Book Trade History

One page, 8vo, good condition. A "Sederunt Book".

Dimensions roughly six inches by three and a half. Wormed (but only affecting two letters of text) on aged paper. One page, blank reverse. Wood cut at head, roughly one and a quarter inches square, illustrating a leather-bound book with clasps. Thirty-three lines of text, beginning 'At the Bible in Newgate-street, over against the Blue-Coat Hospital Gate.

One page, 8vo, stained and small hole but text clear and complete. Charges for a book on poultry, a Portuguese dictionary and a binding job.

Beautifully printed bifolium on thick wove paper. Dimensions of leaf roughly thirteen inches by ten; dimensions of illustration roughly nine and a half inches by eight. Tissue guard. Recto of first leaf and verso of second blank. Letterpress on verso of first leaf reads 'Fernand De Nobele, libraire pres St-Germain-des-Pres, vous adresse ses meilleurs voeux pour l'annee 1969. | [L'abbaye en 1368]'. Illustration signed at foot 'Josephine Beaudouin', with the limitation '190/200'. For De Nobele - President of ILAB between 1965 and 1967 - see Anthony Rota's 'Books in the Blood' (2002).

One page. On leaf roughly nine and a half inches by seven wide. Aged, with frayed edges, and with slight loss to head, affecting decorative border, and extensive loss at foot, involving several lines of text. Begins 'G. BURBAGE, PRINTER, BOOKSELLER and STATIONER; ON THE LONG ROW, NOTTINGHAM, TAKES this Method to acquaint the PUBLIC, that he has just laid in an entire new Assortment of STATIONARY [sic] GOODS, - Also a neat COLLECTION of PAPER HANGINGS for ROOMS, CEILINGS and STAIR CASES: [...]'.

File of papers giving insight inot the buying and record-making procedures of an antiquary and collector.They are crudely sewn together, with some damage and staining, texts clear and complete except railway receipt (trimmed), collection comprising: a. Catalogue ("Part Fifty-Three", Feb. 1860, from Thomas Arthur, 45 Booksellers' Row, Strand, London, W.C. ( some items ticked by Sumner, including item 454 Ratsall's History of . . . .Southwell" which is also marked "Ordered"). b. Invoice from Thomas Arthur, 13 Feb.

One page, 7 x 4.5", good condition. Annual Register

Four vols, simply bound in variant colours, good condition. Ex lib (Public Library) but latterly from the Reference Library of Peter Eaton (Booksellers) Ltd, library stamp, and number on spine. The periodiocal which best informed booksellers and collecvors from its institution.

4to, good condition. Dobell describes a defective "tract" ("A Precious Apple") and speculates on its authorship (Lady Eleanor Douglas). He will send it to be examined. Another hand (presumably Windle) has added pencil notes on the reference works which do not list the item and speculating "probably part of a larger work with different title."

Dimensions roughly nine inches by three and a half wide. Creased and somewhat aged, with traces of previous blue paper mount on reverse. The cartoon, which occupies just under the top half, shows three hillbillies watching a fourth chalk crosses onto a farmyard wall, with the caption 'Somebody told him 'bout a old age pension . . . he's practicin' to sign up fer it.' Beneath this 'ATTENTION! | C. A. STONEHILL, Inc. | Rare Books and Manuscripts | IS NOW LOCATED AT | 198 1/2 YORK ST. | SECOND FLOOR | NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT | Come In and Browse'.

Paper dimensions roughly ten and a half inches by eleven and a half; print dimensions eight and a half inches by ten and a half. Aged and with three inch strip, roughly half an inch wide, torn away from surface of print in top left-hand corner. Depicts a crowded and rather grand hall, containing a long horseshoe-shaped table around which are crowded connoisseurs of both sexes contemplating engravings and illustrated books or engaged in discussion. Arti et Amicitiae is an Amsterdam society of artists and art lovers, founded in 1839.

One page, 8vo, good. He sends newspapers post free "to all parts of the Kingdom." He charges mainly for items of stationery but also an almanack.

Dimensions of paper roughly twelve inches by ten; dimensions of print roughly nine and a half inches by seven and a half. A good clear impression, on aged, creased paper, of a striking illustration showing a portly and sleek Asperne, beautifully turned out in Freemason's robes and paraphernalia, holding a leather-bound book, and seated in an ornately carved wooden chair with the Freemasons' eye in a triangle at its head. Captioned 'Mr James Asperne | BOOKSELLER, CORNHILL, | Past Master of the FOUNDATION LODGE NO. 96 And St. Peter's No.. 249 | P.S.D. of the LODGE of Antiquity No.

Good clean image of a seventeenth-century engraving, from an earlier idealised portrait of the putative 'father of printing'. It is of irregular shape, the background having been carefully cut away. Neatly mounted on piece of beige paper, illustrated with a brown pseudo-frame with decorative book devices in the four corners. Half-length portrait of a bearded Gutenberg in fur-lined hat and coat, with composing stick in left hand and stylus in right. Dimensions roughly eight and a quarter inches by seven wide. Engraved beneath is 'P Stent Excudit: R Gaywood fecit'.

On thin laid paper roughly two and three-quarter inches by three and three-quarter inches wide. Good clean image, on aged paper with slight wear in bottom left-hand corner. Enclosed by a border. Reads, in a variety of hands, 'Thomas Payne | BOOKSELLER, | Near the South Sea House | BISHOPSGATE-STREET | LONDON. | Sells all Sorts of Stationary [sic] Wares.' According to BBTI the Thomas Payne who was at this address in 1750 may possibly be the eminent bookseller Thomas Payne I (1719-99) of the Mews Gate.

