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“If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don’t have to worry about answers”: First Edition of Thomas Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow; Inscribed by Him
PYNCHON, Thomas.
Gravity’s Rainbow.
New York : The Viking Press, 1973.
First edition of Pynchon's National Book Award-winning novel. Octavo, original cloth. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, "To Herb Yellin- Regards, Thomas Pynchon." The recipient Herb Yellin, was the publisher and founder of Lord John Press, considered by many to be one of the most important small presses of the 20th century. He formed a friendship with the author, Thomas Pynchon. Fine in a near fine dust jacket with some light wear to the extremities and a closed tear to the rear panel. Jacket design by Marc Getter. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box.…
Price: $42,000.00 Item Number: 7202
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Rare First Edition in Spanish of the Author’s Masterpiece Cien Anos de Soledad; Inscribed by Gabriel Garcia Marquez in the Year of Publication
GARCIA MARQUEZ, Gabriel.
Cien Anos de Soledad [One Hundred Years of Solitude].
Buenos Aires: Editorial Sudamericana, 1967.
First edition of the author's masterpiece which is recognized as one of the most significant works in the Spanish literary canon. Octavo, original illustrated wrappers. Presentation copy, inscribed and dated in the year of publication on the front free endpaper, "Para Susi, con la amistad de Gabo 1967." In near fine condition. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box made by the Harcourt Bindery. Rare and desirable in this condition and signed in the year of publication.
Price: $42,000.00 Item Number: 137469
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“But, first, remember, remember, remember the signs. Say them to yourself when you wake in the morning and when you lie down at night, and when you wake in the middle of the night": Exceptionally rare complete first edition set of C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia
LEWIS, C.S. Illustrations by Pauline Baynes.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair, The Horse and His Boy, The Magician’s Nephew, The Last Battle.
London: Geoffrey Bles/The Bodley Head, 1950-1956.
Complete first edition set of C.S. Lewis's best-selling work, one of the best-selling series of all time which has sold 120 million copies in 47 languages. “Adored by children and academics alike, these books are extremely collectable, sought-after, and scarce” (Connolly, 186). Octavo, seven volumes, original publisher's cloth, each volume illustrated with plates, in-text illustrations, and maps by Pauline Baynes, including colour where called for. Comprising first editions of: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, covers with light toning to the extremities, dust jacket with some restoration and repairs, 1950; Prince Caspian, price-clipped dust jacket with repairs and restoration,…
Price: $40,000.00 Item Number: 147528
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“The object of the artist is the creation of the beautiful. What the beautiful is is another question": First English Edition of James Joyce’s Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man; Inscribed by Him
JOYCE, James.
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.
London: The Egoist Ltd, 1916.
First English edition, second printing of Joyce’s classic stream-of-consciousness work, his first novel. Octavo, original cloth. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, "To Beatrice Randegger. James Joyce. 25 Novembre 1919. Trieste." The recipient was a private student's of Joyce in Italy. In excellent condition with light rubbing and wear. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box made by the Harcourt Bindery.
Price: $40,000.00 Item Number: 109550
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Rare 16th century printings of John Wolfe's Fictitious Italian editions of Machiavelli's Discourses and The Prince; finely bound together in full morocco
MACHIAVELLI, Niccolò.
Discorsi Di Nicolo Machiavelli Pra La Prima Deca Di Tito Livio [bound with] Il Prencipe di Nicolo Machiavelli. [Machiavelli’s Discourses bound with The Prince].
Palermo: Apresso gli heredi d'Antoniello degli Antonielli , 1584 [London: John Wolfe].
Rare 16th century printing of John Wolfe's famed fictitious Italian editions of Machiavelli's fundamental works of political history and philosophy. Octavo, elaborately bound in full crushed morocco with gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, double gilt ruling and central motifs to the front and rear panels, gilt turn-ins. In near fine condition with occasional contemporary marginal notes. Rare.
Price: $40,000.00 Item Number: 129484
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Rare Letter signed by George Washington regarding his various land holdings in Virginia
WASHINGTON, George.
George Washington Letter Signed.
Mount Vernon: July 28, 1785.
Rare letter signed by George Washington to his land agent in Virginia, Battaile Muse. Quarto, three pages on a single folded leaf, the letter is addressed to Mr. Battaile Muse. The body of the letter, in a secretarial hand, reads in full: "Mount Vernon, July 28, 1785 Sir: A few days ago by a Mr. Hickman, who either is, or wants to be a tenant of mine in Frederick County. I sent you a Dozen Blank leases. The Tract on which he says he is fixed, is part of two lots which I purchased at the sale of Colo. George…
Price: $40,000.00 Item Number: 139571
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First edition of Crockett Johnson's Harold and the Purple Crayon; inscribed by Johnson to close friend and fellow Children's Book author and illustrator Maurice Sendak
JOHNSON, Crockett. [Maurice Sendak].
Harold and the Purple Crayon.
New York: Harper & Brothers, 1955.
First edition, first issue of the first book in Crockett Johnson’s charming Harold series, first issue with "30-60" and "No. 5671A" to the front flap of the dust jacket. 12 mo, original cloth, illustrated. Association copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper to fellow children's book author and illustrator Maurice Sendak, "To Maury, with fond regards, Crockett Johnson." The recipient, Maurice Sendak, is best known for his immensely popular illustrated children's book, Where the Wild Things Are, which was awarded the Caldecott Medal in 1964 and gained him international fame. Sendak, Johnson, and Johnson's wife Ruth Krauss…
Price: $40,000.00 Item Number: 135433
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“Because races condemned to one hundred years of solitude did not have a second opportunity on earth”: Rare First Edition in Spanish of the Author’s Masterpiece Cien Anos de Soledad; Inscribed by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
GARCIA MARQUEZ, Gabriel.
