Literature & History (all items)
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SHAKESPEARE, William.
Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies. 1632
£235,000
Second edition; Allot imprint, the earliest variant without the words "at his shop". Robert Allot had the chief interest in this edition, though four other publishers are listed in...
Folio (320 × 216 mm; 12½ × 8½ ins) in sixes. 454 leaves: complete. Bound by Rivière & Son in late 19th-century crushed red morocco, spine... Read more
JOYCE, James.
Ulysses. 1922
£235,000
First edition, primary issue, one of 100 copies on Dutch handmade paper; this copy numbered 44 and signed by Joyce on the limitation page. The first printing of Ulysses consisted of...
Quarto. Original deep blue wrappers, title in white. Some skilful paper restoration to spine ends and joints, a little occasional foxing, an excellent copy. Read more
SHAKESPEARE, William.
Comedies, Histories and Tragedies. 1685
£150,000
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 (363 × 230 mm). Early 18th-century mottled calf, spine gilt in compartments, comb-marbled endpapers, red edges (rubbed, skilful repairs to extremities, with... 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
SHELLEY, Mary.
Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. In three volumes. 1818
£110,000
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...
3 volumes, duodecimo (approx 193 × 115 mm). Mid 20th-century brown crushed morocco by Bayntun (Rivière) of Bath, spine gilt ruled in compartments, sides... Read more
JOYCE, James.
Ulysses. 1922
£95,000
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
YEATS, W. B.
Reveries Over Childhood and Youth. 1916
£60,000
First English edition of Yeats's first autobiography; a canonical presentation copy, inscribed in the month of publication, "Ezra Pound from W. B. Yeats, October 1916." One of 1,000...
Octavo. Original blue cloth, decoration and titles to upper board and spine gilt designed by Sturge Moore, edges untrimmed. Custom blue morocco-backed slipcase and... Read more
(KELMSCOTT PRESS) CHAUCER, Geoffrey.
The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer now newly imprinted. 1896
£60,000
First Kelmscott edition, one of 425 copies on paper. The book was originally issued in either the standard Kelmscott binding of quarter holland boards or in full pigskin by the Doves...
Folio. Bound by Sangorski & Sutcliffe in full pigskin over heavy reverse bevelled boards, raised bands and headcaps, compartments ruled in gilt, gilt lettered in... Read more
YEATS, W. B.
Wild Swans at Coole, Other Verses and a Play in Verse. 1917
£60,000
First edition, presentation copy, inscribed on the first blank. As was his habit with many of the major presentations to Gregory (e.g. "Michael Robartes and the Dancer" and "October...
Octavo. Original purple paper-covered boards; tan cloth spine, printed title label, purple endpapers, edges uncut; original glassine wrapper. Custom blue... Read more
YEATS, W. B.
Stories of Red Hanrahan. 1904
£45,000
First edition, presentation copy, with the author's signed inscription to the first leaf recto, "Lady Gregory from her friend W. B. Yeats, April 18, 1905." On the following leaf,...
Octavo. Original linen-backed blue boards, white paper title label to upper board and spine printed in black, blue endpapers. Custom blue morocco-backed slipcase and... Read more
YEATS, W. B.
The Tower. 1928
£45,000
First edition, presentation copy, with the author's signed inscription in ink on the front free endpaper, "Lady Ottoline Morrell from WB Yeats June 22 1928", and signed by the author...
Octavo. Original green cloth, upper board and spine elaborately blocked after a design by Sturge Moore and titles gilt, all edges untrimmed. Custom green... Read more
JOYCE, James.
Dubliners. 1917
£37,500
First American Edition, American Sheets (the second printing overall). With the author’s signed presentation inscription to the original front free endpaper, “To Jacques...
Octavo. Bound by Douarin in contemporary three quarter blue morocco, marbled paper boards, titles to spine gilt, top edge gilt, marbled endpapers. Contents a little... Read more
HEMINGWAY, Ernest.
In Our Time. 1924
£37,500
First edition of Hemingway’s second book; number 115 of 170 numbered copies. In Our Time earned Hemingway a place beside Sherwood Anderson and Gertrude Stein among the most...
Large octavo. Original decorated tan boards, titles and collage design printed in red. Housed in a black quarter morocco slipcase with chemise made by The Chelsea... Read more
PLATH, Sylvia.
The Colossus. Poems. 1960
£37,500
First edition, first impression. With the author’s signed presentation inscription on the front free endpaper to her high-school teacher Wilbury Crockett. “For Mr Crockett...
