Rare books from AARDWOLF Fine Books

Random House, New York, 1972; First Edition; 8vo, 365 pages. Very Good Plus, in a Very Good Plus dust jacket that has not been price-clipped. No chips, creases, tears, ownership signatures, or any other markings of any kind. A sound and attractive copy of Irving’s second book.

Goupil, Paris, 1880; Large woodburytype photograph by Nadar (Gaspard Felix Tournachon) of French painter Isidore Pils (1813-1875). Photo measures approximately 3 1/2" x 5", mounted on the first of four 11" x 14" pages of illustrated biographical and critical text, in French. Additionally laid-in is a large 7 1/2" x 9" photo of the Pils painting "Rouget De Lisle Chantant Pour La Premiere Fois La Marseillaise Chez Dietrich Maire De Strasbourg," mounted on 11" x 14" card. From the 19th century "Galerie Contemporaine" photographic collection of distinguished figures from the arts and sciences, published in Paris by Goupil and issued in parts from 1876 to 1884. Fine condition.

South Coast Land Company, Los Angeles, 1922; oblong octavo (6" x 9"), 24 pages. Beautifully illustrated South Coast Land Company real estate sales booklet designed to entice wealthy buyers into purchasing 1/4 to 1/2 acre lots in spectacular Del Mar, California. Twenty full-page b&w photographs of the sights and attractions of 1920’s Del Mar, including Los Baños Plunge, Stratford Inn, The Palisades, Serpentine Drive, Santa Fe Depot, Pleasure Pier, Cave Of The Winds, Torrey Pines, and the recently completed homes of a number of influential residents, such as C.A. Canfield, oil tycoon and business partner of Edward Doheny; H.W. Keller, prominent land developer and partner in South Coast Land Co.; Ed. Fletcher, noted San Diego businessman, land developer, and California State Senator; Wm. G. Kerckhoff, lumber and power magnate, notable philanthropist, and partner with Henry Huntington in Pacific Light & Electric; and O.N. Chafee. No printed publication date (circa 1922). Fine, in marvelous… Read More

Samuel Harrison Smith, Washington, DC, 1809; Folio (12 1/2 " x 19"), two pages (single leaf printed front and back). Samuel Harrison Smith’s National Intelligencer newspaper for Friday, May 19, 1809, with a lengthy front page letter over three full columns in length by John Adams addressed to the publishers of the Boston Patriot News in response to a recently published criticism. In it Adams recounts in minute detail his reasoning and corresponding actions with respect to the 1799 diplomatic mission to France undertaken by his team of representatives, which eventually resulted in the Convention of 1800 or "Treaty Of Montefontaine," ending America’s Quasi-War with France, which was initiated by Talleyrand’s 1796 order allowing for the seizure of American merchant ships. In the letter Adams reveals that his original choices for the diplomatic team were Chief Justice Oliver Ellsworth, Patrick Henry, and Williams Vans Murray, Minister to the Netherlands at the time. Justice… Read More

Editorial Porrua, Mexico, 1961; Second Edition, revised and enlarged by the author; 8vo, 385 pages. A professional instruction in Nahuatl grammar and pronunciation, accompanied by twenty selections from primary source 16th century Nahuatl literary manuscripts, followed by their corresponding translations into Spanish. Also included are a number of later-century texts demonstrating dialectical variations and the evolution over time of the Nahuatl language. Painstakingly authored by Catholic priest Angel Maria Garibay K. (1892 - 1967), renowned linguist, philologist, and historian of Mesoamerican cultures, most especially of the Nahua peoples. Revised and enlarged from the 1940 edition by the author, with explanatory preface at the front. Finely bound in full tree calf with morocco spine labels, beveled boards, gilt titles, decorative end papers, and green silk marker ribbon, original wraps bound in. Forty-eight page Nahuatl-Spanish dictionary at the back. Inscribed and signed on f.f.e.p. by the… Read More

Goupil, Paris, 1880; Large woodburytype photograph by Nadar (Gaspard Felix Tournachon), of French playwright and operatic librettist Edmond Gondinet (1828-1888), whose work includes the text for the Leo Delibes opera "Lakme." Photo measures 7 1/2" x 9 1/4", mounted on 11" x 14" card. Complete with the original two 11" x 14" leaves of background and analytical text by Gustave Goetschy. From the eminent French 19th century "Galerie Contemporaine" photographic collection of leading figures from the arts and sciences, published by Goupil and issued in parts from 1876 to 1884. Fine condition. There is a miniscule (1/16") corner chip of the mounting card in the blank area at lower right. Light to moderate foxing of the text sheets. Text in French.

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp., Los Angeles, 1994; First Edition; 8 1/2" x11", 133 pages. Fox studio film script for Terry McMillan’s "Waiting To Exhale," directed by Forest Whitaker and starring Whitney Houston and Angela Bassett. Original revised first-draft studio film script, issued to the film editors. In preparation for editing, the descriptive header for each scene change has been highlighted in yellow. Bound in original printed hot pink covers with the film’s title, Fox logo, and date of October 4, 1994 on the front. Boldly signed by Terry McMillan on the title page. Very Good Plus, clean, crisp, bright and sharp. Covers unfaded. A unique item.

Farrar, Straus and Giroux, NY, 1971; First Edition; 8vo, 560 pages; blue cloth; gilt spine titles; blue topstain; colored end papers. An enormous reader, containing the complete novel "The Magician of Lublin," fifteen short stories, and four episodes from "In My Father’s Court" which were cut from the original book and appear here for the first time in print. Fine, in a Fine dust jacket. Clean, crisp, bright, and sharp. Inscribed and signed by the author on the half-title page.

