Rare books from Pages Past Used and Rare Books

Washington: Printed by A. and G. Way, 1803. First Edition First Printing . Hardcover. Fair. Octavo. Variously paginated. Bound volume containing the reports of the first 15 councils, dating from 1803 to 1818. Bound in early full sheep. The leather binding is quite worn and dry and is scuffed and abraded. The hinges are sturdy. Lacks the top leather label on the spine; the bottom label reads, "Vol. I / From the / 1st to 15th Council / Inclusive." Early owner's name at the headcap of the spine is illegible, and no names within. The binding is designs with rules of alternating oval and diamond designs in blind about the edges. There is some pest damage to the outside edges of the text block towards the rear of the book, not affecting the text. Text is toned and foxed with some damping at the front and rear. Two blank flyleaves at the front an numerous blank pages at the rear. Most of the reports have their own title pages. The reports that do not have separate title pages are… Read More

Halifax: Printed by Abraham Hodge, 1799. First Edition First Printing . Hardcover. Good. 8vo. 502, (18) pages. Hardcover bound in original full leather. The binding is worn and scuffed but sound. Some of the scuffing on the binding has deep gouges, especially on the rear cover where a strip of leather is missing along the fore edge. Hinges are secure, but there is a strip of old cloth book tape on the front inner hinge, and some of the last few leaves of the index are stuck together at the gutter. This does not really affect the text but there might have been some adhesive applied there. Corners bumped. Contains the front and rear blank flyleaves. There is an early ink signature on the front pastedown which appears to be "L. Silliman" (possibly Levi Silliman? 1797-1867. He was the second Bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church in North Carolina). "L. Silliman" also is written in light pencil on the rear pastedown, next to an early ink notation of "Haywood." There also a couple of bolder early 20th… Read More

Garden City, New York: Doubleday, Page & Company, 1927. First Edition First Printing . Hardcover. Good/No Jacket. 12mo. 423 pages, x, [2], indexed. Hardcover bound in blue cloth with lettering in gilt. The binding is a bit rubbed and bumped. The spine is dulled, and there is a rubbed white spot on the front cover. Early signature of "Lucian St...(?)" on the front flyleaf is dated 1927. Lacks the frontis portrait of Woodrow Wilson, and the gutter between the Half Title and the Title Page is cracked. The rest of the text block and the inner hinges are sound. Endpapers toned and foxed. The text is generally clean. Early (original?) bookseller's ticket at the bottom of the rear flyleaf reads, "The Book Shop, Inc. / 110 S. Greene St. / Greensboro, N.C." Carter Glass (1858-1946) was born in Lynchburg, Virginia and was the Secretary of the Treasury under Woodrow Wilson. He helped establish the U.S. financial regulatory system and was instrumental in setting up the… Read More

Newbern, (North Carolina): Martin & Ogden, 1804. Hardcover. Very Good. 4to - over 9¾ - 12" tall. 4to. 501, [1]; 226, (156), [1], [1] pages. Bound in full leather with a clear removable mylar cover. Early leather over boards with a modern reback in brown leather with spine rules in gilt and with a burgundy leather title label. A sound copy. Professionally conserved. Front flyleaf is tipped in. THE TITLE PAGE IS IN FACSIMILE, as are the next two leaves, the leaf in printed in italics (front and back) and the leaf on the Second Charter by Charles II (front and back). Very nicely done. The leaf following the last facsimile leaf of Charles II is the remains of the original leaf on Charles II (3/4 of the page), encapsulated in tissue and properly tipped in). The rear flyleaf (blank) is also tipped in. The leather spine is fresh and clean. The boards are scuffed, bumped and abraded with a piece chipped out from the top corner of the front cover. The text block is sound (likely… Read More

New Bern: Martin and Ogden, 1803. Hardcover. Good/No Jacket. Octavo. 320, (8) pages, indexed. Hardcover rebound with a modern cloth spine and cloth-covered rear board and with the original leather front board. Black title label on the spine. The original leather board has wear at edges and damping at lower right corner. Text is toned, with occasional foxing, smudges. Some of the lettering on the title page is not fully printed on the left side, lacking the "B" of "By" before the author's name and the "M" of "Martin" for the publisher. New endpapers, including a new pastedown over the original board (so no visible signatures, etc.). Rare.

