PRINTING

12pp., 12mo. In original printed wraps bearing the title, dramatis personae, printer's slug, and contemporary pencil note: 'Performed at Literary Institute Wednesday June 8th 1898.' On aged and worn paper, with curling to fore-edge, and a cloth strip sewn on to strengthen spine. A comedy in heroic couplets. Excessively scarce: no copies on COPAC or WorldCat OCLC. Kirshaw was active between the 1870s and 1890s.

The second of the three volumes of Stanley's lectures, subtitled 'From Samuel to the Captivity', was published by John Murray in 1865, the first volume having appeared two years earlier. The autograph draft is 4pp., 12mo, on a bifolium embossed with the Stanley crest (motto: 'Sans Changer'). Good, on lightly-aged paper.

An interesting collection of typographical ephemera. ONE: Landscape 8vo wood engraving, captioned 'This illustration, entitled "Psyche in Charon's Boat," was engraved on wood by William Morris from a design by Edward Burne-Jones and forms one of a series in illustration of the story of Cupid and Psyche in "The Earthly Paradise." It is proposed to issue one or two of these designs, which have never been published, though one of them formed the frontispiece to the "Note on the Kelmscott Press" by Mr. S. C. Cockerell.' In good condition, on lightly-aged paper.

7 + 10 pp., folio. Stitched and unbound. Printed front wrap, with vignette and 'St. Thomas's Hospital | Royal Charter.' in black letter. Worn and aged, with heavily-worn front wrap detached. Each of the two sections has its own drophead title, and printers' slug on last page. Tastefully printed on thick paper, with vignettes above the two drophead titles. All text in Latin. Scarce: no copy in the British Library or on COPAC. Whittingham and Wilkins were active in Tooks Court in the 1860s.

3pp., 12mo. Bifolium. 40 lines. In fair condition, creased and with minor damage to second leaf from previous mounting. Addressing Reed as 'Dear Charles', Curwen explains that when asked who he would like as chairman for a forthcoming meeting, 'it was natural I should mention you, because of our old regard'. He is sorry that his 'friends' applied 'again - after your declining'.

Handbill, one page, crudely coloured border with images of a black troubadour with banjo[?] , a native American, and a trapper [?], 26 x 17cm, three stanzas each eight lines plus chorus, edges chipped, laid down on a larger page. Commences, "Oh! listen a while., a story I will tell; | It will please you to death, I know berry well [...]" Decorative border signed "E A Sparks" ("Printed within colored pictorial border (De Marsan trapper border J, in Wolf, E. Amer. song sheets)." One copy of this imprint listed by WorldCat, two of another imprint (later).

The three items, all in manuscript, are in good condition, on lightly-aged paper. All three are folded into the usual packets, with the two items by the accountants each titled in manuscript on the outside. Item One (Gibson's report): 'Report to accompany the Accounts of "Vanity Fair" for the six months ending 30th. Septr. 1880'. In Bowles's autograph, and signed by him at the foot, 'Thos. G. Bowles | 10 Novr 1880'. 1p., foolscap 8vo.

5pp., foolscap 8vo. Attached with green ribbon. The sale was a protracted affair, and the detailed nature of these accounts may be due to Murray's desire to justify his charges of £22 1s 6d. The first entry reads: '1881 | Novr. 1st. Attending Mr. Bowles on his calling and receiving his instructions to act for all parties in the Sale of 1/18th. Share in "Vanity Fair" and General Roberts Executors would call and hand me the necessary papers [6s 8d]'. Other entries include 'Novr. 28th [1881] Writing Mr. Bowles that the Deed would be ready for his signature tomorrow morning [5s]', 'Jany.

Letter: 1p., 12mo. On bifolium. On aged and worn paper with closed tears at foot and pinholes at head. Reads: 'Sir, | I return you the account of Burley with some Amendments which I think it requires, I dare say that when I have an opportunity of seeing your Work I shall wish to become a Subscriber.' The proof, with a few minor corrections in Winchilsea's hand, are 2pp., 8vo, printed on one side of a half sheet folded once to make a bifolium, with the first page on the recto of the first leaf, and the second page on the verso of second leaf. On aged and worn paper.

