1. Holme, Randle [Randle Holme III (1627–1700)] / [Provenance: Thomas Pennant].

The Academy of Armory, or, A Storehouse of Armory and Blazon. Containing the several variety of Created Beings, and how born in Coats of Arms, both Foreign and Domestick. With the instruments used in all Trades and Sciences, together with their Terms of Art. Also the Etymologies, Definitions, and Historical Observations on the same, explicated and explained according to our modern Language. Very usefel [sic] for all Gentlemen, Scholars, Divines, and all such as Desire any Knowledge in Arts and Sciences. By Randle Holme, of the City of Chester, Gentleman Sewer in Extraordinary to his late Majesty King Charles 2. And sometimes Deputy for the Kings of Arms. [With 48 Plates, showing hundreds of symbols].

First Edition. Chester, Printed for the Author, 1688. Folio (24 cm x 35 cm). Pagination: Engraved Titlepage by P. Edwards, Printed Titlepage, [10 unnumbered], [Book I]: 107, [9 unnumbered] pages / Book II: [1], 488 pages / Book III: [1], 501, [1 unnumbered] pages / Plus [Bound with the rare Index]: “Index of the Names of Persons contained in the Academy of Armory and Blazon by Randle Holme. Printed at Chester in One Volume, Folio, 1688”. London, McMillan / Robert Triphook, 1821. Pagination: [1], 46 pages. Hardcover / Modern Masterbinding with original endpapers bound in, bearing all the original ExLibris of previous owners. Stunning, modern half-leather with marbled-paper-covered Boards and gilt lettering on spine. All edges in original gilt. In protective Mylar. Provenance: From the library of welsh naturalist Thomas Pennant. Historically inherited from Thomas Pennant’s father, David Pennant of Bighton, who received it as gift from Randle Holme. Very good condition with only minor signs of wear. See original, tipped-in, sales-note from AUctioneer “Henry Young and Sons Ltd.”. See also extensive images on our company’s web site. An extremely rare book, purchased as Duplicate from the Historical Library of the Athenaeum in Liverpool, with an ExLibris of the “Public Libraries of Liverpool” decommissioned from the “Historic Society of Lancashire & Cheshire”, formerly presented with an original ExLibris from “Jacob Kendrick of Warrington” (with his original ExLibris). Titlepage by Edwards cropped and pasted on stronger paper. Original titlepage cropped and pasted on normal paper (these two defects were already indentified by auctioneer Henry Young & Sons” and are clear markers of this being the original Randle Holme-Pennant-copy. Contents-page slightly frayed only. Corner of one page in the contents section torn. An extremely scarce publication, especially with the addition of the later published Index of Names. Interior in excellent condition.

2. Dickens, Charles.

Collection of six First Editions, all bound uniformely around 1850 and all in their original state. A stunning set with nearly all of the books in their First state of First Edition printing and with all plates complete. The collection includes: Bleak House / Little Dorrit / Nicholas Nickleby / Martin Chuzzlewit / Dombey and Son / David Copperfield. A very rare occasion in which a contemporary 19th-century lover of Dickens’ Literature had all Novels in their first edition bound to his/her liking. The mid-19th-century bindings beautiful in their simplicity and uniform style.

London, Chapman and Hall, 1839 – 1857. Octavo. Hardcover / Mid-19th-century Half-Leather with gilt lettering on spine. Original marbled endpapers. Very good condition with only few layers and illustrations loosened and the usual tanning to the illustrations. Very good condition with only minor signs of wear. [The David Copperfield Volume has a defect (see detailed description below)]. Perfect collection of first editions to start a Dickens-Collection in contemporary, 19th-century bindings.

