Art and Architecture
Rare Art Books & Rare Architecture Books for Sale Online
Raptis Rare Books maintains an extensive selection of rare art books and rare books on architecture in our library. Browse through our entire collection below, view details about individual books and contact us to ask a question or find out more information.
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A LANDMARK IN THE HISTORY OF PRINTING, AND ONE OF THE GREATEST ILLUSTRATED BOOKS EVER PUBLISHED: Exceptionally rare colored Example of first edition of the monumental Nuremberg Chronicle; Published in 1493 and containing over 1800 splendid woodcuts illustrating the history of the world from the Creation of man to the invention of the printing press
SCHEDEL, Hartmann.
Liber Chronicarum. [The Nuremberg Chronicle].
Nuremberg: Anton Koberger for Sebald Schreyer and Sebastian Kammermeister, 12 July 1493.
Exceptionally rare colored example of the first edition of the Nuremberg Chronicle, the most extensively illustrated book of the 15th century. Imperial folio, bound in full 17th-century pigskin over bevelled wooden boards with elaborate blind tooling and scrolling to the spine and panels, brass cornerpieces, 2 fore-edge clasps, 325 leaves (of 328, without blank 55/6 and 61/5-6; fos. 9/3.4, 25/1, 53/6, 54/5 and possibly others supplied from another copy), quire 55 bound at end, fos. CCLVIIII-CCLXI blank except for printed headlines. 1809 woodcut illustrations printed from 645 blocks (S.C. Cockerell's count, some German woodcuts of the fifteenth century, 1897, pp.35-6),…
Price: $350,000.00 Item Number: 146920
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"Second only to Gilbert Stuart's Athenaeum portrait": Rembrandt Peale's "George Washington, Patriae Pater"
PEALE, Rembrandt. [George Washington].
“George Washington, Patriae Pater” Rembrandt Peale Original Oil Painting.
Rembrandt Peale's famed painted portrait of George Washington, "George Washington, Patriae Pater", considered by many second only to Gilbert Stuart's iconic Athenaeum portrait of the first president and variations of which hang in the Oval Office and Old Senate Chamber. Oil on canvas. In 1795, 17-year-old Rembrandt Peale was invited by his father, famed American painter Charles Willson Peale, to accompany him to a portrait sitting with President George Washington. Although young Rembrandt was not entirely satisfied with the resulting portrait of the aging Washington, it was well-received and made his debut as a portraitist. In 1822, after a trip…
Price: $350,000.00 Item Number: 135084
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"The greatest and finest atlas ever published": Willem and Joan Blaeu's magnificent Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, or, Le Theatre du Monde
BLAEU, Willem and Joan.
Theatrum Orbis Terrarum. [Le Theatre du Monde].
Amsterdam: Chez Jean Blaeu/Apud Guiljelmum et Johannem Blaeu, 1643-1645.
A fine French-text copy in a presentation binding. Folio, 4 volumes, contemporary Dutch vellum likely from the Blaeu workshop with gilt tooling to the spine in eight compartments within gilt bands, central gilt arabesques and fleuron corner pieces within double gilt ruling to the front and rear panels, all edges gilt. Gilt presentation inscription to the front panel of vol. I dated July 3, 1646 dedicating the set to Omer Talon, avocat-général to the French Parliament with the compliments of François du Monstier, rector of the University of Paris. Illustrated with 335 magnificent hand-colored engraved maps of the world and…
Price: $300,000.00 Item Number: 126307
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First octavo edition, presentation copy of John James Audubon's The Birds of America; warmly inscribed by him in both volumes I and II to Lydia E. E. Greene
AUDUBON, John James.
The Birds of America, From Drawings Made In The United States And Their Territories.
New York: Published by J. J. Audubon. Philadelphia: J. B. Chevalier, 1840-1844.
First octavo edition of Audubon's landmark work; one of the most spectacular collections of ornithological prints ever produced. Royal octavo, 7 volumes bound in full 19th-century morocco by P. Low of Boston with their ticket, gilt titles and ruling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, gilt ruling to the front and rear panels, gilt turn-ins, marbled endpapers, ribbons bound in. Illustrated with 500 hand-colored lithographed plates after Audubon by W. E. Hitchcock, R. Trembly and others, printed and colored by J. T. Bowen, wood-engraved anatomical diagrams in text. Presentation copy, inscribed by John James Audubon on…
Price: $200,000.00 Item Number: 143567
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Exceptionally rare pair of William and Thomas M. Bardin's New British Terrestrial and Celestial Globes; on the original mahogany tripod stands
Bardin’s New British Terrestrial and Celestial Globes. [Nineteenth Century English Globes].
c. 1800.
Fine pair of two large Regency period globes produced by William and Thomas M. Bardin, two of the most highly regarded globemakers of the period. Both the celestial and terrestrial globe measure 18 inches in diameter and are mounted on the original mahogany tripod stands with central compasses mounted on raised brass casters. Fitted with brass meridian rings, the terrestrial globe with an additional brass hour circle at the north pole. The horizon circles for both globes have engraved paper zodiacal rings with calendar. Each with a cartouche reading, "Sir Joseph Banks, Bart K.B., President of the Royal Society, this…
Price: $150,000.00 Item Number: 129376
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"You are one of the most special people to me, and you have meant so much to my life": Exceptionally Rare collection of original Harper Lee drawings, a painting, and letters with a first edition of To Kill A Mockingbird in the scarce first issue dust jacket; inscribed by Lee to close colleague and friend Charles Weldon Carruth
LEE, Harper.
To Kill a Mockingbird. Original Harper Lee Drawing, Painting and Letter Collection.
Philadelphia & New York: J.B. Lippincott Company, 1960.
First edition of perhaps the most important American novel of the 20th century, inscribed by Harper Lee to a close college friend and with a scarce archive of drawings and letters exchanged between the two. Octavo, original green cloth backed brown boards, titles to spine in gilt. Association copy, inscribed by Harper Lee to close University of Alabama college friend, Charles Weldon Carruth, "To my dear friend Charles, with love always — Harper Lee." In the fall term of 1945, Lee and Carruth both enrolled in a Shakespeare course taught by one of the University of Alabama's most famous faculty…
Price: $125,000.00 Item Number: 1115260
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Rare original Antoine de Saint-Exupery watercolor study of The Little Prince
SAINT-EXUPéRY, Antoine de .
