Firsts, London’s Rare Book Fair 2022

15-18 September 2022

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47 items found

First Dutch edition, and first with a fine map and plate

Adams, W.

Twee brieven van William Adams; wegens sijn reys uyt Holland na Oost-Indien, met vijf schepen, anno 1598 en vervolgens. En wat ontmoetingen hem in Japan overgekomen zijn. Nu aldereerst uyt het Engelsch vertaald. Met konst-print en register verrijkt.

€1,250.00

Tasteful quality

[Anonymous]

Mushroom Album.

€1,400.00

A beautifully preserved copy with the very rare red ornamental border and an interesting provenance

Appianus Alexandrinus

Historia Romana. De Bellis Civilibus.

€25,000.00

All the very rare early photos from Alois Auer's Faust

Auer, A.

Faust. Poligrafisch illustrirte Zeitschrift für Kunst, Wissenschaft, Industrie, und geselliges Leben, begleitet von Kunst-Beilagen aus mehr als 30 Druckfächern. [All photographic plates. Original prints, mounted, as issued].

€2,500.00

Just nine copies in libraries worldwide

Becker, W.

Album of the finest birds of all countries.

Philadelphia, PA, Weik & Wieck, [1854]. Oblong folio (27.2 x 36.0 cm). 25 finely lithographed plates, all in accurate original hand-colouring (14 plates with American birds; five European; one Asian; five Australian). Publisher's moiré silk-covered boards, with elaborate polychrome floral pattern larded with figures of birds and two gilt dragons. All edges gilt.

€6,200.00

First edition of a work on tropical marine fish with an unknown additional watercolour

Bennett, J. W.

A selection from the most remarkable and interesting of the fishes found on the coast of Ceylon. From drawings made in the southern part of that island from the living specimens.

London, Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green, [1828-] 1830. 4to (31.2 x 24.6 cm). With 30 splendidly hand-coloured engraved plates, all heightened with gum arabic, each with a descriptive leaf of text [AND] one extra original water-colour. Contemporary green ruled half calf over marbled boards; spine with gilt ornaments and title. Yellow endpapers. Top edge gilt. Preserved in a custom-made black cloth, luxurious, clamshell box with built-in cradle and black label with gilt title on the spine.

€15,000.00

Exquisite mushroom watercolours supervised by Great Britain's foremost mycologist

[Berkeley, M. J. (ed.)]

Lancashire fungi.

Lancashire, not published, 1872-1885. Folio (33.0 x 25.5 cm). 61 leaves, each with one or more (up to five) original watercolours - several heightened with gum arabic - mounted on rectos, and several additional ones on versos. Contemporary full calf. Spine with five gilt-bordered, raised bands and red morocco label with gilt title. Boards with double, gilt borders and gilt daisy corner pieces, and blind-rolled border, with blind-tooled fleur-de-lis motif corner pieces. Marbled endpapers with blind-tooled floral dentelles. All edges gilt.

€14,500.00

The grandest bird book in the German language

Borkhausen, M. B. [Susemihl, J. C.]

Teutsche Ornithologie oder Naturgeschichte aller Vögel Teutschlands in naturgetreuden Abbildungen und Beschreibungen.

€16,500.00

A spectacular "Wunderkammer"

Brown, E.

[Wunderkammer - Giant Library] Durch Niederland, Teutschland, Hungarn, Serbien, Bulgarien, Macedonien, Thessalien, Oesterreich, Steirmarck, Kärnthen, Carniolen, Friaul, &c. gethane ganz sonderbare Reisen...

€1,250.00

A rare ornithological work in a fine, contemporary binding

Cotton, J.

The song birds of Great Britain; containing delineations of thirty-three birds, of the natural size, (incl. the genus Sylvia of Latham,) coloured principally from living specimens, with some account of their habits, and occasional direction for their treatment in confinement.

