Search Results: Authors starting with P from McBride Rare Books

[San Francisco, 1898. Good.. [2],142,[6]pp. plus six supplemental leaves tipped in. 12mo. Original black calf, cover gilt. Heavy wear to covers with some loss to gilt lettering, spine heavily worn. Burn damage to upper gutter corner, not affecting text. With numerous pasteovers and manuscript corrections in text. Light soiling and wear to text; several plates at rear with tape at folds, one plate partially detached but present. Handbook for the Maintenance of Way Department of the Southern Pacific Railroad for 1898, with numerous corrections and updates to the text, including pasteovers, manuscript cancellations, and inserted supplements. This copy belonged to Foreman Peter Johannes, and seems to have seen a significant amount of use. Contained here are rules and instructions for a wide array of railroad employees, including roadmasters, bridge superintendents, trackmen, bridgemen, and other watchmen. The principal portion of the text comprises nearly 370 general rules and regulations, such as those… Read More

[N.p., 1925. About very good.. 32pp. Oblong octavo. Original pictorial chromolithographic wrappers, stapled. Light wear and soiling to text, heaviest to upper outer corner. Contemporary ownership inscription on title page. Pictorial souvenir of the Northern Pacific Railway's Yellowstone Line, with handsome images of sights along the route in Washington and Alaska.

[New York, 1871. Good plus.. Folding pamphlet, 6 x 17 inches. Separated along one fold. A few later pencil annotations. Light wear and tanning. A scarce advertisement for bond investment in the Northern Pacific Railroad, issued in 1871 during the first great construction push on the line. Although the company was founded in 1865, ground was only broken on construction in 1870 after considerable backing by Jay Cooke. This pamphlet outlines the plans for the railroad to be built from St. Paul to Portland and Seattle, the prospects for passenger and freight business upon completion, and the extent of the land grants afforded the railroad by the federal government. The text goes on to describe the financial instruments on offer, their advantages over Treasury bonds (chiefly, a greater yield at 7-8% vs. 5-6%), and their security against the commercial and financial assets of the railroad as well as its land grants. With a map of the proposed route on the rearmost panel. A scarce call for investment in… Read More

[San Francisco, 1893. About very good.. Approximately [500]pp., unpaginated. Quarto. Contemporary limp black calf, cover gilt; spine perished, extremities worn and chipped. Contemporary ink stamps on front end leaves, light wear and soiling to first few leaves. Contemporary typed slip pasted to title page. The first freight tariff reference book issued for the Southern Pacific Railway, including the invaluable index section and a typed slip pasted in labeled "Key to Bible" providing several updates. This tariff "bible" provides local freight tariffs applied between points on lines of the Southern Pacific in Oregon south of Ashland, California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. Additionally, it offers a vital reference detailing all of the active Southern Pacific stations during the Progressive Era in the wake of the 1893 Recession, as well as economic data on the added local costs for shipping. We locate no copies in OCLC. A rare survival, designed for use and discard after updates rendered it… Read More

[N.p., most likely San Francisco]: June 15, 1903. Good plus.. [bound with:] Rules and Instructions for the Government of Employés of the Maintenance of Way Department Adopted by the Southern Pacific Company. [September, 1903]. 164,[2],89pp., plus numerous folding plates, some numbered between 91-120, some unnumbered, profusely illustrated in the text, and with several pasteover corrections in text. Original black cloth wallet-styled binding, gilt titles on flap. Some chipping to flap, moderate edge wear and scuffing to boards. Light occasional toning. Revised edition of this indispensable manual used by employees working in the Operating and Maintenance of Way departments of the Southern Pacific Railroad during the first decade of the 20th century. The work includes rules and regulations for the departments, timetables, visible, audible, and train signals with illustrations, train movements, various forms, and employee regulations. The latter includes rules for employment conditions, personal care,… Read More

[St. Paul, 1916. 64pp. Quarto. Original pictorial wrappers, stapled. A scarce North Dakota promotional published by the Northern Pacific Railway, focused on the agriculture of the state. The extensive text consists consists of detailed, county-by-county descriptions of farming opportunities in North Dakota, accompanied by numerous photographic images, as well as the obligatory information on passenger travel and freight service available through Northern Pacific to these areas. A color map of the state with existing and proposed Northern Pacific lines is printed on the inside front wrapper. We locate three copies, at Yale, BYU, and the State Historical Society of North Dakota.

[New York: Committee for Non-Violent Revolution, 1950. About very good.. Nine issues, each a [4]pp. small bifolium. Addressed, stamped, and cancelled. Previously folded. Light toning and edge wear. A run of nine issues of this relatively short-lived civil rights and pacifist periodical, published by the Committee for Non-Violent Revolution, formed after World War II by a group of Civilian Public Service camp veterans and other imprisoned conscientious objectors. Their Statement of Purpose at the head of the first issue proclaims, "Today, humanity is warped and stunted, not only by the more obvious evils of war and insecurity, but also by a thousand little attitudes and customs which permeate our civilization. We will explore ideas and actions which free and strengthen the individual, and we will do so without respect for custom, law, or authority.... In an age of atom bombs and preparations for bacteriological warfare, we cannot be the slave of any nationalism." Articles include anti-draft screeds,… Read More

New York: Episcopal Pacifist Fellowship, 1941. Very good.. Eight items. Light toning and wear. Informational brochures and application materials for the Episcopal Pacifist Fellowship, founded in New York in 1939 with the goal of fostering receptive attitudes toward pacifism within the denomination. The material present here was printed in 1940-1941, just as the United States was on the verge of entering the war.

