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Traite Theorique et Pratique du Travail des Vins. Leurs proprietes, leur fabrication, leurs maladies. Fabrication des Vins Mousseux -
Edme-Jules Maumene
1874 - G. Masson, Paris - Deuxieme Edition, Entierement Refondue.
An influential and fundamental work in the history of Champagne production, with text in French, by a pioneering industry chemist and Professor at Reims. In addition to the production of sparkling wines, and a lengthy study on the affects of sugar, this work deals with the properties of wine, manufacture, and their diseases. Also included are descriptions of the efforts made by other chemists, and a bibliography. This work appeared for the first time in 1858 under the title ‘Indications Théoriques et Pratiques sur le Travail des Vins’.
An internally fine unopened and uncut copy with illustrations and tables throughout.
Maumene was intrigued by the large number of exploding bottles, a problem that in some years affected over 60% of bottles in the mid-nineteenth century as Champagne houses battled to produce sufficient mousse to produce a good champagne. It had been supposed that the excess CO2 produced by the addition of too much sugar was the culprit, however Maumene, evaluating this ‘mousse-power’ by measuring the pressure of the CO2 inside the bottle, discovered that different wines produced different amounts of CO2 despite having the same amounts of sugar added.
Building on this work, by the end of the 19th century, Emile Manceau of Moet et Chandon, successfully reduced the breakage of 8-10 percent to 1 percent, and produced some pretty good Champagne to boot.
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Price HK$ 3,500
1874 - G. Masson, Paris - Deuxieme Edition, Entierement Refondue.
An influential and fundamental work in the history of Champagne production, with text in French, by a pioneering industry chemist and Professor at Reims. In addition to the production of sparkling wines, and a lengthy study on the affects of sugar, this work deals with the properties of wine, manufacture, and their diseases. Also included are descriptions of the efforts made by other chemists, and a bibliography. This work appeared for the first time in 1858 under the title ‘Indications Théoriques et Pratiques sur le Travail des Vins’.An internally fine unopened and uncut copy with illustrations and tables throughout.
Maumene was intrigued by the large number of exploding bottles, a problem that in some years affected over 60% of bottles in the mid-nineteenth century as Champagne houses battled to produce sufficient mousse to produce a good champagne. It had been supposed that the excess CO2 produced by the addition of too much sugar was the culprit, however Maumene, evaluating this ‘mousse-power’ by measuring the pressure of the CO2 inside the bottle, discovered that different wines produced different amounts of CO2 despite having the same amounts of sugar added.
Building on this work, by the end of the 19th century, Emile Manceau of Moet et Chandon, successfully reduced the breakage of 8-10 percent to 1 percent, and produced some pretty good Champagne to boot.
More details
Price HK$ 3,500
Haraszthy at the Mint - Famous Californian Trials, Volume 10 -
Brian McGinty
1975 - Printed by Richard J. Hoffman, Los Angeles - First Edition, limited to 300 copies
Agoston Haraszthy, the ‘father of Californian wine’, best known for his pioneering work in the vineyards of Sonoma, was indicted in 1857 for alleged embezzlement of gold from the San Francisco Mint. He was acquitted of all charges after a four year trial. This is the story of this early adventure in Haraszthy’s colourful and fascinating life.
One of only 300 copies printed, a lovely private press presentation with ten illustrations, and the original advertisement/flier loosely inserted.
‘Decorated initials went out of fashion in the late 18th century as book design became more austere. They returned in modern times with the fine printing renaissance. Brian McGinty’s Haraszthy at the Mint (Los Angeles: Dawson’s Book Shop, 1975), also from the “Law Books Bright and Beautiful” exhibit, is an example.’ – Yale Law School, Lillian Goldman Law Library.
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Price HK$ 2,000
1975 - Printed by Richard J. Hoffman, Los Angeles - First Edition, limited to 300 copies
Agoston Haraszthy, the ‘father of Californian wine’, best known for his pioneering work in the vineyards of Sonoma, was indicted in 1857 for alleged embezzlement of gold from the San Francisco Mint. He was acquitted of all charges after a four year trial. This is the story of this early adventure in Haraszthy’s colourful and fascinating life.One of only 300 copies printed, a lovely private press presentation with ten illustrations, and the original advertisement/flier loosely inserted.
‘Decorated initials went out of fashion in the late 18th century as book design became more austere. They returned in modern times with the fine printing renaissance. Brian McGinty’s Haraszthy at the Mint (Los Angeles: Dawson’s Book Shop, 1975), also from the “Law Books Bright and Beautiful” exhibit, is an example.’ – Yale Law School, Lillian Goldman Law Library.
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Price HK$ 2,000
Diamond Jim: The Life and Times of James Buchanan Brady -
Parker Morell
1934 - Simon and Schuster, New York - First Edition
The lively, true rags-to-riches story of Diamond Jim Brady, the vulgar and pretentious but generous and lovable to a fault Gilded Age businessman, with a gargantuan appetite for rich food and opulent jewelry, who started life as a barkeeper’s son and ended up one of the world’s most sensational capitalists. ‘Possibly the most colorful personality that ever walked the sidewalks of New York’.
