Rare books from Cleveland Book Company

Sernor: M. Dufour, 1977. Limited Edition. Hardcover. Near fine. Quarto, 2 volumes, 1024pp. (altogether), illustrated. A near fine set in the publisher's black morocco with gilt decoration. Apart from gentle bumps to the top right corners of the front boards of both volumes, very slightly affecting the page block of of volume II, a lovely, bright set. This is example number 205 of 260 limited copies. It is also SIGNED and warmly INSCRIBED by Vatelot on a front blank leaf: "A monsieur Scott Lumberge [Lumberye?] avec toute ma sympathie et mon amical souvenir. Minneapolis Nov. 1988. Etienne Vatelot." A marvelous example of this wonderful book, made all the more wonderful by the full-page inscription by the author, and scarce thus (this is the only signed copy we were able to find either in commerce or auction records). Please contact us with inquiries or requests for more images.

Washington DC: Jacob Gideon, 1818. First Edition thus. Hardcover. Very good +. Octavo, 671pp. A beautiful copy, bound to style in full brown calf with morocco spine label, stamped in gilt, retaining original front endpapers. Mild to moderate internal foxing, but a sound, complete, and handsome example of this important edition of The Federalist, overall very good or better. From the publisher's Prefatory Remarks: "The present edition of the Federalist contains all the numbers of that work, as revised by their authors; and it is the only one to which the remark will apply. Former editions, indeed, it is understood, had the advantage of a revisal from Mr. Hamilton and Mr. Jay, but the numbers written by Mr. Madison still remained in the state in which they originally issued from the press, and contained many inaccuracies. The publisher of this volume has been so fortunate as to procure from Mr. Madison the copy of the work which that gentleman had preserved for himself, with corrections of the… Read More

(Norfolk, CT): New Directions, 1960. First Edition. Hardcover. Near fine/near fine. Octavo, 81pp. A crisp, clean copy, near fine, with just a hint of foxing to the fore-edge, and to the beige cloth. In a near fine dust jacket with gentle rubbing to the extremities, but no significant tears or chips. A marvelous copy, SIGNED and INSCRIBED by Merton on the front free endpaper to Joan Baez and Ira Sandperl: "For Joan & Ira. Merry Christmas. Tom." Michael Mott, in his biography of Merton, "The Seven Mountains of Thomas Merton," writes in some detail about the meeting between Baez, Sandperl (her co-founder of the Institute for the Study of Non-violence), and Merton at Gethsemani. Baez and Sandperl had stopped to meet Merton on their way to Atlanta to meet with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the SCLC. The two were hoping to convince King to expand his efforts beyond Civil Rights and to engage more with the Vietnam War and global humanitarian struggles. Mott writes that Baez and Sandperl arrived on… Read More

New York: Carleton, 1864. First Edition. Hardcover. Very good. Quarto. 9.5 x 11.625 in. [2 blanks], 78, 4 [blanks] pp. + 51 unnumbered leaves. Fully illustrated with 50 mounted albumen prints ("views"), each approx. 3.25 x 4.75 in., plus oval title-page vignette of the Music Pavillion and 7.75 x 3.75 frontispiece photograph, described in the preface as "a prophecy...a photograph from an engraving on stone of the Terrace and the Mall, somewhat as they are to look in time to come‚ with fountain, statuary, and adornments complete, and the shadowy leafage of the trees canopying the Mall" (Preface, p. 6). Perkins' text, his Historical Sketch, accompanies the plates and is "chiefly concerned about the aesthetic career of the park" (Preface, p. 5). Very good in original dark brown pebbled calf over bevelled boards, neatly rebacked, hinges neatly reinforced with hinge tape. Titled in gilt on spine and upper cover, a.e.g. with dentelle. Very good. Moderate wear to leather, with some scraping and rubbing.… Read More

Ahmedabad: Navajivan Press, 1933. First Edition. Hardcover. Very good +/Very good-. Large octavo. Volume I is the second printing, issued in 1933, and volume II is the first printing, issued in 1929. Issued separately, the set is rarely found together, almost never with both volumes retaining their original dust jackets. Volume I is near fine, with very gentle foxing to endpapers, but the contents crisp, clean, and bright. Gentle fading to some fo the canvas/burlap cloth. In the exceedingly rare dust jacket, which has a few small chips and tears, most notably on the spine, but with no large pieces missing; very good. Volume II is very good, with some fading to the spine, the inner hinges thinly cracked, but holding, and some gentle foxing to the fore-edge. Most pages unopened, and the contents quite clean. The jacket has a tidemark at the base, and some chips at the extremities, most notably the crown, which has a few letters missing from the word "Autobiography," printed at the top; overall about… Read More

New York: Grove Press, 1959. First Edition. Hardcover. Fine/near fine. Oblong small quarto, unpaginated. Mild foxing and a few pieces of non-staining tape on the verso of the dust jacket, reinforcing a few tiny closed tears, otherwise a remarkably fine copy of this foundational volume of 20th century photography, hardly ever found this nice.

