Rare books from Michael R. Thompson, Booksellers, ABAA/ILAB

London: S. Palmer, 1728 First edition. Contemporary full calf ruled in gilt, rebacked with gilt calf spine label. Edges sprinkled red. . Quarto. Engraved title-page vignette, twelve folding engraved plates, plus engraved headbands, tail-pieces, and historiated initials by John Pine after J. Grison. Pine, of course, is known for his wonderful, engraved edition of Horace. With a subscriber's list. Light foxing. Light offsetting from engravings, which are lightly foxed with some having a few small stains. Occasional minor ink and pencil marginalia. Ink initials and red ink stamp on verso of title page. A very good, large copy. "Dr. Pemberton studied under Boerhaave, preparedthe Fifth London Pharmacopoeia and was invited by Newton to edit the third (1726) edition of the Principia. This study of Newton's philosophy is interesting as being the account of a close friend. The preface contains the author's recollections of Newton, especially in his old age. There is also a poem on Sir Isaac by Richard Glover… Read More

[n.p., France: n.d., ca. 1850] Original clothbacked boards. Manuscript on paper, quarto. . [204] pp., densely written in dark brown ink, on faintly lined paper, with numerous carefully drawn illustrations of machinery used in spinning, carding and weaving, together with some weaving patterns. The text illustrations are sometimes heightened in colors, and a few small illustrations are pasted in. In addition, there are some nine onlays of sketches of machinery on india paper. Some light edgewear, additional notes on front pastedown. Very good condition. A fascinating manual of the state of these crafts at the time, with comments on methods of production and the nature of the current industry. Discusses the spinning jenny, the Heilmann cotton combing machine, worsted wool, kinds of bobbins and spindles, etc.

New York: Scribners, 1925 First edition of the book that is generally considered the most outstanding example of the art of Parrish's book illustration. Parrish's biographer, Coy Ludwig states: " the illustrations, printed in rich colors...were the highest quality reproductions that could be had." (Ludwig, p. 48). . Original black with pictorial onlay on front board. . Large quarto. Full and partial-page color illustrations throughout, pictorial endpapers (twenty-six illustrations in all). Light shelfwear, light foxing to first and last few leaves. A very good, bright copy

Brussels: M. Haney, 1846 First edition of "Quetelet's best researches on the application of probability to the physical and social sciences" (Cajori). Original printed wrappers. Affixed to the bottom portion of the front wrappers is a printed slip for the Paris publisher, Jules Renouard, who apparently acquired part of the edition. . Large octavo. Wrappers partially browned, spine split in several places, but a very good copy, in its original state, in a full morocco clamshell slipcase. Quetelet (1796-1874) was a Belgian astronomer, mathematician, statistician and sociologist. He founded and directed the Brussels Observatory. He became interested in the ˙young science of probability and statistics as an astronomer to explain measurement errors, but became one of the first to see its applications to the social sciences. He understood the complexities of social phenomena and became interested in using what he called "social physics" as a tool to explain crime rates, marital rates, suicide rates,… Read More

London: James Fraser, 1837 First edition. Late nineteenth-century polished tan calf. Covers and spine ruled in gilt, top edges gilt, fore- and bottom edges untrimmed. Binding by Bickers & Sons, with their stamp in each volume. Three volumes, octavo. A fine set. Of the three great political upheavals which have altered the face of the world …. only the French Revolution has stimulated literary masterpieces which, in turn, have made their impact, direct and indirect, upon millions of readers … They are Carlyle's book and the History of the French Revolution by Michelet.

