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Wildman, Thomas. A Treatise on the Management of Bees; Wherein is Contained the Natural History of those Insects, first edition, London: Printed for the Author by T. Cadell, 1768. Quarto, featuring list of subscribers, three folding copper-engraved plates, later half-calf lettered in gilt with marbled boards, all edges marbled, bookplate for Ernest H. Pee, pencil inscription on front free endpaper, 'Purchased at the sale of The Earl of Dudley's Library, 1923', bookseller's ticket on pastedown, 'R. Davies, Birmingham'. Contents generally good and bright with occasional pale spotting including to plates, more pronounced spotting to title and opening leaves; binding tight and square with wear to extremities

Pratchett, Terry. The Carpet People, first edition, Gerrards Cross: Colin Smythe, 1971. Octavo, publisher's cloth lettered in gilt, price-clipped dust-jacket, gift inscription on front free endpaper. Contents good, clean, bright; binding tight and square; faint bumps to corners; Duraseal protective jacket

Dickens, Charles. Dombey & Son, first edition, London: Bradbury & Evans, 1848, illustrated with steel-engraved plates by Hablot Knight Browne ("Phiz"), half-calf, text-block good, externally sound, separated from contents inside cover, plates foxed. Together with Martin Chuzzlewit, London: Chapman & Hall, 1844, and David Copperfield, London: Chapman & Hall, c. 1855, full calf, engraved plates. Sold as found with all faults (3)

Lang, Andrew. The Orange Fairy Book, first edition, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1906. Octavo, publisher's gilt orange cloth, all edges gilt, numerous illustrations throughout including eight colour plates, bookseller's ticket on rear pastedown (Start & Sons, Worcester St, Wolverhampton). Contents very good, clean, bright; some very pale spotting in places, heavier/more pronounced on endpapers and tissue-guard; cloth very well-preserved and bright with only a few very small marks in places; slightest discolouration to spine; very light wear to extreme edges, slight shelf-lean

Fortune, Dion. The Esoteric Philosophy of Love and Marriage, first edition, London: William Rider & Son Ltd., 1924, octavo, publisher's cloth lettered in black, 4pp. publisher's advertisements at rear, internally very good, clean, bright, cloth binding well-preserved with very light bumping to corners and slight discolouration to spine, slight shelf-lean. Together with The Sea Priestess, London: Published by the Author, 1938, owner inscription, 'K. B. Grant'; The Mystica; Qabalah, London: Williams & Norgate, 1948; Psychic Self Defence, London: Aquarian Press, 1952;  The Training & Work of an Initiate, London: Aquarian Press, 1955; The Demon Lover, London: Aquarian Press, 1957, condition generally very good internally, jackets with wear when present, those without jackets with discoloured cloth (6)Provenance: Vendor's uncle was Kenneth Grant (1924-2011), ceremonial magician, writer and personal secretary of Aleister Crowley

Thackeray, William Makepeace. Vanity Fair, first edition, London: Bradbury & Evans, 1848, illustrated with 40 full-page plates by Thackeray, earliest imprint with suppressed plate of the Marquis of Steyne and rustic heading to p. 1, worn half-calf, bearing label on front pastedown for Charles L. Lawrence, Oriental Club, Hanover Square, 'Bought this book at Sotheby's sale, July 18th 1924 for £12.10.0', and one other (2)

Natural History. Mixed collection of books, comprising: Audubon's Birds of America, Baby Elephant Folio edition, New York & London: Abbeville Press, 1990, white buckram, dust-jacket, slipcase; Anatomy and Physiology of the Honeybee, by R. E. Snodgrass, first edition, fourth impression, New York & London: McGraw-Hill, 1925, publisher's cloth; The Book of Poisons, by Gustav Schenk, London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1956, green cloth with worn d.j.; The Sacred Bee, by Hilda M. Ransome, London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd, 1937, purple cloth, very worn d.j.; Familiar Wild Flowers, in four volumes, by F. Edward Hulme, London: Cassell, n.d., green cloth, numerous colour plates; The Sport of Shooting, by Owen Jones, London: Edward Arnold, 1911, blue cloth; White's Selborne, stereotyped edition, London: Sonnenschein, n.d., full calf, prize label. Condition varied, sold as found with all faults (9)

The Book of Tea, by Okakura Kakuzo, first edition, Edinburgh & London: T. N. Foulis, 1919, complete with ten plates as called for (including frontispiece), publisher's pictorial cloth, internally clean and bright, neat contemporary owner inscription, some general discolouration and slight wear around spine/headcaps and inner gutters; Blossoms from a Japanese Garden, by Mary Fenollosa, London: Heinemann, 1913, complete with 20 tipped-in colour plates as called for, publisher's pictorial cloth; Bushido, The Soul of Japan, by Inazo Nitobe, fifth edition, Tokyo: Shokwabo, London: Simpkin Marshall, 1903, publisher's pictorial cloth with dust-jacket, frontispiece portrait, internally good, owner inscriptions, discolouration to d.j. and tissue guard of frontis., together with four other books relating to Japan, condition varied, sold as found with all faults (8)

Eves Without Leaves [nude photography], Photogravure Studies, by Walter Bird, Roye, John Everard, first edition, London: C. Arthur Pearson, December 1940, hardcover lacking spine, some pale spotting to contents. Together with Pett's Annual, guest artist Illingworth, Birmingham: Thomas's Publications Ltd., c.1944, Jane's Journal, by Pett, c.1947, and others, including London Opinion, condition varied, sold as found with all faults (11)

Milne, A. A. Winnie-the-Pooh, illustrated by Ernest H. Shepard, first edition, London: Methuen & Co., Ltd., 1926. Octavo, publisher's green cloth lettered in gilt, illustrated endpapers, neat contemporary gift inscription, Christmas 1926. Contents good, clean, bright; very slight wear to the extreme top edge of a couple of pages; binding tight and square, well-preserved, one small mark on upper board, faint cockling near centre of joint on lower board

Venables, Bernard. The Gentle Art of Angling, first edition, London: Reinhardt, 1955, in dustwrapper, and a later edition of 1959; Baleia! Baleia! Whale Hunters of the Azores, New York: Knopf, 1969, in dustwrapper; Coming Down the Zambezi, London: Constable, 1974; Silver: The Life Story of an Atlantic Salmon, by Roderick Haig-Brown, second edition, London: A & C Black, 1946, in price-clipped jacket, and two other works illustrated by Venables (7)

Edgar Lustgarten (1907-1978), British broadcaster and crime writer. Archive of material including publishing & television contracts, manuscript song lyrics, signed presentation copies of books, newspaper clippings and true crime articles. To include the first proposal for his 'At the Bar of History' series; Jacob Lustgarten's naturalisation papers of Bury New Road, Manchester; wills; Edgar's birth certificate, 1907; signed copy of Verdict in Dispute, inscribed to Joan Miller; signed copy of Judges and the Judged; a first edition of Blondie Iscariot, Scribner, 1948, and others, in one carton

Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, first edition, first issue, London: Bloomsbury, 1998, hardback, publisher's pictorial boards complete with dust-jacket, print line reads '10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1'. Signed by the author in black ink on dedication page, 'To Jill, who very spookily gave me a beautiful card with something from Book Four on it! With many thanks, J K Rowling'. The book includes a loosely-inserted sealed envelope relating to the inscription (see provenance below), 'sealed 22.2.99'. Contents very good, clean, bright; very slight knock to extreme edges of a few pages with one incredibly faint red mark to fore-edge; one very short tear to extreme edge of p.125; a few very faint creases to opening leaves; binding with very slight shelf-lean; covers clean and vibrant; two pronounced bumps/splits to edge of upper board; dust-jacket clean and bright with some very faint bumps and marks. The second novel in the Harry Potter seriesProvenance: Vendor's mother was a teacher who had been enjoying reading Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone with her class at Dunblane Primary School. In February 1999, Rowling visited the school, signed books and answered questions. The vendor has kindly provided the following statement:'My mum had arranged with a couple of other members of staff to take JK Rowling for lunch at the café in the High Street in Dunblane and asked them if they minded if I could come along too. I was 11 years old at the time, and a huge Harry Potter fan. The other staff were quite happy, and my mum was able to pick me up from my school a couple of miles away and we all arrived at the café. JK Rowling sat beside me and the two of us had a good chat. She was really lovely. I had brought a card which I had made for JK Rowling, and also my copy of Chamber of Secrets which I was hoping that JK Rowling would sign. Amazingly, she said that I had drawn a creature from Book 4 on the front of the card! She asked me not to tell anyone because it was a secret. Book 4 was not due to be released for more than a year as I remember. I never told anyone what the creature was, although now I can reveal that it was a mermaid shaped liked a ‘J’ for Joanne. JK Rowling then signed my book with that amazing inscription. That night, I wrote the name of the creature on a piece of paper (and maybe other things – I can’t remember now) and, without letting anyone see it, placed it in an envelope. My mum and I signed and sealed the envelope just for fun and and I used it thereafter as a bookmark. I never imagined that the book would ever be worth anything and I lent it to a couple of friends after finishing it. Now I want to move house and have decided to sell my precious book. I would be happy to write about my lunch with JKR for the buyer and answer any questions s/he may have. I hope it gives them as much pleasure and excitement as it has given me.'

Milne, A. A. The House at Pooh Corner, illustrated by Ernest H. Shepard, first edition, London: Methuen & Co., Ltd., 1928. Octavo, publisher's salmon pink cloth lettered in gilt, top edge gilt, illustrated endpapers, neat owner and gift inscription on front free endpaper, Xmas 1928. Contents good, clean, bright, a few very light marks in places; general offsetting to endapers; some discolouration to cloth, corners bumped, slight wear to extremities

Richard Walker Interest. Mixed collection, to include a small collection of books, ephemera and recordings. Collection includes the order of service and a typed copy of the address given by Frederick H. Buller at Walker's funeral; three home VHS cassettes and two audio cassettes, one of the videos filmed July, 1977 at his fishing lodge in Stoney Stratford (outlined in a loosely-inserted letter addressed to Tim Walker); Walker's Pitch, second impression, Peterborough: E. M. Art and Publishing Ltd., 1966; Fly Dressing Innovations, first edition, London: Ernest Benn, 1974; How Fish Feed, stated first impression, Angling Times Publication, no date; Carp Fishing, Angling Times Book, 1960, and others, condition varied, sold as found with all faultsProvenance: By descent. Richard Walker was the vendor's father-in-law

Cobbold, Lady Evelyn. Wayfarers in the Libyan Desert, first edition, London: Arthur L. Humphreys, 1912. Small quarto, publisher's green cloth lettered in gilt, top edge gilt, frontispiece and illustrations within text. Contents generally good, clean, bright, endpapers marked/foxed; binding tight and square, cloth good and bright with slight wear at corners and edges of spine

Fleming, Ian. The Man with the Golden Gun, first edition, London: Jonathan Cape, 1965, unclipped dust-jacket designed by Richard Chopping, priced 18s net. Octavo, publisher's black cloth lettered in gilt. Contents very good, clean, bright, some very light toning and pale marks to edges of text-block; cloth well-preserved, corners bumped, jacket with some general discolouration and slight wear/loss to extremities, verso of jacket with some pale dampstaining

Cobbold, Lady Evelyn. Pilgrimage to Mecca, first edition, London: John Murray, 1934. Octavo, publisher's green cloth lettered in gilt, frontispiece and illustrations within text. Contents good, clean, bright; some pale spotting in places, offsetting to endpapers; binding tight and square, a few pale marks to the cloth in places, corners slightly bumped

Trollope, Anthony. Orley Farm, in two volumes, first edition, London: Chapman & Hall, 1862, illustrated with 39 engraved plates by J. E. Millais, half-calf, bearing bookseller's ticket on front pastedown for D. W. Carroll, Dublin (2)

Tolkien, Christopher. The Silmarillion, first edition, London: George Allen & Unwin, 1977. Octavo, publisher's cloth lettered in gilt, unclipped dust-jacket, contemporary ink gift inscription, contents generally good and bright with some light spotting in places, heavier spotting to endpapers and edges of text-block, some dust and marks to cloth, some light dirt to dust-jacket, slight shelf-lean

Dickens, Charles. Bleak House, first edition, London: Bradbury & Evans, 1853, with 40 steel-engraved plates, name of Francis Ann Harwood on top-edge of title page. Octavo, half-calf, gilt-embossed spine. Plates foxed, spine rubbed. Together with Little Dorrit, first edition, London: Bradbury & Evans, 1857, the name of Fanny Harwood on title, plates foxed, binding worn, sold as found with all faults (2)

Crowley, Aleister. Jephthah and Other Mysteries Lyrical and Dramatic, first edition, London: Kegan Paul, 1899, printed at The Chiswick Press. Octavo, publisher's quarter-cloth with paper-covered boards and paper title label to spine. Publisher's 12pp. catalogue bound at start. Contents very good, clean, bright, untrimmed page edges; owner inscription, 'K. B. Grant, 1950'; binding tight and square, bumping/wear to corners, discolouration to spineProvenance: Vendor's uncle was Kenneth Grant (1924-2011), ceremonial magician, writer and personal secretary of Aleister Crowley

Walker, Richard. Drop Me A Line, presentation copy from the author to his parents, first edition, London: Douglas Saunders, MacGibbon & Kee, 1953, inscribed in blue ink on front free endpaper, 'To Mother and Edwin with love from Dick 26/10/53', additionally inscribed and signed by the author's son, 'This copy of "Drop Me a Line" was dedicated by the author Richard Stuart Walker to his mother, Mrs Elsie May Walker, and his step-father, Edwin Halford. It came to me, his son, on my grandmother's death on 11th January 1990, Timothy Stuart Walker.' Octavo, publisher's blue cloth, internally clean and bright with some very light spotting on endpapers; cloth covers well-preserved with very faint wear at corners; dust-jacket present but worn with lossProvenance: By descent. Richard Walker was the vendor's father-in-law

