Search Results: Titles starting with O from E C Books

London : C Dilly, 1794 A fair copy of the 1st edition of this extremely scarce work. Edward Ford (1746 -1809) was a London surgeon. He became a Member of the Court Assistants of the Royal College of Surgeons and was Surgeon to the Westminster General Dispensary from 1780 - 1801. This work, based on his experience, was extremely popular and 2 further printings were organised by his nephew. This copy came from the Library of the Richmond Physical Society, Dublin, which was founded in 1812 at the Richmond Surgical Hospital, House of Industry. It has their bookplate on the front pastedown and House of Industry (or workhouse) stamps to the title page, p 229 and the reverse of one plate. It has been bound in a new plain buckram binding, with gilt titles and new endpapers. The binding is in very good condition. Internally: title page, dedication, preface pp vii-xvi, contents, errata, text pp 1 - 258 (including plate descriptions) and 6 of 8 plates (lacking plates 6 and 7, one of which is folding). The… Read More

London: Sampson Low, Son, and Co.,, 1857 A very good copy in the original green decorative cloth binding with 20 fine hand coloured plates. Aeg. The binding has a gilt design, gilt titles and blind stamping to the front board, gilt design and titles to the spine and blind stamping to the back board. It has been rebacked and is sound and tight with wear to corners and a slightly dulled spine. There is some marking to the front board but overall the binding is sound and clean. New endpapers matching the original. This is the first publication of the combined volume - Ocean Gardens is a 2nd edition - enlarged and corrected by the author, and River Gardens is a 1st. Contents: hand coloured frontispiece with guard; title (old signature at the top); contents list 2pp; plate list; text pp 1-117 with 11 further hand coloured plates; frontispiece to River Gardens with guard; title; contents 2 pp; plate list; text pp 1-108 with 7 further hand coloured plates. With 4pp publisher's catalogue at the rear. The… Read More

Edinburgh, 1860 A good copy of the extremely scarce 1st edition of Col David Balfour's work on the history of Orkney, inscribed by the author on an initial blank. Col Balfour was born on Shapinsay and inherited the family estate there in 1846, commissioning the building of Balfour Castle. He was one of the key movers in the reorganisation of land use in the mid 1800's - replacing the narrow field strips by larger square fields better-suited for profitable farming. The central thesis of 'Odal Rights' is that Orkney, with its Scandinavian links, had the capacity to be a major trading centre, but that Scottish rule brought over-taxation and dependency. This copy is in the original cloth binding with gilt titles to spine. The binding has mottling to the sides of both boards and has light fraying and pulling at the spine ends. Corners with light wear. The contents with title page, text, appendices and glossary of unusual words, are complete and clean with 2 initial and final blanks. The… Read More

Oxford: Henry Cripps, 1627 An extremely rare and interesting account of European states as they were in 1627. In new full leather binding with raised bands and gilt titles to spine. It is missing some preliminaries including probably the main title page. The title page remaining has had a paper repair and has been much written on over the centuries. There is a clear signature from 1859 but all others have been crossed out. The preface is a dedication from the author to the Bishop of Lincoln. The text is then divided into the 14 books each paginated separately. Books I to III cover England and Wales; Book IIII covers Scotland; V - VII Spain; VIII - X France; XI - XIIII (part) - Germany; and the remainder of XIIII covers Switzerland, Netherland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Poland, Hungary, Croatia and and Dalmatia. Each book has a woodcut header and a woodcut decoration to the intial letter. There is also woodcut decoration to the ends of sections. The contents are generally clean and bright, although… Read More

London; Edinburgh; and New York: T Nelson and Sons, 1882 A very good copy in original green decorative cloth binding with black and white frontispiece and decorative title page. A collection of stories including Bluebeard and The Fisherman and the Geni. The binding has gilt and black titles with black decoration to the front board, gilt titles to spine and blind stamped decoration to the back board. It is very bright with a slight mark on the front board, a little pulling and wear to the spine and corner bumping. The boards have beveled edges. All page edges gilt. The endpapers have a grey leaf design - there is a little browning to edges but they are otherwise clean. Contents with frontispiece, decorative title page and plain title page dated 1882. The frontispiece has been bound slightly askew so the bottom edge is further out than the top. 3 pp adverts at the rear. Contents generally very clean.

London : Chiswick, 1822 A very good early 2 volume edition of this scarce novel, first published in 1793, and considered by many to be her best work. Charlotte Turner Smith (1749-1806) was primarily a poet, but also wrote novels, particularly to raise income. She is unusual in writing under her own name at that time. Her work was initially very popular, but became less so during her lifetime. The Old Manor House is set during the American Revolutionary War and is said to argue against slavery. This set was published by Chiswick Press, set up 11 years earlier. In contemporary quarter leather binding with gilt compartments, gilt titles and blind tooling to spines. Boards, page edges and endpapers marbled. Each volume has half title, vignette title page and text. Vol I 334pp; Vol II 328pp. The bindings have wear to edges and corners. The spines have wear particularly to the top and bottom with some fraying at the bottom. The front board to vol II is splitting away at the joint. Corners with wear. The… Read More

