Rare books from Antic Hay Books

IBANEZ, Vicente Blasco. THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE APOCALYPSE. (Los Cuatro Jinetes Del Apocalipsis). Translated From The Spanish of Vicente Blasco Ibanez. Authorized Translation by Charlotte Brewster Jordan. NY: E.P. Dutton & Co., 1919. 8vo., maroon fine-grained morocco leather and cloth, top edge gilt. Author's Edition. Signed presentation from Ibanez on half-title page: "To my friend Mr. Ross Watt Lynn of New York, sincerely yours Vicente Blasco Ibanez. Menton, 1925." The author's most famous book and, at the time of its publication, this title was the world's record-breaker for book sales. A scarce book to locate when signed by the author. Very Good (little rubbing). $3500.00.

D. Appleton and Company, 1881. HARRIS, Joel Chandler. UNCLE REMUS: HIS SONGS AND SAYINGS, THE FOLK-LORE OF THE OLD PLANTATION. With Illustrations By Fredrick S. Church and James H. Moser. NY: D. Appleton and Company, 1881 (copyright date is 1880). Small octavo (5 by 8 inches), hardcover brown cloth stamped in gilt and black on the spine and front cover; 231 pages plus advertisements. First Edition, first issue, with "presumptive" mis-spelled at the bottom of page 9 and without this title listed in the rear advertisements (first title listed is "Tale On The Practice Of Medicine"). [BAL 7100; brown binding]. The classic tales by Harris that launched the characters and stories of Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox. While copies of the first issue are not terribly uncommon- really nice copies are!! This is a terrific copy with gilt bright and very minor wear covers; all hinges are absolutely tight and uncracked with signatures all tight and unsprung. A perfect copy for the finicky collector! With the personal… Read More

1960. UPDIKE, John. RABBIT, RUN. NY: Knopf, 1960. 8vo., cloth & boards in dust jacket. First Edition- only 10,000 copies were printed. This copy in the earliest dust jacket with the unattributed, 16-line blurb on the front flap of the dust jacket. Signed twice by Updike, once on the front endpaper and again on the title page. One of Updike's most successful books- his second novel- and the first to introduce his most famous character, Rabbit Angstrom. Fine; very minor wear (few short tears) d/j. Enclosed in a custom-designed, black leather and cloth clam-shell box, with a three-dimensional basketball on the spine and a replication of the colorful design of the dust jacket on the front cover. A great presentation of a great book! $4500.00.

1967. LAW, Denis. THE GOLDEN BOOTS. [London]: Pelham Books, [1967]. 12mo., light-purple cloth in dust jacket. First Edition. Signed presentation from Law on the title page, to Brian. A very scarce novel about football [soccer] by the former Manchester United player. Law was voted the European Footballer Of The Year in 1964 and inducted into the English Football Hall Of Fame in 2002. Very Good (bright, Brian Green's name & address on the front endpaper in small script); little edgewear (minor soil & several short tears) d/j. Scarce! $350.00.

1965. CAPOTE, Truman. IN COLD BLOOD. A True Account Of A Multiple Murder And Its Consequences. NY: Random House, [1965]. 8vo., maroon cloth in dust jacket. First Trade Edition, top-edge stained, in the earliest dust jacket- with "1/66" on the front flap and with "Publishers Of The American College Dictionary And The Modern Library" at the bottom of the rear flap. With an interesting signed presentation from Capote on the half-title page: "For Peter Bell with all good wishes, Truman Capote." What makes this presentation interesting is that Peter Bell was one of the protagonists in Capote's earliest book "Summer Crossing." Capote began writing the novel in 1944, when he was 19 years old. A draft of the novel was later discovered in a basement apartment in Brooklyn after Capote left it behind. It was not dicovered or published until about 2004. Peter Bell is a sexually ambiguous, preppy friend of the main protagonist in the novel. Was there a "real"… Read More

