Search Results: Old and Rare from Caravan Book Store

16 mo. (6 3/4 by 4 1/2 inches) London: Whittaker & Co. , 1877. New Edition. 519 pages, the frontis is an original tipped-in photographic portrait of the author, illustrated title page with views of Chateau Margaux and Chateau Lafitte, 15 unnumbered lithographic plates of wineries, and scenes associated with wine production, 4 maps, a facsimile foldout of a signed wine contract, plus 7 pages of the publisher's advertisement for another title by the same author.

Original green cloth decorated binding with title framed by a surround of grape vines on the upper cover; title and author in gilt on spine. Very good condition (mild shelf wear to upper and lower spine, not affecting contents; previous owner's neat old inked inscription on front fly leaf).

A blending of notable sources (Barry, Henderson, Busby, and others), and the author's own knowledge of the subject."The blend makes for interesting reading, with discussions ranging from early English vineyards to the vines and vineyards of the world."… Read More

Small octavo (7 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches) Westminster, England: Archibald Constable & Co., 1898. Original blue cloth over boards. 306 pages plus publisher's advertisements, "with coloured frontispiece and forty-four full page illustrations from photographs," good condition, original publisher's binding with worn spine, title in gilt, and gold embossed representation of a balloon in flight, on front cover.

The author " . . . was a Swedish engineer, physicist, aeronaut and polar explorer who died while leading an attempt to reach the Geographic North Pole by hydrogen balloon."

Octavo (8 1/2 X 5 5/8 inches) London: Taylor and Francis, Red Lion Court, Fleet Street, 1893. Original First Edition. 160 pages, illustrated with drawings of early ideas for achieving manned flight prior to the Wright Brothers. original blue cloth hardcover beveled boards, with title and authors names in gilt, framing a, centered, gilded image of a man descending in a parachute (shown also in the text in black and white as "patent No. 10937 A.D.1888").

Very good condition, minor scuffing to front cover and spine, not affecting contents. Small rubber stamp of a previous owner in upper right corner of title page, over an inked notation ("1.1. 95"), and another unobtrusive notation at bottom right corner of same page - neither affecting text or contents. Minor crimping of upper right corner thru page 13, also not affecting text or contents that are both very clean.

There are more than 275 patent entries: from Balloons (" ... captive, combined with aeroplanes, photography from ....") to Flying Machines,… Read More

12 mo. (7 3/8 by 5 inches) New York: Excelsior Publishing House, 1888. Original hardcover, 111 pages, 16 pages of publishers' advertisements, illustrated with many black and white drawings taken from photographs, demonstrating various boxing positions. Very good condition, quarter cloth binding, with title on spine; decorative paper over boards.

After a short biography of the author, some of the many other subjects covered are: "Breakfast Diet," "Dumb-Bell Exercise," "Ducking," and "The Marquis of Queensberry Rules," to name a few.

Small octavo (7 3/4 by 5 1/8 inches) New York and London: Harper & Brothers, 1902. Later printing. Hardcover, cloth, 179 pages,16 illustrations from photographs by the author. On the title page: "Printed for the Bay View Reading Club . . . Detroit, Mich." Good condition (mild, normal shelf wear, not affecting contents.) Penciled signature of previous owner on front fly leaf.

A collection of essays, originally appearing in Harpers, and written as a result of the author's visit to Mexico. "Here Lummis calls attention to the tremendous material progress made by Mexico under the administration of Porfirio Diaz."

Small Octavo (7 7/8 X 5 3/4 inches)Chicago: The Charles C. Thompson Co. ("Not Inc."), 1909. First Edition. 222 pages with numerous photomechanical illustrations of car parts, technical drawings and diagrams for a 1909 automobile, with detailed descriptive text.

Original red cloth hardcover binding with title in gilt on front cover and spine; very good condition (minor age wear at corners, and top and bottom of spine, but contents clean, intact, and in fine condition.)

A very thorough discussion of automobile driving, including subjects on: "Meeting horses, Cattle and Cyclists," "Laying Up tor the Winter," and "The Live Axle."

Also, "Don't try to wipe engine while in motion," "Don't fail to have a fine gauze screen put in your funnel and strain all gasolene put in the tank," and "Do not drive in street car tracks, ...."

Quarto (11 1/4 by 8 3/4 inches) Privately Published, circa 1960s. Signed by the author. Original. Hardcover. 130 pages illustrated with black and white vintage photographs of lumber mills, locomotives, railroad shops, stations, bridges, water towers, and train wrecks; there are also maps, a roster of locomotives, diagrams, examples of tickets, schedules, and railroad passes. Hardbound, and in very good condition.

