New Arrivals
Vinegar Valentine
n.p.: n.p., ca 1900. 7 x 9 1/2". Single sheet, lightly toned, minor tears to edges, creased where folded, most likely printed in the United States, stipple engraving, in very good condition.
A common practice in the U.K. and the United States from about 1840 to 1940, these "Vinegar Valentines" were known for their caricatures and insulting poems. Rather rare today since many of these were thrown out by their horrified recipients. The "H." initial might possibly indicate it was created by cartoonist Charles Howard who worked for printer John McLoughlin. The subject of this one is "Your Affinity", about a Broadway stage actor.
The Compleat Angler, or the Contemplative Man's Recreation, being a discourse of rivers, fish-ponds, fish and fishing
London: Henry Frowde, ca 1900. Approximately 1 1/4 x 2". 588 pp. Rare in Miniature Book format. Black leather over boards with gilt title in panel on spine, gilt top edge, frontispiece with no tissue guard and minor tear, Oxford University Press Warehouse Amen Corner E.C., based on fifth edition on India paper, final page separated but still included, in very good+ condition. (Welsh 7030, Bondy p. 117, Coigney 204)
Subtitled "The Contemplative Man's Recreation, Being a Discourse of Rivers, Fishponds, Fish and Fishing, not unworthy the Perusal of most Anglers." The Compleat Angler is a practical guide to the art of angling, or fishing; however, it also has political and historical underpinnings. What sets "The Compleat Angler" apart from other practical handbooks and puts it firmly in the realm of literature is its delightful style that is technically polished and charming to read and its abundance of insight into human nature.
The Man With the Golden Gun
London: Jonathan Cape, 1965. 221 pp. Approximately 5 x 7 1/2". 1st edition, second state. Pictorial dustjacket in very good plus condition, price of 18s net on inside flap, minor tear and soiling. Black cloth over boards with gilt title on spine, First published 1965 on copyright page, green and white patterned endpapers, slight spotting on top edge, otherwise, near fine condition.
The thirteenth novel in the James Bond series, adapted to the movies in 1974 starring Roger Moore as James Bond and Christopher Lee as the assassin, Scaramanga.
Animal Heroes
New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1905. 363 pp. Approximately 5 3/4 x 8". Green cloth over boards with blind stamped wreath and title in gilt, many black and white illustrations, sun faded on spine, no dust jacket, some foxing within, otherwise in very good + condition.
Ernest Thompson Seton (1860 - 1946) was an author, wildlife artist and one of the founding pioneers of the Boy Scouts of America. This book is about animal heroes with a hero being defined by the author as "an individual of unusual gifts and achievements...whether it be man or animal." These stories are based on the actual life of a veritable animal hero. For instance, the story of "Little Warhorse" is loosely based on the story of Warhorse, brought to film fame in 2011 by Steven Spielberg, about a thoroughbred in World War I. The other tales include The Slum Cat, Arnaux: The Chronical of a Homing Pigeon, Badland Bills: The Wolf that Won, The Boy and the Lynx, Little Warhorse: The History of a Jack-Rabbit, Snap: The Story of a Bull-terrier, The Winnipeg Wolf, and The Legend of the White Reindeer.
Westwind Songs
Minneapolis: Edmund D. Brooks, 1902. 99 pp + advertisements. 4 x 5 3/4"; First Edition. Gray paper over boards, red title on cover and spine, spine edge chipped at bottom and starting to peel away from cover, slight rubbing to top edges of covers, otherwise in very good condition.
Arthur Upson (1877 - 1908) was an American poet with Minnesota roots. He was at the University of Minnesota and was the editor of the Minnesota Daily, the campus newspaper. He reworked the song "Hail! Minnesota" which later became the state song. He died at the young age of 31. He was compared to Kets or Chatterton by Sinclair Lewis, who wrote an editorial obituary. This is Upson's fourth book.
Usher's Passing
New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1984. 401 pp. Approximately 6 1/4 x 9 1/4". First edition, first printing. Illustrated jacket in fine condition. Black cloth 1/4 bound over red boards, gilt title on spine, signed by author on title page, some spotting to top page edges, otherwise in near fine condition.
Inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's story "Fall of the House of Usher", this book covers the idea of what would have happened if all of the Usher's hadn't died. Set in North Carolina, present day, five generations of Usher's tell their story.
The Clan of the Cave Bear
New York: Crown Publishers, Inc., 1980. 468 pp. Approximately 6 1/4 x 9 1/4". Illustrated dust jacket with $12.95 price intact in near fine condition. Yellow cloth 1/4 bound over green boards with some slight cloth discoloration, foxing on top edges, previous owner's signature on half-title page along with his library stamp, otherwise, in very good condition.
The first book in Jean Auel's Earth's Children series in which the Cro-Magnon man and Neanderthal man lived at the same time.
The Devil Tree
New York: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, Inc., 1973. 208 pp. Approximately 5 1/2 x 8". Inscribed by the author on the half-title page, "For Michael B. Meyers, in appreciaton of his interest, and with every best wish, Jerzy Kosinski, December 1972". Illustrated dust jacket, with some edge wear and creasing on the flaps, in very good condition. Black cloth 1/4 bound over green boards with silver title on spine, top edges foxed, previous owner's name on the half-title page, otherwise in very good condition.
Oh, such hardship. A rich young heir in his quest for self, sidetracked by hippie colonies, opium brothels, luxury suites in Manhattan, drugs, and of course, sex. From the jacket: "This fierce novel, swift in action, replete with characters and events, and rising to an unpredictable, shattering conclusion, is a powerful and memorable experience."
The Philadelphia Bird Food Company's Book of Cage Birds. Their diseases and the proper remedies for treating them; with instructions for breeding and keeping them in constant health and song.
Philadelphia: The Philadelphia Bird Food Company, 1912. 120 pp. Approximately 4 1/2 x 6". Illustrated colorful wraps with some creatsing and tears, color frontispiece, black and white illustrations throughout, in very good condition.
Full of the usual advertisements disguised as information, this little book also has great information on bird diet, diseases of cage birds, how to set up an indoor or outdoor aviary, trapping birds, stuffing birds (for those birds that people have become paricularly attached to), plus more descriptions of various breeds and how to care for them.
Mountain Birds
London: Penguin Books, 1952. 31 pp. + 16 color plates. First edition. Approximately 5 x 7 1/4". Printed dust jacket with label title on cover and spine, rubbing to edges, in very good condition. Similarly patterned printed paper boards, Stanford Library withdrawal stamp on front free endpaper along with ink name on verso, otherwise in very good condition.
A beautifully done little book about the birds of the hills of Britain, with stunning full color plates. Robert Coombes is an ornithologist who describes the birds in terms the layman can easily understand and appreciate. The artist, George Lodge, is "especially renowned for his drawings of falcons and other birds of prey" per the dust jacket.