8321. [Newton, Sir Isaac] Voltaire [François-Marie Arouet] / Leibniz / Baker, David Erskine / [Berkeley, George].

The Metaphysics of Sir Isaac Newton : Or, A Comparison between the Opinions of Sir Isaac Newton and Mr. Leibnitz [Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz]. By M. De Voltaire. Translated from the French by David Erskine Baker / [Bound together with a First Edition of George Berkeley’s Miscellaneous Tracts which also include “De Motu ; sive de motus principio & natura, & de causa communicationis motuum” in which Berkeley rejected Sir Isaac Newton’s absolute Space, Time and Motion. (″With this essay, Berkeley is considered to be the “precursor of Mach and Einstein” – Karl Popper)].

First English Edition. London, Printed for R.Dodsley, 1747. Octavo. 72 pages. Modern cloth. The bookblock with signs of stitching to the inner margin (possibly used to be part of a Sammelband). Last three leaves with paper-restoration and manuscript inscription to last page (looks like a 18th century gift-inscription). With numerous manuscript – annotations in the tracts of George Berkeley, namely in “A Word to the Wise”, “Farther Thoughts on Tar-Water”, “The Querist”. From the library of Daniel Conner, Manch House, County Cork.

8322. [Optician / Optiker / Optische Instrumente] – Tauber, Gottfried.

Small Collection of very rare original materials from the library german Mathematician and Inventor of Optical, Medical & Scientific Instruments, Dr. Gottfried Tauber. The collection includes: 1. A stunning, allegorical Painting of Gottfried Tauber by Daniel Caffe (pinxit 1808) which is beautifully framed, with a significant but repairable tear 2. Gottfried Tauber’s personal Manuscript-Notebook [which he obviously kept during his early studies at “Schola Altenburgensis”], titled: “Physic a Tauber – Penticoste’s Tempore – 1784” with Drawings and detailed scientific experiments, 3. An important, printed publication from Tauber’s Institute, titled: “Anweisung Anweisung für auswärtige Personen, wie dieselben aus dem Optisch-Oculistischen Institute zu Leipzig… mit Zuverlässigkeit solche Augengläser bekommen können”. The publication explains not only in detail Tauber’s ability to select the right eye glasses for different stages of loss of sight. The publication, printed in 1851, also advertises the optical and medical inventions of Tauber (Microscopes, Tattoo-Presses, Needles for Inoculation, Camera Lucida, Camera Obscura, Thermomoeters, Meteorological Instruments etc. etc.). Gottfried Tauber was the founder of the Optical – Oculistic Institute in Leipzig / Germany and became famous for the invention of Glasses and several scientific instruments in the fields of Optic and medicinal as well as meteorological instruments . The Manuscript Notebook in the collection includes Gottfried Tauber’s personal elaborations on significant scientific experiments, even mentioning Benjamin Franklin’s Kite-Experiment from 1752 (″Doct. Fränklin in Amerika gab 1752 die erste Nachricht im Dienst von Ableitern…”). Tauber’s many talents led to him being installed as teacher of mathematics already six years after starting his manuscript notebook in 1784. Many of the experiments Tauber noted down in his manuscript and embellished with drawings, would later lead to his own inventions of tools and instruments useful for medicince and science in the ever experimental 19th century.

Altenburg / Leipzig, Gottfried Tauber, 1784 – 1851. Octavo / Quarto. Pagination: Manuscript – 146 pages with numerous drawings (some in ink and some in watercolour) / Pagination: Pamphlet: Portrait: The Portrait is framed, a tear in the portrait is visible / Manuscript: Both Hardcover boards of the manuscript are cleanly detached and rubbed with some minor damages. Drawings and interior manuscript notations very good. Very good condition with only minor signs of wear. Extra Shipping Costs required due to the artwork.

8323. Paine, Thomas.

Agrarian Justice, Opposed to Agrarian Law, and to Agrarian Monopoly ; Being a Plan for Meliorating the Condition of Man, by creating in every Nation a National Fund, to pay to every person, when arrived at the age of Twenty-One years, the sum of Fifteen Pounds Sterling, to enable him; or her to begin the world; And Also, Ten Pounds Sterling per annum during life to every person now living of the age of Fifty Years, and to all others when they shall arrive at that age, to enable them to live in old age without Wretchedness, and go decently out of the world. By Thomas Paine, author of Common sense, Rights of man, Age of reason, &c. &c.

