81. [Rees-Mogg, William / Cholwell House] [Lever, Charles].

Arthur O’Leary – His Wanderings and Ponderings in Many Lands. Edited by his friend, Harry Lorrequer and Illustrated by George Cruikshank. [William Rees-Mogg’s personal copy from his library at Cholwell House and with his armorial Bookplate / Exlibris to pastedown].

New Edition. London, Henry Colburn, 1845. Octavo. Frontispiece-Portrait of Arthur O’Leary, 364 pages with ten illustrations by Cruikshank (including the Frontispiece). Hardcover / Original 19th century half leather with two spine-labels, professionally rebacked and restored by a professional bookbindery. Original pastedowns retained with the original bookbindery-label of C.T.Jefferies & Sons from Bristol. Some of the Cruikshank-plates very good, some with strong foxing (as usual). The text fresh and clean. After the restoration, this Volume is now in excellent condition with some minor signs of wear only.

82. Foster, Vere [Henry Louis / Lewis] / [Emily Albinia “Alba” Foster] / [Georgiana Duchess of Devonshire / Elizabeth, Duchess of Devonshire].

Amazing Vere Foster-Collection including Educational Materials and as a centerpiece the “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 With a stunning, unpublished, two-page-letter, revealing several important details about the immediately favorable reviews and reception of the book [″in the Daily Telegraph”] and Vere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”. / 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. [See Full list of items which are part of this collection, on our website under the topic “Libraries & Collections”].

First Edition. London / Glasgow and Dublin, Blackie & Son Limited, 1898. Octavo (15 cm x 22 cm). Pagination: Frontispiece, IX, [3], 497 pages with 18 Illustrations (including frontispiece and one Vignette of the two Duchesses opposite page 1). Hardcover / Original, publisher’s green cloth with gilt lettering on spine. Very good condition with some minor signs of wear only. This is an astonishing find for the Vere Foster Research Community and the letter gives significant insight into the importance the publication had for him, its reception as seen by Vere Foster and it solves the riddle why an altertaion was necessary for the second edition [which Vere Foster explains in a brief note to the reader at the beginning of the second edition]. The heartfelt inscription to his niece Albinia Foster is also of great importance and to our knowledge the only presentation-copy of this book on the international market for the several decades we can look back at auction records.

83. 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.

84. [Building News].

The Building News and Engineering Journal – Six Volumes bound in Five – With c. 600 original, stunning Lithographs of Architectural Buildings and Designs [Volume XIV (which is the complete Year 1867, January to December, but erroneously says 1868 on spine) / Volume XXII and Volume XXIII (which is the complete Year 1872, January to December) PLUS: Three Volumes with hundreds of plates / illustrations for the years 1873, 1877 and 1878. Being the very rare Illustrations / Plates – Volumes only (no text) for 1873: Volume The Twenty-Fourth / Volume Twenty-Fifth and 1877: Volume The Thirty-Second / Volume The Thirty-Third and 1878: Volume The Thirty-Fourth and Volume The Thirty-Fifth.

London, Office for Publication and Advertisements, 1868 / 1872 / 1873 / 1877 / 1878. (23 cm x 32.5 cm). All Five Volumes together contain c. 600 stunning lithographs / plates of which c. 180 are large, double-page-plates. [c. 60 plates missing or defect.] Original Hardcover / Original half leather with gilt lettering to spine. Overall very firm and in very good condition of the five volumes with occasional pages missing or some illustrations torn (see detailed descriptions of pagination). The 1873 Volume excellent. The Volumes 1877 and 1878 with some stronger fraying and dampstain-damage to the corners (Illustrations NOT effected). The price for these 5 heavy Volumes includes international free UPS Express shipping.

85. 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.

86. Martin, Robert Montgomery.

The British Colonies; Their History, Extent, Condition and Resources. 6 Volumes bound in 3 Volumes (Text only without maps and illustrations). The Set includes: Volume I – British North America / Volume II – Australia / Volume III – New Zealand, Tasmania / Volume IV – Africa and the West Indies / Volume V – British India / Volume VI – Ceylon, East India and Meditteranean Settlements /

