Rare books from Besleys Books

Smith, Elder & Co., 1911. Hardback, no dust-wrapper. xv, 160pp. Gilt titles to spine and front board. Frontis. Numerous photographs and coloured plates with coloured illustrations within the text. Limited edition copy no. 198 of 350. Gilt edges. Boards a little marked, slight fraying to head and tail of spine. Some wear to extremities. Some foxing to first and last few pages, with occasional slight foxing thereafter, contents generally clean. (q12). 1st Edition. Hardcover. Good/No Jacket.

Jacob Claus, 1676. Hardback, no dust-wrapper. Text in Latin. Pp. [24], 374, [25]. 1st edition 1676. Full calf, new spine with gilt title. Boards somewhat worn, with occasional small surface abrasions to boards. Library plates to front and rear pastedown, with previous owner's name to front free end-paper. End-papers slightly foxed. Title page rather discoloured. One page prelims soiled. Some sporadic foxing and browning to contents. Quite scarce in this edition. (p15). 1st Edition. Hardcover. Good/No Jacket.

Jakeman and Carver., 1876. Originally published in parts, 1876-1885, now 2 vols. 77 chromolithograph plates, tissue guards (some foxed and/or slightly frayed), 4 uncoloured plates, many text wood engravings. Plate LXII browned with slight loss to one corner, some repairs to upper blank margin of this plate and to following text leaves, some soiling and rusty paper clip marks (mainly to text). Recently rebound by Temple Bindery in 1/2 leather with marbled paper-covered boards, contrasting labels to spine with gilt lettering. [Nissen 294].. Illus. by Edith Bull, Alice B. Ellis and W.G. Smith (1 only). 1st Ed.. Hardcover. Good/No Jacket.

London: James Ridgway, 1825. 1st Ed. Originally published in parts from 1825-1830. 25.5 x 16.0 cm. pp. xx, 224, (4), 112 hand coloured plates. Original blindstamped cloth binding with gilt lettering to spine. Fore corners very slightly rubbed, spine relaid, owner's name on front free end paper, some sporadic foxing but plates clean and bright with good margins.. Illus. by J. M. & W. Hart and Mrs. Brown. 1st.. Hardcover. Good/No Jacket.

W. Strahan ; T. Cadell 2 volume set in uniform contemporary full calf, with gilt titles to spine labels - including Vol. I & II. 1779 3rd ed. 4to. 2 volume set. Complete with 64 engraved plates, maps and charts. Volume 1: Frontis, xl, 378pp. 36 plates and charts. Plate 1 (Chart of the Southern Hemisphere) torn without loss. Volume 2: (vi), 396pp, 27 plates and charts. Bindings rubbed and cracked, heraldic bookplate of Benjamin Clay on front free end-papers in each volume. A pleasing set. A heavy set, additional postage will be required for tracked orders outside the UK. (q34)

Contemporary gilt panelled calf, elaborately decorated. Rebacked but retaining original spines, later red title labels to spines. Edges gilt. Large 4to. 296pp; Additional half title, uncoloured engraved portrait frontispiece, list of subscribers, seventy-nine aquatint and engraved plates, all with contemporary hand colouring. Hinges cracked, but binding remains secure. Binding rubbed and worn with corners repaired. Bookplate of Douglas Lowe to rear pastedown in vol. 1 and front pastedown in vol. 2. Some offsetting of plates to text, plates generally clean and bright. A wide margined copy without the sixteen 'founders' plates. A heavy set, additional postage may be required for orders outside the UK. (a4)

W. Lewis , 1820. Hardback, half-morocco, gilt title to spine. Marbled paper covered boards. Folio. 37cm x 27cm. nd. [circa1820]. Printed title with large ownership signature. Dedication leaf, complete with 42 aquatint plates with contemporary hand-colouring. Some typical offsetting to text. Later ownership stamp to front pastedown and front blank. Binding slightly rubbed and worn. A beautiful selection of aquatints of Scotland. (bs121). Hard Cover. Good +.

Paris: Desaint & Saillant; Durand, 1755. Hardbacks, full-calf, 4 volume set. Each volume approximately 41 cm x 29 cm. Gilt titles to spines, edges gilt. Marbled end-papers. Text in French. Half-titles, engraved portrait frontispiece of Jean-Baptiste Oudry, engraved portrait of La Fontaine with his creations, 275 engraved plates after Oudry (complete), plate CLXXII 'Le Singe et le Leopard' in 2nd (lettered) state. 1st edition of the Fables illustrated by Jean-Baptiste Oudry. Bindings a little rubbed, with small bump to exterior edge of front board of vol. 1 only. Previous owners' bookplates to front pastedowns. Occasional light offsetting, toning and small damp stains - plates generally clean. A couple of small burnholes. A wonderful set. A very heavy set, additional postage may be required for orders outside the UK. (p19). Hard Cover. Very Good.

