Search Results: Titles starting with W from The Second Shelf

Harlequin Ladybird Reading Scheme/Dung Beetle Ltd, 2015. 3 vols. 8vo. Publisher's decorated boards in highly accurate pastiche of the British "Ladybird Books" series, a ubiquitous part of the reading experience of every British child born between the 1940's and the 1980's with their occasionally not so gentle introduction to some fairly adult themes, and some strange historical choices. The Ladybird Book of The Aztecs was a particular favourite, nothing like an introduction to casual human sacrifice and colonial massacres to brighten up primary school reading hour. Miriam Elia has taken this instantly recognisable format and subverted it relentlessly to artistic and comic effect. The first volume caused no little controversy upon appearance, and Ladybird Books took a very dim view of the themes and obvious parody, legal action was taken and the self published imprint needed a swift name change to "Dung Beetle Ltd." The first printing under the Harlequin Ladybird name therefore became extremely… Read More

Santa Cruz: The Written Word Collective, 1975. Ostensibly the record of a Women In American Music course taught by Karlene Faith at the University of California in Spring of 1975, but more importantly the basis of academic study into the power and importance of women musicians and songwriters, a previously totally ignored field of study and research. Undeniably an important historical document in light of the fact, as Faith relates in the introduction of the book, that this course was unique at the time of its teaching and only came to be after a new Women's Studies program was adopted at UCSC, a previous incarnation having been rejected a year before when pitched to a male administrator with the comment that it was "too narrow". When preparing the course, Faith discovered how little contemporary research existed regarding women in music. Aside from the insightful essays and lectures, the volume Includes a resource list, descriptions of the class lectures and projects, student statements,… Read More

Philadelphia: Zeigler, McCurdy & Company, 1867. Cloth cover with embossed emblem ZMcC&co. 15 x 22.5 x 2cm. [1867] A New York State salesperson's sample and order book, with three examples of alternate bindings attached to endpapers. Includes preface, detailed table of contents for the 800 planned pages, introduction, sample pages from 5 chapters, index, 14 steel portraits, 7 pages of positive reviews and a double page prospectus of the work. Bound in are order forms listing name, residence and style of binding with 36 subscribers listed. Wonderful source for publishing history and local history, subscription publishing was popular in the USA after the Civil War; canvassers were often women recruited by newspaper advertisements. Spotting throughout, pencil mark to cover, cloth spine covering coming off, pen mark on blank order form, shows all signs of being a working book.

Works in Progress Number 7 includes the only published excerpt from Didion and Dunne's screenplay of Play It As It Lays.
New York: Doubleday, 1972. Signed bookplate laid in. Paperback. 18 x 10.5cm. 438 pages. Small creases to spine, in very good condition.

The first collected edition of this wildly popular, but now mostly forgotten playwright's work. Susanna Centlivre was considered the second woman of English stage, after her contemporary Aphra Behn, and the most successful playwright of the 18th century. Her plays, including Wonder! A Woman Keeps a Secret, Perjur'd Husband, and Bold Stroke for a Wife remained in production for 200 years. With an engraved portrait frontispiece and including an account of her life.
London: J. Knapton et al, 1761. (xii), 376, 380, 372 pages. Each volume 12 mo, 11 x 17 x 3cm. First Edition. Mottled full calf binding with a little wear to spines and corners, red fore-edges. Fly leaves stained. Volume 1 has light damage to top of spine and loose front flyleaf. Volume 2 has light mark to the front board and minor loss to one page corner. All three volumes have a bookplate with name removed; second owner's name "J.W. Willett Merly House" written neatly above. Charming set of plays in very good condition.