Book Trade History

One page, 8vo, small closed tear on fold line, mainly good. He is responding to autographs sent to him by Carlson, asking his opinion of autnenticity etc. He cites an example of a letter by Flaxman to confirm the attributuion of pone of the items. He points out that "The inscription 'Elizabeth Gaskell 1818" cannot be in the hand of Mrs. Gaskell the novelist, since her maiden name was Stevenson and she did not become Mrs. Gaskell until 1832." He goes on to a D.G.

1p., 12mo. Good, on aged paper. At the head of the page is the elegant signature of 'T. J. Cobden-Sanderson | 27 November 1907', followed by 'Anne Cobden-Sanderson' and 'Stella Cobden-Sanderson'. The fourth signature, dated March 1908, is illegible. It is followed by 'J Paul Clairmont | Clarence A. Mc.Williams | Ralph Waldo Lobenstine'. Lobenstine (1874-1931) was a Yale-educated physician.

The notable London firm of P. S. King & Son, 'Publishers, Parliamentary and General Booksellers, Bookbinders and Printers', was in existence for more than a hundred years, having been established, according to its own account, in Parliament Street in 1819, and still active until 1941, when it became P. S. King and Staples, under which name it traded for around six years. (An advertisement for the Staples Press Limited in The Times, 14 February 1946, lists, among incorporated companies: 'P. S.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. In good condition, on aged paper, with slight wear to one corner. Signed 'H. Cernuschi'. He begins by stating that from King's 'première lettre' he had recognised his handwriting. He apologises for not being able to comply with a request of King's: 'Je possédais une importante collection d'autographes - mais elle m'a été volee toute entière'. He concludes by instructing King to send to Westminster '600 copies de Bimetalism in England aand Abroad et 50 copies de mon Speech a Paris 1889'.

2pp., 12mo. Bifolium. Tasteful letterhead including the firm's device within an oval, printed in sepia. In good condition: on aged and lightly-worn paper. King was the leading London parliamentary bookseller, and it is interesting to see him apparently offering a work of his own to other publishers. The letter reads: 'Dear Sir | We beg to acknowledge with thanks your offer of a translation of Herculano's "O Monge de Cister," which we much regret our inability to accept - our hands being very full just now, & all our arrangements for some time to come made.

Both items in fair condition, on lightly aged and creased paper. The second letter addressed by the secretary on the reverse, with four torn stamps and postmarks, to 'Mr. Lawrence Hodson | Bradbourne Hall | Ashbourne | Derbyshire'. The 'set of stations' referred to in the first letter is likely to have been based on those executed by Gill in stone in Westminster Cathedral, and completed in 1918. Letter One (3 November 1920): 1p., 12mo.

The three items in good condition, with minor aging and the last two items lightly-creased. ONE: 'The Richard Curle Collection of the Works of Cicely Veronica Westwood'. Published by J. Stevens Cox at the Toucan Press, Beaminster, Dorset, 1961. 19pp., 16mo. In green printed wraps. Stapled. '65 copies printed'. Four-page introduction, in which Cox writes: 'I wish to emphasise, however, that, despite the amplitude of the muster, this is not a Bibliography.

The three items are all in very good condition, on lightly-aged paper, with slight marking from rusty paperclips. Manuscript: 13pp., 4to. On 13 leaves, paginated 1-13. With a few emendations and corrections. The two typescripts, both well typed, have different layouts to one another. First (smaller) Typescript: 9pp., 4to. Second (larger) Typescript: Carbon copy. 9pp., 4to. The article begins: '"The iniquity of oblivion blindly scattereth her poppy . . .

Both items in good condition, on lightly-aged paper, with slight rust spotting. Manuscript: 12pp, 4to. On twelve leaves, paginated 1-12. With emendations and corrections. Note at head of page: 'Dates & title meant to be typical only: subject to revision from collection catalogue etc & to fit later details of book.' Also at head of page, in red pencil: 'Aquatint collection draft first chapter'. Manuscript: 9pp., 4to. On nine leaves attached with stud (last leaf loose).

