Search Results: Authors starting with L from Shapero Rare Books

[A Paris, chez J. Mariette, rue St. Jacques aux Colonnes d'Hercules, ca. 1710-13?]. . 12mo (12 x 7.5 cm). Engraved double-page dedication, 52 engraved playing cards and an engraved double-page plan, all cut close and laid down at the time. 18th-century calf, spine with raised bands, compartments gilt, red morocco label lettered in gilt, marbled endpapers, red speckled edges, housed in modern clam-shell box; lightly rubbed and bumped at extremities. Lovely set of uncommon military playing cards. The cards were drawn by Gilles de La Boissière (as shown on the later Daumont issue). Each card depicts a different form of fortification, with mathematical measurements appearing alongside the drawbridges, fortified chateaux, bastions, ravelins and ramparts.Given that the jeu de l'oie was very much in favour at the turn of the century, a new type of game appeared, mixing the latter with conventional playing cards. The jeu des fortifcations (like the similar jeu de la guerre, also invented by La Boissiere)… Read More

Hafod, Hafod Press, 1807. . First edition. 8vo, (240 x 150 mm). Double page engraved map as frontispiece, woodcut on verso of dedication, printers device at end; contemporary red half morocco with gilt ornaments and title to spine, top edge gilt. [vi], 336 pp. Bertrandon de la Broquière (aka Brocquiere, c. 1400-1459) was a Burgundian spy and pilgrim to the Middle East in the years 1432–33. He wrote at the request of Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, for the purpose of facilitating a new crusade. La Brocquiere's pilgrimage to Jerusalem enabled him to write this account of relations between the Turks, Greeks and Latins at the time. Thomas Johnes (1748 – 1816), who was well-known as a translator of Froissart and was a member of the Society of Dilettanti and cousin of Richard Payne Knight, also translated this work which was printed at his private press in the grounds of his estate at Hafod in Cardiganshire. Blackmer 933; Ransom 6.

Tokyo, Tsoukidji-Tokio, S. MAGATA, 1894. . Limited edition, one of 200 copies on Japanese Ho-sho paper, from a total edition of 350; two parts in one volume; 8vo, (26.5 x 19 cm); text in French, 28 colour woodblock illustrations, including frontispieces, additional black illustrations throughout text, red velvet endpapers; publisher's red morocco, pictorial covers, top edge gilt, gilt lettering to spine, modern dustjacket in red half-morocco, housed in a modern red morocco bordered slipcase. This 1894 limited edition of Fables Choisies de La Fontaine is a collection of 28 fables magnificently illustrated in colour by some of the best Japanese artists of the late nineteenth century, including Kadji-Ta Hanko, Kawa-Nabe Kiyo-Soui, Kano To, O-Nobou, Oka-Koura, Shiou-Soui, and Eda Sa-Shiko. Jean de La Fontaine collected fables from a wide variety of sources, both Western and Eastern, and adapted them into French free verse. They were issued under the general title of Fables in several volumes from 1668… Read More

Peoria, The Bernbee Press, 1928. . First edition; 8vo (20 x 14 cm); inscribed in pen to title, illustrated with graphs and tables; publisher's cyan cloth, stamped in black to spine and upper cover, minor wear to extremities, occasional fold lines otherwise internally clean; xi, [3], 102pp. stock23 A scarce early work on grain speculation inscribed 'Ernest Kiemast, July 15th 1935, Penname of: Geo. W. Cole, Peoria, Illinois' to title.OCLC records only five copies, all in institutional collections in the USA.

Paris, Imprimerie de la République, An V, An V [1797]. . First edition. 4 text vols, 4to (30 x 23 cms) and folio atlas (58 x 45 cms), engraved portrait of La Pérouse after Tardieu, atlas with engraved allegorical title-page by Moreau le Jeune, titled Atlas du voyage de La Pérouse without imprint, and 69 engraved plates comprising folding world map, 35 views and natural history plates, 33 maps or coastal profiles (of which 20 double-page). Text volumes contemporary half-calf, marbled boards, chip to head of spine vol. I, light marginal water-staining vol. II and title-page vol. III, bound without half-titles, joints vol. I cracked but sound, lightly rubbed, some scraping to boards; atlas 19th-century red morocco-backed boards, neatly rebacked, royal cypher of Prince Philippe of Belgium to cover and spine, marginal repair to tear (circa 7 cms) to blank outer margin plate 15, not touching image, occasional light foxing at beginning and end, a very good set. The first edition of one of the… Read More

Paris, 1802. . First edition, one of 160 copies, folio (71 x 54 cm), half-title, title, 52 ff; 23 mezzotint plates, including engraved title, of which 19 coloured, of which 1 double page; in addition 9 illustrations printed to text, of which 2 coloured, a little spotting and foxing, handsome modern red half morocco gilt, an attractive example. The first scholarly work by the historian and archaeoloist Alexandre, comte de Laborde (1773-1842). Magnificently illustrated, this work uses the three-colour mezzotint process developed in the mid 1730's by the German painter and engraver Jacob Christoph Le Blon (1667-1741).In 1797, following service as an officer in the Austrian army and an extended tour through Europe, Laborde returned to France. He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under Talleyrand and became a protégé of Lucien Bonaparte, whom he escorted on numerous diplomatic trips to Madrid. During these trips, Laborde developed a keen interest in Spain and its history and with the aid of… Read More