The Little Prince Original Antoine de Saint-Exupery Watercolor Drawing.
[New York]: [1942].
Rare original watercolor study of the beloved protagonist of Antoine de Saint-Exupery's The Little Prince, a timeless masterpiece that has transcended generations and remains the most widely read work of fiction in history, having sold over 150 million copies over the course of the past 80 years. One page, pencil and watercolor on American ‘Fidelity Onion Skin’ paper, the sketch contains three pencil studies of the Little Prince: three portraits and two full figure drawings, the most complete of which is finished in water colors and depicts the Little Prince standing alone in a long grey cloak with his iconic…
Price: $98,000.00 Item Number: 146264
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Signed Photograph of Albert Einstein in Jerusalem; The Only One Known to Exist
EINSTEIN, Albert.
Albert Einstein Signed Photograph.
1923.
Extremely rare original photograph boldly signed "Albert Einstein Jersusalem 1923" during his only trip to Palestine in 1923. Einstein's return voyage from his tour of Japan and China took him via the Red Sea and Suez Canal which allowed him to accept the invitation of Arthur Ruppin, the director of the Palestine office of the Zionist Organization in Jaffa to visit the region for twelve days. Einstein arrived in Port Said on February 1, 1923, and from there he traveled to Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Jaffa and Haifa. The photographer, Zvi Oron, began his career in Warsaw and the United States…
Price: $60,000.00 Item Number: 141301
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"God is Truth": Exceptionally rare Etching Signed by Gandhi and Illustrator Fritz Eichenberg
GANDHI, Mohandas K. [Mahatma].
Mohandas K. Gandhi Signed Engraving Portrait.
Wood engraving of a bust-length portrait of one of the most famous graphic images of Gandhi by illustrator Fritz Eichenberg; signed by Gandhi, "God is Truth MK Gandhi." Below Gandhi's inscription in a pencil inscription by Fritz Eichenberg, "To Eva Aug. 16th, 1948 with love from Fritz" and additionally signed "Fritz Eichenberg." The engraving is a proof impression on Japanese paper. The portrait by Eichenberg was originally created for The Catholic Worker, a newspaper in the cause of social justice, and was subsequently used in multiple other publications. "The word satya (Truth) is derived from Sat which means 'being'. Nothing…
Price: $50,000.00 Item Number: 103540
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First edition of Guillaume Apollinaire's Poems (1898-1913); inscribed by him and Pablo Picasso
APOLLINAIRE, Guillaume. [Pablo Picasso].
Alcools: Poems (1898-1913). Avec un Portrait de L’Auteur par Pablo Picasso.
Paris: Mercure de France, 1913.
First edition of Apollinaire's first collection of poems, signed by him and Pablo Picasso. Octavo, bound in three quarter morocco with gilt titles and raised bands to the spine, patterned endpapers, frontispiece portrait of the poet by Pablo Picasso. Association copy, inscribed by both Apollinaire and Pablo Picasso on front free endpaper, "A A P.N. Roinard son admirateur Guillaume Apollinaire" and "et pour Robert Valançay Picasso Paris Janvier 1940 et I." Apollinaire has also made five corrections to the text in ink on pages 71, 77, 92, 110 and 189. The recipient of Apollinaire's inscription, Paul-Napoléon Roinard, was a French…
Price: $35,000.00 Item Number: 128083
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FIRST EDITION OF THE FIRST PRINTED ATLAS OF RUSSIA, AND ONE OF PETER THE GREAT'S MOST SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS
DE L'ISLE, Joseph Nicolas.
Russischer Atlas welcher in einer General-Charte und neunzehen Special-Charten das gesamte Russische Reich und dessen angräntzende Länder.vorstellig macht.
St. Petersburg: Entworffen bey der Kayserl. Academie der Wissenschaften, 1745.
Rare first edition of the first atlas printed of Russia. Folio, bound in full leather, 19 double-page maps, one large folding general map. In excellent condition with light toning. An exceptional example.
Price: $35,000.00 Item Number: 105840
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THE FIRST ILLUSTRATED EDITION OF ULYSSES: SIGNED BY JAMES JOYCE AND HENRI MATISSE
JOYCE, James and Henri Matisse.
Ulysses.
New York : Limited Editions Club, 1935.
First illustrated edition of Joyce’s landmark Ulysses, one of only 250 examples signed by James Joyce in pen and Henri Matisse in pencil, with 26 illustrations by him, one of the 20th-century’s most desirable illustrated books, combining the work of two great modern artists. Large quarto, original gilt-stamped pictorial brown cloth, original slipcase. In fine condition with the rare original slipcase which is in good condition and original glassine jacket. With an introduction by Stuart Gilbert. An exceptional example, most rare in this condition and in the seldom seen glassine jacket.
Price: $30,000.00 Item Number: 140072
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Exceptionally rare second edition of Ye Zipei’s complete map of the world, one of only two known copies produced by terrestrial globe expert Liu Yan
YAN, Liu (Liu Dezhi). [Ye Zipei].
Complete Map of the World with All Nations.
China: Wanguo Dadi Quantu, 1851 [Xianfeng period].
Exceptionally rare second edition of Ye Zipei’s complete map of the world, one of only two known copies produced by terrestrial globe expert Liu Yan. The terrestrial map is comprised of six accordion-style albums bound in handmade paper with white titular labels lettered in hand to each front panel. A woodblock print in red and black ink, the map features two hemispheres defined by straight meridian and circular parallel lines and a ground of red grids. The left hemisphere centers on the south pole, while the right one on the north pole; both are bordered by the equator, adopting the…
Price: $30,000.00 Item Number: 131424
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"Nothing in bronze or stone could be a more perfect image than this statue of the living Washington": Fine bronze bust of George Washington after the famed Houdon bust of 1785
HOUDON, Jean-Antoine. [George Washington].