London: Privately Printed, 1799. First Edition First Printing . Hardcover. Very Good. 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" tall. Octavos. 403; dxciii pages. Hardcovers bound in late 19th century 3/4 brown morocco with marbled paper-covered boards. The bindings show some rubbing and bumping but are sound with secure hinges. Top edges gilt. Deckled edges to the text block. Each volume has a 19th century elaborate bookplate of "William Arthur, Sixth Duke of Portland." There are some discrete library markings; faint evidence of removed labels on the spines. There is an ink-stamped number at the foot of the "Contents" pages in each volume. The title page gives no publisher's information or date, but Worldcat notes a date of 1799, and the author has inscribed and dated the books 1799. In Volume I, the author has inscribed on page 1, "State Paper Office / Jan'ry 22, 1799 / My Lord," just before the dedication. The author has also inscribed the last page of text of Volume I, "I have the honor to be my Lord Your Grace's most… Read More

London: Printed for G. G. J. And J. Robinson, Paternoster Row, 1788. First Edition First Printing . Hardcover. Good. 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" tall. Octavo. [2], ii [4], xxviii, 184, 159, [1], 299, [1] pages. Contains an early British printing of the United States Constitution Hardcover (begins page 100 of the second section). Hardcover bound in original full leather with raised bands on the spine. Spine also has a burgundy lettering piece, the date 1787 and rules in gilt. The binding is worn and rubbed. Front hinge is cracked, and the rear hinge is starting. Removed bookplate from the front pastedown, but an early simple paper bookplate bears the name "Robert Y. Hayne," and the title page has the signature of "Robt. Y. Hayne." The text of the book is toned, and the text block is sound. Robert Young Hayne, (1791-1839) was Governor of South Carolina (1832-1834) and was Mayor of Charleston (1836-1837). He was an ardent States Rights supporter. He died in… Read More

Paris: Chez Charles-Antoine Jombert, Libraire du Roi pour le Genie & l'Artillerie, a l'image Notre Dame, 1760. Fourth Edition . Hardcover. Very Good/No Jacket. Folio - over 12 - 15" tall. Quarto. [8], 482, [6] pages. Hardcover bound in original speckled calf with raised bands on the spine. The binding is worn but sound. Splitting to the front hinge running up about 3 inches from the foot to the lowest band. Spine a bit dry with some flaking and nicks to the leather. The binding is rubbed and has some scuffs. A sound copy. All edges red. Marbled endpapers. Text is generally clean. Collates complete with 49 copperplate engravings, most which are folding. A decent example. First published in 1709, this is the Fourth edition and is the most expansive and heavily illustrated editions of this work. Text is in French.

New York: Munn & Co., 1859. First Edition First Printing . Hardcover. Very Good. Folio - over 12 - 15" tall. Folios. Variously paginated. The bindings measure 13 3/4 inches tall by 10 inches wide. Hardcovers bound in early black half leather with burgundy marbled paper-covered boards. Moderate wear to the bindings. Volume I has a tear at the foot of the spine and some wrinkles on the spine. Volume III has some heavy scuffing on the rear hinge and there is cracking on the rear hinge running about 7 inches up from the foot. The rest of the bindings have some bumping and scuffing but are generally quite sound and serviceable. The text is variously toned and has some occasional foxing. Many of the interior issues have center folds. We've seen one page that has a tear at the fore edge running into the text, but overall the text is sound and undamaged. Illustrated throughout. An incredible collection of the first 6 volumes of the New Series (each volume contains about 26 issues,… Read More

Paris: Chez Maradan, Libraire, 1808. First Edition First Printing . Hardcover. Very Good/No Jacket. 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" tall. Octavo. Hardcover rebacked in tan quarter leather. The binding shows moderate wear and is sound. Top edge of the front cover is sunned. A sound copy with sturdy hinges. The front pastedown has two bookplates. The top bookplate is an early engraved plate of "Mr. A. G-du Plessis" featuring a lion and gryphon on either sides of a shield. There is a crown above the shield. The second bookplate is a mid-20th century owner's bookplate. A very nice copy. The text is clean and the margins are wide. A rare volume, this is the first work of the Literature of Blacks. Part of the book is devoted to anti-slavery views with anti-slavery writers listed and discussed. Henri Gregoire (1750-1831) was an abolitionist and the first historian of literature of the Blacks. He offered that the writings of Blacks were equal to Whites and mentions… Read More

