Tibet and Nepal. Painted & Described -
A. Henry Savage Landor
1905 - A. & C. Black, London - First Edition
Illustrated with 75 plates and folding map to rear.
True first edition, with captions on the recto of the tissue guards (i.e. facing the plate, apart from the frontispiece), as per Inman’s bibliography of A & C Black.
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Price HK$ 2,800
1905 - A. & C. Black, London - First Edition
Illustrated with 75 plates and folding map to rear.True first edition, with captions on the recto of the tissue guards (i.e. facing the plate, apart from the frontispiece), as per Inman’s bibliography of A & C Black.
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Price HK$ 2,800
The Royal Gauger -
Charles Leadbetter
1760 - C. Hitch and L. Hawes et al., London - Fifth Edition, very much enlarged and improved.
A "gauger" was an officer whose business it was to ascertain the contents of casks, mainly to assist in the prevention of illicit shipments of alcohol. In addition to dealing with the ever present challenge of taxing producers of alcohol, he had to prove an accurate mathematical formula for ‘gauging’ the size of containers, mostly barrels. The complex calculations required the use of a slide rule, the three slide version of which is illustrated and described in detail within.
Special sections give advice on how to become an excise officer, and "cask-Gauging" as practised in the Port of London. The majority of this large and comprehensive work is directed at gauging of breweries, malt compounders and distilleries.
Illustrated with two large folding hand-coloured plates, five large folding monochrome plates, and two folding ‘vouchers’. All present and correct as per the binders instructions (due to the size of the second hand-coloured plate (Plate 1) it is sometimes rebound in two parts, and incorrectly collated as two separate plates, in the later seventh edition it was actually printed on two separate pages).
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Price HK$ 6,500
1760 - C. Hitch and L. Hawes et al., London - Fifth Edition, very much enlarged and improved.
A "gauger" was an officer whose business it was to ascertain the contents of casks, mainly to assist in the prevention of illicit shipments of alcohol. In addition to dealing with the ever present challenge of taxing producers of alcohol, he had to prove an accurate mathematical formula for ‘gauging’ the size of containers, mostly barrels. The complex calculations required the use of a slide rule, the three slide version of which is illustrated and described in detail within.Special sections give advice on how to become an excise officer, and "cask-Gauging" as practised in the Port of London. The majority of this large and comprehensive work is directed at gauging of breweries, malt compounders and distilleries.
Illustrated with two large folding hand-coloured plates, five large folding monochrome plates, and two folding ‘vouchers’. All present and correct as per the binders instructions (due to the size of the second hand-coloured plate (Plate 1) it is sometimes rebound in two parts, and incorrectly collated as two separate plates, in the later seventh edition it was actually printed on two separate pages).
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Price HK$ 6,500
Confessions Of A Detective -
Alfred Henry Lewis, E. M. Ashe (illustrator)
1906 - A. S. Barnes & Company, New York - First Edition
A near fine first edition, illustrated with eight full page black and white plates.
In 1906 the world was rudely awakened by Inspector Val, a ‘hickory knot’ of a man, and the hard-boiled precursor to Mike Hammer. The author, Alfred Lewis was roaming the streets of detective fiction forty years streets before Spillane and his preoccupation with sex and sexual violence.
‘The five tales are mostly in the romantic pattern of the day; but underlying the romance is a tough realism far ahead of its time. The first story in the book, told in real-life style, can be interpreted as a precursor of the hard-boiled school minus the present-day preoccupation with sex.’ – Queen's Quorum (36).
‘‘Possibly, the prompt production of my Colt’s-38 had somewhat to do with their disappearance; for your true gangster is never one to meet the iron face to face.
In ancient days there was a party–Pythagoras was the name, I think, though I’ll not be sure I’ve got his number right at that–who taught how men’s souls, before they were men’s souls, served as the souls of animals... if old Pythagoras was right, then the soul of every gangster used aforetime to be the soul of a rat.’
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Price HK$ 2,500
1906 - A. S. Barnes & Company, New York - First Edition
A near fine first edition, illustrated with eight full page black and white plates.In 1906 the world was rudely awakened by Inspector Val, a ‘hickory knot’ of a man, and the hard-boiled precursor to Mike Hammer. The author, Alfred Lewis was roaming the streets of detective fiction forty years streets before Spillane and his preoccupation with sex and sexual violence.
‘The five tales are mostly in the romantic pattern of the day; but underlying the romance is a tough realism far ahead of its time. The first story in the book, told in real-life style, can be interpreted as a precursor of the hard-boiled school minus the present-day preoccupation with sex.’ – Queen's Quorum (36).
