Search Results: Titles starting with F from Phillip J. Pirages Fine Books and Medieval Manuscripts

Verona: Officina Bodoni, 1973. No. 131 OF 160 COPIES. 255 x 182 mm. (10 x 6 3/8"). Two volumes. With an epilogue by Giovanni Mardersteig. Publisher's stiff vellum backed with green morocco, top edges gilt. WITH 68 FINE HAND-COLORED WOODCUTS by Ann Bramanti (66 of these full-page), colored via pochoir by Daniel Jacomet to recreate the illuminated miniature effect of the British Library colored copy of the Veronese Aesop of 1479 (upon which the present edition is based). Printed on Magnani mouldmade paper with goose watermark. Volume I: the Latin text of the 1479 edition, with Italian translation; volume II: the English text, based on Caxton's 1482 translation. Prospectus laid in. Mardersteig/Schmoller 182. ◆Vellum grain showing variation, as always, otherwise in mint condition. This beautiful limited edition of Aesop is generally considered to be the finest book from Officina Bodoni, and is thought by many to be among the half dozen greatest private press books ever printed. Probably the most… Read More

VERY FINE AND QUITE CHARMING CONTEMPORARY EMERALD GREEN CRUSHED MOROCCO, GILT, IN AN AVIAN MOTIF, covers with dentelle frame featuring a repeating ornament of a bird nestled within a heart shape, thistle and fleurons, and multiple small tools, raised bands, spine densely gilt in compartments with centerpiece tool of a bird lighting on a flowering branch, surrounded by foliage and small tools, gilt lettering, turn-ins with cresting and garland rolls, all edges gilt.
With wood-engraved frontispiece of bird-catchers capturing sea birds from perilously high cliffs, title page vignette, and numerous wood engravings of birds in the text. Front pastedown with owner's inscription of Constance Grove White. ◆Spine slightly sunned (though difficult to tell because of all the gilt decoration), endleaves a little spotted, but a beautiful copy, the especially fine binding with few signs of wear and glittering with gilt.First printed in 1836, this is a liberally illustrated layman's introduction to the various… Read More

Buenos Aires: Guillermo Kraft for The Limited Editions Club, 1943. No. 108 OF 1500 COPIES, SIGNED BY THE DESIGNER AND ILLUSTRATOR. 282 x 210 mm. (11 1/8 x 8 1/4"). xiv, [2], 307, [1] pp., [1] leaf (colophon and signatures). Original smooth animal hide on top third of binding and rough hide (retaining the hair) on the bottom, all whip-stitched with rawhide, sueded endpapers. Lacking the dust wrapper and slipcase. With 32 full-page illustrations by Raul Rosarivo. ◆Smooth leather a little browned around spine, hair rubbed to skin in several places, hinge split after front free endpapers, but the binding still very sturdy and the contents clean and bright. This is certainly one of the more unusual bindings done for The Limited Editions Club, and rather appropriate for the memoir of naturalist William Henry Hudson. Born to American parents in Argentina, Hudson (1841-1922) primarily studied birds and was an early proponent of the so-called "back-to-the-land" movement of the '20s and '30s. The present… Read More

Leipzig: Inselverlag, 1912. Copy specially printed for Henry and Maria Newman on Van Gelder handmade paper (in addition to 100 numbered copies on this special paper and a regular edition of 515 copies). 455 x 320 mm. (18 x 12 3/4"). 2 p.l., 187, [1] pp.Edited by Hans Gerhard Gräf. IMPRESSIVE SCARLET CRUSHED MOROCCO BY E. A. ENDERS OF LEIPZIG (stamp-signed on rear turn-in) DESIGNED BY E. R. WEISS, covers bordered by three gilt rules, five-pointed star at each corner, upper cover with author and illustrator names and title in elegant lettering, raised bands, spine gilt in compartments with diagonal crossed fillets or a theatrical mask centerpiece, gilt lettering, gilt-ruled turn-ins, dark blue raw silk endleaves, top edge gilt. In a (slightly worn) gray cardboard slipcase. WITH 17 COLLOTYPE PLATES AFTER LITHOGRAPHS BY EUGÈNE DELACROIX. Sarkowski 581. ◆Tiny snag to leather on one corner, but A VERY FINE COPY inside and out, with only the most trivial imperfections. This is a specially printed and… Read More

