Yachting - The Badminton Library of Sports and Pastimes -
Sir Edward Sullivan, Lord Brassey, C.E. Seth-Smith, G.L. Watson, R.T. Pritchett, Sir George Leach et al.
1894-5 - Longmans, London - First Editions
‘To some, I believe, Paradise means yachting, and for my own part, I think a 200-ton schooner, a ten -knot breeze, and a summer sea hard to beat’. - From the introduction by Sir Edward Sullivan.
A famous yachting work, covering the golden age of yachting, including chapters on: Ocean Cruising; The Evolution of the Modern Racing Yacht; Recollections of Schooner Racing; Fitting out a Fifty-Tonner to go Foreign; Some Famous Races; Yachting in America; Foreign and Colonial Yachting; and The America Cup Races.
Two volumes profusely illustrated with 57 full page plates and over 240 in-text illustrations plans and diagrams.
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Price HK$ 5,500
1894-5 - Longmans, London - First Editions
‘To some, I believe, Paradise means yachting, and for my own part, I think a 200-ton schooner, a ten -knot breeze, and a summer sea hard to beat’. - From the introduction by Sir Edward Sullivan. A famous yachting work, covering the golden age of yachting, including chapters on: Ocean Cruising; The Evolution of the Modern Racing Yacht; Recollections of Schooner Racing; Fitting out a Fifty-Tonner to go Foreign; Some Famous Races; Yachting in America; Foreign and Colonial Yachting; and The America Cup Races.
Two volumes profusely illustrated with 57 full page plates and over 240 in-text illustrations plans and diagrams.
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Price HK$ 5,500
The Bar-Tender's Guide or How to Mix All Kinds of Plain and Fancy Drinks: Containing Clear and Reliable Directions for Mixing All the Beverages Used in the United States, Together with the Most Popular British, French, German, Italian, Russian, and Spanish Recipes; Embracing Punches, Juleps, Cobblers, Etc., Etc. in Endless Variety -
Jerry Thomas
1887 - Fitzgerald Publishing Corporation, New York - An Entirely New and Enlarged Edition
A rare fine example of the legendary and seminal first bartenders' guide to include cocktail recipes. By the great Professor Jerry Thomas, referred to as ‘The Best Bartender of the Past’ by Harry Craddock in the ‘Savoy Cocktail Book’ of 1930.
In the publisher’s brown cloth, and with two illustrations from the original wood engravings (Brandy Crusta and Pousse L.Amour).
"Professor" Jerry Thomas was laid to rest in 1885 after a distinguished career in service to the "sporting franternity" of America, In 1862, Thomas finished his ‘Bar-Tender’s Guide’, the first drink book ever published in the United States. The book collected and codified what was then an oral tradition of recipes from the early days of cocktails, including some of his own creations; the guide laid down the principles for formulating mixed drinks of all categories. The first edition of the guide includes the first written recipes of such cocktails as the Brandy Daisy, Fizz, Flip, Sour and variations of the earliest form of mixed drink, Punch.
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Price HK$ 9,500
1887 - Fitzgerald Publishing Corporation, New York - An Entirely New and Enlarged Edition
A rare fine example of the legendary and seminal first bartenders' guide to include cocktail recipes. By the great Professor Jerry Thomas, referred to as ‘The Best Bartender of the Past’ by Harry Craddock in the ‘Savoy Cocktail Book’ of 1930.In the publisher’s brown cloth, and with two illustrations from the original wood engravings (Brandy Crusta and Pousse L.Amour).
"Professor" Jerry Thomas was laid to rest in 1885 after a distinguished career in service to the "sporting franternity" of America, In 1862, Thomas finished his ‘Bar-Tender’s Guide’, the first drink book ever published in the United States. The book collected and codified what was then an oral tradition of recipes from the early days of cocktails, including some of his own creations; the guide laid down the principles for formulating mixed drinks of all categories. The first edition of the guide includes the first written recipes of such cocktails as the Brandy Daisy, Fizz, Flip, Sour and variations of the earliest form of mixed drink, Punch.
