Search Results: Titles starting with D from Donald Heald Rare Books

Washington D.C.: Published by the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey, 1920. Large folding nautical chart, printed on heavy paper stock. Colored. A rare original coastal survey of the Damariscotta and Medomak rivers including Bristol, Waldoboro, and Damariscotta. Established by President Thomas Jefferson in 1807 as the Survey of the Coast, the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey was the United States' first civilian scientific agency. This agency has followed its mission to survey the U.S. coastline, create nautical charts of the coast, and help increase maritime safety since its founding, and has often played fascinating roles in significant chapters of U.S. history. It served in all theaters of the Civil War in the service of the Union Army and Navy, pioneered acoustic exploration in the wake of the sinking of the Titanic, and during WWI it worked to detect enemy submarines. In addition, this agency worked to survey and produce detailed maps and renderings of the U.S. coast. These nautical survey… Read More

London: R. Sayer & J. Bennett, 1783. Mezzotint, collection mark on verso, tipped onto early mount. (Expert small repairs to upper corners). A charming anonymous image from the collection of Frederic R. Halsey (1847-1918), 'un des principaux collectionneurs de son èpoque à New York' (Lugt 1308) The image (of a fashionably-dressed young lady reclining by a brook being approached by a young gentleman) is explained by the engraved verse (by 'Mr. Nicholl') in the title area beneath the image: Alone by the side of a murmuring rill / That lav'd the gay foot of a primrosy hill / Pastora beneath a broad poplar was laid / When Damon in extasy enter'd the Shade / He sigh'd & he swore by the pow'rs overhead / If she'd bless him to day, to morrow he'd wed.

Vienna: Hof- und Staatsdruckerei, 1856. 'Nature printed' in brown ink, with titling and imprint in black, by the Vienna Hof- und Staatsdruckerei. A beautiful example from "most important work produced by nature printing ever published" (Stafleu). To the modern eye this plate has an almost photographic beauty to it, which, in aesthetic terms, foreshadows the work of the great early-20th century photographers such as Man Ray. However, this achievement is almost certainly incidental as von Ettingshausen's intention was to present a detailed anatomical portrait using the highly exacting method of nature printing. John Lindley writes "Attempts were long since made to obtain Botanical portraits by printing from the plants themselves, flattened and otherwise prepared for the purpose... The process of the Imperial Printing Office [Hof- und Staatsdruckerei] at Vienna, to which the name of Nature-Printing has been happily applied.. is a great improvement upon the old method, inasmuch as it represents not only… Read More

Tübingen: J.G. Cottaischen Buchhandlung, 1796. 4to. (11 1/8 x 8 3/4 inches). 8 pp., 60 plates, watercolour over etched line. Original cloth-backed patterned paper boards. Stafleu notes only one complete copy known of this rare and beautifully illustrated work on the foreign trees and shrubs found in Germany. The plates were drawn, engraved, (and likely coloured) by the author, a German botanist and botanical artist who lectured at Carls Universität, Stuttgart. The plates are watercoloured over etched lines and thus appear as if they are watercolours. At the time of the publication of this work, Kerner was publishing his magnum opus, "Hortus Sempervirens," of which, like this work, only one complete copy is known. Unlike that larger work, this text is devoted to a subcategory, detailing all the foreign trees and shrubs in Germany. In this survey, he documents plants ranging from Mediterranean trees like the Pinus Cedrus which he detailed with 9 illustrations to the Euonymus Americanus, the… Read More

[London: by the Author, 1883. Hand-coloured lithograph by John Gould and H.C.Richter, printed by Walter. Framed. A fine image from John Gould's magnificent folio work 'The Birds of Asia'. Now known as Darwin's Koklass Pheasant. John Gould quotes from Elliot's monograph on the pheasant family 'This new species of Pheasant appears to represent, on the eastern Chinese ranges, the buff-spotted Pucras of the more western portion of that mighty empire'. 'The Koklass Pheasants have a very discontinuous area of distribution; some subspecies are found in the Himalayas from Afghanistan to Nepal, others in the east of Tibet and north-east China... Koklass are mountain birds living in forests mostly at altitudes of 4000 feet up to about 15,000 feet. They are rather solitary and are never seen feeding in flocks... The cock has an unusual crow and both birds make croaking noises reminiscent of a raven.' (A.Rutgers Birds of Asia 1969, p.38). The intended geographical range of "The Birds of Asia" was enormous, and… Read More