On 11 x 6.5 cm rectangle of paper, laid down on the pastedown of a 12mo calf front board. Beneath the title: 'This Library is enriched with every work of merit, as soon as published; and comprises such a variety of Travels, Histories, Biography, Novels, Plays, and Literature in general, as cannot fail to graify every Class of Readers. | The Daily Papers taken in.' Following this are the yearly, half-yearly, quarterly and monthly terms for borrowing two and four books. Further text follows, beginning: 'Books read by Non-subscribers charged according to the Size.' and ending 'T. M.

Cloth-backed boards, [16]pp. + frontis., 4to, edges and corners rubbed, sl hinge strain, Title on upper cover, frontis (illustration of Bentley bindings), pages within red borders. This is an offprint (no. 44 of 50 copies only) of Sadleir's essay in "The Colophon" in 1932, which later appeared in a slightly revised form in "Nineteenth-Century Fiction", vol.II, revisions of "style rather than content". This copy was apparently acquired by Roger Senhouse, co-owner of Secker & Warburg, in 1936 (according to a note by Alex Fothergill, bookseller, former owner).

1p., 4to. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Addressed to 'dear Ernest'. Marked by Gye 'Ansd.' He is sending Gye 'a word of congratulations on the august appointment to Tangier'. He apologises that he cannot be 'part of the celebration on March 23'. He concludes: 'I hope you are pleased and that everything will prosper. | No answer required of course'.

1p., 4to. Good, on lightly-aged paper with minor traces of mount on the reverse. Addressed to 'Chas. Sumner Esq. | Boston Mass.' At the time of writing Sumner, having returned from Europe the previous year, was practising law at Boston. Regarding 'American Themis, A Monthly Journal of Jurisprudence and Judicature', edited by John O'Connell, Sedgwick writes that he is sending 'two or three nos. of a new Legal Magazine wh.

1p., landscape 8vo. Fair, on lightly-aged paper, with small spike-hole (not affecting text), and minor traces of previous mount on reverse, which is docketed 'J. Nourse to T. Longman, 1770.' The bill lists five items, from 'Johnsons Dicty 2 V. folio' to 'Sherwin's Tables', with the date of purchase and price, coming to a total of £14 8s 4d. The receipt at the foot of the page reads 'April 4. 1771 Received the Contents - | [signed] Thos Longman'.

3pp., 12mo. 55 lines, neatly and closely written. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Addressed to 'Mr W. Shoberl.' An excellent letter, giving an experienced and knowledgable view of the state of the mid-Victorian British booktrade. Redding begins by stating that he is 'indeed concerned to hear the statement' Shoberl has communicated to him. He wishes it was in his power to forward Shoberl's wishes.

12mo, 2 pp. 34 lines. Text clear and complete. Fair, on lightly-aged paper. He received Walford's manuscript and 'did free my spirit, as I promised I would, without loss of time'. The matter is now in the hands of the printer of the Daily Telegraph, who, 'at the time of going to press, is master of of the situation, and often delays, from night to night, giving a place to our best-loved paragraphs.' Turner marked his copy with 'a mem to the effect' that it should be shown to 'Mr. Arnold'.

12mo, 1 p. 15 lines. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper. He requests 'the favour of a copy of Dr 's work "The Hoe & the Canoe," for review'. He claims to be 'a friend of Lord Elgin the Governor', and to have been 'a long resident in the Canadas' in his 'official capacity', ending: 'it will afford me the utmost pleasure to say all I can in behalf in [sic] the reviewing publication with which I have the honour of being connected, of Dr 's work'. The truth about 'J. B.

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.

The text area is about 13.5 x 30 cm, on the top half of a slip of paper around twice as long. Text clear and complete. Good, on lightly-aged paper. The lower half of the slip is blank apart from the pagination 196. Headed 'EPILOGUE | COWKEEPER'S TUNE', and beginning 'Unless your window is fitted with very strong iron bars and, just to make sure, your window locks, | Do not attempt to keep a Dexter cow in your window box.' Signed in type at end 'M.

