Rare books from Shapero Rare Books

London, Grant Richards, 1899. . First edition; 12mo; 27 full-page colour illustrations after the author printed by Edmund Evans, pages 4-5 with old repair to gutter, new endpapers; publisher's pale green cloth lettered and blocked in darker green, slight lean and bumping, very minor marking, overall a very attractive copy, presented in modern cloth-backed solander box. Helen Bannerman originally wrote this story during a long railway journey in India, to send to her two small daughters that she had just left to be educated in her native Scotland. It was eventually published as the fourth title in the 'Dumpy Books' series. Despite controversy it has gone through countless printings and translations, as well as many sequels, imitations, and parodies.

Rome, [Circa 1778 & 1785]. . Two works in 2 vols; folio (550 x 400 mm. approx.); 'Vedute': the complete suite as listed by Wilton-Ely comprising double-page engraved title, double-page engraved frontispiece, 135 double-page engraved plates (including the 2 plates by Francesco Piranesi listed at the end of Wilton-Ely), the watermarks examined appear to conform to Robison 39, 57, 64 and 67; plate 243 [Wilton-Ely] with paper flaw to the centre fold lower margin, not affecting image; Pompei: the complete suite comprising a double-page engraved plate, a large folding plate and a 6-sheet plan, each sheet large and folding (3 with short marginal tear, repaired, 2 touching text); extra-illustrated with the following plates: 'Pianta di Roma e del Campo Marzio' [Wilton-Ely 1008]; 'Prospetto interiore del Tempio Vaticano Il Santo Padre... Vaticano', both of these by Francesco Piranesi; Near contemporary Russia gilt, the covers with broad gilt borders, neatly rebacked, all edges gilt. From the library of… Read More

[1982]. . Set of six colour photographs. Dimensions: app. 51 x 40 cm. (19.75 by 15.75 inches). A set of six large format photographic portraits of six members of the cast of 'Evil Under the Sun', the 1982 film based on the novel by Agatha Christie, taken by Lord Snowdon.Directed by Guy Hamilton (Goldfinger), with a screenplay by Anthony Shaffer, and costumes by Anthony Powell, Evil under the Sun had a stellar cast, led by Peter Ustinov as Hercule Poirot, with Dames Maggie Smith and Diana Rigg, Jane Birkin, Nicholas Clay, and Roddy McDowall to name but a few. The portraits found here are of: Jane Birkin, Sylvia Miles, Emily Hope, Peter Ustinov, Nicholas Clay and Colin Blakeley. Lord Snowdon (1930-2017) established himself as a successful portrait photographer through his images of theatre and society figures before becoming associated with the British royal family. By the 1970s his work had placed him among England's most well-respected photographers. In 2001 the National Portrait Gallery held a… Read More

Paris, [privately printed by Rene Bonel], [1926]. . First edition; 4to (29 x 20 cm), 361pp., text printed in purple reproducing the author's manuscript, 20 full page engraved illustrations including frontispiece (with slight spotting on two plates), original paper spine bound in at rear, bound by 'G.Mativet', binder's name stamped on front free endpaper, marbled endpapers, half brown morocco gilt, marbled boards, brown calf label gilt lettered; a very good copy. This edition was printed in small numbers and not for sale: 'tirée à petit nombre et non mise dans le commerce.'Pierre Louÿs was born in Ghent in 1870 to a Champagne family, who had taken refuge in Belgium during the Franco-Prussian War. A classmate of André Gide, Louÿs studied at the École Alsacienne, and went on to become a very well known French poet and writer, a close friend of Debussy and Oscar Wilde. He was made first a Chevalier and then an Officer of the Légion d'Honneur for his contributions to French literature. This… Read More

