Happy Holidays and a Bookish New Year (and a new catalogue)
Lux Mentis
various upcoming holidays (e.g. Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Boxing
Day, Winter Solstice, 231st Anniv. of the Boston Tea Party, 220th
Anniv. of New Jersey becoming a State, etc.).
We had our very first, very minor, snow this week and it is finally
cold. It is, thus, a perfect time to curl up with a good book or two
(if for no other reason that an excuse for a moment or two of peace
over the next few weeks.
With luck, you are like my wife, and have made all your gift decisions
months ago and can relax and enjoy the season. If, however, you are
like me, things are still...shall we say...up in the air. To that end,
I have attached a short list of special items for the special people in
your lives (yourself, of course, included). I have also uploaded a Fine
Press and Fine Binding catalogue with a wide range of giftish books and
broadsides
(http://groups-beta.google.com/group/LuxMentisBooksellers/files). I
hope you enjoy it, please let me know if you would like images of any
items.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if there is a title or genre you
would like to pursue. Thank you, as always, for your consideration. I
truly hope you have a wonderful and book-filled new year.
Warmest Regards,
/ijk
--
Ian J. Kahn
Lux Mentis, Booksellers
Antiquarian & Fine First Editions
211 Marginal Way, #777
Portland, ME, 04101
207-329-1469
http://www.luxmentis.com
Lovely Gifts for Loved Ones
Kent, Rockwell. The Jewel A Romance of Fairyland. Portland, ME: The
Baxter Society, 1990. First Edition. Both volumes tight, bright and
unmarred. Small bump in upper corner of slipcase, else bright and
clean. Quarterbound, white cloth spine, blue paper boards, gilt
lettering and decorative elements. 8vo. np. Illus. (color and b/w
plates). Limited Edition, this being number 377 of 500. A Prospectus
for this volume (1989) is laid in with the volume. Hardcover/Stiff
Wraps. Fine in Near Fine Slipcase. (2613) $285.00
The Baxter Societies second book. A facsimile reproduction of this
early fantasy by Kent, slipcased with a companion book including
preface by Sally Kent Groton and Notes on The Jewel by Eliot Stanley.
Printed by the Stinehour Press and The Shagbark Press and hand bound by
Judi W. Conant. A very handsome copy of this wonderful edition.
Shakespeare, William; Palgrave, F.T. (ed). Songs and Sonnets by William
Shakespeare. London: Macmillan & Co., 1924. First Edition Thus. Very
minimal shelf wear, else tight, bright and unmarred. Halfbound, brown
leather spine and tips, five raised bands, gilt lettering and
decorative elements, marbled boards and endpages, top edge gilt. 12mo.
253pp. Hardcover. Fine. No DJ, as Issued. (3127) $245.00
Exceptionally bound by Baynton of Bath, England (Riviere). A very
handsome copy of this exceptional collection.
Stein, Gertrude; Hurd, Clement (illus). The World Is Round: [Together
with] The World is Not Flat [by Edith Thatcher Hurd]. San Francisco,
CA: Arion Press, 1986. First Edition/Limited Edition. ISBN: 0892537361.
World is Round shows tiny spot of discoloration at text block edge
(prolonged contact with ephemera balloon), else tight, bright and
unmarred. World is Flat is tight, bright and unmarred. Original square
box shows light shelf/edge wear, else bright and clean. Both volumes
show red cloth boards, blue ink lettering and pictorial elements. Round
8vo; Square 12mo. 119pp; 47pp. Illus. (b/w and blue ink plates).
Limited edition of 400 copies. Prospectus and "World is Round" balloon
laid in. Hardcover. Fine. No DJ, as Issued. (3644) $550.00
Stein's first children's book (Margaret Wise Brown encouraged her to
write one). A wonderful story illustrated by Hurd's exceptional
illustrations. A very handsome copy of this classic.
