Banks, [Isabella] Mrs. G. Linnaeus / [Isabella Banks].

The Manchester Man [Signed Edition]. Illustrated Edition with Pictures by Charles Green & Hedley Fitton.

Manchester / London, Abel Heywood & Son / Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, 1896. Quarto (20 cm x 25,5 cm). Frontispiece, IX, 480 pages with illustrations throughout. Original Hardcover / Original, very decorative publisher’s cloth with gilt lettering on spine and front board. An early Art Nouveau Binding ! Excellent condition with some minor signs of wear only. Beautifully signed by Isabella Banks in her full name on the halftitle (see images). An especially good condition of this now rare book.

[Nixon, Robert] / [Lilly, William] / Collier, John / Bobbin, Tom.

Collection of Four Local History Pamphlets on Manchester and its History, a Map of Manchester and Salford and a rare, early 18th century Prophecy-Pamphlet with William Lilly-Connection. The Collection includes as provisional Frontispiece a rare, folded, original “Map of Manchester and Salford” by J.Pigot, from the year 1811 – (36 cm x 32 cm) / The Map if followed by: Pamphlet I: Anonymous – Short Sketch of the History of Manchester (XII Pages – Manchester, Printed by Sowler and Russell, 1794 (and First published in the Encyclopaedia Britannica)/ Pamphlet II: [John Collier] – Curious Remarks on the History of Manchester. With a judicious Incredulity of Spirit, let us enquire and think for ourselves. By “Muscipula” [that is John Collier alias Tim Bobbin]. (IX, 65 pages – London, Printed for, and sold by the Booksellers in Town and Country, 1771 / Pamphlet III: [Anonymously but most likely also John Collier]″More Fruit from the same Pannier; Or, Additional Remarks on the History of Manchester. (IV, 73, VIII pages) / [Bound together with: NIXON’S Cheshire Prohecy At Large. Published from the Lady Cowper’s Correct Copy. With Historical and Political Remarks and several instances wherein it is Fulfilled. To which is added, THE LIFE OF [ROBERT] NIXON. With an advertising for a “William Lilly – Prophecy” on page 19 of the Nixon-Pamphlet: “Mr.Lilly’s remarkable Prophecy, transcrib’d Verbatim out of his Almanack for the Year 1655, printed under the following Title: “Merlini Anglici Ephemeris”: Astrological Predictions for the Year 1655 by William Lilly – Student in Astrology. [Followed by:] The Prophecy. “….Long’ere that Time poor Merlin sleeps In’s Grave secure; sad England weeps”. ([2], 32 pages – London, Printed for J.Roberts, 1719). //

Manchester / London, J.Roberts and others, 1719-1794. Octavo. Original Hardcover / 19th-century half-leather with gilt lettering to spine. Excellent condition with some minor signs of wear only. Name of preowner on third pamphlet (″Michael North”) / With a manuscript entry by one ‘W.K.’, regarding the “garbled” appearance of the Nixon’s Prophecy in Fielding’s novel, Tom Jones: ‘This was probably the very book which Partridge read out of… This shows Fielding’s attention to minutiae I think – such a jumbled Head as [barber-surgeon] Partridge wd be likely to mix up those part of the Tale Together’. The Cheshire Prophecy in Chapbook-Style with an advertising bound before the titlepage and “Price Six-Pence” on cover.

O’Neill, Joseph.

Manchester Martyrs.

Cork, Mercier Press, 2012. Octavo 320 pages. Softcover. Excellent condition with only minor signs of external wear.

Quennell, C.H.B.

Modern Suburban Houses – A Series of Examples erected at Hampstead & Elsewhere. From Designs by C.H.B. Quennell (Architect).

London, B.T.Batsford, 1906. Folio (28 cm x 36 cm). Frontispiece, XII, 43 plates in photogravure. Original Hardcover with gilt lettering and ornament on spine and cover. All pages loosely inserted. Otherwise in excellent condition with only minor signs of external wear. From the library / collection of Manchester Architect Joseph “Joe” Sunlight, with his library stamp to the endpaper.