1964. WESTHEIMER, David. VON RYAN'S EXPRESS. [No place]: Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation, 1963. Folio: punch-bound pages. Original First Draft Screenplay (dated July 18, 1963) for the 1965 movie, starring Frank Sinatra and Trevor Howard. Based of Westheimer's novel, the screenplay is co-written by Westheimer and Saul David. This particular screenplay belonged to Westheimer with "Property of David Westheimer. Please Return" (apparently in his hand) written on the front cover and additionally signed by Westheimer on the title page. Good (edges worn with short tears & small chips, little chipping spine). A fragile item! Enclosed in a custom-designed, leather and cloth clam-shell box, with a gilt-worked spine and "Von Ryan's Express" in relief on the front cover. A one-of-a-kind item! $1500.00.

1915. MAUGHAM, W. Somerset. OF HUMAN BONDAGE. London: William Heinemann, [1915]. Small 8vo., blue-green cloth, stamped in gilt. First English Edition. Signed presentation from Maugham on front black page: "For Ingle Barr, This is a novel, not an autobiography, though much in it is autobiographical, more is pure invention. W. Somerset Maugham. 28 August, 1957." With Barr's personal bookplate on the front pastedown and with the original shipping address laid in. One of Maugham's most famous works and basis for three movie adaptations. Enclosed in a custom-made slipcase. $7000.00.

1957. BRAINE, John. ROOM AT THE TOP. London: Eyre and Spottiswoode, 1957. Small 8vo., green cloth in dust jacket. First English Edition. Signed presentation from Braine on the front endpaper: "John Braine. With my best wishes to Harold Downs." Downs is a teacher whose students spotted a grammatical error in the text. With a typed letter signed from Braine to Downs laid in: "It is very flattering to have one's work discussed- I should have dearly loved to have listened in- though rather frightening. For, no matter how much care one takes, errors creep in. Often I've spotted errors in others work myself, and each time have vowed that I would never be so careless. Alas, I have sinned. Not once, but several times. Some of the errors have been corrected in later editions; but I didn't even know about this one. Your students are right; it should be SELLER's.... Congratulations to your students on being so hawk-eyed; but if any of them write a novel, warn them that I shall go… Read More

1962. GRASS, Gunter. THE TIN DRUM. Translated from the German by Ralph Manheim. NY: Pantheon, [1962]. 8vo., cloth in dust jacket. First American Edition. Author's first novel. Signed by Grass on the half-title page. While copies of the American first edition are common, signed copies are quite scarce. One of the most highly acclaimed novels of post-war Germany. Grass was awarded the 1999 Nobel Prize for Literature and "The Tin Drum" was filmed in 1979 and won an Academy Award for best foreign film. Near fine (minor wear); price-clipped (few very tiny chips & short tears) d/j. Enclosed in a custom-made, clam-shall box with leather onlays reproducing the image on the dust jacket. Quite stunning & uncommon. $3,500.00.

1955. WIBBERLEY, Leonard. THE MOUSE THAT ROARED. Boston: Little, Brown, [1955]. 8vo., cloth & boards in dust jacket. First Edition. Signed presentation from Wibberley on the front endpaper: "To Armand Feichtmeir, with all good wishes. Sincerely, Leonard Wibberley." Basis for the 1959 film adaptation with Peter Sellers portraying three different characters. Near fine; moderate edgewear (few light creases & minor soil) d/j. Enclosed in a custom-made leather & cloth clam-shell box, with tooled spine and a portrayal of a mouse roaring with gold coming out of his mouth on the front cover. Unusual & unique! $1750.00.