Paris: Chez Theodore la Gras, 1722. First Edition First Printing . Leather Bound. Very Good. 12mo - over 6¾ - 7¾" tall. 12mos. xxxvi, [8], 525; [6], 598; vi, 549; vi, 558; vi, 524; vi, 514, [14] pages. Collates complete with 102 plates and maps, many folding. INCLUDES THE FOLDING MAP OF NORTH AMERICA WITH CALIFORNIA AS AN ISLAND. Hardcovers rebound in mid-20th century full brown leather with titles on the spine in gilt. Light wear to the bindings. New endpapers, but the old endpapers are preserved. Title pages in black and red. Each title page has an inkstamp noting "Case 45 / Shelf B". Occasional tears or chips at the top edges of the pages near the gutter at the front. In Volume I, there is a tear and crease at the fore edge of page 15 and a tear running into the text on the leaf for pages 391-392. Browning to some of the plates in Volume IV. Otherwise the plates are generally in quite good condition. Plates as follows: Vol. I: 3 Maps & Plans… Read More

Philadelphia: Carey, Lea & Carey, 1827. First Edition First Printing . Hardcover. Good. 12mo - over 6¾ - 7¾" tall. 12mos. 252; 276 pages. First editions with the corrected slips pasted onto the copyright pages. Hardcovers bound in original brown half leather with brown marbled paper-covered boards. Gilt rules on the spines with black bands flat on the spine as well as gilt devices in the panels. The bindings are rubbed and bumped, but the bindings are strudy. Spines a bit dry, and spine ends are abraded or heavily rubbed. The fore edge of the board to Volume I has some pest damage affecting the bottom third of the front cover, right at the edge. The front pastedowns of each volume has a small early strip of paper pasted down with "Henry Lansing" printed on it. A couple of leaves in Volume I are slightly sprung, and pages 73 to 82 of Volume II are a bit sprung. Text is toned and has some foxing, but the text blocks are sound. A decent set in original… Read More

New York: Charles Wiley / J. Seymour, Printer / E. B. Clayton, 1823. 1st Edition . Hardcover. Good. 12mo - over 6¾ - 7¾" tall. 12mos. xi, [1], 275; 239 pages. Hardcovers bound in original brown half leather with brown and green marbled paper-covered boards. Gilt rules on the spines with black bands flat on the spine as well as gilt devices in the panels. The bindings are rubbed and bumped, and the front hinge of Volume I is cracking and nearly detached. Spine ends a bit chipped. Complete with flyleaves and half titles. Second state with J. Seymour, Printer in Volume I. Volume II lists E. B. Clayton as printer. Page 239 in Volume II is at the right margin. No errata leaf in Volume II. The front pastedowns of each volume has a small early strip of paper pasted down with "Henry Lansing" printed on it. Text is toned and has some foxing, but the text blocks are sound. A decent set in original contemporary bindings.

Paris: De Bure, 1750. Hardcover. Good/No Jacket. 16mo - over 5¾ - 6¾" tall. 16mos. 391; 579; 559, (13) pages. Small books measuring just over 6 1/2 inches tall by 4 inches wide. Hardcovers bound in full tan mottled leather with red and brown label pastedowns on spines. Five raised spine bands. Bindings are scuffed, rubbed; headcaps are fraying. Gilt tooling on spines, which are worn and bumped. All edges of text blocks are red. Marbled endpapers. Prior owner's names on recto of front flyleaf and verso of second front flyleaf (includes an early owner's name of Gallatin Sellon and a mid-20th century signature of Algie Newlin, who was a professor of History at Guilford College in Greensboro, North Carolina). Ribbon bookmarks. Bumping to the fore edge of the rear of the text block of Volume II and with some bumping at the fore edge of the front of the text block on Volume III. Text is toned, occasional foxing. Text is in French. Publisher's book list (13 pages) at the… Read More

New York: Johnson and Browning, 1862. Hardcover. Good. Elephant Folio - over 15 - 23" tall. Elephant Folio. The binding measures 18 1/2 inches tall by 15 inches wide. Hardcover bound in original black half leather with green cloth-covered boards. The binding is worn and bumped, and the leather on the spine is beginning to dry and crack. A sound copy with a sturdy text block. All edges marbled. The text is toned, and there is damping on the bottom corner as well as (at times) on the fore and top edges. Most of the damping remains in the margins, although it is certainly heavier at the front and at the rear of the book and crosses over into the images and maps at the very front and back. Collates complete with all maps.