Paris, Francois Bernouard, December 1918 & June - December 1920. . First edition, no. 20 of 25 examples on papier vergé d'Arches with proofs (total edition 1432); 14 fascicles (as I and 1-13), small folio, I: [12] pp., with 4 hand-coloured wood-engraved plates and polychromatic woodcut ornaments in text, 1-13: [4 (half-title, limitation, title, blank)], [112] pp., with 40 numbered, hand-coloured, copper-engraved and etched pochoir plates, each with uncoloured proof (pl. 36 uncoloured, with additional proof of an earlier state), and a final hand-coloured plate with proof; fascicles 10, 12, & 13 unopened at top-edge, occasional spotting, slight toning at extremities; loose as issued in publisher's printed wrappers, first issue with hand-coloured wood-engraved title vignette, others printed in two colours with hand-coloured rose, fascicle 4 with an additional uncoloured outer wrapper, 7 issues with publisher's glassine, together in a modern cloth solander box, printed paper label to spine; a few light… Read More

London, Printed for George Kearsly, 1766. . First edition in English; 12mo (17.5 x 11 cm); woodcut device to title, ownership inscription in pen to front free endpaper recto; contemporary tan calf, panels ruled in gilt, contrasting morocco lettering-piece to spine, wear with loss to spine caps, corners slightly bumped, joints cracked but holding, otherwise a handsome copy, and internally crisp and clean; [2], vi, 302pp. The first edition in English of Lacombe's (1724-1811) History of Christina, Queen of Sweden, an early biography of this 'queen without a realm, a Christian without faith, and a woman without shame' (Pope Alexander VII). Widely regarded as one of the most educated women of her age, Christina was crowned at the tender age of six, but abdicated the throne in 1654, aged 27, declaring herself unwilling to marry and provide an heir. Her intellectual curiosity, patronage of the arts, and advocacy for the rights of women is today widely celebrated, but in her life brought her many enemies… Read More

London, Herbert Jenkins Ltd, 1935. . First edition, first printing; 8vo; 8pp. advertisements, minor foxing to extremities of the text-block; publisher's orange cloth, slightly mottled, otherwise very good, dust-jacket.

[Amsterdam, Johannes Sluyter, 1774]. . 6 copper engraved plates with fine original colour, showing the metamorphosis of butterflies, moths and other flying insects. Framed and glazed, overall size: 31.6cm by 46.7cm. ID22 Beautiful depictions of the metamorphoses of butterflies, continuing the fine Dutch tradition of insect illustration begun by Maria Sibylla Merian.L'Admiral (1700-1770), was a gifted amateur entomologist who had studied insects since the age of ten. A year after his death, his collection of butterflies and other insects was sold in auction. This included the original copper plates from the first edition (1740) of of his work Naauwkeurige Waarneemingen omtrent de Veranderingen van Veele Insekten... These were augmented by a further eight plates which had been borrowed from L'Admiral by Dr.M Houttuyn, for the butterfly section of his edition of Linnaeus. Thus the 1774 edition was the first complete edition of L'Admiral's engravings.In total L'Admiral illustrated seventy… Read More

[Amsterdam, Johannes Sluyter, 1774]. . Group of six copper engravings with fine original colour, showing the metamorphosis of butterflies, moths and other flying insects. Framed and glazed, overall size: 31.6cm by 46.7cm. ID22 Beautiful delineations of the metamorphoses of butterflies, continuing the fine Dutch tradition of insect illustration begun by Maria Sibylla Merian.L'Admiral (1700-1770), was a gifted amateur entomologist who had studied insects since the age of ten. A year after his death, his collection of butterflies and other insects was sold in auction. This included the original copper plates from the first edition (1740) of of his work Naauwkeurige Waarneemingen omtrent de Veranderingen van Veele Insekten... These were augmented by a further eight plates which had been borrowed from L'Admiral by Dr.M Houttuyn, for the butterfly section of his edition of Linnaeus. Thus the 1774 edition was the first complete edition of L'Admiral's engravings.In total L'Admiral illustrated seventy… Read More

London, Underwood, 1820. . First edition, 8vo, xiv, 249 pp., 2 folding tables, inscribed copy, contemporary half calf, marbled sides and edges, joints cracked, spine rubbed, a very good clean copy. Inscribed at foot of title: 'To Hyett Esq / with author's compliments'.Pages 153-59 contain an account of Clark's visit to the Hopital Necker in Paris, with a detailed discussion of the use of the stethoscope introduced by Laennec. René Laennec invented the stethoscope in 1816 at the Hopital Necker.Hyett (1795-1877), went on the Grand Tour and possibly met Clark on his travels.