New York: Pageant Books, 1961 Full red morocco, signed "Alpha B.B. Co., New York." Blindstamped diamond-shaped decoration on front covers with the initials "J.G." in the center. Spines lettered in gilt, all edges gilt. Marbled endpapers. . Two volumes, large folio. Printed on all-rag paper, the text pages printed in lithography and the illuminated pages—about a hundred in number—in sheet-fed gravure. Back joint of Volume 2 rubbed. Otherwise a fine, clean copy in crimson cloth open-end slipcases. With the bookplate of noted Leonardo da Vinci collector Elmer Belt (1893-1980). A complete facsimile of the Gutenberg Bible. The reproduction derives from the Insel Verlag edition, which was based on the copy in the Königslichen Bibliothek in Berlin and the copy in the Standischen Landesbibliothek in Fulda, considered to be the most beautifully illuminated of the extant copies. The colophon states that at the time of publication there were 47 copies known to exist. According to the Gutenberg Museum, there… Read More

London: Hand and Flower Press, 1949 One of 260 copies printed on handmade paper by the Ditchling Press, Sussex, signed by the author. A charming production. Half brown crushed morocco by Sangorski and Sutcliffe over gray boards. Gilt spine with raised bands. Top edge gilt, others uncut. . Quarto. Title-page engraving by Alfred Richard Lane. With bibliography. A fine copy.

[ Chicago: Powers, Fowler & Lewis, 1896.] The interior of the case includes a large illustrated panel showing a Roman villa. With a double-sided movable scroll on rollers that is visible through two die-cut windows, cut in the illustrated panel: the upper window offers a view on 20 continual chromolithograph plates (each 9" x 7 "); the lower window shows 132 chromolithograph plates (each 4 " x 3"), viewed three across. 60 of the plates visible through the lower window were illustrated by J.C. Leyendecker. Also with two pictorial drop-down flaps (13" x 9"), one serving as the title-page and one showing a map of locations mentioned in the Bible. . Folio case, 17 x 16 x 2 inches. . Includes the explanatory books Pen Pictures from Genesis to Revelations (64 pp.) and Bible Study in Topical Form (63 pp.), plus color maps (4 pp.) of Palestine. [With:]. The Royal Scroll. [Chicago: Powers, Higley & Co., 1902.] Folio case, 17 x 16 x 2 inches. Same design and content as above, but with an updated illustrated… Read More

London: Printed for James Rivington and James Fletcher, 1759 First edition in English of the first history of California, which "gave the English-speaking world its earliest thorough account of the little-known areas of the west coast of North America," (Hill). The original Spanish edition was published in 1757. . Contemporary tree calf neatly rebacked to style preserving the original red and green spine labels. Spine stamped in gilt and with raised bands. Two volumes, octavo. With four engraved plates (including both frontispieces) and a folding map of Baja California. The plates in volume one are "Women of California" and "Men of California" (frontispiece); plus "The Cayote or Fox" and "The Taye or California Deer." The plates in volume two are "The Manner of Curing the Sick in California" and "Sorcerers of California" (frontispiece); plus "The Martyrdom of Father Carranco" and "The Martyrdom of Father Tamaral." Some rubbing to extremities and some light chipping to lower board of volume two.… Read More

Los Angeles: [Printed by Will Cheney at the Press in the Gatehouse,] 1964 First edition. Based on Cheney's usual limitations for similar items, he probably printed around 100 or 150 copies. He printed a second edition in 1968 (Los Angeles Typesticker, 71). The note included in the present item has been written on the blank verso of a stray page (24) from another copy of A Treatise on Pocket Knives; however, the page is printed on a different paper stock than the present item and, in addition, the verso of page 24 in the present item is printed with text. Thus, the note may be written on a proof page.. Original orange-brown printed stiff paper wrappers lettered in black. Sewn with tan cord. Fore-edge untrimmed. With an unsigned note laid in: "This one sewn on cords. Only one in the lot so sewn," in contrast to the white thread used to sew other copies. 3 x 4. With decorative initials and 3 pages of illustrations of different varieties of pocketknives. A fine copy. Some of the knife styles Cheney… Read More