Collection of assorted books, fiction, poetry, ghost stories, history, to include Selected Poems, by Charles Baudelaire, Falcon Press, 1946, bearing owner inscription, 'K. B. Grant', with quotation inscribed on half-title; The Centaur, by Algernon Blackwood, first edition, London: Macmillan, 1911, publisher's green cloth lettered in gilt; Iron and Smoke, by Sheila Kaye-Smith, London: Cassell, 1928, signed by the author; When Evil Wakes, edited by August Derleth, Souvenir Press, 1963; An Anthology of Haiku Ancient and Modern, by Asatoro Miyamori, Tokyo: Maruzen, 1932; In Ghostly Japan, by Lafcadio Hearn, Boston: Little, Brown, 1919; The Collected Ghost Stories of M. R. James, London: Edward Arnold, 1949; The Chronicles of Clovis, by Saki, London: John Lane, 1926; The Haunted and the Haunters, by Lord Lytton, London: Simpkin, Marshall, 1925; Libro de Cuentos y Leyendas, by Javier Villafane, La Plata, 1945, illustrated with colour lithographic plates; Charles II, by Osmund Airy, London: Goupil & Co., 1901, in paper wrappers; Henry VIII, by A. F. Pollard, London: Goupil & Co., 1902, in paper wrappers, and others, condition varied, sold as found with all faults (32)Provenance: Vendor's uncle was Kenneth Grant (1924-2011), ceremonial magician, writer and personal secretary of Aleister Crowley

Woolf, Virginia. To the Lighthouse, second impression, London: Hogarth Press, 1927. Octavo, publisher's blue cloth lettered in gilt, lacking dust-jacket, internally clean and bright, neat ownership bookplate, general discolouration and light bumping/wear to cloth. Together with 15 other books, including The Waves, second impression, 1931; A Room of One's Own, fifth impression, 1930; Orlando, first edition, 1928; The Years, first edition, 1937; Granite & Rainbow, first edition, 1958; Walter Sickert: A Conversation, first edition, 1934; Quack, Quack!, by Leonard Woolf, first edition, 1935, and others, including pamphlets, lacking dust-jackets on all but Granite & Rainbow, sold as found with all faults (16)

[Tiphaigne de la Roche, Charles François]. Giphantia: Or A View of What Has Passed, What is Now Passing, And, during the Present Century, What Will Pass, In the World, first English edition, in two volumes, London: Robert Horsfield, 1761, Vol.II dated 1760. 132 pp. & 126pp.; advertisement leaf at rear of Vol.II; title page of Vol.I printed in red & black; loosely inserted 6pp. review from the Gentleman's Magazine, 1761. Octavo, rebound in a "signed" Malkin presentation 18th-century style mottled calf binding with embossed optical geometric design to covers and "steampunk" cogs, housed in a compartmentalised slipcase and quarter leather & marbled paper board box. Contents toned with pale dampstaining and marks in places; untrimmed edges.The novel is notable for predicting the modern process of photography in Chapter XVII of Vol.I (see images)'In 1760 the French writer Charles Francois Tiphaigne de la Roche wrote a novel that today would be considered science fiction. Titled Giphantie, an anagram of his name, it describes his imaginary travels...the author prophecies the fixing of transient images of nature by the action of light.' [Photography: Essays & Images, edited by Beaumont Newhall, 1980, pp.13-14]

Lofting, Hugh. The Story of Dr Dolittle, first edition, New York: Frederick A. Stokes Company, 1920. Octavo, publisher's decorated orange cloth with central illustrated panel, illustrated endpapers, frontispiece with protective tissue-guard. Contents very good, clean, bright; binding tight and square, cloth well-preserved and vibrant, slight discolouration and marks to spine in places, light wear to extremities

Durrell, Gerald. Birds, Beasts and Relatives, first edition, signed by the author, London: Collins, 1969. Octavo, publisher's cloth, unclipped dust-jacket

Walker, Richard. Two presentation copies: Still-Water Angling, third impression, London: David & Charles, 1979, inscribed and signed in blue ink on front free endpaper, 'To Lynn with all my love, Richard Walker, or Dad?', internally clean and bright with very light spots in places, cloth and dust-jacket well-preserved with some discolouration and pale spotting to inside of jacket; Coarse Fishing, first edition, Cambridge: Patrick Stephens, 1983,inscribed on ffep, 'To Nancy Hattersley with every good wish, Richard Walker', clean and bright with a couple of light handling marks near dedication, cloth and jacket well-preserved if a little dusty (2)Provenance: By descent. Richard Walker was the vendor's father-in-law

Lawrence, T. E. Seven Pillars of Wisdom, first trade edition, London: Jonathan Cape, 1935, with loosely-inserted newspaper clippings, 1935, plates, small quarto, tan buckram. Together with Austin Dobson: The Story of Rosina, illustrated by Hugh Thomson, London: Kegan Paul, 1895, and seven others (9)

Leonardo da Vinci. A Treatise on Painting, first edition in English, London: Senex & Taylor, 1721. Engraved frontispiece, title page printed in red & black, 35 engraved plates, two of which are folding plates, a further two of which are tables stated 'to fold out' but appear self-contained as single plates (pictured), the tables are not numbered, the others are numbered 1-33 with 27 misnumbered as 26, contemporary ink illustration of horse to lower margin of one plate, woodcut head-pieces, tail-pieces and capitals, 3pp. publisher's advertisements at rear. Octavo, full polished calf sympathetically rebacked. Contents generally good and bright with occasional light creasing, toning and marks; very pale dampstaining in places; some discolouration and slight wear to folding plates; frontispiece & title with pale dampstaining, light creasing and wear to edges, more pronounced to verso of frontispiece with archival reinforcement to gutter; calf binding attractive with wear to lower corners and extremities, slight bumping to edges in placesFirst edition in English of the influential Trattato della pittura, compiled from numerous manuscripts after Leonardo's death

Walker, Richard. No Need To Lie, first edition, review copy with loosely inserted slip from E. M. Art & Publishing Ltd., 17 April 1964, signed by Peter J. Thomas on dedication page, publisher's green cloth with worn dust-jacket, internally clean and bright. Together with another the same, lacking jacket with some pale spotting and bumps to corners (2)Provenance: By descent. Richard Walker was the vendor's father-in-law

Richard Walker Interest. Collection of signed/limited editions of works relating to Walker, comprising: Richard Walker: Biography of an Angling Legend, by Barrie Rickards, first edition (one of 699), Ellesmere: The Medlar Press, 2007, inscribed by the author to Tim [Richard Walker's son], additionally signed by Pat Marston Walker [Richard's second wife] and Peter J Thomas; Be My Guest: Dick Walker 1918-1985, edited by Peter Maskell, 2010, signed & numbered 185 of 570; another the same, 168 of 570, additionally signed by Pat Marston Walker; Walker's Pitch, illustrated by Tom O'Reilly, 2003, signed & numbered 670 of 980; Walker's Pitch II, illustrated by Tom O'Reilly, 2008, signed & numbered 76 of 500; No Need to Lie, illustrated by Tom O'Reilly, Little Egret Press, 2001, signed & numbered 28 of 500, additionally inscribed on ffep, 'For Tim Walker with best "fishes!" Tom O'Reilly July 02', also signed by Tim Walker and Peter J Thomas; Still-Water Angling, fourth impression, 1979, inscribed by Barrie [Rickards] to Tim [Walker]; Angling: Fundamental Principles, by Barrie Rickards, Boydell Press, 1986, inscribed by the author, 'Tim, you did well to unearth this! Barrie Rickards' (8)Provenance: By descent. Richard Walker was the vendor's father-in-law