‘‘Possibly, the prompt production of my Colt’s-38 had somewhat to do with their disappearance; for your true gangster is never one to meet the iron face to face.
In ancient days there was a party–Pythagoras was the name, I think, though I’ll not be sure I’ve got his number right at that–who taught how men’s souls, before they were men’s souls, served as the souls of animals... if old Pythagoras was right, then the soul of every gangster used aforetime to be the soul of a rat.’
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Price HK$ 2,500
The Call of the Wild -
Jack London
1903 - The Macmillan Company, New York - First Edition, First Issue
‘Deep in the forest a call was sounding, and . . . he felt compelled to turn his back upon the fire, and to plunge into the forest’
A fresh first edition of Jack London's best and most enduring work, with little of the usual rubbing to the boards. Illustrated with eleven full page colour plates, including frontispiece with tissue-guard, five in-text colour illustrations, and numerous full page and in-text single tint decorations and illustrations, by Philip R. Goodwin and Charles Livingston Bull, decorations by Charles E. Hooper.
Included with this particular copy is a $50 cash check (cheque) completed in Jack London's hand, dated ‘Feb 3 1905’ and drawn on the Central Bank of Oakland.
‘What projects The Call of the Wild towards immortality is London's urgent and vivid style, and his astonishing identification with the world he's describing’ - The Guardian Newspaper (2014), 100 best novels.
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Price HK$ 12,500
1903 - The Macmillan Company, New York - First Edition, First Issue
‘Deep in the forest a call was sounding, and . . . he felt compelled to turn his back upon the fire, and to plunge into the forest’A fresh first edition of Jack London's best and most enduring work, with little of the usual rubbing to the boards. Illustrated with eleven full page colour plates, including frontispiece with tissue-guard, five in-text colour illustrations, and numerous full page and in-text single tint decorations and illustrations, by Philip R. Goodwin and Charles Livingston Bull, decorations by Charles E. Hooper.
Included with this particular copy is a $50 cash check (cheque) completed in Jack London's hand, dated ‘Feb 3 1905’ and drawn on the Central Bank of Oakland.
‘What projects The Call of the Wild towards immortality is London's urgent and vivid style, and his astonishing identification with the world he's describing’ - The Guardian Newspaper (2014), 100 best novels.
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Price HK$ 12,500
Nocturnes - Signed -
Thomas Mann, Lynd Ward (illustrator)
1934 - Equinox Cooperative Press Inc, New York - 954 of 1000 numbered limited copies
The first English translation of these three short stories – ‘A Gleam’, ‘Railway Accident’, and ‘A Weary Hour’. Illustrated by Lynd Ward with three full page black and white lithographs, and four in-text lithographs.
Signed by Thomas Mann to the limitation page.
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Price HK$ 2,800
1934 - Equinox Cooperative Press Inc, New York - 954 of 1000 numbered limited copies
The first English translation of these three short stories – ‘A Gleam’, ‘Railway Accident’, and ‘A Weary Hour’. Illustrated by Lynd Ward with three full page black and white lithographs, and four in-text lithographs.Signed by Thomas Mann to the limitation page.
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Price HK$ 2,800
The Brotherhood Of The Seven Kings -
L. T. Meade (pseud. Elizabeth Thomasina Meade Smith), Robert Eustace (pseud. Eustace Robert Barton)
1899 - Ward, London - First Edition
‘On the very heels of Raffles, the gentleman crook, came Madame Koluchy, the lady crook. Her grand entrance in ‘The Brotherhood Of The Seven Kings’ marks the earliest appearance of a female felon in a series of short stories. In ten connected tales Madame Koluchy, as the guiding genius of a sinister secret society, as 'the brain that had conceived and the body that had executed some of the most malignant designs against mankind that the history of the world has ever known,' proves herself 'the complete criminal': kidnapper, blackmailer, bank robber, and murderer – although it should be noted that Madame Koluchy's attempts at murder were consistently foiled by a young scientist-detective named Norman Head.’ - Queen’s Quorum
Positively sparkling copy, with sixteen full page illustrations by the great Sydney Paget.
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Price HK$ 18,000
1899 - Ward, London - First Edition
‘On the very heels of Raffles, the gentleman crook, came Madame Koluchy, the lady crook. Her grand entrance in ‘The Brotherhood Of The Seven Kings’ marks the earliest appearance of a female felon in a series of short stories. In ten connected tales Madame Koluchy, as the guiding genius of a sinister secret society, as 'the brain that had conceived and the body that had executed some of the most malignant designs against mankind that the history of the world has ever known,' proves herself 'the complete criminal': kidnapper, blackmailer, bank robber, and murderer – although it should be noted that Madame Koluchy's attempts at murder were consistently foiled by a young scientist-detective named Norman Head.’ - Queen’s QuorumPositively sparkling copy, with sixteen full page illustrations by the great Sydney Paget.