3. Florence / Pisa – Carocci, G. et al.

Collection of six stunning, early 19th-century gouache-aquatints of Florence and Pisa including a rare segment showing a Funerary Procession in front of Giotto’s Campanile, part of the complex of buildings that make up Florence Cathedral on the Piazza del Duomo in Florence, Italy. These very able and fantastically hand-coloured, original artworks, represent the peak of high-quality souvenirs for the European Traveller on their Grand Tour. [Loggia dei Lanzi / Cattedrale di Firenze / Piazza S. Trinita / Campanile Della Cattedrale di Firenze / Ponte S. Trinita / Campanile Di Pisa].

Original Aquatint (hand-applied water-colouring over copper engraving). Florence / Pisa, [c.1820]. Plate Sizes vary: 31 cm x 22.1 cm. Sheet Sizes vary: 34.6 cm x 26.5 cm. Original Gouache-Aquatint (hand-applied water-colouring over copper engraving). Florence/Pisa, [c.1820]. Plate-Sizes vary: c. 31 cm x 22.1 cm. Sheet Sizes vary: c. 34.6 cm x 26.5 cm. Besides some smaller damages to the Ponte S. Trinita-artwork in very good, actually stunning, condition. Clean, crisp and brightly coloured. All of these artworks are beautifully framed and the price includes worldwide free shipping per UPS – courier.

4. Ligon, Richard.

A True and Exact History of the Island of Barbadoes [sic] / [Barbados]. Illustrated with a Map of the Island [missing], as also the Principal Trees and Plants there, set forth in their due Proportions and Shapes, drawn out by their several and respective Scales. Together with the Ingenio that makes the Sugar, with the Plots of the several Houses, Rooms, and other places, that are used in the whole process of Sugar-making; viz. the Grinding-house, Still-house, and Furnaces; All cut in Copper.

[Second Edition]. London, Printed, and are to be sold by Peter Parker, at his Shop at the Leg and Star over against the Royal Exchange, and Thomas Guy at the corner Shop of Little Lumbard-street and Cornhill, 1673. Small-Folio (19 cm x 29 cm). [II], 122 pages plus an unnumbered Index-page (bound, according to instructions for the bookbinder after page 84), lacking the Fold-out-Map of Barbados but including all six illustrations of Plants, as well as the three diagrams of Houses and Production-Rooms for Sugar. 19th-century Hardcover (half-leather with gilt lettering on spine). Condition of Binding: Very good condition with only minor signs of wear to the binding / Condition of bookblock: Original, front free endpaper was preserved and bound in. Rear endpaper missing. The original endpaper includes two historical ownership-signatures in ink (c.17th or early 18th century) as well as several annotations in ink and pencil. The previous owners seem to have been one Richard Gardner and there is an additional notation verso which reads: “E[x] Libris Richmondi Garnays [or Garneys]”. Some ink-annotations or corrections throughout the book. Signs of old bookworm – damage and very few abrasions due to fire-sparks (few pages effected only). Some plates with professional repairs, some tears. Some professional paper-repairs and re-enforcements to title-page and Content-Page. All the described flaws sound worse than they really appear. All plant-plates in strong impresion. A scarce publication ! From the library of Rev. William Andrew Lamb, Kilcoleman Park, County Cork.

5. Congo / Kongo – Leopold II of Belgium (1835-1909) – King of the Belgians and Owner / Absolute Ruler of the Congo Free State from 1885 to 1908.

Collection of four very important and meaningful manuscript letters by Leopold II to his administrator and Foreign Minister of the Congo – Free-State, Baron Adolphe de Cuvelier (1860-1931) with a total of 16 pages filled with Leopold’s instructions on pressing issues regarding a warning about an imminent visit by the Rector of the Mill-Hill Missionaries [probably Herbert Alfred Henry Vaughan (1832 – 1903)] and Leopold’s qualification of the visit of being detrimental to the Congo Free State (″ne travaillent pas pour l’État”). Leopold continues in another letter to talk about the hostile positions of english officials (consuls) and missionaries (″que les consuls anglais et les missionnaires anglais se conduisent bien mal envers l’État”). Interestingly, Leopold also touches on the nuisance of the german press criticizing Belgian Railway Lines and he is of the opinion that this is all happening in order to force the german parliament [″Reichstag”] to finance the building of the Tanganyika Railway [between Dar es Salaam and Kigoma]: (″cherche à effrayer l’opinion [en] Allemagne à propos de mes chemins de fer afin d’obtenir du Reichstag des fonds pour la ligne allemande vers le Tanganika”.