First edition, notable for it’s faux-Diamond which is embedded into the front covers, sparkling through to Diamond Jim’s shirt on the scarce dust jacket. Illustrated with 22 black and white photographs.
‘Diamond Jim Brady was famous for three things: making millions selling railroad supplies, wearing flashy jewellery and eating enormous amounts of food.’ – The New York Times.
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Price HK$ 5,000
1934 - Simon and Schuster, New York - First Edition
The lively, true rags-to-riches story of Diamond Jim Brady, the vulgar and pretentious but generous and lovable to a fault Gilded Age businessman, with a gargantuan appetite for rich food and opulent jewelry, who started life as a barkeeper’s son and ended up one of the world’s most sensational capitalists. ‘Possibly the most colorful personality that ever walked the sidewalks of New York’.First edition, notable for it’s faux-Diamond which is embedded into the front covers, sparkling through to Diamond Jim’s shirt on the scarce dust jacket. Illustrated with 22 black and white photographs.
‘Diamond Jim Brady was famous for three things: making millions selling railroad supplies, wearing flashy jewellery and eating enormous amounts of food.’ – The New York Times.
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Price HK$ 5,000
Statistique de la vigne dans le département de la Côte-d'Or -
Dr. Denis Morelot
1831 - Victor Lagier, Dijon - First Edition
Rare first edition, uncut and unopened, of the first work to attempt any form of classification of vineyards in Burgundy, described by Jancis Robinson as a classic book on Burgundy.
‘Morelot covered the whole of the département, but especially ‘La Côte’, with recognisable descriptions of each village, commending individual vineuard sites as Têtes de Cuvée.The next important work on Burgundy would be that of Dr. Jules Lavallé in 1855 [Histoire et Statistique de la Vigne et des Grands Vins de la Côte-d'Or] - Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy.
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Price HK$ 60,000
1831 - Victor Lagier, Dijon - First Edition
Rare first edition, uncut and unopened, of the first work to attempt any form of classification of vineyards in Burgundy, described by Jancis Robinson as a classic book on Burgundy.‘Morelot covered the whole of the département, but especially ‘La Côte’, with recognisable descriptions of each village, commending individual vineuard sites as Têtes de Cuvée.The next important work on Burgundy would be that of Dr. Jules Lavallé in 1855 [Histoire et Statistique de la Vigne et des Grands Vins de la Côte-d'Or] - Jasper Morris, Inside Burgundy.
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Price HK$ 60,000
Healths Improvement: or, Rules Comprising and Discovering The Mature, Method, and Manner of Preparing all sorts of Food Used in this Nation. -
Thomas Muffett (Moffett), Christopher Bennet
1655 - Printed by Tho: Newcomb for Samuel Thornton, at the sign of the white Horse in Pauls Churchyard - First Edition
‘Written by that ever Famous Thomas Muffett, Doctor in Physick: Corrected and Enlarged by Christopher Bennet, Doctor in Physick, and Fellow of the Colledg of Physitians in London.’
Scarce first edition of this posthumous work, which André Simon said was “probably compiled about 1595. Some chapter headings will give an idea of the scope of this work, which is composed throughout in a gossipy and very readable style. ‘What Diet is’. ‘How it is to be chosen’. ‘Of Meats’. ‘Of the flesh of tame beasts’. ‘Of the flesh of wild fowl’ . . .”
From the collection of noted bibliophile and perfectionist, Brent Gration-Maxfield, with his neat pencil annotation to the front.
See page 154, where Muffett describes the flying fish he was shown by his friend Sir Francis Drake.
The work includes the important observation, made for the first time, that eating liver is beneficial to certain eye diseases. It also contains the first list of British wildfowl, and recognition of their migratory habits.
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Price HK$ 35,000
1655 - Printed by Tho: Newcomb for Samuel Thornton, at the sign of the white Horse in Pauls Churchyard - First Edition
‘Written by that ever Famous Thomas Muffett, Doctor in Physick: Corrected and Enlarged by Christopher Bennet, Doctor in Physick, and Fellow of the Colledg of Physitians in London.’Scarce first edition of this posthumous work, which André Simon said was “probably compiled about 1595. Some chapter headings will give an idea of the scope of this work, which is composed throughout in a gossipy and very readable style. ‘What Diet is’. ‘How it is to be chosen’. ‘Of Meats’. ‘Of the flesh of tame beasts’. ‘Of the flesh of wild fowl’ . . .”
From the collection of noted bibliophile and perfectionist, Brent Gration-Maxfield, with his neat pencil annotation to the front.
See page 154, where Muffett describes the flying fish he was shown by his friend Sir Francis Drake.
The work includes the important observation, made for the first time, that eating liver is beneficial to certain eye diseases. It also contains the first list of British wildfowl, and recognition of their migratory habits.
More details
Price HK$ 35,000
Burgundiae Inferioris -
Abraham Ortelius
Circa 1584Amsterdam
A stunning four hundred year old map of Burgundy by the great engraver and cartographer Abraham Ortelius [map size 37.5 x 45 cm]. With place names in French, titles and scale in Latin. Sixteenth century hand coloured, heightened with gold, with elaborate strapwork title cartouche, coat of arms and mileage scale. Showing rivers, mountains, forests, fortifications, towns and cities.
