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Complete 2-volume set. Small 4to. Green cloth with gilt medallion, compartments, gilt rules and spine lettering. 584pp, 647pp. Frontispieces, illustrations (2 foldouts), decorative endpapers. Near fined. Slightest bit of faint edgewear only.
Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant.
GRANT, Ulysses S.
New York: Charles L. Webster & Company, 1885.
Price: $475.00
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Small 8vo. Full calf with black leather and gilt spine label. iv, 588pp, (2pp). Good plus. Almost, but not quite, rates very good, for it's tight, clean and quite handleable. Though quite edgeworn and age toned (with darkening at tail of spine), the spine and rear cover (archivally rehinged) are original, while the front calf board and front pastedown are expert modern "aged" replacements (also archivally hinged); text block moderately age toned throughout, with sporadic foxing. Housed in a black cloth clamshell case.
The Book of Mormon: An Account Written by the Hand of Mormon, Upon Plates Taken from the Plates of Nephi.
SMITH, Joseph, Junior.
Palmyra, NY: E.B. Grandin, 1830.
Price: $95,000.00
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This unusual American architect worked mostly in the Rochester, New York area, where his Chamber of Commerce Building and First Universalist Church may still be viewed; after 1923 he moved to stage design and a second career as an occultist and spiritual writer; his architecture books include "The Beautiful Necessity" (1910), "Architecture and Democracy" (1918) and "The Frozen Fountain" (1938), while his spiritual books include "New Lamps for Old" (1925), "The Eternal Poles" (1931), "Four Dimensional Vistas" (1930) and "An Introduction to Yoga" (1933). ALS, 1p, 5 3/4" X 9½", New York, NY, 1937 October 2. Addressed to Chicago musician and music school founder John G. Leiser. Fine. On blind-embossed "Shelton Hotel" letterhead, Bragdon chats cordially with this spiritualism enthusiast. In part: "You may be interested to know that... I speak at the Biosophical Institute... on Reflections on the Life and Personality of Nicholas Roerich. The occasion being the 50th anniversary of the artistic, scientific and literary activities of Prof. Roerich. Course, if you're in town and have nothing else to do, for this group of Young Jews might interest you. They read my books as though they were the Holy Bible...." (Roerich, 1874-1947, was a Russian theosophist, philosopher and painter.) Boldly penned in black fountain pen. With original envelope, addressed in Bragdon's hand. A superb example of this uncommon autograph.
Autograph Letter Signed.
BRAGDON, Claude (1866-1946).
Price: $195.00
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The author of the travel classic "Travels in the Trans-Caucasian Provinces of Russia, and Along the Southern Shore of the Lakes Van and Urumiah, in the Autumn and Winter of 1837" (London, 1839) was recounting a military mission through Persia, Turkey and Russia; he was an English soldier, a captain in the Seventh Royal Fusiliers. ALS, 1p, 7 3/4" X 12 3/4" (lettersheet), "Major Transport Tagus," 1810 October 1. Addressed to Captain Richard Poulden (1765-1845). Near fine. Intriguing and cryptic: "Impelled by a sense of my duty, I beg leave to state, that the delinquent belonging to the British Hero Transport of my Division, whom you was pleased to order on board H.M. Ship Melpomene, was sent thither yesterday; upon which, the Commander of that Ship sent an Officer on board the British Hero & took therefrom the Chest & bedding belonging to the Man in question, which, with the whole of his Pay, are (by his neglect of duty & reprehensible conduct) forfeited by the just & relative Law of England...." Fine example of the procedures that followed neglect of duty -- and certainly worthy of further research, as it would be interesting to know this sailor's offense and subsequent punishment. A most unusual document.
Autograph Letter Signed.
WILBRAHAM, Richard (?-?).
Price: $395.00
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This American newspaper journalist, drama critic and author of occasional stories and poems made magic history when he befriended legendary magician Howard Thurston in the mid-1920s and became his personal representative; he wrote such books as "Card Magic," but his much-anticipated tell-all magnum opus on magic was unpublished when he died suddenly of a heart attack in Indianapolis; in 1938 his friends published "Greater Magic" on his behalf, one of the great classics of magic how-to, and later a sequel, "More Greater Magic" -- but legends about Hilliard's missing notebooks persisted until the 1990s, when the notebooks were discovered and published in 2001 as "The Lost Notebooks of John Northern Hilliard." Two items: First, an ANS, 1p, 8½" X 11", Carmel, California, 1923 April 15. Addressed to Albert Johannsen (1871-1962), a University of Chicago geology professor who authored "The House of Beadle and Adams and Its Dime and Nickel Novels" (University of Oklahoma Press, 1950), the definitive reference work and bibliography on the subject. Near fine. In Hilliard's attractive but loupeworthy incredibly miniscule script (his FULL "John Northern Hilliard" signature measures only 1 3/8ths!), he graciously notes: "I... am inclosing manuscript copy of my latest published poem. I hope that you will find it worthy to add to your collection...." Second, the aforementioned AMS, 1p, 8½" X 11", n.p., n.y. Near fine. Beautiful fair copy of this lengthy 9-stanza poem titled "Romance," which begins: "What matter if we never fare / Beyond our own horizon's dim? / Romance, the old Arch-Mage shall bear / Us sea and land afar with him." A strikingly attractive pair, penned shortly before Hilliard's fateful friendship with Thurston. Accompanied by Johannsen's original 8½" X 11" file folder, bearing a printed "Collection of Albert Johannsen" label (partly filled in by Johannsen). Autograph material from this noted magic figure is quite scarce and desireable.