Walker, Richard. Four presentation copies from the author to his son: Dick Walker's Modern Fly Dressings, first edition, London: Ernest Benn Limited, 1980, inscribed and signed in blue ink on front free endpaper, 'To Tim Walker, always be sure your flies are in good order, Richard Walker', internally good and bright with spotting to endpapers, boards good and solid with one small bump and fading; Catching Fish, first edition, London: David & Charles, 1981, inscribed on ffep, 'To Tim with love and thanks, Dad, Richard Walker', clean and bright, cloth and dust-jacket well-preserved with very slight fading; Dick Walker's Trout Fishing, first edition, London: David & Charles, 1982, inscribed on ffep, 'To Tim, my son, Richard Walker, July 1982', internally clean and bright, cloth and dust-jacket well-preserved but dusty and slightly discoloured; Dick Walker's Coarse Fishing, first edition, Cambridge: Patrick Stephens, 1983, inscribed on ffep, 'To my son Tim with love and gratitude, Richard Walker', clean and bright, cloth well-preserved, dust-jacket good with slight fading (4)Provenance: By descent. Richard Walker was the vendor's father-in-law

Seven Pillars of Wisdom, by T E Lawrence, Jonathan Cape, third impression August 1935, together with The Eye of the Wind, by Peter Scott, Hodder & Stoughton, 1961 first edition, The Agony and the Ecstasy, by Irving Stone, Doubleday & Co, New York, 1961, first edition, signed and with a presentation inscription

Trumpets from Montparnasse, by Robert Gibbings, illustrated by the author, 1955 first edition, together with The Seasons and The Farmer, by F Fraser Darling, illustrated by C F Tunnicliffe, 1939 first edition, Through the Woods by H E Bates, illustrated by Agnes Miller Parker, published by Victor Gollancz 1936, Cheddar Gorge, Edited by John Squire, illustrated by E H Shepard, published Collins London, 1937 first edition, and Adam's Rib, by Robert Graves, published Trianon Press, 1955 first edition

A Blue Seed, by Ricko Nakagawa, illustrated by Yuriko Omura, published by Richard Sadler, 1965 first English edition, together with Lo Cheng, by Chiang Yee, published by Penguin, The Cat In The Hat Comes Back by Dr Seuss, Collins 1961 first UK edition, The Story of Lengthwise, by Ernestine Cobern Beyer, illustrated by Don Madden, Chatto, Boyd and Oliver, 1969 first UK edition, and Bennett Cerfs Book of Riddles, lustrated by Roy McKie, Collins and Harvill, 1962 first UK edition

Hotpoint first edition fridge / freezer

Dickens (Charles). A Christmas Carol, in Prose, Being a Ghost Story of Christmas, 1st edition, 1st issue, Chapman & Hall, 1843, half-title printed in blue, title-page printed in red and blue, verso printed in blue, 2-page publisher's advertisement at end, hand-coloured etched frontispiece and 3 plates by John Leech (all but frontispiece offset to text), 4 wood-engravings in the text by W.J. Linton after Leech, ownership signature of J.M. Henrett(?) dated 1843 at head of half-title, a little scattered spotting and finger-soiling, light green endpapers, all edges gilt, original reddish-brown fine-ribbed cloth with decorative blind border surrounding central gilt cartouche and lettering on upper cover, spine lettered and decorated in gilt, slightly rubbed and soiled, spine darkened and slight spine lean, spine ends discretely strengthened, 8vo (163 x 102mm)Qty: (1)Footnote: Eckel, p. 110; Smith II:4. First edition, first issue with 'Stave I' as the first chapter heading and no text changes. The binding conforms to William B. Todd's first impression, first issue with the closest interval between blind-stamping left margin and left extremity of wreath 14-15mm, and 'D' of 'Dickens' within wreath on front cover in perfect condition. (The Book Collector, Winter 1961, pp. 449-454.) A Christmas Carol was published on 19 December 1843, selling 6,000 copies in the few days before Christmas. Despite its enormous success it was a financial disaster for Dickens. It was a separate commission requested by him of his publishers Chapman and Hall, with Dickens insisting on a fine coloured binding and endpapers with gilt lettering. Although it went into seven editions by May 1844 almost all the profits were absorbed in the expenses of binding, special papers, coloured plates and advertising, and Dickens found himself overdrawn on his Coutts account, and had to ask his friend Mitton for another loan. Dickens had requested the title be printed in red and green with green endpapers to match, but he was disappointed with the appearance of the green printing. The title was subsequently printed in red and blue, the title-page date changed to 1843 (rather than the gift book convention of using the following year's date), and the green endpapers replaced with yellow. This first issue copy appropriately bears an ownership inscription dated 1843.

Shakespeare (William). The Plays of Shakespeare, 9 volumes, London: William Pickering, 1825, all edges gilt, original black morocco with gilt-blocked decoration, head & foot of spines of some volumes a little worn, 16mo in 8s (8 x 4.3cm)Qty: (9)Footnote: Bondy p.88. The first "diamond classic" in English is the superb 9-volume edition of Shakespeare's Plays which was also issued in 38 parts bound in printed wrappers. The parts are dated 1823 while the edition in cloth is dated 1825. The volumes measure 3 3/8 by 1 7/8 inches, the parts and a very small number of the bound sets are splendidly illustrated with 38 plates, most of them designed by Thomas Stothard. (Bondy)

Académie Universelle. Académie Universelle des Jeux; contenant les regles des jeux de cartes permis: celles du Billard, du Mail, du Trictrac, du Revertier, &c. &c. Avec des instructions faciles pour apprendre à les bien jouer, nouvelle edition, augmentée du Jeu des Echecs, par Philidor; du Jeu de Whist, par Edmond Hoyle, traduit de l'Anglois; du Jeu de Tre-sette; du Jeu de Domino, &c. &c. avec figures, 3 volumes, Amsterdam: D. J. Changuion & T. Van Harrevelt, 1786, titles printed in red and black, engraved frontispiece depicting various games being played, reverse with ownership signature of Lady Francis Osborne dated 1811, 5 folding engraved plates depicting card sequences in volume 1, volume 3 with 2 folding engraved plates depicting backgammon and chess pieces respectively, second volume with some marginal water-staining to first and final leaves, early 19th century half calf, rubbed, some splitting to joints and lifting of spines at ends (with a couple of small losses), upper cover of first volume near-detached, 8vo, together with another copy of the same work, volume 1 only (of 3), and: Ombre. Le Jeu de l'Hombre, Augmenté des Decisions Nouvelles sur les Difficultez et Incidens de ce Jeu, 2 parts in one, Paris: Pierre Ribou, 1709, engraved frontispiece by Jean Baptiste Bonnart depicting two men and a woman playing cards, separate title-page to second part, full-page illustrations of playing cards, largely toned, ownership inscription on title inked out, recent marbled sheep, gilt decorated spine with red leather label, 8vo, plus 2 others (Traité du Jeu de Whist, by Edmond Hoyle, new edition, The Hague: Frederic Staatman, 1765, modern boards, 8vo, and Académie Universelle des Jeux, new edition, 2 parts in one, Amsterdam, 1763, contemporary mottled calf gilt, 8voQty: (7)Footnote: Depaulis 131; Hargrave, p.412; Horr 43 (black title-page). First work with the ownership signature of Lady Francis Osborne dated 1811 in volume 1. Lady Osborne was Elizabeth Charlotte Eden (1780-1847), later wife of the politician Lord Francis Osborne, 1st Baron Godolphin.

