Manuscripts and Letters
76 items found
Escher, M. C.
Escher Adventures in Perception. [With handwritten letter by Maurits Escher to Han van Gelder, who produced an Oscar-nominated film about the artist and his work].
Laren, the artist, 1970. Handwritten letter in black pen, dated "Laren, 27-XII-'70", written on a folded postcard featuring Escher's "Cycle", produced in 1970 by The Vorpal Galleries in San Francisco, CA.
Read moreMertens, R.
[Original manuscript on the variability of the striped kukri snake, Oligodon octolineatus (Schneider)].
[Frankfurt am Main, 1969]. Handwritten in ink on rectos of 23 uniform, loose, ruled leaves (20.8 x 14.8 cm), a photocopy of a single leaf of G. A. Boulenger's Catalogue of the snakes in the British Museum, volume II (1894) with a few annotations by Mertens; and another 14 leaves of several sizes, a few with printed text.
Read moreTollmann, A.
Das Neogen am Südwestrand des Leithagebirges zwischen Eisenstadt und Hornstein. Dissertation zur Erlangung des Doktorgrades an der Philosophischen Fakultät der Universität Wien.
Wien, [not published], 1953. Small folio (29.8 x 21.0 cm). 226 pp.; 28 text figures (tipped in), three large folded maps (one hand-coloured), five folded tables and graphs. Black half cloth. Hand-written label on the spine.
Read moreVuijk, J.
[Original orchid drawings and descriptions]
Amsterdam, [unpublished], ca. 1950-1975. A huge collection of more than a thousand sketches, drawings (b/w line drawings in pencil or ink, and in [full] colour) of wild orchids, with additional annotations - in Dutch, with Latin names. On 376 leaves, including 41 partially or (near) completely in original watercolours. Preserved in contemporary folders, titled by the author.
Read more[Ant, H.]
Manuscript based on Staudinger's printed list of Palaearctic Lepidoptera.
Not published, no date [but after 1936; probably ca. 1950]. Large 8vo (24.0 x 16.1 cm). 161 ruled pages with mounted strips with printed text. Mid-20th century black blind cloth over marbled boards.
Read moreMacInnes, D.G.
A study of fossil Mammalia from East Africa [original manuscript].
Unpublished [n.d., but ca 1938.] 4to (26.0 x 20.4 cm). Original typed manuscript with 336 pp.; 143 original photographs in various sizes, and some original drawn maps. Full contemporary dark blue cloth with gilt title on spine.
Read moreCapitani, F. di
Francesco di Capitani. [Manuscript design examples].
Roma, di Capitani, [ca. 1935]. Large, oblong cardboard binder with two metal pins. Folio (36.5 x 53.5 cm). 64 leaves with original drawings, of which 61 in full colour (crayon). Black morocco boards with embossed title and patterned pastedowns. Stiff brown endpapers.
Read moreReineck, A.
Anglertagebuch. Meine Erlebnisse am Wasser.
[Frankfurt am Main, unpublished, 1930-1933]. Oblong folio (20.5 x 26.4 cm). "Frontispiece" self-portrait of the author in pencil and watercolour; 40 pp. with handwritten text [in German] and numerous illustrations in pencil or ink, a cut-out ink drawing by the author mounted on the rear board. Bound in gilt-green-black pochoir "camouflage" boards. In a custom-made marbled slipcase (27.3 x 22.4 x 1.9 cm), with a photocopy of the latter drawing mounted on the front board.
Read moreLloyd, T.
Trevor Lloyd's sketchbooks of New Zealand.
New Zealand, ca. 1925. In two volumes. Folio (35 x 25 cm, and 36 x 33 cm). The first of white paper, with his name handwritten on the second leaf, and (68 groups of) illustrations, mostly on leaf rectos only, a few using both sides of a leaf. The second, largest, of brown paper, with his name written on the front cover. Inserted: one sheet of trace paper with pencil drawing, and 24 leaves with colour pencil sketches of New Zealand landscapes, and people.
Read more[Cars]
Large original watercolour illustration of a 1920's luxury model.
[No place, no publisher, ca. 1925-1930]. Large, oblong sheet (61.6 x 22.7 cm) with watercolour (partly paint-brushed) illustration of a ca. 1925 luxury car; mounted on another contemporary card board (same size).
Read moreRaspail, X.
Les procédés de Pasteur. Jugés en 1882 par l'éminent chemiste Duclaux, nommé en 1895, directeur de l'institut Pasteur, fonction qu'il a occupée jusqu'à sa mort, en 1904 [AND] Le centenaire de Pasteur, a servi, pendant 18 mois, à lui édifier une apothéose mondiale, par une accumulation journalière, dans la presse française, de faux scientifiques et de mensognes scandaleux.
Gouvieuz, [the author?], 1924. Small 8vo (17.3 x 11.0 cm). 20 pp. Original printed wrappers.
Read moreCorrevon, [L.] H.
Fleurs des champs et des bois. [Dedication copy with author's typed letter, signed]
Neuchatel, Deleachaux & Niestlé, [1922]. 8vo (20.5 x 14.8 cm). 260 pp.; 75 coloured plates after watercolours by Ms S. Rivier. Original pictorial boards with colourful floral endpapers.