Special Editions for Special Collectors
Bronte, Charlotte, Emily and Anne; Brett, Simon; Tute, George; Phipps,
Howard; Reddick, Peter; Brockway, Harry; Stephens, Ian; Foster, Peter
(illus). The Complete Novels: In Seven Volumes. London: Folio Society,
1991. First Edition Thus. Tight, bright and unmarred. Slipcase shows
very minor shelfwear, else bright and clean. Green watered silk boards
(and slipcase), gilt lettering. 8vo. Various. Illus. (b/w plates).
Hardcover. Fine in Near Fine+ Slipcase. (3276) $175.00
Complete collection of CB's, Jane Eyre, The Professor, Shirley,
Villette; AB's, Agnes Grey, & Tenant of Wildfell Hall, and EB's,
Wuthering Heights. A handsome set in their original slipcase.
McKenney, Thomas; Hall, James. History of the Indian Tribes of North
America. Kent, OH: Volair Limited, 1978. First Edition Thus/Limited
Edition. Tight, bright and unmarred. Slipcase shows very minor shelf
wear, else tight and clean. Full brown leather, five raised band, gilt
lettering and decorative elements, brown silk endpages, aeg, brown silk
bookmarks bound in, frontispiece(s). Large 8vo. xxviii, 470pp; vii,
534pp. Illus. (color plates). Maps. Original letter from the publisher
and limitation bookplate laid in. Numbered limited edition, this being
2804 of 5000. Full Leather.. Fine in Near Fine Slipcase.
(3982) $450.00
This is a very handsome reprint of the 19th-century classic on the
American Indian and arguably one of the most important early color
lithography works. McKenney was a commissioner of Indian Affairs and
collaborated with James Hall, a well-known Mid-West journalist. It is
comprised of a series of biographies of the major Indian chiefs and
illustrated with color plates of each chief, taken from original oils
by Charles Bird King and his brethren. The original, very large format,
edition was much sought after for these exceptional plates and many
were, unfortunately, broken. The original has become quite scarce. The
publishers letter states: "This edition incorporates the best of two
notable editions. The plates, except for a reduction in size, are
exactly as they first appeared in the Imperial Folio of the 1830's. The
text is a one-to-one reissue of the first Royal Octavo edition of
1848-1850 which incorporates all of Thomas McKenney's important
revisions." A pristine set of this very well executed limited edition.
Various. The Literary Snail. Norton, MA: Periwinkle Press, 1939. First
Edition. Light shelf/edge wear, else tight, bright and unmarred. DJ
shows toning at edges and several small, closed tears, else clean.
Marbled paper boards, black ink snail on front, pale blue endpages and
leaves. Small 8vo. np. Illus. (numerous decorative elements).
Hardcover. Near Fine in Very Good+ DJ. (2838) $75.00
First printing of James Guthrie's poem "The Snail." Very scarce in this
lovely hardbound edition, arguably rare in the original glassine DJ. A
very handsome copy.
Waghenaer, Lucas Janszoon; Koeman, Dr. C. (ed). De Spieghel Der
Zeevaerdt (1584-1585): A Facsimile; with: The History of Lucas Janszoon
Waghenaer and His 'Spieghel Der Zeevaerdt' by Dr. C. Koeman. New York:
American Elsevier, 1964. First Edition Thus/Reprint. Tight, bright and
unmarred. Quarterbound, dark brown leather spine, green cloth boards,
gilt lettering and decorative elements, green endpages, mechanical star
chart. fo/Small 4to. np.; 72pp. Illus. (color and b/w plates). Approx.
40 double page colour maps. Hardcover. Fine. No DJ, as Issued.
(3049) $600.00
Facsimile of the Utrecht University Library's hand-colored copy of the
Atlas [Leyden 1584-1585] with missing preliminaries made up from
another copy in their possession and a wonderful working star chart. A
spectacular facsimile of the First edition of this landmark in Dutch
cartography with a compact history, appreciation and bibliography.
Fine Bindings for Fine Homes
Keats, John. Sonnets. London: Leopold B. Hill, nd. First Edition Thus.