Cien Anos de Soledad [One Hundred Years of Solitude].
Buenos Aires: Editorial Sudamericana, 1967.
First edition of the author's masterpiece which is recognized as one of the most significant works in the Spanish literary canon. Octavo, original illustrated wrappers. Presentation copy, inscribed and dated by the author on the dedication page, "Para Pablo, conversando en el parque Gabriel Garcia Marquez '95." In near fine condition with a touch of rubbing small name on the front free endpaper. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box mimicking the front panel of the book. An exceptional example.
Price: $40,000.00 Item Number: 115638
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“The rebirth of the soul is perpetual; only rebirth every hour could stay the hand of Satan": First Edition of Go Tell It On the Mountain; inscribed by James Baldwin to his mother
BALDWIN, James.
Go Tell It On The Mountain.
New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1953.
First edition of Baldwin's first book. Octavo, original cloth. Association copy, inscribed by James Baldwin on the front free endpaper to his mother, "Mama from Rizzy from Jimmy - August 21st!" The recipient, Baldwin's mother Emma Berdis Jones, left Baldwin's biological father before moving to Harlem where Baldwin was born on August 2, 1924. When James was 3 years old, his mother married a Baptist preacher David Baldwin with whom she had eight children between 1927 and 1943. The family was poor, and Baldwin's stepfather, to whom he referred in essays as his father, treated him more harshly than his…
Price: $40,000.00 Item Number: 125755
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“I'm yours for ever--for ever and ever": First Edition of Henry James' The Portrait of a Lady; One of only 750 Copies
JAMES, Henry.
The Portrait of a Lady.
London: Macmillan and Co, 1881.
First edition, first issue, one of only 750 copies of the last and most accomplished work of fiction during James’ apprentice years. Octavo, three volumes, original cloth. In near fine condition with volume one rebacked with original spine laid down. Housed in a custom half clamshell and chemises box. Rare and desirable, especially in this condition.
Price: $40,000.00 Item Number: 128496
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"Once there was a little tree ... and she loved a little boy": First Edition of The Giving Tree; Signed by Shel Silverstein with a Large Drawing of the Giving Tree
SILVERSTEIN, Shel.
The Giving Tree.
New York: Harper & Row Publishers, 1964.
First edition with all the first issue points to both the book and dust jacket. Octavo, original illustrated boards, illustrated. Boldly signed by Shel Silverstein, who has drawn a large picture of The Giving Tree on the half-title page. Near fine in a very good first-issue price-clipped dust jacket with the full torso picture of Shel Silverstein, with hair, covering top left half of back of the dust jacket, three reviews of Lafcadio, by Kirkus. The New York Times and Publisher’s Weekly. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box made by the Harcourt Bindery. Exceptionally rare and desirable with…
Price: $40,000.00 Item Number: 147001
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Surely You're Joking Mr. Feynman; Lengthily Inscribed by Richard Feynman to His Cousin
FEYNMAN, Richard P.
“Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!” Adventures of a Curious Character.
New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1985.
First edition, early printing of this collection of reminiscences by the Nobel Prize-winning physicist and one of the greatest scientific minds of the twentieth century. Octavo, original half cloth. Association copy, lengthily inscribed by the author to his cousin on the half-title page, "To Frances Lewine Hi Franky - send me your book -- you ought to write one- it's easy, all you have to do is tell all those wonderful stories of yours to some friend with an open tape recorder. Richard." The recipient, Frances Lewine was known as a champion for the rights of women journalists throughout the…
Price: $40,000.00 Item Number: 140950
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“If I am the phantom, it is because man's hatred has made me so. If I am to be saved it is because your love redeems me": First Edition in English of Gaston Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera; in the rare original dust jacket
LEROUX, Gaston.
The Phantom of the Opera.
New York, Indianapolis: The Bobbs-Merrill Company , 1911.
First edition with the printer's imprint "Press of Braunworth & Co. Bookbinders and Printers Brooklyn, N. Y." at bottom of copyright page. Octavo, original cloth, publishers tissue guard. Illustrated by Andre Castaigne with one single-page and four double-page inserted plates with color illustrations. Near fine in the rare original dust jacket. The dust jacket design with the Phantom on the stairwell and not the bell tower on the front panel; one of only three total examples of the book known to have retained its dust jacket. An exceptional rarity of this cornerstone work.
Price: $40,000.00 Item Number: 99560
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First edition of the Ian Fleming’s first book Casino Royale which introduced the world to 007; Signed by Him
FLEMING, Ian.
Casino Royale.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1953.
First edition of the first novel in Ian Fleming's James Bond series. Octavo, original black cloth. Boldly signed by the author “from Ian Fleming” on a card mounted to the front free endpaper.
Price: $40,000.00 Item Number: 142789
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"The Bible Of Investing"; Graham and Dodd’s Security Analysis; Inscribed by Benjamin Graham
GRAHAM, Benjamin & David L. Dodd.
Security Analysis: Principles and Technique.
New York: Whittlesey House/ McGraw Hill, 1934.
First edition, second printing of Graham and Dodd's seminal work, considered the Bible of modern financial analysis. Octavo, original black cloth. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, "To Melbourne S. Moyer with the best wishes of Benj. Graham Jan 1935." The recipient, Melbourne Moyer was a contemporary of Graham and a Wall Street trader at Fulton Trust Company of New York. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box. Signed examples of Security Analysis are of the utmost rarity.
