BOOK

Ranging in size from a 7 x 11mm yellow hexagon to a 2.5 x 5 cm blue oval. Printed in a range of colours and cut in a variety of shapes. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper, with 98 of 152 items laid down on a piece of card. The dating in the following description is from the British Book Trade Index (BBTI). An interesting collection of labels, mostly nineteenth-century and mainly relating to the British booktrade, ranging from 'BRO: R. SPENCER, | MASONIC BOOKSELLER' of 314 High Holborn (Robert Spencer, 1831-1846), to 'J. B. BROWN. | Bookbinder to | HIS MAJESTY.

1p., 4to. In good condition. The large and unusual letterhead is the point of interest: it is roughly 17 x 11.5 cm, and mostly taken up with an illustration, printed in red, yellow, green, blue, orange and black, depicting an idealised scene in a Victorian bookseller's shop, with a young lady with bonnet and parasol, two schoolboys in top hats with Eton collars and a bespectackled master in mortar board and robes, the last of whom is examining a book shown to him by an elderly bookseller.

1p., 4to. In fair condtion, lightly aged and creased. With a few autograph corrections by Roberts. Having been unsuccessful in placing an individual with Wilson, Roberts writes: 'Of course forty years ago the advent of a bookshop like yours was a tremendous event, and we all flocked to it as something new and wonderful, as indeed it was.

66 + 2pp., 12mo. Stitched pamphlet. With printed front cover. In poor condition, aged and worn, with damage to top-edge. 774 lots with prices. Notes in English and French. Among the more expensive items is 228, a collection of material relating to the Chevalier d'Eon, for £12. In poor condition, but a scarce item.

18 + [1]pp., 8vo. In red cloth half-binding, with brown marbled boards. Stamp of the Royal Historical Society on endpaper, and pencil shelfmarks. In fair condition, aged and worn. A curious production. The intent of the author (certainly Stevens) is to facilitate 'definite and permanent organisation', by his 'preparation of an Index of all the documents of American concern in private or public Archives of Great Britain, Holland, France and Spain that accumulated between the years 1763 and 1783'.

Printed in black on circle of white paper, approximately 4.5 cm in diameter. In good condition, lightly-aged. Tastefully designed, in turn of the century style, with two decorative borders enclosing the text 'Engraving & Printing neatly executed. Books elegantly bound. News Papers sent (Post free) to all parts of Gt. Britain'. The main text, enclosed by both borders, reads: 'R. H. Westley, | Bookseller & Stationer, | No. 159, | opposite the New Church, Strand | Magazines & all periodical | Publications | regularly delivered'.

16pp., 4to. Stitched pamphlet. Aged and worn. The lay-out is staid and old-fashioned, reminsicent of the 1880s. Very much geared to the St James's Palace market, with such titles as 'Bicycle Gymkhana and Musical Rides' by Major Walter Wingfield, 'No Army, No Empire' by the Earl of Dunraven, and 'Roulette: The Winning Rules' by 'Sperienza'. Includes various of Sir Bernard Burke's publications, and Hertslet's Treaties, as well as 'Dress Worn by Gentlemen at His Majesty's Court. The latest date within the catalogue is 1903. No other copy traced, either on OCLC WorldCat or on COPAC.

Printed in black on white within oval border, roughly 5.5 cm high and 8.5 cm wide. In good condition, laid down on a piece of brown card. Tastefully presented in a style characteristic of the period, and employing the long s. Reads: 'Jas. Kerby, | BOOKSELLER & STATIONER, | NO. 190 | Oxford-Street, near Grosvenor-Square. | Sells all kinds of Papers, Writing & Account Books, | Pamphlets, Magazines, a large Assortment of | Gentlemens & Ladies Pocket-Books, Inks, Quills, | Pens, & every other Article of Stationery. | N.B. News-Papers served at any Part of | Town or Country.

1p., 4to. In fair condition, on aged and worn paper. The letterhead styles the firm: 'Maggs Bros., | Rare Books, Prints & Autographs. | Catalogues issued. | Publishers, Exporters & Shippers.' gives thhe address of the firm's warehouse, telegraphic and cable address, 'Code in Use', and telephone number. With reference to an order, the firm is sending 'a large plate of the "Mistaken Marriage" and another of "The Whiskers" of these latter kindly use the larger of the two but do not inlay'.

Two stitched pamphlets of uniform design. 15pp., 12mo, and 19pp., 12mo. Tastefully printed, with covers in red and black. Both items in good condition, lightly aged and worn. The first volume - 'A First List' - has a full-page 'Advertisement' by 'D. H.', in which he aspires to 'offer a fair proportion of what is alive in modern writing - a hope which is my raison d'etre as a publisher [...] nothing, if not lack of sense, or lack of the desire, need stop one from printing whatever is available, and has intrinsic vitality or permanence'.

