Book Trade History

"One of the top [literary] agents in London"The extensive correspondence, business and personal, between Elaine Greene and Elaine Greene Literary Agency, and R.P. Lister [Richard Percival Lister], travel-writer, novelist, poet, contributor to periodicals, and eventually friend. He published extensively in the USA. As well as the UK.Elaine Greene to Lister: Twenty-five (25) Typed Letters and Notes Signed ("Elaine Greene" becomes a cordial "Elaine"), total 27pp., 8vo and 4to, 14 Dec. 1962-10 April 1969.

49pp. In 4to notebook with red cloth spine and black cloth boards. Internally in good condition, lightly aged, in aged and worn covers. An alphabetical list, with entries covering two facing pages, divided into three columns: 'Name of Book', 'Description' and 'How disposed of'. Almost all the entries in the last column are 'H[enr]y Hall', but one item is recorded as being 'Sent to Julia Hall'. The serious library of an educated Englishman, with almost no fiction present. Nearly all the books date from the period 1770-1900, although 'Gloucestershire Visitation of 1623' is also present.

Total 48pp, 8vo, including alternate blanks for notes,with handwritten information about prices, etc. (seller's marked copy presumably), marbled wraps, worn, contents sl. worn at edges but complete, with ill-defined stamps at beginning and end (one has phrase Noord Holland). REST Of title-page: "Op Zaturday den XVIII Junij 1842, | zullen Nayler & Co. met hunne | Ongebonden- Verkooping | een aanvang maken, | in het Logement DE ZON, op Nieuwen-Dijk, No. 234, | te Amsterdam [...] Uren van Verkoop: | 9 tot 12 - 1 tot 4 - 6 tot 10 - met Klokstage.

List of customers of bookbinder, Stoakley & Son, pre-1920(?)(from the list Professor Oppenheim died in 1919), 3pp., c.16 x 25cm, bifolium, 132 names listed alphabetically in pencil, most with ticks (bills paid?). Customers include A.C. Benson, Deighton Bell, Sir James Dewar, "Gaselee", "Gladstone", "Dr Greg" (W.W.?), Dr Keynes, J.M. Keynes, Bishop of Gibraltar, Alfred Milner, Lord Rayleigh, Sedgwick Museum, Sir J.J. Thomson, and several colleges. WITH: 21 Autograph Letters from a later incarnation of the Stoakley business, Signed, "H.T. Penn Young", Medical Officer H.M.

1p., 12mo. Attractively printed within a decorative border, on the recto of the first leaf of a bifolium. The letter reads: 'Dear Sir | The Specimen Book sent you herewith, of which I have much pleasure in asking your acceptance, contains a history of the Caslon Foundry printed with the justly celebrated types engraved by its founder in the early part of last Century.

The text is engraved in copperplate on one side of a piece of card, with plan on reverse of the the premises at 18 Paternoster Square, with Newgate Street, Warwick Lane, Rose Street and Paternoster Row also shown. In fair condition, on lightly-aged paper, with unobtrusive vertical crease. A nice piece of nineteenth-century London book trade ephemera. The text reads: 'Publication Committee | Presbyterian Church of England, | 18 Paternoster Square.

Part One: [4] + 247pp., 4to (including introduction by 'M. K. [i.e. Mitchell Kennerley]'). Part Two: [3] + 220pp., 4to (paginated 249-468). Perforated bidding sheet at end of Part Two. Internally in good condition, on lightly-aged paper, in worn and stained wraps with loss at spines. Attractively designed, with numerous illustrations and facsimiles in text. The cover of the first volume carries the ownership signature of John A. Holland at the head, and the prices of the sale's 1482 lots are given in Holland's hand.

[4] + 47pp., 8vo. In printed wraps. Internally in fair condition, on aged paper, with slight staining to the corners; in worn and chipped wraps. A handsome production, as one might expect from one of the nine founders of the Grolier Club, with a two-page introduction followed by a full-page reproduction of the Ascensius printer's device, and 47 examples of pages set in various point sizes of Cushing, Ancient Roman, Jenson, Satanick, Louis XV, and Century Roman. No copy on COPAC, six American and one French on WorldCat.

One page, 12mo, laid down on larger piece of paper, after formation of a 2" closed tear. text complete and clear. [Cadell] "If the game sent with this tolerably good send it to [Mrs] Grignion with my love. You will tell them it may be Sunday before we arrive as the weather is so uncertain." [Lawless adds] "Madam | I am afraid these are bad, but I believe it is only when it was shot" [whatever that means]. Lawless earned an obituary in the Annual Register.

