11. O’Connell – [O’Connell, Daniel] Carrick, T. / Holl, W.

Portrait of Daniel O’Connell seated after a portrait by T. Carrick, engraved by W. Holl.

Original Steel Engraving with facsimile signature of Daniel O’Connell. London, Fisher Sons & Co., c.1844. 21 cm x 27,5 cm. Excellent condition.

12. Foster, Vere [Henry Louis / Lewis] / [Georgiana Duchess of Devonshire / Elizabeth, Duchess of Devonshire] / [Publisher Blackie & Son – Publishing House in Glasgow].

Publisher’s original “Private Library” – Correction-Copy of “The Two Duchesses”, for the “Second Edition”, with necessary alterations and wishes for changes marked by the corrector / publisher in pencil. Comparisons between pages allow to see the changes in effect if one compares the first and second edition. [A sensational find] / Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire / Elizabeth, Duchess of Devonshire – Family Correspondence of and Relating to Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire / Elizabeth, Duchess of Devonshire, Earl of Bristol (Bishop of Derby), The Countess of Bristol, Lord and Lady Byron, The Earl of Aberdeen, Sir Augustus Foster Bart, and Others, 1777-1859. First Edition. With 17 illustrations.

London / Glasgow and Dublin, Blackie & Son Limited, 1898. Octavo (16 cm x 22,5 cm). XII, 497 pages with 16 full-page-illustrations and one small vignette, showing the Two Duchesses in cordial embrace. Hardcover / Original, green publisher’s cloth with gilt lettering and ornament to spine and armorial supralibro to cover with the Motto of the “British chivalric Order of the Garter”: “Honi soit qui mal y pense” [″shame on anyone who thinks evil of it”]. Excellent, very clean binding. Very good condition with some minor signs of wear only. “Publisher’s Copy” with the publisher’s library sticker and bookplate to pastedown: “Blackie & Son Limited – Private Library – Case Kd – Shelf 5” – Exlibris of Blackie & Son below the library-sticker.

13. Mavor, William.

The British Nepos: Consisting of the Lives of Illustrious Britons Who Have Distinguished Themselves by their Virtues, Talents or remarkable Advancement in Life; with incidental practical reflections.

Twelfth Edition. London, Printed for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme and Brown, 1816. Small Octavo. Frontispiece, XI, [1], 458 pages with all 24 portraits of eminent British People of History in place. Hardcover / Original, contemporary full leather with gilt ornament on spine. Binding slightly rubbed but firm and holding. Interior slightly dusty but overall in very good condition. Giftinscription from 1822 in ink verso titlepage.

14. Foster, Vere [Henry Louis / Lewis] / [Georgiana Duchess of Devonshire / Elizabeth, Duchess of Devonshire].

The Two Duchesses – Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire / Elizabeth, Duchess of Devonshire – Family Correspondence of and Relating to Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire / Elizabeth, Duchess of Devonshire, Earl of Bristol (Bishop of Derby), The Countess of Bristol, Lord and Lady Byron, The Earl of Aberdeen, Sir Augustus Foster Bart, and Others, 1777-1859. First Edition. With 17 illustrations.

London / Glasgow and Dublin, Blackie & Son Limited, 1898. Octavo (16 cm x 22,5 cm). XII, 497 pages with 16 full-page-illustrations and one small vignette, showing the Two Duchesses in cordial embrace. Hardcover / Original, green publisher’s cloth with gilt lettering and ornament to spine and armorial supralibro to cover with the Motto of the “British chivalric Order of the Garter”: “Honi soit qui mal y pense” [″shame on anyone who thinks evil of it”]. Very good condition with some minor signs of wear only. “Presentation Copy of “The Two Duchesses” with Autograph / Manuscript – Letter by Vere Foster to his niece, Emily Albinia “Alba” Foster. With a stunning, unpublished, two-page manuscript letter, revealing several important details about the immediately favorable reviews and reception of the book “Two Duchesses” [″in the Daily Telegraph”] and Vere Foster’s disdain about some criticism from one J.Donohue [which led to an alteration in the second edition of the book]. Vere Foster is also expecting a review to appear in the “Athenaeum” but reports: “the Athenaeum has nothing yet”. Vere Foster apologizes to his niece for the delay in sending the book and explains that he had left 12 “parcels” with Blackie’s agent and gave instructions to send them, but a few days later found they had been “untouched”. One of the most important finds of Vere Foster – Material in recent years with no sign of similar material on offer in the past years on the international market.

15. Foster, Vere [Henry Louis / Lewis] / [Georgiana Duchess of Devonshire / Elizabeth, Duchess of Devonshire].

The Two Duchesses – Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire / Elizabeth, Duchess of Devonshire – Family Correspondence of and Relating to Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire / Elizabeth, Duchess of Devonshire, Earl of Bristol (Bishop of Derby), The Countess of Bristol, Lord and Lady Byron, The Earl of Aberdeen, Sir Augustus Foster Bart, and Others, 1777-1859. Second Edition [Revised] Unique version of the second edition, with a multitude of additional, uncalled-for illustrations (Portraits) and an original engraving of Harper’s Ferry (Virginia).

One Volume bound in two Volumes due to added images (complete set). London / Glasgow and Dublin, Blackie & Son Limited, 1898. Octavo (15 cm x 22 cm). Pagination: Volume I: An extra-illustrated edition, with 96 plates instead of the only 18 plates which were called for according to the inventory pages of the set. Hardcover / Two stunning, privately commissioned, red morocco bindings with five raised bands as well as gilt lettering and ornament to spine, boards and inner pastedown-borders. Excellent condition with some minor signs of wear only. Both Volumes firm and endpapers intact. Interior beautiful and clean with a plethora of illustrations added into this rare second edition with the portraits reflecting personalities touched upon in the letters published by Vere Foster. The often rare portraits of contemporaries to the Duchess of Devonshire and Vere Foster’s father, Sir Augustus Foster, are of significance since many of them are now scarce as well.

16. Harvey, William – [Harvey, William] van Bemmel, Willem (after the artist) / Houbraken, J. (engraver).

William Harvey M.D.

Original copper engraving portrait of english physician William Harvey, ″ first known physician to describe completely and in detail the systemic circulation and properties of blood”. The vintage engraving shows William Harvey, head-and-shoulders portrait, facing slightly left, in a medallion draped with cloth, also shows a drawing of the cardiovascular system, parts of a plant, and a snake entwined around a stick, suggesting a caduceus. [Amsterdam], J. Houbraken, no year [c.1770]. Beautifully Framed. Size of frame with Harvey’s portrait: 32 cm x 38 cm. Size of the actual portrait engraving: 9.5 cm x 15.5 cm. Excellent condition !