London, privately published, [1835-]1836. Title-page, [xi] pp. [prefaces]; 33 beautiful, originally hand-coloured engraved plates with explanatory text leaves. Contemporary dark green grained full morocco. Boards with double rich gilt borders with floral corner pieces; gilt lines on the edges, and inner gilt lines. Spine with ornamental gilt rectangles and title. All edges gilt.

€3,800.00

Daudin's best-illustrated work - in the very rare quarto version

Daudin, F. [M.]

Histoire naturelle des rainettes, des grenouilles et des crapauds.

Paris, Levrault, An XI (1802). 4to (28.7 x 22.2 cm). 108 pp.; 38 finely hand-coloured engraved plates. Early 19th-century polished, gilt-bordered half calf over marbled boards. Spine with five raised, gilt-ornamented bands; compartments with gilt vignettes, and with black morocco label with gilt title. Marbled endpapers.

€9,500.00

Exceedingly rare book on butterflies, not in any bibliography

Delarue, [J.]

Musée des Lépidoptères. Collection de papillons de toutes les parties du monde.

Paris, Arnauld de Vresse, [ca. 1840]. Folio (42.0 x 30.1 cm). Gilt-lettered title page; 12 chromolithographed plates with captions, finished by hand, some heightened with silver and gum arabic. Original green cloth with large gilt-embossed decoration and title to front panel and blind-tooled borders.

€7,500.00

The largest parrot in the world

Descourtilz, J. T.

Ornithologie brésilienne. Ou histoire des oiseaux du Brésil, remarquables par leur plumage, leur chant ou leurs habitudes. A magnificent parrot plate. Plate 8. Ara hyacinthus [Hyacinth ara].

€3,000.00

A giant toucan, as you can see

Descourtilz, J. T.

Ornithologie brésilienne. Ou histoire des oiseaux du Brésil, remarquables par leur plumage, leur chant ou leurs habitudes. A magnificent toucan plate. Plate 13. Ramphastos toco and Pteroglossus piperivorus [Toco or giant toucan and Guyana toucannet].

€2,850.00

The most spectacular parrots in the world

Descourtilz, J. T.

Ornithologie brésilienne. Ou histoire des oiseaux du Brésil, remarquables par leur plumage, leur chant ou leurs habitudes. A pair of magnificent parrot plates. Plates 6 and 7. Ara ararauna, and Ara severus [Blue-and-yellow macaw, chestnut-fronted macaw], and Ara aracanga, and Ara cryssosema [Scarlet macaw and colour variety].

€5,800.00

Jewels from Amazonia: four brilliantly coloured toucans

Descourtilz, J. T.

Ornithologie brésilienne. Ou histoire des oiseaux du Brésil, remarquables par leur plumage, leur chant ou leurs habitudes. A pair of magnificent toucan plates. Plates 12 and 14. Ramphastos ariel and Ramphastos dicolorus, and Pteroglossus aracari and Pteroglossus ulocomus. [Ariel toucan and green-billed toucan; and black-necked aracari and curl-crested aracari].

€5,000.00

Gorgeous vultures

Descourtilz, J. T.

Ornithologie brésilienne. Ou histoire des oiseaux du Brésil, remarquables par leur plumage, leur chant ou leurs habitudes. Plate 1. Sarcoramphus papa [King vulture] and Percnopterus jota [Black vulture].

€1,750.00

The eagle has landed in South America

Descourtilz, J. T.

Ornithologie brésilienne. Ou histoire des oiseaux du Brésil, remarquables par leur plumage, leur chant ou leurs habitudes. Plate 2. Harpyia cristata. [Harpy eagle].

€1,750.00

Owls of extreme beauty

Descourtilz, J. T.

Ornithologie brésilienne. Ou histoire des oiseaux du Brésil, remarquables par leur plumage, leur chant ou leurs habitudes. Plate 5. Otus clamator, Strix perlata, and Strix pumila. [Striped owl, pearl-spotted owlet, and pygmy owl].

€2,000.00

Utterly rare and perhaps the most complete copy known

Deyrolle, T.