First Irish Edition / First Cork Edition. Cork, Printed at the late Gazette-Office, no year [1797]. Octavo. 16 pages. Original half-leather. Binding in very poor condition but interior firm and clean besides the endpaper and first few pages of the Volume which is bound before the work by Thomas Paine. Rear endpaper missing. Very important publication, perfectly protected in the rear of this Volume. The Cork-Print of this important pamphlet is of utmost rarity.

8324. Blackstone, William.

Commentaries on the Laws of England by Sir William Blackstone, Knt. One of the Justices of his Majesty’s Court of Common Pleas. The Twelfth Edition, with the Last Corrections of the Author; and with Notes and Additions by Edward Christian, Esq.

The Rare Edward Christian Edition. Four Volumes (complete set). London, A. Strahan and W. Woodfall, Law-Printers to the King’s most excellent Majesty, for T. Cadell, in the Strand, 1793,1794,1795. Octavo. Pagination: Volume I: X, [6], III, [1], 487 pages / Volume II: [8], 520, XX pages / Volume III: Frontispiece-Portrait, [8], 455, XXXV, [1], 16 pages with three more portraits bound-in / Volume IV: [8], 443, VIII, [72] pages. With four Portraits in total and one large folding table showing the “Table of Descents”. The Portraits which are bound into Volume III of the set are: I. Portrait of British Judge “William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield” / II. Portrait of “Lord Chief Baron Gilbert” [Sir Jeffrey Gilbert, Lord Chief Baron of the Exchequer in both Ireland and England] / III. Portrait of english Judge and Member of Parliament, Sir John Comyns, Knt. / IV. Portrait of english lawyer and Lord High Chancellor Philip Earl of Hardwicke. Hardcover / Original edition of the 18th century, rebacked by a master-binder with 20th century leather-spines in the style of the 18th century. This extremely rare edition Edward Christian – Edition of Blackstone, with the last corrections before Blackstone’s death, published for the first time by Edward Christian in the years 1793-1795. This set is used with some minor spotting to pages but overall a very desirable and important version of Blackstone’s commentaries on the Laws of England. [The set comes also with a stunning Limited Edition of the four-volume- Reprint of the First Edition of Blackstone’s Commentaries (1766)].

8325. [Somerville & Ross] / Verling, John / [Edith Somerville & Violet Martin].

Somerville & Ross – Portfolio of ten (10) original, large Etchings by John Verling [signed].

Ballydehob / Schull, John Verling & Schull Books, 1984. Folio – Sheets (38.2 cm x 28.5 cm). Ten original etchings in bespoke Folder with original tissue-guards. Original Hardcover-Folder with one additional, signed inlay-etching to frontcover. The ten etchings and the folder with the original inlay-art, are all in mint condition. The etchings all protected by their original tissue guards. A stunning publication of a wonderful West Cork – Artist. A must-have for all collector’s of rare and signed Somerville & Ross collectables, this find is simply an unusual occurance because the artwork was originally designed to be framed. One usually never finds this edition with the artwork still in its original folder !