Libanon [Lebanon], PA: J. Schnee, für M. Carey, 1810. 12mo. (7 x 4 3/8 inches). 240pp. 7 engraved plates, including a stipple and line engraved bust portrait after Stewart. Contemporary sheep, front cover detached. Rare first edition in German of Weem's famous biography of George Washington. "Weems is most famous for his biography of Washington ...The book is a kind of fictionalized biography in which Washington is pictured as a person sent by God to save his people from slavery ... Weems's volume on Washington was so successful because it told the story of the American Revolution, the nation's greatest political event, in a way that was easy to read and that was full of drama and excitement" (ANB). An earlier German edition (Fredericktown, 1809) translated The life and memorable actions of George Washington, general and commander of the armies of America (Fredericktown, 1801), a piracy with selections from Weems and other sources. The present work is the first German edition of Weem's biography,… Read More

Copenhagen: C. Steen, 1820. 4to. (11 x 8 1/2 inches). Letterpress title and list of plates. 35 hand-coloured stipple engraved plates. 19th century red morocco, by Charles de Samblanx, covers elaborately panelled in gilt, spine with raised bands in six compartments, lettered in the second, the others with a repeat decoration in gilt, marbled endpapers, gilt edges Provenance: Jules Albert Baudoin Marie Ghislain, Vicomte de Johnghe (armorial bookplate). Lovely example of a rare Danish color plate costume book of the local trades and military. "Civil and military costumes of Denmark, street vendors, small merchants. Colas states there was an edition dated 1818 [the present edition undated] ... The plates in this work were also issued as part of Lahde's Kjobenhavns Klaederdragter" (The Exotic and the Beautiful). The present example in a lovely binding by noted Belgian binder Charles de Samblanx. Colas 1721; Lipperheide 1044; Bobins, The Exotic and the Beautiful II:407.

London: Published by S. Gilpin Knightsbridge, & R. Pollard, N. 15 Braynes Row Spa Fields, 1788. Engraving and aquatint. With hand colour. Printed on laid paper. In excellent condition with the exception of some light scuffing in the margins. A dramatic portrait of Dash, Colonel Thornton's prized pointer, after a painting by Sawrey Gilpin. Sawrey Gilpin studied art under Samuel Scott, the well-known landscape painter. He devoted himself to sporting art and developed a keen eye and hand for horse portraiture. In 1773 he was made a Director of the Society of Artists, and in the following year he was elected President. Gilpin caught the eye of Colonel Thornton who became his chief patron, commissioning such noted paintings as "The Death of the Fox," which was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1793. This striking image is a portrait of Colonel Thornton's treasured hound Modish, and is one of two portraits painted by Gilpin of Thornton's hunting dogs. Robert Pollard and Francis Jukes produced many prints… Read More

[Antwerp: Zutphen, Schillemans & Van Belkum, 1907. Colour-printed lithograph by J.L. Goffart, after a painting by Otto Eerelman on heavy textured card. Very good condition. A rare and finely rendered portrait of a historically significant breed of horse, from the limited Dutch edition of Eerelman's 'Paardenrassen Kunstalbum'. First appearing during the late nineteenth century, the Russian Trotter was a combination of the American Standardbred (American Trotter) and the native Russian Orlov. Essentially a harness horse, it was valued for its speed and initially bred to circumvent the ban on racing foreign-bred horses in Russia. At the end of the 1950s, the breed began to decline due to the increasing popularity of the French Trotter and the common use of the American Standardbred on European harness tracks. A skilled draftsman, watercolourist, and painter, Otto Eerelman was born in the Netherlandish village of Groningen in 1839, where he studied with the Dutch history painter J.H. Egenberger at the… Read More

Lyon: Perrin, 1840. Quarto. (11 7/8 x 8 1/2 inches). [4], xvi, [2],117 pp., plus numerous plates and illustrations and additional states of the title. Signed by Cailhava. Nineteenth century full green morocco, by Chamolle-Duru, spine with raised bands in six compartments, lettered in gilt, marbled endpapers, gilt dentelles, gilt edges. First publication of an important illuminated 16th century manuscript: one of 10 thick paper copies with proof impressions of the plates, bound by Chambolle-Duru. The publication of this manuscript (now Bibliotheque Municipale de Lyon, Ms. 156) was arranged by its owner, the bibliophile Leon Cailhava. The work describes in verse the civil and religious wars of France, with a particular emphasis on the city of Lyon. The illuminations, reproduced here, include 40 drawings showing the capture of Lyon by the Calvinists. From a total limitation of 120 copies, this is one of 10 on large, thick paper with a proof set of the plates and the title in various states. This copy… Read More

