Manuscripts and Letters
79 items found
[Manetti, F. S]
Storia naturale degli uccelli trattata con metodo e adornata di figure intagliate in rame e miniate al naturale. Ornithologia methodice digesta atque iconibus aeneis ad vivum illuminatis ornate. [Two counterproofs in original water colouring, of Plate 37, Falco albanella torquata, and of Plate 48, Falco vulga barletto.]
[Florence, 1776]. Two single sheets (each 47.1 x 35.8 cm). Hand-coloured and captioned.
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 more[Original drawings]
Mongolian horsemen with falcons, cats and rabbits. [Eight original paintings on silk].
Mongolia, mid to late 19th to 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 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 moreRatzeburg, J. T. C.
Die Waldverderbniss oder dauernder Schade, welcher durch Insektenfrass, Schälen, Schlagen und Verbeissen an lebenden Waldbäumen entsteht. Zugleich ein Ergänzungswerk zu den Abbildung und Beschreibung des schädlichsten Forstinsekten. Zweiter Band. Tanne, Lärche, Laubhölzer, und entomologischer Anhang.
Berlin, Nicolai, 1868. 4to (28.9 x 23.1 cm). xvi, 464 pp.; 26 [numbered 34-51, 41A, 43A, 45A, I-V] engraved plates of which 13 in chromolithography with additional hand-colouring and partly heightened with gum arabic. Original green boards with raised panels with gilt floral ornaments, and gilt borders. Spine with gilt bands and title. Iridescent silk endpapers. All edges gilt.
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 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 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 moreSepp, J. C. [S. C. Snellen Van Vollenhoven]
Proof prints from: Nederlandsche insecten, naar hunne aanmerkelijke huishouding, verwonderlijke gedaantewisseling en andere wetenswaardige bijzonderheden, beschreven en afgebeeld door Jan Christiaan Sepp. Tweede Serie. Eerste - Tweede deel.
Amsterdam, J. C. Sepp & Zoon, 1860-1870. 79 folio sheets (26.5 x 21.3 cm), numbered V-L (first part), and I-XXXIII (second part).
Read moreStainton, H. T.
A Manual of British Butterflies and Moths. Volumes I-II. [Complete].
London, John van Voorst, 1857-1859. Two volumes in two. 8vo (17.7 x 10.5 cm). I (1857): xii, [v; on five leaves], 2, 338 pp.; II (1859): xi 480 pp., [xviii; on 18 leaves], numerous woodcuts. Uniform contemporary half calf over marbled boards, blind-tooled spine with five raised, gilt-bordered and stippled bands, red morocco label with gilt title.
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 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 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.
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.
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