Rare books from Burnside Rare Books, ABAA

Cambridge: University Press, 1913. First Edition. First edition. Three volumes. ix, [5], 666; xxxiv, 772; x, 491 pp. Bound in publisher's navy cloth, spines lettered in gilt; housed in custom folding cloth box. Good condition overall. Unsophisticated copies, pleasantly not-ex-library (very uncommon in commerce thus), but certainly fragile. Rubbing to lettering, staining and edge wear to cloth, boards exposed at extremities; contents toned, brittle with age, and sometimes faintly foxed. Hinges of Vol. I starting; rear board split at head but holding; a few pages detached; about a fifth of pp.1-2 torn off but retained; circular tear to last several leaves of the volume. Vol. II has occasional marginal chipping including to lower corners of about 160 pages, not affecting text; tiny wormholes to inner margins of prelims; hinges worn with a few pages detached. Vol. III cloth chipped along edges; bump to bottom inner corner of textblock. A truly rare first edition of one of the major intellectual… Read More

[Various Places]: The War Relocation Authority, 1956. A substantial archive of over 300 individual documents, plus a few duplicates, relating to Japanese internment during WWII, forming a very thorough view of the federal agency that directed their imprisonment, The War Relocation Authority. Such a sizeable collection of WRA documents is extremely rare in commerce. All the major facets of the dark, disturbing episode of Japanese internment are represented in this archive: its basic legal and historical outlines, the WRA's publicity and propaganda and its reception in the US, the WRA's groundbreaking use of social sciences in service of repressive American policies, life and death in the camps, and the ending of internment. The essential history of internment can be said to begin with Franklin D. Roosevelt's Executive Order 9102 establishing the War Relocation Authority, included in mimeograph format. Around that time and later an Index-Digest of Opinions by the Office of the Solicitor compiles legal… Read More

Topaz, UT: The Topaz Times, 1945. Four hundred issues of The Topaz Times; 197 of which are in English and 203 in Japanese; with 47 fragments of various issues, 17 illustrated calendars, and nine pieces of ephemera including high school newspapers from Topaz War Relocation Center, Ram-bler and Topazette. Following two Pre-Issues from September of 1942, the run spans from Vol. II #49 (February 27, 1943) to Vol. X #19 (March 6, 1945). The newspaper was issued with varying frequency, from daily to weekly or less. Illustrated with drawings, many of which are cartoons. Each issue from 2 to 10 pages or so, generally printed on both sides of mimeographed sheets measuring about 36.5 x 22.5 cm (14¼" x 8 ¾"). Stitched together into monthly groups, or fascicles, with string through small holes in the top margins. Very Good overall with some edge wear, chips, and tears; very infrequent loss of text or biopredation. Most issues appear complete but archive is sold "as is" with regards to completeness. Rare. The… Read More

Reading, MA; Palo Alto, CA; London: Addison-Wesley Publishing Co, 1965. First edition. First edition, first printings of all three books, with first editions of their respective exercise books. Signed by Richard Feynman in ink beneath on preface of Vol. I. Complete in three volumes, perfect bound in original red cloth lettered in white and gilt; exercise books in stapled wraps. Very Good, with light foxing to edges and shelf wear, spine slightly sunned. No writing or marks in text. Spine of Vol. I slightly concave. slight curve to boards of Vol. III. Exercise books are in Near Fine condition overall; Vol. II wraps slightly worn. A stamped envelope and a sheet of notes from the former owner laid in. A rare signed set of the important lectures Feynman gave at the California Institute of Technology, 1961-1963. Feynman received a share of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1965 for his contributions to the development of quantum electrodynamics. This set belonged to the noted physicist Peter D. Zimmerman,… Read More

London: W. Tweedie, 1862. First British Edition. Very Good+. First British edition, first printing of the scarce feminist narrative of escape from slavery, and the first published slave narrative by a woman. 306 pp. In a recent half faux-leather over marbled boards, new endpapers. Very Good+. Former owner bookplate and penciled "[Linda M. Brent]" to front pastedown. Contents tanned, thumbed and sporadically spotted, with an occasional corner crease. A truly scarce landmark of American literature, many times more rare in commerce and at auction than many of the 19th century ex-slave narratives with which is often compared such as Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. It was long thought to be fictional, utilizing the narrative techniques of the sentimental novel as it does and published under a pseudonym, until the 1980s when historian Jean Fagan Yellin established it was Harriet Jacobs' autobiography. In particular, the attention Jacobs called to the sexual abuse and exploitation of female… Read More

