English History – Rare (157 items)

Vere Foster, "Presentation Copy of "The Two Duchesses" with Autograph / Manuscript-Letter

67. Foster, Vere [Henry Louis / Lewis] / [Emily Albinia “Alba” Foster] / [Georgiana Duchess of Devonshire / Elizabeth, Duchess of Devonshire].

Amazing Vere Foster-Collection including Educational Materials and as a centerpiece the “Presentation Copy of “The Two Duchesses” with Autograph / Manuscript – Letter by Vere Foster to his niece, Emily Albinia “Alba” Foster. With a stunning, unpublished, two-page-letter, revealing several important details about the immediately favorable reviews and reception of the book [″in the Daily Telegraph”] and Vere Foster’s disdain about some criticism from one J.Donohue [which led to an alteration in the second edition of the book]. Vere Foster is also expecting a review to appear in the “Athenaeum” but reports “the Athenaeum has nothing yet”. Vere Foster apologizes to his niece for the delay in sending the book and explains that he had left 12 “parcels″£ with Blackie’s agent and gave instructions to send them but a few days later found they had been “untouched”. / The Two Duchesses – Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire / Elizabeth, Duchess of Devonshire – Family Correspondence of and Relating to Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire / Elizabeth, Duchess of Devonshire, Earl of Bristol (Bishop of Derby), The Countess of Bristol, Lord and Lady Byron, The Earl of Aberdeen, Sir Augustus Foster Bart, and Others, 1777-1859. [See Full list of items which are part of this collection, on our website under the topic “Libraries & Collections”].

First Edition. London / Glasgow and Dublin, Blackie & Son Limited, 1898. Octavo (15 cm x 22 cm). Pagination: Frontispiece, IX, [3], 497 pages with 18 Illustrations (including frontispiece and one Vignette of the two Duchesses opposite page 1). Hardcover / Original, publisher’s green cloth with gilt lettering on spine. Very good condition with some minor signs of wear only. This is an astonishing find for the Vere Foster Research Community and the letter gives significant insight into the importance the publication had for him, its reception as seen by Vere Foster and it solves the riddle why an altertaion was necessary for the second edition [which Vere Foster explains in a brief note to the reader at the beginning of the second edition]. The heartfelt inscription to his niece Albinia Foster is also of great importance and to our knowledge the only presentation-copy of this book on the international market for the several decades we can look back at auction records.

EUR 4.800,-- 

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Vere Foster, Publisher's original "Private Library" - Correction-Copy of "The Two Duchesses"

68. Foster, Vere [Henry Louis / Lewis] / [Georgiana Duchess of Devonshire / Elizabeth, Duchess of Devonshire] / [Publisher Blackie & Son – Publishing House in Glasgow].

Publisher’s original “Private Library” – Correction-Copy of “The Two Duchesses”, for the “Second Edition”, with necessary alterations and wishes for changes marked by the corrector / publisher in pencil. Comparisons between pages allow to see the changes in effect if one compares the first and second edition. [A sensational find] / Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire / Elizabeth, Duchess of Devonshire – Family Correspondence of and Relating to Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire / Elizabeth, Duchess of Devonshire, Earl of Bristol (Bishop of Derby), The Countess of Bristol, Lord and Lady Byron, The Earl of Aberdeen, Sir Augustus Foster Bart, and Others, 1777-1859. First Edition. With 17 illustrations.

London / Glasgow and Dublin, Blackie & Son Limited, 1898. Octavo (16 cm x 22,5 cm). XII, 497 pages with 16 full-page-illustrations and one small vignette, showing the Two Duchesses in cordial embrace. Hardcover / Original, green publisher’s cloth with gilt lettering and ornament to spine and armorial supralibro to cover with the Motto of the “British chivalric Order of the Garter”: “Honi soit qui mal y pense” [″shame on anyone who thinks evil of it”]. Excellent, very clean binding. Very good condition with some minor signs of wear only. “Publisher’s Copy” with the publisher’s library sticker and bookplate to pastedown: “Blackie & Son Limited – Private Library – Case Kd – Shelf 5” – Exlibris of Blackie & Son below the library-sticker.

