Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Harry Potter) by J. K. Rowling - 1997

Green calf binding with red title plate, gilt decoration, banding and title on the spine. Gilt decorative edging on both boards. Humberstone school emblem on the front board. Green marbled edges and pastedowns. Presentation copy.
In French.

Brown leather binding with red title plate, gilt banding and decoration on the spine. Gilt and embossed decoration on both boards. Superb binding by Earnshaw and Harrison, 3 Westgate, Halifax. First Edition 'On Saltonstall moor [...] Soon after I had left the moor, on the right side of the road leading to the village of Luddenden, I saw what is generally called Robin Hood's Penny-stone, for the country people here attribute every thing of the marvellous kind to Robin Hood, as in Cornwall they do to king Arthur. Thus, for instance, he is said to have used this stone to pitch with at a mark for amusement; and to have thrown the standing stone in Sowerby off an adjoining hill with a spade as he was digging; but I confess, that some of the common people will smile when they relate these stories; they are not quite so credulous now as their great grandfathers were. This last mentioned remain is a stone of several tons weight, laid upon a massy piece of rock, with a large pebble of a different grit between… Read More

Brown leather binding with raised banding and gilt title on the spine. Original by Berhard Varenius, this one translated by Sir Isaac Newton in 1672.
Second English Edition 1734 A compleat system of general geography: Two volumes complete. Since improved and illustrated by Sir Isaac Newton and Dr Jurin; and now translated into English; . By Mr Dugdale. The whole revised and corrected by Peter Shaw, M.D. Bernhardus Varenius (Bernhard Varen) (1622, Hitzacker, Lower Saxony – 1650) was a German geographer. His early years (from 1627) were spent at Uelzen, where his father was court preacher to the duke of Brunswick. Varenius studied at the gymnasium of Hamburg (1640–1642), and at Königsberg (1643–1645) and Leiden (1645–1649) universities, where he devoted himself to mathematics and medicine, taking his medical degree at Leiden in 1649. He then settled at Amsterdam, intending to practice medicine. But the recent discoveries of Abel Tasman, Willem Schouten and other Dutch navigators, and his… Read More

Tan calf binding. Two volumes. dimensions are for one volume.
First Edition A catalogue of the royal and noble authors of England, Scotland, and Ireland; with lists of their works
Horatio Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford (24 September 1717 – 2 March 1797), better known as Horace Walpole, was an English writer, art historian, man of letters, antiquarian and Whig politician. He had Strawberry Hill House built in Twickenham, south-west London, reviving the Gothic style some decades before his Victorian successors. His literary reputation rests on the first Gothic novel, The Castle of Otranto (1764), and his Letters, which are of significant social and political interest. They have been published by Yale University Press in 48 volumes. The youngest son of the first British Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford, he became the 4th and last Earl of Orford on his nephew's death in 1791. His barony of Walpole descended to his first cousin once removed of the same name but Baron Walpole of… Read More

Green leather spine with gilt banding and decoration. Red marbled boards.
The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit (commonly known as Martin Chuzzlewit) is a novel by Charles Dickens, considered the last of his picaresque novels. It was originally serialised between 1842 and 1844. While he was writing it Dickens told a friend that he thought it was his best work, but it was one of his least popular novels. The late nineteenth century English novelist George Gissing read the novel in February 1888 "for refreshment" but felt that it showed "incomprehensible weakness of story". Like nearly all of Dickens's novels, Martin Chuzzlewit was first published in monthly instalments. Early sales of the monthly parts were disappointing, compared to previous works, so Dickens changed the plot to send the title character to the United States. Dickens had visited America in 1842 in part as a failed attempt to get the US publishers to honour copyright laws. He satirized the country as a place filled with… Read More

London: Henry Colburn, 1829. 1st Edition . Hardcover. Very Good. First edition, octavo, three volumes; 315, 319, 356pp. In contemporary half leather over marbled boards (a little worn), four raised spine bands, gilt lettered red morocco title labels to second compartments, remaining compartments richly gilt. Spotting and staining to early and closing leaves of each volume, author's name inscribed to title page, first quire of vol.1 misbound, otherwise a very good clean copy. Attractive copy of St.Leger's increasingly uncommon final novel, the last before his untimely death at the age of thirty following an epileptic seizure.

Half dark blue morocco over decorative boards; 5 dual raised bands and gilt particulars to spine. Floral decorative endpapers; top edge gilt. Original wraps bound in. French text throughout. Spine sunned to brown; light wear to paper boards (see image). 1281 pp. 9 1/4 x 11 1/4 inches.

London, Michael Joseph, 1954. 1st Edition, 288 pages. Very good if slightly soiled beige cloth boards. No dust jacket. Internally very good with no markings or inscriptions. Illustrations by Sir Francis Rose. Still a scarce and sought after title. The first English edition is noteworthy for containing the recipe for Hashish Fudge, which was removed from the US 1st edition.

Small octavo : pp. 4 blank (28) 436, 2 blank : new eps : gilt dentelles with floral motif : polished calf boards with triple gilt ruled border surrounding a floral and foliate border : rebacked with red leather title panel lettered in gilt and the publication year in gilt to tail of spine. Long note in small hand to first blank detailing the purchase of the volume in 1840 and some notes on the poet : trimmed at the head of the leaves : corners slightly rounded and gilt worn in patches but mostly bright. Thomas Randolph (1605-1635) was a poet, playwright and wit of great promise who was expected by many to become poet laureate after his mentor Ben Johnson. His early death at 29 (two years before Johnson) prevented this ambition from being realised.The note at the first blank reads, "Purchased at the sale of J. Abbot's Library Dublin 1840, for 15/6. Priced Bibl. Ang. Poet. 1/15/ : Randolph was greatly admired in his day, and, high in favour with Ben Johnson, who considered him and Cartwright his "dear… Read More

TRUE FIRST & ONLY PRINTING, FIRST SERIES (CHILDREN'S STORIES THAT NEVER GROW OLD) ! -- REILLY & BRITTON -- RELEASED JUST BEFORE THE 2-STORY RED-BOOK SERIES... WIZARD of OZ ILLUSTRATOR, REILLY & BRITTON , FIRST EDITION / ONLY PRINTING!! .................................................. Very Delicate Book, Nice cover surround, with Circular inset of Alice & the Rabbit -- Very Good++ Condition, small dark area on rear bottom, with slight edge and corner wear & a bit of spine cover paper loss, but Stapled Binder holding well. Complete in 29 pages plus those wonderful Full Color illustrated end papers, with several Fairy Tale & Nursery Rhyme characters, even Little Black Sambo. ( Belongs too block completed with faint inscription -- only Marks). NO DAMAGE, NO REPAIRS! .......................... Reilly & Britton's FIRST & ONLY PRINTING, having 8 Full page Color Illustrations, plus Color Illustrated Title page. . TRULY RARE in this First SINGLE TITLE Series / FIRST & ONLY PRINTING!! No Examples that I could… Read More