Book Trade History

One page, 8vo, good. He sends newspapers post free "to all parts of the Kingdom." He charges mainly for items of stationery but also an almanack.

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

all octavo, in worn nineteenth-century binding, with front hinge loose, lacking spine. New endpapers. All items good, on aged paper with occasional foxing. An invaluable collection, providing a snapshot of secondhand bookselling in provincial Victorian England within an extremely short timescale. Several of the booksellers are not represented in the British Library collection, and others are only represented by catalogues of a later date. Of note are the two catalogues published by Sotheran's Manchester arm, the existence of which is not mentioned in Andrew Block's 'Short History' (1933).

Piece of paper, bifoliate, c.5 x 4", good condition. "Gent. / These books belong to you - I will call & explain tomorrow / A. Leighton". Archibald Leighton II helped invent and develop 'book cloth binding' between 1820 and 1832. (BBTI).

Invoice: one page, fol. good condition. Charges for advertising notices in various newspapers, printing posters of Sale Particulars, printing catalogues (full detail), and related printing and actions.

Sixteen invoices, all 8vo, good condition. They bought account books and stationery relevant to their function. The overseers, for example, bought a "Poor Rates Book", had "Rate Receipt books" and "Poor Rate Notices" printed by Gotelee. The surveyors' invoices listed "Printing 200 Highway Rate Receipts". The churchwardens had a "Book of Common Prayer" bound.

One page, 7 x 4.5", good condition. Annual Register

Two pages, on a rough-edged leaf approximately seven inches by four. Good, though aged and a lightly stained. A highly interesting list of twenty-seven titles by a radical publisher. Several works relating to Robert Wedderburn and Thomas Davison. Also 'The Cast-Iron Parson', 'A Peep after Hell' and 'GREAT GORGY: giving a Humourous Description of his Journey to Westminster, on Giff, the Ch-lor's Grey Mare'. Ends 'The Trade Supplied with all the Popular Works of the Day. | Printing & Bookbinding | NEATLY AND EXPEDITIOUSLY EXECUTED. | NEWSPAPERS SERVED IN TOWN AND COUNTRY.

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.

Dimensions roughly eight inches by five and a half. Very good on aged paper. All but top edge rough. One page, blank reverse.

Dimensions of paper roughly twelve inches by ten; dimensions of print roughly nine and a half inches by seven and a half. A good clear impression, on aged, creased paper, of a striking illustration showing a portly and sleek Asperne, beautifully turned out in Freemason's robes and paraphernalia, holding a leather-bound book, and seated in an ornately carved wooden chair with the Freemasons' eye in a triangle at its head. Captioned 'Mr James Asperne | BOOKSELLER, CORNHILL, | Past Master of the FOUNDATION LODGE NO. 96 And St. Peter's No.. 249 | P.S.D. of the LODGE of Antiquity No.

Good clean image of a seventeenth-century engraving, from an earlier idealised portrait of the putative 'father of printing'. It is of irregular shape, the background having been carefully cut away. Neatly mounted on piece of beige paper, illustrated with a brown pseudo-frame with decorative book devices in the four corners. Half-length portrait of a bearded Gutenberg in fur-lined hat and coat, with composing stick in left hand and stylus in right. Dimensions roughly eight and a quarter inches by seven wide. Engraved beneath is 'P Stent Excudit: R Gaywood fecit'.

Landscape. Dimensions of paper roughly nine inches by thirteen and a half. Trimmed. Clear image on aged and foxed paper. Captioned 'This ENGRAVING of the BOOKSELLERS' PROVIDENT RETREAT at Abbots Langley, Herts, erected upon ground presented by JOHN DICKINSON, ESQ.

Octavo, 216 pages. One of 'only fifty copies printed, on thick paper'. Title-page in red and black. Aged and a little stained, in recent half-leather rebinding. 9670 items listed, 'for the most part second-hand'.

Card, c.4 x 3", soiled, remnants of album page on verso (four corners). Within the Royal Arms of the Duke of Clarence is printed "William Curtis / Bookseller / To H.R.H. the Duke of Clarence / Plymouth". At the botton "Harps, Pianofortes &c. on Sale or Hire."

Roughly twelve and half inches by nine and a quarter. Neatly mounted on piece of cream paper, with surrounding ink rules. Good, with some ruckling and wear to corners. Characteristically arresting arrangement of type. Reads: 'CAUTION. | THE ONLY CORRECT COPY | OF DONIZETTI'S OPERA | THE FAVOURITE | AS PERFORMED IN ENGLISH AT THE | THEATRE ROYAL DRURY LANE, | IS PUBLISHED BY | JEFFERYS AND CO.

One page, 8vo, defects but text clear and complete. "State Trials" and "Cobbett's Register".

One page. Dimensions of slip roughly four inches by five and a quarter wide. Somewhat aged, but entirely legible. Reads 'British Quarterly Review | Can you tell me what was the last part of this issued, if it is possible to get a title-page and index to vol 83. My last part is 166 April 1886'. Docketed note of reply states that no title was published to the volume containing April 1886.