HOLMES, Oliver Wendell. THE AUTOCRAT OF THE BREAKFAST-TABLE. Boston: Phillips, Sampson & Co., 1859. 8vo., embossed terra-cotta cloth, all edges gilt. First Edition, first issue, large paper issue. [BAL State A, with the illustrations present]. Signed presentation from Holmes on the front endpaper, to his close friend and Harvard classmate Benjamin Robbins Curtis: "B.R. Curtis/ from his friend and classmate/ O.W. Holmes." Curtis, who went on to the U.S. Supreme Court, is best known for his dissenting opinion in the infamous Dred Scott Case, a case which eventually led to his resignation from the nation's high court. A wonderful association copy! Near fine. Enclosed in a custom-made, leather and cloth clam-shell box, with a gilt-worked spine. $4500.00.

Dodd Mead & Company, 1902. DUNBAR, Paul Laurence. LYRICS OF LOWLY LIFE. With an Introduction by William Dean Howells. NY: Dodd Mead & Company, 1904. Hardcover (4.5 by 7 inches), slate-colored cloth stamped in gilt, top edge gilt, 208 pages. Later Edition with 1904 on the title page. Signed by Dunbar on the front endpaper: "Sincerely yours, Paul Laurence Dunbar. February- '05." Very Good (minor wear covers with gilt still quite bright, two extremely faint stains front cover; contents clean & tight). A nice copy & signed by this influential African-American poet. $2,500.00.

1879. CAMPBELL, Robert Allen. PHILOSOPHIC CHIROMANCY. MYSTERIES OF THE HAND REVEALED AND EXPLAINED. Illustrated. Saint Louis: J.W. Campbell & Co., 1879. 12mo., green cloth, stamped in gilt with title & large hand on the front cover; 293 pages. First Edition. A very rare book on palmistry by an author who was a favorite among the Illuminati and Freemasons. Campbell's works are referenced in various Illuminati and occultist studies, particularly his book "Phallic Worship," published in 1887- a study of the phallic idea on religious creeds, ceremonies, customs and symbolisms. Another one of his popular books among the Illuminati is "Our Flag: The Evolution of the Stars And Stripes"- citing the mysterious origins of our nation's first flag. Campbell was involved in the founding of the Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor and made many contributions to the Materialistic School of Palmistry, while dismissing Astral Theory Palmistry. A rare title! Signed presentation from… Read More

Slemin & Higgins, 1880. TWAIN, Mark. [Samuel Langhorne Clemens]. SKETCHES. [Toronto, Canada]: Slemin & Higgins, 1880. 12mo., terra-cotta cloth, with cover & spine titles stamped in gilt; 319 pages. First Canadian Edition. "Now First Published In Complete Form." [BAL 3624]. This particular title was also issued under the Belfords, Clarke & Company imprint in the same year. Contains previous material from the American edition except for "The Recent French Duel" and "The Great Revolution In Pitcairn"- the first two stories listed on the contents page. Possibly a pirated edition? Signed inscription by Twain in ink on the title page: "Very truly yours, Mark Twain." Very Good (gilt on cover & spine bright with minor rippling to cloth on rear cover; hinges & text nice & tight; little foxing to fore-edge & text- heavier on the top edge; ink name "E.C. Eustis, 2333 Garden St., Santa Barbara" on the front endpaper, which has a… Read More

1868. IRVING, Washington. [As Geoffrey Crayon]. SKETCH BOOK OF GEOFFREY CRAYON, GENT..Illustrated With One Hundred And Twenty Engravings On Wood, From Original Designs. NY: G.P. Putnam & Sons, 1868. Small quarto: black full-morocco leather, extensively stamped in gilt around the borders of the front & rear covers and on the spine; all edges gilt; gilt-tooled inner dentelles; marbled endpapers; 504 pages. Artist's Edition (so noted on the title page). A handsome and sumptuous volume and also a gift from the publisher. Signed presentation from George Palmer Putnam, the publisher, on a front blank page: "Madame Bossange, With G. P. Putnam's best regards. N. York, Apl. 14, 1869. Specimen of our printing & engraving." Madame Bossange may have been the wife of Paris-based publisher Gustave Bossange. Putnam published many books by classic American authors, including those of his friend Washington Irving. He was one of the leading publishers of art books in his day- of which… Read More