Peking: A Historical and Intimate Description of its Chief Places of Interest -
Juliet Bredon
1922 - Kelly & Walsh, Shanghai - Second edition, revised and enlarged
The revised and enlarged edition of this important early travel guide to the sights and history of Peking, considered by foreigners as an essential guide at the time.
Profusely illustrated with six folding maps and plans, including ‘Dr. Bretschneider's Map of Peking, showing Surroundings of the Capital’ to the rear, 24 black and white photographic plates mostly by A. J. Waller, and engravings in the text.
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Price HK$ 1,800
1922 - Kelly & Walsh, Shanghai - Second edition, revised and enlarged
The revised and enlarged edition of this important early travel guide to the sights and history of Peking, considered by foreigners as an essential guide at the time.Profusely illustrated with six folding maps and plans, including ‘Dr. Bretschneider's Map of Peking, showing Surroundings of the Capital’ to the rear, 24 black and white photographic plates mostly by A. J. Waller, and engravings in the text.
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Price HK$ 1,800
The Angler's Vade Mecum -
W. Carroll
1818 - Archibald Constable and Co., Edinburgh - First Edition
A lovely copy of one of the earliest books for the dry-fly purist, illustrated with 12twelvehand-coloured copper-engraved plates of 194 flies, arranged under the months from May to September. In contemporary binding and housed in custom morocco-backed slipcase.
This copy from the library of James Benkard, President (1879-83) of the exclusive ‘South Side Club’, Long Island, an angler’s club on Long Island, formed of ’ one hundred gentlemen, millionaires, merchants and professional men of note’. (NY Times, April 2, 1882).
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Price HK$ 5,500
1818 - Archibald Constable and Co., Edinburgh - First Edition
A lovely copy of one of the earliest books for the dry-fly purist, illustrated with 12twelvehand-coloured copper-engraved plates of 194 flies, arranged under the months from May to September. In contemporary binding and housed in custom morocco-backed slipcase.This copy from the library of James Benkard, President (1879-83) of the exclusive ‘South Side Club’, Long Island, an angler’s club on Long Island, formed of ’ one hundred gentlemen, millionaires, merchants and professional men of note’. (NY Times, April 2, 1882).
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Price HK$ 5,500
The Hunting of the Snark -
Lewis Carroll [Charles Lutwidge Dodgson], Henry Holiday (illustrator)
1903 - Macmillan and Co., London - Early Edition
A bright sharp copy of the author’s magnificent nonsense verse, the tale of the Bellman and his crew’s strange voyage in search of a Snark, and featuring an unlikely cast of characters drawn from his other works, Jabberwocky and Through the Looking Glass Wonderfully illustrated with nine imaginative woodcuts by Henry Holiday.
‘The Hunting of the Snark is a poem over which an unstable, sensitive soul might very well go mad.’ - Martin Gardner, The Annotated Snark.
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Price HK$ 1,800
1903 - Macmillan and Co., London - Early Edition
A bright sharp copy of the author’s magnificent nonsense verse, the tale of the Bellman and his crew’s strange voyage in search of a Snark, and featuring an unlikely cast of characters drawn from his other works, Jabberwocky and Through the Looking Glass Wonderfully illustrated with nine imaginative woodcuts by Henry Holiday.‘The Hunting of the Snark is a poem over which an unstable, sensitive soul might very well go mad.’ - Martin Gardner, The Annotated Snark.
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Price HK$ 1,800
The Decisive Moment -
Henri Cartier-Bresson
1952 - Simon and Schuster in collaboration with Éditions Verve of Paris, New York - First Edition in English
‘To me, photography is the simultaneous recognition, in a fraction of a second, of the significance of an event as well as of a precise organization of forms which give that event its proper expression.’
An elusive near fine copy, the book without the commonly found wear or chips to spine, in the delicate dust jacket, both showing the striking illustration provided by Cartier-Bresson’s friend Henri Matisse. The original 12 leaf ‘Captions’ pamphlet laid in.
One of the most important photography books of the 20th century, containing 126 full or double page heliogravures, considered ‘unique in providing an international portrait or impression of humanity covering the two decades prior to it’s publication’. Prefaced by Cartier-Bresson’s 4,500-word philosophical essay, whose keynote ‘There is nothing in this world that does not have a decisive moment.’ was taken from the 17th century Cardinal de Reitz.
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Price HK$ 18,000
1952 - Simon and Schuster in collaboration with Éditions Verve of Paris, New York - First Edition in English
‘To me, photography is the simultaneous recognition, in a fraction of a second, of the significance of an event as well as of a precise organization of forms which give that event its proper expression.’An elusive near fine copy, the book without the commonly found wear or chips to spine, in the delicate dust jacket, both showing the striking illustration provided by Cartier-Bresson’s friend Henri Matisse. The original 12 leaf ‘Captions’ pamphlet laid in.
One of the most important photography books of the 20th century, containing 126 full or double page heliogravures, considered ‘unique in providing an international portrait or impression of humanity covering the two decades prior to it’s publication’. Prefaced by Cartier-Bresson’s 4,500-word philosophical essay, whose keynote ‘There is nothing in this world that does not have a decisive moment.’ was taken from the 17th century Cardinal de Reitz.