Two pages, fol., fragile, sl. chipped, inch round hole in second page with some loss of text. Hatchard reports on the distribution of copies of his book ["A Family Exposition of the Pentateuch: Genesis" (J. Hatchard, 1841)] as "From the Author", giving a substantial list occupying the second page (c.80 names consisting of the great and the good, with excisions, corrections and additions, with six names ticked and three show multiple copies). He tells him how many copies have been printed of the first and second editions, the issuing of the second he expects to give the first "a lift".

Ten items, various formats, mainly 8vo. a. Copy statement i, 13 Jan. 1879, in which Smallwood agrees terms with the music publisher, Mary Ann Williams for his "musical composition entitled Winander-mere". b. Autograph Note Signed "Frederick Langbridge", 25 Jan. 1877, confirming that the sole copyright for two songs written by him ("A Song for the Land I Love" and "Freedom's Shrine") belongs to Smallwood. c. Statement by Lucy J. Mullen, "trading as B. Williams, 19 Saville Row EC", 6 Jan.

Pamphlet, 8pp., 12mo, blank wraps except inside back wrap ("Reprinted from The Nation / 50 Copies"), minor damage at one staple, mainly good. Enclosed: printed anonymous poem entitled "It Takes a Book", one page (verso blank), 12mo, the theme of which is that you can trust a friend to return anything except a book. Not in Beverly Chew. Essays and verses about books. New York: D. B. Updike, 1926)

Two pages, on leaf roughly eight and a half inches by five. Very good, with three stab holes along one margin. Headed 'NEW COLLECTION OF VOYAGES AND TRAVELS, [...] This Day is published'.

Two pages, 8vo, fold marks but good condition. He apologises for not returning a book he had borrowed from the Baron ("L'almanack Medical"). He had taken it to the country "pour en lire quelques passages a mon frere" and forgot to bring it back. He plans the eventual return. "L'etat de la sante de mon frere ne s'ameliore que peu et bien lentement - Il reviendra de la campagne probrablement avec moi mardi prochaine." Heconcludes with politenesses at length.

On piece of paper roughly three and a half inches by three wide. Good, lightly aged with a little creasing to one corner. Pleasant armorial design within floral arrangement. Motto 'VIGILANS' on scroll above 'Sir Richard Burton' in copperplate at foot. Indentation of plate around edge.

Arranging the three in what appears to be chronological order, the first (good, roughly four inches by two and three-quarters wide) has 'Josiah C. Wedgwood' in copperplate beneath a straightforward Victorian armorial design, with shield, coronet and motto 'OBSTANTIA DISCINDO'. The second (three and a half inches by three wide) dates from after Wedgwood's election as a Member of Parliament in 1906, having 'EX-LIBRIS JOSIAH C. WEDGWOOD, M.P.' on a scroll beneath a more modern armorial design, with helmet and leaves. It has slight damage to the bottom right-hand corner.

Quarto, twelve pages. Unbound. In original grey printed wraps, with facsimile portrait of Caxton laid down on front cover as part of design. Stitched. Lightly aged and worn, and a little loose. A handsome production, with five full-page facsimiles of pages from the book, and three other illustrations (including duplicate of that on front wrap). Large plate of charcoal drawing, captioned 'A view of the facade of 16 & 17 Pall Mall as seen from the Athenaeum', laid down inside back wrap.

Chairman of Unwin Brothers (born 1870). One page, quarto. Good, but discoloured and lightly creased, and with staple stain at head. Docketed and bearing the Society's stamp. He is sorry not to have answered sooner, but 'some very important business has engaged my attention during the last few days with the result that I put your letter into my private drawer without acknowledging it.

Printing family (famille des imprimeirs) and eminent collector. One page, 4to, chipped with small loss of text., torn along a fold mark, fragile. The printed form is headed as above with further details of the Society ("Maison de Retraite et de Sante en faveur des Artistes, des Hommes de Lettres et de Science") Firmin Didot has signed a declaration ("Adhesion aux Statuts") that he will adhere to the "Statuts de la dite Societe . . .

Proof with manuscript changes in pencil and printed additions pasted onto p.viii. 14 pages, folio. Five plates and five illustrations in text. In original green printed wraps. In good condition: paper discoloured and with some creasing at head; wraps grubby, creased and worn, with small closed tear along top end of spine. An attractive production, 'reprinted from J. & J. Leighton's illustrated catalogue of early-printed books, manuscripts, &c. part xiv.' Describes the edition of the Golden Legend published by Caxton in 1483, and a block-book published in Germany around 1470.

One page, 4to, chipped with small loss of text, paper fragile. Text as follows: Monsieur Anselin, Paris, Je vous prie de m'expedier aussitot [underlined] par l'entremise de Mr Ren[loss of text] les livres suivants, je vous recommande surtout les petits brochures vieux dont je suis tres presse." There follows a list of 22 titles, all military (e.g "Dictionnaire d'artillerie", "Manoeuvres de chevres & de forces 1821", etc.). Usually one copy required, but he requires 3 of one book (the Dictionnaire) and 2 of its supplement.