Browse by Author (all items)
SHAKESPEARE, William.
Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies. 1632
£385,000
Second folio edition, Todd's first issue, the Smethwick imprint (Todd's state 1c), one of the scarcest of the variant imprints. John Smethwick (d. 1641) had been a minor partner in...
Folio (325 × 214 mm) , 454 leaves, complete. Finely bound c.1900 in full red goatskin by Rivière & Son, spine divided in seven compartments by raised bands,... Read more
JOYCE, James.
Ulysses. 1922
£275,000
First edition, primary issue, one of 100 copies on Dutch handmade paper; this copy numbered 45 and signed by Joyce on the limitation page. The first printing of Ulysses consisted of...
Quarto; almost entirely unopened except for the final chapter. Original deep blue wrappers, title to front wrapper in white. Preserved in a contemporary morocco-backed... Read more
[HAMILTON, Alexander; James Madison; John Jay.]
The Federalist: A Collection of Essays, 1788
£225,000
First edition of "the most famous and influential American political work" (Howes), and "one of the new nation's most important contributions to the theory of government" (PMM). The...
2 volumes octavo. Volume I measuring 168 × 115 mm, volume II 185 × 110 mm. Uncut in the original publisher's boards, volume numbers stamped to spines. Housed... Read more
ROBERTS, David.
Egypt & Nubia, from Drawings Made on the Spot … 1846–49
£165,000
First edition in the preferred deluxe coloured format of "one of the most important and elaborate ventures of nineteenth-century publishing, and it was the apotheosis of the tinted...
3 volumes, large folio (595 × 430 mm). Contemporary blue hard-grain half morocco on matching pebble-grained cloth, title gilt to spines, spines gilt in... Read more
HAMMETT, Dashiell.
The Maltese Falcon. 1930
£150,000
First edition, first printing. With the author's signed presentation inscription to an early blank, "To Raoul and Prudence Whitfield - the first today - Dashiell Hammett January 23,...
Octavo. Original grey cloth, falcon motif to upper board in blue, titles and geometric design to spine in black and blue, top edge stained blue. With the pictorial... Read more
GOULD, John.
The Mammals of Australia. 1863
£150,000
First edition, together with the Monograph on Kangaroos. Gould's interest in Australia was piqued by specimens sent back by his wife's brothers who had settled there. He soon...
3 volumes folio (555 × 365 mm). Contemporary green half morocco on matching pebble-grained boards by Blunson & Co., spines divided into in seven compartments with... Read more
DARWIN, Charles.
On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, 1859
£150,000
First edition of "the most influential scientific work of the 19th century" (Horblit) and "the most important biological book ever written" (Freeman); one of 1,250 copies. The...
Octavo. Original green diagonal-wave-grain cloth, covers blocked in blind, spine lettered and decorated in gilt, brown coated endpapers, Edmonds & Remnants binder's... Read more
EUCLID.
Elementa Geometriae. 1482
£150,000
First edition of 'the oldest mathematical textbook still in common use today' (PMM) and one of the earliest printed books with geometrical figures. The text is the standard late...
Chancery folio (305 × 207 mm). Recently rebound in full brown calf by Richard Smart of Old English Bindery, spine gilt in compartments, 5 raised bands, concentric... Read more
(MILNE, A.A.) SHEPARD, E. H.
Original drawing "Up Stairs with Teddy Bear". [1926]
£150,000
Original artwork used to illustrate the final page of Winnie-the-Pooh. Initialled by Shepard and captioned by him in pencil on the reverse. An iconic image, it comes from the last...
Pen and ink drawing on artist's board (206 × 143 mm.) Mounted, glazed, and framed. Excellent condition. Read more
SHAKESPEARE, William.
Comedies, Histories and Tragedies. 1685
£140,000
Fourth folio, and the last of the 17th-century editions of Shakespeare's works, edited by John Heminge (d. 1630) and Henry Condell (d. 1627), the seven plays added by Philip Chetwin...
Folio (356 × 230 mm). Nineteenth-century burgundy crushed morocco by Maltby of Oxford, spine richly gilt in compartments, sides ruled in gilt and with gilt... Read more
SHELLEY, Mary.
Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. In three volumes. 1818
£135,000
First edition of Mary Shelley's masterpiece of Gothic horror and early polemic against the hubris of modern science. Written when Mary Shelley was only nineteen, Frankenstein is not...
3 volumes, 12mo (177 × 107 mm). Contemporary calf, covers ruled in gilt with a single fillet, smooth spines, black morocco labels, gilt lozenge motifs in... Read more
HEMINGWAY, Ernest.
The Sun Also Rises. 1926
£125,000
First edition, first printing, first issue text, in first issue dust jacket, inscribed by Hemingway: "To Cuyler Stevens with all best wishes Ernest Hemingway" and with Stevens's...
Octavo. Original black cloth, gold paper title label to upper board and spine printed in black. With the pictorial dust jacket. Housed in a black quarter morocco drop... Read more
(MILNE, A.A.) SHEPARD, E. H.