Edinburgh and London: William Blackwood and Sons, 1866. FIRST EDITION. 197 x 123 mm. (7 3/4 x 5 7/8"). Three volumes.. Very attractive late 19th century polished calf by Riviere & Son (stamp-signed on verso of front free endpaper), covers with triple gilt fillet border, rosettes at corners, raised bands, spines gilt in compartments with vase of flowers at center surrounded by small tools, leafy sprays at corners, one red and one green morocco label, turn-ins with floral gilt roll, marbled endpapers, top edges gilt. Front pastedowns with morocco bookplate of Robert Hoe. Baker & Ross A8.1. ◆A hint of sunning to spines and to half-inch at head of rear cover of volume I, but AN ESPECIALLY FINE SET--the text clean, fresh, and bright, and the bindings unworn. This is the handsomely bound Robert Hoe copy of a celebrated three-decker centering on a political election during the Reform Bill controversies of the 1830s. It is atypical as the author's only political novel, but typical in that it presents an… Read More

London, [1914]. 265 x 207 mm. (10 1/2 x 8 1/4"). 41, [3] (blank) pp., [1] leaf (colophon). RESPLENDENT IN DARK BLUE MOROCCO, RICHLY GILT AND ONLAID, BY RIVIERE & SON (stamp-signed on front doublure), covers with wide frame of swirling gilt vines bearing red morocco blossoms and blue and green berries, bordered by strips of green and tan morocco, central panel of upper cover with recessed oval containing a portrait of a young nun sculpted in leather with painted details, this encircled by an onlaid ivory morocco rosary and surrounded by an exuberant spray of red morocco poppies with green and tan leaves, central panel of lower cover with an arch-backed black morocco cat beneath the arch of a gray morocco horseshoe at center, a black and red witch's hat above the horseshoe, and the whole on a very densely stippled gilt ground, incised with calligraphic curls and set with nine silver stars around the cat, this centerpiece surrounded by curling gilt vines bearing red morocco and gilt posies, raised… Read More

London: Chiswick Press, March 1917. ONE OF TEN COPIES PRINTED. 198 x 182 mm. (7 7/8 x 6 1/2"). 24 pp. FINE TAN CRUSHED MOROCCO, GILT, IN AN ARTS & CRAFTS DESIGN, BY THE W. H. SMITH BINDERY (oval "WHS" stamp on rear turn-in), the covers with delicately interlocking gilt fillets forming an outer frame of small squares, an intricate knot at the four corners of the central panel with a tiny white morocco dot inlaid at center, upper cover with panel divided into quadrants by the fillets which terminate in tear-drop shapes that interlace to form a large knot at center, enclosing the initials W. H. S., raised bands, spine compartments ruled in gilt, turn-ins framed with three gilt fillets, two of them interlacing at corners to form a mandorla containing an inlaid white morocco dot, top edge gilt, other edges untrimmed. Original blue printed wrappers bound-in. Woodcut frontispiece of St. Mary's Church in Painswick signed "C M G," 22 decorative woodcut initials heading the sections of the alphabetized list… Read More

London: Printed for the Author; And Sold by John Rivington [et al.], [1755]-60. FIRST EDITION. 425 x 270 mm. (16 3/4 x 10 5/8"). vi, 200, [4] pp. Two volumes in one.. Contemporary calf, cover with thin gilt border and small cornerpieces, raised bands, compartments with much gilt tooling, red label with gilt lettering, skillfully rebacked preserving most of original backstrip. WITH 300 LOVELY HAND-COLORED ENGRAVINGS OF FLOWERS (two of which are folding). Front pastedown with armorial bookplate of John Pollexfen Bastard. Sitwell, "Great Flower Books," p. 121; Hunt 566; Henrey 1097; Pritzel 6242; Nissen 1378; Hazel le Rougetel, "The Chelsea Gardener Philip Miller 1691-1771," pp. 110, 114. ◆Covers somewhat scratched, corners a bit worn, but the restored binding solid and appealing. Occasional mild thumbing or light browning, perhaps a dozen plates with minor to moderate offsetting, but A VERY PLEASING COPY INTERNALLY, quite clean and fresh, and with attractive coloring. By a man characterized by DNB… Read More

