0
products in your shopping cart
Total:   $0.00 details
There are no products in your shopping cart!
We hope it's not for long.

Visit the shop

All products

list view
  • A Bibliography of the Writings of Jonathan Swift – Herman Teerink.

    A Bibliography of the Writings of Jonathan Swift – Herman Teerink.

    A second revised and corrected edition of Dr Teerink’s fundamental reference on Swift.

    Published by the University od Pennsylvania Press in 1963. Published in Britain by the Oxford University. First published in 1937, Teerink had continued to compile new discoveries and corrections since that date. He died in 1961 so it was down to Editor Arthur Scouten to produce this update from Teerink’s notes.

    Large, thick octavo, 453 pages with frontispiece of Captain Lemuel Gulliver. A very good copy.

    The preface by Thomas Yoseloff, Director of the Press reflects on the decision to publish the revision and the difficultly in understanding Terrink’s handwriting. Probably in the history of bibliography there has not been more challenge than in this work on Swift, mainly because of the nature of the publishing trade in the first half of the 18thC and the many potential attributions not under the authors real name or published anonymously.

    A monumental work. One might say … what interest a Swift bibliography unless the completely immersed. Well, really it give one a thorough education of the publication of the book in the era … the challenges .. unsold runs of earlier copies and how they can be used in bolstering re-issues of complete works etc. the printing houses and the quality of editorial and review before press.

    The structure of book is helpful … Table of Symbols and abbreviations. Table of Location of Teerink Numbers and then the body … Collected Works; Smaller Collections; A Tale of the Tub; Gulliver’s Travels; Separate Works; Doubtful (well some would challenge other and put some of these in the mix); Biography and Criticism, 1709-1895. And a useful index.

    Jonathan Swift – more than Gulliver and “the Tub” a lifetime work by Teerink.

    $60.00

    Loading Updating cart…
  • The Fortunes of Fifi – Molly Elliot Seawell – First Edition 1903

    The Fortunes of Fifi – Molly Elliot Seawell – First Edition 1903

    A first edition published by Bobbs-Merrill, Indianapolis in 1903. Interestingly, carries the booksellers sticker of Dymock’s Book Arcae, 428 George Street. Dymocks, Australia’s favourite book store was started in 1879 but soon moved to the aforementioned address as the business took off.

    Fifi is a young actress in fourth rate theatre in Paris. Napoleon is involved in a minor way. She has confidantes and admirers and much love and lost love ensues. She turns out to be related to a certain person in very high place … things get rich and in a tangle which really she is not that thrilled with – eventually, she ends up with the one she should. Complex and intriguing romance. The outline is easily told … it became an early silent movie circa WW! And was very successful.

    Octavo, 239 pages, with decorative end papers that match the delightful pictorial covers. A very good copy.

    Classic Romance based in Paris, became one of the very first movies.

    $30.00

    Loading Updating cart…
  • The Maps and Prints of Paolo Forlani  –  Woodward – A Newberry Library Production 1990

    The Maps and Prints of Paolo Forlani – Woodward – A Newberry Library Production 1990

    A special item, a descriptive bibliography of the maps and prints of 16th Century Venetian, Paolo Forlani.

    Published as Occasional Publication No 4 of the Hermon Dunlap Smith Center for the History of Geography – The Newberry Library, Chicago 1990.

    Small quarto scale, perfect bound, 60 pages, clay coloured soft covers. Very good condition.

    The compiler, David Woodward a legendary American cartographic expert.

    The work starts with careful explanations in the Preface and Acknowledgements, then a list of Abbreviations and Explanations before a list of the Illustrations. Followed by 21 full page plates of examples .. some very special, given the unique nature of the items and, their lack of general publication … the globe just beautiful.

    Followed by a full bibliographic description of the known works. Rounded off with a section of references, index of persons identified and connected, and a geographical index for those geographically challenged.

    Special work on Paolo Forlani, one of the premier and most decorative 16thC cartographers

    $30.00

    Loading Updating cart…
  • The Engravers of Van Diemen’s Land  – Clifford Craig.

    The Engravers of Van Diemen’s Land – Clifford Craig.

    First printing 1961 of Clifford Craig’s definitive book on the engravers of Tasmania and their art.

    Small quarto, 172 pages, published by the Tasmanian Historical Research Association. Decorative covered boards depicting life around the harbour in Hobart. Illustrated with 44 plates of examples. Limited to 1,000 copies and intended to be numbered and signed … this one was overlooked as were many.

    Covers after a good introduction … the James Ross and Henry Melville Presses; Charles Atkinson; Benjamin Duterrau; John Skinner Prout and T. Bluett; Robin Vaughan. And then some “subject” offerings … Scientific; Country Houses; Town Scenes; Portraits; Music Prints; Northern Engravings. Then an interesting “Other” which includes … James Grove; the Hermit; Glover; Bishop Nixon; Political Cartoons etc.

    Starting point for any interest in Tasmanian engravings

    $40.00

    Loading Updating cart…
  • The Crossing of the Copula – Jean Filloux – First English Edition 1955

    The Crossing of the Copula – Jean Filloux – First English Edition 1955

    A first English edition of Filloux’s adventure in the North Atlantic, translated by Gretchen Besser.

    Published by Collins. London in 1955. Octavo, 253 pages plus diagrams of the vessel, nicely illustrated throughout with images from photographs taken on the voyage. End paper maps on which one has dates written by a previous owner, helpful we think. A couple of snags to what is a complete dust jacket, a pretty good copy.

    Filloux, a penniless young engineer took a berth on the Copula, a 47 foot catamaran rigged like a Chinese Junk. They took their time. Thirteen months, to voyage from Bordeaux o New York … with time off in the Canaries (forced on them) and in the Windies having reached Martinique (chosen plan). Well written unusual account

    Copula across the Atlantic an round the Windies – not your usual vessel or adventurer.

    $25.00

    Loading Updating cart…
  • The Kon-Tiki Expedition – Thor Heyerdahl (With Original Photograph of the Raft)

    The Kon-Tiki Expedition – Thor Heyerdahl (With Original Photograph of the Raft)

    Well certainly not a rare book, probably the biggest selling modern maritime adventure book. But a very good copy.

    A 1959 edition by which time it had already run to 23 impressions. Octavo, 235 pages with eighty odd photographic images.

    Thor Heyerdahl set off on the most amazing raft voyage with five companions determined to prove his migration theories. This account, praised by Somerset Maugham as “an incredible adventure which happens to be true. It would be a very dull reader who did not admire and envy the courage of the six men who took part in it”. Very good copy.

    We also have what appears to be an original photograph of the raft on its way … the camera work is rather shaky so clearly taken from another vessel.

    Leaving Callao in Peru for Tahiti, they almost made it running aground on the Raroia Reef were the raft was smashed to smithereens.

    Kon-Tiki nice copy with photograph.

    $30.00

    Loading Updating cart…
LoadingUpdating…

Product Categories