For more information about the periodical, see the entry in Brake and Demoor's 'Dictionary of Nineteenth Century Journalism in Great Britain and Ireland' (2009), which stresses the its independence: 'the Musical Standard was rare among nineteenth-century music journals in that it was not produced by a music publisher or other music issuing body'. The present item consists of around 175 items laid down in file copies of eleven issues, four of them from 1888: 21 April, 26 May and 16 and 30 June; and seven from 1891: 3 January, and 7, 14, 21, 28 February, and 7 and 21 March.

The collection is in fair overall condition, on aged and worn paper. Not all from the same source (includes stamps of W. H. Smith & Son, Bromley; the Pioneer Bookshop, Woolwich; and Ascroft and Daw of the Charing Cross Road). ONE: 'November Penguins | published 29 October 1954'. Illustrated fold-out pamphlet. TWO: 3 issues of 'Penguin Books | Order Form', December 1954, August 1958, and October 1958. Fold-out leaflets. The December 1954 issue (creased, as is one other) features a full-page illustrated Christmas message. THREE: 'The New Penguins | ready 27 October 1955'.

Four items loosely inserted in a 33 x 25.5 cm black paper folder which is in good condition, with light signs of wear. With 26.5 x 20.5 illustrated label on cover, printed in black and brown, for 'The Colophon | A book collector's quarterly'. Presented to the guests at a 'Colophon' dinner (perhaps the inaugural one in 1929?). The contents as follows. ONE: Leaf from the Cologne Chronicle, 1499. The dimensions of the leaf from this incunabulum are roughly 30.5 x 20.5 cm. In fair condition, on aged paper with light damp staining. With three woodcuts, each roughly 5 x 4 cm.

25pp., 8vo, printed paper wraps (monogram "CS" round urn), edges sunned, staples rusted, other minor damage, contents good.

The letter is 2pp., 8vo, and the order form 1p., 8vo. In good condition, on aged and worn paper. A skilful facsimile: Bacon has even included an interpolation on the first page to make it look more like an authentic letter.

The two items are disbound, but attached to one another. On aged and worn paper. PROSPECTUS: 1p., 12mo. Reads: 'Mr. Abel's Account of the Embassy to China. | In the press, and immediately will be published, | In One Volume, Quarto, illustrated by Maps and other Engravings, of Landscape, Natural History, Geology, &c.

Both the engraving and the letter are in good condition, on lightly-aged paper. ENGRAVING: Dimensions of image: 5.5 x 9 cm. Dimensions of paper: 12 x 18 cm. In black ink. The coffee house, with signage, is shown behind an old stone wall, in front of a country house. It is built like a barn with a taller structure beside it (possibly a reading room). LETTER: 2pp., 12mo. Bifolium.

Card, c.6 x 5cm, irregularly cut. Printed words, "Thomas Benn Sowerby | 78, Chiswell street || Unpaid Letters refused". In manuscript a list of sets of books, British Essayists (45 vols), Johnson's works, Locke's, Shakespeare's (12 vols.), and Fielding's. On reverse is written "I think you can polish the covers by a clean Rag."

The collection in good condition, on lightly aged and worn paper. The eleven items range in size from 38 x 26 cm to 22.5 x 21.5 cm. Six with the stamp of the firm's London distributor, A. R. Ware of 35 Paternoster Row. Three circulars (totalling 4pp., 4to), all on the firm's green letterhead, include one duplicated letter, with the cyclostyled signature of Robert Hill, all headed 'Picture Boards, Toy Books and Annuals'.

Three examples of the same bookplate: on green, blue and cream paper. All three in very good condition, lightly-aged. Paper dimensions: 4.5 x 5.5 cm. Illustration dimensions: 3 x 4 cm. The image, reproducing an eighteenth-century engraving, depicts two children seated at a table and studying, with a globe on the floor between them. Beneath the image: 'KINDERBUCH-SAMMLUNG | VON WALTER SCHATZKI'. Accompanied by slip of paper with manuscript note regarding reproduction 'in Photo-Litho', after 'permission received O.K. from Walter's'.

36pp., 4to. With numerous illustrations of covers. Unbound and stapled. In fair condition, lightly-aged with rusted staples. Addendum, dated 2 July 1917, in red ink on label tipped-in onto front cover. Series include: 'Cecil Aldin's Fine Art Animal Books', 'E. J. Detmold's Colour Books', 'Herbert Strang's Empire Library', 'Mrs. Strang's Annual for Baby' and 'The Something to Do Series'.