Original drawing "Pooh's Party". [1926]
£125,000
Original artwork illustrating Pooh receiving the gift of a pencil case from Christopher Robin during his party on page 155 of Winnie-the-Pooh. Initialled by Shepard. "Nobody was...
Pen and ink drawing on artist's board (90 × 155 mm). Mounted, glazed, and framed. A few faint spots. Excellent condition. Read more
STOKER, Bram.
Dracula. 1897
£125,000
First edition, scarce first issue published in May 1897, with no advertisements as issued and printed on slightly thicker stock. Presentation copy to Mrs W. S. Gilbert, with the...
Octavo. Original yellow cloth, titles to both boards and spine in red within a one-line red rule border, all edges untrimmed. Custom black cloth folding case, spine... Read more
FITZGERALD, F. Scott.
The Great Gatsby. 1925
£120,000
First edition, first printing, first state of the text, first issue dust jacket. The copy is the correct first printing, with "chatter" on p. 60, line 16, "northern" on p. 119, line...
Octavo. Original green cloth, titles to spine gilt and to upper board in blind, top edge trimmed others uncut. With the dust jacket. Housed in a dark green quarter... Read more
FAULKNER, William.
The Marble Faun. 1924
£100,000
First edition, first printing of the author's rare first book, the dedication copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, "To Dad and Mother Xmas 1924 William...
Octavo. Original green boards, printed paper label to upper board. Housed in a green cloth drop down box. Contents somewhat toned, pastedowns bubbled, backstrip... Read more
AUSTEN, Jane.
Sense and Sensibility: a novel. In three volumes. By a Lady. 1811
£100,000
First edition of Jane Austen's first published novel, scarce thus in the original boards, and with a distinguished provenance. From the libraries of Sir John Shelley, 6th Baronet...
3 volumes, duodecimo. Uncut in the original publisher's boards, original pink paper labels on spines, skilfully rebacked preserving most of the original spines.... Read more
[CERVANTES SAAVEDRA, Miguel de.]
The History of Don-Quichote. 1620
£97,500
First complete edition in English (second edition of the first part, first edition of the second), translated by Dublin-born Thomas Shelton. "The signs of haste in the translation,...
2 volumes, small quarto (177 × 131 mm). Modern period-style limp vellum, overlapping fore-edges, green silk ties, by Bernard Middleton. Housed in a custom green... Read more
(MILNE, A.A.) SHEPARD, E. H.
Original Drawing "Winnie-the-Pooh, Kanga, Roo, Piglet and Rabbit". 1926
£97,500
Original artwork used to illustrate page 98 of the chapter "Kanga and Baby Roo" in Winnie-the-Pooh. A lovely drawing including almost all of the book's characters, it depicts the...
Pen and ink drawing on artist's board (140 × 190 mm). Mounted, glazed, and framed. Excellent condition. Read more
JOYCE, James.
Ulysses. 1922
£95,000
First edition, first printing, no. 110 of 150 large paper copies. Ulysses was published in imitation of the traditional three-tiered French format aimed at both connoisseurs and...
Large octavo. Original blue wrappers, titles to upper wrapper in white. Housed in a quarter green morocco slipcase. An exceptionally nice copy of one the most... Read more
SWIFT, Jonathan.
Travels into several Remote Nations of the World. In Four Parts. 1726
£95,000
First edition, published on 28 October 1726 at the price of 8s. 6d. Swift had completed a full rough draft of his masterpiece by August 1725, and brought it over to England the...
2 volumes, octavo (194 × 120 mm). Contemporary tan panelled calf, red morocco labels, red sprinkled edges. Frontispiece portrait of Gulliver in the second state... Read more
SMITH, Adam.
An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. 1776
£87,500
First edition of "the first and greatest classic of modern economic thought" (PMM). In his Wealth of Nations, Smith "begins with the thought that labour is the source from which a...
2 volumes, quarto (272 × 220 mm). Contemporary quarter calf, rebacked to style, marbled boards, vellum tips. Custom leather-entry slipcase. Half-title only in... Read more
GOULD, John.
The Birds of Great Britain. [1862-]1873
£85,000
First edition. A fine copy of the work of which Gould was most proud, here with a first issue of the Snowy Owl plate. This work is "the most sumptuous and costly of British bird...
5 volumes, folio (580 × 350 mm). Finely bound by Tuckett (binder to the Queen) in contemporary full green morocco, spines elaborately gilt in compartments, raised... Read more
JOYCE, James.
Ulysses. 1922
£85,000
First edition, first impression, one of 750 printed on handmade paper. The first edition of Ulysses is a notoriously vulnerable production. An uncommonly long work to begin with and...
Small quarto. Original blue wrappers, titles to upper wrapper in white, all edges untrimmed. Housed in a blue cloth solander box. Some minimal rubbing to the edges,... Read more
FLEMING, Ian.
Goldfinger. 1959
£80,000
First edition, first impression, an outstanding presentation copy from Fleming to Raymond Chandler, with Fleming's signed presentation inscription to the front free endpaper, "To Ray...
Octavo. Original black boards, titles to spine gilt, skill design to upper board in blind and gilt. With the dust jacket. Housed in a black quarter morocco solander... Read more