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Price HK$ 9,500
The Lawson History of the America's Cup. A Record of Fifty Years -
Winfield. M. Thompson, Thomas W. Lawson
1902 - Privately Printed, Boston - First and Limited Edition, of which this is number 1560
A beautiful copy in publisher’s binding, of this large and splendid volume, over 400 pages illustrated with eighty-nine full page plates of which sixteen are colour and two are maps outlined in colour.
Detailing the history of the America’s Cup from 1851 to 1902, it’s challenges, yachts, protests, characters and an appendix of press articles. There is nothing finer.
Scarce in this condition even more so in the original magnificent gilt pictorial white canvas cloth binding with green morocco title label. Privately printed for private distribution only, and limited to 3,000 copies most of which were presented to prominent members of the yachting community and to rather special libraries this particular copy was presented to ‘The Public Library of Cincinnati’ which was founded in 1802, in 1874 it moved into its new premises built at a cost of US$380,000, the equivalent of US$10 million in 2023.
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Price HK$ 15,000
1902 - Privately Printed, Boston - First and Limited Edition, of which this is number 1560
A beautiful copy in publisher’s binding, of this large and splendid volume, over 400 pages illustrated with eighty-nine full page plates of which sixteen are colour and two are maps outlined in colour.Detailing the history of the America’s Cup from 1851 to 1902, it’s challenges, yachts, protests, characters and an appendix of press articles. There is nothing finer.
Scarce in this condition even more so in the original magnificent gilt pictorial white canvas cloth binding with green morocco title label. Privately printed for private distribution only, and limited to 3,000 copies most of which were presented to prominent members of the yachting community and to rather special libraries this particular copy was presented to ‘The Public Library of Cincinnati’ which was founded in 1802, in 1874 it moved into its new premises built at a cost of US$380,000, the equivalent of US$10 million in 2023.
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Price HK$ 15,000
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King -
J.R.R. Tolkien
1966 - George Allen &, London - First Editions, 15th 12th &
‘One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.’
A handsome set of these early impressions of the first edition, each volume with Tolkien’s fabulous folding maps of Middle Earth, outlined in red and black, bound in at the rear. The dust jacket artwork matching those of the first printings. With Tolkien’s additional foreword to the first volume.
Tolkien’s epic fantastical trilogy, one of the most memorable stories of the 20th century, containing amazing details of a new mythology, never really surpassed. The tale of young Hobbit Frodo Baggins and his faithful band of companions as they journey across Middle-Earth to destroy the Ring of Power and the evil Lord Sauron.
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Price HK$ 17,000
1966 - George Allen &, London - First Editions, 15th 12th &
‘One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.’
A handsome set of these early impressions of the first edition, each volume with Tolkien’s fabulous folding maps of Middle Earth, outlined in red and black, bound in at the rear. The dust jacket artwork matching those of the first printings. With Tolkien’s additional foreword to the first volume.
Tolkien’s epic fantastical trilogy, one of the most memorable stories of the 20th century, containing amazing details of a new mythology, never really surpassed. The tale of young Hobbit Frodo Baggins and his faithful band of companions as they journey across Middle-Earth to destroy the Ring of Power and the evil Lord Sauron.
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Price HK$ 17,000
Travers' Golf Book -
Jerome D. Travers
1913 - The Macmillan Company, New York - First Edition
A fine first edition of the first book by this golfing legend, illustrated with a colour frontispiece and 46 black and white photographic plates. A combination of autobiography and instructional.
