[Adagio Press] Strouse, Norman H. and John Dreyfus

C-S The Master Craftsman

Harpers Woods, MI: The Adagio Press, 1969. Hard Cover. INTERESTING ASSOCIATION COPY WITH RELATED MATERIAL LAID IN.  This beautiful copy is inscribed by author John Dreyfus to noted Chicago book collector and philanthropist Samuel R. Rosenthal, "for Sam R Rosenthal after a splendid evening John Dreyfus 16 December 1978 Chicago."  Rosenthal and his wife, Marie-Louise, had a pre-eminent book collection that concentrated on livres d'artistes, illustrated books, and private press. This is 39 of 75 folio copies issued with one vellum leaf and one handmade paper leaf laid in from books printed at the Doves Press. There were 329 copies originally printed of this Adagio Press edition (although fewer than 180 were offered for sale), each with two Doves Press leaves: 12 with  both Doves Press leaves printed on vellum; 75 with one leaf on vellum and the second on handmade paper; and 242 with both leaves printed on handmade paper. This copy has an octavo vellum leaf from Goethe's "Faust," issued in 1906, and a folio double leaf on paper with Leviticus 16-22 from the famed Dove's Bible. The Adagio Press was founded in the late 1950s by Leonard Bahr, who signed the colophon.  In Roderick Cave's The Private Press, second edition, he cites the Bible as the most substantial title printed by the press.  In 1970, Strouse had sent two letters to Rosenthal, included with this copy, offering C-S The Master Craftsman. Strouse said that he would make Rosenthal's copy "a little special" by putting in a double leaf from the Bible. Two letters dated 1978 are laid in from Dreyfus to Rosenthal and his wife. These letters and the 1978 inscription indicate that he got to know Rosenthal around this time.  In one letter, Dreyfus expresses his appreciation for their expressions of sympathy over the tragic death of his son. There are a few handwritten additions to the text of Dreyfus's essay in this copy, which may have added when he inscribed the book, but this is conjecture. The book is hand sewn and bound in quarter vellum with Cockerell marbled paper covered boards and gilt title to spine.  It is printed in red and black Palatino Roman and Pascal types on handmade Tovil paper.  In addition to the Doves Press leaves, laid in are the prospectus, a mounted photograph of Cobden-Sanderson with Emery Walker developed from the original negative, a smaller copy of the photo, and a pamphlet issued in 1971 titled "A Letter from Stella."  This pamphlet reprints the text of the last letter written by Cobden-Sanderson to his daughter, Stella, a few hours before he died, with an introduction by Strouse. [54 pages.]  PRI/042309. Fine.

Allingham, William

Letters to William Allingham

London: Longmans, Green, and Co. 1911. Hard Cover. Very Good/No Jacket. FIRST EDITION. SIGNED BY AUTHOR'S SISTER. 8vo. Edited by H. Allingham and E. Baumer Williams. Presentation copy incribed 'Oliver and Chrissy Carlyle with love from Helen Allingham June 1912.' Original blue cloth boards with gilt title to spine and embossed title to front board. Boards are very overall very clean, though there is some minor staining to rear board. Spine ends are worn and corners are bumped. Bookplate of previous owner to front pastedown. Endpages are browned, but rest of interior is very clean with bright text. Tight binding. Includes frontispiece with tissue guard and four other illustrations. Index, 314 pp. LITBIO/050304. Very Good.

Arnold, Edwin

The Secret of Death [from Sanskrit] with some Collected Poems

London: Trubner and Co, 1885. Hard Cover. FIRST EDITION. PRESENTATION COPY, inscribed from the author to his daughter, Kate. The inscription reads: "The First Copy, for 'Kate'; E.A. / Feb 7.10.1885." It is written on the dedication page above a poem addressed "To my daughter". The poem closes with the line "Here - while these last - our love I celebrate, for thy sake and thy Mother's; - writing "KATE." Very good minus in original olive green cloth with gilt title to spine. Minor dampstains to spine and boards which have resulted in bubbling to book cloth. The only portion of the interior that shows evidence of dampstaining are the end pages. Both the front and rear endpages are adherred together along the edges and there are a few closed tears to the front free end page where is has been partially sepearted from the pastedown. A few spots of foxing to first and last few pages, else the interior is clean. 406 pages. POE/091908. Very good minus.

Austin, John C.

Chelsea Porcelain at Williamsburg.

Williamsburg, VA: The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, 1977. Hard Cover. SIGNED BY AUTHOR, PRESENTATION COPY INSCRIBED on title-page: To Olivia Rodgers an old & dear friend John and also signed under his printed name. Fine blue coated cloth backed blue linen boards, gilt title to spine. Very good plus pictorial d.j. (one closed tear to rear flap, small amount of creasing, edgewear). Interior is very nice, bright and clean, though a few areas have some ink underlining. Contains 144 plates, many in color. 153 pp. + facsimile reproduction of the 1755 Chelsea sale catalog, an important source documents for students of English porcelain. Ceramics. CER/8223. Very Good + in Very Good DJ.