The Burgundy wine regions included on this map include four of the five primary divisions: Chablis, Cote de Nuits, Cote de Beaune, and Cote Chalonnaise. Maconnais, the fifth, is just a little further to the south along the Saone River. It also includes the cities of Avalon, Auttun, Chalons, Beaulne, Verdun, and Chastillon, among many others.
The orientation is from Septemtrio (the seven stars of Ursa Major) or North (top) to Meridies or South (bottom), Occidens or West (left) to Oriens or East (right).
Finely framed in gilt wood [frame size 54 x 61 cm], using ‘Tru Vue’ ‘Conservation Clear’ 99% UV protection conservation acrylic.
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Price HK$ 18,000
Circa 1584Amsterdam
A stunning four hundred year old map of Burgundy by the great engraver and cartographer Abraham Ortelius [map size 37.5 x 45 cm]. With place names in French, titles and scale in Latin. Sixteenth century hand coloured, heightened with gold, with elaborate strapwork title cartouche, coat of arms and mileage scale. Showing rivers, mountains, forests, fortifications, towns and cities.The Burgundy wine regions included on this map include four of the five primary divisions: Chablis, Cote de Nuits, Cote de Beaune, and Cote Chalonnaise. Maconnais, the fifth, is just a little further to the south along the Saone River. It also includes the cities of Avalon, Auttun, Chalons, Beaulne, Verdun, and Chastillon, among many others.
The orientation is from Septemtrio (the seven stars of Ursa Major) or North (top) to Meridies or South (bottom), Occidens or West (left) to Oriens or East (right).
Finely framed in gilt wood [frame size 54 x 61 cm], using ‘Tru Vue’ ‘Conservation Clear’ 99% UV protection conservation acrylic.
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Price HK$ 18,000
Johnson Over Jordan - The Play. And All About It (An Essay) -
J. B. Priestley
1939 - William Heinemann Ltd, London - First Edition
‘J.B. Priestley is one of our literary icons of the 20th Century. And it is time that we all became re-acquainted with his genius’ – Dame Judi Dench
A smartly bound copy of J.B. Priestley’s ‘adventure in theatre’, Johnson Over Jordan – the story of ‘everyman’ Robert Johnson who attempts to make sense of a life half lived – was the play he considered his finest and most ambitious achievement. Also features an essay by Priestly on the writing of the play and its origins, and the critical reception of the stage production.
Illustrated with 8 full page black and white photographic plates of the original 1939 stage production, which starred Ralph Richardson and featured a musical score by Benjamin Britten.
With a black and white photographic portrait of the playwright tipped in to front endpaper and the front panel of the original dust jacket laid in.
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Price HK$ 1,500
1939 - William Heinemann Ltd, London - First Edition
‘J.B. Priestley is one of our literary icons of the 20th Century. And it is time that we all became re-acquainted with his genius’ – Dame Judi DenchA smartly bound copy of J.B. Priestley’s ‘adventure in theatre’, Johnson Over Jordan – the story of ‘everyman’ Robert Johnson who attempts to make sense of a life half lived – was the play he considered his finest and most ambitious achievement. Also features an essay by Priestly on the writing of the play and its origins, and the critical reception of the stage production.
Illustrated with 8 full page black and white photographic plates of the original 1939 stage production, which starred Ralph Richardson and featured a musical score by Benjamin Britten.
With a black and white photographic portrait of the playwright tipped in to front endpaper and the front panel of the original dust jacket laid in.
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Price HK$ 1,500
History of the Royal Residences -
William Henry Pyne
1819 - Printed for A. Dry, London - First Edition
A beautiful and luxurious first edition of one of the most ambitious aquatint books to be published on English interiors. Three finely bound volumes containing one hundred exquisite hand-coloured plates with accompanying text.
This celebrated work was the first to illustrate royal palaces and houses in any detail: volume I is a valuable record of the state rooms of Windsor Castle formed for Charles II, and concludes with the more domestic scenes of Frogmore, purchased by Queen Charlotte as a country retreat in 1793; volume II is devoted to Hampton Court, Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace; volume III's subjects are St James's Palace and Carlton House; the twenty plates devoted to the Prince Regent's residence depict what were regarded as the most spectacular interiors in Regency London.
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Price HK$ 80,000
1819 - Printed for A. Dry, London - First Edition
A beautiful and luxurious first edition of one of the most ambitious aquatint books to be published on English interiors. Three finely bound volumes containing one hundred exquisite hand-coloured plates with accompanying text.This celebrated work was the first to illustrate royal palaces and houses in any detail: volume I is a valuable record of the state rooms of Windsor Castle formed for Charles II, and concludes with the more domestic scenes of Frogmore, purchased by Queen Charlotte as a country retreat in 1793; volume II is devoted to Hampton Court, Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace; volume III's subjects are St James's Palace and Carlton House; the twenty plates devoted to the Prince Regent's residence depict what were regarded as the most spectacular interiors in Regency London.
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Price HK$ 80,000