[Alliette, Jean-Baptiste]. Manière de se Récréer avec le Jeu de Cartes Nommées Tarots. Pour servir de troisiéme [-quartrieme] Cahier à cet Ouvrage, par Etteilla, 1st edition, Amsterdam & Paris: Segault, Legras, 1783[-1785], comprising: the third cahier of Manière de se Récréer avec un Jeu de Cartes; the Supplement to the third cahir (title missing?); Fragment sur les Hautes Sciences; and the fourth cahier (without the Supplement), 7 engraved plates, including folding plate at rear titled 'Horloge Planetaire', 3 engraved diagrams mounted on letterpress, occasional early marginalia, some minor light toning and marks, intermittent worming to lower blank margin, bound with Jeu des Tarots, ou le Livre de Thot, ouvert à la Maniere des Égyptiens, Memphis [i.e. Paris, 1788], worming as before, edges untrimmed, contemporary blue wrappers, spine chipped with loss, slightly frayed to edges, 12moQty: (1)Footnote: The Manière was originally published as four cahiers in 1783, with supplements to each of the cahiers being added in 1785. The Fragment sur les Hautes Sciences, present here, and a fifth cahir designed to precede the others, titled Philosophie des Hauts Sciences ..., meant that the final work consisted of a total of 10 parts. All combinations of the parts are scarce. The frontispieces to Cahiers III and IV are of Temperance and Prudence, presumed to illustrate designs from the author's cartomantic tarot packs. French occultist Jean-Baptiste Alliette was one of the first to popularise tarot cards as a means of divination and to make a living from the same. His work, linking tarot cards to the mythical Egyptian Book of Thoth, was published hard on the heels of Court de Gébelin and Comte de Mellet's 1781 hypothesis linking tarot cards with Egyptian mysticism, Alliette arguing a claim of priority over the two authors whose work had beaten his to the press. Alliette's Jeu des Tarots, with the spurious imprint of Memphis, has been described as "no more than a prospectus for his professional services." (Dummett, The Game of Tarot, pp.107/8)

[Gibbs, Henry Hucks]. The Game of Ombre, London: printed for private circulation, 1874, half-title, 2 hand-coloured plates (including frontispiece), armorial bookplate of Samuel Chichester, Baron Carlingford (Irish MP), front free endpaper with ink inscription from the author 'Carlingford. From the Author May 1874 Henry Hucks Gibbs', top edges gilt, original green cloth gilt, 8vo, together with a second and a third edition of the same book, both in original cloth, privately printed, 1878 & 1902, 2nd edition inscribed on front free endpaper, 'Henry Lloyd Gibbs, Xmas 1878', and: Cadogan (Lady Adelaide). Illustrated Games of Patience, First & Second Series, 2 volumes, 5th and 1st edition respectively, London: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle, and Rivington, 1885/1887, coloured plates to each, decorative green and blue cloth respectively, lightly rubbed and marked, Second Series with faded spine, 4to, Steinmetz (Andrew). The Gaming Table: its Votaries and Victims, in all Times and Countries, especially in England and in France, 2 volumes, 1st edition, London: Tinsley Brothers, 1870, volume 1 with half-title, and with circular embossed library stamp on front free endpaper, scattered foxing (including to edges), front pastedowns with book ticket of John Standring, hinges split, and rear cover and spine of first volume detached at rear hinge, original blind-blocked red cloth, spines faded and slightly frayed at ends, 8vo, plus 4 others relatedQty: (9)Footnote: Gibbs: Jessel 637, 639 & 640: "a full and lucid description of this excellent game". The first edition ran to 200 copies, and the second to 100 copies. Cadogan: Jessel 205; Horr 253. Steinmetz: Jessel 1539; Horr 1223; Hargrave, p.388.

Hoyle (Edmond). Traité du Jeu de Whist. Traduit de l'Anglois d'Edmond Hoyle, Turin, Italy: Reycends & Guibert, 1765, woodcut device on title-page, woodcut head and tail-pieces and initial letters, final page with Imprimatur of François Antoine Mairesse, dated 24th November 1764, partly uncut, original star-patterned wrappers, lacking spine and with some staining, 8voQty: (1)Footnote: Depaulis 99. Believed to be the first edition of this translation; and the third translation into French of Hoyle's Short Treatise on the Game of Whist. The first French translation was published in Brussels in 1761.

[La Marinière, Denis de]. La Maison Academique contenant les Jeux du picquet, du Hoc, du Tric-Trac ... & autres jeux facessieux & divertissans, Paris: Estienne Loyson, 2nd edition, 1659, pp.[xii]+452 (i.e. 372 due to various mispaginations), integral engraved frontispiece (faint contemporary ownership signature in lower margin), woodcut initials and head and tail-pieces, ink stain to verso of title and recto of first leaf of the dedicatory letter, lacking front free endpaper, contemporary limp vellum with ink title to head of spine, lightly soiled, 12moQty: (1)Footnote: Depaulis 13 (with 318pp.); Hargrave, p.409; Horr 893. A rare early collection of rules and descriptions of games, including chess, billiards and card games, first published in 1654 under the title La maison académique, contenant un recueil ge?ne?ral de tous les jeux divertissans, and based, at least in part, on Charles Sorel's La Maison des Jeux, published in 1642. This second, enlarged and revised, edition includes a number of additional games, including an early account of culbas, the first of the European fishing games, but leaves out a section on Italian games found in the first edition (which was copied verbatim from Sorel). The name of La Marinière appears at the end of the dedicatory letter in the first edition only, and subsequent editions have most commonly been ascribed to him (see the Bodleian Library's entry for their copy of this edition).