R. Ackermann, 1821. Hardback, large quarto, later 19th-century red half morocco by Zaehnsdorf. Complete with 24 hand-coloured aquatint plates after A. Pugin and J. Gendall, hand-coloured engraved map, hand-coloured aquatint vignettes to title page and p.177. 1st edition, later issue [1828 watermark on frontis]. The Havre plate soiled to the verso. Just a little off-setting. However the plates are exceptionally bright and the text generally clean. A very nice copy. A heavy book, additional postage may be required for orders outside the UK. (bs109). 1st Edition. Hard Cover. Very Good.

Robert Boulter, London, 1681. Hardback, recent full morocco, housed in a custom built box. 27.5 x 18.5cm. [5], 1-116pp 131-139pp. with engraved portrait frontis, which has been laid-down, trimmed and perforated with small losses. Marginal repairs to title and following leaf. The pro-Cromwellian verses pp.117-130 cancelled as usual. Some marginal soiling. Recent owner's bookplate on the front pastedown. . First Edition. Hard Cover. Good+.

Riccardi Press, 1910. Original limp vellum, with gilt titles to spines and front covers. Green silk ties and dust-wrappers. Top edges gilt. 4 volume set in original slipcases. 27.5cm x 21cm. Pp. xx, 168; xvi, 179; xvi, 208; xvi, 212. Complete with 48 mounted colour plates by W. Russell Flint, with captioned tissue guards. No. 391 of a limited edition of only 500 copies. Fore and bottom edges untrimmed. D/w spines faded to brown with '391' lightly stamped on them. Slipcase and d/w's a little faded and worn. A little light spotting to first and last few blank pages, very occasionally to contents. Vellum on one volume darkened in places. A heavy set, additional postage will be required for orders outside the UK. . Limited Edition. Hard Cover. Very Good/Very Good. Illus. by Flint, William Russell .

Ashendene Press, 1935. Hardback, original russet calf, press device in gilt on upper cover, housed in original marbled paper covered slipcase, a little rubbed. 34 x 24cm. [10], 172pp. Number 280 of 390 copies signed by the author/printer C. H. St J. Hornby, printed in red and black in Ptolemy type, plates, illustrations and specimen leaves, some folding, a few with initials supplied by hand by Graily Hewitt, errata slip tipped in to rear. The spine is usually the weak point with this book and this example is no excexception, the leather on the spine fraible and prone to rubbing, Small split at tail of spine, binding remains firm and secure. Slight wear extremities. Contents clean and unmarked. . Signed by Author. First Edition. Hard Cover. Very Good.

Faber & Faber Ltd, 1934. Hardback, original cloth with cream dust-wrapper in slipcase. 33cm x 26cm. xv, 102pp of wood-engravings printed from the original blocks with tissue guards. Printed by Hague & Gill of High Wycombe. Limited edition of only 400 copies, printed on french-fold sheets. With pencil note "from the Faber library" to front pastedown. D/w spine slightly rubbed and browned. Slipcase has been repaired, is somewhat faded and marked. A little occasional foxing to contents. [18504]. Limited Edition.. Hard Cover. Very Good.

Kelmscott Press, 1894. Hardbacks, 3 volume set, original limp vellum bindings with gilt lettering on spines. 21 x 14cm. 1894-1895. [6], 399pp ; iv, 412pp, [2] ; viii, 421pp. Full page woodcut title page in vol 1, numerous woodcut borders, decorations, and initials. Printed in Morris's Golden Type. One of an edition of 250 copies on paper. Wedding gift inscription on the front pastedown of each volume and an armorial bookplate on the front end-papers. Some variation and toning to vellum. The odd spot but generally very clean. Slightest wear only. Housed in a modern cloth slipcase.. Limited. Hard Cover. Very Good.

Bern: Urs Graf-Verlag , 1950. Hardbacks, 3 volume set, 2 volumes boxed and one in a slipcase. Vol. 1&2 bound in vellum, front boards and spines decorated in gilt and black by Otto Walter Ltd, vol. 3 with vellum spine decorated in gilt and black, blue boards. Plain paper dust-wrappers for all 3 books, some tears. A limited edition of only 500 copies. The text volume includes an introduction by E. H. Alston, 'Notes on the Art and Ornament' by Peter Meyer, and a 'Collation of the Text with the Vulgate' by G.O. Simms. The boxes/slipcase are slightly marked and worn. Books themselves in excellent condition. A very heavy set, additional postage will be required for orders outside the UK. . Hard Cover. Near Fine.