Abbot’s Magic Novelty Co., Colon, MI, 1937; 8vo, 320 pages. Abbot’s profusely illustrated 1937 professional magic catalog, featuring hundreds of professional magic tricks with description and price for each. Art deco cover art by Sid Lorraine. Former copy of notable vaudeville magician Leon Harry Levy (1876-1951), "The Great Leon," which he has signed at the top of the title page using his stage name, and which bears his home address label affixed to the verso of the front wrap. Very Good Plus, clean, crisp, bright, no chips or tears. Included is an 8" x 10" original photograph of Leon with his stage assistant Edythe Packard Levy, whom he married in 1903 and with whom he remained for thirty-six years. Because of her ability to magically disappear and quickly reappear on another part of the stage, Edythe was known as the "It’s Me Again!" girl. Both items from the Leon estate. A unique set from the golden age of magic.

Samuel Harding, London, 1737; Hand colored folio copper engraving of Granata punica mala, plate #97 from A Curious Herbal by Elizabeth Blackwell, legendary wife of star-crossed botanist Alexander Blackwell, who undertook the production of a medicinal herbal in order to raise money to free her husband from debtor’s prison. Elizabeth rented rooms at London’s Chelsea Physic Garden, painted watercolors of the plants growing there, and took them to Fleet prison where Alexander added the taxonomic and foreign names plus short descriptions and notations on medicinal uses for each plant. She then single-handedly engraved the copper plates and colored the prints. While her efforts on behalf of her husband were successful in the short run, in 1747 Alexander Blackwell was executed in Sweden for his involvement in efforts to overthrow the Swedish crown. Fine condition. Printed on handmade laid paper. Matted and encased in gilt wood frame. Matte window 8 1/2" x 12 1/2", frame size 16" x… Read More

Edinburgh, 1823; Circa 1823 hand colored copper engraving of the South American Capybara (Hydrochaerus capibara. Erxleben), world’s largest rodent, which reaches a mature size of up to four feet in length and three in girth and inhabits the banks of lakes and rivers, where it is distinguished for the webbed feet which make it an agile swimmer, and for its remarkable ability to submerge itself for long periods of time without resurfacing. Drawn by Alexander Mosses (1793-1837), who with no formal training developed into an acknowledged master draughtsman and painter of nature scenes, genre pieces, and portraiture, his subjects ranging from members of the privileged classes to common people. His portrait of prominent physician John Rutter hangs in the Royal Institution, Liverpoole, and his work is in the permanent collections of both the Walker Art Gallery and the National Galleries Of Scotland. Engraved by William Home Lizars (1788-1859), renowned not only for his art, but for being instrumental in… Read More

McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York, 1976; First Edition, first printing; 8vo, 249 pages; blue cloth spine; orange titles; blue topstain; orange end papers. Twenty-two quirky short stories by tormented soul Raymond Carver, his first published prose work, which made the short list for the National Book Award that year. Very Good Plus, clean, crisp, bright, corners sharp, binding tight, sound and square, in a VG- dust jacket that has a number of small edge and corner chips and a 3/4" closed edge tear at the bottom of the back panel. Flap corners shallowly trimmed, printed price not affected.

, circa 1860; 8 1/4" x 6 1/2"; 24 pages; brown paper wraps. Hand written prompt book of popular American comedic actress Julia Daly for her role in a one act play entitled "Absence Of Mind," playing the character of ‘Jerusha Doolittle,’ colorful Podger Family cook/housekeeper who rules the domestic roost with an iron hand and a yarn-spinning, oath-spouting tongue which never tires. The geographic setting is not specifically identified, but references to Vermont likely indicate somewhere in New England. A thoroughly American work, with reference made to Uncle Sam, Thomas Jefferson, the American language, and the ongoing Civil War ("this little family quarrel we’re havin’.") Other named characters include Master Podger, dipsomaniac owner of the estate; a daughter, Miss Podger; shiftless son John Podger; and ‘Irish,’ a red haired young boy recently hired by the Master for odd jobs around the property. The fourth wall is broken at the end of the play after… Read More

John Cline, Fourth near Arch Street, Philadelphia, 1811; First Edition; 12mo (4" x 5 7/8"); original mottled calf; red morocco spine label; [blank (2)]; i-viii; 9-324; [blank (2)]. Thomas Branagan’s thoughtful and unbiased synopses of the beliefs and practices of over forty Christian denominations active in America at the time, plus more than twenty-five non-Christian schools of thought. A compendium of overviews not only of the mainstream sects, but the small and the obscure as well, most now forgotten, such as the Rogereens, Separatists, Sublapsarians, Supralapsarians, Hutchinsonians, Glassites, Seceders. Nicolaitarians, Quietists, etc. The section on Methodism includes a table showing lay and clergy membership totals in America for each year from 1771-1809, and a lengthy section on Paganism provides a scholarly analysis of the philosophies and theologies of Classical Antiquity compared with those of Christianity. In the preface Branagan reveals how its writing was spurred by his… Read More

Imprenta Nacional, Bogota, Colombia, 1916; First Edition; 8vo; 287 pages; printed wraps. Over 200 fables in verse demonstrating universal moral truths, offered for purposes of restoring honesty, responsibility, integrity, and charity to Colombian society,which Pombo viewed as being in a disreputable state at the time. All entries either authored or personally collected and translated into Spanish by distinguished Colombian national poet Jose Rafael de Pombo y Rebolledo (1833-1912) and first published here after the discovery of the lost manuscript after the author’s death. Very Good, binding tight, sound and square, text clean, crisp, bright, no ownership signatures or any other markings of any kind, pages unopened. Text in Spanish. Quite rare.