The history of this short line was a favorite subject of the author's "for many years." He was able to call upon many individuals with first hand information, and many interesting stories.

Octavo (8 1/2 X 10 1/2 inches) New York: United States Naval Air Force, 1918. First Edition. oblong format, 144 pages illustrated with black and white halftone photographs, and a map, original gray cloth, hardcover, good condition (lower right corner of front cover slightly bumped, minor shelf wear to lower spine, not affecting contents which are clean and complete).

This is a unit history, with many photos of the Eastleigh U. S. Navy repair base in England during World War I; its officers and men. There are many photos of early military aircraft, and an essay on "Liberty Twelves" and "DeHavilands."

12 mo. (7 3/8 by 5 1/8 inches) New York: Richard K. Fox, Publisher, Franklin Square, 1910. "New and Revised" early edition, very good condition, stapled wrappers, 131 pages, plus 13 pages of publisher's advertisements (that include: "Official Basket Ball Guide, Rules For 1908," "Poker, How to Win," "Barbers' Book of Recipes," and others).

The many black and white photo illustrations include boxers posing in various stances (James Corbett, James Jeffries, John L. Sullivan, and Jack Johnson among them), boxers demonstrating a variety of punches (both offensive and defensive), along with boxing styles; there are also photographs of women in period skirts demonstrating "Bag Punching."

Covers printed in three colors. "The Recognized Authority on Boxing." An interesting, and rare pugilistic manual, protected by mylar.

16 mo. (6 3/8 X 4 1/8 inches) Baltimore: Phillips and Fardon, 1806. 45 page disbound pamphlet; stab holes with original sewing, lacks frontis. Original in good condition.

Includes the remarks of Little Turtle on the adverse affects of alcohol on his "Red Brethren."

Small octavo (7 5/8 by 5 1/4 inches) New York: W. B. Smith & Co., 1882. Second Edition 201 pages + 8 pages of publisher's ads, dark red hardcover, cloth binding, with ornamental rules framing the title, centered in gilt on front cover beneath a gilt decoration of a riverside camping scene, ornamental rules at top and bottom of covers, and on spine. Very good condition (minor shelf wear to back cover, and along hinges; not affecting contents or overall good condition of the book).

"It has been the intention of the author of this volume to briefly portray the real features of a journey by rail over the great American Plains into the popular and more inviting resorts of the Rocky Mountains.""It has been a careful endeavor to make it attractive with incident of both journey and camp; and instructive and suggestive, by imparting such knowledge as it was her opportunity to gain from experience, observation, or otherwise; and to make it desirable by noting those points of interest that might hereafter be of… Read More

Octavo (8 1/4 by 5 3/4 inches) Los Angeles, California: The Primavera Press, 1936. First Edition. 132 pages, quarter cloth, with Chinese characters printed on decorative paper covered boards; title, decorative device, author's name, and publisher's name in gilt on spine; original worn dust jacket protected by mylar, title page drawing by James Bodrero. Very good condition.

A collection of short stories, based on the author's experiences in San Francisco, and the Gold Rush environs of California.

Octavo (9 1/4 by 6 1/4 inches) Various places: San Rafael, California; Springfield, Massachusetts; Chicago; Columbus, Ohio, 1931 - 1958 a sammelband of TWELVE INDIVIDUAL BOOKLETS (eleven specifically on magic) bound together in their original stiff paper wrappers (several of them decorated with illustrations), all in very good condition; bound in a professionally prepared binding in red cloth, with a black label and gilt title on spine.

The titles include: "The Magic of Rezvani," "Joe Karson's The World's Fastest Card Trick" (with a signed presentation by Karson), "Ireland Writes A Book," "Le Paul Presents The Card Magic of Bro. John Hamman S. M. 'New and Different Effects With Playing Cards," "Thornton's "Secrets of Mental Magic," "How's Your Library? A Guide To Cataloguing And Caring For Books," "Rope Eternal, an encyclopedia on cut and restored rope tricks," "Sponge Ball Manipulation," "Tricks For Kid-Shows," "How To Do Headline Predictions,"Ireland's "Card Annual 1957-1958 (two volumes)"… Read More

Octavo (9 x 6 1/4 inches) London: William Heinemann, 1909. First English Edition. Cloth over boards. 295 pages illustrated with half-tone photographs, black and white drawings, diagrams, and maps, original cloth binding with an early monoplane embossed in gold on the front cover, good condition (minor shelf wear to edges and corners, rubber stamp of "The Hampshire Aeroplane Club" at top of front flyleaf), contents intact and clean.