London: [Riccardi Press] Philip Lee Warner for the Medici Society, 1914. No. 288 OF 500 COPIES ON PAPER (and 12 on vellum). 272 x 205 mm. (10 5/8 x 8"). xv, [i], 88 pp., [2] leaves. Original linen-backed pale blue paper boards, top edge gilt, others untrimmed. In the original blue-gray printed dust-jacket. Woodcut Riccardi Press device on final leaf, title vignette and 10 color plates with captioned tissue guards, after F. Cayley Robinson. Ransom, p. 395; Tomkinson, p. 149. ◆Dust jacket a little darkened and with minor chips and tears around edges, a couple light stains and a little rubbing to lower edges of binding, light browning to part of the pastedowns, but a nearly fine copy, the often-missing dust jacket generally quite well preserved, and the text and plates with only isolated trivial blemishes. This is an attractive printing of the first book of the Bible, in the august language of the Authorized Version, and with ethereal color plates by Frederick Cayley Robinson depicting key events… Read More

[Market Drayton, England]: Tern Press, 1985. No. 9 OF 75 COPIES, signed by the artist. 260 x 270 mm. (10 1/4 x 10 1/2"). [6] leaves.Translated into English by Thomas Moore. DYNAMIC DARK BROWN CRUSHED MOROCCO BY ALISON MARTIN, five wavy lines of inlaid morocco in yellow, orange, tan, beige, and brown emanating from a section near the mid-fore edge of the front cover and radiating out and around the smooth spine, three of the lines terminating on the fore edge of the rear cover, the other two at the head and tail edges, front cover also with a single straight diagonal line of inlaid black calf running from head edge to foot, slicing through the color waves, paste-paper endleaves made by Martin in an ombré of brown/orange/yellow etched with wavy lines echoing the cover design, top edge gilt, other edges untrimmed. In a felt-lined black cloth clamshell box, black morocco label on spine. With five etchings by Nicolas Parry printed in black and sanguine. Tern Press Check-List 38. ◆As new. This… Read More

London: H. Baillière, 1852-53. FIRST EDITION. 263 x 165 mm. (10 3/8 x 6 1/2"). Two volumes.. Publisher's olive green cloth, covers decorated in gilt and blind, spine attractively gilt, the volumes very expertly recased, with new appropriate endpapers. WITH 66 VERY ATTRACTIVE HAND-COLORED PLATES lithographed by H. Sowerby. Harvard Arnold Arboretium, p. 314; Nissen BBI 778. ◆Spines faded to brown, a few minor signs of use, but the bindings solid and definitely appealing. Occasional minor foxing, one plate with a small spray of black dots (from printing process?), but a fine copy internally, the text clean and fresh, and the plates bright, with pleasing colors. This work promotes the efficacy of homeopathic remedies through the use of detailed botanical illustrations and thorough descriptions of 66 plants--from benign specimens such as chamomile and coffee, to hazardous species such as poison ivy and ergot. The descriptions of each plant include their botanical characteristics, history, means of… Read More

Turin: Michael Briolus, 1785. FIRST EDITION. 410 x 270 mm. (16 1/8 x 10 5/8"). Volume II with pp. 3-4 bound before pp. 1-2, but complete. Three volumes.. INVENTIVE AND ELEGANT BROWN CRUSHED MOROCCO BY ANNIE BOIGE (stamp-signed "A. Boige" on front pastedown and dated 1996 on rear pastedown), upper covers cleverly encrusted with botanical specimens (leaves or branches), smooth spines with silver titling, leather hinges, watermarked light gray endpapers. Housed together in the original suede-lined brown cloth drop-back box, suede-covered separators preventing contact between volumes. WITH engraved frontispiece portrait of the king of Sardinia in volume I, engraved allegorical vignette on title pages, and 92 FINE ENGRAVED PLATES ILLUSTRATING 237 BOTANICAL SPECIES. A Large Paper Copy. Cleveland Collections 557; Dunthorne 6; Sitwell, "Great Flower Books," p. 67, 69; Nissen BBI 18. ◆One plate with minor repair to fore-edge margin, another with tiny rust hole (not touching image), half a dozen plates with… Read More

