    Christie’s, Explore now
    AN ENGLISH HORARY QUADRANT
    C.1311. £100,000–150,000

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