Turin, Tipografia Regia, 1759-1773. . First editions; 5 vols, 4to, (23 x 17 cm); half-titles, engraved and woodcut vignettes to titles, large engraved headpiece at beginning of text, woodcut headpieces, tailpieces and initials, numerous engraved plates bound at the end of each volume, mathematical equations throughout, scattered light foxing, few small marginal repairs to final leaves of final volume, without loss; contemporary marbled calf, spine richly gilt in compartments, speckled edges, marbled endpapers, corners slightly rubbed. The 5 complete volumes of the Miscellanea Taurinensis, all first editions, containing some major texts by Lagrange, Euler, Cigna, Giovanni Battista Gaber, Michele Antonio Piazza, Haller, M. le Comte Saluce, Condorcet and others. The volumes contain numerous treatises among which are the renowned Lagrange theories on the calculus of variations and mechanics. The collation, including plate count, corresponds to the digitised copy in the Biodiversity Heritage… Read More

London, Bentley, 1837. . First edition. 2 vols, 8vo, map and 6 engraved plates, including frontispieces, light spotting, contemporary maroon half calf, marbled boards, green labels, spines faded, lightly rubbed, a very good set. travel2023 Laird was a member of the famous shipbuilding family and the Alburkah, built by his yard, was the first iron vessel to make an ocean voyage. The purpose of Laird's expedition was the commercial development of the recent discoveries by the brothers Lander of the River Niger.

London, for M.J. Godwin at the Juvenile Library, 1805 [1902]. . Facsimile reprint of either the 1805 edition or 1809 reissue (the work first published in 1805); 16mo; 15 wood-engraved illustrations by William Mulready, some contents loose or working loose; original facsimile printed wrappers, some wear to spine. In 1805, the British essayist and then would-be poet Charles Lamb wrote a children's poem, known as 'The King and Queen of Hearts: with the Rogueries of the Knave who stole the Queen's Pies', which gives each line of the original nursery rhyme (c.1782), followed by a poem commenting on the line. According to Lamb biographer E.V. Lucas, a copy of the 1805 edition of this poem in book form was discovered almost 100 years later, and it was reissued by Lucas in a 'facsimile' edition in 1902. It is this facsimile edition that is for sale here.

[c.1875]. . Oblong 4to (280 by 390mm), forty two albumen prints, mostly hand coloured (Japan), all approximately 210 by 280mm, majority in good condition and mounted on clean card, red half calf over red boards, slightly scuffed. Views are mostly topographical in nature of Nikko and Koyoto. There are four silver gelatin prints at the end of Vancouver.

London, Hakluyt Society, 1877. . 8vo, xxii, 314 pp., publisher's blindstamped blue cloth gilt, rebacked in blue calf gilt, new endpapers, blindstamp to title and page 49, a very good copy. Hakluyt Society, first series 56. The abstracts relate to the voyages of Keeling and Hawkins, Sharpie, Middleton, Love, Downton, and Cross. Calendar of ships' journals of the seventeenth century and a list of ships employed by the East India Company in the same period.Lancaster's first voyage in 1591 to the East Indies was the earliest of the English overseas Indian expeditions. His Indian voyage was an important factor in the foundation of the East India Company. In 1600 he was given command of the East India Company's first fleet. The first English East India Company factory was established at Bantam and a commercial mission dispatched to the Moluccas. The return voyage from 20 February to 11 September 1603 was speedy and prosperous, and Lancaster (whose success both in trade and diplomacy had been… Read More

. Albumen print. Good tonal range and in good condition, slight discolouring on upper margin. Photographer's credit, title, and number in negative.

London, Murray, 1832. . First edition. 3 volumes, small 8vo., engraved portrait frontispiece, 6 engraved plates, 2 maps (1 folding), light spotting to plates, contemporary half calf, marbled boards, a fine set. one of the great African narratives completing the navigaton of the river niger.Richard Lander accompanied Hugh Clapperton as his manservant on his second expedition to explore the Niger in 1825. The expedition disembarked on the Nigerian coast determined to strike inland to Sokoto, then descend the Niger to the Atlantic. Most of the party died of malaria en route and it was only Clapperton and Lander who made it to Sokoto. The local ruler, Mohammed Bello, who had tried to trick Clapperton with a false map on his first expedition with Denham, agreed to allow them to return to the sea by way of the Niger. With success all but guaranteed, Clapperton fell victim to malaria and dysentery and Lander was left to make his way bak alone through territory controlled by hostile tribes.Lander… Read More

Constable, London 1928. . First edition. 2 volumes, 8vo., xxiii, 358; viii, 363pp., 181 illustrations, some in colour, 5 maps (4 coloured & folding), 3 folding tables, original blue cloth gilt, spines faded as usual, a very good set. Landon's work is the leading reference book on Nepal. Includes an account of the work of B. H. Hodgson in Nepal, and also the part played by Maharajah Chandra Shamsher of Nepal both before and during the Younghusband Mission to Tibet i 1904. Marshall 341; Yakushi L58.