London: Herbert Jenkins, 1951 A very good copy of the 1st edition in the first issue wrap, which reviews of 5 Wodehouse titles on the back panel, a 3 paragraph summary of the book on the front flap and 44 Wodehouse titles on the back flap ending with Nothing Serious. The binding is bright and clean with some darkening at the bottom edge of the front board and a bump to the front bottom corner. The other corners have light rubbing. The spine, which is slightly cocked to the front, has some pulling to the ends and a tiny pale mark just under the title. The contents are complete and clean with 2 pages of adverts at the rear. There is some foxing to the endpapers - rear endpapers have some additional staining and a small crease at the side edge of the free endpaper. A few spots to the foredge. The jacket, designed by Frank Ford, is complete and in good to very good condition. There is darkening along the top edge - visible mainly at the back panel which is white - and which is also slightly grubby. There… Read More

London : Baldwin and Cradock, 1831 A collection of papers from the Library of Useful Knowledge bound in one volume. DeMorgan is best known for DeMorgan's Theorem (!A AND !B) == !(A OR B), which forms the basis of the modern technique used to miniaturise complex digital circuits, and thus delivers the extremely high density computing power of the today's microprocessor.

His work on probabilities is a land mark piece of mathematical theory that formed the basis of the actuarial calculations of life insurance policy risks. This is the rare first edition of this work, which appeared in the Library of Useful Knowledge. These were a series of learned papers prepared by the leading scientists and academics of the day, each being either 64 or 32 pages long – and sold at low cost to provide a source for knowledge “for the working man”. They were published by Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge (SDUK).

The series was purchased by Longman Green, and re-issued under… Read More

London: Printed by Taylor and Francis for the Linnean Society, and by Longman, Green and Co, 1898 A very good copy in the original wraps with 4 black and white plates of fossils as called for. The wrap has some loss at the top and bottom of the spine but is otherwise clean and complete. Text pages unopened and all in VG condition

London: Chapman and Hall Ltd, 1913 A very good copy with numerous black and white illustrations by Charles Robinson. Rebound by Colin Kerr, an Orkney craftsman specialising in furniture-making, wood sculpture and book binding. He undertook a number of commissions for the local Council to rebind books in commemorative bindings as gifts and, as an avid book collector, rebound some of his own books too. This binding has raised bands, gilt decoration and decorative title label to the spine. There is a gilt design to the front board, and some gilt tooling to board edges. New paisley-style endpapers have been added. A new page marker has been added. Contents, with numerous illustrations of birds, are very clean, with just the occasional light mark or spot. There is a dedication 'To Clive from Mother, 1913' on a preliminary page.

Coloniae: Heronem Alopeciu, 1522 An extremely scarce early edition published in September 1522 - a month after the authorised Basel edition - by Hero Alopecius in Cologne. We have only been able to find one reference to it (University of Toronto). Erasmus arranged publication of the Basel edition in August 1522, in response to the appearance of an unauthorised version in Cambridge in 1521. He had originally worked on the content in 1509-1511, and this work, developed from his earlier writing and lectures, became a popular and important text book on the writing of letters. It was much reprinted. This copy is newly rebound in full calf with panelled design to boards and gilt titles to spine. The page edges are red although this may not be contemporary. New endpapers. Contents with 2 initial blanks - the first with ink notation on the edition - this looks likely to be 1800's in date and the paper does not look contemporary. Title with elaborate design including 2 cherubs holding a shield with 3 crowns… Read More

Venetiis: Ex Typographia Remondiniana , 1763 A good copy in full vellum. Lacks the frontispiece portrait but is otherwise complete. Giovanni Battista Morgagni was an Italian anatomist who was Professor of Anatomy at the University of Padua. He maintained his practice in pathology and through his clinical observation of precise detail and his methodical rigour, he has been termed the 'father of modern anatomical pathology'. His major work - Adversaria Anatomica - established his reputation in the field. This is a collection of his minor works including on the death of Cleopatra, and on gallstones. The vellum is yellowed, with browning at the edges and corners and the spine is darkened. There is particular wear to the spine joints at the top spine end with some splitting. There is some staining. Contents: title in red and black, which is also the title for part I; dedication; contents lists; text with half titles to each section 120pp - pars prima finis; title to Pars Altera in black; dedication;… Read More

Amstelaedami [Amsterdam] : Henricum Wetstenium, 1686 A good copy of Volume I of the 2 volume latin translation of Redi's classic work, bound in contemporary full vellum. With what appear to be most of the plates from Volume II bound in - having 26 folding plates and 31 single page plates in addition to the decorative frontispiece title page. Redi's work was pivotal in disproving the theory of spontaneous generation. The binding is in very good condition - being slightly grubby and with light wear only. With printed name of T H Longfield on a preliminary. With decorative title page/frontispiece; title page, epistola (7pp); contents page; text (216pp plus plates); index - authorum (6pp); additional index - index rarum notabilium(13pp); title page - De Ave Diomedea Dissertatio...'; section headed B.L.S (2pp); section headed 'Clarissimo viro, D Johanni Danieli Majori, SPD - pp 5-40; and index 'Rerum et Verborum. With decorative initial capitals. The contents are in good clean condition… Read More

