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British Sports and Sportsmen, Past and Present -

Circa 1913 - British Sports and Sportsmen, London - First Edition. Royal Edition, limited to 250 copies, of which this set is number 105.
Two large finely bound folios containing the biographies of 303 of leading British sportsmen from the eighteenth and (primarily) nineteenth centuries, practitioners of the hunt, polo, steeplechase, cricket, rugby, boxing, and other gentlemanly pursuits accompanied by approximately 300 full page photogravure portrait plates. With a fascinating introduction by Horace G. Hutchinson. Volume I covers Hugo Meynell 1735-1808 to The Hon. Egremont Lascelles 1825-1892; Volume II covers George Parr 1826-1891 to Henry Arthur, Viscount Chelsea 1868-1908.

Compiled and Edited by ‘
The Sportsman’. Two large folio volumes [39x29cm] . Profusely illustrated.  
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Price HK$ 8,000



Shanghae Races, Spring Meeting, 1865, Second Day, Thursday, 27th April, 1865 -

1865 - Printed by A. H. De Carvalho, Shanghai - Only edition
Large and rare lavender China silk programme for one of the earliest Shanghai Races, the 1865 Spring Meeting (47.5 x 23.5 cm).

Listing seven races, all are with names of stables or owners, names of horses, weight or height, jockey silks colours, the horses include Arabs, English, China and Japan Ponies

The races are -
Maloo Plate, for China ponies only; Arab Challenge Cup, for all Arabs; Chaasee Cup, for China and Japan ponies; Challenge Cup, for all horses [Arabs, Stud Bred, Colonials, and English]; Chu-Ka-Za Cup, for all Arabs; The Selling Stakes, for Colonial and Arab horses; and the Hack Stakes, for all horses not otherwise entered at this Meeting.

Finely presented in gold wood frame (64 x 38.5 cm), on acid free backing card, and with 99% UV protection ‘tru-vue’ museum grade glass.
 
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Price HK$ 25,000



‘Rowing’ with ‘The New Rowing’ magazine -

1950 to 1955 - Rowing Publications / C. E. Fisher, Kingston-Upon-Thames / London - First Editions
A run of 60 of this most influential rowing magazine, consisting of:-
Rowing’ Magazine No. 2 (January 1950) to No. 45 (Autumn 1952). 44 magazines
The New Rowing’ Magazine No. 1. (March 1953) to No. 7, plus Nos. 9, 12-13, 16-18, 21-23 (January 1955). 16 magazines.

Illustrated throughout with black and white photographs and sketches, wonderful anecdotes, regatta reports, international as well as national rowing, articles on coaching, styles, the history of rowing, famous rowers and teams, keeping fit, the education of a coxswain, articulate letters from readers, period rowing related advertisements, etc. etc.
 
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Price HK$ 4,500



Polo & Coaching -

Circa 1923 - British Sports and Sportsmen, London - First Edition. Royal Edition, limited to 250 copies, of which this is number 221.
A massive scarce and sumptuously bound work, one of only 250 copies of the ‘Royal Edition’, and enhanced by over 450 illustrations from photographs, paintings and sketches. The original subscriber for this copy was Edward Coleby Ransome O.B.E. (1864-1939) whose name has been blocked in gilt to the front board. Ransome, Cambridge educated, a crack shot, representing England in rifle shooting, was Mayor of Ipswich, Suffolk.

With contributions from Major-General Vaughan, T. Levins Moore, Gordon Withers, Major Hesseltine, Major-General Pitman, Keith Marsham, Lieut.-General Sir Michael Rimington, Lieut.-Colonel Nickalls, Osgold Cross, F.P.P. Rouse, “
Bronco” and “Rissala”.

The majority of this work covers Polo, describing the origins of the game its history in India, Ireland, and England, tactics and rules, as well as short biographical notes on players. The last part gives a history of coaching, which, with the introduction of railways, had become more of a sporting recreation usually involving marathon distances with a carriage (coach) and team of horses.
 
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Price HK$ 6,000



A Quaint Treatise on "Flees, and the Art a Artyfichall Flee Making," - W. H. Aldam, James Poole (artist)

1876 - John B. Day, London - First Edition, Second Issue
One of the greatest works on fly tying, described by Hills in his bibliography as ‘the best of all, for beauty and interest... The flies in it are tied with an excellence that I have never seen beaten; and, as well as complete flies, all the materials of which they are made, silk, wool and feathers, are there displayed.’

Complete, containing 98 actual flies and materials mounted in 22 sunken mounts on thick card, together with two colour chromolithograph plates from water colours by James Poole. A superior example with very little of the foxing to which this work is prone, and bright gilt covers. Housed in a later marbled paper board slipcase.

A remarkable production, with approximately only 200 copies of both issues sold over a number of years, identical to the first issue except for the date on the title page, both issues where released at the same time in the spring of 1876.
 
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Price HK$ 25,000



1852 - J. Deighton, Cambridge - First and Sole Edition
A fine and thus extremely scarce first edition of this work, written by J. F. Bateman, founder and first president of the Lady Margaret Boat Club (L.M.B.C.) and inscribed by Batemen to Edward Woodley Bowling of the L.M.B.C. and author of many a Cambridge rowing poem including ‘The Lady Margaret 5th Boat’ and ‘The Great Boat Race’.

Chapter headings include
Foundation of the Principal Clubs, A Day at Henley, and Hints on Rowing and Training by Robert Coombes, who was a notably distinguished Thames waterman, oarsman and sculler.

Coombes’s first public race took place in 1838. He pioneered the successful use of skill, technique and training, thereby beating men of superior size and strength, and was Champion of the Thames from 1846-1852. His knowledge was exploited successively by the Oxford (1840) and Cambridge (1846, 1849 both races) Boat Race crews. Cambridge asked him to coach again in 1852, but a dispute broke out about the use of professional trainers, with the result that for many years both sides avoided professionals and men of working class origins. Sadly, Coombes descended into poverty in later life, and died in the Kent Asylum in 1860. A fine monument to him was raised at Brompton Cemetery by public subscription in 1866.
 
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Price HK$ 7,000



1901 - John C. Nimmo, London - First Edition
First edition of this large and beautifully illustrated work in a bespoke and elegant art-nouveau binding.

Written by the British barrister William Charles Arlington Blew (1848-1904), a prolific author of numerous works on horse breeds, management, and steeple chasing. Eileen Loder in her detailed bibliography on the history of horse racing considered this an authoritative work, covering the years up to the end of the 19th century.

With hand-coloured frontis, and 27 plates mostly by Henry Alken, the finest painter and engraver of horse racing scenes, eleven of which are coloured by hand.
 
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Price HK$ 6,000



Farewell to Cricket - Signed - Don Bradman

1950 - Hodder & Stoughton, London - First Edition
First edition of Sir Donald ‘The Don’ Bradman’s autobiography, Signed. Illustrated with twenty-seven photographs ‘specially selected by Sir Donald himself’.

– Here is Sir Don’s own book – genuine; unassuming; and yet carrying in every line, the authority of the greatest cricketer the world has ever seen.
– Here is the whole personal story from his childhood in Australia to his last triumphant season in England.
– Here, too, is the most interesting book reference in existence, on the past, present and future of the game.
– It is full of characters every player and lover of cricket wants to meet – on and off the field.
– There is a chapter on captaincy that many will find the finest in the entire book.
– There are twenty-seven photographs and every one has been specially selected by Sir Donald himself
.  
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Price HK$ 8,000



 
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