Book Trade History

Octavo: [ii] + [41] + [1] pp. A little dogeared, on lightly aged paper, and with slight damp staining to one corner at rear. In worn and stained original grey wraps, repaired with strip of brown paper at spine. Three Latin poems by Valpy: 'Trafalgar', 'Plata Fluvius' and 'Delphi'. COPAC lists only three copies: at the British Library, the Bodleian and Durham.

Quarto: 28 pp. Unbound and stapled. Good, but with wear and discoloration to last leaf, and rust stains from staples. Illustrated catalogue of one of the leading firms of the period. Divided into seven sections: 'Fine Editions, Illustrated and Special Publications', 'Novels, Works of Fiction, &c.', 'Poetry and Standard Classical Literature', 'Technical, Reference and Miscellaneous Books', 'Juvenile Literature, Gift Books, &c.', 'Books for Little Folks and Toy Books for the Nursery' and 'Eveleigh Nash Co.'s Novels, Bartholomew Maps, &c.

12mo: 2 pp. Good, on lightly browned paper. Writes 'in good haste to save the post', asking for advice. 'Mr. J. Rowsell of the West Strand, Bookseller, has been here all the morning, at the request of Mr. Smith of North St.' Rowsell has 'gone through the books carefully', and offers £140 for them, not including Lady Juliana Berner's manuscript and Lord Wellesley's book. 'He says, I should not get so much if Sotheby & Wilkinson sold them.' Jesse has never heard of Rowsell, 'and his coming was quite a surprise'.

Octavo: 32 pp. Stapled and unbound. Rather worn, particularly at first and last leaves. A few pencil marks and notes, and slight ink staining at head of first leaf. Twenty illustrations. 168 items; three-part index on final page. Influential catalogue, the collection sold in its entirety to Duke University. One of Birrell & Garnett's managers was Graham Pollard, co-author of the book which unmasked T. J. Wise as a forger.

Publisher and author (1872-1948). All one page, 4to, fold marks, sl. grubby but text clear. (ALS) "Dear Wilson/ I have been meaning for several days to see whether you were not free to lunch, and now comes your note. Will you lunch on Tuesday? I hope you will./ Those advertisements? Why, I thought it was taken for granted that booksellers would supply the publications of any publisher - except those Heinemann people.

Author, associate of Arthur Astor Carey (1857-1923), philanthropist and social worker, of Waltham, Mass. Four, three and two pages, 8vo, respectively, good condition. (1915?). She speculates that she didb't answer his letter because "I think I wanted at first to consider asking my publishers what they thought of publishing a cheap edition of my books - as you suggested - and then I decided that they would not think it advisable . . ." She praises a pamphlet he has sent, "Libraries as Workshops", describing her early experience in libraries.

Journalist (1848-1870), killed 1870 in duel by Prince Pierre Buonaparte. The note is one page, 12mo, as follows: "La Gazette de Java, se recommande a l'Avenir Nationale / Victor Noir". The conjoint leaf has the following information, possibly in the same hand but more formal: "La Gazette de Java / Redige en Javanais, formar [?] Paris-Magazine, ... samedi 28 Mars, imprime sur papier de luxe - / . . . [series of names including Victor Noir], etc, etc. / Le Numero cinquante Centimes -". Victor Noir iwas the editor of this short-lived (no pun intended) publication.

Two pages, octavo. Good, apart from damage and loss to one edge caused by removal from mount. Would appear to relate to the controversy between the surgeon Sir Henry Thompson (1820-1904) and John Tyndall (1820-1893), held in the pages of Strahan's 'Contemporary Review'. Reads 'I herewith send you the proof of your reply to Sir Henry Thompson | Please revise and return it tomorrow.

