Life and Writings of Thomas Paine -
Thomas Paine, Daniel Edwin Wheeler (editor)
1908 - Vincent Parke and Company, New York - Independence Edition of the Centenary Issue
‘These are the times that try men's souls’
Elegantly bound ten volume set of the de luxe independence edition, number 166 of just 500 hand-numbered sets signed by the editor Daniel Edwin Wheeler, published to celebrate the centenary of Paine's death.
Included are Paine’s ‘Common Sense’, ‘The American Crises’, ‘The Rights of Man’, and ‘The Age of Reason’, as well as essays, letters and speeches. Each volume with three photogravure or facsimile plates, as well as a frontispiece, title-pages printed in two colours, autographed limitation leaf to volume one.
‘On January 10, 1776, an obscure immigrant published a small pamphlet that ignited independence in America and shifted the political landscape of the patriot movement from reform within the British imperial system to independence from it. One hundred twenty thousand copies sold in the first three months in a nation of three million people, making Common Sense the best-selling printed work by a single author in American history up to that time. Never before had a personally written work appealed to all classes of colonists. Never before had a pamphlet been written in an inspiring style so accessible to the “common” folk of America.’ - Jack Miller Center.
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Price HK$ 35,000
1908 - Vincent Parke and Company, New York - Independence Edition of the Centenary Issue
‘These are the times that try men's souls’Elegantly bound ten volume set of the de luxe independence edition, number 166 of just 500 hand-numbered sets signed by the editor Daniel Edwin Wheeler, published to celebrate the centenary of Paine's death.
Included are Paine’s ‘Common Sense’, ‘The American Crises’, ‘The Rights of Man’, and ‘The Age of Reason’, as well as essays, letters and speeches. Each volume with three photogravure or facsimile plates, as well as a frontispiece, title-pages printed in two colours, autographed limitation leaf to volume one.
‘On January 10, 1776, an obscure immigrant published a small pamphlet that ignited independence in America and shifted the political landscape of the patriot movement from reform within the British imperial system to independence from it. One hundred twenty thousand copies sold in the first three months in a nation of three million people, making Common Sense the best-selling printed work by a single author in American history up to that time. Never before had a personally written work appealed to all classes of colonists. Never before had a pamphlet been written in an inspiring style so accessible to the “common” folk of America.’ - Jack Miller Center.
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Price HK$ 35,000
Backgammon: Its History and Practice -
George Frederick Pardon, Kenny Meadows (illustrator)
1844 - D. Bogue, London - First Edition
A rare and superior first edition of this wonderfully illustrated little work on Backgammon. Surprisingly for a game that may have originated around 2,500 BC this is one of the earliest English treatise to focus on the game.
Quite comprehensive, the cheeky ‘Punch’ style vignettes enhancing the more humorous anecdotes and quotes. The final chapter ‘Definition of Technicalities’ is not as dull as it sounds, for example -
“Covering your man to make sure of him” – A procedure to prevent your man being hit in the game – to ensure it in a duel.
“Gammon.” – A thing that abounds in many huge, old, smoky chimneys in the country, and in many well-ventilated public apartments in town’.
“High Doublets” – Twinned sixes or cinqs – frequent and highly ridiculous in operas, when melodious ladies enact truculent warriors.’
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Price HK$ 8,000
1844 - D. Bogue, London - First Edition
A rare and superior first edition of this wonderfully illustrated little work on Backgammon. Surprisingly for a game that may have originated around 2,500 BC this is one of the earliest English treatise to focus on the game.Quite comprehensive, the cheeky ‘Punch’ style vignettes enhancing the more humorous anecdotes and quotes. The final chapter ‘Definition of Technicalities’ is not as dull as it sounds, for example -
“Covering your man to make sure of him” – A procedure to prevent your man being hit in the game – to ensure it in a duel.
“Gammon.” – A thing that abounds in many huge, old, smoky chimneys in the country, and in many well-ventilated public apartments in town’.