Illustrations zoologiques.

€17,500.00

A superb copy

Dresser, H. E.

A monograph of the Coraciidae or family of the rollers.

Farnborough, the author, 1893. Folio (37.6 x 28.3 cm). Title page with woodcut vignette (owl) and quote in Greek; xx, 111; 27 lithographed plates, all in a most careful and beautiful original hand-colouring. Contemporary full red pebbled morocco. Spine with five raised, gilt-stippled bands; compartments with central gilt vignettes and title. Boards with intricate gilt floral borders and woodcut vignette (an owl - as on the title page), bevelled edges, gilt inner dentelles. Marbled endpapers. Top edge gilt.

€12,500.00

The rare complete, illustrated game and game-theory part of the famous Encyclopédie Méthodique

[Games - Mathematics]

Encyclopédie méthodique. Dictionnaire des jeux, faisant suite au tome III des mathématiques. [AND] Dictionnaire des jeux familiers, ou des amusemens de société; faisant suite au dictionnaire des jeux, annexé au tome III des mathématiques. [AND] Dictionnaire des jeux mathematiques, contenant l'analyse, les recherches, les calculs, les probabilités & les tables numériques, publiés par plusiers célèbres mathématiciens, relativement aux jeux de hasard & combinaisions; et suite du dictionnaire des jeux.

Paris, Pancoucke, 1792. 4to (25.4 x 19.0 cm). Title page, iii, 316 pp.; 16 engraved plates; Paris, Agasse, An V (1798 or 1799). Half-title, engraved title page, ii [erroneously numbered viii], 172 pp.; Paris, H. Agasse, An VII (1801 or 1802). viii, 212 pp., numerous text engravings. Contemporary full mottled calf, spine with five raised bands, Louis XVI style gilt bands and vignettes, and brown morocco label with gilt title.

€3,000.00

Carus's copy of an exceedingly rare work on turtles

Gottwaldt, C.

D. Christoph Gottwaldts physikalisch-anatomische Bermerkungen über die Schildkröten. Aus dem Lateinischen übersezt. Mit 10 Kupfertafeln.

€7,500.00

A work that inspired Charles Darwin

Graves, G.

The naturalist's pocket-book, or tourist's companion, being a brief introduction to the different branches of natural history, with approved methods for collecting and preserving the various productions of nature.

€500.00

An exceptionally nicely bound copy of a rare work on lemurs

Hoeven, J. van der

Bijdragen tot de kennis van de Lemuridae of Prosimii. [Titled Bydragen tot de kennis van de Lemuridae on front board].

Leiden, S. Luchtmans and J. Luchtmans. Tall folio (45.2 x 29.4 cm). Title page, [i], 18 pp.; three lithographed plates of which two finely hand-coloured. Contemporary full bright red grained calf. Boards with intricate blind-tooled and gilt-ornamental borders, floral corner pieces and title. Pink floral endpapers. All edges gilt.

€2,200.00

The most breathtaking views of Java and its volcanos in a fabulous copy

Junghuhn, F.

Java-Album: Landschafts-Ansichten von Java, nach der Natur aufgenommen von Franz Junghuhn.

Leipzig, Arnoldische Buchhandlung, 1856. Oblong folio (38.0 x 53.8 cm). Letterpress title, and two-page description of the plates; eleven fine chromolithographed plates, some finished by hand. Loose as issued in original pictorial portfolio, front cover with mounted lithographed illustration and an embossed glazed gilt decoration.

€9,500.00

Origami at its best, an excellent example of Kodo Kawarasaki's wonderful art

Kawarasaki, K.

Origami moyo.

€3,400.00

The first morel monograph - regrettably unpublished

Leuba, [F.]

Monographie du genre Morchella. Traité au point de vue historique, botanique et chimique.

[Switzerland], unpublished, 1875. Folio (31.2 x 24.0 cm). Script title page with watercolour vignette, handwritten preface by the author, dated 15 Août 1875 (verso blank), 16 pp. of handwritten descriptive text; nine watercolour plates with script captions. Later half morocco over marbled boards. Marbled endpapers.