[no place]: [no publisher], 1866. First Separate Edition. Hardcover. Very good. Octavo, 391pp. This is one of only a handful of copies Sherman had bound separately from a lengthier report issued in 1866: "Report of the Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War 38th Congress, 2nd Session, Washington D.C. 1866 (supplemental report) Part 1 Reports of Sherman, Thomas." Bound in contemporary 3/4 leather with marbled boards, all edges marbled. Front inner hinge cracked, held by a thread. Leather is rubbed along extremities, corners are worn. Bookplate of Rowland Edmund Prothero, pasted to ffep. Prothero was a notable British journalist, author, and politician. A rare presentation copy, SIGNED by Sherman on the half title page, "Compliments to Col. Hamley. British Army. London. / of W. T. Sherman Lt. General U.S. Army. Saint Louis, Mo.  March 16, 1867." In Alexander Innes Shand's biography, The Life of General Sir Edward Bruce Hamley (London: William Blackwood & Sons, 1895), it is noted… Read More

Cincinnati: The John Church Company, 1916. First Edition. Flexible boards. Very good. Fie! Fie! Fi, Fi a Musical Comedy in Two Acts Presented by the Princeton Triangle Club 1914-1915. New York: John Church Company, 1914. First Edition. 91p quarto, Lyrics by F Scott Fitzgerald '17. On the front leaf is a mock inscription from "F Scott Fitzgerald" for James Storey Esq. by way of Bob Chaman. Additionally laid in is a two page a.l.s. from Jim Storey detailing the origin of the playful inscription from Chapman. Robert (Bob) Chapman was a playwright who collaborated with Louis Coxe to adapt Billy Budd for Broadway. A very good copy , lightly soiled covers, chipped on one corner of the back panel. In custom red cloth slipcase marred by insect damage. The Evil Eye: a Musical Comedy in Two Acts Presented by the Princeton University Triangle Club 1915-1916. 92p quarto, New York, The John Church Company, 1915. Lyrics by F Scott Fitzgerald, First edition. Front cover creased on bottom half of the front cover… Read More

Philadelphia: Printed by R. Aitken; Published by Order of Congress, 1777. First Edition. Hardcover. Good. Octavo, 310pp., plus Index. uniformly tanned, clean copy bound in the original marbled boards, leather spine and corners. Chipped at the spine heads, part of the original leather label present, corners very worn. Front cover hanging by two cords, front fly leaf present/detached. A good copy, without any restoration whatsoever. General Charles Lee's (1731-1782) copy, with his ownership signature on the blank preceding the title page. Though Lee was acknowledged at the Second Continental Congress to be the most capable candidate for the command of the Continental Army (because of his years of battle in Europe and French and Indian War), the position was ultimately given to Washington--a native-born American. Lee was appointed Major-General and third in line after Artemis Ward, but succeeded to second after Ward's resignation due to ill health. The ambitious General never supported Washington, and… Read More

London: David Henry, 1769. Fourth Edition. Hardcover. Fine. Quarto, 496pp., plus Index, and Errata/advertisement leaf at rear. First Collected edition and most desirable; illustrated with 7 copper plates, 2 folding, with half-title, plus errata and advertisement in rear. Has 4 extra pages (ie. page numbers 112-113 and 416-417 appear twice). A fine copy in original sprinkled calfskin-covered boards, with all edges expertly replaced and retooled. Spine replaced and tooled with period tools and lettering. Inside joint also reinforced. Double Greek key tooled around the plain board to hide the reback's point of repair and board edges repair. An extremely handsome copy of Franklin's most celebrated book. Howes F320 (b); Printing and the Mind of Man 199; Sabin 25506. .