Label, irregular oval, dims.c/ 9 x 6cm, laid down on slightly larger (rectangular) piece of paper, glue showing through in patches, text clear and complete, "G. Dyer | Begs to acquaint hid Freiends | That he in tends, in future,to purchase | LIBRARIES and PARCELS of | BOOKS for SALE, and will be thankful | for their recommendation. | *** Books may also be exchanged. | Library, Exeter, Sept. 4th, 1787." BBTI lists a Gilbert Dyer, 1783-1820, as well as a G. Dyer, 1790 as owners of circulating libraries, and the former as a bookseller. Presumably the same chap.

Bookplate, c.8 x 14cm, marks show it was tipped onto an album page once, ow good. Image of Virgil's head. 3cm diameter, followed by calligraphic "This Book | is to be sold at the Shop of | Abraham Vandenhoek | AND | George Richmond. | the sign of Virgill's Head. | Opposite Exeter Exchange in the | STRAND."

Bookplate, c.17 x 10cm, stained, three letters of address obscured by wear, otherwiswe text clear, mainly good condition. "GARDINER, | Bookseller [...] | and | Bookbinder [...address] Where books are lent to read | at | Twelve Shillings per year [...] || BOOKS BOUGHT, SOLD, OR EXCHANGED || ENGRAVING | and | Copper-plate and Letter-Press | Printing, [...] || New Books, Reviews, Magazines, Pamphlets, [P]lays, &c. | added as soon as published." Note: a Sarah Gardiner of 20 Princes Street exhibited at the RA in 1815.

Trade card, apparently unrecorded, c.6.5 x 5cm, good condition. Text, "Trewman & Son | Printers, Stationers, | Booksellers & Binders. | Fore Street | EXETER || [minuscule] Ezekial, Exon."

15pp., 12mo, green paper wraps, sewn as issued, stained, worn and foxed, small closed tear, small chip off corner affecting front wrap and text, contents mainly good. Scarce: only PODs currently listed on via Libri.

8vo, in worn and damaged black cloth. Three sample spines in green cloth are laid down on the front free endpaper, and three sample brown leather spines gilt on the rear pastedown.

Four pages, 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, on aged paper, with small pinholes to both leaves and slight loss at the head of the second. Substantial first part of long letter, and hence lacking the signature. BBTI has Trelawny [for Trelawney] William Saunders at 6 Charing Cross between 1846 and 1853, and Edward Stanford's entry in the Oxford DNB records that he was an apprentice there, returning as partner in 1852 ('The partnership was dissolved by mutual consent in July 1853.'), and that it was Saunders who proposed Stanford for membership of the Royal Geographical Society.

The 40 items range in size from 25 x 19cm to 5 x 4.5cm. All in good condition, lightly-aged, and all but five laid down on the grey paper leaves of a heavily-worn album, with back cover loose, and with ownership signature of Sir Michael's wife Elisabeth Clapham at head of first page. The couple married in 1935, and one of the 40 items is a card with text in red featuring Elisabeth's maiden name. It conveys 'Good wishes for Christmas & the New Year from Elisabeth Rea | 6 Barton Street, S.W.1'.

116pp., 4to. Lots 2401 to 4510. In brown printed wraps with design including small illustration of Lowther Castle laid down on front cover. Aged and worn in like wraps. Clearly made out by a substantial bookseller (perhaps Quaritch, since the name does not appear in references). Inside the rear cover the following in pencil: 'Hotel Expenses £18/12/0 | Tips Hotel £2/15/- | Total Spent at Sale £2677/-/-', last figure being an enormous sum for the time. On the front cover a note has been made of three cash sums totalling '582 [pounds]'.

Not paginated. [107]pp., 16mo. Internally good and tight, elegantly printed in red and black. In original heavily-worn green leather binding. Small leaf, printed on both sides, advertising the book, loosely inserted. In the twenty-two lines on the reverse Stevens states that 'The price of all these books in substantial andn ornamental bindings of great variety, with leather, calf, morocco or russia backs and corners, and muslin on paper sides, is Four Hundred Guineas (420l.) If with full leather backs and sides, very handsome, the price is Four Hundred and Fifty Guineas (472l. 10s.)'.

20pp., 4to. Stapled. In original card wraps printed in black and red. 317 lots. Worn and aged and with central vertical crease to volume. Central bifolium loose. Advertisement for the auctioneers on inside front cover, and 'Time Table' on inside rear. A second day's sale, on the following day, is advertised as featuring 'The Furniture, Unique Collection of Japanese Works of Art, Bronzes, Old English and Continental Porcelain etc.' In margin of page with conditions of sale is pencil list of the booksellers, headed by 'Museum Book Store (Spencer's man)' and featuring E.