Mortier (J.C.). A Bas Tous les Jeux, 1st edition, Paris: Pelletié, [1803?], signed by the author on leaf following title ("tout les exemplaires seront signés de l'auteur"), engraved frontispiece captioned "Frémissez! voila du joueur le sort inévitable!!" (toned, trimmed and slightly frayed to fore-margin), half-title discarded, title-page toned, staining and marks throughout, mainly to margins, untrimmed, a number of blank leaves bound in at rear, marbled endpapers, later 19th century brown half morocco gilt, by Townsend with his ink stamp to verso of front free endpaper, 8vo, together with: Collections des Jeux. Collection des Jeux de Société, nouvelle édition, revue, corrigée et acceptée par toutes les Académies de Paris, avec les décisions des meilleurs joueurs, sur les coups les plus difficiles, Paris: Aubry, [1800?], woodcut on title-page, tables on letterpress, first and final leaves foxed, leaf 9[i] with paper fault to lower outer corner (with loss of several letters), final leaf ('Table') with paper fault and consequent loss to lower blank margin, contemporary calf-backed speckled boards with vellum corners, gilt decorated spine with morocco label, 12mo in 6s, Académie Universelle. Académie Universelle des Jeux, contenant les Régles des Jeux de Quadrille, & Quintille, de l'Hombre à Trois, du Piquet, du Réversis, des Echecs, du Trictrac; & de tous les autres jeux. Avec des instructions faciles pour aprendre à les bien joüer, nouvelle edition, Paris: Theodore le Gras, 1739, woodcut on title-page, head and tail-pieces and initial letters, tables and illustrations on letterpress, a few minor marks, including ink stains on Aa8, marbled pastedowns, armorial bookplate of Cedercrantz, early ink annotations on front free endpaper, contemporary speckled calf, gilt decorated spine with morocco label, rubbed and a little scuffed in places, 12mo, plus 4 18th and 19th century booklets related, and a hollowed out early 19th century gilt decorated calf binding (with a number of leaves remaining), 4to, containing 2 decks of 20th century Crown playing cards and 2 bridge score books, armorial bookplate of Bibliotheca del Principe di TorellaQty: (8)Footnote: Rare: four copies only listed in WorldCat. The frontispiece provides a warning of the dangers of gambling, depicting a man shooting himself whilst at a gaming table, his fellow gamesters oblivious to his fate. This is the only edition of the second work that we have been able to identify; there are three copies located in WorldCat (Nevada, Leipzig and Oxford). The contents lists 21 games, including Piquet, Boston Whist, Roulette, Quinze, Dominoes and Billiards. Depaulis 147 gives the suggested date.

Ombre. Regole Generali per il Giuoco dell'Ombre, 1st edition, Florence: Si vende dal Dispensatore della Gazzetta Universale presso le Scalere di Badia, 1807, 31pp., foxed, contemporary cream wrappers, dusty and foxed, spine worn, 12mo, together with: Attributed to Antonio Rodrigues Veloso de Oliveira. Tratado do jogo do Voltarete, com as Leis Geraes do Jogo, 1st edition, Lisbon: Simão Thaddeo Ferreira, 1794, index leaves bound at rear, Ai a little soiled to lower margin, occasional foxing, red sprinkled edges, contemporary speckled sheep, some minor worming to spine (sometime consolidated with adhesive), corners showing, 8vo, Ombre. Le Jeu de l'Hombre. Comme on le Joue presentement à le Cour, & à Paris. Avec les Pertintailles. Enrichy de cartes figurées, qui représentent les jeux qui se joüent, cinquieme edition, Paris: Veuve de Claude Barbin, 1705, engraved illustrations of card hands on letterpress, without the engraved frontispiece by Antoine Clouzier (as Depaulis 43), some toning and foxing, especially to first and final leaves, untrimmed (corners curled), wrappers composed of a contemporary waste sheet with letterpress on recto and musical notation on verso, dusty and frayed, 8vo, plus 4 others related, including volume 2 only (of 2) of the 1765 Leclerc printing of Académie Universelle des Jeux, and Traite du Jeu de Whist, by Edmond Hoyle, Turin, 1765Qty: (7)Footnote: First item rare; only the Oxford and Newberry Library copies cited in WorldCat.

[Pisarri, Carlo]. Istruzioni Necessarie per chi Volesse Imparare il Giuoco Dilettevole delli Tarocchini di Bologna, 1st edition, Bologna: Ferdinando Pisarri, 1754, engraved vignette on title-page, engraved headpiece depicting a group of men and women playing cards, ink library stamp on verso of title covered with portion of paper, scattered foxing, B8 with long vertical tear and associated stain, paper repair at lower margin on recto slightly encroaching on engraved tail-piece (repair itself with short worm trail), front free endpaper glued to pastedown, lacking rear free endpaper, and lower hinge with paper repair, contemporary boards, sometime crudely rebacked with paper, spine torn, with adhesive tape repair and loss, 8vo, together with: Attributed to Antonio Rodrigues Veloso de Oliveira. Tratado do jogo do Voltarete, com as Leis Geraes do Jogo, 1st edition, Lisbon: Simão Thaddeo Ferreira, 1794, first few leaves lightly water-stained at head of gutter, without index leaves bound at rear, red sprinkled edges, contemporary mottled sheep, rubbed and with some ink marks, rear cover bowed and joint splitting, upper joint split at head, 8vo, Tarot. Regole Generali del Giuoco delle Minchiate, Con diverse istruzioni brevi, e facili per bene imparare a giuocarlo, Florence: Stamperìa Vanni e Tofani, 1781, scattered foxing, and some toning, contemporary cream wrappers, dust-soiled, ink markings on front cover, small 8voQty: (3)Footnote: Carlo Pisarri's work is one of the earliest books describing the Italian trick-taking Tarot card game of Bolognese Tarocchini, played with 62 cards.

[Préchac, Jean de]. La Noble Venitienne, ou La Bassette, Histoire Galante, Lyon: Thomas Amaulry, 1679, woodcut device on title-page, woodcut head and tail-pieces and initial letters, occasional toning or spotting, red sprinkled edges, contemporary speckled calf, gilt decorated rubbed, title 'Venitienne' written in black ink in an early hand at head of upper cover, 12moQty: (1)Footnote: An uncommon novelette centred around the notorious Italian gambling game of Basset, first published in Paris by Claude Barbin in the same year as this edition. A key to the work is included at the end, together with an 8-page account of how to play the game. Seymour, in his Court gamester of 1725 described Basset as a game fit only for kings, queens and noblemen "by reason of such great losses, or advantages, as may be possible on one side or another, during the time of play".

Wells (Carolyn). The Rubáiyát of Bridge. With illustrations by May Wilson Preston, 1st edition, New York and London: Harper & Brothers, 1909, printed in black and orange, full-page illustrations throughout, original green cloth (slightly marked), with colour illustration mounted on upper cover (dust-soiled and with a couple of faint stains), 8vo, together with: Silva (Henriques da). Tratado do Jôgo do Boston, com a História das Cartas de Jogar em prefácio de Egas Moniz, 1st edition, Lisbon: Editorial Ática, 1942, errata slip (offset to last page of index), numerous black & white and colour illustrations, many full-page, original printed wrappers detached, spine stained and toned, 4to, Bray (Jean). How to Play Mah Jong, second edition revised and much enlarged. With an added chapter on Special Bonus Scores and "Limit Hands", London and New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1924, half-title, numerous illustrations on letterpress, some full-page original green cloth gilt, dust-jacket, toned, with tear to lower portion of spine, 8vo, with folding colour Mah Jong score card loosely inserted, and 38 other early and later 20th century books relatedQty: (41)Footnote: The first item contains charming illustrations accompanying a poem about the game of Bridge: "Alas, how Subtle Bridge alluring Woos!/And robs me of my Nightly Beauty-Snooze./I often Wonder what Bridge Players gain/One-half so Precious as the Sleep they Lose."

