Rare Book Monthly

Articles - September - 2006 Issue

Dawson Ephemera Auction September 29th

First separate directory of the city of Los Angeles

First separate directory of the city of Los Angeles


Lot 140. California: the Ideal Italy of the World. An Outline Mirror of the State for Health, Happiness, and Delightful Homes. 32 pp. plus 8 pp. of ads. 22.8 cm, printed yellow wrappers, in cloth case along with a signed 4.5 cm oval portrait of Hall given to Ed Carpenter by Florence Kreider. Philadelphia: Co-operative Printing Co., 1875. With old Dawson's Book Shop price of $5.00. Est. $1,200/1,800

Lot 143. Great Register of Los Angeles County, State of California. Published by Authority. Made and Done Pursuant to the Provisions of the Political Code. 139 pp., 39.5 cm, original printed wrappers reinforced with cardstock, spine rebacked in beige cloth, in cloth case. Los Angeles: Printed at the Mirror Book and Printing House, 1875.

The Register gives voter name, age, place of birth, occupation, city or town of residence, naturalization information, and date of registration. Est. $2,500/3,500

Lot 144. Directory of The City of Los Angeles for 1875. pp. 1-88; [i-iv]; 89-174 (lacks p. 175, which was printed on the original pastedown). 21.4 cm., original printed boards with leather backstrip, new endpapers. Los Angeles: Mirror Book and Job Printing Office, 1875. First separate directory of the city of Los Angeles. With four-page ad for Heald's Business College inserted between pp. 88 & 89. Est. $2,000/3,000

Lot 157. The Present Condition, Growth, Progress and Advantages of Los Angeles City and County, Southern California. 144 pp., 22.4 cm, printed wrappers, Stearns Rancho map printed on rear cover, map of Wilmington Harbor on p. [16], in cloth and leather case. Los Angeles: Mirror Printing, Ruling and Binding House, July 1876. First edition.

First publication of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. Although printed by Mirror, the text is mostly reprinted from Hawley's articles in the Los Angeles Star, published by Ben Truman. There is a copy in the Pasadena Public Library with Ernest Dawson's notation, "First and only copy I have seen, Oct. 29, 1909, $3.50 net." Est. $2,000/3,000

Lot 166. Map of the City of Los Angeles. Large hand-colored map, paper panels mounted on cloth, 109.2 x 106.7 cm. Los Angeles, 1876. Robinson, Maps of Los Angeles 28. Formerly in collection Benjamin Kirby who gave it to Stuart W. Salisbury, January 29, 1943. Said to be Stevenson's own copy.

With blue pencil markings across several panels. According to Kirby's inscription on the verso, these are Stevenson's tracings of the old zanjas. Est. $5,000/8,000

The full catalogue is accessible both on AE and on the Johns' Western Gallery site: www.johnswesterngallery.com. Material can be viewed in person at the Gallery M-S 10-5. Bidding will be in the room, on the phones and by absentee bid. The auction begins at 10:00 am on Friday, September 29th at 250 Sutter Street, San Francisco.

