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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 1796
A handsomely bound example of this large and splendid work, 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, its challenges, yachts, protests, characters and an appendix of press articles. There is nothing finer.
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 Gilbert Library’ which was founded in 1897 and was based in Northfield, Connecticut.
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Price HK$ 18,000
1902 - Privately Printed, Boston - First and Limited Edition, of which this is number 1796
A handsomely bound example of this large and splendid work, 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, its challenges, yachts, protests, characters and an appendix of press articles. There is nothing finer.
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 Gilbert Library’ which was founded in 1897 and was based in Northfield, Connecticut.
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Price HK$ 18,000
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
Newmarket & Arabia. An Examination of the Descent of Racers and Coursers -
Roger D. Upton (Captain Late 9th Royal Lancers)
1873 - Henry S. King &, London - First Edition
A fine, thus scarce, first edition of this important work, by former cavalry officer, Roger Upton, a prominent early expert in purebred Arabians and the English thoroughbred horses.
Illustrated with hand-coloured wood engraved front, and to the rear ‘contains a list of Arabians, Barbs, Turks, and foreign horses which were employed, more or less, in the formation of the English stud from the time of King James I, until about the end of the 18th century’ [Loder] including four large folding charts.
Written ‘to encourage. deeper insight into the history of the horse in this country, more especially ‘the thoroughbred’. A great champion of the Arabian horse, he examines its history, defends it from its detractors, and strongly urges that the then degenerate English stock, as he saw it, be re-founded on a pure Arabian bloodline. In his conclusion he outlined radical plans for a national stud to regenerate the English horse, to the advantage of racers, hunters and cavalrymen. [Ithaca Press]
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Price HK$ 14,000
1873 - Henry S. King &, London - First Edition
A fine, thus scarce, first edition of this important work, by former cavalry officer, Roger Upton, a prominent early expert in purebred Arabians and the English thoroughbred horses.Illustrated with hand-coloured wood engraved front, and to the rear ‘contains a list of Arabians, Barbs, Turks, and foreign horses which were employed, more or less, in the formation of the English stud from the time of King James I, until about the end of the 18th century’ [Loder] including four large folding charts.
Written ‘to encourage. deeper insight into the history of the horse in this country, more especially ‘the thoroughbred’. A great champion of the Arabian horse, he examines its history, defends it from its detractors, and strongly urges that the then degenerate English stock, as he saw it, be re-founded on a pure Arabian bloodline. In his conclusion he outlined radical plans for a national stud to regenerate the English horse, to the advantage of racers, hunters and cavalrymen. [Ithaca Press]
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Price HK$ 14,000
The Complete Angler -
Izaak Walton, Charles Cotton, Edward Jesse (editor)
1861 - Henry G. Bohn, London - The Second Jesse Edition
A finely bound copy of one of the most profusely illustrated editions, the second to be edited by Edward Jesse. According to Oliver, ‘this edition has been criticized as having been somewhat too fully annotated and illustrated, but the illustrations, in our opinion, add as much to the charm of the book, as the notes do to its interest’.
‘Indeed, my good scholar, we may say of angling, as Dr. Boteler said of strawberries,
" Doubtless God could have made a better berry, but doubtless God never did ";
and so, if I might be judge, God never did make a more calm, quiet, innocent recreation than angling.’
The most enduring distinction of the Complete Angler is the one cast off by its subtitle The Contemplative Man's Recreation with its graceful evocations of a life free from hurly-burly in the company of friends intent on physical and moral sustenance. The range of perspectives that Walton brings to bear on his rural descriptions embrace literature, poetry, music and anecdote.
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Price HK$ 9,500
1861 - Henry G. Bohn, London - The Second Jesse Edition
A finely bound copy of one of the most profusely illustrated editions, the second to be edited by Edward Jesse. According to Oliver, ‘this edition has been criticized as having been somewhat too fully annotated and illustrated, but the illustrations, in our opinion, add as much to the charm of the book, as the notes do to its interest’.‘Indeed, my good scholar, we may say of angling, as Dr. Boteler said of strawberries,
" Doubtless God could have made a better berry, but doubtless God never did ";
and so, if I might be judge, God never did make a more calm, quiet, innocent recreation than angling.’
The most enduring distinction of the Complete Angler is the one cast off by its subtitle The Contemplative Man's Recreation with its graceful evocations of a life free from hurly-burly in the company of friends intent on physical and moral sustenance. The range of perspectives that Walton brings to bear on his rural descriptions embrace literature, poetry, music and anecdote.
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Price HK$ 9,500
The Complete Angler or Contemplative Man's Recreation, Being a Discourse on Rivers, Fish-ponds, Fish, and Fishing -
Izaak Walton, Charles Cotton, Sir John Hawkins, J. E. Harting
1893 - Samuel Bagster and Sons, London - The Harting Edition. Tercentenary Edition. No. 300 of 350 copies.
‘Indeed, my good scholar, we may say of angling, as Dr. Boteler said of strawberries,
" Doubtless God could have made a better berry, but doubtless God never did ";
and so, if I might be judge, God never did make a more calm, quiet, innocent recreation than angling.’
