Libros raros de Sky Duthie Rare Books

Antwerp: Arnoldo Berckmâno [Arnold Birckmann]., 1540. 1540 Early Latin edition. Quarto (160 x 222mm). Full contemporary or near-contemporary vellum over boards with titles in manuscript to the spine. Illustrated with 51 woodcuts and 5 volvelles (4 with moveable parts) to the verso of leaves X, XI (with the moveable element absent, as appears to always be the case, and seemingly as issued), XIII, and to the recto of leaves XXIX and XLV. Historiated initials throughout, globe woodcut to the title page, woodcut printer's device to the verso of the final printed leaf. Somewhat enigmatically inscribed in an early hand to the foot of the title page "Georgy dati Florentini" (George of Florence), and further inscribed to the verso of the final printed leaf. A very good copy, the binding secure, although with some cracking in places, and the spine covering with loss at the sewing supports. The contents with a minor mark to the head of the title page and some nibbling to the top-right corner of the final 13… Leer más

1596. Set of twelve engravings on laid paper. Second state (of two). Signed in the plate with monogram, date and number. B.33 & 36-38 with the coat of arms with tower watermark. A very good set. Nice, even impressions. Margins trimmed outside the platemark. B.27-32 laid onto card. Some with occasional foxing, more so to B. 32-33 & 35-37. Old fold and pinprick hole to B.28. Repaired margins to B.35. Two splash marks to B.38. B.27 (The Last Supper) is a seventeenth-century copy in mirror image by Lucas Vorsterman. An attractive set overall. Here, the German-born Dutch engraver Hendrick Goltzius (1558-1617), in one of his most popular productions, provides an exquisite, masterful rendition of the Passion of Christ drawing on the figure types and engraving techniques of Lucas van Leyden, as well as Albrecht Dürer's own depiction of the subject. A beautiful work by one of the leading figures of Northern Mannerism. Major holdings of his engravings include the Rijksmuseum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art,… Leer más

Frankfurt: Joh. B. Andrea and H. Hort., 1725. Quarto. Handsomely bound in contemporary mottled calf. The boards ruled in gilt, the spine with five raised bands, compartments with decorative devices in gilt, and gilt morocco title label. Engraved title page with hand-coloured allegorical border. Illustrated with 42 full-page contemporary hand-coloured engraved plates depicting the Dance of Death, all but two with additional contemporary watercolour and wash architectural borders, and two further uncoloured engraved illustrations ("Memento Mori" and a the surreal Vexierbild). Curiously, as part of the process of the contemporary owner's embellishment, a number of the central engraved images have apparently been excised and remounted on the decorated text pages. A very good copy indeed, the binding square and firm with the hinges expertly repaired. The contents with some occasional pencil marking to the blank verso of a few of the plates and occasional minor marking to page margins are otherwise in very… Leer más

Wellington: Printed & Sold by F. Houlston & Son., [c.1820]. Ninth edition. 32mo. (9.1cm x 5.6cm). Contemporary pictorial paper-covered boards with an engraved illustration of a jester to the upper board. Illustrated with a woodcut frontispiece depicting the Garden of Eden and numerous other woodcuts within the text. 95pp. Contemporary ownership inscriptions in ink to the front free endpaper and frontispiece verso: "Elizabeth Ann Oake 1824" and "Mary Ellen Oake / the gift of her sister / Elizabeth Ann Oake 1828". Further inscription to the rear endpaper: "Ms. Massingham / 146 Norfolk Street / Lynn / Norfolk". A very good copy, the binding square and firm with a little marking to the boards and wear to the spine ends and corners. The contents with the odd spot of foxing and the occasional minor nick to page margins are otherwise in very good order. A pocket-sized, simplified, illustrated Bible designed for the Regency child, in a charming and unusual pictorial paper-covered binding, likely created by… Leer más