Jean-Antoine Houdon George Washington Bronze Bust.
Fine bronze bust of George Washington, after the famed Houdon bust of 1785 which is considered the most accurate depiction of Washington. Bronze, mounted on a marble pedestal. French sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon was revered for his life-like portrayals of numerous notable eighteenth-century philosophers, inventors, and political figures including Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Voltaire, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Napoléon Bonaparte, and George Washington. In 1784, the Virginia General Assembly commissioned a statue of George Washington "to be of the finest marble and the best workmanship," necessitating a European craftsman. The Governor of Virginia gave the responsibility of selecting the artist to Thomas Jefferson,…
Price: $30,000.00 Item Number: 123102
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"In this brief life of ours, it is sad to do almost anything for the last time": Large Signed Portrait Photograph Signed by Charles Dickens
DICKENS, Charles.
Charles Dickens Signed Portrait Photograph.
1868.
Large oval portrait photograph measures 20 inches by 16 inches. Matted in a contemporary frame which measures 25.5 inches by 29.5 inches. Signed "Charles Dickens (with a large flourish) Boston Sixth March 1868." In 1867, Charles Dickens began his second American reading tour at Boston's Tremont Temple, where an enthusiastic audience delighted in some of his most notable works, members of the audience included legendary literary stars such as Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Ralph Waldo Emerson. Although Dickens was in declining health, he embarked on an ambitious travel schedule across the United States. Dickens returned to Boston once more before concluding…
Price: $30,000.00 Item Number: 74030
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FINE PAIR OF RARE EARLY 19TH CENTURY Josiah Loring CELESTIAL AND TERRESTRIAL TABLE GLOBES
LORING, Josiah.
Loring’s Terrestrial and Celestial Table Globes.
Boston: Josiah Loring, c. 1833.
Fine pair of rare early 19th century American celestial and terrestrial table globes published by Josiah Loring. Both the celestial and terrestrial globe measure 17 inches in diameter with a calibrated brass meridian ring and 17 inch mahogany horizon ring decorated with mounted hand colored decorations. Mounted on ebonized oak stands. Each globe is comprised of 12 richly detailed hand-colored gores with polar calottes, the terrestrial globe detailing the earth’s landmasses, major countries and cities and the celestial showing the major stars in various sizes related to their brightness. Major constellations and all twelve zodiac signs are illustrated with detailed…
Price: $30,000.00 Item Number: 132508
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"Produced by the most important and active printing press of 17th century Rome": Rare early seventeenth century Italian celestial globe produced by Roman cartographer Giuseppe de Rossi
GIUSEPPE DE ROSSI,.
Giuseppe de Rossi’s Globus Coelest. [Seventeenth Century Italian Celestial Globe].
Rome: Giuseppe de Rossi, [1615].
Rare early seventeenth century Italian celestial globe produced by Roman cartographer Giuseppe de Rossi, the founder the most important and active printing press of 17th century Rome, the Rossi firm. Laid horizontally and mounted on a turned mahogany stand, the celestial globe measures 8 inches in diameter and is comprised of 12 hand-colored engraved gores depicting the major constellations and all twelve zodiac signs, illustrated in detail after Jodocus Hondius famed celestial globe of 1601. The inscribed cartouche reads, "Globus Coelest, in quo stellae fixæ omnes quæ a N. Viro Tychone Brahe suma cura observatæ sunt, accuratissime dessignantur: quibus adjuncte…
Price: $28,000.00 Item Number: 127575
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"SHE WANTS LIFE TO BE EASY AND FULL OF PLEASANT REMINISCES": FIRST EDITION OF ZELDA FITZGERALD'S SAVE ME THE WALTZ; IN THE RARE ORIGINAL DUST JACKET AND WITH AN ORIGINAL PAINTING SIGNED BY HER WITH HER INITIALS
FITZGERALD, Zelda.
Save Me The Waltz.
New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1932.
First edition of Zelda Fitzgerald’s only novel, a semi-autobiographical account of her life and marriage to F. Scott Fitzgerald. Octavo, original cloth. Laid in is a card with an original gouache painting of a flower painted by Fitzgerald and signed by her with her initials, "Z S.F." Zelda began painting while on holiday in Rome and Capri with Scott in 1924, where they received the proofs of The Great Gatsby. In 1932, while being treated at the Phipps Clinic at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, she had a burst of creativity which produced Save Me the Waltz as well as…
Price: $28,000.00 Item Number: 137264
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Rare Original Goldfinger Dust Jacket Design Printing Proof; signed by Dust Jacket Designer Richard Chopping and from his personal collection
CHOPPING, Richard. [Ian Fleming].
Goldfinger. [Original Richard Chopping Signed Printing Proof].
Rare original progressive color printing proof for the iconic dust jacket design of Ian Fleming's Goldfinger, designed by Richard Chopping. Chopping's copy, retained for his personal collection and signed by him in the lower right corner. One page on archival printer's paper, this is a yellow and magenta ink progressive plate proof (printed using two of four plates combined to create the final full color image). The seventh novel in Fleming's bond series, Goldfinger was the second book with a dust jacket designed by Richard Chopping, the first being From Russia, With Love. Chopping would design all subsequent James Bond…
Price: $25,000.00 Item Number: 124288
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Rare Original Goldfinger Dust Jacket Design Printing Proof; signed by Dust Jacket Designer Richard Chopping and from his personal collection
CHOPPING, Richard. [Ian Fleming].
Goldfinger. [Original Richard Chopping Signed Printing Proof].
Rare original progressive color printing proof for the iconic dust jacket design of Ian Fleming's Goldfinger, designed by Richard Chopping. Chopping's copy, retained for his personal collection and signed by him in the lower right corner. One page on archival printer's paper, this is the magenta ink progressive plate proof (printed using one of four plates combined to create the final full color image). The seventh novel in Fleming's bond series, Goldfinger was the second book with a dust jacket designed by Richard Chopping, the first being From Russia, With Love. Chopping would design all subsequent James Bond dust jackets…
Price: $25,000.00 Item Number: 124559
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Exceedingly rare original miniature manuscript of Shel Silverstein's zany children's tale A Giraffe and a Half
SILVERSTEIN, Shel.
