Washington, D.C. Department of State, 1861. Paperback. 8vo. Wrappers. 15pp. Good. Wrappers age toned, else fine. Close-cropped clipped signature of CSA diplomat John Slidell (1793-1871) tipped to front wrapper. Circa 1900 catalogue slip affixed to top of front cover. NEVINS I, 274. More
Germantown, PA: Michael Billmeyer, 1819. Hardcover. 12mo. Original full calf with both metal clasps present and fully functional. 537pp, (3pp). Binding lightly worn; text block moderately age toned throughout, with minor sporadic foxing. A tight and attractive eighth printing of this noted "New Testament" (printed entirely in German) from the..... More
One of the few bona fide cowboys to take pen in hand and write of cowboy life, this rancher authored the classic 1903 "Log of a Cowboy," described by J. Frank Dobie thusly: "If all other books on trail driving were destroyed, a reader could still get a just and..... More
Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, [1928]. Hardcover. Complete 4-volume set. Small 4to. Black cloth with gilt spine lettering. xxvi, 297pp; vi, 310pp; vi, 361pp; vi, 381pp. Frontispieces, illustrations. Very good. Faintest binding edgewear only -- internally tight and fine; Lincoln-theme bookplate on each front pastedown with collector's tiny name neatly excised..... More
This interesting literary character founded the R.R. Bowker Company (which still exists) in 1872, co-founded "Library Journal" (which also still exists) in 1876, and acquired "Publishers' Weekly" (you guessed it) in 1879 -- among other lasting bookish and bibliographic endeavors. TLS, 1p, 5½" X 8½", New York, NY, 1923 January..... More
This French composer created operas noted for their realism ("Kerim," " Messidor," " Angelo," etc.), ballets, symphonies and more; he was also a prolific music critic for many periodicals. ANS in French, 1p, 3 3/4" X 4 3/4", Paris, France, 1924 March 17. Addressed to American expatriate pianist and music..... More
This conservative jurist served as 15th Chief Justice of the United States (1969-86), replacing Earl Warren. TNS, 1p, 7¼" X 9½", "Supreme Court of the United States" letterhead, Washington, DC, 1986 February 6. Addressed to Ralph G. Newman (1911-98), founder of Chicago's noted Abraham Lincoln Book Shop. Near fine. Newman..... More
New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1927. Hardcover. Small 8vo. Green cloth with paper labels. 303pp. Very good. Faint edgewear, with inner front hinge starting but expertly, archivally strengthened, thus tight, and faint front flyleaf abrasions from bookplate removal. Attractive first edition of Cather's best-known novel, with proper first edition points..... More
St. Louis: Imperial Publishing Co., [1891]. Hardcover. 8vo. Brown cloth rebind with gilt spine lettering. 592pp. Frontispiece, numerous full-page illustrations. Very good. Text block moderately age toned as usual, and largely free of the tiny edge chips to which this delicate, low-grade paper is prone; inoffensive stain to power page..... More
Together with his brother, Prince Philippe, Count of Paris, this member of a French royal house considered illegitimate by many joined the Union forces during the American Civil War, in which he was commissioned a captain in the U.S. Army and served as assistant adjutant general on the staff of..... More
New York: Cupples & Leon Company, 1927-33. Hardcover. Group of 5 volumes (out of 9). 8vo. Color cloth spine (in order: blue, grey, red, green, brown) and pictorial paper over boards. 86pp, 86pp, 86pp, 86pp, 84pp. Extensive line drawings. Good plus to very good overall. All volumes are tight and..... More
New York: Murray Hill Books, [1946]. Hardcover. 8vo. Tan cloth with brown lettering, pictorial dust jacket. xviii, 458pp. Illustrations, foldout map. Very good/good plus. Jacket a bit rough -- edge chipped mainly at head/tail of spine, with old mends on verso, but complete and still fairly attractive. First of this..... More
In 1854 this thriving Virginia plantation owner and businessman became an early Chicago real estate mogul when he and partner James Rees built one of that city's first permanent structures, the then-massive three-story Lakeview House Hotel on Lake Shore Drive, to lure more investors into the area. DS, 1p (lettersheet)..... More
The colonial governor of New York and New Jersey (1710-20) had earlier been lieutenant governor of the Virginia Colony (1707-09) and later served as governor of Jamaica (1728-34). DS, 1p, 12½" X 16½", Chesterfield, New Jersey, 1716 January 26. Good only. Jagged and irregular edges (not affecting text), with entire..... More
New York: Harper & Brothers, 1929. Hardcover. Small 8vo. Black cloth with gilt lettering, dust jacket. 339pp. Decorative endpapers. Near fine/very good. Jacket a tad edgeworn, with spine faintly sunned and a few tiny edge chips -- but present and fairly nice. A tight, attractive first edition of this New..... More
New York: The Macaulay Company, 1928. Hardcover. Small 4to. Full black calf. xii, 872pp. Very good. Minor edgewear, mainly along edges and at head and foot of spine, but overall tight and attractive. Edition limited to 250 numbered copies (this #116) signed by all three editors. A superb anthology with..... More
N.p. N.p., n.y., [ca. 1917]. Hardcover. Small 4to. Full leatherette, gilt. 64pp. Glossy marbled endpapers. Very good. Bit of mild edgewear, mainly along spine, but spine gilt still bright. Tight and handsome, this unusual and cryptic edition appears to be the finished original typescript of this well-known Christian metaphysical text..... More
Lillie's family operated a flour mill in Illinois, but in Kansas Gordon learned the Pawnee language and became an interpreter for Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show -- thus "Pawnee Bill" was born and he and wife opened their own Wild West show in 1888, eventually joining with Buffalo Bill in..... More
Silent member of the legendary Marx Brothers comedy team, whose films include "Duck Soup" (1933) and "A Night at the Opera" (1935). Autograph Letter Signed ("Harpo"), 1p, 7¼" X 10½", Cathedral City, CA, n.y. [probably summer 1961]. Addressed to Don (Woolf). Near fine. In this rare example of a Harpo..... More
Chicago: R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company, 1913. Hardcover. 16mo. Green cloth with gilt rules, spine lettering and front board device. ix, 137pp. Top edge gilt. Frontispiece. Very good. Faint edgewear, with spine lettering a tad rubbed and rear inner hinge expertly, archivally strengthened, thus tight. Attractive copy of this early..... More
Springfield: Illinois State Historical Library, 1943-45. Hardcover. Edited by Paul M. Angle. Foreword by James G. Randall. Complete 2-volume set. Blue cloth with gilt spine lettering. xlv, 519pp; xi, 560pp. Illustrations (Volume II). Near fine. Volume II spine gilt, as always, dulled, though Volume I spine gilt bright and lovely..... More
This French diplomat served as ambassador to the United States in Andrew Jackson's time; he married Mary Lewis, daughter of President Jackson's aide Major William Lewis, in the first Roman Catholic ceremony ever held in the White House on November 29, 1832; Jackson was godfather to their son -- Andrew..... More
[Washington, DC]: J. & G.S. Gideon, n.y. Paperback. 8vo. Self-cover. 8pp. Very good. Lightly age toned; binding traces at margin; contemporary "39" in brown ink at upper right corner of first page. An attractive and clean-edged first edition of this attack on the Democratic eighth U.S. president, undated but certainly..... More