New York, Wyckoff Associates, inc., 1937. . Subscribers edition; 2 volumes; 4to (28 x 25 cm); 300pp. of type-written yellow paper, divided in numerous sections, instructions for use inserted loose in pockets of both volumes; ring bound in contemporary soft dark brown calf, gilt metal clasps, subscriber's name gilt stamped on upper cover, an excellent example. Rare and important manual for trading.Richard Wyckoff (1873-1934) is one of the legends of Wall Street. At the turn of the twentieth century, he was tireless in promoting, publishing, and writing about the stock market. His book Studies in Tape Reading is one of the earliest works on technical analysis. He founded The Ticker Magazine, which subsequently became The Magazine Of Wall Street, and promoted many authors including Selden, Babson, and Crowell through Ticker publishing. His autobiography Wall Street Ventures and Adventures Through Forty Years reminisces about 'The Street' and the great traders: Livermore, Keene, Bet-A-Million Gates,… Read More

[Paris, c.1930s]. . Six gelatin silver prints (22 x 16 cm). Very good condition and with very good tone. Framed. A series of six nude studies showing the same model posing in the photographer's studio. The style of the photographs, which artistically combines high and low art, allows to attribute the authorship to the Grundworth studio, which is known to have been producing erotic postcards in Paris from the 1890s to the 1930s. Like most of the studios engaged in production of erotic photographs and postcards of the time, little is known about it, as, despite the widespread circulation of these cards their production and distribution was illegal in France, hence anonymity was essential. Given the time span and a number of different styles the name is unlikely to represent an individual photographer but more likely a group of photographers who were, perhaps better known, but wanted to hide their real identities.

[?Beijing], Central Intelligence Bureau of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, 1964. . 2 vols, comprising the red vinyl bound issued for brigade teams and the printed wrappers bound issued for high-ranking officers, first editions; 16mo (c.140 x 105 mm); printed in Chinese, each with half-title in red, title-page in red & green, photographic portrait of Chairman Mao, facsimile of Lin Biao's calligraphic endorsement of Mao's writings in the uncorrected state with the superfluous mark, vinyl issue with ink note in English and Chinese to front free endpaper, wrappers issue with official stamp to title and some contemporary underlining; vinyl issue with title and star incised to upper cover, over white stiff wrappers; wrappers issue upper cover with title printed in black on red rectangle and with imprint to foot, further official stamp and contemporary inscription also to upper cover, with some marking to the lower cover and a little edge wear; each [viii], 250pp. The two highly collectable first… Read More

n.d. [1960s, probably 1968-69]. . 3 original Biba catalogues 35.5 x 18 cm, illustrated throughout by Helmut Newton and others, wrappersrs with biba logo to upper covers, 2 with order slips loosely inserted, one with small cup stain to upper wrapper (feint), one with slight flecking, overall well preserved examples of an ephermeral publication. Biba only produced six mail order catalogues and they rarely appear on the market. The unusual shape was so that they would go through letter boxes easily.Founded by Barbara Hulanicki in 1964, Biba brought cutting edge fashion to the high street. These catalogues provide a quintessential record 60's designs. Must haves for not only students of fashion, but also for those who were there and can't remember it!

London, Macmillan, 1937. . First edition, first impression, first issue binding; presentation copy inscribed by the author. 8vo; 2pp. advertisements, photographic frontispiece and 15 full-page illustrations. Publisher's blue cloth, titles to spine gilt. Boards lightly marked, spine just a touch faded and slightly rolled. Very good indeed. The first edition of Robert Byron's classic of modern travel writing. The Road to Oxiana takes in Cyprus, Persia, and Afghanistan. Whilst in Persia the author visited many of the more important Islamic monuments.An important association copy with the the author's signed presentation inscription, 'For Sachie [Sitwell] who will understand what there is to understand from Robert'. Ghani p64

London, Collins, 1974. . First edition, first impression, author's presentation copy, with inscription to title-page; 8vo; publisher's tan boards, titles to spine gilt, dust-jacket, somewhat frayed and rubbed, very good copy otherwise. A Poirot novel. A fine association copy with the author's signed presentation inscription to the title-page, 'To Daphne Honeybone from Agatha Christie'. The recipient was for many years Christie's personal secretary. This is an especially poignant inscription in Christie's final and most shaky hand, presenting what would prove to be the final Poirot publication in her lifetime. Her health had already started seriously to fail and she would die about a year after the publication of this collection. We have handled just one other presentation copy and heard of a single other example.