Original A Giraffe and a Half Autograph Manuscript.
c. 1964.
Exceedingly rare original miniature manuscript of Shel Silverstein's zany children's tale A Giraffe and a Half. Oblong 16mo, three miniature books drawn by and with text entirely in Silverstein's hand illustrating three sections of the book, . The first section begins, "If you had a giraffe and he stretched another half... You would have a giraffe and a half... if he put on a hat and inside was a rat... You would have a giraffe and a half with a rat in his hat..." With Silverstein's edits in both pen and pencil throughout. A charming and unique original manuscript offering…
Price: $25,000.00 Item Number: 116374
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"I have never advocated war except as a means of peace": Rare Henry Shrady Ulysses S. Grant Bronze Bust
GRANT, Ulysses S.] Henry Merwin Shrady.
Ulysses S. Grant Bronze Bust.
Original bronze bust of Ulysses S. Grant by Henry Shrady, the famed sculptor of the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial on the west front of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. Mounted on socle and base, the entire piece measures 18.5 inches in height, the base measures 9.5 inches square. In fine condition. An exceptional piece of Americana.
Price: $22,500.00 Item Number: 102885
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“All that hitchhikin All that railroadin All that comin back to America”: FIRST EDITION OF JACK KEROUAC’S Lonesome Traveler; Signed by Him
KEROUAC, Jack; Drawings by Larry Rivers.
Lonesome Traveler.
New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1960.
First edition of this collection of short stories. Octavo, original half cloth, drawings by Larry Rivers. Boldly signed by Jack Kerouac on the title page. Near fine in a near fine dust jacket. Rare and desirable signed, this is the first example we have seen.
Price: $20,000.00 Item Number: 114572
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"You've lots of friends, let me be among them": Rare original sketch signed and inscribed by American painter Franz Kline
KLINE, Franz.
Franz Kline “The Boy Friend” Original Signed Sketch.
Rare original sketch signed and inscribed by American painter Franz Kline. One page, with pen and ink caricature sketches on both the recto and verso. Kline has drawn five caricatures on the recto which he has signed and titled "The Boyfriend". On the verso, he has drawn a single figure and inscribed the work, "You've lots of friends let me be among them. Franz Kline." In near fine condition. A rare and desirable piece exhibiting Kline's early style. Framed.
Price: $20,000.00 Item Number: 123539
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One of the Earliest Calligraphic Works by Thomas Merton
MERTON, Thomas.
Thomas Merton Original Calligraphic Artwork.
Original signed artwork from Thomas Merton. In the last decade of his life, while living as a hermit-monk in dialogue with the world, Thomas Merton created a body of visual art, drawing from the Zen Buddhist tradition. When he was a student at Columbia University, Merton sought out a Hindu monk named Bramachari for counsel. The monk advised Merton to follow his own Christian tradition to find what he was most deeply looking for. A strong admirer of Gandhi, Merton also noted how Gandhi, a Hindu, had found a congenial ' second home' of sorts in the Christian Sermon on…
Price: $20,000.00 Item Number: 17032
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First Edition of The Second Part of Cervantes' Masterpiece the History of the Valorous and Witty Knight-Errant, Don Quixote of the Mancha
CERVANTES SAAVEDRA, Miguel de.
Second Part of The History of the Valorous and Witty Knight-Errant, Don Quixote of the Mancha.
London: Printed for Edward Blount, 1620.
First edition of the second part of Cervantes' masterpiece in English. Oblong duodecimo, bound in half leather over marbled boards with gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised bands, black and green morocco spine labels. In near fine condition, lacking the engraved title with several words faintly missing on p. 160 [an original printing flaw], slight trimming to the bottom lines of the first signature, and a bookplate to the front pastedown. An exceptional presentation.
Price: $20,000.00 Item Number: 145724
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Rare Original Goldfinger Dust Jacket Design Printing Proof; signed by Dust Jacket Designer Richard Chopping and from his personal collection
CHOPPING, Richard. [Ian Fleming].
Goldfinger. [Original Richard Chopping Signed Printing Proof].
Rare original progressive color printing proof for the iconic dust jacket design of Ian Fleming's Goldfinger, designed by Richard Chopping. Chopping's copy, retained for his personal collection and signed by him in the lower right corner. One page on archival printer's paper, this is the black ink progressive plate proof (one of four plates combined to create the final full color image). The seventh novel in Fleming's bond series, Goldfinger was the second book with a dust jacket designed by Richard Chopping, the first being From Russia, With Love. Chopping would design all subsequent James Bond dust jackets (with the…
Price: $18,000.00 Item Number: 124391
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Rare Association Copy of Arthur Rackham's Illustrated edition of J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens; signed and inscribed by J.M. Barrie, George Frampton, Princess Beatrice, Princess Marie Louise, Nadejda Mountbatten, and Arthur Rackham with an original drawing
BARRIE, J.M. Illustrated by Arthur Rackham.
Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens.
London: Hodder & Stoughton Limited, n.d.
New edition of Rackham’s highly-sought-after masterpiece, which established his reputation as one of England’s premier illustrators. Quarto, original publisher's green cloth elaborately decorated in gilt, illustrated by Arthur Rackham with 50 mounted color plates complete with captioned tissue guards including frontispiece. Association copy, signed by author J.M. Barrie on the verso of the front free endpaper, signed by Arthur Rackham on the recto of the frontispiece with an original drawing as well as Nadejda "Nada" Mountbatten, Marchioness of Milford Haven, signed by the sculptor of the Peter Pan statue in Kensington Gardens, George Frampton on front pastedown, and signed by Princess…
Price: $18,000.00 Item Number: 142267
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Rare Globe Terrestre d'apres les Decouvertes les Plus Recentes
BERTRAUX, Emile .
Globe Terrestre d’apres les Decouvertes les Plus Recentes [Terrestrial Globe].
