Rare books from David Brass Rare Books, Inc.

London: Walter Scott Publishing Co., Ld., 1902. A Spectacular Cosway Binding with Two Oval and Eight Circular Miniatures By Miss C.B. Currie COSWAY BINDING. RIVIÈRE & SON, binders. CURRIE, Miss C.B., miniaturist. MANSON, James A. Sir Edwin Landseer, R. A. Illustrated with Twenty-one Plates, and a Photogravure Frontispiece. London: The Walter Scott Publishing Co., Ltd.; New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1902. First edition, from The Makers of British Art Series edited by Manson.. Octavo. (7 1/8 x 5 1/8 inches; 180 x 128 mm). [i-vi], vii-xvi, 219, [220] pp. Title page printed in blue and black. Twenty-one engraved plates and a photogravure frontispiece. Handsomely bound ca. 1904 in a full dark green levant morocco Cosway Binding by Rivière & Sons for Sotheran & Co., stamp-signed to front turn in. Spine with five raised bands decoratively tooled and lettered in gilt after a floral and leaf design in compartments ruled in gilt. The front and back covers are ruled and decoratively tooled in a gilt… Read More

[Lodsworth, West Sussex]: , 1955. A Scarce Original, Autobiographical Drawing Not to be Pooh-Pooh'ed SHEPARD, E[rnest] H. Boccherini's Minuet and the Caliph of Baghdad. [Lodsworth, West Sussex, ca. 1955-1957]. Original pen-and-ink drawing by renowned illustrator Ernest H. Shepard of himself at age seven, with his sister Ethel, a few years older, depicting them in practice during a screeching violin lesson. Image size: 3 3/4 x 6 7/16 inches; 95 x 164 mm. Signed with initials at lower left. Additionally signed in ballpoint pen on back "E.H. Shepard / Woodmancote / Lodsworth / Sussex". Matted, framed and glazed. A delightful image of Shepard's childhood, which originally appeared in his autobiography, Drawn from Memory (1957), and was later reproduced only once, on page twenty-seven of The Work of E.H. Shepard by Rawle Knox (1979). Found on page thirty-three of Drawn from Memory, it is captioned, "My little fingers never seemed to be in the right place." "Once a week we all three of us [siblings]… Read More

Paris / London: Chez Aumont / Charles Tilt, [1832]. Scarce Complete Devils Having Diabolical Fun In a Very Unusual Binding LE POITEVIN, [Eugène Modeste Edmond]. Les Diables de Lithographies. Paris / London: Chez Aumont / Charles Tilt, n.d. [1832]. First edition, complete. Oblong folio (14 3/8 x 21 3/4 in; 363 x 600 mm). Eighty illustrations on twelve black and white lithographed plates, numbered, with two supplemental plates (Petits sujets des diableries manquent le plus souvent, nos. 19 and 26: Paris / London: Aubert / Tilt, 1832) with thirty-five illustrations; a total of fourteen plates in all. Traditional oriental string binding c. 1980 by an unknown hand in full walnut-stained leather with wood-grain highlights over flex-boards with a 159 x 159 mm central panel in wood with two contrasting wood onlays depicting Diables, and four smaller and similar corner-pieces, the whole reiterated on the rear cover with different figures. Original front wrapper preserved. Small 1/4 inch closed tear to… Read More

London: Privately Printed for Mr. & Mrs. F.T. Davies, 1891. A Night in Town" - Probably Louis Wain's Very First Published 'Cat Caricature' [WAIN, Louis, artist]. [DOBSON, Austin, contributor]. A Book of Drawings. By A. Bryan, L. Davis, A.T. Elwes, Harry Furniss, J. Jellicoe, Louise Jopling, J.B. Partridge, Jo. Pennell, R.H. Moor, H. Railton, Hugh Thomson, L. Wain, C. Wilkinson & W. Wilson: with a prefatory poem by Austin Dobson. London: Privately Printed for Mr. & Mrs. F.T. Davies, [1891]. One of a hundred large paper copies on hand-made paper, signed by F.T.W. Davies, the plates individually signed by the illustrators. 43, [1 imprint] pp. Folio (12 7/8 x 10 3/8 inches; 326 x 263 mm.). Original thin white vellum over parchment wrappers. Front cover decoratively stamped and lettered in gilt. A near fine copy. The two Louis Wain drawings, each of which is signed by Wain in pencil are: "A Night in Town" and [A Single Cat]. From studying the 209 entries in Rodney Dale's A List of Books Illustrated… Read More