“High Doublets” – Twinned sixes or cinqs – frequent and highly ridiculous in operas, when melodious ladies enact truculent warriors.’
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Price HK$ 8,000
The Compleat Gentleman -
Henry Peacham, Thomas Blount
1661 - Printed by E. Tyler, London - Third impression "
A superior example of one of the most important of all English courtesy books, with additional copper-engraved title page, 85 woodcut illustrations and ornamental headpieces.
The work for which Peacham (1576?-1643) will always be remembered. It was written for William Howard, Lord Arundel's youngest son, a boy of eight, to whom it is dedicated. The lad had not been Peacham's pupil; but they had met at Norwich, while the boy was a pupil of the bishop there. The book was suggested to him by M. de Ligny of Artois, who called Peacham's attention to the defective equipment of English youths in the matter of accomplishments. It is an interesting endeavour to encourage young men to devote themselves at once to the arts and athletic exercises.
A valuable survey is incidentally given of contemporary English efforts in science, art, and literature. A second impression, ‘much inlarged,’ appeared in 1626, and again in 1627, with an attractive chapter on fishing among other additions. This third edition of 1661, contained additional notes on blazonry by Thomas Blount (1618-1679); from this volume Dr. Johnson drew all the heraldic definitions in his dictionary’ [DNB].
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Price HK$ 9,000
1661 - Printed by E. Tyler, London - Third impression "
A superior example of one of the most important of all English courtesy books, with additional copper-engraved title page, 85 woodcut illustrations and ornamental headpieces.The work for which Peacham (1576?-1643) will always be remembered. It was written for William Howard, Lord Arundel's youngest son, a boy of eight, to whom it is dedicated. The lad had not been Peacham's pupil; but they had met at Norwich, while the boy was a pupil of the bishop there. The book was suggested to him by M. de Ligny of Artois, who called Peacham's attention to the defective equipment of English youths in the matter of accomplishments. It is an interesting endeavour to encourage young men to devote themselves at once to the arts and athletic exercises.
A valuable survey is incidentally given of contemporary English efforts in science, art, and literature. A second impression, ‘much inlarged,’ appeared in 1626, and again in 1627, with an attractive chapter on fishing among other additions. This third edition of 1661, contained additional notes on blazonry by Thomas Blount (1618-1679); from this volume Dr. Johnson drew all the heraldic definitions in his dictionary’ [DNB].
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Price HK$ 9,000
The Epicurean -
Charles Ranhofer
1894 - Charles Ranhofer, New York - First Edition
Inscribed by Ranhofer to Monsieur Louis Bouchard as a ‘Souvenir de bonne amitié’.
Rare, majestic, and fine copy of ‘one of the most important books in modern cooking - a treasure trove of culinary information and a fascinating look at elite restaurant cooking from the Civil War to the turn of the last century.’ [Los Angeles Times 2005].
‘The turn-of-the-century Delmonico's chef spills everything he knows about cooking. Ranhofer's work was unprecedented - and was considered high treason by his peers at the time. A fascinating and imposing tome and an important piece of culinary history.’ - Anthony Bourdain.
Delmonico’s was one of the famous restaurant in New York in the 19th century; his clients included the Grand Duke Alexis of Russia, Charles-Louis Napoleon, Oscar Wilde, Charles Dickens, amongst many others. Ranhofer himself ‘was the greatest cook America ever knew, "one who moved among the great chefs of France as peer and equal"’. [O’Connell. Thomas 86].
This massive volume contains over 3,500 recipes, illustrated throughout with more than 800 plates from woodcuts, accompanied by hundreds of menus, a history of table settings and instructions for American, French and Russian service.
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Price HK$ 30,000
1894 - Charles Ranhofer, New York - First Edition
Inscribed by Ranhofer to Monsieur Louis Bouchard as a ‘Souvenir de bonne amitié’.Rare, majestic, and fine copy of ‘one of the most important books in modern cooking - a treasure trove of culinary information and a fascinating look at elite restaurant cooking from the Civil War to the turn of the last century.’ [Los Angeles Times 2005].