Price: $40,000.00 Item Number: 99745
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“The music is not in the notes, but in the silence between”: Rare First Editions of the Full Orchestral Scores of the Symphonies of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven; Including the first appearance of of the full scores of Mozart's Overture to the Marriage of Figaro and Symphony no. 40
BEETHOVEN, Ludwig van; Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart .
A Compleat Collection of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven’s Symphonies, in Score, Most Respectfully Dedicated, by Permission, to H.R.H The Prince of Wales.
London: Lavenu, Cianchettini & Sperati, 1808-1810.
First editions of the first printings of the full orchestral scores of the complete symphonies of Beethoven, Mozart, and Hadyn. Quarto, two volumes bound in three quarters morocco over marbled boards wit gilt titles and tooling to the spine, including A Complete Collection of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven's Symphonies (Cianchettini and Sperati) and A Complete Collection of Mozart and Beethoven's Symphonies. A Compleat Collection of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven's Symphonies contains the first appearance of the full scores of Mozart's Overture to the Marriage of Figaro, Mozart's Symphony no. 40, and no. 41. (Fuld, The Book of World-Famous Music, 564-567). A Complete Collection…
Price: $40,000.00 Item Number: 95829
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"Madam, you inrich the very cloaths and jewels you wear! You brighten all the Hemisphere about you, like the dazling sun in its full meridian!": Exceptionally rare first edition of James Bland's An Essay in Praise of Women
BLAND, James.
An Essay in Praise of Women: Or, A Looking-glass for Ladies to See Their Perfections In.
London: Printed for the Author, and Sold by J. Batley, 1733.
First edition of the English physician's immensely popular early 18th century essay. Octavo, bound in full contemporary calf with a burgundy morocco spine label lettered in gilt, gilt ruling to the spine in six compartments within raised bands, double gilt ruling to the front and rear panels, elaborate woodcut initials, headpieces and tailpieces. There were two issues of the first edition of Bland's Essay published in 1733, one sold by J. Batley adn the other by J. Roberts. Both issues are scarce, with no copies appearing in auction records. The work proved so popular upon publication in 1733 that a second edition…
Price: $40,000.00 Item Number: 139649
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“He dont have to move very far to go nuts in the first place and so he dont have so far to come back": Rare original carbon typescrip of Faulkner's Pylon
FAULKNER, William.
Pylon.
Oxford, Mississippi: N/P, c. 1934.
Rare original carbon typescript of the novel Pylon, with title in ink in the author's hand on the first page, a few leaves repaginated in the author's hand, 344 pages, each of the six chapters held together with a paper clip, [Oxford, Mississippi, ca. December 1934]. Newly discovered by the family and one of only two known typescripts of Pylon, it is the only one left entirely as Faulkner wrote it and is the only one in private hands. William Faulkner's retained unedited carbon typescript of his 1935 aviation novel, Pylon. This copy corresponds to the typescript setting copy in the…
Price: $40,000.00 Item Number: 140100
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Autographed Signed Letters From Mohandas Gandhi
GANDHI, Mohandas K. [Mahatma].
Mohandas K. Gandhi Autograph Note Collection.
1926.
Rare autograph note collection in the hand of the Father of the Nation of India, Mahatma Gandhi, written at the height of the struggle for Indian Independence. The collection includes two autograph notes, two autograph letters, and three autograph postcards with Gandhi's "Blessings" inscribed at the conclusion of each. The postcards are postmarked May 27, June 26, and July 25 1926. Gandhi took leadership of the Indian National Congress in 1921 and led nationwide campaigns to ease poverty, expand women’s rights, and, above all, achieve Indian independence from British rule. In the wake of World War II, Gandhi opposed providing…
Price: $40,000.00 Item Number: 114068
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First Edition of Pynchon's First Book V.; Inscribed by Him to his Close Friend in the Month of Publication
PYNCHON, Thomas.
V.
Philadelphia and New York: J.B. Lippincott Company, 1963.
First edition of Pynchon's first book. Octavo, original cloth. Association copy, inscribed by the author on the verso of the front free endpaper in the month of publication, "Aug. 1963. To Bob & Ginny, with affection, Tom." The recipient was his Boeing colleague and close friend Bob Hillock and his wife Ginny. Fine in a near fine dust jacket. Jacket design by Ismar David. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box made by the Harcourt Bindery. Rare and desirable signed.
Price: $38,000.00 Item Number: 80035
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“They were so close to each other that they preferred death to separation”: Rare First Edition in Spanish of the Author’s Masterpiece Cien Anos de Soledad; Inscribed by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
GARCIA MARQUEZ, Gabriel.
Cien Anos de Soledad [One Hundred Years of Solitude].
Buenos Aires: Editorial Sudamericana, 1967.
First edition of the author's masterpiece which is recognized as one of the most significant works in the Spanish literary canon. Octavo, original illustrated wrappers. Presentation copy, inscribed and dated by the author on the dedication page, "Para Leonard, con todo el afecto, Gabo." In near fine condition with light rubbing. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box made by the Harcourt Bindery. An exceptional example, rare and desirable signed.
Price: $38,000.00 Item Number: 114832
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"High School introduced at young age (15 & 16) to Emily Dickinson, who is probably greatest American poet I realize now": Rare Graduate Student Questionnaire Completed and Signed by Jack Kerouac with a lengthy inscription
KEROUAC, Jack.
Jack Kerouac Autograph Questionnaire Signed.
1960.