London: George Allen and Unwin, 1954. First Edition. Fine. 1954, 1954, 1955. Three volumes. First edition, first printings, signed by J.R.R. Tolkien on the title page of The Two Towers. Finely bound by the Chelsea Bindery in red morocco, spines decorated and titled in gilt, with "Eye of Sauron" to front boards in gilt, dark green endpapers, and edges gilt. Housed in a red leather entry slipcase. Folding maps in red and black at rear of each volume. Fine. Pages lightly tanned. Tolkien's epic trilogy is considered one of the greatest fantasy works ever written and is among the best-selling books of all time. Its contribution to popular culture has been profound to say the least.

Boston: Published for the Author [by Thayer & Eldridge], 1861. First Edition. Very Good. First edition. 306 pp. Bound in recent three-quarters leather over marbled boards. Very Good, page 96/97 lacking and provided in facsimile, several leaves either remargined or repaired at the gutter. Soiling, staining, creases and wear to contents throughout, contemporary former owner names to front free endpaper and top of title page, and vintage private ownership label to top margin of contents page. A truly scarce landmark of American literature, many times more rare in commerce and at auction than many of the 19th century ex-slave narratives with which is often compared such as Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. It was long thought to be fictional, utilizing the narrative techniques of the sentimental novel as it does and published under a pseudonym, until the 1980s when historian Jean Fagan Yellin established it was Harriet Jacobs' autobiography. In particular, the attention Jacobs called to the… Read More

London: John Lane the Bodley Head, 1937. First Edition Thus. Near Fine. An exceedingly scarce presentation copy of the first English edition printed in England, limited issue signed by James Joyce. One of 100 copies (from a total edition of 1000 copies, this copy unnumbered) printed on mould-made paper and bound in full calf vellum. This copy was reserved for presentation by the author, unnumbered at the colophon with the words "Presentation Copy" inscribed in calligraphy below the limitation. The only other copy of this edition of 100 that we could locate that bears the presentation inscription (this copy also unnumbered) was from Joyce's private library now housed in the Poetry Collection at the University at Buffalo. They also hold two other copies of the Bodley Head Ulysses (1/900) that also bear the words "Presentation Copy" on the edition statement: one having been owned by Joyce and the other by Sylvia Beach. Bound in publisher's original full calf vellum with gilt Homeric bows designed by… Read More

New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1925. First Edition, Second Printing. Very Good. First edition, second printing, one of 3,000 copies, with all six textual errors from the first printing corrected. Signed by F. Scott Fitzgerald and inscribed "For Dorothy Bissell, April 1937, F. Scott Fitzgerald, in memory of hot arguments over the Supreme Court and the autonomy of Barcelona." Bound in publisher's original dark green cloth with spine lettered in gilt and upper board in blind; lacking the scarce dust jacket; housed in a custom chemise case. Very Good with a few abrasions to the cloth most notably at the spine, a patch of slight discoloration along the top edge of the rear cover, light occasional foxing throughout. Signed copies of the author's best-known work are scarce and desirable. This copy was auctioned by Christie's in 1983, and again in 1994. In 1983 it was sold alongside copies of This Side of Paradise and The Beautiful and the Damned, also inscribed by Fitzgerald to Dorothy Bissell in a… Read More

New York: Albert and Charles Boni, 1925. First Edition. Very Good/Good. First edition in the rare dust jacket. A preeminent association and presentation copy of this cornerstone of the Harlem Renaissance signed by three of its contributors, Harlem Renaissance heavy-weights and NAACP leadership W. E. B. Du Bois, James Weldon Johnson and inscribed by Walter White on the half-title page to one of the foremost defense attorneys of the twentieth century Clarence Darrow. While all three signers are considered major figures in the Harlem Renaissance, Du Bois is also seen as a luminary, forefather and mentor to the movement. Additionally to Johnson and Du Bois' signatures, Walter White, who was then serving as the NAACP's assistant-secretary, has inscribed this copy "For Clarence Darrow with the warmest regard and affection of Walter White / New York / 10 December 1925". W. E. B. Du Bois was a co-founder of the NAACP and James Weldon Johnson was secretary to the organization in December of 1925. Recipient… Read More

