Rare Book Monthly

Book Catalogue Reviews - November - 2002 Issue

December 2002 Dealer Catalogue Reviews

Peter Peek's Inklings of Adventure in theCampaigns...Schenectady. 1846	William Reese Co. #217 Native Americans

Peter Peek's Inklings of Adventure in theCampaigns...Schenectady. 1846 William Reese Co. #217 Native Americans

“This catalogue combines a wide range of material from our stock loosely joined together as ‘the useful arts.’ While the earliest item is dated 1683 and the latest 1895, most of the catalogue falls in the great era of American innovation between the American Revolution and the Civil War. Included are books on astronomy, surveying, botany, physics, medicine, design, technology, agriculture, geology, education, economics, architecture, crafts, and the fine arts. Some fifty-nine of the titles appear in Rink’s landmark bibliography, and many after the others would, except that they fall after his cutoff of 1830. A number of the books listed here have not appeared in any of our previous catalogues.” Reese casts a wide and authoritative net, assembling a wide range of books which proceeds alphabetically by author from item number 1, John Abbott’s Exposition of the Principles of Abbott’s Hydraulic Engine…(1835), to item 249, A.N. Worthy’s A Treatise on the Botanic Theory of Medicine (1842), with many variations on myriad subjects relating to the fine and scientific arts from different centuries sprinkled in between. Once again, Reese has researched and authored a winning catalogue that is as fun and educational to read as it is to order from.

New Acquisitions in Rare Americana (Catalogue 216, William Reese Company). A 181 item long collection of books, pamphlets, broadsides, imprints, photographs and other forms of materials dealing with all aspects of rare and antiquarian Americana, organized alphabetically by author. This is the only catalogue in this series whose theme is essentially Americana, generally speaking, rather than a specific subject under the Americana rubric. It is in this sense a general inventory catalogue, but with Reese even general inventory catalogues are specialty items because of the care and knowledge that Reese and his staff put into them. An introductory note to the catalogue reads:

“This catalogue covers a broad spectrum of recently acquired Americana which has not appeared in previous catalogues. Because we produced a spate of catalogues devoted to very specific themes, a variety of unusual pieces which have not fallen into those genres have not yet been offered. The result is the eclectic mix in this more general grouping. This includes a first edition of Lewis and Clark, an important early edition of Utopia, a book from Thomas Jefferson’s library, an Eakins photograph of Walt Whitman, a presentation of the first edition of Democracy in America, and important Americana from the earliest era of discovery through the close of the 19th century.”

Rare Book Monthly

  • High Bids Win
    Rare Books, Catalogs, Magazines
    and Machine Manuals
    December 24 to January 9
    High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: Ellis Smith Prints unsigned. 20” by 16”.
    High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: United typothetae of America presidents. Pictures of 37 UTA presidents 46th annual convention United typothetae of America Cincinnati 1932.
    High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec signed Paper Impressionism Art Prints. MayMilton 9 1/2” by 13” Reine de Joie 9 1/2” by 13”.
    High Bids Win
    Rare Books, Catalogs, Magazines
    and Machine Manuals
    December 24 to January 9
    High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: Aberle’ Ballet editions. 108th triumph, American season spring and summer 1944.
    High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: Puss ‘n Boots. 1994 Charles Perrult All four are signed by Andreas Deja
    High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: Specimen book of type faces. Job composition department, Philadelphia gazette publishing company .
    High Bids Win
    Rare Books, Catalogs, Magazines
    and Machine Manuals
    December 24 to January 9
    High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: An exhibit of printed books, Bridwell library.
    High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur Court By Mark Twain 1889.
    High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: 1963 Philadelphia Eagles official program.
    High Bids Win
    Rare Books, Catalogs, Magazines
    and Machine Manuals
    December 24 to January 9
    High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: 8 - Esquire the magazine for men 1954.
    High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: The American printer, July 1910.
    High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: Leaves of grass 1855 by Walt Whitman.
  • Sotheby's
    Fine Books, Manuscripts & More
    Available for Immediate Purchase
    Sotheby’s: William Shakespeare.
    The Poems and Sonnets of William Shakespeare, 1960. 7,210 USD
    Sotheby’s: Charles Dickens.
    A Christmas Carol, First Edition, 1843. 17,500 USD
    Sotheby’s: William Golding.
    Lord of the Flies, First Edition, 1954. 5,400 USD
    Sotheby's
    Fine Books, Manuscripts & More
    Available for Immediate Purchase
    Sotheby’s: Lewis Carroll.
    Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There, Inscribed First Edition, 1872. 25,000 USD
    Sotheby’s: J.R.R. Tolkien.
    The Hobbit, First Edition, 1937. 12,000 USD
    Sotheby’s: John Milton.
    Paradise Lost, 1759. 5,400 USD

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