Potter (Beatrix). The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck, London: Frederick Warne, circa 1912, colour illustrations throughout, one leaf with vertical crease to right-hand side, pictorial endpapers, front free endpaper rubbed with slight surface loss to fore-margin, inscribed on half-title and front and rear endpapers by Annie Maria Harris née Armitt, original green boards with inset rectangular panel to upper cover, spine faded, 16mo .Qty: (1)Footnote: Inscribed on the front free endpaper: 'Mary Mackenzie from Mrs. Stanford Harris, Rydal Cottage, August 1912' and with six stanzas of verse by Annie Harris née Armitt on the front free endpaper and rear endpapers, beginning 'In memory of Rydal/Where Mary lived awhile ...', initialled 'A.M.H' on both pastedowns; the half-title additionally inscribed 'I think Jemima Puddle/Was a very foolish duck;/She made a wretched muddle,/And scarce deserved her luck. A.M.H.' For the first edition of 1908 see Linder, p.427; Quinby 14. Annie Maria Armitt (1850-1933), one of three gifted and well-educated sisters, was a novelist, poet, short story writer, and essayist. Unusually for the time Mr Armitt wanted to give his talented daughters a first class education, but in 1867 this plan went awry when their father died suddenly leaving the trio facing severe financial difficulties. Undaunted however, together they opened a school in Eccles, Lancashire, which thrived, allowing them to travel and continue their own studies. In 1912 the youngest sister, Mary Louisa, founded The Armitt Library, now known as The Armitt, a museum, library and gallery, devoted to preserving and sharing the cultural heritage of the Lake District. Beatrix Potter was one of the Armitt’s earliest supporters, and the collection holds a number of her family’s books, her own first edition copies of her books, and a large number of botanical watercolours by her. Annie Armitt married Stanford Harris in 1877 and went to live near Hawkshead in the Lake District. In 1882 Mary and Sophia received a substantial legacy and in 1894 they moved to Rydal, where they lived with Annie, now widowed, for the rest of their lives. Here the sisters enjoyed socialising with a large circle of distinguished friends, including John Ruskin as well as Beatrix Potter.

Potter (Beatrix). The Tailor of Gloucester, 1st privately printed edition, [Strangeways], December 1902, colour frontispiece and fifteen colour plates, plain endpapers, original pink boards, upper cover with printed lettering and vignette of three mice sewing, rounded spine, very light discolouration to covers (generally in excellent condition), very light associated spotting to endpapers,16moQty: (1)Footnote: Provenance: Purchased from Henry Sotheran on 29 March 2000 (original invoice included). Linder p. 420; Quinby 3. Rare. Only 500 copies were printed. The story of the Tailor of Gloucester was first told in a letter from Beatrix to Freda Moore, daughter of her former governess, Annie Carter. Although Frederick Warne had taken up Beatrix's 'Bunny Book', as they referred to 'Peter Rabbit', and published it in October 1902, the author felt that they might not wish to publish a second book so soon, or that they might want to alter it too much. So she returned to Strangeways, the original printers of 'Peter Rabbit', and herself paid for a private edition of 500 copies to be printed. The book differs considerably in both text and illustration from Warne's later edition of 1903. Of all her books 'The Tailor of Gloucester' remained Beatrix Potter's own favourite. The text of this privately printed edition is substantially longer than in the published edition, as Frederick Warne insisted on cuts to the text. 'Evidently, with some regret, Beatrix Potter crossed through the eight or nine pages of text where she had described in detail how Simpkin wandered through the streets of Gloucester on the night of Christmas Eve, where all the animals were talking, and the carol singers were singing. This is the part of the story which contains the majority of her rhymes and verses - but Warnes had asked for 'cuts'!' (Linder, A History of the Writings of Beatrix Potter, (1971), page 117).

Rackham (Arthur, illustrator). The Tempest, by William Shakespeare, London: William Heinemann, New York: Doubleday: Page & Company, [1926], 20 tipped-in colour plates, letterpress lightly toned, original black cloth gilt, somewhat rubbed, rear cover with slight crease, 4to, together with: Volland (P.F. & Co., publisher), Mother Goose, arranged and edited by Eulalie Osgood Grover, illustrated by Frederick Richardson, first Volland edition, [1915], full-page colour illustrations throughout, spotting at front and to some blank margins, one leaf with small loss to outer blank corner, pictorial endpapers, original blue cloth, some fading and pale spotting, front cover with pictorial inset panel and gilt lettering, contained in recent slipcase, with original large illustrated paper label relaid to front panel, slim folio, plus: Goble (Warwick, illustrator), Stories from the Pentamerone, by Giambattista Basile, London: Macmillan, 1911, 32 colour plates (including frontispiece), with captioned tissue guards, a few minor spots at rear, stitching somewhat strained, front hinge cracked, original red cloth gilt, a little rubbed, front cover with small mark near spine, spine a trifle faded with ends frayed, 4to, 4 others similar, including Idylls of the King, by Alfred Lord Tennyson, illustrated by Eleanor Fortescue BrickdaleQty: (7)

Potter (Beatrix). The Tale of Mr. Tod, 1st edition, London: Warne, 1912, first or second printing, half-title inscribed by author 'For Lizzie Airey in "Mr. Tod's" kitchen with love from Miss Potter Oct. 17th 12', colour frontispiece, 14 colour illustrations, numerous black & white illustrations in letterpress, scarce spotting, small surface abrasion to p.7 affecting title verso facing, pictorial endpapers, stitching strained, rear joint cracked before endpapers, original grey boards, pictorial colour panel inset to front cover (with small surface abrasion), light spotting to rear cover, front corners somewhat bumped, lightly sunned spine with short split to foot of front joint, 16moQty: (1)Footnote: Provenance: Lizzie Airey, thence by descent; sold Sotheby's, English Literature & History, July 12 2007, lot 269. Linder p.429; Quinby 21. The kitchen of the 17th century Sun Inn in Hawkshead was the inspiration for Mr. Tod's kitchen, and Lizzie Airey was the landlord's daughter. According to notes accompanying this item, Willow Taylor, author of Through the Pages of My Life: And My Encounters with Beatrix Potter, and who grew up in Sawrey when Beatrix Potter was still alive, recalled the landlord of The Sun as being "short and corpulent. His wife was little and thin." She also described how Lizzie's two brothers Jim and Fred ran a local 'hail and ride' bus service between Ambleside and the Ferry before the Second World War. Presentation copies inscribed by Beatrix Potter in the year of publication are rare.

Potter (Beatrix). The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck, 1st edition, London: Warne, 1908, front free endpaper inscribed by author 'for Miss Hammond with love from Beatrix Potter Sept 30th 08', half-title, colour frontispiece, 26 colour illustrations, scarce light finger-soiling, pictorial endpapers, front hinge cracked, stitching a little strained, original grey boards, extremities minimally rubbed, loss at foot of spine, 16moQty: (1)Footnote: Linder p.427; Quinby 14. Miss Flora ('Florrie') Hammond was Beatrix Potter's first (and apparently favourite) governess, hired when her younger brother Walter Bertram was born. Miss Hammond taught Beatrix reading, writing and arithmetic, and also painting and drawing, recognising Beatrix's artistic potential and encouraging the young girl to explore the world around her. It was Miss Hammond who suggested to Mr. and Mrs. Potter that an art tutor was hired to give their daughter formal drawing and painting lessons. After leaving the family, Beatrix and Miss Hammond continued to correspond and occasionally Beatrix visited her old governess. Presentation copies inscribed by Beatrix Potter in the year of publication are rare.