Light shelf wear, touch of toning at spine, owner signature on ffep,
else tight, bright and unmarred. Red leather boards, gilt lettering and
decorative elements, black ink decorative elements, dentelles, pale
blue endpages, silk ribbon bound in, aeg, frontispiece, tissue guard,
decorative dropped first initials. 16mo. 55pp. Hardcover. Near Fine. No
DJ, as Issued. (3258) $275.00
A very handsome copy of this rather scarce edition, exceptionally bound
by Sansorski & Sutcliffe.
Mrs. Gaskell; Thomson, Hugh. Cranford. London: Macmillan, 1907. Later
Printing. Minor shelf wear, small, dated, owner inscription, else
tight, bright and unmarred. Full blue morocco leather, 5 raised bands,
burgundy label, gilt lettering and intricate decorative elements
(including board edges and foldover), text block edges in near
reflective gilt, marbled endpages. 12mo. 297pp. Illus. (b/w plates).
Full Leather. Fine. No DJ, as Issued. (1074) $500.00
Exquisitely bound by W. T. Morrell, London. Wonderful illustrations by
Hugh Thomson. A stunning volume in hand.
Newton, A. Edward. The Greatest Book in the World: and Other Papers.
Boston: Little, Brown And Company, 1925. First Edition. Minor shelf
wear, else tight, bright and unmarred. Halfbound, red leather spine and
tips, three raised bands, gilt lettering and decorative elements,
marbled endpages, teg, frontispiece. 8vo. 451pp. Illus. (color and b/w
plates). Index. Hardcover. Near Fine. No DJ, as Issued. (3274) $150.00
Newton is a bit of an acquired taste, but I love his books. One of the
first to really explore bibliomania/bibliophilia in all its charming
aspects. His love and passion for books is ever evident. A very
handsome copy in a lovely binding.
Lovely Items for the Child or the Child at Heart
Bemelmans, Ludwig. Madeline and the Gypsies. London: Scholastic Press,
1996. Reprint/First Thus. ISBN: 0590542702. Tight, bright and unmarred.
DJ shows very minimal shelf wear, else clean and bright. Color
Pictorial paper boards, pictorial endpages. 4to. np, approx 52pp.
Illus. (color plates). Signed by author on half-title, "Madeline
Bemelmans." Hardcover. Fine in Fine DJ. (1395) $95.00
A pristine copy with signature by Bemelmans.
Ingoldsby, Thomas; Rackham, Arthur. The Ingoldsby Legends: Mirth and
Marvels. London/New York: J. M. Dent & Co., 1907. First Edition thus.
Very minor shelf wear, spine lightly toned, one corner gently bumped,
discrete owner's mark on ffep, else tight, bright and unmarred. Green
cloth boards, gilt lettering and decorative elements, top of text block
in gilt, frontispiece, dark green decorative endpages, 24 color plates
tipped in on dark green leaves. Small 4to. xx. 549pp. Illus. (color and
b/w plates). [N.B. much is in original, uncut, condition.] Hardcover.
Very Good++/Near Fine. No DJ. (1501) $500.00
Revised from the 1898 edition, greatly expanding on the number of
plates (and improving those already present). Entire volume was reset
and redesigned for this edition, a vast improvement. A very handsome
copy of this wonderful collection.
Smith, Nora Archibald; Smith, Jessie Willcox (illus). Boys and Girls of
Bookland. New York: Cosmopolitan Book Co., 1923. First Edition Thus.
Light shelf/edge wear, else tight, bright and unmarred. Green cloth
boards, gilt lettering and decorative elements, color pictorial onlay,
frontispiece. 4to. 100pp. Illus. (color plates). Hardcover.. Near Fine.
No DJ. (4006) $175.00
A handsome copy of this classic collection, richly illustrated by
Smith. HBS 50115DJH.