2pp., 4to. On bifolium, with reverse of second leaf addressed to 'Rev. T. Greenwood, | Leeds.' In good condition, on aged paper, with slight discoloration to second leaf. BBTI lists Gawtree as active in Leeds between 1817 and 1822; he took over the Leeds Intelligencer in 1818. The first paragraph reads: 'An opportunity has very unexpectedly occurred this morning of sending a packet. - I inclose you Blackwood, wch. we recd. uncommonly late this month.

1p., 4to. On aged paper, with damage and discoloration to one margin. Eliza Urquhart begins her letter: 'Gentlemen, | Mr Urquhart has desired me to acquaint you that he thinks it would be adviseable immediately to see Mr Spotswood [i.e. Spottiswoode, then an employee of the book's printer Andrew Strahan] on the subject of accelerating the printing of his work, as from the present tardiness with which the proofs are sent, he thinks the Season will inevitably be lost'.

Two volumes, hf-lea, marbled boards and endpapers, wear to extremities of binding, small chip from top of spine, foxing, hinge strain, mainly good condition. Pp.[iv]614 AND [iv] 654. Quarterly issues for March and July 1859 AND October 1859 and January 1860. See Wellesley Index, vol. II for details of contents and sorry history (as well as Gettmann). Main British Libraries have copies (electronic or not). WorldCat on viaLibri is not playing ball at the moment for US holdings.

Greswell's letter is 1p., landscape 12mo; with Ford's note on one side of reverse. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper, with small central spike hole made by recipient. Greswell's letter is written in a neat, attractive hand, and begins: 'Mr. W. P. Greswell requested J. G. to compare the Glasgow Copy of Euripides with Musgrave's Edition after which it is printed & to let Mr.

Both 48pp., 4to (Part II paginated 49-96). Both in printed blue wraps, with front cover carrying the ownership inscription of R. R. Lloyd. Both with stamps of the St. Albans' Architectural & Archaeological Society, and small taped label to wraps. Both in good condition, on lightly-aged paper, in chipped and worn wraps. Part I reprints seven items from 1641 to 1645 (the first: 'Diurnall Occurrences from 27. December to the 3. of January 1641.

1p., 4to. Good, on aged paper, with small central spike hole made by recipient. The letter reads: 'Mr Bowyer begs Mr Hookham will send him the following Books as soon as possible | Parkhursts Lexicon for the Greek Testament[;] Smarts translation of Virgil; a translation of Sallust; there is one I do not know by whom it is translated it is in columns one side English and the other latin.' Postscript: 'Send them to Lady Bowyer Tunbridge Wells Kent'. A note in a contemporary hand at the foot of the page identifies the author as 'Sr. Geo B MP on Cathc.

One page, 4to, fold marks, good condition. "I take great pleasure in sending you herewith a photograph of the 'Mermaid Tavern' bill, the original of which is in my private collection in Philadelphia. I am also enclosing a transcription of it. I secured this remarkable document from the late Sir Israel Gollancz many years ago." Rosenbach addsa manuscript postscript, "As for your suggestion I am sending the Mermaid Tavern bill to [Comander Tuffill?] and Mr Andre L. SimonThe transcription and photograph are PRESENT, the former with a note on Rosenbach provenance in Berry's hand.

xviii + 384 pp., 8vo, orig.[?]green cloth covered boards, slightly "bubbled", endpapers stained, corners bumped, hinge strain, fair condition. With frontispiece of Don Carlos and plate (facing p.229) of Zumalacarréguy. In contemporary green cloth library binding with title in gilt on spine. Bookplate laid down on front pastedown, listing 'Members of the Iron Acton Reading Society. | Books to be kept fourteen days.' Twenty-eight members are listed, from 'Rev. Dr.

1p., 4to. In fair condition, on aged and creased paper. He announces the publication of 'a book of outstanding literary importance, namely Meyerstein's "Life of Chatterton". Meyerstein is undoubtedly the greatest living authority on this subject, and his book, the result of nine years original research, contains much unpublished material. I believe it will be recognised as the standard work on Chatterton for many years to come.' He states that he has 'put a great deal of money and time into this book', and asks Wilson to help him 'make it a success'.

The second item is loosely inserted in the first. Item One (offprint): 29pp. (paginated 141-169), 8vo. Stapled; in printed grey card wraps. In good condition, lightly aged and dogeared. Bookplate on reverse of front wrap, stating 'From the Library of | PERCY H. MUIR'. Item Two (bibliography): 4pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. Fourteen pages of biography, followed by bibliography, with latest date 1937. At end: 'The Libraries Committee is pleased to announce that E. H. W.