Books about Books

John Lane The Bodley Head.London.,1936. FIRST EDITION. 8vo. THE DEDICATION COPY. Inscribed by Crankshaw to his wife, Clare, on the half title. ---- For Clare. The first copy of the first of all our books. April 17th 1936. Teddy. ----- Pages affected by small damp stain to the fore edge at the bottom 1.5 inches, but not spreading onto the page surface. Some foxing, mostly to the first and last few pages. Overall a near to very good copy in a poor dustwrapper with loss to both the top and bottom of spine and with several chips to the panel edges. ---- Bought, by me, direct from the estate of Crankshaw's widow, Clare.:

Westminster and NY: Charles J. Sawyer Ltd. and E.P. Dutton, Westminster and New York, 1927. 2 volume set. First edition, limited to 2000 sets. Hard covers in original cloth and dust jackets. Published Charles J. Sawyer Ltd. and E.P. Dutton, Westminster and New York, 1927, first printings. 8vo., 6 1/2" x 9 1/4", xvi+366; viii+422pp., illustrated with numerous facsimilies and reproductions. Blind stamped red cloth with gilt spine titles and design, top edge gilting. Very good in very good, edgeworn, age toned dust jackets. . 1st. Hard. Very Good/Very Good. 8vo.

Greenwich, Conn: Literary Collector Press, 1905. Hardcover. Good +. 49 p.; 15 cm. Grey paper over boards; paper labels printed in red and black on spine and front board. This is no. 62 of a limited edition of 275 copies printed on American handmade paper. Title page printed in red and black. Printer's emblem of Frederick Conrad Bursch on title page. Some unopened pages. Issued as No. 2 of the series Collector Reprints. Pencilled notation on back fixed endpaper indicating that former owner acquired the book in 1939. Scarce. In Good+ Condition: lacking lower two thirds of paper over spine, although the spine label remains, with chip out of right side, not impacting printing; front board is stained; pages are clean and bright.

London: No imprint, 1778.. Tall 8vo. [2] 73 pp. [1] pp. Printed rectos only. Original marbled wrappers. This is the second, greatly enlarged edition by Ducarel after the original 1777 list printed by William Bowyer and compiled by Joseph Ames. This book was Andrew Ducarel's personal copy and bears his signature dated 1778 on the top corner of the front cover verso. In addition it has his bookplate affixed to the verso's center. The book has at least 9 corrections to the text in Ducarel's hand, several of which are substantial. It is additionally INSCRIBED by Ducarel on the half-title page "Presented by Andrew Ducarel to W. Teggel(?)meyre | July 28th 1781." Ducarel (1713-1785) was a noted English librarian, lawyer, antiquary and archivist. He was keeper of the Lambeth Palace Library from 1757 until his death. Ducarel's numerous publications range from travel to history to law. The book's original marbled wrappers have some chipping at the extremities but the book remains… Read More

Halifax: Press of J. R. Findlay, 1900. Book. Very Good +. Soft cover. First Printing of the First Edition. Abour fine but for darkened spine, and minor soiling to back cover. Very tight, apparently unread copy, 165 pages..

PARIS : CHEZ SILVESTRE LIBRAIRIE , 1842. Bella edizione del 1842 di questa importante opera bibliografica in forma di dizionario scritta da Jacques Charles Brunet. I primi quattro tomi di dizionario, l'ultimo di tavola metodica. L'opera è composta da cinque tomi ed è completa. Questa importante opera bibliografica descrive la grande maggioranza di libri importanti stampati prime del 1880. Oltre ai commenti contiene un indispensabile collazione di singoli libri. In ottime condizioni. Copertina in mezza pergamena coeva con titolo su tassello al dorso in ottime condizioni generali con lievi usuure ai margini e dorso. Legatura in buone condizioni. Pagine in buone condizioni con fioriture. In 8. Dim. 23,5x17 cm. Pp. XXV+(1)+823+(1), 786+(1), 896, 835+(1), XXXI+(1)+846+(1). Peso Kg. 7,266 Beautifule dition of 1842 of this important bibliographic work in form of dictionary written by Jacques Charles Brunet. the first four tomes of dicitionary, the last tome of chart. The work is… Read More

A Bibliographical Catalogue. Volume 1: World, Europe, Africa. xiii+299 pp.+20 plates h.t. Volume 2: Asia, Oceania, Antarctica, America. xiv+301-675 pp.+36 plates h.t. 33x23 cm. Reprinted Dawsons of Pall Mall, Folkestone & London, 1972.
--- Cloth-bound (publishers cloth), gilt lettering on spine. B&W illustratrions. No wear. Pages bright and clean. Unmarked.