€4,800.00

One of the richest mushroom manuscripts ever

Liénard, [J.] F.

Catalogue des champignons observée et recuillis dans le dept de la Meuse et figurant dans le collection de Monsieur F. Liénard.

[Verdun], not published, 1855-[1871-1875]-1880. Folio (28.1 x 19.2 cm). 382 leaves of which three with a handwritten index; 23 with a handwritten half-title and 356 with delicately drawn and coloured mushrooms. Somewhat later half morocco over marbled boards. Spine with four raised bands. Compartments with gilt title. Marbled endpapers.

€28,000.00

A fine, complete set of the last and best edition

Linnaeus, C.

Amoenitates academicae seu dissertationes variae physicae, medicae botanicae antehac seorsim editae nunc collectae et auctae ... editio tertia curante D. Jo. Christiano Daniele Schrebero.

Erlangen, J. Jacob Palm, 1787-1790. Ten volumes in ten. 8vo. Title pages, 4,691 pp. (1: [ii], 571; 2: [ii], 472; 3: [ii], 464; 4: [ii], 600, [ii]; 5: [ii], 583, [ix]; 6: [ii], 486, [vi]; 7: [ii], 506, [iv]; 8: [ii], 332, [i]; 9: [ii], 331; 10: [iii], 172, 131); 59 folded, engraved plates [17;4;4;4;11 [numbered I-III, I-VIII];6;7;6;0;0]. Uniform contemporary half calf over speckled boards. Spines with gilt bands and two light brown, gilt-bordered morocco labels with gilt titles and volume numbers (small, oval labels).

€6,000.00

Lischke's magnum opus on Japanese shells

Lischke, C. E.

Japanische Meeres-Conchylien. Ein Beitrag zur Kenntniss der Mollusken Japan's, mit besonderer Rücksicht auf die geographische Verbreitung derselben. I - III. [Complete].

Cassel [Kassel], Theodor Fischer, 1869-1875. Three volumes in one. 4to (28.2 x 21.7 cm). Three title pages; 503 pp. ([ii], 192; [ii], 184; 123]); 37 [14; 14; 9] fine, hand-coloured lithographed plates. Later grained green half calf over marbled boards. Spine with four raised, gilt-ornamented bands and two green morocco labels with gilt title.

€3,200.00

A beautiful and perhaps unknown linocut by an influential Dutch artist and teacher of Maurits Escher

Mesquita, S. Jessurun de

Markhor Goat.

€2,500.00

The very rare bird section of a rare and important work

Orbigny, A. D. d'

Voyage dans l'Amérique méridionale (le Brésil, la république orientale de l'Uruguay, la république Argentine, la Patagonie, la république du Chili, la république de Bolivia, la république du Perou). Exécuté dans le cours des années 1826, 1827, 1828, 1829, 1830, 1831, 1832 et 1833. Tome cinquième. 3.e Partie: Oiseaux.

Paris, P. Bertrand; Strasbourg, V. Levrault, 1835-1844. Large 4to and folio (33.3 x 25.1 cm). Half title (to the Voyage), title page and half title (to the Oiseaux); iii, 395 pp.; 67 finely lithographed and delicately hand-coloured plates [numbered 1-66; 6bis], one large, folding, hand-coloured zoogeographical map. Excellent period style half morocco over marbled boards. Spine with six gilt-stippled, raised bands; compartments with floral vignettes and title. Marbled endpapers. Edges speckled red.

€6,800.00

A fantastic, large, original aquarelle by Jean Gabriel Prêtre

Prêtre, J. G.

Original watercolour drawing of the bird, tinamon isabelle ( Tinamus rufescens Temminck), or guazu.

€4,800.00

A pinnacle in the history of landscape garden design

Pückler-Muskau, H. L. H. Graf von

Andeutungen über Landschaftsgärtnerei verbunden mit der Beschreibung ihrer praktischen Anwendung in Muskau. [Atlas].