‘Although he was of slight stature, Travers dominated golf in the decade before World War I with his stunning iron shots and expert putting. He won many tournaments because of his calm temperament, patience, and ability to make precise shots. He won the United States Amateur in 1907, 1908, 1912, and 1913, and was runner-up in 1914. His victory in 1913 set a record for that tournament – not broken until Bobby Jones won it five times. He was among the first members of the Golf Hall of Fame established by the United States Golf Association’. [DAB]
‘Some of the words used to describe Jerry Travers have not been kind – cold, somber, ruthless – yet these were the qualities that made him the most feared golfer of his time. In a nine-year stretch from 1906-1915, Travers won four U.S. Amateurs, five Metropolitan Amateurs and a U.S. Open. Only Bob Jones won more amateur titles and Travers was one of only five amateurs to win the Open. And his battles with Walter Travis, in the words of Herbert Warren Wind, “formed the crucible in which a talented young golfer was made into the greatest match player of his decade”‘. [World Golf Hall of Fame]
And in 1915 at the age of 28, Travers ended his championship career.
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Price HK$ 7,000
1913 - The Macmillan Company, New York - First Edition
A fine first edition of the first book by this golfing legend, illustrated with a colour frontispiece and 46 black and white photographic plates. A combination of autobiography and instructional.‘Although he was of slight stature, Travers dominated golf in the decade before World War I with his stunning iron shots and expert putting. He won many tournaments because of his calm temperament, patience, and ability to make precise shots. He won the United States Amateur in 1907, 1908, 1912, and 1913, and was runner-up in 1914. His victory in 1913 set a record for that tournament – not broken until Bobby Jones won it five times. He was among the first members of the Golf Hall of Fame established by the United States Golf Association’. [DAB]
‘Some of the words used to describe Jerry Travers have not been kind – cold, somber, ruthless – yet these were the qualities that made him the most feared golfer of his time. In a nine-year stretch from 1906-1915, Travers won four U.S. Amateurs, five Metropolitan Amateurs and a U.S. Open. Only Bob Jones won more amateur titles and Travers was one of only five amateurs to win the Open. And his battles with Walter Travis, in the words of Herbert Warren Wind, “formed the crucible in which a talented young golfer was made into the greatest match player of his decade”‘. [World Golf Hall of Fame]
And in 1915 at the age of 28, Travers ended his championship career.
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Price HK$ 7,000
La Vigne - Voyage Autour des Vins de France -
Charles Albert Vicomte d'Arnoux Bertall
1878 - E. Plon et Cie., Paris - First Edition
A superb example of this richly illustrated wine book landmark, text in French, with numerous humorous anecdotes about winemakers, merchants, innkeepers... Housed in the publisher’s luxury full red morocco binding.
The author and illustrator ‘Bertall’ is the pseudonym of the designer, caricaturist and photographer Charles Albert Vicomte d'Arnoux (1820-1882), who provides 95 full page captioned illustrations and close to 400 in-text wood-engraved illustrations.
The a vast array of illustrations by ‘Bertall’ are combined with an interesting potpourri of French viniana. For example, wines are divided into three big categories: white wines, red wines and blue wines, matching the French national colours. The whites are generally luxury wines, from Chablis and Saumur to Champagne and Sauterne - wines of the rich. Red wines are for general use and for tasting, they make glad the heart and the mind, etc. Blue wines are the wines of the workers and of those who prefer not to work, wines warm in the gut but hard on the gullet, good for vitality in moderation, but bad when taken to excess [pages 23-24].
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Price HK$ 8,000
1878 - E. Plon et Cie., Paris - First Edition
A superb example of this richly illustrated wine book landmark, text in French, with numerous humorous anecdotes about winemakers, merchants, innkeepers... Housed in the publisher’s luxury full red morocco binding.The author and illustrator ‘Bertall’ is the pseudonym of the designer, caricaturist and photographer Charles Albert Vicomte d'Arnoux (1820-1882), who provides 95 full page captioned illustrations and close to 400 in-text wood-engraved illustrations.