Part I "Dirigible Balloons" includes chapters on principles, resistance of the air, the wind, construction, and history.

Part II covers principles of aviation and their application, aeroplane construction, description of some aeroplanes, early days of aviation, and the future of aerial navigation.

16 mo. (6 3/4 by 4 1/2 inches) London: R. Baldwin in Warwick-lane, 1697. Original First Edition. 7 preliminary leaves, two volumes in one: 80, 392 pages; good condition: rebound in late eighteenth, or early nineteenth century brown mottled calf, with gilt decorated spine laid down, raised bands, (missing label), minor wear to covers at front hinge (not affecting contents), lacking frontis.

There are thiry-one letters are that supposedly give insight into secret diplomatic transactions between the English and French courts. "History of the Stuarts," is a perceptive contemporaneous account.

Small quarto (9 1/4 by 6 inches) [San Diego, California], August 19 to August 26, 1911. Original Edition. 16 page stapled weekly advertising periodical, and calendar of programs, bound in wrappers for the "Tent City" adjacent to the famous Coronado Hotel. Good condition (there is a small scribbled date along the lower margin of the front cover, modest age toning, and minor wear to edges; none affecting contents which are clean and intact).

Volume XII, No. 10 for Saturday, August 19, 1911 with sections on "Locals and Personals," "Arrivals" (with names of guests), a "Program" for each day of the week for concerts and performances ("The Great Sousa Night"); and many interesting local advertisements for businesses in San Diego and vicinity including one for "Madame Zelma."

Small quarto (9 1/2 by 6 1/2 inches) London: Rowland Ward, Limited, 1909. First Edition. xv, 252 + [4] pages of Publisher's Advertisements, "With 73 Full-Page Plates (on unnumbered leaves), a Map, and 56 Illustrations in the Text, Reproduced From Original Photographs."

The colored map is folded into a pocket attached to the rear pastedown. Original gray cloth binding with title and author on upper cover, and in gilt on spine; patterned end papers, appendix, and index. Very good condition (small blemish on lower margin of front pastedown, and front fly leaf, minimal shelf wear; none affecting contents).

A hunting expedition to Siberia and Alaska, originating in Japan, with ethnological observations on indigenous people, and descriptions of mining, and of the fisheries.

The Appendix is a "Synopsis of the Animals Collected by the Author During His Expedition" (that included mammals, birds, and invertebrates).

Octavo (8 5/8 by 5 3/4 inches) New York: Cassell Publishing Co., [1890]. Original. 348 pages, illustrated "With 130 (sepia toned) illustrations throughout the text." Good condition, hardcover, original green cloth with decorative device in gilt on upper cover showing two figures: a male and female in the water holding a large shell, title, author and publisher's name in gilt on spine (mild shelf wear to top and bottom of spine, and marks on back cover, all not affecting contents), index.

A description of "strange things" that includes, among many: "Amazons," "Pygmies," "Giants," "Wild Men," "Hairy Men," "The Centaur," "Woolly Hens," "Four Footed Duck," "The Kraken," and "The Sea Serpent."

12 mo. (6 x 4 inches) San Francisco: Marvin & Hitchcock, 1852. First Edition. 2 [v]-viii, 258 pages, original quarter blind tooled red roan, good condition, cloth boards, with wear to lower spine (lower left hinge on front cover split, but holding), gilt title at head of spine, publishers name in gilt at foot of spine, original cloth boards showing evidence of old moisture splash or spill, minor foxing on preliminary and last leaves; contents clean, intact and unaffected. Old library label beneath old inked inscription "Placed in Library because of California history contained in the (the last word is un-readable)" on front pastedown.

A fine unsophisticated example. The Norris catalogue refers to it as "The first text-book published in San Francisco."

An observation attributed to Cowan refers to it as "... the first educational work published in California after American rule." The last 12 pages are titled "Geography, History, and Present Condition of California."

Marvin and Hitchcock were San… Read More

16 mo. (6 7/8 X 4 1/4 inches) Mobile: S. H. Goetzel, 1865. Fifth Edition - Fortieth Thousand. 48 pages, bound in original stiff sewn wrappers which are formed from inverted wallpaper, woodcut illustrations on the cover, and title page, including one showing a man and woman operating a large printing press. Very good condition (minor age toning to covers, not affecting contents). Crandall 4040

An early juvenile, in remarkably good condition, published in the Confederacy; where resources were scarce. "Under the present circumstances, the scarcity of materials is in itself a safeguard against a fruitless competition in the publishing business; but it is not the publisher's mission to depend upon physical incidents...."