London: Rudolph Ackermann, 1798-9. Thomas Rowlandson's Loyal Volunteers of London... The Plates Heightened in Gold and Silver ROWLANDSON, Thomas. Loyal Volunteers of London & Environs, Infantry & Cavalry, in their respective Uniforms. Representing the whole of the Manual, Platoon, & Funeral Exercise in 87 plates Designed & Etch'd by T. Rowlandson. [London]: Rudolph Ackermann, [1798-99]. First edition, early issue (plates heightened in gold and silver). Large quarto (13 x 10 1/2 inches; 330 x 266 mm.). viii, [4, list of subscribers and contents]. Descriptive text to each plate and index and errata at end. Hand-colored etched title-page, 86 hand-colored etched plates, many heightened with gold or silver, all by and after Thomas Rowlandson. Bound without the two later issued plates** as usual. Contemporary full red straight-grain morocco, covers decoratively paneled in gilt, spine with five double raised-bands, decoratively tooled and lettered in gilt, gilt board edges and turn-ins. Expertly and… Read More

London: Printed for W. Miller, 1803. Seventy-Three Fine Hand-Colored Stipple Engravings of The Russian Empire With Descriptions Derived From Authentic Sources [ALEXANDER, William]. The Costume of the Russian Empire, illustrated by a series of seventy-three engravings. With descriptions in English and French. London: Printed for W. Miller, 1803. First edition, later issue. Folio (13 13/16 x 10 1/8 inches; 350 x 257 mm.). [xviii], 73 leaves of text. Text printed in English and French. Seventy-three hand colored stipple-engravings. Plates watermarked J. Whatman 1817, text watermarked 1811. A few plates with minor marginal discoloration and light offsetting onto facing text leaves. Full contemporary red straight-grain morocco. Covers decoratively tooled in gilt and blind, spine with three wide and shallow raised bands, decoratively tooled and lettered in gilt in compartments, decorative gilt board-edges and turn-ins, all edges gilt. With the armorial bookplate of Holcombe Ingleby on front paste-down.… Read More

London: Richard Bentley, 1838. Charles Dickens Unromantic Portrayal of Criminals and Their Sordid Lives DICKENS, Charles. Oliver Twist. By Charles Dickens. Author of "The Pickwick Papers" In Three Volumes. Vol. I. [II. III. ] London: Richard Bentley, 1838. First edition of Dickens' second novel. The "Charles Dickens" issue, with the title-page authorship credit to Charles Dickens instead of "Boz" and with the "Church" version of the final plate. First state of volume III with "pilaster" instead of "pier" or "pedestal" on page 164. Almost all the internal flaws according to Smith present. Three octavo volumes (7 15/16 x 4 7/8 inches; 202 x 124 mm.). Volumes I and III in twelves, volume II in eights. [iv], [1]2-331, [1, blank], [4, advertisements]; [iv], [1]2-307, [1, blank]; [iv], [1]2-315, [1, blank] pp. No half-title called for in Volume III. Twenty-four engraved plates by George Cruikshank. Small piece (3/4 x 3/8 inch) torn away from upper corner of second plate in volume II, repaired tear to… Read More

