[Palmer, William]

Illustrated Life and Career of William Palmer, of Rugeley: containing details of his conduct as school-boy, medical-student, racing-man, and poisoner; with original letters of William and Anne Palmer, and other original authentic documents.

London: Ward, Lock, and Co, 1856. Hard Cover. First Edition. Together with the whole of his private diary up to the hour of his arrest, and the fullest particulars respecting his execution at Stafford. Illustrated with views, portraits, and representations of the chief incidents in his career. William Palmer a.k.a. the Prince of Poisoners (1824 - 1856) was an English doctor hung for poisoning his friend John Cook with strychnine. His murder trial was one of the most notorious trials of the 19th century. He was also suspected of poisoning his wife, brother, mother-in-law, and children. Good in original flexible brown cloth boards with gilt title to front cover. Chipping and wear to edges of covers and soiling to covers. The interior is foxed with small spots of soiling throughout and minor dampstaining. The binding remains intact; however, there are several internal splits. Two page diary facsimilie tipped in at the end. Does not include fold-out illustrations. Signature of previous owner to front endpage along with a bookplate. A good reading copy with many illustrations. 136 pages. LAW/011513. Good.

Paton, John

Never Say Die, An Autobiography

New York: Longmans, Green and Co. 1936. Paperback. 8vo. Very good maroon paper wrappers with green title to both wrappers and to spine. Fading to spine. Edgewear to wrappers. Spine slightly rolled. Minor browning to end pages. 336 pages. English biography. ENGBIO/042313. Very Good.

[Pennyroyal Press] De Fournival, Richard; Barry Moser, illustrator; Jeanette Beer, translator

Master Richard's Bestiary of Love and Response

Pennyroyal Press, 1985. Barry Moser. Vellum. Number 194 of 200 copies signed and numbered by Barry Moser. The preface states that the bestiary was a well established tradition in France by the time De Fournival wrote his Bestiare d'amour in the middle of the 13th century. In his bestiary, however, he diverted the bestiary's hallowed animal symbolism to amorous purpose. An anonymous woman composed a response to his new symbolism, which was appended to a few of the surviving manuscripts. The two works remain as an articulation of the eternal debate between Man and Woman. This fascinating text is illustrated with dozens of Barry Moser's splendid small wood engravings of animals, birds, and insects. Bound in limp vellum with gilt title to spine and housed in a grey cloth slipcase. In monotype Dante, designed by Moser and Chase Twichell, and printed by Harold McGrath. A beautiful book in fine condition. Unpaginated. PRI/032813. Fine in Fine Slipcase.

Pfeiffer, Emily

The Rhyme or the Lady of the Rock and How It Grew

London: Kegan, Paul, Trench & Co. 1884. Hard Cover. First Edition. A scarce title and an interesting presentation copy, inscribed by Emily Pfeiffer's husband, "To HIs Excellency President Arthur From J. Edward Pfeiffer Mayfield, West Hill Putney S.W. London." Emily Pfeiffer (1841-1890) was a poet of some regard in her time. She was born poor and sickly, but had the good fortune to marry Jurgen Edward Pfeiffer, a wealthy German merchant based in London. Her marriage and her husband's support allowed her to devote herself to her poetry. It isn't clear why the book was inscribed to President Chester Arthur. The volume contains the "Rhyme of the Lady of the Rock" and the prose story regarding its creation. In original grey-blue cloth with title and author in gilt to spine. Some bumping to corners. Interior pages have aged and darkened in the margins. Chipping to edge of title page. A bit worn but still in very good condition. 184 pages. POE/020113. Very Good.

Platt, William

Love Triumphant

London: Charles Hirsch, 1896. Cloth. First Edition of an uncommon work. A curious book, it was one of two legitimate novels published by Charles Hirsch, a London bookseller and publisher known for distributing clandestine works. William Platt was a peculiar 1890s writer whose works concerned the role of the sexes and often leaned toward the risque. In keeping with this, the cover has an illustration in gilt of a nude woman reading a book. In original green cloth, somewhat rubbed and bumped. Interior pages have browning to margins, offsetting to free endpapers with chip to rear free endpaper. Still a nice copy in very good condition. 222 pages plus ad for music by William Platt and 16 pages of reviews of Platt's Men, Women, and Chance. LIT/032513. Very Good.

[Powys Evans] Beerbohm, Max, introduction

Catalogue of an Exhibition of Caricatures by "Quiz"

London: Ernest Brown & Phillips, 1923. Wraps. A small unillustrated catalogue issued for an exhibition at the Leichester Galleries of caricatures by Quiz, which was the name under which Powys Evans published his work. Evans (1899-1981) was a popular illustrator and caricaturist who worked as the "house" caricaturist for the Saturday Review for a number of years. The list of sixty subjects included Winston Churchill, Lloyd George, Neville Chamberlain, Joseph Conrad, Mussolini, and Bernard Shaw. Text block is partially loose from the brown paper wrappers but otherwise in very good condition. 4.5 x 6 inches. 14 pages plus ads. ARTR/040913. Very Good in Wraps.

