London: Charles Eyre and William Strahan, 1773. Paperback. 4to. Wrappers. Pp. 771-772 (4pp). Near fine. First edition. Act passed at the Sixth Session of the Thirteenth Parliament, with a highly decorative front wrapper bearing steelcut coat of arms, etc. More
Queen Anne's physician in ordinary (1705-14) is better known as a close friend of Swift, Gay and Pope, with whom he founded the Scriblerus Club; among his many political pamphlets was "The History of John Bull," 1727, which created the stereotype of John Bull the typical Englishman. Signature and salutation..... More
This two-term Mississippi governor (1844-48) and senator (1854-61) of flawless reputation for integrity and oratory resigned the U.S. Senate and was elected to the Confederate Senate, serving until the war's end; he also served as captain of Company H in the 18th Mississippi Infantry. Superbly large and handsome "Corona F...... More
New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1930. Hardcover. Small 4to. Blue cloth with gilt lettering. xvi, 422pp. Frontispiece, illustrations, 2 foldout maps, pictorial endpapers. Very good. Faint edgewear, else internally fine. First edition, tight and quite attractive -- and signed boldly by the explorer in black ink on the half-title page..... More
The youngest member of American explorer Frederick A. Cook's 1903 Mount Denali expedition, this curious figure remained one of the controversial explorer's closest friends and most steadfast supporters throughout the attacks on his claim to have reached the North Pole on 21 April 1908, a year before Peary; it was..... More
This Salvation Army cadet in New York spent ten cents on a bell to complement the suspended red pot the fundraisers had been using since 1891 -- and thus began the still-standing tradition of the bell-ringers. ALS, 2pp (both sides), light green heavy stock 3½" X 6¼" card, n.p., 20..... More
New York: Grosset & Dunlap, [1937]. Hardcover. Illustrations by Paul Laune. Small 8vo. Tan cloth with brown lettering and decoration, pictorial dust jacket. iii, 212pp, (6pp ads). Red pictorial endpapers. Near fine/very good. Mild jacket edgewear; lacks frontispiece. Tight and quite lovely first edition, second state of #16 in the..... More
This New York revolutionary leader and jurist served in the first Continental Congress (1774, until 1783) and helped draft the colonists' statement of rights; he also served as New York attorney general (1767) and as state senator (1783-90); appointed mayor of New York in 1784, he served until 1789; Washington..... More
This American writer authored one bestselling book, the 1917 "Alone in the Caribbean: The Cruise of the 'Yakaboo' in the Lesser Antilles," a nonfiction boating classic, as well as magazine and newspaper stories and articles; a mechanical engineer, he specialized in yacht designs and improvements, some still in use today;..... More
New York: The Viking Press, 1948. Hardcover. 8vo. Red cloth spine with gilt lettering and grey paper over boards, pictorial dust jacket. 252pp. Near fine/very good. Jacket rather edgeworn, a tad rubbed and with archivally closed tear on rear panel -- but complete and overall still appealing. Tight, attractive first..... More
"Hancock the Superb," this career Army officer is best remembered as a Union general in the Civil War, during which he distinguished himself at the Battle of Gettysburg; postwar he was active in the West, was named commander of the Division of the Atlantic, and lost as 1880 Democratic candidate..... More
New York: The Limited Editions Club, 1949-52. Hardcover. 14 (out of 15) volumes housed in four red paper over boards slipcases with paper labels. 4to. Various color cloths with varying decorations. Various paginations (most ca. 40-50pp). Numerous color illustrations. Near fine/very good. Slipcases a tad edgeworn only. Lacking only "Jack..... More
Little is known about this popular 19th century American composer and pianist except the names of some of his compositions, which include "Night Before Petersburgh" (1867), "The Nation's Hero Grand March" (1868), "Love Among the Roses" (1870), "The Mocking Bird" (1872), "Lutheran Hymn" (1879) and "Polka de Concert" (1882). AMuQS..... More
Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1907. Hardcover. 4to. Olive green blind-ruled cloth with gilt spine lettering and front board pictorial stamping. xl, 846pp. Chromolithograph frontispiece, numerous full-page plates and couple chromolithographs, line drawings. Very good. Minor binding edgewear, else internally tight and bright and near fine; light ownership signature on..... More
The most colorful of New York's many colorful mayors was its airport-namesake 99th, a vocal Republican reformer who served in Congress (1917-19, 1923-33) and three terms as mayor (1934-45). Thick, bold signature in black ink near the bottom of a heavy stock buff 5½" X 3¼" postal card, New York..... More
The son-in-law of inventor George M. Pullman was a Republican politician who served as Illinois representative (1906-11), governor (1917-21) and 1920 presidential candidate. Group of four political buttons, chronologically as follows: 1) "Lowden / For Governor," a 7/8" diameter pinback button with portrait within white circle against blue background with..... More
Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall Inc., [1960]. Hardcover. Small 4to. Blue cloth with silver spine lettering. xviii, 778pp. Very good. Faintest edgewear. A tight and nice first edition of this hefty biography -- with choice autograph addition: Tipped to the front flyleaf is a heavy stock 5" X 3" card signed..... More
The best-known Shakespearian interpreter of the late 19th century was this English actor, who toured extensively and played Broadway to great success, often producing and directing as well; his performance in London in 1888 in the title role of "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" earned him..... More
London: Macmillan and Co., 1891. Hardcover. Translation by Eugenie Sellers. 8vo. Green decorated library buckram. xxxii, 363pp. Frontispiece, numerous illustrations (some foldout). Very good. Tight, clean, handsome first edition of this scarce and important translation, heavily laden with superb engravings and foldouts. A discreet ex-library copy, the ONLY markings being..... More
This American violinist and conductor led Chicago's Spiering Quartette, founded the Spiering Violin School and directed the Chicago Musical College; in 1911 he was appointed concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic Society under Gustav Mahler, whom he briefly replaced. AMuQS, heavy stock 3½" X 2½" card, Chicago, May 1900. Very..... More
New York: Henry Holt and Company, [1941]. Hardcover. Small 8vo. Blue cloth with black lettering, pictorial dust jacket. 294pp. Very good/very good. Jacket lightly edge- and cornerworn (more so at head and tail of spine) and a tad rubbed; nice binding shows tiny scrape at bottom outer corner of front..... More
New York: S. Augustus Mitchell, Jr., 1861. Folio (15¼" X 12¼", image area 13½" X 11"). Hand colored. Very good. Very faint age toning. An attractive, sharp-bordered example of this detailed city plan, drawn and engraved by W.H. Gamble, from the 1864 edition of "Mitchell's New General Atlas, Containing Maps..... More
The embodiment of lust and sex appeal, the busty blond's films include classics such as "My Little Chickadee" (1940, with W.C. Fields). IPS, 8" X 10", n.p., n.d. Near fine. Printed later life informal shot showing West strumming a guitar, handsomely inscribed "To / Norman / Sincerely / Mae West."..... More
This noted Virginian physician served as regimental surgeon on the personal staff of General Turner Ashby and his Seventh Virginia Cavalry, later serving in General James Longstreet's Corps. Partly-printed DS, 1p, 10½" X 8¼", n.p., 6 February 1862. Very good. Moderately age toned. Printed "Confederate States of America" pay voucher..... More