Read moreCoupin, H. [E. V.]
Album général des cryptogames. Avec la collaboration de M[ademois]elle Fernande Coupin. Algae. [Complete].
Paris, E. Orlhac, [1911-1912]. 4to (27.5 x 18.6 cm). 394 plates with explanatory text leaves, title pages and indexes. Contemporary half calf over marbled boards. Spine with five raised bands and gilt title. Marbled endpapers.
Read more[Carriages]
Two fine, original drawings of carriages.
No place, no publisher, 1906-1907. Two oblong drawings: one in thin ink lines with fine gouache colouring, over 15.0 x 23.0 cm, in oblong cardboard frame (30.5 x 23.5 cm); the other in sharp pencil, and with an overlaying, smaller board with the carriage top (over 16.2 x 24.7 cm) in oblong cardboard frame (32.1 x 43.4 cm).
Read more[Original drawings]
Mongolian horsemen with falcons, cats and rabbits. [Eight original paintings on silk].
Mongolia, mid to late 19th - early 20th century. Oblong (27 x 35 cm). Eight paintings on silk, each mounted on large, iridescent silk sheets, and framed behind glass. Early to mid-20th century black varnished, bevelled wooden frames, each measuring 38.0 x 47.5 cm.
Read moreSeder, A.
Das Thier in der decorativen Kunst. I. Serie. Die Wasserthiere [AND] II. Serie. Vögel. [Complete]. Together with two amazing original watercolours (of plates 21 and 25) drawn by the artist himself.
Wien, Gerlach & Schenk, 1896. Two large folio portfolios (57.9 x 44.3 cm) with one page of text, one illustrated title page and 29 stunning chromolithographed plates showing animals in a fabulous Art Nouveau style. Each original quarter linen portfolios has an impressive dragon on front, with the title artistically arranged around it [AND] Two original watercolours by Seder, being the originals examples for plates 21 and 25.
Read more[Pattern book]
Musterbuch für Stahldruck.
Unpublished [n.d., but ca. 1890]. Folio (32.5 x 21.0 cm). Ca. 150 leaves with over 2,500 finely hand-coloured decorative transfers in Art Nouveau and romantic styles. Black blind half calf over black boards. Front board with original, neatly handwritten label.
Read more[Trade Catalogue]
Walking stick knobs and handles. [Original drawings]
France, unpublished, ca. 1880-1900. Folio (39.0 x 28.0 cm). 151 cards, each with one to four individual pencil or ink designs, mounted on 52 stiff paper leaves. Dark green limp cloth. Spine with blind-stamped rectangular compartments, central floral vignettes and title; front board with gilt and black ornamental border, rear board with large, black intricate, oriental vignette.
Read moreSand, M.
Manuscript of: Catalogue raisonné des lépidoptères du Berry & de l'Auvergne ( Cher, Indre, Creuse, Puy-de-Dôme, Cantal) ( France centrale) Deuxième Partie - Microlepidoptera.
Paris, E. Deyrolle [published edition], 1871-[shortly before] 1879. 4to (22.1 x 14.6 cm). [179] pp., followed by ca. 100 blanks. Original green half sheep over marbled boards. Printed label on front board. [AND] 12 pages of manuscript text pertaining to this work and in particular the preface. In a contemporary envelope [AND]. A signed letter (draft?) 92 pp. (folded), by the author on paper with his blind-stamp, directed to one of his correspondents.
Read moreLacaze-Duthiers, [F. J.] H. de
Three important, published works by Henri Lacaze-Duthiers, including a collection of proof copies and handwritten notes and corrections to one of them.
Paris, 1877-1885. Various sizes. 468 pp. [160, 220, 88]; 28 [8; 14; 6] lithographed plates, of which 22 hand-coloured. Preserved in a burgundy cloth covered clamshell box (30.4 x 25.2 x 9.2 cm) with printed label.
Read moreLeuba, [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.
Read moreVaillant, L. [L.] and M. [F.] Bocourt
Mission scientifique au Mexique et dans l'Amérique Centrale. Recherches zoologiques pour servir à l'histoire de la faune d'Amérique Centrale et du Mexique. Poissons.
Paris, Mission du Mexique et dans l'Amérique Centrale, 1874-[1915]. Large 4to (35.5 x 27.5 cm). Title to the Zoology section, title to part IV, half title to the ichthyology, [i ("avis"), 265 pp.; 31 plates, numbered 1-16, 1bis, 1ter, 5bis, 5ter, 5quat, 8bis, 9bis, 10bis, 10ter, 11quint (error for 10quint?), 11bis, 11ter, 11quat, 13bis, 13ter; all with original descriptive text leaves, of which 26 in fine chromolithography with additional hand-colouring; plates 1bis, and 1ter tinted, and plates 9bis, 10ter, and 10quint plain, as always. Printed wrappers to part IV, dated 1874, bound in. Contemporary half morocco over marbled boards. Spine with five raised bands, and gilt title. Marbled endpapers. Top edge gilt.
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