16 pages of MLS, Manuscript Letters (signed) on 10 leaves of Leopold’s official stationery “Château de Laeken” and “Palais de Bruxelles”. Laeken / Brussels, Château de Laeken [Palace of Laeken], 1901 – 1906. The leaves with different sizes (13,5 cm x 9 cm) and (18 cm x 11,5 cm). Excellent condition. Unsigned. Tremendously rare to find original letters by Leopold II on the open market in which the Colonial Free State and the protection against inquisitive visitors is discussed in such clear and instructive fashion. Leopold’s correspondence with Adolphe de Cuvelier shows how he is very much trying to still protect and influence the narrative of his Colonial Slavery Outpost even in the final years of his life.

6. [Lloyd, Sampson / Lloyds Bank / Lloyds of Birmingham] Sewel, William.

History of the Rise, Increase, and Progress Of the Christian People called Quakers, Intermixed with Several Remarkable Occurences. [Provenance: Personal copy of the Brimingham Quaker – Family of Sampson Lloyd, iron manufacturers and founders of Lloyds Bank in England and Wales]. Written Originally in Low-Dutch by William Sewel, and by himself Translated into English. Now Revis’d and Publish’d, with some Amendments.

First English-language edition, following the low Dutch edition of 1717. London, Printed and Sold by Assigns of J.Sowle, at the Bible in George-Yard, Lomabrd -street, 1722. Folio (21 cm x 31 cm). [12], 723, [19] pages (including a thorough Index), plus 4 unnumbered pages of a catalogue of “Books Printed and Sold by the Assigns of J. Sowles”. Hardcover / Original, late 18th century leather with original spine-label and ornament to boards. Six raised bands; spine starting but still firm and holding. Overall very good condition. Bookplate / Exlibris of Arthur Hofmann to pastedown. Excellent and interesting provenance this being one of the most important publications on Quaker – History and originating from one of the oldest and most influential Quaker – Families in England and Wales.

7. [John Minihan Collection] – Minihan, John / Heaney, Seamus.

Original photograph of Seamus Heaney at his 70th birthday in his home in Dublin, in the year 2009 / Titled and Signed by John Minihan in 2014 / The vintage photograph is here framed together with the original commemoration Stamp and signed First Day Cover of Anpost [The photograph was used as a Template for the creation of the Anpost Stamp in 2014].

Vintage Photograph on archival paper / Vintage First Day Cover with extra signature by John Minihan. Dublin, 2014. Image of the Photograph: 16 cm x 24 cm / First Day Cover: 18 cm x 12 cm. Overall Framed Size: 79 cm wide x 53,5 cm high. From the personal library of irish photographer John Minihan. Titled and signed by John Minihan. Beautifully framed (see multiple images on our website). Our company knows of an edition of four photographs and signed First Day Covers, which we bought from John Minihan in 2014 and which he signed in 2014. Later, signed First Day Covers are circulating and we have some of those in our archive for sale. But since John Minihan has sold the rights to most of his iconic images to UCC in Cork, none of the photographs are reprinted by the photographer and that makes this combination of the signed Seamus Heaney photograph, combined with the First Day Cover, signed actually on August 28th of 2014, very scarce. We have an edition of 3 (three) left. One is part of the “John Minihan Photography Collection”, which we are selling on our website (see under “Libraries & Collections”) and two are for sale on the free international market. The here offered, beautifully framed version, is one of these two. The price includes free shipping as a framed version within Ireland / The price includes free international shipping per UPS Courier but only unframed (we pay for framing in your home-country) !

