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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.

Price HK$ 35,000
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.

Price HK$ 80,000
Antiquarian, Architectural, and Landscape Illustrations of the History of Java -
Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles
1844 - Henry G. Bohn, London - First Thus
Magnificent large quarto volume of illustrations with great provenance, formerly from the library of Admiral Sir James Gordon (1782-1869) who served as a Midshipman under Admiral Nelson at the Battle of the Nile, and went on to command ships during the later stages of the Napoleonic Wars. He eventually attained the rank of Admiral of the Fleet, and is considered to be one of the main inspirations for C.S. Forester's character Horatio Hornblower, alongside Thomas Cochrane, George Cockburn and others.
This separate volume of topographical, archaeological, linguistic and anthropological plates was published in 1844 to accompany the 1830 second edition of Sir Stamford Raffles’ landmark work ‘The History of Java’, including twenty four additional plates not found in the first edition of 1817.
With 92 illustrated plates, including 10 fine hand-coloured aquatints and a very large folding map. No text. In the publisher’s original gilt and red cloth binding.
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Price HK$ 18,000
1844 - Henry G. Bohn, London - First Thus
Magnificent large quarto volume of illustrations with great provenance, formerly from the library of Admiral Sir James Gordon (1782-1869) who served as a Midshipman under Admiral Nelson at the Battle of the Nile, and went on to command ships during the later stages of the Napoleonic Wars. He eventually attained the rank of Admiral of the Fleet, and is considered to be one of the main inspirations for C.S. Forester's character Horatio Hornblower, alongside Thomas Cochrane, George Cockburn and others.This separate volume of topographical, archaeological, linguistic and anthropological plates was published in 1844 to accompany the 1830 second edition of Sir Stamford Raffles’ landmark work ‘The History of Java’, including twenty four additional plates not found in the first edition of 1817.
With 92 illustrated plates, including 10 fine hand-coloured aquatints and a very large folding map. No text. In the publisher’s original gilt and red cloth binding.

Price HK$ 18,000
Reminiscences of Scottish Life and Character - Inscribed -
Edward B. Ramsay
1871 - Edmonston and Douglas, Edinburgh - Twentieth Edition
A fine inscribed edition, magnificently bound by Bayntun-Rivière of Bath.
First published in 1857, and extended throughout Ramsay’s life, it consists of his personal recollections, anecdotes and opinions. In addition to the entertaining preface, chapters cover Scottish Religious Feelings, Old Scottish Conviviality, The Old Scottish Domestic Servant, Humour Proceeding from Scottish Expressions Including Scottish Proverbs, and Scottish Stories of Wit and Humour.
An important association copy, inscribed by Ramsay to Doctor Robert Carruthers of Inverness, with Ramsay’s hand written note going on to say that this ‘is the 20th edition and I suppose to be my last - the concluding part from page 316, on the subject of a “closer union amongst Christians is entirely new in the Edition’. Dr. Carruthers is also thanked by Ramsay in the introduction (see page X). This work actually went through a further two editions before Ramsay’s death in 1872
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Price HK$ 5,000
1871 - Edmonston and Douglas, Edinburgh - Twentieth Edition
A fine inscribed edition, magnificently bound by Bayntun-Rivière of Bath.First published in 1857, and extended throughout Ramsay’s life, it consists of his personal recollections, anecdotes and opinions. In addition to the entertaining preface, chapters cover Scottish Religious Feelings, Old Scottish Conviviality, The Old Scottish Domestic Servant, Humour Proceeding from Scottish Expressions Including Scottish Proverbs, and Scottish Stories of Wit and Humour.
An important association copy, inscribed by Ramsay to Doctor Robert Carruthers of Inverness, with Ramsay’s hand written note going on to say that this ‘is the 20th edition and I suppose to be my last - the concluding part from page 316, on the subject of a “closer union amongst Christians is entirely new in the Edition’. Dr. Carruthers is also thanked by Ramsay in the introduction (see page X). This work actually went through a further two editions before Ramsay’s death in 1872

Price HK$ 5,000
Remunerative Railways for New Countries; with some account of the first Railway in China - Inscribed -
Richard C. Rapier
1878 - E. &, London - First Edition
Richard Christopher Rapier (1836-1897), a pioneering railway engineer and specialist in narrow gauge railways, worked to promote the use of railways in China and in 1872 together with Jardine, Matheson, & Co. had a share in the construction of the controversial first railway in China, the Shanghai and Woosung Railway, also known as the ‘Woosung Road’ which began operating in July 1876.
Alll of this is described here, together with illustrations and photographs, in this scarce first edition inscribed by Rapier to the prominent French engineer Éloi Béral.
This work became the standard work on light gauge railways and describes in detail the first Chinese railway line, from Shanghai to Woosung, which opened in 1876.
Illustrated throughout with eight mounted Woodburytypes (high quality reproductions of original photographic negatives), nine folding letterpress tables, most estimate sheets to be completed, numerous wood-engraved illustrations and diagrams.
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Price HK$ 12,000
1878 - E. &, London - First Edition
Richard Christopher Rapier (1836-1897), a pioneering railway engineer and specialist in narrow gauge railways, worked to promote the use of railways in China and in 1872 together with Jardine, Matheson, & Co. had a share in the construction of the controversial first railway in China, the Shanghai and Woosung Railway, also known as the ‘Woosung Road’ which began operating in July 1876.Alll of this is described here, together with illustrations and photographs, in this scarce first edition inscribed by Rapier to the prominent French engineer Éloi Béral.
This work became the standard work on light gauge railways and describes in detail the first Chinese railway line, from Shanghai to Woosung, which opened in 1876.
Illustrated throughout with eight mounted Woodburytypes (high quality reproductions of original photographic negatives), nine folding letterpress tables, most estimate sheets to be completed, numerous wood-engraved illustrations and diagrams.