Rare mimeographed questionnaire sent by a graduate student of City College of New York to Jack Kerouac; completed and signed twice by him with a lengthy inscription in conclusion. Two pages, partially printed the questionnaire begins with a typed letter signed by James A. Sherlock politely requesting Kerouac's response which reads in part: "Dear Mr. Kerouac, I am a graduate student of City College of New York, working upon an original research project aimed at uncovering certain educational factors in the lives of successful writers. As you undoubtedly know, there always has been considerable interest in analyzing the psychological make-up…
Price: $38,000.00 Item Number: 117950
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"The most influential of American works on economics": Very rare true first edition of Henry George's most influential work Progress and Poverty; one of only 200 COPIES printed for the author
GEORGE, Henry.
Progress and Poverty: An Inquiry into the Cause of Industrial Depressions, and of Increase of Want with Increase of Wealth – The Remedy.
San Francisco: Wm. M. Hinton & Co., Printers, 1879.
True first edition, one of only 200 examples of "the most influential of American works on economics" (Grolier American), one of the highest selling books of the late 1800s which sold more than three million copies soon after publication, exceeding all other books written in the English language with the exception of the Bible during the 1890s. One of 200 copies printed for the author ("author's edition") in San Francisco before the Appleton trade edition of 1880 and with the rare inserted slip reading, "This edition is issued by the author in advance of publication. He requests that no notice…
Price: $38,000.00 Item Number: 147455
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“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves": True First Edition of Viktor Frankl's Classic Work Man's Search For Meaning; Inscribed by Him in the year of publication
FRANKL, Viktor E.
Ein Psycholog erlebt das Konzentrationslager [Man’s Search For Meaning].
Vienna: Verlag Jugend und Volk, 1946.
True first edition of Frankl's classic work, which was later titled Man's Search For Meaning. Octavo, original wrappers. Association copy, inscribed by the author in the year of publication on the half-title page, "Für Frau Grete Krotschak in herzlicher Freundschaft V. E. Frankl 6/9/46." Which translates, "For Ms. Grete Krotschak in cordial friendship V. E. Frankl 6/9/46." The recipient, Grete Krotschak served as the maid of honor at Frankl's wedding with Eleonore Elly Katharina Schwindt. (Frankl: Gesammelte Werke, Bd. 1, 2005, S. 159). Frankl was freed from Türkheim in April 1945, with this example signed a little over one year…
Price: $38,000.00 Item Number: 135369
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"Memory believes before knowing remembers": First Edition of Light In August; Inscribed by William Faulkner
FAULKNER, William.
Light In August.
New York: Harrison Smith & Robert Haas, 1932.
First edition, first issue, with first printing statement on copyright page, and “Jefferson” for “Mottstown” on page 340, line 1; first-issue binding, lettered in blue and orange. Octavo, original cloth. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, "To Eric Dawson William Faulkner Oxford 3 October 1934." Near fine in a near fine dust jacket. Petersen A13a; Howard A13.1a; Massey 103. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box made by the Harcourt Bindery. Rare and desirable signed and inscribed, with only two examples appearing at auction in the last 90 years.
Price: $38,000.00 Item Number: 135388
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"THE SEA IS ONLY THE EMBODIMENT OF A SUPERNATURAL AND WONDERFUL EXISTENCE": Exceedingly rare true first edition of Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas
VERNE, Jules.
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas.
London: Sampson, Low, Marston, Low, & Searle, 1873.
Scarce first English edition, preceding the first American edition, of Verne’s masterpiece. Octavo, original publisher's pictorial blue cloth stamped in black and gilt by Burn & Co., with the binder's ticket on rear pastedown, all edges gilt, illustrated with 112 splendid full-page woodcut illustrations after drawings by renowned French illustrators Alphonse-Marie de Neuville and Edouard Riou, 8-pp. publisher's advertisements at rear headed "For the Season 1872-3." Originally published in France in 1869, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas has a complex publishing history in the English language. The novel was originally serialised from March 1869 to June 1870 in Pierre-Jules Hetzel's…
Price: $37,500.00 Item Number: 146922
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FIRST EDITION OF PROFILES IN COURAGE; INSCRIBED BY JOHN F. KENNEDY TO THE SENIOR SENATOR OF MASSACHUSETTS LEVERETT SALTONSTALL
KENNEDY, John F.
Profiles In Courage.
New York: Harper & Brothers, 1956.
First edition of Kennedy's Pulitzer Prize-winning work. Octavo, original half cloth, with eight pages of black-and-white photogravures. Association copy, inscribed by the author to Massachusetts Senator Leverett Saltonstall on the front free endpaper, "To Senator Saltonstall- with the very highest regards of his colleague John Kennedy." The recipient, Leverett Saltonstall was the senior senator of Massachusetts while John Kennedy was the junior senator. Saltonstall served as Republican Whip from 1949-1957 and as chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee from 1953-1955. He attended the wedding of John Kennedy and Jacqueline Bouvier in 1953, and the two served together in the…
Price: $35,000.00 Item Number: 2154
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"The Bible degrades Woman from Genesis to Revelation & yet women believe it was written by the fingers of God"; The Woman's Bible; inscribed by American suffragette Elizabeth Cady Stanton
[STANTON, Elizabeth Cady].
The Woman’s Bible.
New York: European Publishing Company, 1898.
Rare early printings of The Woman's Bible, both volumes lengthily inscribed by famed American suffragette Elizabeth Cady Stanton who chaired the committee that published the work. Octavo, two volumes, Part I: third edition - ten thousand, Part II: first edition - ten thousand. Both parts are presentation copies, lengthily inscribed by Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Part I is inscribed by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, "Miss Mary .... compliments of Elizabeth Cady Stanton 250 West 94th New York 1899 We much read the Bible as we do all other books that have emanated from the brain of man with no special divine authority."…
Price: $35,000.00 Item Number: 142839
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“HILARIOUS, CHILLING, SEXY, PROFOUND, MANIACAL, BEAUTIFUL AND OUTRAGEOUS” (THOMAS PYNCHON): FIRST EDITION OF RICHARD FARINA’S FIRST NOVEL; inscribed by him to close friend Richard Gillespie only days prior to Farina's tragic death
FARINA, Richard.
Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up To Me.
New York: Random House, 1966.
First edition of the author and songwriter’s first novel, warmly praised by his friend Thomas Pynchon; the only novel published in Fariña’s lifetime, as he tragically died in a motorcycle accident two days after its publication. Octavo, original half green cloth. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, "G - Recognize any of these events. We had fun. Dick." The likely recipient, Richard Gillespie, was a close personal friend and colleague of both Richard Fariña and Thomas Pynchon at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. The three shared the same residence and Gillespie and Pynchon attended a…
Price: $35,000.00 Item Number: 141590
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First edition, association copy of Das Neue Ghetto; inscribed by Theodor Herzl to fellow Zionist Heinrich Elchanan York-Steiner
HERZL, Theodor.
Das Neue Ghetto: Schauspiel in 4 Acten. [The New Ghetto: A Play in 4 Acts].
Wein: Verlag Der "Welt", 1897.
First edition of Herzl's popular politically-charged drama, written several years before Der Judenstaat and praised by Max Nordau and Sigmund Freud. Octavo, original printed wrappers. Association copy, inscribed by the author in the year of publication opposite the title page, "Herrn Heinrich Steiner zur freundlichen Erinnerung Th. Herzl." The recipient, Hungarian author and publisher Heinrich Elchanan York-Steiner was a prominent Zionist. He participated in all phases of early Zionist activity and was instrumental in convening the First Zionist Congress as well as conceptualizing and organizing the publication of Die Welt, the newspaper that became the official organ of the World…
Price: $35,000.00 Item Number: 143510
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Rare Second Edition in English of the First Part of Cervantes' Don Quixote
CERVANTES, Miguel De.
The First Part of the Life and Achievements of the Renowned Don Quixote de la Mancha.
London: By William Stansby For Ed: Blounte, 1620.
Rare second edition of the first part of Don Quixote in English. Octavo, bound in contemporary calf, engraved title page, woodcut headpieces and decorative initials. In very good condition with some wear to the binding, portion of upper spine. Translated by Thomas Shelton. Exceptionally rare and desirable.
Price: $35,000.00 Item Number: 74055
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"it is a corrupting thing to live one's real life in secret. One should live with the stream of life, not against it": First edition of Burmese Days; signed by George Orwell
ORWELL, George.
Burmese Days: A Novel by George Orwell.
New York: Harper & Brothers, 1934.
First American edition, preceding the English edition by one year of Orwell’s first novel. Octavo, original publisher's cloth. Signed by the author opposite the title page, "George Orwell." In near fine condition. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box by the Harcourt Bindery. Rare and desirable signed.
Price: $35,000.00 Item Number: 143599
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"unscrew the locks from the doors! Unscrew the doors themselves from their jambs!": Rare Mimeographed Sheets of The Howl Produced for its First Reading. Preceding the First Edition and signed by Ginsberg and five others present at the Six Gallery in October of 1955
GINSBERG, Allen.
Howl, for Carl Solomon. Mimeographed for the Six Gallery Reading.
Two sheets from an exceptionally rare privately produced mimeographed printing of Howl, preceding the first edition. One of 25 copies printed on rectos only in purple ink typed by the poet Robert Creeley and printed by Marthe Rexroth at S.F State, where she was a secretary, for the famous Six Gallery reading (also known as Six Angels in the Same Performance). This event, which took place at 3110 Fillmore Street in San Francisco on October 7, 1955 was the first important public poetry exhibition heralding the West Coast literary revolution of the Beat Generation. At the reading, five talented young poets—Allen…
Price: $35,000.00 Item Number: 40140
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"It Is Very Queer That The Unhappiness Of The World Is So Often Brought On By Small Men": First Edition of All Quiet On The Western Front; Inscribed by Erich Maria Remarque
REMARQUE, Erich Maria.
All Quiet On The Western Front.
London: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1929.
First edition in English of this landmark novel of the 20th century. Octavo, original cloth. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, "With the compliments and thanks to Geor Henry Gribb! Erich Maria Remarque." With a type letter from the author dated in 28th February, 1929 from Remarque attached to the front pastedown. Near fine in a near fine dust jacket with light rubbing. With the original publisher's list and catalogues card laid in. Translated by A.W. Wheen. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box made by the Harcourt Bindery. Exceptionally rare and desirable signed…
Price: $35,000.00 Item Number: 119450
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"Markets are never wrong – opinions often are": RARE PHOTOGRAPH INSCRIBED BY THE GREATEST TRADER TO EVER LIVE JESSE LIVERMORE TO CLOSE FRIEND HENRY TAYLOR
LIVERMORE, Jesse.
Jesse Livermore Signed Photograph.
New York: Duell, Sloan & Pearce, 1940.
Rare original photograph by De Haven of the greatest stock trader Jesse Livermore, with an inscription to close personal friend Henry Taylor. Association copy, inscribed by the author, "To my very dear Friend Harry J.L." The recipient, Henry Junior Taylor was an economist, author, radio broadcaster and former United States Ambassador to Switzerland He served as a foreign correspondent for the Scripps-Howard newspaper chain in the early years of World War II. After the war, Taylor hosted the General Motors-sponsored radio program Your Land and Mine, on which he was known for his conservative commentary. Taylor was a columnist for the United…
Price: $35,000.00 Item Number: 147901
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First Edition of Feynman's QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter; Inscribed by Him to His Sister
FEYNMAN, Richard P.
QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter.
Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1985.
First edition of this work by the Nobel Prize-winning physicist regarding quantum electrodynamics, which James Gleick calls it "a model of science writing." Octavo, original cloth. Association copy, inscribed by the author to his sister on the half-title page, "Dedicated to my dear sister, Joan. Richard P. Feynman." The recipient, Joan Feynman was Feynman's younger sister and grew to be a world-renowned astrophysicist in her own right. As children, Richard was Joan's first teacher and constantly advised her to challenge herself. Today, she is known for her work on the origin of auroras (i.e., the polar lights) as well as…
Price: $35,000.00 Item Number: 140430
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“All for one and one for all, united we stand divided we fall”: Rare First Edition In English of Dumas' The Three Musketeers
DUMAS, Alexandre.
The Three Musketeers; or, the Feats and Fortunes of a Gascon Adventurer.
London: Bruce and Wyld, 1846.
First edition in English of Dumas’ masterpiece. Octavo, bound in full contemporary calf, gilt titles to the spine, marbled endpapers. Translated from the French by William Barrow. Barrow’s translation was the first of three English translations published in 1846 and is considered the most faithful to the original text. To conform to nineteenth century English standards other translations removed many of the explicit and implicit references to sexuality which adversely affected the readability of many scenes. In near fine condition.
Price: $35,000.00 Item Number: 129365
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Rare large format photograph of American cultural icon James Dean; inscribed by him to his photographer Sanford H. Roth
DEAN, James. [Sanford H. Roth].
James Dean Signed Photograph.
Rare large format Sanford H. Roth photograph of cultural icon James dean playing table tennis. Inscribed beneath his image, "To Mr. Roth best wishes James Dean." The recipient, renowned American photographer Sanford H. Roth, was a close friend of Dean's and photographed him frequently. Dean visited Roth's home in California frequently and treated him and his wife Beulah almost as adoptive parents. Poignantly, Roth was in Dean's Ford station wagon driving behind Dean's new Porsche Spyder on the way to the Salinas Road Races on September 30, 1955, when Dean was killed in a late afternoon traffic accident. Roth took…
Price: $35,000.00 Item Number: 124398
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“Life's single lesson: that there is more accident to it than a man can ever admit to in a lifetime and stay sane": First Edition of Thomas Pynchon's First Book V.; Inscribed by Him
PYNCHON, Thomas.
V.
Philadelphia and New York: J.B. Lippincott Company, 1963.
First edition of Pynchon's first book. Octavo, original cloth. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, "To Herb Yellin- I've been reading this over. It's not such a terrific book, is it? Thomas Pynchon." Fine in a near fine dust jacket with some of the usual rubbing to the extremities. Jacket design by Ismar David. Books signed and inscribed by Pynchon are notoriously rare. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box.
Price: $35,000.00 Item Number: 7203
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FIRST EDITION OF IAN FLEMING’S GOLDFINGER; INSCRIBED BY HIM To Newspaper Editor Lionel Berry, 2nd Viscount Kemsley
FLEMING, Ian.
Goldfinger.
London: Jonathan Cape, 1959.
First edition of the seventh novel in Ian Fleming's James Bond series. Octavo, original black cloth. Association copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, "To Lionel, Something more to read! From Ian." The recipient, Lionel Berry, 2nd Viscount Kemsley was a politician and newspaper editor. His father, the 1st Viscount Kemsley, had given Ian Fleming his first job as a journalist when he employed him as the Foreign Manager for the Kemsley newspaper group. It was this role, with its contracted three month break every winter to allow Fleming to holiday in Jamaica, that gave Fleming the…
Price: $35,000.00 Item Number: 140248
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First Edition of STEPHEN HAWKING'S LANDMARK WORK A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME; Signed by Him
HAWKING, Stephen W.
A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes.
London: Bantam Press, 1988.
First edition of Hawking’s groundbreaking work. Octavo, original cloth, illustrated by Ron Miller. Presentation copy, signed by Stephen Hawking on the title page with his thumbprint, "For John Simpson, this unique signature has been printed by Stephen Hawking." Fine in a fine dust jacket. Author photograph by David Gamble. First printings are exceptionally rare and desirable signed.
Price: $35,000.00 Item Number: 133889
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Rare First Edition of Economist’s Joseph Schumpeter’s Classic Work Business Cycles; Inscribed by Him to Fellow Economist Seymour Harris
SCHUMPETER, Joseph A.
Business Cycles: A Theoretical, Historical, And Statistical Analysis of the Capitalist Process.
New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc, 1939.
First edition of the economist’s ground-breaking work. Octavo, 2 volumes, original cloth. Association copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper of volume one, "To Seymour Harris with kind regards Joseph Schumpeter." The recipient, Harvard economics professor Seymour Harris, was an editor of the book, Schumpeter as Social Scientist and editor of The New Economics; which Schumpeter was a contributor. In near fine condition with light shelfwear. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box. Books signed by Schumpeter are rare.
Price: $32,500.00 Item Number: 4496
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"However closely we live together, at whatever time of day or night we sound the deepest thoughts in one another, we know nothing": Rare First Edition of the John Le Carre’s First Book; Signed by Him
LE CARRE, John.
Call For The Dead.
London: Victor Gollancz, 1961.