A finely bound two volume set of the Harting Edition. With 54 illustrations and additional vignettes, and embellishments after John Linnell, G. E. Lodge, Huysman, Alexander, Wale, Samuel, and Percy Thomas, engraved by Audinet, Hayter, and Greig.
‘Edited from a Naturalist point of view’ by J. E. Harting, librarian of the Linnaen Society of London. The date of the founding of the Bagster publishing house was April 19,1794, and this profusely illustrated edition, limited to 350 numbered copies, was partly intended to commemorate the event. Included is an abridgement of the Lives of the Authors by Sir John Hawkins
‘It breathes the very spirit of innocence, purity, and simplicity of the heart. There are many choice old verses interspersed in it; it would sweeten a man's temper at any time to read it’ - Charles Lamb in his letter to Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
The most enduring distinction of the Complete Angler is the one cast off by its subtitle The Contemplative Man's Recreation with its graceful evocations of a life free from hurly-burly in the company of friends intent on physical and moral sustenance. The range of perspectives that Walton brings to bear on his rural descriptions embrace literature, poetry, music and anecdote.
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Price HK$ 10,000
1893 - Samuel Bagster and Sons, London - The Harting Edition. Tercentenary Edition. No. 300 of 350 copies.
‘Indeed, my good scholar, we may say of angling, as Dr. Boteler said of strawberries, " Doubtless God could have made a better berry, but doubtless God never did ";
and so, if I might be judge, God never did make a more calm, quiet, innocent recreation than angling.’
A finely bound two volume set of the Harting Edition. With 54 illustrations and additional vignettes, and embellishments after John Linnell, G. E. Lodge, Huysman, Alexander, Wale, Samuel, and Percy Thomas, engraved by Audinet, Hayter, and Greig.
‘Edited from a Naturalist point of view’ by J. E. Harting, librarian of the Linnaen Society of London. The date of the founding of the Bagster publishing house was April 19,1794, and this profusely illustrated edition, limited to 350 numbered copies, was partly intended to commemorate the event. Included is an abridgement of the Lives of the Authors by Sir John Hawkins
‘It breathes the very spirit of innocence, purity, and simplicity of the heart. There are many choice old verses interspersed in it; it would sweeten a man's temper at any time to read it’ - Charles Lamb in his letter to Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
The most enduring distinction of the Complete Angler is the one cast off by its subtitle The Contemplative Man's Recreation with its graceful evocations of a life free from hurly-burly in the company of friends intent on physical and moral sustenance. The range of perspectives that Walton brings to bear on his rural descriptions embrace literature, poetry, music and anecdote.
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Price HK$ 10,000
Exploration of Mount Kina Balu, North Borneo -
John Whitehead
1893 - Gurney and Jackson, London - First Edition
A beautiful copy of this stunningly illustrated and unsurpassed large folio containing 32 lithographed plates, comprising 11 natural history plates, hand-coloured and heightened with gum arabic, and 21 tinted lithographed views and ethnographic subjects, and with map and an additional 21 woodcut illustrations in the text.
A detailed narrative of John Whitehead's (1860-1899) travels from October 1884 to August 1888 in Borneo, Java, Palawan and Balabac Islands, especially of his three efforts (the last one successful) to ascend Mount Kina Balu. He brought back examples of many new animals, including no fewer than forty-five new species of birds. The author's primary interest was ornithology, but he also provides much information on head-hunting, religion and custom of the peoples of the region. Besides visiting North Borneo he spent several months in Java and Palawan, and made an expedition into the state of Malacca.
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Price HK$ 40,000
1893 - Gurney and Jackson, London - First Edition
A beautiful copy of this stunningly illustrated and unsurpassed large folio containing 32 lithographed plates, comprising 11 natural history plates, hand-coloured and heightened with gum arabic, and 21 tinted lithographed views and ethnographic subjects, and with map and an additional 21 woodcut illustrations in the text.A detailed narrative of John Whitehead's (1860-1899) travels from October 1884 to August 1888 in Borneo, Java, Palawan and Balabac Islands, especially of his three efforts (the last one successful) to ascend Mount Kina Balu. He brought back examples of many new animals, including no fewer than forty-five new species of birds. The author's primary interest was ornithology, but he also provides much information on head-hunting, religion and custom of the peoples of the region. Besides visiting North Borneo he spent several months in Java and Palawan, and made an expedition into the state of Malacca.
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Price HK$ 40,000
The Life of Izaak Walton; including Notices of his Contemporaries -
Thomas Zouch
1826 - Thomas Gosden, London - First Gosden Edition
A charmingly bound Gosden edition of Zouch’s ‘Life of Izaak Walton’, first published in 1790, and later illustrated here with eighteen engraved plates which where also used for Thomas Gosden’s 1822 edition of the ‘Compleat Angler’.
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Price HK$ 2,000
1826 - Thomas Gosden, London - First Gosden Edition
A charmingly bound Gosden edition of Zouch’s ‘Life of Izaak Walton’, first published in 1790, and later illustrated here with eighteen engraved plates which where also used for Thomas Gosden’s 1822 edition of the ‘Compleat Angler’.
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Price HK$ 2,000