8326. Levy, Arthur Joseph / Zangwill, Israel.

Archive / Collection of more than 350 items, letters, documents, ephemera, pamphlets, manuscript notes, receipts , manuscript letters from the private library of Providence (Rhode Island) lawyer, Arthur (Art) Joseph Levy. The collection includes an important, controversial typescript-essay (8 pages) on Israel Zangwill’s address before the American Jewish Congress at Carnegie Hall on October 14th, 1923 (″Watchmen, what of the Night ?”); with manuscript annotations and remarks on Israel Zangwill’s position “the hopes of Jewry for the establishment of a Jewish State in Palestine are doomed to disappointment”. The collection includes a plethora of interesting letterheads of jewish organizations and also important documentation of Levy’s contribution to and support for the “Palestine Foundation Fund”, (receipt from Boston, Mass. June 1923). Levy, who was a graduate of Brown and Boston University Law School, practiced law in Providence, Rhode Island and led an active life as a member and leader of several Jewish civic organizations, such as the Jewish Family and Children’s Service, which he established and led for twenty years, Rhode Island Jewish Historical Society, the Temple Beth-El Brotherhood, the Miriam Hospital, the Touro Fraternal Association and the Jewish Home for the Aged of Rhode Island. He was also a prominent member of the American Bar Association, the Brown University Alumni Association and the Brown Club of Rhode Island. Highly regarded as a jurist, he was a member of the Commission to Consolidate State Laws, a member of the Advisory Committee of the Federal Tax Institute of New England and an editor of the Rhode Island Bar Journal. Included in this archive are a group of letters written during World War I discussing his role in the Jewish Welfare Board of the United States Army and Navy, an invitation to a fund-raising dinner for the Jewish Orphanage of Rhode Island, a group of documents and letters discussing the establishment of a Jewish country club in Providence, several documents from the early 1920s concerning the mostly Jewish fraternity Phi Epsilon Pi and several items relating to Levy’s personal life, such as personal letters, bills from clothiers and invitations to social events. (Main source of the description of this archive is the research of our colleague Greg Talbot from The Lawbook Exchange).

Providence (Rhode Island), Cambridge (Massachusetts), New York, 1917 – 1931. Octavo and A4. Two heavy folders with original documents. Very good condition with only minor signs of external wear.

8327. Congo / Kongo – Leopold II of Belgium (1835-1909) – King of the Belgians and Owner / Absolute Ruler of the Congo Free State from 1885 to 1908.

Collection of four very important and meaningful manuscript letters by Leopold II to his administrator and Foreign Minister of the Congo – Free-State, Baron Adolphe de Cuvelier (1860-1931) with a total of 16 pages filled with Leopold’s instructions on pressing issues regarding a warning about an imminent visit by the Rector of the Mill-Hill Missionaries [probably Herbert Alfred Henry Vaughan (1832 – 1903)] and Leopold’s qualification of the visit of being detrimental to the Congo Free State (″ne travaillent pas pour l’État”). Leopold continues in another letter to talk about the hostile positions of english officials (consuls) and missionaries (″que les consuls anglais et les missionnaires anglais se conduisent bien mal envers l’État”). Interestingly, Leopold also touches on the nuisance of the german press criticizing Belgian Railway Lines and he is of the opinion that this is all happening in order to force the german parliament [″Reichstag”] to finance the building of the Tanganyika Railway [between Dar es Salaam and Kigoma]: (″cherche à effrayer l’opinion [en] Allemagne à propos de mes chemins de fer afin d’obtenir du Reichstag des fonds pour la ligne allemande vers le Tanganika”.

16 pages of MLS, Manuscript Letters (signed) on 10 leaves of Leopold’s official stationery “Château de Laeken” and “Palais de Bruxelles”. Laeken / Brussels, Château de Laeken [Palace of Laeken], 1901 – 1906. The leaves with different sizes (13,5 cm x 9 cm) and (18 cm x 11,5 cm). Excellent condition. Unsigned. Tremendously rare to find original letters by Leopold II on the open market in which the Colonial Free State and the protection against inquisitive visitors is discussed in such clear and instructive fashion. Leopold’s correspondence with Adolphe de Cuvelier shows how he is very much trying to still protect and influence the narrative of his Colonial Slavery Outpost even in the final years of his life.

8328. [Rowe, Walter T.].

Original Numerology-Manuscript – Deciphering the Bible, Deciphering the Esoteric, Jewish, Christian, Biblical & Astrological Prophecies // Manuscript / Astrology – Occulta – Manuscript on c. 400 pages with an astonishing, meticulous Chronology and source-comparison on Prophecy, Pyramidology [″Mystery of the Great Pyramid”], Numerology, Astronomy, Astrology, Drawings and Plans of Pyramids versus Occult – Proof and meditations on the Number 666 and 888: “666 v 888 in relation to Israel”, “the opposing numbers from the original Hebrew with the “Pi sign” etc. etc. The Manuscript reads like a Self-Instruction and Proof of Thought by an Esoteric, highly religious “Truth-Seeker”, ranging from early Biblical Explanations of Historical Events to elaborate comparisons of “Bible Metallurgy” showing the “relation between practical metal work and the Bible” by comparing the architectural design of a “Blast Furnace” to “The Image of Daniel”, and continuing all the way to explanations for the Rise of Tyrants like Hitler. “Great Pi—Ratio in regard to Great War”, the “Atomic Scale” is discussed as well as the “Luciferian Sudama or Nigode Cave Temple”. The amount of connections to Jewish History is interesting: “Tracing Israel to Britain by Old Coinage”, “The Jewish Question”, “Testimony of Men of Letters as to Nationality of the British Race”, “Objections to British Israel” “The Statesmanship of Jesus”, “Fulness of the Gentiles”, “Reference to the lost House of Israel”, “Battle of the Gold Standard” etc. etc.