Exceptional, Unusual and/or Indulgent
Francesco Di Assisi (St. Francis of Assisi). Il Cantico Delle Creature
Di Francesco Di Assisi. Italy: Errebi di Falconara, 2001. Limited
Edition. Tight, bright and unmarred. Leather boards, decorative
endpages. 8vo. 349pp. Index. Limited numbered edition, this being 590
of 1000. Signed by the binder. Full Leather. Fine in Custom Binding and
Case. (3527) $2,250.00
Unique binding by The Merlicorn Bindery, dated 2002. Full leather
binding in natural goatskin, traditional style, tight joints and tight
back. Sewn on cords and tapes. The raised bands continue into the
boards, becoming part of the medieval arches. In the recesses on the
boards are representations of all the "creations" done in blind
tooling, leather onlays and linoleum-cut embossings. Tooled silver
stars, blind tooled title. Worked linen headbands, coloured and tooled
top edge. Endpapers of a gilt on beige Japanese paper with leather
hinges. Matching drop-back box with padded homespun cotton lining.
Spenser, Edmund; Crane, Walter; Wise, Thomas J. (illus). The Faerie
Queene: A Poem in Six Books, with the Fragment Mutabilitie (In Six
Volumes). London: George Allen , 1897. First Edition Thus. Light shelf
wear (focused at head and heel), Vol. 1 shows very small, closed split
at head, light age toning at text block edges, light dust staining at
top of text block, very minor toning at spine, endpages toned, else
tight, bright and unmarred. Original blue cloth boards, gilt lettering,
black ink lettering and pictorial elements. 4to. Contiguous pagination:
[lxxxvii], 250pp; [viii], 251-528pp; [viii], 529-806pp; [viii],
807-1044pp; [viii], 1045-1276pp; [viii], 1277-1546pp, plus 8np. Illus.
(b/w plates). This edition printed on handmade paper limited to 1000
copies (of a total of 1028). Hardcover. Very Good+ (Textblock Near
Fine). No DJ as Issued. (3647) $2,500.00
"Edited by Thomas J. Wise. Pictured by Walter Crane." (from title page)
Volume 1 includes a double-page general title; eighty-eight full-page
woodcut illustrations (one double-page); and 132 head- and tail-pieces,
numerous decorative initials, and printer's and publisher's
colophons. Originally issued in nineteen parts, the rose front and rear
wraps for each section are bound in at rear of respective volumes (also
designed by Crane). Printed by the Chiswick Press. "The most
important work in the whole long list of books illustrated by Walter
Crane...If Crane's claim to greatness were based entirely on this
work, he would still retain his position in the front rank of
nineteenth-century artists. The wealth of ideas and forms, real and
fantastic, which are embodied in the actual illustrations, and even
more in the marvelous decorative border designs, is almost incredible!
Besides the numberless presentments of the human figure in all its
manly vigour and womanly grace, the whole range of nature's forms, of
animal and plant life, of fabulous, mythological inventions, of
allegorical personifications, are worked into decorative designs of
exquisite beauty. It would be petty, nay foolish, to try to find fault
with certain very obvious shortcomings as regards anatomical drawing in
a work which does not only stand unique as pure decoration, but speaks
of an amount of knowledge and a wealth of imagination that command
unrestricted admiration and respect" (Konody, p. 71). Ashley V, p.
196; Engen, Crane, p. 102; HBS 37041; Massé, pp. 47-48. This set
largely uncut. A handsome set of this exceptional work.
Walton, Izaak; Dwiggins, W.A. (illus). The Complete Angler: or The
Contemplative Man's Recreation - With an Introduction by Bliss Perry
and Decorations by W.A. Dwiggins. Boston: C.E. Goodspeed & Co./D.B.
Updike/Merrymount Press, 1928. First Edition Thus/Limited Edition.
Owner book plate, else tight, bright and unmarred. Red morocco leather
boards, gilt lettering and decorative elements, five raised bands,
printed leather and silk endpages, teg. 8vo. 324pp. Edition limited to
600 copies. Full Leather. Fine. No DJ, as Issued. (3521) $2,750.00
Elaborate gilt cover design with ornate medallion picturing dolphins,
fish, and seashells on rich crimson morocco leather, blue morocco
leather endpages with gilt decorative elements and "The Angler's Song"
in gilt (covering all four endpages) followed by blue silk endpages. An
exceptional example of a fine Sangorski and Sutcliffe binding.