Würzburg: Christian Weiss., [1838-1843]. First edition. Parts 11, 20-22, 29, 33-34, 36-37, 41, 45, and 47-48. Folio (38 x 27cm). Publisher's original quarter grey cloth over paper-covered boards with elaborate decorative titles and vignette illustration to the upper board. Each part illustrated with between 5 and 12 splendid tipped-in hand-coloured lithographs highlighted in albumen, with titles and publisher's blindstamp beneath - 82 in total - plus two further hand-coloured 'schema' plates. A very good set indeed, the bindings square and firm with minor marking to the boards and a touch of wear to the extremities. The contents with the odd mark or nick to page margins, the occasional spot of paper adhesion to a handful of the plates (a little more so to a couple), and a loose rear endpaper to one volume, are otherwise in very good order and clean throughout. The plates remain bright and the colours vivid. An excellent set. A large group of original parts from Eckert and Monten's magnificent series… Leer más

[Original manuscript], [c.1805]. Original ink manuscript letter. 30 x 22.2cm. The paper watermarked with a French imperial eagle and the name of the papermaker "Poviata". Small ink stamp "Bibliotheca Lindesiana" to the lower-right corner, indicating that the letter was once part of the great library formed by the Lindsay family, Earls of Crawford and Balcarres. Condition is very good with a couple of minor chips to the blank lower margin, two light diagonal creases to the top-right corner, and an old linen mount to the left-hand margin where the letter was once inserted into an album. An unusual and evocative letter in which the young Dominique Joseph Robaglia, aged just sixteen and a half, from Napoleon's own birthplace of Ajaccio, Corsica, asks the emperor to admit him to the school of Artillery (presumably at the École Militaire in Paris, where Napoleon had himself trained to become an artillery officer as a young man).Addressed "Sire", the letter states: "Robaglia (Dominique Joseph) aged sixteen… Leer más

London: Printed for J. and F. Rivington, et al., 1774. Sixth edition. Eight volumes. 12mo. Handsomely bound in contemporary full brown calf; the boards ruled in gilt; the spines with five raised bands, compartments with gilt foliate decoration, contrasting red and blue gilt morocco title and volume labels and additional green gilt morocco ownership label for Louisa Pereira to each volume. Marbled endpapers. Illustrated with a copper-engraved frontispiece to each volume and 14 engraved plates, plans and maps (some folding, 22 illustrations in total). Further subsequent ownership inscription in ink manuscript to the front free endpaper of the first volume ("Henrietta Skene / given to her by her Father / 8 Volumes Complete / November 16 1825"), and with her name in ink to the front endpaper of each volume. A very good set, the bindings square and firm with a touch of minor cracking to volumes one and eight, a little occasional chipping to the spine ends, light rubbing to the spines and joints, some… Leer más

[Original photographs], [c.1910-1926]. Over 400 original black and white photographs and sepia tone prints documenting India in the early twentieth century, shot by William Arthur Blackburn Leach using either a '3A Graflex' or a 'Thornton Pickard Special Ruby' camera. Each photograph measuring between 10.7 x 8.2cm and 7 x 4.4cm. Occasional duplication. Contained within their original card packets from photograph developers located in Colombo, Bombay, and Shanghai. The photographs have the occasional minor nick or crease, and there is a little fading to some of sepia images, but are otherwise in very good order. A diverse photographic archive documenting life in India during the first two decades of the twentieth century. The collection depicts a wide-range of interesting and thoughtfully chosen subjects, including a number of striking portraits, as well as street scenes (water-carriers, hawkers and traders, markets, docks, children, policemen and soldiers, carriages and wagons, cattle-drivers,… Leer más

[Original photographs], [c.1910-1926]. 183 original black and white photographs and sepia tone prints documenting Egypt (141) and Palestine (42) in the early twentieth century, shot by William Arthur Blackburn Leach using either a '3A Graflex' or a 'Thornton Pickard Special Ruby' camera, the great majority with detailed annotations in pencil to rear. Each photograph measuring between 10.7 x 8.2cm and 7 x 4.4cm. Contained within their original card packets. WITH: Three contemporary packs of postcards published by A. Gaddis and G. Seif of Luxor, depicting Karnak, Thebes, and Luxor, each containing twelve cards. The photographs have the occasional minor nick or crease, and there is a little fading to some of sepia images, but are otherwise in very good order. An extensive photographic archive documenting life in Egypt and Palestine during the first two decades of the twentieth century. Containing many beautifully-composed shots, the collection depicts a wide-range of interesting and thoughtfully chosen… Leer más