The a vast array of illustrations by ‘Bertall’ are combined with an interesting potpourri of French viniana. For example, wines are divided into three big categories: white wines, red wines and blue wines, matching the French national colours. The whites are generally luxury wines, from Chablis and Saumur to Champagne and Sauterne - wines of the rich. Red wines are for general use and for tasting, they make glad the heart and the mind, etc. Blue wines are the wines of the workers and of those who prefer not to work, wines warm in the gut but hard on the gullet, good for vitality in moderation, but bad when taken to excess [pages 23-24].
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Price HK$ 8,000
A History of Champagne -
Henry Vizetelly
1882 - Vizetelly &, London - First Edition
A superb example of the finest work ever presented on Champagne. Tracing the history of champagne and it’s wine over 1,800 years. Strikingly illustrated with 350 engravings, including numerous illustrations from ancient manuscripts and 200 original sketches made under the author's supervision. With folding coloured lithograph map showing the vineyards of Champagne. In the publishers elegant gilt pictorial binding.
The first part of the book is historical, champagne from its origins, its progress in the 14th century, the 17th, 18th, the conflict between Burgundy and Champagne, champagne in England. The second part describes the various vineyards, viticulture, manufacturing, large establishments of Reims, d'Epernay, Pierry, Ay, Mareuil, Avize and Rilly. Part three talks about the other sparkling wines of France: Saumur, Vouvray, Sauterne, Bourgogne, Jura, Rhone, concluding with Facts and Notes Respecting Sparkling Wine. To the rear are advertisements from producers such as Moët et Chandon, Deutz & Geldermann, and Vizetelly's catalogue of other published works.
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Price HK$ 20,000
1882 - Vizetelly &, London - First Edition
A superb example of the finest work ever presented on Champagne. Tracing the history of champagne and it’s wine over 1,800 years. Strikingly illustrated with 350 engravings, including numerous illustrations from ancient manuscripts and 200 original sketches made under the author's supervision. With folding coloured lithograph map showing the vineyards of Champagne. In the publishers elegant gilt pictorial binding.The first part of the book is historical, champagne from its origins, its progress in the 14th century, the 17th, 18th, the conflict between Burgundy and Champagne, champagne in England. The second part describes the various vineyards, viticulture, manufacturing, large establishments of Reims, d'Epernay, Pierry, Ay, Mareuil, Avize and Rilly. Part three talks about the other sparkling wines of France: Saumur, Vouvray, Sauterne, Bourgogne, Jura, Rhone, concluding with Facts and Notes Respecting Sparkling Wine. To the rear are advertisements from producers such as Moët et Chandon, Deutz & Geldermann, and Vizetelly's catalogue of other published works.
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Price HK$ 20,000
The Ring of the Niblung -
Richard Wagner, Arthur Rackham (illustrator), Margaret Armour (translator)
1910 - William Heinemann, London - Edition de luxes, each one limited to 1, 150 copies signed by Rackham
A magnificent set of Rackham's dramatic interpretation of Wagner's libretti, in the large deluxe vellum bindings, each one numbered and signed by Rackham.
Wagner’s ‘Trilogy, with a Prelude’, his libretti for The Ring of Niblung cycle, stunningly illustrated by Arthur Rackham, featuring sixty-four beautiful tipped-in colour plates each with descriptive tissue guards, and twenty-three black and white drawings across two volumes.
Translated from the German into English by Margaret Armour.
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Price HK$ 48,000
1910 - William Heinemann, London - Edition de luxes, each one limited to 1, 150 copies signed by Rackham
A magnificent set of Rackham's dramatic interpretation of Wagner's libretti, in the large deluxe vellum bindings, each one numbered and signed by Rackham.Wagner’s ‘Trilogy, with a Prelude’, his libretti for The Ring of Niblung cycle, stunningly illustrated by Arthur Rackham, featuring sixty-four beautiful tipped-in colour plates each with descriptive tissue guards, and twenty-three black and white drawings across two volumes.
Translated from the German into English by Margaret Armour.
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Price HK$ 48,000