2pp., 12mo. In fair condition, on lightly-aged paper, with a couple of small spots of glue from mount. Numbered in another hand at the foot of the second page. He writes: 'The Chalcographic Soicety meet at my house on Friday evening next 21st inst | If you can favor me with your company on that evening it will give me great pleasure.' For information about the Chalcographic Society, founded in 1807, see Dennis M. Read's biography of 'R. H. Cromek' (2011).

19pp., 32mo. Stitched. In pink printed wraps. Lightly-aged, in worn wraps. The front cover duplicates the only different element being the central vignette. On the rear wrap is a list of twelve children's books, 'Just published, uniform in size with the present', 'The Series to be continued.' Stock engraving at head of first page, showing old man with stick at cottage door, admonishing three children, one of them crying. Final engraving shows man with hat and stick on tired horse, with accompanying dog in foreground and foliage in background.

2pp., 4to. Printed in small type, with manuscript additions on both sides of the first leaf; addressed on the recto of the second leaf, with broken red wax seal: 'P. P. 9d | Mr Baldwin | Copper plate printer & | Birmingham | Sheffield | Oct 8th.' Great St Helens was a centre for firms concerned with bankruptcy and liquidation, and this interesting document offers banking services for 'needy Manufacturers and Tradesmen', with a use of Masonic imagery which is designed to reassure.

2pp., 12mo. On bifolium. Fair, on aged paper. The letter begins: 'Maitland, Secretary of the Civil Service Commission, tells me that Mr Robertson was examined only in European subjects; or, to use his own expression, "as to his capacity for learning Japanese".' Maitland cannot help them 'in finding a Japanese scholar'. As Spottiswoode is 'always so glad to find any one interested in oriental subjects', he asks for 'an opportunity of becoming acquainted' with Washington's son.

3pp., 4to. 60 lines of text. Bifolium. Good, on aged paper. Addressed, on reverse of second leaf, to 'Valentine Mott M.D. | 25 Park Place | New-York'; with three postmarks, one from Havre and another 'Forwarded by Lewis Rogers & Co.' (Mott was in Europe at the time of writing.) An tantalising letter, regarding an intriguing affair about which nothing else appears discoverable. Eldridge is sending 'a hand bill, 5000 of which have been circulated thro Paris and the towns in its vicinity'.

The letters provide a fascinating insight into the development of the transatlantic publishing industry. They are closely typed with single spacing, and both centre around Walton's employment situation and his complaints about the sending over from America of 'Mr. Russell', about whose 'absolute worthlessness to the business' he complains. Adair's letter: 2pp., 4to. Good, on lightly-aged paper.

1p., 12mo. On piece of aged and lightly-creased laid paper. The engraving, at the head of the page, is 7 x 9.5 cm., is a stylised full-length depiction of a young man in eighteenth-century dress, wearing a cravat, with hands on hips, standing between two trees. The poem reads 'Dear He - / Or She - / This from me, / Victor B. / Neuburg, to thee.' Second stanza: 'Not me: we, / I forgot, you see.' In bottom left-hand corner, in italics, 'Christmas, 1921.' And in italics in bottom-right: 'The Vine Press, / Steyning, / Sussex.' No other copy found listed.

On a 12mo bifolium of laid paper with 'DUNEDIN NOTE' watermark. Good, on lightly-aged paper. On the cover are a large black swastika and the words 'An Old-Time Greeting.' The poem, titled 'The Rune of the Swastika.' and signed in type 'J. S. M.', is on the recto of the second leaf.

28pp., landscape 12mo, printed on rectos only of 28 leaves. Dimensions 21 x 15 cm. In brown card wraps with brown cloth tape spine over staples. In fair condition, on aged thick paper, with foxing to title leaf, and damp staining at foot of first and last few pages. Printed decorative border on front cover, with same border in black ink on title page, enclosing the title in block capitals in red ink: 'SPÉCIMEN | DE | CARACTÈRES, VIGNETTES | & FILETS | LINOTYPE'.

2pp., 8vo. Good, on lightly-aged blue paper with brown border, with slight chipping to one corner. Eastman has purchased a 'Set of Fac-Simile Die-Proofs with the Autographed Card'. Presuming that Eastman is 'interested in Confederates', Dietz is enclosing 'the tentative Foreword' to 'a far more "pretentious" work - one upon which I have been engaged for many years': 'It "promises" to make over 400 pages octavo, and I am not yet through the Manuscript.