[London: William Peacock]., [c.1860].. Wooden dissected puzzle with hand-coloured engraved alphabet sheet titled "Darton's Children's Pictures", published by Darton, mounted on one side, and a hand-coloured engraved map of Europe by G. F. Cruchley on the other. The completed puzzle measuring 36 x 27cm. Contained within the original wooden box with sliding lid bearing varnished hand-coloured title lithograph decorated with exotic and domestic animals (perhaps a depiction of the Biblical scene of Adam naming the animals). The box measuring 23 x 18 x 4cm. Condition is very good indeed, the puzzle with two pieces with small, neat glue repairs, minor loss to the paper at the edge of two pieces on the map side, and with some light marking/toning is otherwise bright and vivid. The box with a few small knocks, chips and marks and some old, neat repairs to the base is otherwise in very good working order. A beautifully preserved example. A rare and most attractive dissected puzzle produced by Edward Peacock… Leer más

London: Printed for J. F. and C. Rivington [et al.]., 1785.. Sixth edition. Two volumes. Quarto. Contemporary full brown diced calf, the boards ruled in gilt, the spine with compartments ruled in gilt and titles in gilt. Marbled endpapers. Engraved portrait frontispiece of Johnson after a painting by Joshua Reynolds to volume one. Half-title present in volume one. Contemporary owner's name in ink to the head of the title page of volume one. Skillfully re-backed with the original spines neatly re-laid, the boards likewise neatly re-cornered. A very good copy, the bindings square and firm with some scuffing to the boards (more so to the lower boards, particularly that of volume two). The contents with spotting and a watermark to the lower blank margin of the frontispiece, a little wear to the foot of the front free endpaper of volume two, a light tide-mark to the fore-edge margin of 16pp. of volume two, and some light spotting to the preliminary pages and occasionally elsewhere, are otherwise in very… Leer más

[Original photograph archive]., 1957-2008.. An original photographic archive compiled by Betty Boothroyd. Comprising: Eighteen personal photograph albums:- An album documenting Boothroyd's varied personal and official travels and engagements, including images of Boothroyd with Nelson Mandela, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip (3), David Hockney, Boris Yeltsin, and Bill Clinton (signed by Clinton in black ink: "To the Right Honourable / Betty Boothroyd, MP / with best wishes / Bill Clinton / 29. Sept. 1993"), as well as several official parliamentary photographs of Boothroyd, her inauguration as Chancellor of the Open University, visits to Kuala Lumpur, Morocco, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Egypt, Australia, Thailand, Cyprus, Trinidad, and Russia, 1993-1997, with scattered manuscript captions. Large oblong folio (51 x 31cm). Red and purple paper-covered boards. Containing 276 colour photographs (measuring between 25 x 20 and 6 x 6cm, the great majority large format) affixed to the pages, with… Leer más

[Original unpublished manuscripts]., 1890-1896.. Three original manuscripts in ink, the first two embellished with numerous bizarre and fantastical watercolour and gouache illustrations:1. 'The Family Encylopaedia of Nonsense'. Small quarto (21.5 x 17.5cm). Contemporary half green cloth over patterned paper boards, manuscript title label to the upper board. Frankfurt bookseller's label to the front pastedown. Illustrated manuscript title page, followed by 28pp. of manuscript ink text, incorporating 16 colourful watercolour and gouache illustrations (including two tipped-in full-page images), plus a watercolour landscape. Additional page of manuscript notes to the rear regarding a journey through Egypt by Harris. The remainder blank. Dedication to the author's sister Muriel, dated August 14th 1890 to the verso of the title page. Later ink inscription from Muriel to her niece to the front free endpaper. The backstrip detached and with some cracking to the front hinge, although remaining secure. Rubbing… Leer más