Stuttgart, Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt (Louis Friedrich Sachse), 1834. Oblong folio (34.0 x 48.5 cm). 45 finely engraved and original hand-coloured plates (numbered I-XXIX, XXXI-XXXXIV, XXXIII[bis], XXXIV[bis]), of which two much larger, folded, and three with originally hand-coloured overlays, partly augmented with gum arabic. Contemporary full straight-grained green morocco. Spine with four raised, gilt-ornamented green bands, and gilt ornamental head and tail pieces; boards with quadruple gilt-lined borders with floral gilt cornerpieces. Original marbled slipcase with a red morocco label with gilt ornamental border and gilt title on the front board.

€34,000.00

"One of the great classics of herpetology" (Adler) with the very rare supplement

Russell, P.

An account of Indian serpents collected in the coast of Coromandel; containing descriptions and drawings of each species; together with experiments and remarks on their several poisons. [WITH] A continuation of an account of Indian serpents containing descriptions and figures from specimens and drawings transmitted from various parts of India. [Complete].

London, George Nicol, 1796-1801. Two volumes in one. Elephant folio (51.5 x 35.3 cm) (Board size 52.5 x 37.0 cm). Volume I (1796): 91 pp.; Volume II (1801): v, 45, [iv] pp.; Appendix I-III [1804-1809]: pp. 47-53, [iv]; and 91 [46; 42; 3] finely engraved and mostly hand-coloured plates on 87 sheets (first plate 31 and 46, and three Appendix plates intentionally uncoloured). Contemporary blind-tooled half calf over marbled boards. Spine with rich gilt bands and morocco label with gilt title.

€18,500.00

A unique copy with both the French and Spanish texts

Sagra, R. de la

Album d'oiseaux de Cuba réunis pendant le voyage de M. Ramon De La Sagra. Dédié à S. M. la Reine Isabelle II. Album de Aves Cubanas, reunidas durante el viage de D. Ramon De La Sagra. Dedicado a S. M. Doña Isabel II.

Paris, Maulde et/y Renou, 1842-1843. Folio (38.8 x 26.6 cm). French half-title, title page (dated 1843) with engraved vignette, pp. 5-16; idem in Spanish (title dated 1842), pp. 5-15. 33 fine hand-coloured engraved plates (I-XXXII, XIXbis). Twentieth-century half calf over cloth boards, five raised bands, gilt ornaments and title on spine.

€14,500.00

Schlegel's rarest work - of great beauty and importance

Schlegel, H.

Abbildungen neuer oder unvollständig bekannter Amphibien, nach der natur oder dem Leben entworfen, herausgegeben und mit einem erläuterenden Texte begleitet. [Atlas].

Düsseldorf, Arnz & Co., 1837-1844. Folio (36.5 x 27.1 cm). Engraved title page; 50 finely lithographed plates of which 49 beautifully hand-coloured and (often) heightened with gum arabic, and one plain, as intended. Contemporary style full blue calf. Spine with five raised, gilt-ornamented bands; compartments with gilt floral vignettes and title. Boards with triple-gilt borders, floral corner pieces, gilt dentelles. Marbled endpapers. All edges gilt.

€12,500.00

The second, better-illustrated edition in a beautiful, contemporary binding

Schott, G.

Physica curiosa sive mirabilia naturae et artis libris XII comprehensa, quibus pleraq[ue] quae de angelis, daemonibus, hominibus, spectris, energumenis, monstris, portentis, animalibus, meteoris.

Herbipoli (Würzburg), Johann André Endter & Wolfgang Endter junior, 1667. Thick 4to (20.6 x 16.8 cm) [21.6 x 19.5 x 9.8 cm]. Half-title, engraved title by I. Sandrart, letterpress title page in red and black, verso with engraved coat of arms ‘Honi soit qui mal y pense’. 1460 ([l], 1389 [xxi]) pp.; 61 engraved plates, numbered I-LVIII; A-C, of which six larger, double-folded. Contemporary, extensively blind-tooled pigskin boards. Spine with four raised bands. Boards with bevelled edges and with two leather straps and brass clasps. Edges blue.

