London: John W. Parker, 1856. Hardcover. First Edition. Author's presentation copy inscribed "John Brett with the kind regards of Coventry Patmore Sept. 24/1856. Brett, an associate of the Pre-Raphaelites did at least two portraits of Emily Andrews Patmore and one of Coventry Patmore himself. Coventry Patmore (1823-1896) was an English poet now best known for The Angel of the House, his narrative poem about the ideal happy marriage. This was published as volume II to The Angel, and In this work he eulogizes his deceased first wife, who inspired The Angel. With the book labels of collector Lafayette Butler and J.O. Edwards. Bound in original brown cloth with some bumping and chips to spine and spine label. Interior pages show some aging but still quite clean and legible. Very good condition. 182 pages. POE/071516. Very Good. More

London: Sampson Low, Marston, Low, and Searle, 1872. Hardcover. Second English Edition. AN EXCEPTIONAL ASSOCIATION COPY. Inscribed at the time of publication on a slip of paper affixed to front pastedown, "To my dear friend John H. Goodenow Esq U.S. Consul to Constantinople from Henry M. Stanley The Author London Nov 5 1872." Henry Morton Stanley (1841-1904), the explorer and journalist, was commissioned by his employer, the New York Herald to mount an expedition to Africa to find the missing Scottish missionary David Livingstone. Stanley found Livingstone in November 1871, where he famously said (or perhaps not),"Dr. Livingstone, I presume." The trip brought Stanley fame and fortune. His first account of the expedition was published in July 1872. The recipient, John Goodenow (1833-1906) was from a prominent legal and political family in Maine. In 1864 he was appointed as consul general in Constantinople and became secretary of the legation in Turkey in 1873. It was in his capacity as a senior diplomat in the Ottoman Empire that brought him in contact with Stanley. Stanley, traveling with two other men, made plans to travel through Turkey to Asia and China. Two weeks into their journey they found themselves embroiled in a violent encounter with local Turks. Stanley was eventually able to obtain the assistance of Goodenow, who secured compensation for their treatment. Bound in original brown cloth with embossed design on spine and front cover, with gilt illustration of two men meeting with the caption "D,. Livingstone I presume." Boards are chipped, bumped and spine has chip to top left edge. Rear cover watermarked, but binding is nicer than it sounds. Hinges are weak but text block is tight. The end papers are chipped and the rear hinge has pulled open, and the front folding map is detached from text block except for part that is still attached but torn away from the rest of the map.Later ownership signature on half-title. Frontispiece is a mounted photograph of Stanley. Full and partial page illustrations throughout. Four folding maps. Overall in very good condition. 736 pages including index plus 8 page publisher's catalog. TRAV/091213. Very Good. More

London and New York: Harper & Brothers, 1899. Hardcover. First Edition. An excellent Author's Presentation Copy, inscribed "C.F.A. Voysey from H.G. Wells." Herbert George Wells (1866-1946) was a prolific writer in many genres but is best remembered for his science fiction novels, of which this is one. This dystopian work was first published in 1899, but Wells revised it in 1910 and published it as When the Sleeper Awakes. He was dissatisfied with this first version, saying it was written when he was under time pressures. The recipient is Charles Voysey, an important English architect and designer who was influenced by the Arts & Crafts and Art Nouveau movements. In 1900 he was the architect for Spade House, which Wells built in 1900 and lived in for the succeeding decade. Laid in is a Raphael Tuck and Sons "real photograph" postcard of Wells that is contemporary with the book and signed in ink below the image. Such an early photograph of Wells is uncommon and signed ones are rare. It is very likely that Wells gave this one to Voysey. Bound in original red cloth with gilt title and author to spine and front cover. Spine is faded, bumping to corners. Hinges tender, endpapers smudged, light spotting to half title page not affecting the inscription. An accession number is written in ink on the free front endpaper and there is a blind stamp "W.H. Smith and Son London" below it. Bookplate of John Richard Sofio to front pastedown. Housed in handsome beige cloth box with leather title and author label to spine. Very good condition. 329 pages. LIT/011416. Very Good. More