Paris: Charles Gosselin, 1835. 2 volumes, octavo. (7 7/8 x 4 3/4 inches). [4], xxiv, 367; [4], 459pp. Half-titles. 1 folding hand-coloured lithographic map. Nineteenth century brown morocco backed marbled paper covered boards, spines with raised bands, lettered in gilt, marbled endpapers, marbled edges. House in cloth chemises and a morocco backed slipcase. The first edition of the rare first part of Tocqueville's famous classic Democracy in America. From the time of its first publication, Democracy in America has enjoyed the reputation of being the most acute and perceptive discussion of the political and social life of the United States ever published. The present first part was published in an edition of less than 500 copies in January 1835. The book was an instant and sustained success with numerous editions. The origins of the book lie in the observations Alexis de Tocqueville made during a nine month tour of the United States starting in the spring of 1831. He was accompanied by his friend… Read More

Amsterdam: Jacob Meurs, 1671. Folio. (14 3/4 x 9 5/8 inches). Engraved allegorical additional title, [6], 585, [27] pages, large engraved folding map, 7 engraved portraits, 15 double-page engraved maps, 32 double-page or folding engraved views, 69 engravings in text. Contemporary vellum with gilt-morocco spine label and partly preserved green silk ties One of the most interesting of iconographic and cartographic sources of early Americana. In the 17th century, Europe was captivated by the allure of the New World, and amidst this fervor, Dutch writer Arnoldus Montanus emerged as a prominent figure. Montanus, known for his role as a Protestant minister and headmaster of Schoonhoven's Latin School, ventured far beyond theological texts, delving into a realm of intellectual pursuits that encompassed church history, theology, the history of the Low Countries, and even the enigmatic peoples and cultures inhabiting the distant realms of the Americas and Australia. His magnum opus, the present work,… Read More

Cologne: Apud Gervinum Calenium & Haeredes Quentelios, 1574. Octavo. [48],655,[30]pp. Decorative woodcut initials. Several ownership inscriptions on front endpapers. Light toning and foxing. A few contemporary notations in text. Contemporary vellum, tooled in blind, contemporary manuscript on spine The collected Peter Martyr: the foremost chronicler of the New World in its earliest period, including all of his most important texts on New World discovery. An important edition, besides all of the chronicles Martyr wrote as official historian of the Indies from 1511 to 1534, it adds two important works: Martyr's 1521 Basel letter, which contains the text of the lost first Cortés letter describing his initial landing and forays into Mexico; and Damiao de Goes' work, originally published in 1544, included by Harrisse in Additions (144). The most accessible edition of one of the foundation works of New World history. Sabin 1558; European Americana 574/1; Medina 235; Beinecke Lesser Antilles Collection… Read More

Cologne: Apud Gervinum Calenium & Haeredes Quentelios, 1574. Octavo. [48], 655, [30]pp. Decorative woodcut initials. Several ownership inscriptions on front endpapers. A few contemporary notations in text. Early-19th-century paper boards, gilt leather label. Ownership inscription and notations on front endpapers. The most accessible edition of one of the foundation works of New World history. An important edition, besides all of the chronicles Martyr wrote as official historian of the Indies from 1511 to 1534, it adds two important works: Martyr's 1521 Basel letter, which contains the text of the lost first Cortés letter describing his initial landing and forays into Mexico; and Damiao de Goes' work, originally published in 1544, included by Harrisse in Additions (144). Sabin 1558; European Americana 574/1; Medina 235; Beinecke Lesser Antilles Collection 2; Bell A214; JCB (3)I:253.

London: Published by Robt. Sayer No 53 Fleet Street, 1787. Mezzotint. Printed on laid paper. In excellent condition with the exception of some soiling in the margins. Image size: 9 1/2 x 13 13/16 inches. This is a rich impression of this stunning print by Burford after Seymour depicting hare coursing. James Seymour is recognized as one of the earliest English sporting artists. He was the son of a wealthy goldsmith and diamond merchant who supplied the plate for racing trophies. His father was also an amateur artist and a member of the Virtuosi Club of St. Luke, a gentleman's club for artists and art lovers. The young Seymour had no formal art instruction but he learnt to draw by studying the pictures and prints in his father's collection. At an early age he was introduced to some of the leading artists of the day, but at the same time he was encouraged to develop a love of the track, which eventually lead to his financial ruin. Seymour was passionate about racing and in addition to drawing and… Read More