New York, Viking Press, 1939. . First edition, first printing; 8vo; publisher's beige cloth, decoration to boards and and titles to spine in brown, pictorial endpapers, yellow topstain, pictorial dust-jacket, a little rubbed and tanned, somewhat sunned at the spine; this is the correct state with, 'FIRST EDITION' on the front flap and with the $2.75 price extant, spotting to fore-edges but a very good copy; 619pp. Set during the Great Depression, the novel focuses on the Joads, a poor family of tenant farmers driven from their home by drought, economic hardship, and changes in financial and agricultural industries. Due to their nearly hopeless situation and in part because they were trapped in the Dust Bowl, the Joads set out for California. Along with thousands of other 'Okie', they sought jobs, land, dignity, and a future. Steinbeck was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Literature in 1940 for this novel. Goldstone A12.

New York, Random House, 1985. . First edition, first impression; 8vo; publisher's quarter red cloth, red boards, titles to spine gilt, with the dust-jacket, a single, miniscule nick to the rear panel, a truly stunning copy and rare thus. A wonderful copy of the author's masterpiece from the library of the noted archivist, historian and collector of Western Americana, Gene M. Grassley with his discreet monogram blind stamp to the title-page.

London, Secker and Warburg, 1945. . First edition, first impression; 8vo; light spotting to half-title and endpapers, else unmarked internally; publisher's green cloth, titles to spine in white, minor browning to head and tail of spine, with the unclipped dust-jacket on the red printed Searchlight Books blank, short closed tear to top edge of front panel, rear panel slightly soiled, minor edge-wear, some rubbing to spine (as usual), else an attractive example. The first edition of Orwell's socio-political classic, intended by the author to serve as a satirical take on the events that led up to the Russian Revolution and Stalinism whilst simultaneously illustrating the weaknesses inherent in the human condition that make any political and economic ideal almost unworkable. As the author states himself in his 1946 essay Why I Write, the motivation behind Animal Farm was 'to fuse political purpose and artistic purpose into one whole'. Examples in this condition are of the utmost scarcity. The jackets… Read More

New York, [Wm. E. Chapin & Co.], 1867. . Fourth edition, first printing; 8vo (19.5 x 13 cm); lacking contents page, but with the blank leaf noted in BAL issue 1, occasional annotations in pencil, corner tear to Songs Before Parting p.27 without loss of text; publisher's half black morocco, rebacked preserving much of the original spine, red cloth, spine lettered in gilt (Myerson binding B), joints slightly rubbed, internally toned with the odd stain, front endpapers chipped; [7], 8-338, [2], iv, 5-72, [2], 24, [2], 36pp. The fourth edition, first issue of Walt Whitman's (1819-1892) seminal collection of poems on the philosophy of life, Leaves of Grass. This issue also incorporates three poems composed by Whitman during the Civil War (1861-1865), Drum-Taps, Sequel to Drum-Taps, and Songs Before Parting, and marks the first appearance of the latter in print. Following the collapse of his publishers Thayer & Eldridge, Whitman decided to finance the publication of a 'new & much better edition' himself… Read More

Madrid, Rafael Esteve (?) for the artist, 1799. . First edition, one of approximately 300 copies; quarter broadsheets (311 x 205mm); 80 plates on a single uniform stock of unwatermarked laid paper; etchings with burnished aquatint, many with drypoint and/or burin (fine impressions printed in sepia, printing with great contrasts and bright highlights, the aquatint just beginning to show a little wear on some plates, with the scratch on plate 45, with wide margins, some pale spotting mainly on the first few pages, otherwise in very good condition; black morocco binding by Lebrun, signed on the spine and dated Paris 1844 on the rear cover, tooled in gilt with the Self-Portrait of plate 1 and the name of the artist on the front cover, the motif and title of plate 32 on the back cover, marbled endpapers; within a matching red morocco box, with the name of the artist, the title and the name of the binder on the spine, the inside with a black and gilt morocco inlay showing all the tools used for the… Read More