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Price HK$ 18,000
The Arts of Beauty; or, Secrets of a Lady's Toilet. With Hints to Gentlemen on the Art of Fascinating -
Madame Lola Montez, Countess of Landsfeld
1858 - Dick & Fitzgerald, New York - First Edition
‘If Lola Montez’s life was a film script it would be rejected for being too far fetched. With Franz Liszt, Alexandre Dumas and King Ludwig of Bavaria among her many lovers, and shootings, drownings, bigamy and adultery, you just couldn’t make it up.’ - The Irish Times.
The beautiful and fiery Montez had fictional affairs with Harry Flashman,and is reputed to be the inspiration for Irene Adler, in Conan Doyle’s ‘A Scandal In Bohemia’, her infamous ‘Spider Dance’ involved the discovery and removal of numerous spiders amongst her petticoats whilst whirling around in the style of a Spanish gypsy, and the various fatal endings of many lovers was just as spider like.
And in this rare little tome she reveals all the secrets required to be, well, Lola Montez. The last chapter provides ‘Fifty Rules in the Art of Fascinating’. A superb example, without the us of powders, paints, pomades, embellishment, beautification, or sophistication.
Her name was Lola, she was a showgirl... or more appropriately, Like the spider to a fly...
‘She is fatal to any man who dares to love her.’ - Alexandre Dumas.
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Price HK$ 15,000
1858 - Dick & Fitzgerald, New York - First Edition
‘If Lola Montez’s life was a film script it would be rejected for being too far fetched. With Franz Liszt, Alexandre Dumas and King Ludwig of Bavaria among her many lovers, and shootings, drownings, bigamy and adultery, you just couldn’t make it up.’ - The Irish Times.The beautiful and fiery Montez had fictional affairs with Harry Flashman,and is reputed to be the inspiration for Irene Adler, in Conan Doyle’s ‘A Scandal In Bohemia’, her infamous ‘Spider Dance’ involved the discovery and removal of numerous spiders amongst her petticoats whilst whirling around in the style of a Spanish gypsy, and the various fatal endings of many lovers was just as spider like.
And in this rare little tome she reveals all the secrets required to be, well, Lola Montez. The last chapter provides ‘Fifty Rules in the Art of Fascinating’. A superb example, without the us of powders, paints, pomades, embellishment, beautification, or sophistication.
Her name was Lola, she was a showgirl... or more appropriately, Like the spider to a fly...
‘She is fatal to any man who dares to love her.’ - Alexandre Dumas.
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Price HK$ 15,000
Unravelled Knots -
Baroness Orczy
1926 - George H. Doran Company, New York - First American Edition
Inscribed to ‘The Detection Club. With the author’s compliments and best wishes, Emmuska Orczy, Montecarlo 1932.’, and with the bookplate of The Detection Club. Baroness Orczy was initiated into the club in 1930.
A lovely copy with intact well preserved, dare we say it, elusive, dust jacket.
The third, and last, series of the ‘Old Man in the Corner’. Thirteen short stories, in which the nameless hero, the world’s first ‘armchair’ detective, solves crimes simply by reading newspaper articles whilst sipping tea in the corner of London’s A.B.C Teashop. His eccentricities include tying and unravelling complicated knots of string as he explains his deductions to his primary audience, Polly Burton, a young journalist who eagerly chronicles his adventures.
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Price HK$ 18,000
1926 - George H. Doran Company, New York - First American Edition
Inscribed to ‘The Detection Club. With the author’s compliments and best wishes, Emmuska Orczy, Montecarlo 1932.’, and with the bookplate of The Detection Club. Baroness Orczy was initiated into the club in 1930.A lovely copy with intact well preserved, dare we say it, elusive, dust jacket.
The third, and last, series of the ‘Old Man in the Corner’. Thirteen short stories, in which the nameless hero, the world’s first ‘armchair’ detective, solves crimes simply by reading newspaper articles whilst sipping tea in the corner of London’s A.B.C Teashop. His eccentricities include tying and unravelling complicated knots of string as he explains his deductions to his primary audience, Polly Burton, a young journalist who eagerly chronicles his adventures.
More details
Price HK$ 18,000