‘The turn-of-the-century Delmonico's chef spills everything he knows about cooking. Ranhofer's work was unprecedented - and was considered high treason by his peers at the time. A fascinating and imposing tome and an important piece of culinary history.’ - Anthony Bourdain.
Delmonico’s was one of the famous restaurant in New York in the 19th century; his clients included the Grand Duke Alexis of Russia, Charles-Louis Napoleon, Oscar Wilde, Charles Dickens, amongst many others. Ranhofer himself ‘was the greatest cook America ever knew, "one who moved among the great chefs of France as peer and equal"’. [O’Connell. Thomas 86].
This massive volume contains over 3,500 recipes, illustrated throughout with more than 800 plates from woodcuts, accompanied by hundreds of menus, a history of table settings and instructions for American, French and Russian service.
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Price HK$ 30,000
Sandow on Physical Training -
Eugen Sandow
1894 - Gale &, London - First Edition
A scarce and remarkably clean copy of the rare first edition in it’s original pictorial covers, by the ‘Father of Bodybuilding’. ‘Sandow The Magnificent’ also opened one of the first ‘health clubs’ in the world. He was friends with Conan-Doyle, Thomas Edison and King George V. Large [26x20cm] and richly illustrated from photographs, drawings and diagrams.
Sandow's resemblance to the physiques found on classical Greek and Roman sculpture was no accident, as he measured the statues in museums and helped to develop "The Grecian Ideal" as a formula for the "perfect physique." He is seen as one of the first athletes to intentionally develop his musculature to predetermined dimensions. In Strength and How to Obtain It Sandow lays out specific prescriptions of weights and repetitions in order to achieve his ideal proportion.
Sandow was the promoter and judge at the first bodybuilding contest ever held, at the Royal Albert Hall in London on September 14, 1901, and his importance was such that the trophy for Mr. Olympia is a statuette of Sandow, one could even say that Sandow was the inspiration for a recent Governor of California.
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Price HK$ 7,000
1894 - Gale &, London - First Edition
A scarce and remarkably clean copy of the rare first edition in it’s original pictorial covers, by the ‘Father of Bodybuilding’. ‘Sandow The Magnificent’ also opened one of the first ‘health clubs’ in the world. He was friends with Conan-Doyle, Thomas Edison and King George V. Large [26x20cm] and richly illustrated from photographs, drawings and diagrams.Sandow's resemblance to the physiques found on classical Greek and Roman sculpture was no accident, as he measured the statues in museums and helped to develop "The Grecian Ideal" as a formula for the "perfect physique." He is seen as one of the first athletes to intentionally develop his musculature to predetermined dimensions. In Strength and How to Obtain It Sandow lays out specific prescriptions of weights and repetitions in order to achieve his ideal proportion.
Sandow was the promoter and judge at the first bodybuilding contest ever held, at the Royal Albert Hall in London on September 14, 1901, and his importance was such that the trophy for Mr. Olympia is a statuette of Sandow, one could even say that Sandow was the inspiration for a recent Governor of California.
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Price HK$ 7,000
The Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare -
William Shakespeare, William Watkiss Lloyd, Samuel Weller Singer
1856 - Bell and Daldy, London
An elegant ten volume mid-nineteenth century set of Shakespeare's works, finely bound by Bayntun-Rivière of Bath.
Illustrated with wood engravings by John Thompson from drawings by Thomas Stothard, and photographs, decorated with headpieces and floriated initials.
The text carefully revised with notes by Samuel Weller Singer, together with a biography and critical essays on the plays by William Watkiss Lloyd.
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Price HK$ 15,000
1856 - Bell and Daldy, London
An elegant ten volume mid-nineteenth century set of Shakespeare's works, finely bound by Bayntun-Rivière of Bath.Illustrated with wood engravings by John Thompson from drawings by Thomas Stothard, and photographs, decorated with headpieces and floriated initials.