Paris: Emile Bertraux, 1879.
A fine and highly detailed French terrestrial library globe showing the earth's geography as it was mapped in the late nineteenth century. The globe includes the oceans' major currents, the declination of the sun, color-coded European colonial possessions, the locations of railway tracks, telegraph lines, and ocean liner routes, as well as the tracks of various explorers, including Columbus, Cook, Vancouver, D'Urville, and Freycinet, among others. The globe consists of twelve hand-colored lithographed paper gores and two calottes pasted to a plaster and wood sphere; the globe's graduated brass meridian circle is set within a later stand consisting of a…
Price: $17,500.00 Item Number: 136769
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Rare original Bag One lithograph; signed by John Lennon
LENNON, John. [The Beatles].
John Lennon Signed “Bag One” Lithograph.
New York: Cinnamon Press, 1970.
Rare Bag One lithograph signed by Beatles icon John Lennon. One page, the title page from Lennon's Bag One Portfolio. Signed by him beneath the image. One of 300 numbered copies, this is number 172. In near fine condition. Matted and framed. Rare and desirable.
Price: $17,500.00 Item Number: 123601
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Rare First Edition of Leonardo Da Vinci's Trattato della Pittura di Lionardo da Vinci
DA VINCI, Leonardo.
Trattato della Pittura di Lionardo da Vinci. [Leonardo da Vinci].
Paris: Jacques Langlois, 1651.
Rare first edition of this classic treatise of da Vinci's work on painting, two parts in one volume. Folio, bound in full contemporary calf, gilt titles, engraved portrait of da Vinci in each part, engraved vignette on title, engraved initials, head and tail pieces, engraved text illustrations. In very good condition, marginalia, rebacked. Compiled from his original notes by his pupil Francesco Melzi. First editions are rare.
Price: $16,000.00 Item Number: 130267
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Rare original Bag One lithograph; signed by John Lennon; Presented by him to Jonathan Cott, who was the conducted the final solo interview with Lennon
LENNON, John. [The Beatles].
John Lennon Signed “Bag One” Lithograph.
New York: Cinnamon Press, 1970.
Rare Bag One lithograph signed by Beatles icon John Lennon. One page, the title page from Lennon's Bag One Portfolio. Signed by him beneath the image. From the collection of Jonathan Cott, author and editor of numerous books, predominately focusing on music and who has written articles for varied publications such as Rolling Stone, The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Los Angeles Times, The Village Voice, Vogue, Esquire and The Wall Street Journal. This was presented by John Lennon to Jonathan Cott, who interviewed Lennon and Yoko Ono several times, and whose December 5, 1980 interview with Lennon was the final solo interview conducted…
Price: $16,000.00 Item Number: 144022
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Fine pair of rare early 19th century of Regency Twelve-Inch Terrestrial and Celestial Library Globes
CARY, George; John and William Cary.
Pair of Regency Terrestrial and Celestial Library Globes
London: George and John Cary and by John and William Cary, c. 1816 and 1821.
Fine pair of rare early 19th century celestial and terrestrial table globes the cartouche of the terrestrial globe reads Cary's New Terrestrial Globe Delineated From the best Authorities extant Exhibiting the late discoveries towards the North Pole and every improvement in Geography to the present Time London Made & Sold by G & J Cary, 86 S. James's St. March 15th 1821; the cartouche of the celestial globe reads Cary's New Celestial Globe on white are correctly laid down upwards of 3500 stars Selected from the most accurate observations and calculated for the year 1800. With the extent of each…
Price: $15,000.00 Item Number: 141475
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"Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen": Rare First Edition in English of Leonardo Da Vinci's A Treatise of Painting
DA VINCI, Leonardo.
A Treatise of Painting by Leonardo da Vinci. Translated from The Original Italian, And adorn’d with a great Number of Cuts: To which is prefix’d The Author’s Life; Done from the Last Edition of the French.
London: Printed for J. Senex, at the Globe in Salisbury Court; and W. Taylor, at the Ship in Pater-Noster-Row, 1721.
Rare first edition in English of da Vinci's classic treatise on painting. Octavo, bound in full speckled calf with elaborate gilt tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, burgundy morocco spine label lettered in gilt, elaborate scrolling and cornerpieces stamped in blind and speckled calf inlays to the front and rear panels, gilt turn-ins, title page printed in red and black, illustrated with engraved frontispiece portrait facing title, thirty-one full page plates, and three folding (thirty-five in total), final two leaves of publisher's ads present after text. In near fine condition. A superior example. First editions…
Price: $15,000.00 Item Number: 147201
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First edition of the second book on architecture published in America: Owen Biddle's The Young Carpenter's Assistant
BIDDLE, Owen.
The Young Carpenter’s Assistant; Or, A System Of Architecture, Adapted To The Style Of Building In The United States.
Philadelphia: Benjamin Johnson, 1805.
First edition of the second book on architecture published in America, second only to Asher Benjamin's Country Builder's Assistant' published in 1797( Shaw & Shoemaker, 8018). Quarto, bound in full calf, gilt titles and tooling to the spine, gilt ruled to the front and rear panels, illustrated with 44 engraved plates, 2 folding. In very good condition. Scarce with only 2 copies having appeared at auction in the past 50 years.
Price: $15,000.00 Item Number: 117672
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First edition of Peter Rabbit's Painting Book; lengthily inscribed by Beatrix Potter to the Headmistress of Queen's College
POTTER, Beatrix.
Peter Rabbit’s Painting Book.
London & New York: Frederick Warne & Co, 1911.
First edition of this charming paint-by-line children's book featuring Potter's most beloved animal characters. Quarto, original pictorial cloth, pictorial endpapers, illustrated with 12 color plates, each with facing outlined illustration intended for coloring-in, two of which have been hand-painted. Presentation copy, lengthily inscribed by the author on the second free endpaper in the year of publication, "Love to Mary Kynaston from Miss Potter and Peter Rabbit: and love to Joan and Phyllis and their little brother from all the little animals. (It is going to be gray squirrels next time, but that is a secret!) Thank you for a very…
Price: $15,000.00 Item Number: 135107
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Bust of Abraham Lincoln by famed artist George Bissell; One of only three examples
[ABRAHAM LINCOLN] GEORGE BISSELL,.