London: Macmillan and Co., Limited, 1924. First Edition. hardcover. Near Fine. 9 3/8" × 6 1/8" × 1". The Kelmscott Press and William Morris Master-Craftsman; by Sparling, H. Halliday. London: Macmillan and Co., Limited. Printed by R. & R. Clark, Limited, Edinburgh. 1924. First Edition. First Printing. Tall 8vo: 9 3/8" x 6 1/8" x 1" (23.8 x 15.6 x 2.5 cm). Bound in publisher's original hardcover quarter Holland-backed blue paper boards, with white linen spine and paper title label. Uncut. [ix], [1], 176, [4] pp. Photogravure frontispiece portrait of Morris engraved by Emery Walker from a photograph by Sparling, with tissue guard present. Includes 16 plates and examples of types and illustrations from the Kelmscott Press. Henry Halliday Sparling (1860–1924) provides an informative history of William Morris's Press. Sparling was a former Kelmscott Press employee and as the husband of Morris's daughter, May Morris, from 1890–1898, was keenly familiar with Morris and his Press. Sparling… Read More

New York: Broadman Library Foundation, 1948. Softcover. Very Good/no jacket. White wraps with black title, 34 pages, 10 in tall. Illustrated with 3 photographs of Dr. Joseph Broadman, a physician, in his library of 500,000 documents, newspapers, newspaper clippings, periodicals, pamphlets, leaflets, books, cartoons, pictures, posters, official reports, etc.. Broadman published this pamphlet in an unsuccessful effort to place the collection in a university library. In 1966 he gave the collection to a newly established Quaker institution on Long Island, Friends World College. In 1990 FWC was sold to a new owner who tore down the buildings a few years later and "the collection passed into oblivion." ("What Ever Happened to the Broadman Library," a blog posted by Princeton University Library, 2008). Front wrap with edge tear and crease, and 2 minor staple punctures. A clean copy, internally fine.

Bristol, UK: The Department of Small Works, 2019. Large format edition limited to 180. Hardcover, bound by Hand. This is a large-format, limited edition publication. The type has been hand set in Caslon Roman 22/24pt, 14pt and Italic 12pt; and Spectrum 14pt and Italic 14pt. Each illustration is printed directly from an engraved lino block; all letterpress printed on a FAG Swiss Proof 40 and bound by hand at The Letterpress Collective in an edition of 180. Journeyman is a celebration of British craft and of slow travel. It is a collection of stories of people who dedicate their life to a particular craft and passion; all collected by one man on a bicycle with a printing press on the back. Journeyman is a term used for a trained worker after finishing an apprenticeship who would take to the road with their union card to look for work. It was these tradespeople that traveled from town to town that inspired Nick Hand to cycle from Land's End to John o'Groats on a bicycle with a printing press on the… Read More

Kuala Lampur: Privately Printed, 1977. First edition. Hardbound in very good condition in good dust jacket; Title page print somewhat bleeds through to verso; Jacket quite edge worn and creased at corners and spine ends.. Limited to 300 copies, this one unnumbered; 10.5" x 8"; Each monograph is individually paginated: [14], (xviii), 14, 24, 94, 20, 6, 20, [16], 8, 12, 8, 6, 10, 20, 68, 26, 8, 28, 16, 16, 8, [16], 12, 12, 12, 20, 20, 28, [16], [4]; 596 total pages; With numerous illustrations; There is no reference to this being volume I but in the front matter there is reference to a pending volume II;. "31 monographs at different wavelengths - basically chronologically - a centennial biography.

Windsor Locks, CT: C.H. Dexter and Sons, n.d.. Trade catalogue: from the paper mill of C.H. Dexter & Sons, established in the early years of the 19th century, with examples of nineteen colour paper samples, beautifully illustrated in the style of art nouveau. Stationery fetish aside, this is an important document in the development of printing history, with historical and cultural significance. Quarto, bound in pictorial wrappers, sewn, original ties intact. rubbed on rear panel and nicked at edges, a very good copy, internally clean and unmarked.

New York: Harry N. Abrams. Fine. 1980. Limited Edition; First Printing. Full-Leather. #809/2500 bound in full leather. Book is in FINE condition - Statement of limitation book plate to FFE else a bright & solid copy. Book is housed in a VG slipcase - rubbing to edges else still bright & sturdy. BSC 8/22 ; Folio 12"-15" tall .

Newark, NJ: Spanier Bros, 1927. Leatherette folder. very good/no dj as issued. Spanjer Bros. Wood Carvers / Wood Sign Material / Manufacturers of All Wood Letters & Sign Boards a Specialty / Newark N.J. - - [2], 34 pp. Brad-bound leaves in leatherette folder. 18.7x23.7 cm (7½x9¼"), folded to 18.7x12.5 cm (7½x5"). An extremly scarce sign board and wood lettering specimen book. OCLC/WorldCat cites only 2 copies, those held at Rutgers University and the Hagley Museum & Library.

Munchen: Karl Pressler, 1983. Second Edition, Revised and Enlarged. Slipcased. Near Fine/Near Fine. [12.5x8.875in]; [3], ix-xxv [second edition additions], v-xxiv [first edition preface], 280 pp., index; Red buckram cloth covers with black lettering on bordered paper labels on spine and front, all edges trimmed; Cream Dust Jacket with red and black lettering on front, back and spine; Publisher light gray plain card slipcase; Negligible shelf wear to book or dust jacket, slipcase reinforced with clear tape along all edges and slightly soiled. The "Printing and the Mind of Man" (PMM for short), evolved from a catalogue of books for the July 1963 International Printing Machinery and Allied Trades Exhibition (IPEX) which was held in London at Earls and the British Museum. The focus was how printing influenced human knowledge and thought. The catalogue was edited by Carter, Muir and others, and was expanded into a 1967 book, again edited by Carter and Muir. The book became a significant reference work… Read More