12mo, 2 pp. On disbound leaf. Text clear and complete. Fair, on aged paper. Drop-head title. First page with, and second page without, catchword. Ten learned works are listed, beginning with the ill-fated 'Suidae Lexicon, Graece & Latine' ('3 Vol. Folio, 1710'). The earliest dates from 1706 and the latest from 1716. According to the Victoria County History, it was under Richard Bentley that 'Crownfield ('a Dutchman . . .

One page, 8vo, sunned and grubby, two small chips, small closed tear, spike-hole (loss of two letters), text legible and complete bar two lost letters. A large cross in the white space means perhaps that the bookseller has dealt with the enquiry. "Lord Dynevor begs Mr Andrews will send him the first Voyage of Discovery by Captain Parry in Quarto, (he has got the second - but has lost the first) & whenever any account comes out of Captain Ross's present Expedition to send him a Copy directed to Dynevor Castle, Lan[?] S Wales, by the Paul Pry Gloucester Coach-| Half Bound in Linnen."

The subscription Liverpool Library within the Lyceum, founded in 1757, is believed to have been the first circulating or lending library in Europe, and the first two of these items provide a valuable insight into its status at the time when the advent of the public library system was undermining its position.

61 items, characterised by grey-brown amateur wrapper, usually grubby, with: A label on the front usually stating, 'CHRIST CHURCH, KILNDOWN | LIBRARY. | No. [...] | Please keep clean. | Can be exchanged on EVERY FRIDAY on application to Rev. H. HARRISON. | October, 1875', And a label on reverse of wrapper, 'CHRIST CHURCH, KILNDOWN | Lending Library | Rules. | . 1. The Library to be Free to Sunday Scholars and Members of the Choir; all other persons using the Books to pay a Subscription of a Half-penny a Month. | 2.

12mo, 4 pp. 40 lines. Text clear and complete. Good, on lightly-aged paper. Addressed to 'My dear Spencer'. He is sorry to have missed Childers: 'I came back early on Sat: morning fairly driven home by the weather.' Reports that 'Better reviews of the book are now appearing Athenaeum - evidently by Dilke: Tablet: Pall Mall &c.' Thinks 'Clarke will use his influence with the Times', the idea that 'King' has done so being 'entirely out of the question'.

12mo, 3 pp. Bifolium. 47 lines. Text clear and complete. On aged paper, wear and fraying to extremities. The cutting which Lawler leant him 'has helped me to trace one stage further in the wanderings of more than one vagabond Caxton'. Refers to John Winter Jones's discovery of a copy in the British Museum of the 'Quatre Derrenieres Choses', 'now more than 50 years ago [...] it has remained absolutely unique until our old friend at 15 Piccadilly [Bernard Quaritch] came upon a 2nd copy'.

4to, [ii] + 71 pp, with numerous leaves of additional manuscript and typescript material loosely inserted, as well as laid down. A few cuttings and extracts from printed works, as well as a Typed Letter Signed (17 March 1937) to Halliday from Ralph M. Williams of Yale, describing himself as 'interested in securing books, manuscripts, or other documents by or about the eighteenth century poet John Dyer'. Neatly written out in pencil and pen, on watermarked wove paper, in sturdy buckram binding. Internally in excellent condition, tight and clean, in worn binding with staining to front board.

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.

4pp., 8vo, disbound, edges sl. frayed, mainly good. It has a selective list from the Catalogue, commences by offering Price 1s. 6d. allowed on First Purchase, giving selling and discounted price (R.B.'s Price) for c.150 titles. COPAC records the NLS copy.

pp.1-10 text, 15 detached plates with tissue-guards (as called for), text (concluding mid-sentence, bound in to grey-blue printed wraps, reinforced spine, 2 closed tear, chipped and sunned. Full quotation of title om front wrap: Specimen copy for the Plates only | The Marchioness of Brinvilliers | By | Albert Smith | Illustrated by John Leech | [Bentley insignia] | With fifteen spirited full-page Etchings on Steel, only once before printed from,* onthe first publication of the story, in its serial | form, about 1842. | *Besides twenty-seven impressions for the Leech Catalogue.