Boston: Roberts Brothers, 1871. Hardcover. 16mo. Terra cotta pebble-grained cloth with blind-embossed rules and gilt lettering. (4pp preliminary ads), 376pp. Tissue-guarded frontispiece, 3 full-page illustrations. Very good. Mildest of edgewear; text block faintly age toned, with occasional spotting and foxing. A tight, attractive first edition of this "Little Women" sequel... More
There were quite a few prominent persons named Barber (sometimes spelled Barbur) in Windsor, Connecticut, the first English settlement in Connecticut founded in the early 17th century -- and this promissory note is signed by one and involves another. DS, 1p, 7¼" X 11", Windsor, CT, 1732 February 13. Very... More
La Crosse, WI: Sumac Press, 1954. Hardcover. Small 4to. Light green cloth with red lettering. 32pp. Illustration. Near fine. Tight, attractive first edition of this essay by the superb Minnesota historian and published by this interesting small Wisconsin press, limited to 780 copies. Best of all, this copy is boldly... More
Annapolis, MD: State of Maryland, Executive Department, 1863. Paperback. Self-cover. 8vo. 4pp. Very good. Minor binding traces. Clean and bright, with an attractive Maryland state seal at upper left of the first page. This November 2nd proclamation "To the Citizens of the State and more especially the Judges of Election"... More
Hand-lettered Buddhist text "page" written on both sides of a strip of stiff tree bark, 1 3/4" X 11¼", n.p. [Burma], n.d. [likely 18th century]. Very good. Moderately age toned and a bit browned at edges, with single small (3/4") chip at one corner. Typical leaf from a Burmese religious... More
Four German Luftwaffe fighter aces, all Knight's Cross recipients: Buhligen downed 12 enemy aircraft; Hahn downed 108 enemy aircraft, was shot down and captured by the Russians and imprisoned until 1950; Osterkamp has the unique distinction of downing 32 enemy aircraft in World War One and 6 enemy aircraft in... More
Philadelphia: Young, Printer, 1832. Paperback. 8vo. Original tan printed wrappers. iv, 32pp. Floor plan, 2 maps. Good plus. Printed outer wrappers are age toned, with a single long chip at upper right of front wrapper slightly touching upon decorative border; text block lightly age toned, with large dampstain areas. "Third... More
New York: Harper & Brothers, 1939. Hardcover. Small 8vo. Orange cloth. Very good. Small owner's name/address neatly inkstamped on front pastedown. First edition, tight and attractive, of this early effort. Rather uncommon. More
Buffalo: Courier Company, n.y. Paperback. Small 4to. Color pictorial wrapper (rear only present). 64pp, (8pp ads). Numerous illustrations, advertisements. Very good. Faint wear only. Tight, clean, quite nice 9th edition of this souvenir booklet, largely a well-illustrated biography of Cody. This copy sadly lacks the color pictorial front wrapper, though... More
This American soprano debuted with the Metropolitan Opera in "Romeo et Juliette" in 1906 and remained there, developing a huge following, until retirement in 1922, appearing in a handful of silent films between 1915 and 1920 as well. ANS at bottom of TNS to her, 1p, 8½" X 11", n.p.... More
New Haven: Yale University Press, 1956. Hardcover. Edited by Leonard W. Labaree and Whitfield J. Bell Jr. Small 4to. Faux vellum spine with gilt lettering and decorated paper over boards, green cloth over boards slipcase with paper label. xxii, 61pp. Color frontispiece, color plates. Fine/near fine. One of the limited... More
Famed Mexican caricaturist and sculptor who worked and exhibited in New York in the 1920s and '30s; in a February 1936 "Time" magazine review of an exhibit of his figures in Manhattan, the review noted his "brilliantly colored little figures," wax pieces less than 6" tall; he described Hidalgo as... 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
Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1937. Hardcover. Small 8vo. Green cloth, price-clipped dust jacket. 167pp. Very good/very good. A tight, clean and lovely first edition by the Czech-born American philosopher and historian (1891-1971) -- with a unique twist: The title page bears a choice presentation inscription from fellow Czech MAX BROD... More
This popular Irish poet ("The Book of Irish Ballads" 1846, "Irish Legends and Lyrics" 1858, "Poems" 1882, etc.) was fascinated by Spanish literature and translated many of Pedro Calderon de la Barca's plays. AMS, 1p, 4½" X 7", London, England, n.y. Near fine. Faint mounting trace on verso along left... More
London: Richard Bentley, 1849. Hardcover. Complete 3-volume set. 8vo. Original brown blind-embossed cloth with gilt spine lettering. xix, 340pp; 321pp; 374pp. Blue text and decorative endpapers (Volume I); yellow text endpapers (Volumes II and III). Foldout map frontispieces (Volumes I and III). Very good. Lacks yellow text front flyleaves of... More
This Indiana attorney and politician served as that state's democratic 34th governor (1933-37) before being named High Commissioner to the Philippines (1937-39 and 1945-46) and then first U.S. ambassador to that newly-independent nation (1946-47); he was briefly considered a serious presidential contender in 1940. Signed original typescript, 7pp, 8" X.... More
This legendary R & B tenor hit the charts in the mid-50s with the Drifters and such hits as "Money Honey," "Such a Night" and "Honey Love" before going solo. AQS, 1p, irregularly-trimmed (roughly rectangular) 8" X 4½", n.p., n.d. [January 1958]. Very good. Yellowed tape stain at each corner... More
The brothers Murray were New York bankers and politicians -- older brother William served in Congress as a Democrat (1851-55) before switching allegiance and helping to organize the Republican party in 1856, while younger brother Ambrose served Congress as a Republican from 1855 to 1859. ALS, 1p (lettersheet), 8" X.... More
AM (unsigned), 19pp (recto and verso), 4 3/4" X 7 3/4", n.p., n.y. [ca. 1870s?]. Very good. Bit of faint age toning and old folds (neither strong nor weakened). Quite attractive and frustratingly cryptic unsigned Autograph Manuscript, two-punched at top and string-tied with original pink ribbon. Fascinating firsthand recollections of... More
This major Norwegian soprano debuted in 1907 at the National Theatre, but it was at La Scala in 1924 under Toscanini that her career took off, making her a favorite at the Paris Opera and the Metropolitan Opera. ANS, 2pp, heavy stock 5½" X 3 3/4", Paris, France, 1929 December... More
Sir John was a Scots-Quebecer politician who held a wide array of influential high-level Canadian positions and later lesser positions in Britain; he was named 1st Baronet Rose in 1872. His son Sir Charles was also a politician, but is better known as a competitive yachtsman, horse breeder and businessman... More
This colorful and influential editor and journalist -- brother of General Electric president Gerard Swope -- won a Pulitzer prize for his World War One coverage; he edited the New York World from 1920 to 1929. TLS, 12pp (rectos only), 8" X 10¼", Washington, DC, 1918 January 23. Addressed "To... More
In his day, Ware -- better known as "Ironquill" -- was Kansas' best-known poet, his "Rhymes of Ironquill" reprinted repeatedly; an Iowa veteran of the Civil War, he also wrote the 1911 classic "The Indian War of 1864" and was a well-known attorney and politician. AQS, 1p, 3½" X 4¼"... More