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The Adventures of Hajji Baba of Ispahan - with - The Adventures of Hajji Baba of Ispahan in England -
James J. Morier
1824 - John Murray, London - First Editions
This is the first edition of two satyrical books considered the most popular ‘Oriental’ novels in the English language – two hundred years old yet so famous the U.S. Airforce named an airlift after them and they inspired a Hollywood movie.
The first book follows the fictional Hajji Baba, the son of a barber from Isfahan, a likeable rogue who, in various guises including robber, doctor and executioner, is caught up in a series of extraordinary and farcical adventures.
‘Hajji Baba, the barber’s son, entered his native place, as Mirza Hajji Baba, the Shah’s deputy. Need I say more?’
The second book follows Hajji Baba to England as an emissary of the shah of Persia, and then as he is called back in shame – possibly to his own execution.
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Price HK$ 9,000
1824 - John Murray, London - First Editions
This is the first edition of two satyrical books considered the most popular ‘Oriental’ novels in the English language – two hundred years old yet so famous the U.S. Airforce named an airlift after them and they inspired a Hollywood movie.The first book follows the fictional Hajji Baba, the son of a barber from Isfahan, a likeable rogue who, in various guises including robber, doctor and executioner, is caught up in a series of extraordinary and farcical adventures.
‘Hajji Baba, the barber’s son, entered his native place, as Mirza Hajji Baba, the Shah’s deputy. Need I say more?’
The second book follows Hajji Baba to England as an emissary of the shah of Persia, and then as he is called back in shame – possibly to his own execution.
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Price HK$ 9,000
“Farthest North” -
Fridtjof Nansen
1898 - George Newnes, London - First Newnes Edition
Fridtjof Nansen [1861-1930] - winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, scientist, diplomat, explorer, expert cross-country skier.
A two volume set in their magnificent illustrated covers, describing Nansen's three-year expedition to the North Pole with his boat the Fram, which marked the beginning of the modern age of exploration.
Illustrated with 120 full page and numerous text illustrations and coloured plate from Dr. Nansen’s own sketches, together with three maps, one of which is a large folding colour map to the front of volume I showing Nansen’s route.
It includes a description of his plan, ridiculed by his peers, to allow the specially designed Fram to become frozen in the treacherous pack ice of the Arctic Oceans. Drifting with the current, he and his crew of twelve would be carried to the Pole.
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Price HK$ 1,500
1898 - George Newnes, London - First Newnes Edition
Fridtjof Nansen [1861-1930] - winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, scientist, diplomat, explorer, expert cross-country skier.A two volume set in their magnificent illustrated covers, describing Nansen's three-year expedition to the North Pole with his boat the Fram, which marked the beginning of the modern age of exploration.
Illustrated with 120 full page and numerous text illustrations and coloured plate from Dr. Nansen’s own sketches, together with three maps, one of which is a large folding colour map to the front of volume I showing Nansen’s route.
It includes a description of his plan, ridiculed by his peers, to allow the specially designed Fram to become frozen in the treacherous pack ice of the Arctic Oceans. Drifting with the current, he and his crew of twelve would be carried to the Pole.
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Price HK$ 1,500
The English Lakes in the neighbourhood of Keswick and Penrith -
Nelson
1868 - T. Nelson & Sons, London - First Edition
A rare little early pictorial guide book, with twelve colour chromolithograph plates of the area, in the publisher’s original blue cloth with a colour-printed and varnished illustrated title in the centre panel.
Nelson's began colour printing in 1857 and `over the next two years greatly improved their use of just five inks to create extremely convincing full-colour chromolithographs.' Gascoigne discusses their `Series of Views', attractive collections of souvenir prints for tourists, at some length and notes that they were frequently updated to reflect changes. He also states that Nelson launched their series of `Pictorial Guide-Books' in 1869 bound in paper covers, however this cloth covered edition was dated the year before.
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Price HK$ 1,200
1868 - T. Nelson & Sons, London - First Edition
A rare little early pictorial guide book, with twelve colour chromolithograph plates of the area, in the publisher’s original blue cloth with a colour-printed and varnished illustrated title in the centre panel.Nelson's began colour printing in 1857 and `over the next two years greatly improved their use of just five inks to create extremely convincing full-colour chromolithographs.' Gascoigne discusses their `Series of Views', attractive collections of souvenir prints for tourists, at some length and notes that they were frequently updated to reflect changes. He also states that Nelson launched their series of `Pictorial Guide-Books' in 1869 bound in paper covers, however this cloth covered edition was dated the year before.
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Price HK$ 1,200
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
Elements of Heraldry -
Porny, [pseud] Antoine Pyron du Martre
1777 - T. Carnan, London - Third Edition , Corrected
A finely bound and fine example of this comprehensive 18th century work on heraldry, illustrated throughout with engravings and woodcuts.
With a seventy-two page Dictionary of Technical terms to the rear.
According to Eton College, the author, ‘Antoine Pyron du Martre, came from Normandy, but after leaving France in 1754, changed his name to Mark Anthony Porny to evade unhappy relatives. He was appointed as a French teacher at Eton College in 1773, where he also began to write books, examples of which are held in College Library. In 1780, he was also appointed as a Poor Knight of Windsor (now known as the Military Knights of Windsor).
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Price HK$ 3,000
1777 - T. Carnan, London - Third Edition , Corrected
A finely bound and fine example of this comprehensive 18th century work on heraldry, illustrated throughout with engravings and woodcuts.With a seventy-two page Dictionary of Technical terms to the rear.
According to Eton College, the author, ‘Antoine Pyron du Martre, came from Normandy, but after leaving France in 1754, changed his name to Mark Anthony Porny to evade unhappy relatives. He was appointed as a French teacher at Eton College in 1773, where he also began to write books, examples of which are held in College Library. In 1780, he was also appointed as a Poor Knight of Windsor (now known as the Military Knights of Windsor).
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Price HK$ 3,000
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.
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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.
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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
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Price HK$ 5,000