One page, 4to, somewhat grubby and worn at the edge, but text clear and complete. Account total £7.16.11 paid in cash. Twenty two items listed with prices, multiple copies from "6 Hist of All Nations" to 200 Maclaurin's Spelling", subjects including educational (as above) and children's ("Mother Goose", "Mothers Chits Chats Tales"). Other items include "Traders Guide", "Robinson Crusoe", "London Cries", "Lottery Books", "Tom Thumbs Play Bills".

Dimensions roughly three and a half inches by three. One page, blank reverse. On aged paper, with some staining along one edge and crude ink marking, including 'Bookes bound', in a contemporary hand. Twenty-seven lines, beginning 'ROBERT AKENHEAD [...] sells the Goods followsng, [sic] viz. | BIBLES, Common-Prayers, and all other Sorts of Books of Divinity, History, Physick, Mathematicks.

The collection is in very good condition, though items are lightly creased and a tad grubby. ITEM ONE: Memorandum of Agreement, 26 February 1963, between Anthony Blond Limited and Benedictus (of 'Winter Lodge, Cookham Dean, Berkshire'), for 'You're a Big Boy now' (published by Blond in 1963). Signed; initialed 'D. H. B.' [David Henry Benedictus] twice. Three pages, folio. Staple attached at head of first leaf of bifolium. Advance of £250 and discussion of royalties and percentages.

One page, octavo. Carefully laid down on neatly-docketed larger piece of paper, but with the glue employed badly aged and causing staining. Closed tear across letter caused by removal from spike. Signature clear and unmarked. Reads 'Dear Sir, | I believe it will be better to set up the enclosed proofs, in sheets in the usual manner. The remainder of the Report will be sent immediately.'

Two pages, quarto. Very good, on lightly aged and creased paper. He is sorry that he has not been able to 'become personally acquainted with' Watts since coming to town, but will 'very soon make another attempt', hoping to find him at home.

Three pages on octavo bifolium. On creased, aged paper with pinholes and a little staining at head, but with text clear and entire. An interesting and intriguing document, docketed 'Rough idea of title.' The intention is to produce a 24-page magazine the size of Dickens's 'All the Year Round', to be priced at sixpence. 'Two pictures only - One on cover under title to be changed every week by Phiz - Large two page picture in centre to be hand coloured.

The four items, all on aged and lightly spotted paper, are attached by four rusty staples. One (five pages, octavo): In reply to the firm's inquiry regarding 'the prevention of rising spaces in Monotype', Marshall states that, instead of giving information, he 'would rather send you the method and you try it out and prove for yourself its value, then pay me afterwards'.

One page, from larger sheet, c.8 x 6.5, fold marks, some marking mainly good. "Edinburgh {6 April} 18{15}/{J.M. Farquhar Esq/ for Mr Bruce}/ Bought of Archd. Constable & Co./ { Bewick Birds --£1.4.0/ <?> Saxon and Gaul 17 /6 April 1815'/ Recd / for A. Constable &Co/ }" Verso note: "6 April 1815/ account/ by/ A Constable & Co/ 7/."?>??>?>?>

First president of the board of agriculture (1754-1835). One page, 8vo, sl. chipped and marked, but text clear and complete. "Sir John Sinclair presents his Compliments to Messrs. Hurst Robinson & Co. and shall be glad to have send [sic] him, as soon as possible, 10 Copies of the Prospectus of his analysis of the Statistical Account of Scotland, which he will replace from Edinburgh. He will take an early opportunity of calling upon them respecting the London sale of that Work." The "Analysis" was published in two parts in 1825 - by Hurst?

One one side of a piece of laid paper, 26.5 x 21 cms. Aged and creased, with chipping to extremities and staining on reverse from repair to one of two closed tears. Thirty-six lines, with facsimile of Housman's signature at foot. An appeal for 'money for the Library - your Library'. Somewhat poignant, considering the present neglected state of the British library service. '[...] The question is - do you want to give money to your Library? [...] But, for my own part, I ask - why, why Libraries? What are they for? What there do you read?