Havniae: Literis Justini Hog, Universit, 1697 A very good copy of the 1st edition in recent full calf binding. Thormodus Torfaeus (1636-1719) was educated at the University in Copenhagen, and became Royal Antiquary of Iceland and Royal Historian of the Kingdom of Denmark-Norway. This was his second work, published in 1697, and concerns the activity of the Vikings in Orkney - particularly the material of the Orkneyinga Saga. The binding is in near fine condition and has raised bands and gilt titles to spine. The endpapers are recent and marbled, with an old bookplate of J A Maconochie to the front pastedown, and a newer bookplate of John Davie Manson Robertson (a noted Orcadian) to the fep. 2 new blanks have been added front and rear. Contents: original blank with latin note to top; rubricated title page with printer's device (small paper repair to verso); note of authority; dedication 5pp; Praefatio ad Lectorum 7pp; verses 2pp; Libri I pp 1-155 (some ink notes - generally dates in margins, some… Read More

Kirkwall: The Orkney Press, 1995 A near fine copy of the special limited edition produced to commemorate the Walter Traill Dennison centenary in 1994. It is copy number 394, signed by Howie Firth (who did the introduction) Tom Muir (the compiler), and Bryce Wilson (illustrator). The contents are in fine clean condition. The binding has a small indentation/scuff at the bottom edge of the front board; light pulling to spine ends; and a small chip at the top spine end. The wrap, which is in a removable protective covering, is complete and in fine clean condition.

Kirkwall: William Peace & Son, 1915 Scarce 1st edition copy in original quarter cloth and card binding. Compiled from the Admiral's correspondence retained at Graemshall together with copies of the letters that his Factor, David Petrie filed (his original letters were destroyed). Published at the start of World War I - to be of 'special interest to those desiring information upon the naval and military activities of Orkney and Orcadians during the last great war'. The binding is clean and sound with some very light marking to the back board. The contents are in very good clean condition with some light browning at the endpapers. Some pages are unopened. The bottom corner of p53 has a crease where it was turned over.

Kirkwall: William Peace & Son, 1892 A very good copy of the 1st edition in contemporary cloth binding with black and white frontispiece and 24 further illustrations, some full page and some in-text. The binding has a title label to the spine and the boards have blind-stamped decoration. There is general rubbing to spine joints and spine ends, and some corner wear. The original black endpapers are present with some small white spots to the top of the fep, where there is a small split, and a stain to fep verso at the top edge. The rear free endpaper has a similar small split and stain to verso. Contents with frontispiece; title with vignette; note 2pp; dedication 1p; contents and illustration lists with errata 4pp; lecture I pp 1-27; lecture 2 pp 29-71. Text with decorative head and tailpieces and initial capitals. Very clean internally with light toning to paper. Slight stain to top of p 29 and crease at the corner of the rear free endpaper.

LONDON : A[ndrew]. C[lark]. for John Martyn, 1678 A very good copy in a high quality full leather binding. With title page in red and black ink; preface; text in 3 books with 2 plates of bird traps bound in, and 2 tables which serve as early identification keys; an appendix; summary of falconry; index and 78 plates of birds (including the dodo) at the rear. This is the first English edition translated from the original Latin which was published in 1676, four years after Willughby's death by his friend and colleague John Ray. It marks one of the first attempts to take a rational, scientific approach to classifying birds. It is a matter of debate, and current research, as to whether Willughby or Ray played a greater part in its development. Ray supervised the publication. The illustrations were commissioned from a number of sources and some birds are depicted twice where the initial image was not very good.This copy lacks the original endpapers - perhaps lost during the later rebinding - but is… Read More

London: Printed by Richard Tayor for the Author, 1837 A good copy of the 1st edition in the original cloth binding with 2 folding maps at the rear. Robert Dunn titles himself as an 'animal-preserver' - which, sadly, does not mean that he was a conservationist. The book is a full account of his travels and the various species that he encountered and then shot (and presumably stuffed when he was back home). The binding is complete and sound, with pulling to spine ends, bumped corners and some staining to the front board. There are the remains of a paper title label to the spine. Internally the original endpapers are present with 2 old signatures at the fep which has some light marking at the bottom. Contents with half title; frontispiece; title page; dedication; introduction; notice to subscribers (announcing the addition of maps for those who wanted them); text 128pp; and folding maps of Orkney and Shetland. Contents are generally clean with light toning, particularly to page edges, and with… Read More

London and New York: FREDERICK WARNE & CO. Undated but 1870's, in the original red decorative cloth binding with colour printed frontispiece and numerous illustrations in the text. Part of the 'Round the Globe' library. A nice example of an unpretentious victorian natural history book written for children to give them information about the natural world. No indication of author or artist. The binding has wear to the spine with some loss of cloth at the bottom. Some fraying to corners. The original endpapers are present - with the remains of a bookplate on the front pastedown and an oval bookseller's stamp on the rear free endpaper. There is occasional marking but the book is generally clean. Small light book - please enquire if you would like us to assess postage at cost.