London: Published by Robt. Sayer, 53 Fleet Street, 1787. Mezzotint. Printed on laid paper. In excellent condition with the exception of a skillfully mended tear on left margin not extending near the platemark. Image size: 9 7/16 x 13 3/4 inches. This is a rich impression of this stunning print by Burford after Seymour displaying the capture of a fox. James Seymour is recognized as one of the earliest English sporting artists. He was the son of a wealthy goldsmith and diamond merchant who supplied the plate for racing trophies. His father was also an amateur artist and a member of the Virtuosi Club of St. Luke, a gentleman's club for artists and art lovers. The young Seymour had no formal art instruction but he learnt to draw by studying the pictures and prints in his father's collection. At an early age he was introduced to some of the leading artists of the day, but at the same time he was encouraged to develop a love of the track, which eventually lead to his financial ruin. Seymour was passionate… Read More

Philadelphia: Joseph James, 1788. Vol. I [all published]. 8vo. (8 1/8 x 5 inches). Index and errata leaf at rear. Bound to style in quarter calf antique over brown marbled boards, red morocco label. Provenance: J. Holt White (signature on title-page dated 1799) First edition, second issue, with a cancel title, first issued with a 1787 date, containing speeches made during the debates concerning its ratification by the State of Pennsylvania. Although the title calls for two volumes, only the first, containing the arguments in favor of adoption, was printed. The Federalists blocked the publication of a proposed second volume that would have contained the arguments against ratification. A document of primary importance in the creation of the Constitution, with key speeches by two Federalist speakers, Thomas McKean and legal scholar James Wilson. James Madison noted that Wilson spoke 168 times at the Convention, second only in number to Governor Morris. Together McKean and Wilson worked to secure… Read More

London: Robert Furber, 1730. Engraving, coloured by hand, by Henry Fletcher (expert small repairs to right margin). A fine example of this celebrated image from Furber's renowned series titled "Twelve Months of Flowers", here with excellent contemporary hand colouring. From the first edition of "a celebrated flower catalogue published by Robert Furber, a nurseryman from Kensington, then on the outskirts of London. Twelve Months of Flowers presented almost 400 different flowering species, grouped according to the month in which they flower. Reflecting in style the grand manner of the Baroque period, the flowers are arranged in elaborate bouquets and placed in elegant urns. Next to each flower appears a number, which corresponds to a name in the key printed at the bottom of the plate on either side of a cartouche inscribed with the name of one of the months of the year. Twelve Months was conceived as a flower catalogue, but its commercial function was adroitly veiled and the artistic quality of its… Read More

Ulm, Germany: Lienhart Holle, 1482. Map. Double-page woodcut map with fine original hand-coloring and Latin place names in letterpress type printed. Carved gold leaf frame with Amiran anti-reflective archival glass with UV protection. Scale: c.1:4,000,000. Sheet: 16 1/2 x 22 inches). Frame: (25 1/2 x 32 1/4 inches). This is the earliest obtainable map of India. A magnificent incunable of the subcontinent from the 1482 Ulm edition of Ptolemy's "Geographia," published sixteen years prior to Vasco da Gama's discovery of the sea route to India. This map is from the first atlas to be printed north of the Alps and the first with woodcut maps. Here with fine period coloring, including lapis lazuli blue seas, not the ochre color of later editions. This rare incunable map is one of the earliest to picture India. It is from the 1482 Ulm edition of Ptolemy's Geographia, printed by Lienhart Holle and titled Cosmographia, in which Donnus Nicolaus Germanus adapted Ptolemy's second century cartography and added… Read More

Rome, 1772. Copper engraving by Ottaviani after drawings by Savorelli and Camporesi, printed in light brown coloured ink with contemporary hand-colouring. Trimmed to platemark left margin. Good condition. A highly decorative print from the famous "Loggie di Rafaele nel Vaticano" series, with contemporary colouring of the highest quality from the golden age of the hand-coloured print. A very fine image from the first part of a work titled "Loggie di Rafaele nel Vaticano" depicting the decorative work executed by Raphael and his assistants between 1518-1519 in the Vatican. This remarkable print, one of the first to be published of the decoration of the Logge on the main storey of the Vatican apartments, was probably planned as early as 1760, but was not executed until between 1772 and 1776. The project as a whole was carried out by the painter Gaetano Savorelli, the draughtsman Ludovico Teseo, the architect Pietro Camporesi, and the engravers Giovanni Ottaviani and Giovanni Volpato. The plate is… Read More