Rare books from James Cummins Bookseller

London: Grant Richards, 1898. First edition. Photogravure portrait frontispiece. 2 vols. 8vo. Original green cloth, t.e.g. Minor soiling, else very good, in a green quarter morocco slipcase with chemise. First edition. Photogravure portrait frontispiece. 2 vols. 8vo. Presentation Copy. PRESENTATION COPY, INSCRIBED on the half-title: "Inscribed for James Wells / G. Bernard Shaw / London 10th January 1929." JC-NY/BL

1829. Signed Aug. Edouart fecit and dated 1829 lower left. 11 x 7-1/4 inches. Matted. Signed Aug. Edouart fecit and dated 1829 lower left. 11 x 7-1/4 inches. Augustin Amant Edouart was a French-born portrait artist who began making silhoutte portraits in London in 1825. In 1829 he moved to Edinburgh, where he worked for three years before traveling in the United States and then moving back to France. Edouart's silhouttes, cut out from black paper by hand, are held by collections such as the National Portrait Gallery in London, the National Galleries of Scotland, and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. His work has been included in several leading exhibitions on silhouettes as an art form. This fine example of Edouart's work shows a man in a top hat carrying a thin straight cane, followed by a small dog with short legs. The workmanship gives a sense of motion, and the glint of white at the man's collar is striking in an otherwise near-solid figure. Provenance: Kennedy Galleries, Inc., New York

[Ethiopia, late 19th century]. 2 [blank], 67 ff. Lettered in Ge'ez in black and red in double columns of twenty-one lines, two ornamental headings. 1 vols. 8 x 10 inches. Hide backed wooden boards. Upper board split in half, joined with old cord repair. Occasional irregularities in skins, lower corners thumbed with some soiling. 2 [blank], 67 ff. Lettered in Ge'ez in black and red in double columns of twenty-one lines, two ornamental headings. 1 vols. 8 x 10 inches. A representative manuscript collection of miracles, including a selection of miracles of the Virgin Mary, and miracles of the saints George, Gabra Manfas Qeddus, and the archangel Michael; the sections record several names of those commissioning the manuscript, Walda Śellāsē, Ḫāyla Śellāsē, and Walda Tenśā'ē. The last gathering of ten leaves appears of slightly later production (20th century?).

London: Longmans, Green and Co, 1934. First edition and an Advance Proof Copy. 2 vols. 8vo. The former in publisher's brown cloth, the latter in original printed wrappers, announcing publication for "Fall of 1934". The one a very good copy in dust jacket with a few internal cellotape repairs; the other fine, immaculate and crisp. The two housed in a custom quarter morocco slipcase. First edition and an Advance Proof Copy. 2 vols. 8vo. Inscribed Four Times. A marvellous pair of Stone's now-classic novel based on the life of Vincent van Gogh. Each volume is inscribed twice by Stone to Baltimore collector A.B. Hanson, Jr: the first, inscribed at Hanson's request in 1937 ("with the friendliest of feelings, to A.B. Hanson, Jr. of Baltimore, by Irving Stone, Hollywood, Feb. 23, 1937"), and with a letter to Hanson from Stone agreeing to autograph the book tipped in; then later: "Dear Hansons: My heartfelt thanks for your many kindnesses during my stay in Baltimore. You are even nicer than we had dared to… Read More

[Indianapolis]: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, 1912. First edition. Decorations by E. Stetson Crawford. 1 vols. 4to. Bound in original blind embossed brown cloth, near fine, in dustjacket with Coles Phillips design from full page image in text, edgeworn with piece from top corner of front panel and small chips to spine ends. First edition. Decorations by E. Stetson Crawford. 1 vols. 4to. In Dust Jacket. This book features Coles' famous "fadeaway girl": a figure whose clothing matched, and disappeared into, the background.

London: The Author, 1901. First Editions. With 8 plates of hand-colored flies in the first title. 2 vols. 4to. Original purple cloth over bevelled boards. Some spotting to upper covers of first volume, else fine; second volume fine. Black quarter morocco folding box. First Editions. With 8 plates of hand-colored flies in the first title. 2 vols. 4to. Hampton's Angling Bibliography p. 171; Bibliotheca Salmo Salar 47

Ny, 1905. 12mo. Some browning at edges. 12mo.

19th century. 14-1/2 x 10 inches. Matted. 14-1/2 x 10 inches.

Lutetiae Parisiorum [i.e., Paris]: E Typographia Renati Giffart, 1620. Title-page printed in red and black, with large engraved vignette by Jaspar issac. Printed in red and black throughout, illustrated with full-page engravings, engraved borders, woodcut initial capitals in red, and printed music. 1 vols. Folio. Early calf, nineteenth century marbled endpapers. Covers much worn, joints cracked, spine perished. Defective copy, lacking numerous leaves, but with 17 iinserted leave printed on velllum, including the entire "Canon Missae" (8 leaves). Title-page printed in red and black, with large engraved vignette by Jaspar issac. Printed in red and black throughout, illustrated with full-page engravings, engraved borders, woodcut initial capitals in red, and printed music. 1 vols. Folio. Bbl-7,Cc,DD7-EE6, &HH7-II2 are printed on parchment. OCLC: 633338957 (1 copy)

Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1968. First edition. With numerous full-color plates (some double-spread) of Wyeth's paintings. 1 vols. Oblong folio. Original tan cloth with brown cloth spine, dust jacket. Light soiling to boards, but about fine in near fine jacket with minor rubbing at extremities. Wyeth, Andrew. First edition. With numerous full-color plates (some double-spread) of Wyeth's paintings. 1 vols. Oblong folio. Inscribed Copy to Lincoln Kirstein. INSCRIBED by the artist to Lincoln Kirstein on the half-title: "To Lincoln & Fido / Betsy & Andy." Kirstein, who was on the board of MoMA, met Andrew Wyeth after the museum acquired CHRISTINA'S WORLD in 1948. Wyeth was still largely unknown at that time, and he quickly came to rely on Kirstein for support and honest criticism of his work. "Kirstein appointed himself Wyeth's friend, admirer, mentor, and stern critic - in essence a supersuccessor to NC. [...] Wyeth thinks that in the 1950s he needed Kirstein to push him toward more form in his work,… Read More

New York, 1897. Thick pen and ink with some wash, on illustration board. Signed by the artist lower right. Most measure roughly 419 x 279 mm. (16-1/2 x 11 inches). Some toning, heavier along bottom margins, a few occasional scuffs and areas of touch-ups. Thick pen and ink with some wash, on illustration board. Signed by the artist lower right. Most measure roughly 419 x 279 mm. (16-1/2 x 11 inches). The work was published in New York by Macmillan in 1897 and contained an Introduction by Hamilton Wright Mabie with all illustrations by Edwards. Illustration or chapter titles penciled in the margin (in the order of the book): "Lullaby of a Lover" * Rosalynd's Madrigal" * "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love" * Ariel's Songs" * "To Althea from Prison.

New York: D. Appleton, 1872. First edition, second issue of Adventures; first edition of Looking-Glass, first issue with "wabe" misspelled. Illustrations by John Tenniel. 2 vols. 8vo. Original red cloth gilt. Adventures expertly rebacked with original spine laid down, Looking Glass lightly rubbed, lower inner hinge tender. Very good plus overall. Housed together in half morocco clamshell box. First edition, second issue of Adventures; first edition of Looking-Glass, first issue with "wabe" misspelled. Illustrations by John Tenniel. 2 vols. 8vo. The Immortal Alice. An attractive set of the Alice books, with Alice's Adventures in Wonderland in the first printing, second issue, comprising the sheets of the original London printing of 1865 sent to America with new title pages bearing the Appleton imprint. This printing had been rejected by Dodgson because illustrator John Tenniel strongly disliked the way the illustrations were printed, but it is the earliest obtainable edition (only about 15 copies are… Read More

Urbana, [Illinois]: The University of Illinois Press, 1949. First Edition. [8], [1]-117pp. 1 vols. 8vo. Original plum cloth with silver spine lettering, some bumping to lower corners and slight rubbing to head and foot of spine, ownership stamp of Arthur Taub to front pastedown. Printed dust jacket with tissue repairs to spine, back flap, and top edge. First Edition. [8], [1]-117pp. 1 vols. 8vo. Scarce in Jacket. The first hardcover edition of Shannon's most important work. It reprints "the Mathematical Theory of Communication" by Claude Shannon, first published in the Bell System Technical Journal in 1948, with minor corrections and additional references. Also includes "Recent Contributions to the Mathematical Theory of Communication" by Warren Weaver of the Rockefeller Foundation, first published in this form (a condensed version was published in Scientific American July 1949). (Origins of Cyberspace 881). " At a stroke [Shannon] transformed the understanding of the process of electronic… Read More

[New York]: Harper & Brothers, 1946. First edition. [28]pages. The box (measuring circa 3 3/4 by 5 1/4 inches). Slight offset tanning on first and last leaves (from the fur), rabbit fur slightly rubbed at tips of two corners, else a very good copy in original publisher's lidded, pictorial box. The box (measuring circa 3 3/4 by 5 1/4 inches), with die-cut hole on top lid [as issued, to allowing the fur to show through] is moderately tanned and soiled, short bumped tear at one corner (archivally mended), else very good. First edition. [28]pages. The box (measuring circa 3 3/4 by 5 1/4 inches). FIRST EDITION IN ORIGINAL FUR BINDING AND PICTORIAL BOX.

[Washington, D.C.: Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, 1936. First edition, first(?) issue without rubber stamp on front cover. Illustrated. 16 pp. 1 vols. 8vo. Pictorial self wrappers, cover design "Ethiopia Appeals for Justice by James Lesense Wells. Fine. First edition, first(?) issue without rubber stamp on front cover. Illustrated. 16 pp. 1 vols. 8vo. First edition, issue without the publisher's statement in rubberstamp on lower front cover: "The pamphlets for 1937 are exhausted. This copy of 1936 has most of the same thought and suggestions." Front cover with a large wood or lino cut entitled, "Ethiopia Appeals for Justice," by African-American artist James Lesesne Wells. Negro History Week was started by Dr. Carter G. Woodson in 1926. He also founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, and Associated Publishers in 1924. James Lesesne Wells was active during the Harlem Renaissance. He provided illustrations for "The Crisis" and "Opportunity" and taught… Read More