Essingen & Munich: F.F. Schreiber, 1911. A Fantastic Movable Pop-Up Panorama Dolls house by Lothar Meggendorfer MEGGENDORFER, Lothar. Das Puppenhaus [The Dolls House]. Eine Festgabe für brave Mädchen [A Celebration for good Girls]. No. 109. Essingen & Munich: F.F. Schreiber, no date, circa 1911. Oblong quarto (8 1/2 x 10 1/4 inches; 215 x 260 mm.). Five fine full-color lithographed pop-up scenes. A few inconsequential creases and a few small expert repairs, otherwise near fine. Publisher's glazed color pictorial boards with original red cloth hinges. a wonderful example of this very rare toy. This pop-up panorama opens to form five scenes some of which need opening or unfolding by the child. There are two outside and three detailed interior rooms of a doll's house. As unfolded to its full length of four feet, people, furniture, and even fixtures pop-out and each of the scenes is rich in detail. There is even a piano with a bust of Beethoven on the top. See Haining (pp. 122-128) who reproduces… Read More

Roma: Georgius Plachi, 1709. The Rare Catalogue of the Great Kircher Museum [KIRCHER, Athanasius]. BONANNI, Filippo. Musaeum Kircherianum, sive Musaeum a P. Athanasio Kirchero In Collegio Romano Societatis Jesu jam pridem incoeptum Nuper restitutum, auctum, descriptum, & Iconibus illustratum... Roma: Typis Georgii Plachi Caelaturam Prositentis, & Characterum Fusoriam propè S. Marcum, 1709. First edition of Bonanni's catalogue of the Kircher Museum in Rome. Folio (14 5/8 x 9 3/4 inches; 372 x 247 mm.). [xii], 1-39, [40, blank], [21 leaves of illustration numbered 40-60], 61-79, [80, blank], [4 leaves of illustration numbered 60-63], 84-115, [12 leaves of illustration numbered 116-127], 128-146, [147, blank], [14 leaves of illustration numbered 147-160], 161-183, [184, blank], [15 leaves of illustration numbered 184-197.2], 198-224, [225, blank], [2 leaves of illustration numbered 248-226], 225-247, [248, blank], [18 leaves of illustration numbered 284-300], 264-283, [21 leaves of illustration… Read More

London: Printed for the Publisher, and sold by Thomas Woodward... and Charles Davis, 1728. One of the Most Important Eighteenth-Century Works on Japan The First Scholarly Treatment of Japan in any Language KÆMPFER, Engelbertus. The History of Japan: Giving an Account of The antient and present State and Government of that Empire; Of Its Temples, Palaces, Castles, and other Buildings; Of Its Metals, Minerals, Trees, Plants, Animals, Birds and Fishes; Of The Chronology and Succession of the Emperors, Ecclesiastical and Secular; Of The Original Descent, Religions, Customs, and Manufactures of the Natives, and of their Trade and Commerce with the Dutch and Chinese. Together with a Description of the Kingdom of Siam. Written in High Dutch...And translated...by J.G. Scheuchzer... With the Life of the Author and an Introduction. To which is added, Part of a Journal of a Voyage to Japan, made by the English in the Year 1673. Illustrated with many Copper Plates. London: Printed for the Publisher, and sold… Read More

Munich: Verlag von J.F. Schreiber, 1888. A Rare and Early Meggendorfer Movable MOVABLE BOOK. MEGGENDORFER, Lothar. Schau mich an! [Look at me!]. Ein Ziehbilderbuch von Lothar Meggendorfer. Esslingen - Stuttgart, [1888]. First German edition. Oblong quarto (10 x 13 1/2 inches; 254 x 343 mm.). [10] pp. (including foreword and advertisements at end). Eight colored lithograph plates with movable parts (included in pagination), each with a tab to set the scene in motion. The eight moveables are all original, completely functional and in excellent condition. The 'pull' tabs have all been replaced. There are some expertly repaired short closed tears where the tabs come through the pages and a few mainly marginal light stains. Publisher's gray boards with color pictorial label on front pane, red cloth backstrip, Light wear to board edges and corners. A wonderful example of this very rare and early title. Housed in a fleece-lined, half black morocco clamshell case, spine with five raised bands, lettered… Read More