€6,800.00

Finches in Zwijndrecht

Schouman, A.

European canary, finch, European goldfinch. [Original watercolour painting].

€2,750.00

The ultimate illustrations of brilliant Neotropical birds

Sclater, P. L.

A monograph of the jacamars and puff-birds, or families Galbulidae and Bucconidae.

London, the author, 1879-1882. Folio (32.3 x 25.5 cm). lii, [i], 171 pp.; 55 lithographed and finely hand-coloured plates, 13 groups of steel engravings in the text, showing taxonomically important parts, including heads, bills, etc. Contemporary red half morocco over gilt-bordered, red pebbled cloth. Spine with five raised, gilt-stippled bands. Compartments with gilt floral vignettes, title and date. Marbled endpapers. Top edge gilt. Original printed [and dated] wrappers, of all seven instalments, bound in rear.

€9,500.00

Some of the most breathtaking pochoirs ever published

Séguy, E. A.

Prismes. 40 planches de dessins et coloris nouveaux.

€3,500.00

The complete work, with nearly each specimen drawn after living or recently dead animals

Smith, A.

Illustrations of the zoology of South Africa; consisting chiefly of figures and descriptions of the objects of natural history collected during an expedition into the interior of South Africa, in the years 1834, 1835, and 1836; fitted out by "The Cape of Good Hope Association for Exploring Central Africa". Published under the authority of the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury. Mammalia. Aves. Reptilia. Pisces. Invertebratae. [Complete].

London, Smith, Elder and Co., [1838]-1849. Five volumes in five. Large 4to (31.6 x 26.6 cm). Reptilia: (ii [index], 28 [appendix] pp., errata leaf; 78 plates (75 plates hand-coloured, plates 30, 42, and 48 plain as intended); Mammalia: vii pp. (including index); 52 plates (numbered I-XVII, XIX-XXXVI, XXXVIII-LIII, VIIIbis); 48 hand-coloured, four (8bis, 15, 21, 25, plain, as intended); plates 18 and 37 not published - see Mammalia index list); Pisces: [i] p. (index); 31 hand-coloured plates; Aves: [ii] pp.; 114 hand-coloured plates; Invertebratae: [ii], 75 pp.; four hand-coloured plates, making a total of 279 plates (272 hand-coloured) most by and after George H. Ford, and all with descriptive text on unnumbered leaves. Uniform publisher's green blind-stamped cloth with floral pattern on the boards and gilt title on the spines. Brown endpapers.

€16,500.00

A rara avis in ornithology

Swagers, E.

Collection complète des oiseaux d'Europe, dessinés et coloriés d'après nature.

€12,000.00

Very unusual and important

Trattinnick, L.

Fungi austriaci delectu singulari iconibus XL observationibusque illustrati. Editio nova. Oesterreichs Schwämme in einer Auswahl durch vierzig Abbildungen und Beobachtungen beleuchtet. Neue Ausgabe.

€2,250.00

Volbracht: "sehr selten"

Trog, J. G.

Die essbaren, verdächtigen & giftigen Schwaemme der Schweiz.

€4,500.00

The first English edition of a stunningly bound and illustrated book

Werner, C. F.

Nile-sketches painted from nature during his travels through Egypt.

Wandsbeck near Hamburg, Gustav W. Seitz; London, Hildesheimer & Faulkner, [1870-1878]. Folio (37.4 x 29.1 cm). Frontispiece map in red and black; title in red and black; 71 pp.; 24 chromolithographed page-sized views, each with a printed tissue-guard. Publisher's very rich gilt polychrome, decorative cloth. Gilt title on the spine and front board. Pictorial endpapers. All edges gilt. In protective transparent (Mylar) sleeve.

€3,600.00