[Brixton], c. 1935 – 1950. Octavo (19 cm x 22,5 cm). 362 pages plus 58 pages, later inserted between page 304 and 305, plus XVIII pages of a thorough Index. With numerous illustrations and diagrams throughout the manuscript. Original Hardcover – Binder with manuscript / autographed pages. Very good condition with some minor signs of wear only. “Peel”-Memo Binder with Name-Label of the author to pastedown: “Walter T Rowe, 106, Dalberg Road, Brixton, SW2”.

8329. Schmidt, Arno.

Collection of 73 publications by and on eminent german writer Arno Schmidt / Sammlung mit 73 Titeln von und über den bedeutenden deutschen Schriftsteller Arno Schmidt. / The collection comes from the private collection of an Arno Schmidt-aficionado and includes most of the important publications in german and english language. In addition also some audiobooks, documentary film and Literary Criticism. / Die Sammlung stammt aus der Privatbibliothek eines Arno Schmidt-Enthusiasten und enthält nahezu alle bedeutenden Werke von und über Arno Schmidt und neben den Hauptwerken ausserdem den Dokumentarfilm sowie zahlreiche Hörbücher.

[More than 90 Volumes in total]. Frankfurt / Zurich / Bargfeld, Hoffmann & Campe / S.Fischer / Haffmanns / Arno-Schmidt-Stiftung, c.1971 – 2016. Diverse Formate: Octavo / Folio / Quarto. Mehr als 20000 Seiten. Original Hardcover / Original Softcover. Besides some minor signs of external wear to some of the Volumes, some mild foxing etc., the collection is overall in either very good or excellent condition. Please see detailed and extensive photographic evidence of the collection on our website. [The price for this heavy and opulent collection includes worldwide free shipping per UPS Express Courier (2 – 7 days of international express-shipping per UPS Express Saver)].

8330. Sikes, Sylvia / [Natural History of the African Elephant]

Personal Papers / Archive of Material Related to the Life and Career of Zoologist Sylvia Sikes, the Foremost African Elephant Specialist of her time. All materials from her personal collection / working copies and manuscript material. Including her extensive, two-volume-thesis: “Cardiovascular Disease in Freeliving Wild Animals with particular Reference to the African Elephant (Loxodonta africana)”. A collection of professional and academic papers, copies of Sikes’ monographs, zoological manuscripts and a plethora of photographs and personal newsletters, letters, pamphlets and manuscripts spanning seven decades of Sikes’ personal and professional life in Africa and the UK. The collection is composed of 92 specific pieces (some of which are comprised of one or more items). A detailed bibliography of the collection has been outlined in a Word Document (please request). The collection also includes personal copies of three monographs Sylvia Sikes has published, an original copy of her two-volume doctoral thesis, 37 academic articles and 5 unpublished draft manuscripts. There are also 7 booklets and a book by a third author among the collection. The collection is rounded off by a large number of vintage colour and monochrome photographs, letters, single-sheet newsletters, newspaper and magazine cuttings.

Africa and the UK, Various, 1937 – 2012. 21 cm x 26 cm – 24.5 cm x 31 cm. Circa 2,500+ pages. Numerous monochrome and colour photographs throughout the collection. Includes Hardcover book with dustjacket, softcover book, reprints of academic journal articles in paper wrappers and a variety of loose material in cellophane files. The archive, running from 1937 to 2012, is contained in two green (24.5 cm x 31 cm x 10.5 cm) boxes, four additional folders (32 cm x 24 cm) and two hardcover volumes (21.5 cm x 26cm). Very good condition.