Eight pages, quarto. Unbound and stitched on six leaves. Good, with recto of first leaf and verso of last somewhat more aged. With company and tax stamps. 'Mortgage, [a leasehold plot of land and messuage Numbered 26 in Barker Street Oldham in the County of Lancaster to secure £450 and interest.' Typewritten acknowledgment of payment, 25 February 1929, signed by company secretary W. Harvey and director J. Brown.

One page, 8vo, minor defects, text clear and complete, except were a spike-hole cuts out a letter. He enjoyed looking through Ellis's catalogue but "I regret the names of Stothard and Blake do not occur more frequently - I beg to enclose a list of a few works I am seeking and shall feel greatly obliged if by any means you could procure them for me." Note: He formed a large collection of engravings after the works of Thomas Stothard, R.A., and prepared, in conjunction with Mr.

Printed and manuscript. Invoice made out to Rev. Dr. Eccleston of Cambridge, 9 x 5.5", defects but text clear and complete.

Dimensions of paper roughly eight inches by five; dimensions of print four and a quarter inches by three and a half. Good clean image, on paper aged and creased at extremities only. A wild-haired octogenarian Gent leans on a pile of books in a stone archway, holding open a copy of his History of Rippon (1733). Taken from Thorpe's edition of Gent's 'Life', published in 1832.

Invoices, one page each, 4to, good condition. Receipts of conventional size, both signed "R. Toley" [not in BBTI]. The subjects are subscruiption editions of Lewis's Topographical Dictionaries of England and Wales (1845), Scotland and Ireland (1847), with prices, including "colouring Atlas[es]".

One leaf, c.6.5 x 5", good condition. [Recto] Detailed description of the book, concluding "And also Sold by the Author. It being the most Curiosest Book that ever was Published." [Verso] Headed "Gloria Deo" with some words and music bordering a wood-engraving [?] of the author presumably (seated, pen in hand, maunscript book on a table in front of him. At the foot "Gulielmi Tans'ur [italic] Effigies" [of William Tans'ur]. See DNB for Tans'ur. See S. Rivington, The Publishing Family of Rivington: "Sir James Hodges . . . was the best known of the booksellers on London Bridge." p.12.

One page, 8vo, good condition. A "Sederunt Book".

Stapled and unbound. Octavo: four leaves (eight unpaginated pages). On aged and lightly spotted paper. Vignette on title page. Includes list of plates and 'Specimen Entry' of pages 51-3. Verso of last leaf headed 'from CONSTABLE'S BIBLIOGRAPHICAL LIST', comprising 'THE CARTER-POLLARD DISCLOSURES', 'BIBLIOGRAPHIA SERIES' and 'DORMY HOUSE CATALOGUES'.

t. "Mr John Wardropes Account to Wm Adam [Mer[chan]tOne page, c.8 x 8", some damage marginally affecting text, minor defects. Details include date of purchases and the nature of the purchase ("for Loch Leithes" [?], various quatities of paper, parchment skins, "Josephus Books"), all with prices, totalling 14.16.00, another item added (a candlestick"?)ADAM, William apprentice stationer EdinburghEdinburgh 1680William Adam, son to William Adam elder, merchant in Cullros was apprenticed to John Cairns, stationer of Edinburgh 27 October 1680.

Pp. 16' 16; 32-56; 57-80, one coloured frontispiece.Some wear and tear, marking and sunning, fair condition, complete. Articles and advertising aimed at the book-collector (for example "A Prince of Collectors" (Jean Grolier)).

4to, good condition. Dobell describes a defective "tract" ("A Precious Apple") and speculates on its authorship (Lady Eleanor Douglas). He will send it to be examined. Another hand (presumably Windle) has added pencil notes on the reference works which do not list the item and speculating "probably part of a larger work with different title."

One page, 6.5 x 5.5", good condition. Payment for one number of "Blackwood's Magazine". Note spelling "Recieved".