Bust of Abraham Lincoln.
Patinated bronze portrait bust of Abraham Lincoln, marked "GEO. E. BISSELL Sc GORHAM CO. FOUNDERS copyrighted," and stamped "G 47." This is one of a series of popular desktop busts of Lincoln produced by the Gorham foundry in the early part of the 20th century. In fine condition. The piece measures 18 inches in height. An exceptional piece of American history.
Price: $15,000.00 Item Number: 133797
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Etching of Albert Einstein by Hermann Struck; Signed by Both Struck and Einstein
EINSTEIN, Albert; Hermann Struck.
Albert Einstein Signed Etching.
1923.
Lithograph portrait of "the father of modern physics", Albert Einstein by well-known artist Hermann Struck. Signed by Einstein, "Albert Einstein 1923" and Struck, "Herman Struck 138/150". In fine condition. Matted and framed, the entire piece measures 19.75 inches by 15.5 inches. An exceptional piece.
Price: $15,000.00 Item Number: 127204
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Rare original sketch for the ball gown worn by Audrey Hepburn in her breakout role as Princess Anne in Roman Holiday; signed by Academy Award-winning costume designer Edith Head
HEAD, Edith. [Audrey Hepburn].
“Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday.” [Original Edith Head Signed Costume Sketch].
c. 1953.
Rare original sketch by Academy Award-winning costume designer Edith Head for the ball gown worn by Audrey Hepburn in her breakout role as Princess Ann in William Wyler's classic 1953 comedy, Roman Holiday. Design for Paramount Pictures, circa 1953. Gouache sketch on paper with added white. Signed and annotated by the designer, "Audrey Hepburn in 'Roman Holiday' Edith Head." The dress appears in the opening scene of the film, when the Princess is shown in newsreels greeting and dancing with dignitaries at an official reception. According to an interview with Head broadcast just after the film's release, she made two regal…
Price: $15,000.00 Item Number: 145841
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Etching of Albert Einstein by Hermann Struck; Signed by Both Struck and Einstein
EINSTEIN, Albert; Hermann Struck.
Albert Einstein Signed Etching.
1923.
Etch bust of Albert Einstein done by well-known artist Hermann Struck. Signed by both Einstein and Struck, numbered 49/150. In fine condition. Double matted and framed, the entire piece measures 12.25 inches by 15 inches. An exceptional piece.
Price: $14,000.00 Item Number: 95890
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First Edition, First Issue of Every Building on the Sunset Strip; Inscribed by Ed Ruscha to Hollywood director Paton Price
RUSCHA, Edward.
Every Building on the Sunset Strip.
Los Angeles, California: Edward Ruscha, 1966.
First edition, first issue of Ruscha's self-published 27-foot accordion-folded photographic panorama of the iconic Los Angeles boulevard, a milestone in the history of artist’s books. First issue with a small flap as the final leaf. Octavo, original publisher's white wrappers with titles printed in silver to the spine and front panel, single accordion-folded panorama of both sides of the iconic Sunset Strip printed with offset lithography, opens to a length of 27 feet. Association copy, inscribed by the artist in the year of publication on the copyright page, "Merry Christmas Paton and Tillie! Ed Ruscha 1966." The recipient, actor and…
Price: $12,500.00 Item Number: 146588
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Rare collection of six Winnie-The-Pooh prints; with an autograph note signed by both A. A. Milne and Ernest Shepard
MILNE, A. A.; Ernest Shepard.
A. A. Milne and Ernest Shepard Signed Winnie-the-Pooh Print Collection.
1928.
Rare collection of six Winnie-The-Pooh prints specially bound with an autograph note signed by both A. A. Milne and Ernest Shepard. Quarto, bound in hand-made paper wrappers, the collection includes six mounted Winnie-the-Pooh illustrations extracted from issues of Home Chat magazine which were produced by Shepard exclusively for Home Chat in 1928 and never appeared in any of the Pooh books. With a mounted note signed by Milne and Shepard. The prints are titled: Christopher Robin has a Little Something at Eleven; What Christopher Robin does in the Mornings; Christopher Robin gives Extract of Malt all round; Christopher Robin's Green…
Price: $12,500.00 Item Number: 122600
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Rare thirty-seven star American flag commemorating the statehood of Nebraska
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,.
Thirty-Seven Star American Flag.
c. 1876-77.
Rare thirty-seven star American flag in use between July 4, 1876 when the state of Nebraska was admitted into the Union as the 37th state and July 3, 1877 when Colorado was admitted as the 38th state. Silk with a 6-6-6-7-6-6 arrangement of the stars. In very good condition. Matted and framed. The flag measures approximately 23 inches by 36 inches. The entire piece measures 41 inches by 53 inches.
Price: $12,500.00 Item Number: 146952
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"In every battle there comes a time when both sides consider themselves beaten, then he who continues the attack wins": Rare Henry Kirke Bush-Brown Bust of Ulysses S. Grant as the first general of the united states army
BUSH-BROWN, Henry Kirke. [Ulysses S. Grant].
Ulysses S. Grant Bronze Bust.
New York: Henry-Bonnard Bronze Co., [c. 1885].
Attractive bronze bust of of Ulysses S. Grant as General of the Army by famed American sculptor Henry Kirke Bush-Brown. The adopted nephew of sculptor Henry Kirke Brown, Henry Kirke Bush-Brown was revered for his accurate realist sculptures illustrating American history. He produced three equestrian bronze sculptures erected at the Gettysburg battlefield depicting General George Mead (the victor at Gettysburg), General John F. Reynolds (killed in action July 1, 1863), and General John Sedgwick (the senior most Union casualty of the American Civil War). In addition, Bush-Brown made a bust of Abraham Lincoln, dedicated in 1912 as part of the…
Price: $12,500.00 Item Number: 125381
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"Learning never exhausts the mind": RARE EDITION OF LEONARDO DA VINCI'S TRATTATO DELLA PITTURA
DU FRESNE, Rafaelle. [Leonardo Da Vinci].