Sixteen invoices, all 8vo, good condition. They bought account books and stationery relevant to their function. The overseers, for example, bought a "Poor Rates Book", had "Rate Receipt books" and "Poor Rate Notices" printed by Gotelee. The surveyors' invoices listed "Printing 200 Highway Rate Receipts". The churchwardens had a "Book of Common Prayer" bound.

Dimensions roughly eight inches by five and a half. Very good on aged paper. All but top edge rough. One page, blank reverse.

One page, on rough-edged grey wove paper, roughly nine inches by six wide. An attractive production of twenty-two lines, with ornamental rules top and bottom, headed 'This Day is Published, | IN TWO VOLUMES OCTAVO, | PRICE ONE GUINEA IN BOARDS, | Monographia Apum Angliae; | [...] | By WILLIAM KIRBY, B.A. F.L.S. | RECTOR of Barham in Suffolk. | [...]'. According to BBTI John White traded between 1785 and 1816 and Stephen Couchman between 1774 and 1825.

One page, 4to, good condition. He gives belated thanks for writing to them "and sending us your contribution for our catalogue." They delayed so that thanks would accompany a copy of the catalogue. They have sent the catalogue under separate cover and "hope you will find it enertaining. Too, we hope that you will find our comments on your work not unworthy of your talents." See Donald C. Dickinson, "Dictionary, for discussion of the "rambunctious" bookseller, including his interaction with major literary figures.

Pamphlet, 8pp., 12mo, blank wraps except inside back wrap ("Reprinted from The Nation / 50 Copies"), minor damage at one staple, mainly good. Enclosed: printed anonymous poem entitled "It Takes a Book", one page (verso blank), 12mo, the theme of which is that you can trust a friend to return anything except a book. Not in Beverly Chew. Essays and verses about books. New York: D. B. Updike, 1926)

One page, on paper roughly seven inches by eight wide. Good, on lightly creased paper. Stamped with date. He thanks his correspondent for 'the typed list'. Headed 'Memorandum from | GEORGE GREGORY, Book Merchant, Library Buyer and Exporter, | The Imperial Book Store, | 5 and 5a ARGYLE STREET, BATH. | Out-of-Print and Rare, or Out-of-the-Way Books sought for and reported promptly, with option of purchase. Send me your List of Wants. | Licensed Valuer. Stock well classified in Thirty Rooms. Libraries Purchased. | Bankers: UNION OF LONDON & SMITHS BANK, LTD., BATH.

Piece of paper, bifoliate, c.5 x 4", good condition. "Gent. / These books belong to you - I will call & explain tomorrow / A. Leighton". Archibald Leighton II helped invent and develop 'book cloth binding' between 1820 and 1832. (BBTI).

One page, 4to, good condition. Books include English grammars in French, Pope's Works, Guarini's "Pastor Fido". Broiefly docketed presumably by Glenbervie.

Ten items, various formats, mainly 8vo. a. Copy statement i, 13 Jan. 1879, in which Smallwood agrees terms with the music publisher, Mary Ann Williams for his "musical composition entitled Winander-mere". b. Autograph Note Signed "Frederick Langbridge", 25 Jan. 1877, confirming that the sole copyright for two songs written by him ("A Song for the Land I Love" and "Freedom's Shrine") belongs to Smallwood. c. Statement by Lucy J. Mullen, "trading as B. Williams, 19 Saville Row EC", 6 Jan.

[24]pp., 12mo, unbound (formerly bound into a book?), crude repair to spine, partly detached leaves, foxing, text clear and complete. Subjects; Voyages, Travels, Geography, and Topography; Miscellaneous; Divinity; Medicine, Surgery and Chemistry; Novels, Romances, etc.; Education (most substantial section); Books to be published. Note: I have yet to trace another copy but the major American libraries have microform copies, as does CUL, the only holding library listed on COPAC.

Pp. 16' 16; 32-56; 57-80, one coloured frontispiece.Some wear and tear, marking and sunning, fair condition, complete. Articles and advertising aimed at the book-collector (for example "A Prince of Collectors" (Jean Grolier)).

Paper dimensions roughly fifteen inches by ten and a half wide; print dimensions twelve inches by seven and a quarter wide. Good clear image with border a little dusty and aged. Full-length image of a dour Panizzi standing at a desk holding a book. Page of letterpress on separate leaf of same dimensions, containing spirited account ['he sought refuge in Switzerland, but he was expelled discreditably from that country, [...] Keeper of the Printed Books [...] the man in all Europe most competent to fill it.

Dimensions of paper roughly eight and a half inches by six and a half wide. Illustration roughly five and a half inches by five wide. Good on slightly aged and creased paper. A grey-haired Gregory, fashionably dressed in striped waistcoat and cravat, and wearing a white apron, stares at the viewer while holding a book in his left hand and writing its details in a ledger with a quill in his right hand. BBTI gives Robert Loder's trading dates as 1822-39, and Gregory's as 1793-1851.

One page, fol, chipped and stained with minimal textual loss. A lengthy list of various kinds of paper. Add to BBTI Bookbinder, medicine vendor and perfumer, seller of paper-hangings.

Card, c.4 x 3", soiled, remnants of album page on verso (four corners). Within the Royal Arms of the Duke of Clarence is printed "William Curtis / Bookseller / To H.R.H. the Duke of Clarence / Plymouth". At the botton "Harps, Pianofortes &c. on Sale or Hire."