Autograph Note Signed / Autograph Manuscript Signed.
HILLIARD, John Northern (1872-1935).
Price: $295.00
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8vo. Stiff glazed pictorial wrappers. 239pp. Fine. Scarce advance reading copy of this Matt Scudder novel, boldly inscribed by the author on the haf-title page to a publisher's rep: "For Steven -- / Hope you enjoy this -- / & sell it by the thousands! / Nice to meet you -- / Best, / Larry Block." Choice and uncommon.
When the Sacred Ginmill Closes.
BLOCK, Lawrence.
New York: Arbor House, 1986.
Price: $95.00
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This heavyweight boxing contender is famed for proclaiming "I'll moider da bum" before each bout. ANS, 1p, irregularly-trimmed (roughly rectangular) 7½" X 4" sheet, n.p., n.d. [ca. 1957]. Addressed to "Friend Donald." Very good. Several small tape stains at the margins touching upon several words (including the "to" in "Galento"). "I am down in the Everglades, Florida," Galento writes an admirer, "playing the part of a Character called 'Beef' in a movie called 'Across the Everglades' produced by the Schulberg Productions, look for it this winter in your local movie house. Keep punching...." "Wind Across the Everglades," a drama set in early Florida, was written, produced and directed by Budd Schulberg and starred Burl Ives, Christopher Plummer, Gypsy Rose Lee and Peter Falk. It was released in 1958, thereby dating this undated piece to approximately 1958. An interesting item written from on location. Uncommon.
Autograph Note Signed.
GALENTO, Tony (1909-79).
Price: $100.00
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This Baseball Hall of Famer (elected 1983) managed the Brooklyn (later Los Angeles) Dodgers from 1954 to 1976, bringing them four world championships. IPS, 5" X 7", n.p., n.d. [ca. 1960]. Good plus. Yellowed tape stain at each corner and bit of general wear. Informal matte finish head-and-shoulders smiling pose of Alston in his Brooklyn uniform, inscribed large and bold in blue ballpoint "Best wishes Donald / from Walt Alston." Fairly attractive despite flaw -- and definitely rather uncommon.
Inscribed Photograph Signed.
ALSTON, Walter (1911-84).
Price: $100.00
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American heavyweight boxing champion (1952-56), retiring with an impressive 49-0 record. Huge, bold "Best / Wishes / from / Rocky / Marciano" on an irregularly-trimmed (roughly oval) 4" X 4½" light grey slip, n.p., n.d. Good plus. Several tape stains about the edges, impinging upon only the "B" in "Best." Despite flaws, a fairly attractive example of this scarce signature. Marciano was killed in a plane crash in Iowa at age 46, thus is somewhat uncommon.
Signature and Inscription.
MARCIANO, Rocky (1923-69).
Price: $265.00
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Inventive editor of "Ladies Home Journal" (1889-1919), where he introduced many innovations that are standard practice today; his Horatio Alger-type story is recounted in his Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir, "The Americanization of Edward Bok" (1920). ALS, 1p, 6" X 9", pictorial Hotel Ormond letterhead, Ormond Beach, FL, 1916 February 21. Addressed to Barlow. Fine. Thoughts on letter writing: "It is a pet idea of mine: that one's stationery and the pysical aspect of letters proclaim the person. So I have always tried for good looks for our correspondence...." Bok ALsS are far scarcer than his common TLsS.
Autograph Letter Signed.
BOK, Edward W. (1863-1930).
Price: $115.00
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American sculptor. IPS, 10" X 8", n.p., 1942 n.d. Very good. Scene depicting Davidson and actress Madeleine Carroll viewing a small model of Davidson's sculpture "Lest We Forget," boldly signed and inscribed.
Inscribed Photograph Sgned.
DAVIDSON, Jo (1883-1952).
Price: $100.00
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Small 4to. Grey paper over boards, pictorial price-clipped dust jacket. 301pp. Illustrations, decorated endpapers. Very good/very good. Scarce Argentinian edition of "Storm over the Land."
Tormenta Sobre la Tierra: Lincoln y la Guerra Civil Estadounidense.
SANDBURG, Carl.
Buenos Aires: Editorial Futuro, 1945.
Price: $65.00
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