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Price HK$ 18,000
The Europeans -
Henri Cartier-Bresson
1955 - Simon and Schuster in collaboration with Éditions Verve of Paris, New York - First Edition in English [published in the same year as the French Edition]
‘The people shown in this book are Europeans. To a Hottentot or a Chinese peasant, they might all look alike, at first site. Yet nowhere, probably, are as many differences crammed into so little space as in Europe, for reasons geographical and historical.’ - H. C-B.
A bright copy of Cartier-Bresson’s beautiful work, in the iconic covers designed by his friend Joan’Miró.
Cartier-Bresson spent five years gathering images of post-war Europe, resulting in this large folio collection of 116 gravure reproductions, containing some of his most striking and well known photographs. With the original 12 page ‘Captions’ pamphlet.
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Price HK$ 4,600
1955 - Simon and Schuster in collaboration with Éditions Verve of Paris, New York - First Edition in English [published in the same year as the French Edition]
‘The people shown in this book are Europeans. To a Hottentot or a Chinese peasant, they might all look alike, at first site. Yet nowhere, probably, are as many differences crammed into so little space as in Europe, for reasons geographical and historical.’ - H. C-B.A bright copy of Cartier-Bresson’s beautiful work, in the iconic covers designed by his friend Joan’Miró.
Cartier-Bresson spent five years gathering images of post-war Europe, resulting in this large folio collection of 116 gravure reproductions, containing some of his most striking and well known photographs. With the original 12 page ‘Captions’ pamphlet.
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Price HK$ 4,600
SOLD - Letters -
Anton Chekhov, Constance Garnett (translator, editor)
1920 - Chatto & Windus, London - First English Edition
‘Of the eighteen hundred and ninety letters published by Chekhov’s family I have chosen for translation these letters and passages from letters which best to illustrate Chekhov’s life, character and opinions. The brief memoir is abridged and adapted from the biographical sketch by his brother Mihail’ - from the introduction.
The letters in this volume illustrate the charming blend of narration and wit that comprise Chekhov's signature style. Ranging from love letters, discussions of literature with publishers and directors, and descriptions of the landscapes, people and preoccupations of his daily life.
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Price HK$ 3,800
1920 - Chatto & Windus, London - First English Edition
‘Of the eighteen hundred and ninety letters published by Chekhov’s family I have chosen for translation these letters and passages from letters which best to illustrate Chekhov’s life, character and opinions. The brief memoir is abridged and adapted from the biographical sketch by his brother Mihail’ - from the introduction.The letters in this volume illustrate the charming blend of narration and wit that comprise Chekhov's signature style. Ranging from love letters, discussions of literature with publishers and directors, and descriptions of the landscapes, people and preoccupations of his daily life.
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Price HK$ 3,800
A Pocket Full of Rye -
Agatha Christie
1953 - Published for The Crime Club by Collins, London - First Edition
‘A tear rose in Miss Marple’s eyes. Succeeding pity, there came anger- anger against a heartless killer. And then, displacing both these emotions, there came a surge of triumph - the triumph some specialist might feel who has successfully reconstructed an extinct animal from a fragment of jawbone and a couple of teeth.’
Yet another case opens up for our distinguished sleuth, when a murder spree befalls a wealthy but troubled family, and the death of an innocent maid Miss Marple knew as a child compels her to investigate. A cracking murder-mystery with everything from poisoned teacups to sinister nursery rhymes- that will keep you up well past a sensible hour.
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Price HK$ 3,200
1953 - Published for The Crime Club by Collins, London - First Edition
‘A tear rose in Miss Marple’s eyes. Succeeding pity, there came anger- anger against a heartless killer. And then, displacing both these emotions, there came a surge of triumph - the triumph some specialist might feel who has successfully reconstructed an extinct animal from a fragment of jawbone and a couple of teeth.’Yet another case opens up for our distinguished sleuth, when a murder spree befalls a wealthy but troubled family, and the death of an innocent maid Miss Marple knew as a child compels her to investigate. A cracking murder-mystery with everything from poisoned teacups to sinister nursery rhymes- that will keep you up well past a sensible hour.
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Price HK$ 3,200
Tai-Pan – A Novel of Hong Kong -
James Clavell
1966 - Michael Joseph, London - First Edition
‘Grand entertainment…packed with action…gaudy and flamboyant with blood and sin, treachery and conspiracy, sex and murder…fresh and vigorous.’ —New York Times
Clavell’s memorably epic historical novel, the second in his series of Asian sagas. Set during the 1840s, it follows the changing fortunes of Dirk Straun, the ‘tai-pan’ of powerful trading company, The Noble House, as he guides the development of the desolate island of Hong Kong into a jewel of the British Empire.
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Price HK$ 2,600
1966 - Michael Joseph, London - First Edition
‘Grand entertainment…packed with action…gaudy and flamboyant with blood and sin, treachery and conspiracy, sex and murder…fresh and vigorous.’ —New York TimesClavell’s memorably epic historical novel, the second in his series of Asian sagas. Set during the 1840s, it follows the changing fortunes of Dirk Straun, the ‘tai-pan’ of powerful trading company, The Noble House, as he guides the development of the desolate island of Hong Kong into a jewel of the British Empire.
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Price HK$ 2,600