Octavo. Original green cloth, titles to spine gilt. With the dust jacket. Housed in a green quarter morocco box. Spine tips a little rubbed in the spine tanned and... Read more
![[The Lord of the Rings trilogy:]](/content/store/products/4128/2/4790.jpg)
TOLKIEN, J. R. R.
[The Lord of the Rings trilogy:] 1954–5
£37,500
First editions, first impressions, of the three books comprising the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Fine sets such as this are genuinely rare in commerce.
3 volumes, octavo. Original red cloth, titles to spine gilt, top edge red. With the dust jackets. Each volume has the fold-out map at the back. A fine set in about... Read more
DONNE, John.
Poems, By J. D. With Elegies on the Authors Death. 1633
£35,000
First edition of the principal collection of Donne’s poetical works, issued two years after his death, together with his Juvenilia. This copy has the two inserted leaves with...
2 works bound in one, quarto (186 × 137 mm). Contemporary calf, skilfully rebacked and relined to style, covers with three-line blind rules, edges speckled red.... Read more
JOYCE, James.
Exiles. A Play In Three Acts. 1918
£32,500
First Edition, First Impression. With the author’s signed presentation inscription to the half title page, “To Jacques Benoist-Mechin James Joyce 3. xi. 921 Paris”....
Octavo. Bound by Douarin in contemporary three quarter blue morocco, marbled paper boards, titles to spine gilt, top edge gilt, marbled endpapers. Joints very lightly... Read more
WOOLF, Virginia.
Jacob’s Room. 1922
£32,500
First edition, first impression. One of probably 40 “A” subscribers’ copies with the part-printed limitation label to the front free endpaper completed in ink by...
Octavo. Original yellow cloth, white paper title label to spine printed in black. Some foxing early and late, endpapers lightly browned, contents a little shaken,... Read more
MELVILLE, Herman.
Moby-Dick; or, The Whale. 1851
£32,500
First American edition, in the first binding with orange endpapers and the publisher's device stamped centrally on the sides. The American edition was the first to appear under the...
Octavo. Original sage green morocco-grain cloth, spine lettered in gilt with decorative band in gilt at head and tail, covers blocked in blind with thick one-line...
DANTE ALIGHIERI.
La Commedia. 1491
£30,000
First fully illustrated edition of Dante, the third illustrated edition overall. The illustration scheme follows closely that of the Ragazzo/Giunta Italian Bible which appeared less...
Folio (305 × 210 mm). 302 leaves. Modern vellum. Half calf folding case. Four nearly full-page woodcuts (3 blocks, 1 repeat) each within historiated woodcut full... Read more
WELLS, H. G.
The Island of Dr. Moreau. 1896
£30,000
First Edition, presentation copy, inscribed by the author "M. C. Robbins from H. G. Wells" with a drawing in the author's hand – a characteristic Wells "picshua" – of three...
Octavo. Original tan boards, titles and illustration to upper board in red and black, titles to spine in black. Housed in a red quarter morocco solander box made by... Read more
TWAIN, Mark.
The Writings. 1922
£30,000
The Definitive Edition. Limited to 1024 signed in 1906 “S L Clemens / Mark Twain” in anticipation of this ultimate edition, as explained by the publishers announcement....
37 volumes, octavo. Finely bound by the Chelsea Bindery in burgundy morocco, titles and decoration to spine, raised bands, rule to boards, signature to front boards,... Read more
(DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE)
In Congress, July 4, 1776. The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America... 1848
£27,500
Essentially the second impression of this exact facsimile, taken from Stone's copperplate which had been created via direct transmission from the original document. A striking...
Folio broadside (753 × 640 mm), on rice paper. Light browning, occasional small spots, mild offsetting and light creases from old folds, as usual, but overall... Read more
FLEMING, Ian.
Diamonds are Forever. 1956
£25,000
First edition, first impression. The fourth in the James Bond series. Inscribed by the author “To Darling Caroline from Darling Ian” on the front free endpaper. Caroline...
Octavo. Original black boards, diamond grid to upper board in blind with diamond device in silver, titles to spine in silver. With the dust jacket. Housed in a full... Read more
JOYCE, James.
Pomes Penyeach. 1927
£25,000
First edition, first printing. Inscribed on the title page in black ink "To D[esmond] H[armsworth] J. J. Paris 7 iv 1931". An outstanding association copy inscribed to the London...
Original pale green paper boards with black titles to the front and paper label printed "Price Two Shillings" fixed to the rear board, presumably mounted over the... Read more