Potter (Beatrix). The Tailor of Gloucester, 1st edition, deluxe issue, London: Warne, 1903, first printing with date on title and single-page endpaper recurring 4 times, colour frontispiece depicting a mouse reading 'The Tailor and Cutter' sitting on a spool of red silk, 26 colour illustrations, scarce light finger-soiling, pp.84-85 gutter with remnants of (unrelated) adhered paper, pictorial endpapers, stitching strained, original art fabric flower patterned boards (slightly soiled), front cover (a little bowed) with gilt-lettered labels, spine and front cover somewhat faded, short split to cloth at foot of spine, 16moQty: (1)Footnote: Linder p.423; Quinby 4. The frontispiece in this example is the illustration that appears on the front cover of the standard copies, considered the rarer of the two frontispieces used for the deluxe copies. Only two of Beatrix Potter's works were bound in this style: this title and Squirrel Nutkin. The author went to great trouble to find a suitable cloth in which to bind her books, obtaining numerous samples from her grandfather's firm, Edmund Potter & Co. of Dinting Vale, Manchester, one of the largest calico printers in Europe. After much deliberation Beatrix Potter chanced upon a small packet of samples which she had overlooked, writing to the Warnes, "they are rather quaint, especially one like pansies". This was the pattern settled upon, and the author referred to the two books as "bound in flowered lavender chintz, very pretty." (Linder, pp.138-140).

Potter (Beatrix). Appley Dapply's Nursery Rhymes, 1st edition, London: Warne, [1917], first or second printing, half-title inscribed by author 'For Esther Nicholson with love from Aunt Beatrix Nov 12. 17', colour frontispiece, 14 colour illustrations, toned letterpress with some soiling, p.8 illustration creased, pictorial endpapers with some creasing, rear free endpaper with some surface abrasion to upper blank margin, hinges renewed, original olive-green boards, rebacked, with original spine relaid, pictorial colour panel inset to front cover, some marks and stains, 16moQty: (1)Footnote: Provenance: sold Sotheby's, English Literature, History, Children's Books and Illustrations, July 10 2012, lot 165 (with one other related item). Linder p.430; Quinby 23. Esther Nicholson was one of William Heelis’s nieces. According to Judy Taylor (Beatrix Potter's Letters, p.380), "in 1915 Beatrix took on the financial responsibility for Esther’s education and over the ensuing years encouraged and supported her in her studies". Esther died in the early 1980s. Presentation copies inscribed by Beatrix Potter in the year of publication are rare.

Potter (Beatrix). The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse, 1st edition, London: Warne, [1918], with 'London' printed correctly on the title-page, but also p.39 with quotes before first line, half-title inscribed by author 'For Robin Crossley from Mrs Heelis (Beatrix Potter) Hill Top Farm Sawrey Sept 12th 1923', the inscription continuing below half-title 'In remembrance of Tom Kitten's house', colour frontispiece, 26 colour illustrations, occasional generally minor finger-soiling or marks, one text leaf with short closed edge tear, a couple of faint creases, pictorial endpapers, hinges repaired, original brown boards, rebacked, with part of original spine relaid, pictorial colour panel inset to front cover (lightly soiled), some stains to rear cover, 16moQty: (1)Footnote: Provenance: sold 1818 Auctioneers, Catalogued Specialist Auction, October 3 2016, lot 496. Linder p.430; Quinby 25. Although Linder notes that the first printed copies had the letter 'N' missing from the London imprint, copies are known to exist with 'London' printed correctly that have an inscription dated 1918. Robin Crossley was possibly related to George Crossley, who became William Heelis's clerk at the age of 16.

Potter (Beatrix). The Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit, 1st edition, London & New York: Warne, [1906], first issue, 14 colour plates and 14 leaves of text bound concertina-style, somewhat creased and rubbed, occasional generally minor marks, one 'page' with short edge tear and associated chip at head, wallet lining paper somewhat toned, with some wear to folds, original wallet form grey-green cloth, lettered and blocked in dark green, with rectangular pictorial panel to upper cover, a trifle rubbed and soiled, slight fraying to extremities, tab closure verso cracked, tab slit lacking lip (torn away), 16mo, together with: The Story of Miss Moppet, 1st edition, London & New York: Warne, [1906], first issue, 14 colour plates and 14 leaves of text bound concertina-style, somewhat rubbed and soiled, several 'pages' creased, one 'page' with surface loss to upper corner, edges and first & last versos spotted, wallet lining paper with some wear to folds, original wallet form grey cloth, lettered and blocked in dark blue, with oval pictorial panel to upper cover (small area of abrasion centrally), somewhat soiled and rubbed, slight fraying to fold ends, tab closure verso cracked, cloth surrounding slit for the tab split on each side with a little fraying, 16mo, plus: The Tale of Tom Kitten, 1st edition, London: Warne, 1907, colour frontispiece, 26 colour illustrations, some finger-soiling and minor marks, few pages with small abraded areas to blank margins, one leaf with single long crease, pictorial endpapers, stitching strained, original grey-green boards, colour pictorial panel inset to front cover (a trifle dust-soiled), lightly marked (mainly to rear cover), extremities worn, rear joint cracking, 16mo, with: The Pie and the Patty-Pan, 1st edition, London: Warne, 1905, first printing, colour frontispiece, 9 full-page colour illustrations, black & white illustrations to text, occasional finger-soiling and light spotting, some toning to mottled lavender endpapers, front pastedown with contemporary ink ownership inscription, stitching showing but firm, original blue-grey boards, front cover with circular inset panel depicting a cat, slightly soiled, extremities rubbed, toned spine with short split at foot of rear joint, rear cover with slight surface loss to lower outer corner, small 4to, and 16 other Beatrix Potter books, including 5 first editions and 3 first US editionsQty: (20)Footnote: Miss Moppet and Fierce Bad Rabbit: Linder p.426; Quinby 11 & 12 respectively. According to Linder, these are believed to be the first issues, printed in November 1906, as the imprint lists London before New York. The additional first editions comprise: The Tale of Pigling Bland, Cecily Parsley's Nursey Rhymes (with correct endpapers), The Tale of Two Bad Mice, The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher, & The Tale of Benjamin Bunny (the last 3 defective). The first US editions comprise: The Roly-Poly Pudding, Little Pig Robinson, & The Fairy Caravan.

Potter (Beatrix). The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes, 1st edition, London: Warne, 1911, first or second printing, colour frontispiece, 26 colour illustrations (2 with a short closed edge tear), half-title with early ink inscription 'Molly with love & best wishes from Mother', a few leaves with some soiling to lower margins, pictorial endpapers, stitching a little strained, original brown boards, front cover with inset pictorial panel, extremities somewhat rubbed, spine ends slightly frayed, a couple of minor marks to rear cover, 16moQty: (1)Footnote: Linder p.429; Quinby 20.