Trattato Della Pittura Di Lionardo Da Vinci Nuovamente Dato In Luce, Colla Vita Dell’ Istesso Autore, Scritta Da Rafaelle Du Fresne. Si sono giunti i tre libri della Pittura, ed il trattato della Statua di Leon Battista Alberti, colla vita del medesimo, E di nuovo ristampato, corretto, ed a maggior perfezione concotto.
In Parigi ed in Napoli: Giacomo Langlois ed Francesco Ricciardo a spese di Niccola, e Vicenzo Rispoli, 1733.
Rare third augmented edition of the preferred work in Italian of da Vinci’s work on painting. Folio, bound in stiff paper wrappers, illustrated with text engravings throughout, with two full-paged portraits of da Vinci and Alberti, lacking the final two text leaves: H1 & H2. The true date of the Parisian edition, as in all copies, is altered in pen on the title page: from MDCLI to MDCCI. In very good condition. Housed in a custom clamshell box.
Price: $12,500.00 Item Number: 125493
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Bust of Abraham Lincoln by famed artist George Bissell
[ABRAHAM LINCOLN] GEORGE BISSELL,.
Bust of Abraham Lincoln.
Patinated bronze cast of Abraham Lincoln by George Bissell, one of only three commissioned by Ralph Newman for THE USS AL. Boldly signed by the artist in the back Geo. E. Bissell Sc. George Bissell was an important American sculptor working in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He produced two full length statues of Lincoln: one in Edinburgh and one in Clermont, Iowa. According to the letter from Lincoln College Curator Paul Beaver, the present item is one of three copies made from the school's original Bissell bronze bust of Lincoln by the Van Dyke Galleries of Chicago…
Price: $12,500.00 Item Number: 131044
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Rare original P.B. Socci portraits of Beatles legends John Lennon and Paul McCartney; signed by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and P.B. Socci
SOCCI, P.B; John Lennon; Paul McCartney.
John Lennon and Paul McCartney Signed P.B. Socci Sketches.
Rare graphite artist’s sketches of Beatles legends John Lennon and Paul McCartney by American artist Pat B. Socci. Signed by John Lennon vertically with an added self-caricature and Paul McCartney on their respective portraits and additionally signed by artist P.B. Socci. Active in the mid 1970s, American artist Pat B. Socci gained a reputation for seeking out Hollywood icons to sign his sketched portraits. Pencil notation to the verso of the Lennon portrait (now obscured by the frame's backing), stating that Lennon's signature was obtained at the "Carlyle Hotel, Sgt. Pepper Premiere Night, 11-17-74." The McCartney signature was obtained in person on…
Price: $12,500.00 Item Number: 145291
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"Bats Wishes": Original Oversized Sketch of Batman, Robin, and Penguin; Inscribed by Cartoonist Bob Kane to Writer Cork Millner and Annotated by Him on the Reverse
KANE, Bob; [Cork Millner].
Bob Kane and Cork Millner Signed Original Oversized Batman Sketch.
Biltmore Hotel, Santa Barbara: 1994.
Rare original oversized Batman sketch. One page on off-white cardstock, original felt tip sketch of Batman, Robin, and the Penguin, boldly inscribed by Bob Kane, "For my friend Cork, write on! Bats wishes, Bob Kane, '94." Additionally annotated and signed on the reverse by writer Cork Millner, "Personally drawn for Cork Millner at the Biltmore Hotel, Santa Barbara, during Bob Kane's visit to the SBWC (as a speaker) in exchange for a signed copy of Portraits." Framed. In fine condition. The piece measures 20 inches by 12 inches. Rare and desirable.
Price: $12,000.00 Item Number: 146709
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First edition of The White House Gardens: A History and Pictorial Record; inscribed by Jacqueline Kennedy to her mother-in-law Rose Kennedy
NIXON, Patricia. [Preface]; [Jacqueline Kennedy; Rose Kennedy].
The White House Gardens: A History and Pictorial Record.
New York: Great American Editions, 1973.
First edition of the first book to trace the history of and fully illustrate the grounds of the White House gardens. Oblong quarto, original cloth, pictorial endpapers, illustrated with color plates by Harold Sterner. Association copy, inscribed by Jacqueline Kennedy on the half-title page, "For Grandma with love Jackie." The recipient, Rose Kennedy, was the matriarch of the Kennedy family: the wife of Joseph P. Kennedy Sr., mother of John F. Kennedy and his eight siblings, mother-in-law of Jacqueline Kennedy, and grandmother of the children of John F. and Jacqueline Kennedy. She was a devout catholic and deeply embedded in…
Price: $12,000.00 Item Number: 142435
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Scarce New Edition with large Additions of Ebenezer Sibly's The Medical Mirror, or Treatise on the Impregnation of the Human Female
SIBLY, Ebenezer.
The Medical Mirror, or Treatise on the Impregnation of the Human Female, Shewing the Origin of Diseases And the Principles of Death.
London: Printed for the Author, and Sold by all Booksellers in Town & Country, c. 1798.
Scarce early printing of Sibly's The Medical Mirror. Octavo, bound paper-covered boards, illustrated with engraved frontispiece, vignette title page and 13 anatomical plates engraved by W. Newman. New Edition with large Additions. In very good condition. Bound into a three-ring medical binder. Exceptionally rare, with only a handful of copies having appeared at auction in the last 80 years.
Price: $12,000.00 Item Number: 129707
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"So the long collaboration between author and artist is ended; and it ends inevitable in an atmosphere of regret": Complete Set of Charles Dickens by the Nonesuch Press
DICKENS, Charles.
Complete Set of the Works of Charles Dickens Nonesuch Press.
London: The Nonesuch Press, 1937-38.
The complete set of Charles Dickens by the Nonesuch Press, one of only 877 sets. Octavo, 24 volumes, original cloth, woodcut illustrations, original variously colored buckram by Leighton Straker. Edited by Arthur Waugh, Hugh Walpole, Thomas Hatton and Walter Dexter. In near fine condition. A very sharp set.