New York: Simon and Schuster, 1952. First American Edition, 1st Printing. Hardcover. Very good/very good. Large quarto, [16], 126, [12]pp., illustrated. A very good copy in a dust jacket with a 1/2 inch small hole in front panel along with 1/2 inch abrasion at the corner of the front panel. Faint stain on fore-edge of front panel of jacket not affecting the board. Spine tanned, front inner hinge starting after page 2 of introduction, Bad fray to the spine head. Inscribed by Cartier-Bresson in French on the title page "Peter Pollack en souvenir d' une tres interesante conversation H Cartier-Bresson." Pollack was a well respected museum curator and photographer. Laid in is an invitation to a members' only preview of a Cartier-Bresson exhibition and lecture at the Worcester Art Museum in Massachusetts; the lecture is titled "Forbears and Heirs of Cartier-Bresson by Peter Pollack, Honorary Advisor in Photography to the Worcester Art Museum" [the recipient of the inscription]. Non-authorial inscription… Read More

Washington DC: U. S. Treasury Department Bureau of Engraving and Printing, 1875. Hardcover. Near fine. Small quarto, unpaginated. Bound in full red crushed morocco, with gilt borders, edges, spine title, and compartments. All edges gilt. 144 engravings, plus frontispiece and engraved title page. A near fine example, with some small nicks to the boards, and some mild scattered foxing internally. An extraordinary volume, one of a small and undetermined number of these U. S. Treasury specimen books. These were printed and bound by the Treasury Department's Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and presented to a select few diplomats, cabinet secretaries, and members of Congress. The proof engravings contained within were designed for use on official US banknotes, though some of the images were likely never used on actual money. At the turn of the 21st century, numismatic experts had counted 47 known examples. Several more have come to auction (primarily numismatic) since then, but they remain extremely… Read More

[n. p.] (but Washington): (U. S. Treasury Department Bureau of Engraving and Printing), 1895. Hardcover. Near fine. Square octavo, 21 numbered leaves of portrait plates, plus four unnumbered. Bound in full crushed navy morocco with elaborate gilt tooling to boards, spine compartments, and edges, with gilt dentelles, all edges gilt, and marbled endpapers. In near fine condition overall, very well-preserved, with a few tiny nicks to the corners, and some scattered internal foxing, mostly at the gutters and borders; and not on the proof images. The first two engravings depict the U. S. Capitol Building and the White House. The last two portraits, of sitting President Grover Cleveland and his wife Frances, are each SIGNED by their subjects in different ink below the images. The main contents consist of extremely well-executed and quite familiar portraits of the presidents; the very portraits that were used by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing on official U. S. banknotes. These Treasury Department… Read More

Camden, NJ: [Walt Whitman], 1876. Author's Edition. Hardcover. Very good. Octavo, 2 volumes, 384pp. (vol. 1); 84pp., 68pp., 120pp. (vol. 2). The "author's edition," self-published by Whitman, consisting of the fifth edition, third printing, second issue of "Leaves" and the first printing, first issue of "Two Rivulets." Both copies are SIGNED by Whitman, as issued; "Leaves" is signed on the title page, and "Two Rivulets" is signed on the inserted photographic portrait frontispiece. Two inserted portrait illustrations of the author in "Leaves." Both volumes bound in the original marbled boards with half cream calf. Both spines have been expertly rebacked to style in sympathetic leather. There are light--though extensive--pencil markings (lines only; no words) on a group of about 20 pages in "Leaves." Original endpapers retained. General wear to corners, but the contents clean and sound; overall very good. A rare and prized set of these classics by Whitman, produced at his own expense and sold by him.… Read More

Chicago: Geo M. Hill, 1900. First Edition. Hardcover. Very good. Square large octavo, 259pp., illustrated with 24 plates, including the title page (complete as issued). Second state, conforming to all issue points on p. 27 in Hanff's bibliography (details upon request). A very good copy in the publisher's decorative cloth. Recased and strengthened in its original binding, retaining the original endpapers. Mild, even soiling to cloth, front board with a vertical crease throughout, some very light archival tissue repairs to some minor tears in some plates, most notably on the last leaf. One of the most innovative illustrated children's books of all-time, with an extremely dynamic design that suits the power of the story, which was adapted into one of the great films of the 20th century. Most copies available have endured a certain amount of abuse, and varying degrees of restoration. In this case, the work was done by one of the world's leading professionals, using entirely archival-grade material, and… Read More