Philadelphia and New York: J. B. Lippincott Company, 1960. First edition. Very Good+/Near Fine. First edition, first printing of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. A fantastic presentation copy signed by Harper Lee and warmly inscribed to close family friends in the year of publication on the front free endpaper, "To Evlyn and Bill with my love and best wishes, Nelle Harper Lee December 1960." Evlyn Samford (née Barrett) and Lee grew up together in Monroeville, Alabama. Evlyn was close friends with Harper's sister, Alice Lee; Alice being Harper's confidante, housemate and gatekeeper, as well as one the two dedicatees of To Kill a Mockingbird. Bound in publisher's original brown paper-covered boards over green cloth spine. Very Good+ with spine lean, light wear and spots of soiling to binding. Foxing to cloth, textblock edge and endsheets. Hinge at title page slightly over-opened. In a Near Fine unclipped dust jacket with quote from Jonathan Daniels on rear flap; with faint waviness to front panel… Read More

New York: Harper and Brothers, 1851. First edition. First American edition of Melville's epic novel, in first issue binding and completely unrestored. In publisher's drab brown cloth with publisher's device stamped in blind, dark orange coated endpapers. xxiii, [i], 635, [1], [6 ads]. Very Good+, cloth worn at extremities and a little frayed at spine ends, a little bubbling and rubbing to cloth as well, gutters rubbed with two tiny wear spots along rear gutter. Name of contemporary former owner, Joseph A. Hill, written on paste down, title page, contents page, and half title. Front hinge a little free, contents show moderate foxing. A very nice copy. Housed in morocco pull-off slipcase. A difficult, linguistically-innovative fever dream of a novel, which has been hailed as America's greatest contribution to world literature. Uncommon in the original publisher's binding and without any restoration; a beautiful example. Followed the three-volume English edition by a month and contains thirty-five… Read More

Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1965. A remarkable signed set. Each volume signed by J.R.R. Tolkien in black ink: The Lord of the Rings volumes on their respective half titles, The Hobbit on its half title, for a total of four signatures by the famous British fantasy author. Additionally, a typed sheet is laid in, reading, "7th June, 1967. // With Professor Tolkien's compliments." The sheet is blind stamped with Tolkien's home address, "76, Sandfield Road, Headington, Oxford." H. David Wilt, the former owner of the volumes, worked as a children's librarian, and these books were birthday gifts from coworkers. He states, " I was a rather brush young man, and I decided I would send them off to England and ask if I could get them autographed by Professor Tolkien. I looked up an address for him and sent them off, hoping for the best. And the best happened. He signed them and his secretary sent them back and they've been with me for 60 years." Laid in photocopied booklet from Henrico County Library about… Read More

Boston: Printed for the Author [by J.B. Yerriton and Son], 1850. First Edition. First edition, first printing. 144 pp. with author portrait. Bound in publisher's brown cloth stamped in blind with gilt title to front board, skillfully recased and stabilized. About Very Good with fading, staining, and soiling to cloth; worn extremities and "1856" written on the front pastedown. Provenance: early owner Joseph I. Mabbett (1833-1917) of Collins, Erie County, NY, son of Underground Railroad conductors Anna Griffin Mabbett and Lorenzo Mabbett; his name written on second blank with loss and corner crease; rear free endpaper renewed. Contents toned with foxing, faint dampstaining and light soiling to margins. A major work of 19th-century Black literature, quite rare in the original cloth. Originally a Dutch-speaking slave in New York, the author escaped to freedom with her infant daughter in 1826. Two years later, she sued her former owner to recover her son and became the first black woman to sue a white man… Read More

London: Printed [by Samuel Simons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker [...] Robert Boulter [...] and Matthias Walker, 1667. First edition. First edition, first issue, Amory's state 1(b) of the title page (the traditional first state), dated 1667 and with Milton's name spelled in full and in larger type than "London" of imprint." Finely bound by Riviere in full brown morocco gilt, paneled sides with center, corner and other ornaments, spine gilt, all edges gilt. Housed in a cloth folding case. Near Fine, lacking preliminary blank; printer's error in the paper at foot of M2 affecting portions of the bottom two lines on both sides; small marginal repair on T4; some line-borders cropped at top; headline on V4 recto also cropped; lower margin repaired on Vv1 affecting the printed border rule at foot. A few notes in light pencil on rear endpaper. Small bookplates of noteworthy collectors George Goyder and William A. Strutz on paste down. The title exists in at least six states, of which the present state… Read More