Price: $9,800.00 Item Number: 140200
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Rare second edition of Leoni's English translation of Palladio's monumental Architecture in four books
PALLADIO, Andrea. Translated from the Italian by Giacomo Leoni.
The Architecture of A. Palladio: In Four Books Containing a Short Treatise of the Five Orders, and the Most Necessary Observations Concerning All Sorts of Building; As Also The Different Construction of Private and Publick Houses, High-ways. Bridges, Market-places, Xystes, and Temples, with their Plans, Sections and Uprights.
London: Printed by John Darby for the Author, 1721.
Rare second English edition of Leoni's English translation of Palladio's monumental work, containing new typesetting, but reusing the same plates from the first edition. Folio, two volumes bound in full contemporary polished calf with gilt titles and ruling to the spine in six compartments within raised bands, double gilt ruling and decorative stamping to the front and rear panels, engraved frontispiece portrait of Palladio, illustrated with 104 numbered engraved plates on 203 leaves (including 15 double-page plates), as well as 12 engraved in-text plates. Armorial bookplate to the pastedown of each volume. In very good condition.
Price: $9,800.00 Item Number: 146284
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"A monumental achievement chromolithography": Rare First Edition of Owen Jones' The Alhambra
JONES, Owen.
Plans, Elevations, Sections and Details of the Alhambra.
London: Owen Jones, 1841-45.
First edition of this monumental work on The Alhambra. Elephant folio, two volumes, bound in three quarters morocco over marbled boards, as issued. In excellent condition with some wear to the binding, plates in exceptional condition.
Price: $9,800.00 Item Number: 33008
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Nineteenth Century Portrait of George Washington
STUART, Gilbert. (George Washington).
George Washington Portrait.
Portrait of George Washington after Gilbert Stuart, American School, late 19th century oil on canvas portrait of President George Washington, after the Athaneum portrait by Gilbert Stuart. Housed in a Victorian giltwood frame with floral carved corner ornaments and oval opening. The entire piece measures 35 inches by 40 inches. An exceptional piece.
Price: $9,800.00 Item Number: 78002
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Rare Illuminated Astrological Sign Symbol Painting Collection; elaborately bound in full decorated calf and containing twelve original paintings
Illuminated Astrological Sign Symbol Painting Collection.
Rare collection of illuminated paintings depicting the twelve signs of the Zodiac. Quarto, bound in full calf with gilt tooling to the spine, elaborate gilt ruling to the front and rear panels with fleuron cornerpieces surrounding a gilt-bordered morocco onlay displaying a coat of arms, patterned endpapers, twelve vellum leaves. The illuminated paintings include: the Aires the Ram, Taurus the Bull, the Gemini Twins, Cancer the Crab, Leo the Lion, the Maiden Virgo in Medieval dress, the Scales of Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius the Centaur, Capricorn the Goat, Aquarius the Water-bearer, and Fishes Pisces. Painted in a style reminiscent of Medieval…
Price: $9,500.00 Item Number: 199552
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First Edition of The International Style; Inscribed by Philip Johnson and in the rare dust jacket
HITCHCOCK, Henry-Russell and Philip Johnson.
The International Style: Architecture Since 1922.
New York: W.W. Norton, 1932.
First edition of this seminal work in architecture. Octavo, original cloth, illustrations of work by Frank Lloyd Wright, Walter Gropius, Le Corbusier, J. J. P. Oud, Mies van der Rohe, Raymond M. Hood, Howe & Lescaze, and Richard J. Neutra. Presentation copy, inscribed by Philip Johnson on the front free endpaper, "For Jim with thanks for his help Philip Johnson." Light rubbing, near fine in the very rare dust jacket with light chipping. This is the first jacketed copy that we have encountered. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box.
Price: $9,500.00 Item Number: 1384
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“A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality": First Sphere edition of Yoko Ono's Grapefruit; Signed by Yoko Ono and John Lennon
ONO, Yoko; Introduction by John Lennon.
Grapefruit.
London: Sphere Books Limited, 1971.
First Sphere edition of Ono's seminal piece of conceptual art. 12mo, original illustrated wrappers. Signed by John Lennon and Yoko Ono on the front free endpaper. The uncommon Sphere edition of Ono's Grapefruit integrates the 'cheeky' subject matter of her 1966 short film Bottoms. Rare and highly sought-after signed by both Ono and Lennon.
Price: $9,500.00 Item Number: 142829
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“The closest I ever got to the sound I hear in my mind": Blonde on Blonde; Signed by Bob Dylan
DYLAN, Bob.
Blonde on Blonde.
1966.
Original pressing of one of the greatest albums of all-time. Boldly signed by Bob Dylan on the front panel. The cover photograph of Blonde on Blonde shows a 12-by-12 inch close-up portrait of Dylan. The double album gatefold sleeve opens to form a 12-by-26 inch photo of the artist, at three quarter length. The artist's name and the album's title only appear on the spine. A sticker was applied to the shrink wrap to promote the release's two hit singles, "I Want You" and "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35". The cover shows Dylan in front of a brick building, wearing a suede jacket…
Price: $9,200.00 Item Number: 114175
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"The Guggenheim has asked me for a recommendation for the new work she wants to do...": Autographed Letter Signed by Frank Lloyd Wright to Lewis Mumford
WRIGHT, Frank Lloyd.
Frank Lloyd Wright Autographed Letter.
Taliesin : 1940.
Important autograph letter signed by Frank Lloyd Wright to friend and architectural critic, Lewis Mumford. Letter is 19 inches by 8.5 inches. It reads, "My dear Lewis: I’ve read "The Brown Decade" you so kindly sent me and it is a useful work in your splendid style. I didn’t agree in total but admire and respect. I was sorry to see so little of you in New York- intending to see you if I saw no one else. And the stupidity of wandering around in the Lehigh Starret building while you were waiting for me at 41 west 12th street…
Price: $9,000.00 Item Number: 3790
