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The Accidental Bookseller
Specializing in Uncommon Copies of Interesting Books
Membership(s): IOBA, FABA, PADAH
Baskin, Leonard; Conrad, Joseph Conrad’s Manifesto Preface to a Career. The History of the Preface to the (N**) of the “Narcissus” with Facsimiles of the Manuscripts
$200.00
The Gehenna Press for The Philip H. and A.S.W. Rosenbach Foundation: Northampton, Mass, 1966.
Limited edition, number 555 of 1100 copies.
Inscribed by Baskin on the colophon page. Additionally, though not called for, Baskin has signed the woodcut frontis. portrait of Conrad.
Marbled boards with light rubbing to the extremities. Paper label printed in red and black on front board, another copy of which is loosely inserted into the book. Housed in a sage green chemise and slipcase with a partially loosened spine label. Outside case lightly soiled and with a few marks. Overall a near fine, attractive copy.
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1892 Tropical Expedition: Keulemans Color Plates
Robinson, Wirt A Flying Trip to the Tropics: A Record of an Ornithological Visit to the United States of Colombia, South America and to the Island of Curacao, West Indies in the Year 1892 A scarce and meticulously documented record of a 19th-century scientific expedition to Colombia and the West Indies.
$575.00Despite the whimsical title, Robinson—a West Point instructor and dedicated naturalist—conducted a rigorous ship-bound survey of the region’s avian life. The work is particularly noted for its high-production value, featuring vibrant chromolithography that captures the brilliant plumage of South American specimens before the era of modern color photography. This volume serves as both a serious ornithological study and a charming travelogue, capturing the flora, fauna, and cultural landscape of the Caribbean and Colombia at the end of the 19th century. KEY FEATURES+++ The Chromolithographs: Features four stunning color plates with tissue-guards by the legendary natural history illustrator J. G. Keulemans. Printed by Mintern Bros. of London, these plates include:* The Toucan (Ramphastos tocard)* Parakeets (Conurus wagleri)* Partridge (Eupsychortyx leucotis)* The Oriole (Icterus icterus)+++ Cartography: Includes six maps in total: one large folding colored map of Colombia and one double-page colored map of Curacao.+++ Comprehensive Visuals: Richly illustrated with numerous drawings, portraits, and photographs from the author’s own collection.+++ Scientific Value: Includes an extensive appendix and a robust bibliography (pp. 177–194) concerning the natural history of Colombia and Curacao. SPECS+++ Format: Octavo; 9.5 x 6.5 inches.+++ Pagination: x, 194 pages + Appendix & Index.+++ Binding: Professionally rebacked in cloth matching the original green linen. Original front board illustration and gilt/black stamped spine title have been expertly laid on. CONDITION: VERY GOOD. A tight, square, and structurally superior copy. The professional rebacking has preserved the character of the original binding while ensuring long-term durability. New end-papers have been added. The text block remains clean with light, even toning consistent with age. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE —Wirt Robinson (1864–1929) was far more than a casual traveler; he was a career soldier and West Point instructor who personified the 19th-century ‘Scholar-Officer.’ This volume is a primary document of the Golden Age of American Ornithology, representing the push by U.S. institutions to categorize the avian biodiversity of the Tropics. The inclusion of plates by J.G. Keulemans—the most sought-after bird illustrator of the Victorian era—elevates this from a mere travel diary to a high-status scientific production. Keulemans’ work for the British Museum and his contributions to the world’s most expensive bird books (such as those by Buller and Dresser) lend this Riverside Press edition a level of bibliographical prestige rarely seen in American military-authored works. Furthermore, Robinson’s record of Curaçao remains one of the few detailed English-language natural histories of the island from the late 19th century. His observations on the local populations and the logistical challenges of ‘collecting’ in the pre-aviation era provide a vital window into the intersection of Victorian science, colonialism, and the arduous reality of field-work in South America. BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCESZimmer, p. 529: Cites the work for its early lists of birds and fishes; Casey Wood, p. 539: Describes the work as an important record of tropical collecting; Smith R48; Evans 23941; OCLC 769157894; American Nineteenth Century Color Plate Books. Subjects: 19th Century Ornithology, South American Exploration, Colombia Travel & Description, J. G. Keulemans Illustrations, West Indies Natural History, Curacao, Chromolithography.