With commentary by Christian Gottlob Heyne. HANDSOME CONTEMPORARY NAVY BLUE STRAIGHT-GRAIN MOROCCO, DENSELY GILT, covers with thick and thin gilt rule border and large central laurel wreath, that on the front with the Latin motto "Honoris Causa" ("For the sake of honor"), that on the rear with the name Thomas T. Churton and the date 1817, raised bands, spine lavishly gilt in compartments filled with foliage and small tools emanating from a central fleuron, gilt titling and turn-ins, all edges gilt.
WITH A SPLENDID LATER PAINTING OF MOUNT ETNA ON THE FORE EDGE. In a recent plush-lined blue folding cloth box with gilt spine titling. With ink stamp of Bolton Public Library on verso of title and first page of text. Lowndes IV, 2777. ◆Corners slightly bumped, boards a little faded, first two gatherings mildly foxed, isolated rust spots or faint freckled foxing, but still AN ESPECIALLY DESIRABLE COPY, the handsome binding virtually unworn, the text clean and smooth, and the unusual fore-edge painting very… Read More

London: Chatto & Windus, 1884-1901. FIRST EDITIONS of the last three works. 222 x 143 mm. (8 3/4 x 5 5/8"). 15 volumes.. Pleasing contemporary dark blue three-quarter morocco by Bickers & Son (stamp-signed on verso of front free endpaper), raised bands, spine gilt in single-ruled compartments, marbled endpapers, top edges gilt. ◆Tiny chip to top of one spine, three joints with short cracks at head, minor dulling from leather preservative, first volume with hinge open at rear (but the volume quite sound), one leaf with older tissue paper repair to head-edge tear (into text, but legibility not lost), other trivial defects, but still quite an attractive set in excellent condition, clean and fresh internally, and in bright, solid bindings showing little wear. This is an appealing group of four scarce works, three of them first editions, by a father and son who also wrote novels, and brought the same engaging, readable style to their non-fiction. Justin McCarthy (1830-1912) was a journalist and… Read More

This is a representative sampling of the Nonesuch Press, which produced a long string of substantial books with content of considerable importance and physical features showing significant aesthetic achievement. The press was founded in 1923 by typographer and book designer Francis Meynell (1891-1975) with the help of his friend David Garnett and his future wife, Vera Mendel. Meynell designed his books on a small Albion hand press, but had them printed commercially in order to keep the price of well-designed books made of quality materials within the means of readers and collectors who could not afford most private press editions. The Press produced a substantial corpus of fine printing, although the books were not produced exclusively to be collectible objects. As the "Prospectus of the Nonesuch Editions" says, "The Book Public may be divided into three parts. The Libraries cater for the section of it which reads books without wishing to possess them. A number of 'toy' presses cater for collectors… Read More

Easthampton, Massachusetts: Cheloniidae Press, 1986. No. A/2 OF FIVE SPECIAL ARTIST'S PROOFS accompanied by a small archive of special material, some of it unique (from a total edition of 231 copies). 212 x 138 mm. (8 1/2 x 5 1/2"). Portfolio: 255 x 205 mm. (10 1/8 x 8 1/8). [23] French fold leaves. Original full vellum by Grey Parrot (his ticket on rear pastedown), flat spine with gilt titling. Additional plates and archival material loose as issued in linen chemises, one of these vellum-backed. The volume and additional materials in two linen clamshell boxes, one backed with gilt-lettered vellum, the other with hand-lettered paper label on back. Bound volume with 26 wood engravings by Alan Robinson with hand-lettering in colors by Suzanne Moore. With an additional set of plates, each numbered A/2 and signed by the artist, and with 26 impressions of the letter forms. Accompanied by THE ARTIST'S ORIGINAL DRAWINGS used by Moore to design the letters, and by 26 ORIGINAL WATERCOLORS BY ROBINSON,… Read More