[Quarles, Francis)

Sions Sonets. Sung by Soloman the King and Periphras'd by Francis Quarles. [Song of Songs or Song of Soloman]

Cambridge: Riverside Press for Houghton Mifflin, 1905. Hard Cover. Number 12 of 430 copies. This is a fine press edition of the Song of Songs as published in 1680 by Quarles in his Divine Poems. Very good in original red cloth boards with gilt title to spine. Fading to spine and a few markings to front cover. Printed on laid paper with untrimmed edges. Pages remain unopened. 125 pages. PRI/032013. Very Good.

Randal, John and Rosalind, editors

Matrix 30: A Review for Printers & Bibliophiles

Lower Marston Farm, Heresfordshire: The Whittington Press, 2011. Stiff Wraps. 1 of 725 copies. Another interesting and informative edition of one of the most esteemed of book-related publications. The contents of this edition include articles on diverse topics by Russell Maret, James Fergusson, Gaylod Schanilec, Sean Hawkins, Willem Keizer, and Paul Nash. There are also book reviews by Simon Lawrence and John Randle. There are numerous bound and tipped in examples of types and papers, prints, and other illustrations. Printed in a variety of types on Somerville Laid and Zerkall mould-made papers. Bound in mauve stiff papers with black print of letterpress, with cover with orange Matrix logo across front and back and title on front. In fine condition. 109 pages. BOB/040113. Fine.

Rickard, T. A.

Retrospect: An Autobiography

New York and London: Whittlesy House, McGraw-Hill Book Company, (1937). Hard Cover. 8vo. Blue cloth covered boards with gilt title to spine. Light rubbing to boards and bumping to spine ends. Interior is clean and bright. Green price clipped dust jacket with black and white title to front panel and black title to spine. Fading to spine. Minor rubbing and edgewear to dust jacket. Dust jacket is in a protective plastic sleeve. 402 pages. English Biography. ENGBIO/042413. Very Good+ / Very Good.

Rooke, Noel

Original watercolor scene of Venice by Noel Rooke and inscribed to Eric Gill

1903. Noel Rooke. An attractive early watercolor by Noel Rooke of a view in Venice, with a wonderful association. It is inscribed by Rooke: "To AER Gill from Noel Rooke Venice 1903." Rooke (1881-1953) and Eric Gill (1882-1940) were fellow students at the Central School for Art and Design. Others in their class included Edward Johnston, Graily Hewitt, and T.J. Cobden-Sanderson. Eric Gill, of course, became a major figure of the arts and crafts of the 20th century, and is known for his calligraphy, type design, sculpture, and illustration. Noel Rooke, the son of T.M. Rooke, studio assistant to Edward Burne-Jones, was also an artist and wood engraver, and is now best known for the important role he played in the revival of modern wood engraving. They were both part of a group of influential practitioners of various crafts and artistic work in England who studied from and worked with each other. This painting would have been done while Rooke and Gill were still students at the Central School. It depicts several buildings as seen across the water. It is mainly in shades of blue, with white, light pink, brown, and grey also used. There is a light pencil sketch of a boat near the left margin of the painting. Painting is 7.5 x 11 inches. As matted and framed it is 11 x 15 inches. in fine condition. ORIGART/030513. Fine.

Rossetti, William Michael, Angela Thirlwell (introduction and epilogue)

The Pre-Raphaelites & Their World: A Personal View

London: The Folio Society, 1995. Hard Cover. From Some Reminiscences and other writingd of William Michael Rossetti. Purple cloth covered boards with beautiful gilt, purple, blue and red decoration to front board. Red title to front board and gilt title to spine. Pristine interior filled with both black and white as well as full color illustrations. Housed in red slipcase. Index, 234 pages. Pre-Raphaelites. PRE-RAPH/012213. Fine.

Ruskin, John

Sesame and Lilies. Three Lectures by John Ruskin: Of Kings' Treasures, Of Queens' Gardens, and Of the Mystery of Lite

New York and London: G.P. Putnam's Sons; Knickerbocker Press, circa 1900. Soft Cover. Part of the Ariel Booklets series. Reprinted from the third English edition. Near fine in flexible red leather boards with gilt title and decoration on spine and front cover. Light rubbing to spine ends and corners. Short closed tear to top edge of rear pastedown and top edge of front free endpage, else fine. Clean and bright. A nice copy. Size 24mo. 265 pages. LIT/032013. Near Fine.