Baretti, Giuseppe

Scritti teatrali

Ravenna, Italy: A. Longo, 1977. Soft Cover. Signed Presentation Copy. Near Fine in wraps. Signed and inscribed by the author on the front flyleaf, dated in 1977. Italian Literature. ITL1/1282. Near Fine in Wraps.

Bayliss, Wyke

The Enchanted Island: The Venice of Titian and Other Studies in Art

London: W.H. Allen & Co. 1888. Cloth. First Edition. Inscribed: "To Linda Falconer from the Author." Wyke Bayliss (1835-1906) was a British painter and author who was affiliated with the Pre-Raphaelites and friendds with such figures as Millais, Leighton, and Burne-Jones. Bound in dark red cloth with title and author in gilt to spine. Discolorations and bumping to boards. Light water stains to first few pages and some creases and light marks to last few pages. Several b&w illustrations. Very good minus condition. 207 pages. ART/032313. Very Good -.

Beckman, J.W.

The Touchstone (Signed Presentation Copy)

Waterloo, IA: Stewart-Simmon Press, 1914. Hard Cover. VG in grey cloth with black lettering on front cover. Signed presentation copy. Philosophy. PHI107201. Very Good.

Beerbohm, Max

Seven Men

London: William Heinemann, 1919. Hard Cover. A very nice ASSOCIATION COPY. Beerbohm signed and inscribed the book “For CS Evans from his friend Max 1919.” Evans was the chairman of Beerbohm’s publishing company, Heinemann, and he and Evans were close friends. Max Beerbohm, of course, is known as one of the leading critics, caricaturists, and writers of his day. This book is the first edition in the primary binding of dark blue cloth with gilt title and author to spine and front board. It is in very good plus condition with a small nick to the top of the front board, some chipping to corners and spine, and four darker blue spots to front. No dust jacket. Interior pages are clean with some browning to margins of pages. 219 pages plus four pages of publisher ads. LIT/091608. Very Good +.

Beerbohm, Max; Rupert Hart-Davis, introduction

A Peep into the Past and Other Prose Pieces

London: Heinemann, 1972. Hard Cover. Inscribed and signed by Rupert Hart-Davis. Laid in is a letter from Rupert's son, Adam, to a family friend, Bound in blue cloth with gilt title to spine. In brown, orange, cream dust jacket with some nicks and small tears. Overall in very good condition. 125 pages. LIT/061112. Very Good in Very Good Dust Jacket.

Behrman, S. N.

Brief Moment

New York: Farrar & Rinehart, Inc. [1931]. Hard Cover. Inscribed by the playwright. First edition of this well-received Broadway play, which ran in New York between November 1931 and February 1932. Berhman (1893-1973) was a prolific playwright and screenwriter, perhaps best known for his “high comedies” which were so popular in the 1930s. This copy was inscribed to Dame Nellie Burton, Berhman’s landlady when he stayed in London. Miss Burton ran a famous lodging house on Half Moon Street, where lived, among other notables, Siegfried Sassoon and Robbie Ross, the latter being one of Oscar Wilde’s closest friends. The inscription reads “For Miss Burton, with love from her devoted Sam, London Apr. 1932.” Laid in is a typed letter to Berhman from the Stanley Rose bookstore, informing him that the copy of Brief Moment he had sent to Miss Burton at her address on Half Moon Street was returned to sender, “party gone away.” Bound in red cloth with title and author in black on front cover and spine. The interior is bright and clean with some light spotting to fore-edge. The jacket has small tears to top and bottom of spine. In near fine condition with very good jacket. An extremely nice copy with an interesting association. DRA/042011. Near Fine.

Biddle, Margaret Seton Fleming

Hibernia The Unreturning Tide

New York: Privately Printed, 1947. Hard Cover. Presentation copy from the author to Dorothy Moyer. First Edition. A famliy history about Hibernia Florida. Very good in original turquoise paper covered boards with blue title to front cover. There is a large chip to the head of the spine and minor wear to the corners and edges of the boards. Clean and bright interior with several photographic illustrations. Nicely printed. 144 pages. AMSTATE/042011. Very Good.

Bigelow, John

Some Recollections of the Late Edouard Laboulaye

New York: G.P. Putname's Sons, c.1888. Hard Cover. VG in green cloth with gilt lettering on spine and front cover; borders of covers stitched with red thread. Presentation copy inscribed by the author. Privately printed. Scarce; pp. 81. French History. FRE106190. Very Good.