Nueva York: Imprenta de Hallet y Breen, 1870. Very good plus.. Two volumes: xvi,576; [2],488,vii pp., plus engraved portrait frontispiece and one additional plate in volume one. Original green pebbled cloth, blindstamped boards, spines stamped in gilt. Small shelf label on each spine. Minor edge wear, spine ends a bit frayed, corners worn, small paper remnant on front cover of first volume. Same ink ownership signature to a few leaves in each volume, light foxing to endleaves. A handsome copy of the third edition of Jose Antonio Paez's autobiography, printed in Spanish in New York, and following editions in 1867 and 1869. Jose Antonio Paez (1790-1873) is a massive figure in 19th-century Venezuelan history. He first came to prominence while fighting Spain alongside Simon Bolivar during the Venezuelan War of Independence. He also assisted his country in achieving independence from Gran Colombia, and thereafter practically ruled Venezuela for the next twenty years. His record of authoritarianism was… Read More

New York: Imprenta y Libreria de N. Ponce de Leon, 1883. Very good.. vii,53pp. Modern quarter calf and marbled boards, spine gilt. Inscribed by the author on verso of title page. Manuscript pencil numbering to top corner of each page. Minor foxing. One of the most important and intriguing 19th century Cuban-American imprints, featuring two Socialist 'molality tales' that while lauding the quest for social and economic equally, also decry the risks posed by human nature and totalitarianism upon the practical application of Marxism. It was written by the prominent Cuban émigré Rafael de Castro Palomino, and features a famous prologue by his close friend and colleague, José Martí. From the 1870s to 1890s, New York City was the heart of the Cuban community in exile. During the Ten Years' War (1868-1878), a wave of Cuban dissidents, many being highly educated and with financial resources, arrived in New York, forming a vibrant and politically active community. There they had almost unfettered freedom… Read More

[Panama City, 1920. Very good.. 24pp. Original yellow illustrated wrappers, stapled. Moderate dust-soiling, and edge wear to wrappers, price written in blue pencil on front cover. Creases throughout. A seemingly-unrecorded, photographically-illustrated travel guide to the two principal cities in Panama, issued by the owner of a prominent souvenir shop in Panama City. I.L. Maduro operated a souvenir store in Cathedral Plaza, and touted himself as offering "the finest selection of Choice Panama Hats" along with the "largest stock of souvenirs, postal cards, views, maps, Japanese & Chinese silks & curios, and Native curios." The photographs within this pamphlet picture various departments of Maduro's store, the "New Washington Hotel," views of the Panama Canal, a bird's-eye view of Panama City, and a street view of Maduro's store. The pamphlet concludes with a section on how to make Panama hats, and then a fare schedule for travel along the Panama Canal. Interestingly, Panama City and Colon are the two… Read More

Panama: I.L. Maduro, 1910. Good plus.. Folding map, 18 x 24 inches. Original printed wrappers. Light wear and sunning to wrapper edges. A few short separations along folds, one of which repaired with tape, none affecting text of map image. Attractive promotional for the construction of the Panama Canal, issued by a local souvenir store. One side of the sheet are an overhead view of the canal route with locations of the proposed canal locks and other unfinished construction and two smaller maps, one of Panama as a whole and a topographical profile of necessary excavations along the route. The other side prints a "History of Isthmian Canal," accompanied by eleven photographic reproductions depicting work sites and other views related to the construction.

Panama: Imprenta Nacional, 1927. Very good.. [6],91,[1]pp. plus three folding maps. 12mo. Original green printed wrappers. Light soiling and wear. Internally clean. Handsome little guide to Panama, printed in Spanish and English on facing pages. Includes notable sights to see, together with a history of the Canal and a commercial directory.

[Housatonic, Ma, 1904. Very good.. 60pp. of manuscript text. Folio. Contemporary three-quarter red leather and black pebbled cloth boards. Some chipping and noticeable wear to boards. Hinges reinforced, minor dust-soiling to text. A unique manuscript ledger book containing meeting minutes and other notes pertinent to the activities of the Housatonic Lodge of Papermakers No. 47, written over the course of three years in turn-of-the-century Massachusetts. The entries were written in the hand of several different recording secretaries, all identified. The minutes run from October 19, 1901 through March 26, 1904, and also include a list of officers for 1904. The ledger begins with a statement on the union's formation: "The papermakers of this town meet at Central Hall for the purpose of organizing a Papermakers Union." Interestingly, the union was not allowed back at Central Hall after their first meeting, and met thereafter in various locations. The ledger was presented to the Housatonic Lodge by an… Read More