The text carefully revised with notes by Samuel Weller Singer, together with a biography and critical essays on the plays by William Watkiss Lloyd.
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Price HK$ 15,000
A Practical Treatise on Brewing, Distilling, and Rectification -
Robert Shannon
1805 - Robert Scholey, London - First and Only Edition
Rare first edition of this comprehensive and landmark work on wines, spirits, and beers, that ‘may be considered the first modern book in English treating the subject’ of distillation’ [Buxton & Hughes] and the second book in English to discuss ‘modern wines’. [Gabler]
A finely bound large thick quarto volume of over 900 pages split into four parts: Book I: Brewing for Malt Liquors (beer); Book II: Brewing for Distilling (spirits e.g. Gin, whisky, rum, brandy); Book III: Made Wines, Vinegar, Cider, and Perry; Appendix: Wines, Brandies, and Vinegars (mostly descriptions of foreign wines from Spain, France, Greece, Germany, Hungary, Portugal, and South Africa).
Illustrated with eight engraved plates and six tables.
According to Buxton and Hughes, ‘Shannon is credited with taking a recognisably systematic approach to the subject aiming, as he says to ‘shew the distiller how he may proceed on rational principles’. ’Curiously for such a comprehensive work there appears to only ever have been one edition’.
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Price HK$ 45,000
1805 - Robert Scholey, London - First and Only Edition
Rare first edition of this comprehensive and landmark work on wines, spirits, and beers, that ‘may be considered the first modern book in English treating the subject’ of distillation’ [Buxton & Hughes] and the second book in English to discuss ‘modern wines’. [Gabler]A finely bound large thick quarto volume of over 900 pages split into four parts: Book I: Brewing for Malt Liquors (beer); Book II: Brewing for Distilling (spirits e.g. Gin, whisky, rum, brandy); Book III: Made Wines, Vinegar, Cider, and Perry; Appendix: Wines, Brandies, and Vinegars (mostly descriptions of foreign wines from Spain, France, Greece, Germany, Hungary, Portugal, and South Africa).
Illustrated with eight engraved plates and six tables.
According to Buxton and Hughes, ‘Shannon is credited with taking a recognisably systematic approach to the subject aiming, as he says to ‘shew the distiller how he may proceed on rational principles’. ’Curiously for such a comprehensive work there appears to only ever have been one edition’.
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Price HK$ 45,000
The Art of Golf -
Sir W. G. Simpson, Bart.
1887 - David Douglas, Edinburgh - First Edition
‘One of the great classic books on golf literature, it includes the first use of photographs to demonstrate the swing.’- Joseph Murdoch, The Library of Golf.
Dedicated to the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers. Fully illustrated with photographic plates of old Tom Morris Jim Morris and Ben Sayers, and with figure drawings. Scarce copy with the original spine, and without being rebacked.
‘One of the classics of golf literature... a book of great charm and wit, one of the few of the very early books that can be read today with as much pleasure as the latest best seller.’ Cecil Hopkinson said, ‘It contained many diagrams and illustrations from instantaneous photographs, which was the first occasion on which the camera was called in to demonstrate correct methods of play.’ Bernard Darwin said of this book ‘one of the earliest and still the best book on golf.’
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Price HK$ 10,000
1887 - David Douglas, Edinburgh - First Edition
‘One of the great classic books on golf literature, it includes the first use of photographs to demonstrate the swing.’- Joseph Murdoch, The Library of Golf.Dedicated to the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers. Fully illustrated with photographic plates of old Tom Morris Jim Morris and Ben Sayers, and with figure drawings. Scarce copy with the original spine, and without being rebacked.
‘One of the classics of golf literature... a book of great charm and wit, one of the few of the very early books that can be read today with as much pleasure as the latest best seller.’ Cecil Hopkinson said, ‘It contained many diagrams and illustrations from instantaneous photographs, which was the first occasion on which the camera was called in to demonstrate correct methods of play.’ Bernard Darwin said of this book ‘one of the earliest and still the best book on golf.’
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Price HK$ 10,000