First edition of the author's first book, which introduced the world to the recurring protagonist, George Smiley. Octavo, original red cloth. Signed by the author on the title page in a contemporary hand, "John le Carre David Cornwell." Fine in a near fine price-clipped dust jacket. Housed in a custom clamshell box. An exceptional example, most rare and desirable using his real name and his pen name.
Price: $32,500.00 Item Number: 94755
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"Even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these": Exquisite first edition large paper set of Loddiges' Botanical Cabinet; containing 2000 numbered hand-colored botanical plates by George Cooke
LODDIGES, George. Plates by George Cook.
The Botanical Cabinet Consisting of Coloured Delineations of Plants, from all Countries.
London: John & Arthur Arch; Hackney: Conrad Loddiges & Sons, et al, 1818–1833.
Rare first edition, large paper issue set of Loddiges' renowned Botanical Cabinet with 2000 numbered hand-colored plates by George Cooke. Octavos, 20 volumes bound in three quarters morocco over marbled boards with elaborate gilt tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, red morocco spine labels lettered in gilt, all edges marbled. Illustrated with 2000 numbered hand-colored botanical plates by George Cooke. In near fine condition. Armorial bookplates. An exceptional collection, most rare and desirable in a complete set.
Price: $32,500.00 Item Number: 109061
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"Faulkner was breathtaking in the accuracy of his observations": Rare advance reading copy of Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird; signed by three actors from the 1962 film and with a two page autograph letter signed and entirely in the hand of harper lee declining the invitation to participate in a documentary film about her novel
LEE, Harper.
To Kill a Mockingbird.
Barnstable, MA: Crane’s Duplicating Service, for J.B. Lippincott Company,, 1960.
Rare advance reading copy of the first edition of Harper Lee's classic Pulitzer Prize-winning novel signed by three actors from the 1962 film and with a two page autograph letter signed and entirely in the hand of Harper Lee declining the invitation to participate in a documentary film about her novel. Octavo, original wrappers. Presentation copy, inscribed by three actors from the film on the pastedown and front free endpaper, "Bonnie Great Weekend My Best Wishes Phillip Alford 'Jem'", "To Bonnie Sincere regards Brock Peters 'Tom Robinson'", and "Bonnie, Thank you so much for all your help this week. Please…
Price: $32,500.00 Item Number: 133817
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"AH, DISTINCTLY I REMEMBER IT WAS IN THE BLEAK DECEMBER; AND EACH SEPARATE DYING EMBER WROUGHT ITS GHOST UPON THE FLOOR": First Editions of Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven and Tales; in the rare original publisher's cloth
POE, Edgar Allan.
The Raven and Other Poems. [Bound With] Tales.
New York: Wiley and Putnam, 1845.
Rare first editions of Poe's two great collections of stories and poems, bound together in the original publisher's cloth. Octavo, original publisher's dark green cloth elaborately stamped in blind with gilt titles to the spine, publisher's advertisements at rear of each volume which are most often lacking with both volumes bound together. Wiley and Putnam issued both titles separately in paper wrappers, but bound the two together for additional appeal to readers. The Raven is bound first in this copy (the order varies); that work is arguably the widest read and best-known in the American canon. Tales includes "The "The…
Price: $32,000.00 Item Number: 139816
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Rare First Edition of Herodotus' Historiae, in Greek
HERODOTUS; EDITED BY ALDUS MANUTIUS,.
Historiae, In Greek.
Venice: Aldus Manutius, September, 1502.
Rare first edition of Herodotus' history of the Persian Wars, one of the most important texts edited by the great scholar-printer-publisher. Folio, bound in contemporary vellum, woodcut title in Greek and Roman letter, verso with dedication in Latin, text in Greek letter throughout with spaces for capital letters, woodcut device on title and last page. Aldus claims in the dedication that he corrected the text from multiple exemplars, one of the few instances where such a claim by him is justified and can be verified. He was the first to have access to the 'Florentine' codices, where Valla had used the…
Price: $32,000.00 Item Number: 96588
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Rare first edition of Hamilton's Reply to Wood
HAMILTON, Alexander.
Observations on Certain Documents Contained in No.V & VI of “The History of the United States for the Year 1796,” in which the Charge of Speculation against Alexander Hamilton, Late Secretary of the Treasury, is Fully Refuted.
Philadelphia: John Bioren for John Fenno, 1797.
Rare first edition of one of the major causes célèbres in American governmental history. Octavo, bound in contemporary morocco, marbled endpapers. In near fine condition. This first edition of 1797 is rare as it was bought up by the Hamilton family in an effort to suppress it, but was ultimately reprinted in 1800 by Hamilton’s political enemies. Housed in a custom half calf clamshell box.
Price: $32,000.00 Item Number: 52680
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"Truman hasn't found it out": Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper "Dewey Defeats Truman": Signed by Harry S. Truman and Thomas Dewey
TRUMAN, Harry S.
Dewey Defeats Truman Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper.
1948.
Signed Chicago Daily Tribune with the headline "Dewey Defeats Truman, signed by both Truman and Dewey as follows, "Truman hasn't found it out, Harry S. Truman" and "Thomas E. Dewey." It was an incorrect banner headline on the front page of the Chicago Daily Tribune on November 3, 1948, the day after incumbent United States President, Harry S. Truman, won an upset victory over Republican challenger and Governor of New York, Thomas E. Dewey, in the 1948 presidential election. It was famously held up by Truman at a public appearance following his successful election, smiling triumphantly at the error. The erroneous headline of the…
Price: $30,000.00 Item Number: 141484
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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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Samuel Johnson Pratt's Family Secrets; from the library of President George Washington; with a small note in his hand tipped in
PRATT, Samuel Johnson. [George Washington].