[Chicago, 1946. About very good.. [2],25pp. printed on verso only, plus [25] leaves of photographic plates each containing four images. Oblong quarto. Original pictorial card covers with metal spiral binding. Covers scuffed, corners worn. Several leaves loose, some worn at edges. Internally clean. "This book presents actual photographs taken by Sam C. Pappas and some of his fellow photographers who went along with the troops throughout the Pacific during World War II. Included is a rare captured enemy photograph showing the Nips taken off from their carriers to bomb Pearl Harbor... Also photos of invasions, bombings, and Jap-surrenders...." An apparently self-published photographic work by U.S. Military photographer Sam Pappas providing a visual record of the Pacific theater during World War II, containing one hundred photographs. Each image is captioned on a facing page of mimeographed text. Subjects include naval combat scenes, Japanese planes kamikaze diving into ships, images of Manila and the… Read More

Mexico City: Imprenta de Andres Diaz Milian; Tipograpfia de S. Lomeli y Comp, 1889. About very good.. 225,[1]; ix,201,ii pp. Contemporary quarter calf and blue pebbled cloth, boards blind stamped, spine gilt lettered. Light wear to edges, a bit heavier at spine ends. Contemporary binder's stamp on front free endpaper; two identical manuscript annotations on first and penultimate text leaves. Even toning; occasional, faint foxing. Unrecorded first edition of this extensive pseudoscientific, pseudoreligious treatise by 19th-century Mexican spiritualist Doroteo Paredes. Numerous topics are considered in depth, including reincarnation, transmigration of souls, the physical effects of "fusion" of body and soul, and other physical properties and reactions of the soul. Strangely a second, revised edition of this work is recorded -- we locate one copy of this later work, at the BNM. An enterprising Mexican binder, whose stamp adorns the front endpapers, has bound this work with a scarce, but altogether more… Read More

Pea Ridge, Ar: The author, 1906. Very good plus.. 66pp. 12mo. Original orange printed wrappers. Minor soiling. Small ink stamp on verso of title page and final leaf. Internally clean, partially unopened. A collection of eight musings, primarily written in verse, much of it with a slightly religious angle. Pea Ridge is located in the far northwestern corner of Arkansas near the border with Missouri. The final piece is an account of the Battle of Pear Ridge, fought in March of 1862. A rare little volume. We locate two copies in OCLC, at the Boston Public Library and the University of Arkansas.

[Washington, D.C.]: Blair & Rives, 1841. Good.. 423pp. Volume 6, Numbers 1:27, paginated continuously. Folio. Contemporary half sheep and marbled boards. Boards detached, with tape repairs. Light dampstaining at upper corner; light tanning and foxing. A complete run of this 1840 Democratic campaign newspaper, published weekly as an extra to the District of Columbia periodical, the Globe, during political campaign seasons. This run of the Extra covers the 1840 presidential election between William Henry Harrison and Martin Van Buren. Content includes speeches and testimonials for Van Buren and against Harrison, as well as editorials and other articles and party-related material that address all the principal issues of the campaign. Harrison would go on to sweep the electoral college handily, but famously died in office after only four weeks as president, to be succeeded by John Tyler. This is the sixth such volume, the paper having started the Extra in 1834. It ran to seven volumes, ending in 1841.… Read More

Watervliet, NY: Century Printing Co, 1917. Very good.. Broadside, 8.5 x 6 inches. Evenly toned, a couple of shallow edge chips. A rare surviving flyer advertising a series of speeches at "The Final Mass Meeting" of the New York State Woman Suffrage Party before voting takes place for "Woman Suffrage Amendment No. 1" in 1917. The speakers include Mrs. Flora McDonald Dennison, billed as "The Famous Canadian Woman Suffrage Leader," Frank Durham ("Formerly of Colorado"), and "The Liberty Loan Speaker Rev. Dr. J. Ellenwood." The meeting was presided over by E.J. Foley, mayor of the New York town of Watervliet, located near Troy and Albany. Flora Dennison was the leader of the Canadian Woman Suffrage Association; she spent two years on a lecture tour for the New York State Woman Suffrage Association, as evidenced here. The speakers encourage people to vote for the woman's suffrage amendment, which did indeed pass on the November 6, 1917 ballot in New York. The vote was close, with supporters outnumbering… Read More

Redlands, Ca, 1916. Very good.. Broadside printed on heavy card, 11 x 14 inches. Corners slightly chipped, a few small edge tears. Light toning and soiling. A handsome display card advertisement for The May Flower, "The Great Stomach and Blood Remedy," prepared by E.A. Bethurun & Co. of Redlands, California. The ad touts the benefits of the medicine and calls for agents to advance its sale. The medicine claims to have "positively cured all the following complaints such as rheumatism, indigestion, dyspepsia, asthma, eczema, dropsy, kidney trouble, neuralgia, colic, St. Vitus Dance, stomach troubles." In other words, this does it all. Redlands is located west of Los Angeles, next door to San Bernardino. We locate newspaper ads which date Bethurun (or Bethurum) to around 1916. We locate one copy of this broadside in OCLC, at Stanford University.