4pp., 16mo. Bifolium. In good condition, lightly-aged. A long list, giving titles and published price. In columns headed 'ALL BOOKS are supplied on usual Trade Terms, as per our Wholesale Catalogue'. Includes two series of 'The Peter Rabbit Books', and 'PETER RABBIT'S SHOW CASE. Only supplied fitted with 49 1/2 net Books, and 1 2/6 net book. Trade Price with Contents, £2 7s. 3d.' Also 'The "Mr" Books' in four 'Styles', and works by Greenaway, Caldecott and Walter Crane.

Printed in black on one side of an 8.5 x 13.5 cm piece of blue paper. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper, with minor creasing to corners. Formerly an insert into a book, a nice piece of ephemera relating to one of the greatest English novels of the nineteenth century. 'Middlemarch' was first published in eight installments between 1871 and 1873, before its first complete publication in book form in 1874. No other copy of this item traced on either OCLC WorldCat or on COPAC.

24pp., 12mo. Yapp-bound in brown-paper printed wraps. Stapled. Very good. Printed in brown ink on glossy paper, with one book per page, each with an illustration of the cover. Begins with 'The Wonder Book | (Fourteenth Year of Issue.)' and ends with 'Animals All | By Ellen Velvin'. Includes four works illustrated by Margaret W. Tarrant, including 'Alices Adventures in Wonderland'. Scarce: no copies traced, either on COPAC or on OCLC WorldCat.

8pp., 4to. Illustrations of covers on every page. Stapled. In good condition, on aged paper, with rusted staples. The cover (with a central photograph depicting the covers of eight titles) is headed: 'Order Form. | A New Series of Children's Toy Books. | The Publishers offer in this new series one of the most striking and original Coloured Toy Books ever published. They will please little children. | These Toy Books will command an immediate sale in any part of the country. They are not expensive.' In right-hand margin of cover: 'A Selection of 49 Titles'.

Both items in good condition, lightly-aged. ONE: 'Nisbet & Co., Ltd. Juvenile Order List'. 4pp., folio. Bifolium. Blue addendum slip tipped-in onto front cover. Divided into 18 sections, including 'The Schoolgirl Series', 'Little Picture Books' and 'The Dominion Library'. With a heavy emphasis on R. M. Ballantyne, with four sections titled: 'R. M. Ballantyne's Famous Stories for Boys | The Copyright Edition', 'R. M. Ballantyne's Tales of Adventure', 'R. M. Ballantyne's Stories | Crown 8vo' and 'R. M. Ballantyne's Stories | Crown 8vo. Picture Cover'.

75pp., thin 8vo (24.5 x 12 cm). Stapled, with red addendum label dated 'July, 1919' tipped in onto front cover. At head of cover: 'Over 100 new titles'. Extensive and businesslike catalogue, with illustrations of some front covers. Begins with series of eight 'Fine Art Editions', including A. E. Jackson's illustrations to 'Alice in Wonderland'. Ends with 'Picture Post Cards for the Little Ones' and 'Puzzle Boxes'. Scarce: no copy of this item on COPAC, and the only entry for any year a copy of the 1925 issue, at the British Library.

72pp., thin 8vo (24.5 x 12 cm). Stapled, with red addendum label dated 'July, 1918' tipped in onto front cover. Extensive and businesslike catalogue, with illustrations of some front covers. Begins with series of eight 'Fine Art Editions', including A. E. Jackson's illustrations to 'Alice in Wonderland'. Ends with 'Picture Post Cards for the Little Ones', 'Puzzle Boxes' and 'Scripture Jigsaw Puzzles'. Scarce: no copy of this item on COPAC, and the only entry for any year a copy of the 1925 issue, at the British Library.

1p., 4to. In fair condition, on aged and spotted paper. A convincing copy of a genuine typed letter, with Milford's signature and the letterhead in black ink, and the typewritten text in purple. 25 lines of text in three paragraphs. An interesting glimpse into the state of the British publishing industry in the period immediately following the First World War.

4pp., 12mo, paginated 1-4. Bifolium on watermarked laid paper. Aged, with wear to fore-edges and slight staining at head of first page. Uncommon. In small print. 'It is proposed to give short particulars of such writings of Thackeray as appeared in book form in America before they were so published here, and to note the variations between the contents of the several volumes as first published in the two countries.' Crisply-printed. The item has the feel of an American production, and may well be a keepsake for a book club..