Rare Book Monthly

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  • Swann
    Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books
    December 9, 2025
    Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 156: Cornelis de Jode, Americae pars Borealis, double-page engraved map of North America, Antwerp, 1593.
    Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 206: John and Alexander Walker, Map of the United States, London and Liverpool, 1827.
    Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 223: Abraham Ortelius, Typus Orbis Terrarum, hand-colored double-page engraved world map, Antwerp, 1575.
    Swann
    Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books
    December 9, 2025
    Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 233: Aaron Arrowsmith, Chart of the World, oversize engraved map on 8 sheets, London, 1790 (circa 1800).
    Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 239: Fielding Lucas, A General Atlas, 81 engraved maps and diagrams, Baltimore, 1823.
    Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 240: Anthony Finley, A New American Atlas, 15 maps engraved by james hamilton young on 14 double-page sheets, Philadelphia, 1826.
    Swann
    Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books
    December 9, 2025
    Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 263: John Bachmann, Panorama of the Seat of War, portfolio of 4 double-page chromolithographed panoramic maps, New York, 1861.
    Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 265: Sebastian Münster, Cosmographei, Basel: Sebastian Henricpetri, 1558.
    Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 271: Abraham Ortelius, Epitome Theatri Orteliani, Antwerp: Johann Baptist Vrients, 1601.
    Swann
    Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books
    December 9, 2025
    Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 283: Joris van Spilbergen, Speculum Orientalis Occidentalisque Indiae, Leiden: Nicolaus van Geelkercken for Jodocus Hondius, 1619.
    Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 285: Levinus Hulsius, Achtzehender Theil der Newen Welt, 14 engraved folding maps, Frankfurt: Johann Frederick Weiss, 1623.
    Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 341: John James Audubon, Carolina Parrot, Plate 26, London, 1827.
  • SD Scandinavian Art & Rare Book Auctions
    The Odfjell Collection
    Polar – History – Ornithology – Colour Plate Books
    Ending December 4th
    Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4: ROALD AMUNDSEN: «Sydpolen» [ The South Pole] 1912. First edition in jackets and publisher's slip case.
    Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4: AMUNDSEN & NANSEN: «Fram over Polhavet» [Farthest North] 1897. AMUNDSEN's COPY!
    Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4: ERNEST SHACKLETON [ed.]: «Aurora Australis» 1908. First edition. The NORWAY COPY.
    Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4: ERNEST SHACKLETON: «The heart of the Antarctic» + SUPPLEMENT «The Antarctic Book», 1909.
    Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4: SHACKLETON, BERNACCHI, CHERRY-GARRARD [ed.]: «The South Polar Times» I-III, 1902-1911.
    SD Scandinavian Art & Rare Book Auctions
    The Odfjell Collection
    Polar – History – Ornithology – Colour Plate Books
    Ending December 4th
    Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4: [WILLEM BARENTSZ & HENRY HUDSON] - SAEGHMAN: «Verhael van de vier eerste schip-vaerden […]», 1663.
    Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4: TERRA NOVA EXPEDITION | LIEUTENANT HENRY ROBERTSON BOWERS: «At the South Pole.», Gelatin Silver Print. [10¾ x 15in. (27.2 x 38.1cm.) ].
    Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4: ELEAZAR ALBIN: «A natural History of Birds.» + «A Supplement», 1738-40. Wonderful coloured plates.
    Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4: PAUL GAIMARD: «Voyage de la Commision scientific du Nord, en Scandinavie, […]», c. 1842-46. ONLY HAND COLOURED COPY KNOWN WITH TWO ORIGINAL PAINTINGS BY BIARD.
    Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4: JAMES JOYCE: «Ulysses», 1922. FIRST EDITION IN ORIGINAL WRAPPERS.
  • Sotheby’s
    Book Week
    December 9-17, 2025
    Sotheby’s, Dec. 11: Darwin and Wallace. On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties..., [in:] Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society, Vol. III, No. 9., 1858, Darwin announces the theory of natural selection. £100,000 to £150,000.
    Sotheby’s, Dec. 11: J.K. Rowling. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, 1997, first edition, hardback issue, inscribed by the author pre-publication. £100,000 to £150,000.
    Sotheby’s, Dec. 11: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Autograph sketchleaf including a probable draft for the E flat Piano Quartet, K.493, 1786. £150,000 to £200,000.
    Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Hooke, Robert. Micrographia: or some Physiological Descriptions of Minute Bodies made by Magnifying Glasses. London: James Allestry for the Royal Society, 1667. $12,000 to $15,000.
    Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Chappuzeau, Samuel. The history of jewels, first edition in English. London: T.N. for Hobart Kemp, 1671. $12,000 to $18,000.
    Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Sowerby, James. Exotic Mineralogy, containing his most realistic mineral depictions, London: Benjamin Meredith, 1811, Arding and Merrett, 1817. $5,000 to $7,000.

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