London: H. Humphrey, 1800. One of the Scarcest of all James Gillray's Works GILLRAY, James. Cockney-Sportsmen. London: H[annah] Humphrey, November 12th, 1800. Oblong folio (13 1/2 x 19 1/8 inches; 342 x 485 mm. Plate mark 10 1/8 x 14 1/8 inches; 254 x 358 mm.). Four magnificent hand-colored soft-ground etched aquatint plates. Chemised in a felt-lined half black morocco over red cloth clamshell case, spine with five raised bands, ruled and lettered in gilt in compartments. A very fine set. "As we know from the first plate, the cockney sportsmen are hunting in Hornsey Wood, a refuge for City dwellers about six miles from St Paul's. Gillray's print may be intended to show or recall the Hornsey Wood House, which was famous in its time. About a mile nearer to London than Hornsey," observes the Ambulator, in 1774, "is a coppice of young trees called Hornsey Wood, at the entrance of which is a public-house, to which great numbers of persons resort from the City." "Hornsey Wood House," for such was the… Read More

London: Printed by J. Smeeton, 1802. M'Cringer's Treatise on Modern Education With Eight Superb Hand Colored Plates Etched by Thomas Rowlandson ROWLANDSON, Thomas. M'CRINGER, Joel [aka J[ames]B[rydges]. WILLYAMS. A Compendious Treatise on Modern Education, in which the following interesting subjects are liberally discussed: The Nursery, Private Schools, Public Schools, Universities, Gallantry, Duelling, Gaming, Suicide. By the late Joel M'Cringer, D.D. F.R.S. A.S.S. Rector of the United Parishes of Pigworth, Goosebridge, and Honeytown, in Middlesex ; Vicar of Cornsteadcum-Haybury, in the same county ; Prebendary of St. Glebemore ; Whitehall preacher, and domestic chaplain to the Right Honourable Lord Trainwell; to which also are added, coloured designs both characteristic and illustrative, delineated by J.B. W******* Esq. and etched by Thomas Rowlandson. London: Printed by J. Smeeton, 1802. First edition. Oblong folio (10 1/2 x 13 1/2 inches; 267 x 343 mm.). [ii, title, verso blank], [i]-viii,… Read More

London: John Murray, 1789. The Jealous are Possessed by a Mad Devil and a Dull Spirit at the Same Time" (John Caspar Lavater) LAVATER, John Caspar. Essays on Physiognomy, Designed to Promote the Knowledge and the Love of Mankind... Illustrated by more than eight hundred engravings accurately copied; and some duplicates added from originals. Executed by, or under the inspection of, Thomas Holloway. Translated from the French by Henry Hunter, D.D.... London: John Murray, 1789-1792 -1798. A Spectacular Example of the First Edition in English. Three folio volumes bound in five (12 7/8 x 10 1/4 inches; 327 x 260 mm.). Volume 1. [ii, half-title, verso blank], [ii, vignette title-page, verso blank], [ii, translator's preface], [vi, advertisement], [iv, contents], [x, list of subscribers], [ii, dedication], [vi, author's preface], [ii, French translators' preface], [3]-280; [iii]-xii]; [1-3], 4--238; [1, half title vol II. part II, verso blank], [239]-444; [iii-iv, title-page, verso blank], [v]-xii,… Read More

London: Printed by J. Diggins; Published at R. Ackermann's Repository of Arts, 1815. The Union of the Gruesome and the Grotesque" Thomas Rowlandson's 'The English Dance of Death' [ROWLANDSON, Thomas, illustrator]. [COMBE, William]. The English Dance of Death, from the designs of Thomas Rowlandson, with Metrical Illustrations, by the author of "Doctor Syntax." London: Printed by J. Diggens; Published at R. Ackermann's Repository of Arts, 1815-16. First edition, Remainder binding issue. Two royal octavo volumes (9 3/4 x 6 1/4 inches; 249 x 159 mm.). vii, [1, blank], [iv, Index], 295, [1, blank]; [ii], [iv, Index], 299, [1, blank] pp. Hand colored frontispiece, hand colored title, and seventy-two hand colored aquatint plates by Thomas Rowlandson. Text watermarked J. Whatman or Balston, 1814 and 1815; Plates watermarked J. Whatman, 1818. Publisher's 'Remainder' binding of orange cloth, covers decorated in blind, spines pictorially decorated and lettered in gilt, yellow coated endpapers, top edge… Read More