Price HK$ 12,000
The Works -
Theodore Roosevelt, Hermann Hagedorn (editor), under the Auspices of The Roosevelt Memorial Association
1923-6 - Charles Scribner's Sons, New York - The National Edition
A finely bound twenty volume set of Roosevelt’s works. With additional notes to the beginning of each volume, sometimes biographical sometimes Roosevelt’s own notes.
The complete set of writings and essays including: The Rough Riders, Ranch Life and the Hunting Trail, The Winning of the West, African Game Trails, Through the Brazilian Wilderness, Outdoor Pastimes of an American Hunter, etc.
Roosevelt was an historian, a biographer, a statesman, a hunter, a naturalist, and an orator. His prodigious literary output includes twenty-six books, over a thousand magazine articles, thousands of speeches and letters. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1906, in his position as President of the United States of America and collaborator of various peace treaties.
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Price HK$ 36,000
1923-6 - Charles Scribner's Sons, New York - The National Edition
A finely bound twenty volume set of Roosevelt’s works. With additional notes to the beginning of each volume, sometimes biographical sometimes Roosevelt’s own notes.The complete set of writings and essays including: The Rough Riders, Ranch Life and the Hunting Trail, The Winning of the West, African Game Trails, Through the Brazilian Wilderness, Outdoor Pastimes of an American Hunter, etc.
Roosevelt was an historian, a biographer, a statesman, a hunter, a naturalist, and an orator. His prodigious literary output includes twenty-six books, over a thousand magazine articles, thousands of speeches and letters. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1906, in his position as President of the United States of America and collaborator of various peace treaties.

Price HK$ 36,000
Saint Joan Of Arc -
Vita Sackville-West
1936 - Cobden-Sanderson, London - First Edition
A finely bound, first edition of Vita Sackville-West’s richly reported biography of one of the most unusual and extraordinary women in history.
Joan of Arc was a 15th Century teenage peasant girl who heard voices. In the space of just five years she took command of France’s armies, led them to victory, was captured and tried by the Church as a heretic and witch, and burned at the stake. Five hundred years later she was canonized as a saint.
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Price HK$ 3,500
1936 - Cobden-Sanderson, London - First Edition
A finely bound, first edition of Vita Sackville-West’s richly reported biography of one of the most unusual and extraordinary women in history. Joan of Arc was a 15th Century teenage peasant girl who heard voices. In the space of just five years she took command of France’s armies, led them to victory, was captured and tried by the Church as a heretic and witch, and burned at the stake. Five hundred years later she was canonized as a saint.

Price HK$ 3,500
A Voyage to Abyssinia and Travels to The Interior of That Country in The Years 1809 and 1810 -
Henry Salt
1814 - F. C. and J. Rivington, London - First Edition
First edition of this landmark work on the Ethiopian Empire, complete with all required maps and plates, in contemporary binding.
Henry Salt, who had been trained as a painter, first visited Egypt when he toured India and North Africa with Viscount Valentia ... He returned to Africa in 1809 on a government mission to establish contact with the King of Abyssinia which occupied him for two years. This work describes those travels and the appendix contains vocabularies of various African dialects.
Finely embellished with large folding engraved hand-coloured map of ‘Abyssinia’, six engraved charts (five of which are folding), 27 engraved plates by Charles Heath after Salt, engraved headpiece vignette and tailpiece vignette.
All of the folding maps and charts have been removed from the binding, backed onto linen, folded and then attached to tabs, making them more manageable. The list of plates calls for two separate charts of Howakil Bay and Annesley Bay, however there is just the one folding plate on which these two charts are engraved opposite p. 184. In the present copy, the chart of Zeyla which should be bound to face p. 475 has been misbound opposite p. 453.
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Price HK$ 16,000
1814 - F. C. and J. Rivington, London - First Edition
First edition of this landmark work on the Ethiopian Empire, complete with all required maps and plates, in contemporary binding.Henry Salt, who had been trained as a painter, first visited Egypt when he toured India and North Africa with Viscount Valentia ... He returned to Africa in 1809 on a government mission to establish contact with the King of Abyssinia which occupied him for two years. This work describes those travels and the appendix contains vocabularies of various African dialects.
Finely embellished with large folding engraved hand-coloured map of ‘Abyssinia’, six engraved charts (five of which are folding), 27 engraved plates by Charles Heath after Salt, engraved headpiece vignette and tailpiece vignette.
All of the folding maps and charts have been removed from the binding, backed onto linen, folded and then attached to tabs, making them more manageable. The list of plates calls for two separate charts of Howakil Bay and Annesley Bay, however there is just the one folding plate on which these two charts are engraved opposite p. 184. In the present copy, the chart of Zeyla which should be bound to face p. 475 has been misbound opposite p. 453.

Price HK$ 16,000