8. Raleigh, Sir Walter.

Sammelband of Writings by Sir Walter Raleigh: Remains of Sir Walter Raleigh : Maxims of State – Advice to his Son : His Son’s Advice to his Father. His Sceptick. Observations concerning the Causes of the Magnificiency and Opulency of Cities. [Separate Titlepage: Sir Walter Raleigh’s Observations touching Trade and Commerce with the Hollander and other Nations; proving that our Sea and Land Commodities inrich and strengthen other Countries against our own. With other Passages of High Concernment – London, Printed for Henry Mortlock at the Phoenix, 1702]. His Letters to divers Persons of Quality. [Separate Titlepage: The Prerogative of Parliaments in England, proved in a Dialogue between a Counsellor of State and a Justice of Peace. London, Printed for Henry Mortlock at the Phoenix, 1702]. With the Addition of some Letters never Printed before.

First Edition. London, Printed for W.Mears, F.Clay and D.Browne, without Temple-Bar, 1702-1726. 9 cm x 16 cm. Frontispiece, [3], 342 pages. Hardcover / Modern half-leather with gilt lettering on spine and paper-covered boards. Restored and recently bound to contemporary, early 18th-century-style by an english masterbinder. Very good condition with only minor signs of external wear. The Frontispiece restored and draped to modern paper. Interior clean and in excellent condition. Extremely scarce publication from the library of Daniel Conner (Connerville / Manch House), even though there is no sign of it like a bookplate etc.

9. Pomet, Pierre.

Der aufrichtige Materialist und Specery-Händler oder Haupt- und allgemeine Beschreibung derer Specereyen und Materialien: Worinnen in dreyen Classen, der Kräuter, Thiere und Materialien, alles, womit die Physica, Chymia, Pharmacia und andere pflegen umzugehen, enthalten ist. [First german Edition of “A compleat History of Druggs [sic] Drugs / Published originally in the year 1694 in French as “Histoire Generale des Drogues” by Monsieur Pomet, chief druggist to the present French king” / A masterful and early work which does not only function as a Herbal but also curiously shows the History and benefits of animals like the Camel (with illustrations of a Camel), depicts the scenes of Whaling, Whale Slaughter and the benefits of whale oil etc.]. Mit 67 Kupfertafeln.

Erste deutsche Ausgabe / First German Edition. Leipzig, Gleditsch & Weidmann, 1717. Folio (22 cm x 34 cm). [7], 902 (recte 904) Spalten / Columns, [16]. With 67 copper-plates. Original Hardcover / Vellum. Berieben und etwas bestossen, innen etwas gebraeunt. / Very good condition with some rubbing and discoloration (corners slightly bumped only). First German edition. Browning and foxing throughout, title at outer margin cut to the edge and with old manuscript entry, front inner hinge somewhat loose. Bound in contemporary vellum, rubbed, worn and with scratches. Lacking the endpaper.

10. Meijer, Bernhard / Leche, V. / Nyström, J.F. / Warburg, K. / Westrin, J.T.

Nordisk Familjebok. [Uggleupplagan / Owl Edition with Art Nouveau Binding] – Konversationslexikon och Realencyklopedi. Ny, reviderad och rikt illustrerad Upplaga.

33 Volumes plus 5 Volumes Supplement (38 Volumes in Total). Stockholm, Nordisk Familjebok Förlags Aktiebolag, 1904-1926. Large Octavo. c. 45000 columns with illustrations, photographs and also wonderful colour-illustrations. Original Hardcover in the rare art-nouveau owl-binding. Very good condition with only minor signs of external wear. Volumes 1 – 37 in excellent condition with some minor injury to one upper hinge only. Some very few Volumes with some staining to the boards but the interior all very clean and fresh. Volume 5 of the Supplements (Volume 38 overall) needs to be repaired by a bookbinder (Spine broken). The price for this set includes free international shipping with DHL Express Courier ! (4-6 days delivery).