Search Results: Authors starting with I from 19th Century Rare Book and Photograph Shop

This is a splendid pair of Samuel Bourne views of the Qutb complex in Delhi.
The first photograph shows the Delhi minaret and "victory tower" at the Qutb complex, the tallest minaret in the world built of bricks. "The Qutb Minar is one of the most famous monuments in India and one of the most significant examples of early Indo-Islamic architecture. It is a tower of victory which also served as a minaret for the adjacent Quwwat al-Islam (Might of Islam) mosque. It was begun by Qutb-ud-Din Aybak (ruled 1206-1210), the first Sultan of Delhi and founder of the Mamluk or Slave Dynasty, and continued by Shams-ud-Din Iltutmish (ruled 1211-1236). It is 72.5 m (238 ft) high, and rises in five tapering fluted" (British Library).
The second photograph shows the screen of the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque. "The screen, which is often referred to as the 'Great Arch', is 6.7 metres wide and 16 metres high. An inscription on the central arch states that it was built in 1199 by Qutbuddin Aibak. It was one of the… Read More

FIRST EDITION of the works of Irenaeus, "the father of Christian theology," as he is widely known.

Irenaeus is one of the most important of the early Church Fathers. Writing at the end of the second century, with the authority of direct links to the followers of the original Apostles, he defended the Church against existential threats and helped to establish its fundamental underpinnings.

Irenaeus's principal work is Adversus Haereses (Against Heresies), "one of the most precious remains of early Christian antiquity." The work comprises a refutation of the Gnostic heresies, then a serious threat to the Church, and exposition and defense of the Catholic faith" (Roberts, ed. Saint Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies). This is "the chief work of Irenaeus and truly of the highest importance; it … constitutes an invaluable source of information on the most ancient ecclesiastical literature from its beginnings to the end of the second century. In refuting the heterodox systems Irenaeus often opposes to… Read More

19 pages, various sizes but most 20 x 13 cm, each page neatly laid into a larger sheet, in an album together with the printed text of the published work and two engraved portraits of Irving. Old red morocco. Lightly rubbed. Some soiling, occasional ink smudges. Very good.
This is a long, revised autograph manuscript for Washington Irving's The Life of George Washington. This section of the monumental biography presents the growing schism between Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Hamilton, as Washington was considering standing for re-election for a second term. The manuscript, which includes most of chapter 16 of the final volume, opens with Washington reading Jefferson's letter accusing Hamilton and his followers of using the new Constitution "only as a step to an English Constitution." It concludes with Washington's attempts at reconciliation, hoping that "there may be mutual forbearance and temporizing yielding on all sides. Without these I do not see how the reins of government are to be managed, or how… Read More

10 original mounted salt print photographs (2 more than the 8 called for on the title and listed in the contents). Original green cloth, a.e.g. Fading to photographs. Very good.
First edition. Presentation copy inscribed by the publisher to S. Austin Allibone, who contributed the sketch of Irving's life and works. Allibone was a leading American editor, author, and bibliographer who is best known for his Critical Dictionary of English Literature and British and American Authors. Other contributors include Longfellow, Bryant, Everett, and Bancroft.
This presentation copy contains 10 mounted salt print photographs, two of which ("Sunnyside – from a large photograph" and "The burial place of Washington Irving") are not listed in the Contents. Putnam spared no expense in the production of this memorial volume in honor of Irving, who died in late 1859. Irving had generated tremendous sales for the publisher, and they remained among the firm's most profitable works for years to come.
Very… Read More