[Sproughton, Ipswich, England, 1990]. No. TWO OF FIVE COPIES HANDMADE AND EACH DISTINCTIVELY BOUND BY THE ARTIST. 298 x 210 mm. (11 1/2 x 8 1/8"). [24] leaves. Rustic thick wooden boards, upper cover with abstract geometrical design formed from pieces of copper or lead cut into various shapes and attached to the boards with metal brads, staples, or nails, green cloth spine with two leather yokes, four jute twine ties. Illustrated throughout with hand-printed color images, sometimes accented with attached objects of wood or metal. On handmade paper in shades of gray and green. ◆In mint condition. In a memorable binding with both visual and tactile appeal, this eccentric work by a leading contemporary book artist incorporates a variety of natural materials to explore and celebrate all things handmade. The components here include wood, metal cuttings and staples, jute twine, and thick, textured paper, while the overall design is consciously rugged, favoring raw edges and irregular shapes over… Read More

[London]: Printed by Order of the Trustees of the British Museum, by Richard Taylor, 1851. FIRST EDITION. 392 x 290 mm. (15 x 11 1/4"). xix, [1], 129, [1] pp.Edited by William Cureton. Original grained cloth, flat spine with gilt titling. Five plates (one printed on both sides) showing manuscript pages. Front flyleaf with signature of "W. Eames" (see below). Lowndes II, 1098; Brunet III, 281; Graesse III, 331. ◆Spine a bit worn, soiled, and scratched, but the binding still quite solid, and an excellent copy internally, very clean and printed within vast margins. Edited by the distinguished Orientalist William Cureton (1808-64), this is an historical account and a typographic reproduction of Homeric portions of a palimpsest that was discovered by Cureton at a monastery in the Nitrian Desert of Egypt and purchased by the British Museum in 1847. Produced in the late 8th or early 9th century, probably in Baghdad, the palimpsest shows a Syriac text (entitled "Treatise against Grammaticus," by Severus… Read More

London: John Nimmo, 1897. 212 x 141 mm. (8 1/4 x 5 1/2"). x, [2], 323 pp. VERY PRETTY HAZEL BROWN MOROCCO, GILT IN AN ARTS & CRAFTS DESIGN featuring rows of roses connected diagonally by leafy branches on the covers, raised bands, spine panels with central diamond shape formed by leaves and branches, turn-ins with leafy sprigs along sides, roses at corners, marbled rose-colored endpapers, top edge gilt, other edges untrimmed. With frontispiece portrait of Morris and two black & white photogravure plates of his church and rectory. ◆Spine evenly sunned to a pleasing honey brown, flyleaves a bit foxed, but a fine copy--clean and smooth internally, in a binding glistening with gold. This is an especially animated and appealing example of Arts & Crafts-style hand bookbinding, here covering a son's fond reminiscences of his father, a clergyman best known for his efforts to protect British birds. Frances Orpen Morris (1810-93) showed a great interest in the natural world--particularly birds and… Read More

London: Thomas McLean, 1854. New Edition, "largely augmented by numerous plates, plain and colored.. 578 x 406 mm. (22 3/4 x 16"). 4 p.l. (comprising an engraved title page, printed dedication, preface, and list of plates); xvi, 76 pp. (all of the text in the second work inlaid to size). Two related works (a large folio plate volume and a quarto text volume) bound in one volume.. Decorative contemporary dark brown half morocco, marbled paper sides, broad decorated raised bands, spine elaborately gilt in compartments featuring a very large and complex lozenge composed of antique tools as well as large scrolling cornerpieces, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt (joints possibly, but not certainly, with very expert repairs). First work with illustrated title page and 56 LARGE-FOLIO PLATES, NINE OF THEM ATTRACTIVE CHROMOLITHOGRAPHS, original tissue guards. Avery Architectural Library, p. 414 (citing the edition of 1844). ◆Corners and portions of the board rather rubbed and chafed, some occasional light… Read More