2pp., 12mo. Good, on lightly-aged paper. The paper appears to have an 1890s watermark, and the correspondence may relate to the publication of Huggins's 'Atlas of representative Stellar Spectra', printed by Hazell, Watson & Viney for William Wesley & Son in 1899. Apparently impressed by the speed of Viney's response to his last letter, Huggins begins 'Your lightning is treble-greased.' He is returning the corrected proof, and sent 'a new copy with your name written on, by this morning's post as yr.

3pp., folio. Bifolium. Fair, on aged paper with slight wear to edges.

12mo, 48 pp. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper. Rebound in the twentieth century in worn workmanlike blue wraps, with the outer edges of the pamphlet rounded off. The text of the work covers pp.3-40; with the 'Brief Account' on pp.41-48. A scarce piece of provincial printing: no copy in the British Library or on COPAC, and the only copy on WorldCat at the New York Public Library.

12mo, 16 pp. Unbound, unstitched and unopened. A half-sheet folded three times to make eight leaves. Reproduction of early engraving on first page, vignette of country scene on last page, three illustrations of tools and a further thirteen numbered figures in text. Text and images clear and complete. Publishing details, with price of '1/2d' printed upwards along inner margin of last page. On aged paper, with slight damage to the margin of the first leaf. This single issue scarce: no copy on COPAC. Chambers Miscellany was originally published between 1844 and 1847.

Dimensions 29 x 12 cm. Pasteboard mount, 31 x 14.5 cm. In blue, black and white. In good condition on lightly-aged paper. In front of a background of ricketty railings, a jolly bespectacled penguin [with Tschichold's sprightly eyes], with a Penguin book under his left arm, and preceded by a letter P and followed by an n, drags a bespectacled, bearded man (looking a little like a young Michael Bentine) towards the right of the drawing.

12mo, 72 pp. Stitched. In remains of original grey wraps, with front wrap present (though worn at extremities), but only a trace of rear wrap remaining. Text clear and complete. On aged paper with many dog-eared corners. An ephemeral item by one of the greatest of French printers: COPAC only lists three copies, at Oxford, University College London, and the Victoria and Albert Museum. None of these record the misprint in the title of 'les Galerie' for 'les Galeries', and it is not present in the Harvard copy either.

Landscape card, 7.5 x 11.5 cm. Designed to show off the firm's capabilities, and printed on one side in purple, green, light brown and gold, with fancy lettering within florally-decorated body and border, around a small central illustration of three men working a press. Printers' details in small letters at foot, reading 'F. Bentley & Co. Lth' and 'Shoe Lane, London.' The almanac on the reverse is a more restrained affair, stylishly printed in purple and gold. Fair: lightly-aged, with small closed hole to one corner, and slight wear at foot of almanac.

One page, part of bifolium, 4to, faintly grubby and foxed, mainly good condition.

12mo, 24 pp. Disbound. Text clear and complete. On aged paper, with the last leaf loose. Two-page preface dated 'Bristol, Dec. 1815.' This copy is significant in that the author and recipient are identified in a contemporary hand on the title-page. The only copy listed on COPAC, at the British Library, is unattributed.

12mo, xi + [vi] + 46 pp. Stitched as issued, in original marbled-paper wraps. Good, on lightly-aged paper. The title leaf is followed by a nine-page preface, taking the pagination to p.xi. The page following p.xi (on the verso of the leaf) is blank, and this is followed by three unpaginated leaves carrying a six-page 'Act of Parliament in Favours [sic] of the Maiden Hospital, Founded by the Company of Merchants and Mary Erskine.' This 'Act', which precedes the 46 pages of the 'Rules and Constitutions', would not appear to be present in all copies.

On piece of paper roughly 29.5 x 44 cm. The image itself is 30 cm wide, with an arched top 18 cm high at sides and 22 cm at the highest point. The image is clear and complete, on dusty spotted paper with fraying and loss to top edge especially. A charming image, showing Victorian middle-class townsfolk comporting in the town centre, with a wide main street with two carriages, and shop names including 'ELLIS' and 'WILSHER BUILDER'. Towards the centre is 'CHEEKS PRINTING OFFICE', 'BOOKSELLER STATIONER'.