Offered for Sale by: Blind Horse Books [ABAA] -
Extravagantly produced woodcuts with Biblical text
Maty Grunberg; Linda Zisquit (tr) The Book Of Ruth
$2,341.72 *
* estimated currency conversionLondon; The Osband Press, 1996. No.103 from an edition of 125, this extravagantly produced boxed set of 18 colour woodcuts, each signed by Grunberg, is in fine/as new condition throughout. Each image is accompanied by Hebrew biblical text from the book of Ruth, and a free translation into English by Linda Zisquit who also provides an introduction. Each woodcut sheet is c.45x50cm with text facing. Smart black folio box, with purple lining, and bright gilt titling to front and spine.
Offered for Sale by: Dodman Books -
A remarkable collection of 100 Catalonian songs
Aureli Capmany Cançoner Popular [Serie 1-3] [SIGNED]
$334.53 *
* estimated currency conversionBarcelona; La Renaixensa, 1913. The original three series of popular Catalonian songs, 100 in total, published between 1901 and 1913 and bound as a single volume. Signed and dedicated by Capmany to half title, in 1953, one year before his death. A remarkable collection, each song illustrated, many by leading artists, with accompanying lyrics, score and notes on the work. In VG order throughout. Stock quality and paper sizes vary, but bar occasional spotting and toning to page edges, all is clean and bright. Binding is quarter white leather, a little marked, with four raised bands with gilt titling and decoration. Front board is paper-covered with cover from third series, this fact discreetly covered by paper patch. A little marked, moreso to rear. A unique copy of an important item. 8vo. Unpaginated
Offered for Sale by: Dodman Books -
Don Giovanni first edition: complete with libretto
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus Il dissoluto punito osia il Don Giovanni Dramma giocoso in due atti
$45,000.00The Manhattan Rare Book Company
MOZART, WOLFGANG AMADEUS. Il dissoluto punito osia il Don Giovanni. Dramma giocoso in due atti. [Don Giovanni] THE ULTIMATE COPY OF THE FIRST EDITION – IN BEAUTIFUL ORIGINAL WRAPPERS WITH THE LEGENDARILY SCARCE LIBRETTO. A remarkable copy of the first edition of the full orchestral score — complete as issued with the German libretto — of Don Giovanni, Mozart’s greatest dramatic achievement and one of the most influential works in the history of Western music. Copies surviving in their original light blue wrappers are of the utmost rarity, and this example is extremely well-preserved. “THE OPERA OF OPERAS” (HOFFMAN). Commissioned following the triumph of Le nozze di Figaro in Prague (1786), Don Giovanni reunited Mozart with his brilliant librettist, Lorenzo da Ponte, who drew on the Spanish legend of Don Juan and its reinterpretations by Molière and others. Premiering in Prague on October 29, 1787, the opera was an immediate sensation, fusing tragedy and comedy in ways that astonished contemporary audiences. Mozart’s revised Vienna production of May 7, 1788, introduced new arias and tightened the finale, and it is this hybrid form—Prague with Vienna additions—that Breitkopf & Härtel immortalized in print. After Mozart’s death in 1791, his widow Constanze struggled to secure publication of his manuscripts. Negotiations with Johann André, a friend of Mozart, faltered, and Breitkopf & Härtel, denied access to the manuscript, compiled their own edition from secondary sources. The resulting score, issued as part of their Oeuvres complètes, represents the first public availability of the work and a decisive moment in its reception. THE CONTROVERSIAL LIBRETTO The accompanying German libretto, translated by Friedrich Rochlitz, has long been a subject of bibliographical debate. Some scholars have argued that it was added later to correct textual errors; others—most notably Haberkamp—have demonstrated that it was integral to the earliest issues, appearing in the publisher’s advertisements of December 1800 and noted on the verso of the title page. Surviving examples are exceedingly rare: none of the copies described by Haberkamp contained the libretto. –––––––––– Il dissoluto punito osia il Don Giovanni. Dramma giocoso in due atti. [With the German libretto:] Friedrich Rochlitz (trans.), Don Juan. Oper in zwei Akten. Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, [1801]. Two volumes, oblong folio. Engraved vignette by F. Bolt after Kinninger on Italian title page in Vol. I depicting the Commendatore seizing Don Giovanni by the arm. Score in original light blue wrappers printed in black; libretto with matching light blue paper backstrip. Housed in a custom green morocco box. Wrappers bright with some foxing and very minor wear; occasional foxing to text (but generally very clean). References: Fuld p. 371; Haberkamp I, pp. 295–8; RISM M 4502; Ian Woodfield, The Vienna Don Giovanni (2010).
Offered for Sale by: The Manhattan Rare Book Company