First Edition. London and New York, The London Printing and Publishing Company [that was J. and F. Tallis], no year (c. 1850). Quarto (20 cm x 27 cm). Volume I (British North America [Canada / USA]): Frontispice illustrated titlepage, XXIV, 360 pages with pages 1 – 9 missing / Volume II (Australia): pages 361 – 744 pages / Volume III (New Zealand / Tasmania): II, 384 pages. / Volume IV (Africa and the West Indies): II, 188 pages / Volume V (British India): II, 564 pages with pages 455 – 456 missing / Volume VI (Ceylon, East India and Mediterranean Settlements): II, 172 pages. Hardcover / Original, decorative publisher’s halfleather with gilt lettering and ornament to spines. Bindings rubbed but overall in firm and very good condition with only minor signs of wear. All maps and illustrations besides one illustration removed by a previous owner. In the course of removal of maps and illustrations, one page slightly torn and 11 pages of text missing. This is still one of the most important text-sources of British Colonial History, itsevaluation in Britain and a plethora of data on economical and political impact the Colonies had for the former Empire. No other contemporary 19th century publication includes details on colonial produce, movement of population and local History from Tasmania to Quebec, from Hong Kong to Heligoland (Helgoland), and in general on the depition of “England, the ‘Nursing Mother’ of Nations” (Introductory page XXIV by Montgomery Martin).

87. [Lloyd, Sampson / Lloyds Bank / Lloyds of Birmingham] Sewel, William.

History of the Rise, Increase, and Progress Of the Christian People called Quakers, Intermixed with Several Remarkable Occurences. [Provenance: Personal copy of the Brimingham Quaker – Family of Sampson Lloyd, iron manufacturers and founders of Lloyds Bank in England and Wales]. Written Originally in Low-Dutch by William Sewel, and by himself Translated into English. Now Revis’d and Publish’d, with some Amendments.

First English-language edition, following the low Dutch edition of 1717. London, Printed and Sold by Assigns of J.Sowle, at the Bible in George-Yard, Lomabrd -street, 1722. Folio (21 cm x 31 cm). [12], 723, [19] pages (including a thorough Index), plus 4 unnumbered pages of a catalogue of “Books Printed and Sold by the Assigns of J. Sowles”. Hardcover / Original, late 18th century leather with original spine-label and ornament to boards. Six raised bands; spine starting but still firm and holding. Overall very good condition. Bookplate / Exlibris of Arthur Hofmann to pastedown. Excellent and interesting provenance this being one of the most important publications on Quaker – History and originating from one of the oldest and most influential Quaker – Families in England and Wales.

88. Overbury, Sir Thomas.

His Wife. – With Additions of New Characters and Many Other Wittie Conceits Never Before Printed. [With a manuscript inscription by a contemporary owner of the book [″Alexander Keith”] about Overbury going on an “Embassy to Muscovy” (Russia)]

The fifteenth Impression. London, Printed by R.E. for Robert Allot and are to be sold at the sign of the Beare in Pauls Church-yard, 1632. Duodecimo (9,8 cm x 14,5 cm). 317 unnumbered pages (collated complete). 18th century Hardcover (full leather with gilted spinelabel ‘Overbury’). The binding professionally repaired. 18th century endpaper with handwritten notes in ink. Manuscript exlibris ‘Paul Exner ex libris 939’. Several contemporary ownership signatures within the book (for example Henry Grier, 12th of Apryll 1687). Titlepage professionally repaired. Wonderful example of this rare book.

89. Monro, Thomas [Editor] / [Bishop George Horne / Samuel Johnson].

Olla Podrida, A Periodical Paper, published at Oxford in the year 1787.

First Irish Edition. Dublin, Printed by P. Byrne (108) Grafton – Street, 1787. Octavo (11 cm x 17 cm). 286 pages. Hardcover / Original 18th century full leather with original spine-label. Binding with some stronger rubbing and minor loss to leather on spine. Still very firm and tight. Minor signs of a faded dampstain to a small part of the first 10 pages only. Otherwise very clean. From the library of Richard Meade (Ballymartle), with his Exlibris / Bookplate to pastedown and his name in ink to the title-page.

90. [Henry, David / Power, Francis / Carnan, Thomas / Sir Christopher Wren] Anonymous.

An Historical account of the Curiosities of London and Westminster, In Three Parts. Part I. Contains a full description of the Tower of London, and every thing curious in and belonging to it. Part II. Contains The History of Westminster-Abbey, from its foundation to the present time ; with its Antiquities, Tombs, and Inscriptions. Part III. Treats of the Old Cathedral of St. Paul’s and the new ; together with a full account of the Monument, London-Stone, the City-wall, Gates, and other Antique [Roman] remains.

With three separate titlepages. London, Printed for Francis Power and Thomas Carnan, 1785 – 1789. Small Octavo (11,5 cm x 17 cm). Part I: IV, 64 pages / Part II: IV, 139 pages plus 5 pages of a thorough Index / Part III: IV, 56 pages. Hardcover / Original half-vellum with marbled paper-covered boards. Binding with some minor signs of wear. Binding and spine firm. Overall in very good condition with only minor signs of external wear. Name of preowner Mary Gray written in ink on titlepages.