Family Secrets: By Mr. Pratt. Volume III. [From the Library of George Washington].
London: Printed for T.N. Longman, Paternoster-Row, 1798.
Octavo, bound in full contemporary calf with a burgundy morocco spine label lettered in gilt, gilt ruling to the spine. Vol. III of the original five volumes. Tipped in to the pastedown is a small clipped note in the hand of George Washington which reads, "with the said" and the bookplate of Benjamin Lincoln Lear. The set in which this volume originated was listed in a manuscript by Washington's private secretary Tobias Lear titled 'Catalogue of Books received from Washington' and bears the bookplate of Lear's son Benjamin Lincoln Lear. Tobias Lear served as Washington's personal secretary from 1784 until…
Price: $30,000.00 Item Number: 139518
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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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“THE FATHER OF MODERN DEMOCRACY”: First edition in English of Aristotle's Masterpiece Politiques, or Discourses of Government
ARISTOTLE,.
Politiques, or Discourses of Government.
London: Adam Islip, 1598.
Rare first edition in English of one of the world’s most important and influential political texts, “the most valuable work on that branch of philosophy that has descended to us from antiquity.” Small folio, bound in full leather, gilt titles and tooling to the spine, front and rear panels. In near fine condition, bookplate, small name to the title page, small paper repair to the first few pages. First editions are exceptionally rare.
Price: $30,000.00 Item Number: 138658
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Rare First Edition In English of Dumas' The Three Musketeers
DUMAS, Alexandre.
The Three Musketeers; or, the Feats and Fortunes of a Gascon Adventurer.
London: Bruce and Wyld, 1846.
First edition in English of Dumas’ masterpiece. Octavo, bound in half contemporary calf over marbled boards. Translated from the French by William Barrow. Barrow’s translation was the first of three English translations published in 1846 and is considered the most faithful to the original text. To conform to nineteenth century English standards other translations removed many of the explicit and implicit references to sexuality which adversely affected the readability of many scenes. In near fine condition, with the text fresh. One of the nicest examples we have seen.
Price: $30,000.00 Item Number: 142495
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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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First Edition of The Evolution of Physics; Inscribed by Albert Einstein in the Year of Publication
EINSTEIN, Albert & Infeld.
The Evolution of Physics: The Growth of Ideas from Early Concepts to Relativity and Quanta.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1938.
First edition of this classic work, which traces the development of ideas in physics. Octavo, original blue cloth. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author in the year of publication on the second free endpaper, "For David Stern Albert Einstein 1938." Fine in a near dust jacket with a few small closed tears. Trade editions signed by Einstein are scarce.
Price: $30,000.00 Item Number: 146188
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“thinking is always thinking of a potential action": First Edition of Human Action: A Treatise On Economics; Signed by Ludwig Von Mises
VON MISES, Ludwig.
Human Action: A Treatise on Economics.
New Haven: Yale University Press, 1949.
First edition of the economist's magnum opus. Octavo, original cloth. Boldly signed by Ludwig von Mises on the title page. In near fine condition. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box made by the Harcourt Bindery. Signed first editions are rare.
Price: $30,000.00 Item Number: 137484
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“The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles but to irrigate deserts": Rare first edition, presentation copy of The Abolition of Man; inscribed by C.S. Lewis
LEWIS, C.S.
The Abolition of Man or Reflections on Education with Special Reference to the Teaching of English in the Upper Forms of Schools.
London: Oxford University Press, 1943.
First edition of Lewis's powerful essay, original delivered as three speeches in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1943 in which he "defends the objectivity of values such as goodness and beauty over against the modern view that these qualities are in the mind of the beholder." Octavo, original publisher's printed wrappers. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the title page, "K. Young with compliments and greeting from C.S.L." With a portion of the original transmittal envelope tipped in to the title page, addressed by Lewis, "From C. S. Lewis, Magdalen College, Oxford" and with a penciled notation in another hand "Posted Ja.…
Price: $30,000.00 Item Number: 149260
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First Edition of Jack Kerouac's Satori in Paris; Inscribed by Him to His Brother-in-law Tony Sampras
KEROUAC, Jack.
Satori In Paris.
New York: Grove Press, 1966.
First edition of Kerouac's penultimate novel. Octavo, original cloth. Association copy, inscribed by the author on the title page, "Tony's copy- signed by his brother man Jacky Kerouac." The recipient, Tony Sampras was the youngest brother of Kerouac's wife, Stella. Tony and Kerouac were close, Kerouac called Tony two days before his death and the On the Road scroll was left to him by Stella in her will. Near fine in a near fine dust jacket. Jacket design by Kuhlman Associates. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box. Rare and desirable signed and inscribed, especially with such an association.
Price: $30,000.00 Item Number: 128912
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WASHINGTON APPOINTS FIRST SURVEYOR GENERAL: Rare manuscript document appointing Simeon De Witt as the first surveyor general; signed by President George Washington
WASHINGTON, George.
George Washington Signed Appointment of the First Surveyor General.
Philadelphia: May 13, 1796.
Rare manuscript document boldly signed by George Washington as the first President of the United States of American appointing the first Surveyor General of the United States. One page, oblong quarto, manuscript document in a secretarial hand on vellum, Philadelphia, 13 May 1796, signed at the conclusion, "G. Washington" and countersigned by Timothy Pickering, Secretary of State. With paper presidential seal, docketed on verso, creased from folding. Trained in surveying as a youth, Simeon De Witt (1756-1834) gained early distinction making maps for George Washington during the Revolution, ultimately becoming Geographer and Surveyor of the Continental Army. After the war,…
Price: $30,000.00 Item Number: 145490