[Washington,D.C.] United States Army Recruiting Publicity Bureau 1945 First edition. Full text as follows: "Women…our wounded need your care! You can serve as medical technicians, surgical technicians, and other Army hospital assignments. Join a hospital company. Other assignments available at Army Air Forces, Ground Forces, and Service Forces installations. Text printed in blue, black, and gray. Some creasing. A very good, bright, and clean copy of this uncommon item encouraging women to serve in Army hospital assignments.. Broadside (17" x 25"). . With full-color printed illustration of a woman medical technician, in uniform, carrying a tray of medical instruments. Also with two medals, printed in bronze, bearing the emblems of the U.S. Army Medical Corps. The Women's Army Corps evolved from the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps, a civilian organization of women working with the United States Army, when Congress granted military status to its members in 1943. Forty percent of WAC members were… Read More

London: Longman & Co., [n.d., 1845?] First edition. Publisher's white glazed paper over boards. Elaborate arabesque pattern with floral designs stamped in gilt, blue, and red, on front cover, back cover ruled in blue with gilt arabesque ornament in center. All edges gilt. Small folio. [27] leaves, printed on heavy card stock, including title-page in gilt and colors, printed on one side only; four introductory leaves, printed in Black Letter in red and black, on both sides, and [24] leaves of facsimiles from the Hours of Anne of Brittany, printed on one side only. Rebacked in tan canvas, covers toned and a bit worn. Ink donor's inscription, dated January 27, 1845, on a preliminary blank. Corners worn, a little light foxing. A good to very good copy of a fragile book. Noel Humphreys (1810-1879), master of Victorian illumination, produced several of these calendars in the 1840s, reproducing portions of various French manuscripts. All are scarce, and because of the fragility of the binding, many copies… Read More

New York: Dial Press, 1942/ First edition, presentation copy. Original beige cloth stamped in black. . Octavo. With over a hundred diagrams, drawings, and charts (six full-page). Slight rubbing. Some toning to endpapers, otherwise clean throughout. Inscribed by Lee de Forest to Dr. A.J. Lieberman (February 6, 1957). In the original dust jacket, printed in blue (some chipping to extremities and some toning). A very good, bright copy of this work by the inventor of the foundational technology for the field of electronics. Lee de Forest (1873 – 1961) was an inventor who pioneered broadcasting technology. His dissertation at Yale, "Reflections of Electric Waves of Very High Frequencies at the Ends of Parallel Wires," may have been the earliest American dissertation based on Hertzian waves — an experimental form of what became known as wireless. "De Forest's most important invention came in 1906, when he developed his "Audion," a three-element (triode) vacuum tube detector, on which later development… Read More

Easthampton, Massachusetts: Warwick Press, 1998 One of two hundred copies designed, printed by letterpress, and hand-bound by Carol J. Blinn at Warwick Press. Signed on the colophon by Baskin, Blinn, and Perry Smith, and initialed by Harold McGrath.. Red silk over boards with printed paper labels on front cover and spine. Red endpapers. . 5 in. x 7 in. . With eight wood engravings by Leonard Baskin, printed from the original blocks on Basingwerk paper, and an original Smith Glass & Mirror Co. framing label printed by Harold McGrath, Baskin's printer at the Gehenna Press. Letterpress printed in Monotype Spectrum on Biblio paper. A fine copy with the prospectus and a Warwick Press business card laid in. From the preface: "Smitty's Cock showcases eight unique and rare wood engravings by artist Leonard Baskin cut for Smith Glass & Mirror in Northampton, Massachusetts. The blocks were made over a nineteen-year span (1955 – 1974) to the delight of Louis & Sarah Smith for use on printed materials for… Read More

London: W.S. Orr & Co., [1847] First edition. Original paper wrappers chromolithographed in blue and gold. . Sixteenmo. . Folding hand-colored frontispiece. Some wear and chipping to wrappers. A very good copy of a rare and fragile item. A collection of patterns for fiber craft designs, as follows: "Elizabethan Collar," "A Useful Carriage Bag," "A Netted Shell Mat," "A Novel and Very Pretty Pen-Wiper," and three designs for infants (a hat, slippers, and shoes). The designs are illustrated on the frontispiece.