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Vere Foster, The Two Duchesses - Presentation copy with important manuscript letter [signed and inscribed]

69. Foster, Vere [Henry Louis / Lewis] / [Georgiana Duchess of Devonshire / Elizabeth, Duchess of Devonshire].

The Two Duchesses – Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire / Elizabeth, Duchess of Devonshire – Family Correspondence of and Relating to Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire / Elizabeth, Duchess of Devonshire, Earl of Bristol (Bishop of Derby), The Countess of Bristol, Lord and Lady Byron, The Earl of Aberdeen, Sir Augustus Foster Bart, and Others, 1777-1859. First Edition. With 17 illustrations.

London / Glasgow and Dublin, Blackie & Son Limited, 1898. Octavo (16 cm x 22,5 cm). XII, 497 pages with 16 full-page-illustrations and one small vignette, showing the Two Duchesses in cordial embrace. Hardcover / Original, green publisher’s cloth with gilt lettering and ornament to spine and armorial supralibro to cover with the Motto of the “British chivalric Order of the Garter”: “Honi soit qui mal y pense” [″shame on anyone who thinks evil of it”]. Very good condition with some minor signs of wear only. “Presentation Copy of “The Two Duchesses” with Autograph / Manuscript – Letter by Vere Foster to his niece, Emily Albinia “Alba” Foster. With a stunning, unpublished, two-page manuscript letter, revealing several important details about the immediately favorable reviews and reception of the book “Two Duchesses” [″in the Daily Telegraph”] and Vere Foster’s disdain about some criticism from one J.Donohue [which led to an alteration in the second edition of the book]. Vere Foster is also expecting a review to appear in the “Athenaeum” but reports: “the Athenaeum has nothing yet”. Vere Foster apologizes to his niece for the delay in sending the book and explains that he had left 12 “parcels” with Blackie’s agent and gave instructions to send them, but a few days later found they had been “untouched”. One of the most important finds of Vere Foster – Material in recent years with no sign of similar material on offer in the past years on the international market.

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Gilpin / Castle Freke Library - Observations Relative Chiefly to Picturesque Beauty, Made in the Year 1776

77. Gilpin, William. [Castle-Freke Library Bookplates]

Collection of four Volumes (bound in two) by Gilpin – All from the historical library at Castle Freke (Castlefreke, West Cork / Ireland). The Volumes include: I. & II. Observations Relative Chiefly to Picturesque Beauty, Made in the Year 1776, on Several Parts of Great Britain; particularly the High-Lands of Scotland. [Second Edition, with an “Account of the Prints” bound to the rear] / III. Observations on the River Wye and several Parts of South Wales &c. relative chiefly to Picturesque Beauty; Made in the summer of the Year 1770 (Third Edition). / IV. An Essay on Prints – [″The chief intention of the following work was to put the elegant amusement of collecting prints, on a more rational footing; by giving the unexperienced collector a few principles and cautions to assist him”] (Fourth Edition with the printed dedication “To the Honorable Horace Walpole in Deference to his Taste in the Polite Arts; and the Valuable Researches he has made to improve them; the following work is inscribed by his most obedient and very humble servant, William Gilpin”). [Volumes I & II with 40 original illustrations and vintage 18th century maps [correctly 39 illustrations and one table], for example of Loch Lomond and the Firth of Forth/ all illustrations are vintage mezzotint-plates].

Mixed Editions. Four Volumes (bound in two). London, Printed for R. Blamire, Strand, 1792. Octavo. Pagination: Volume I: XI, [1], 221 pages with 24 mezzotints / Volume II: 195, XVI pages with 16 mezzotints and an “Account of the Prints” as well as “Translations of Latin Passages” / [Volume III]: [River Wye]: XVI, 152 pages with 16 (of 17) full – page mezzotints / [Volume IV]: [An Essay on Prints]: XIII, [3], 174 pages plus XI pages Index and 1 page Errata. Hardcover / Early 19th century quarter – morocco with gilt lettering and ornament on spine. Both volumes bound in unison. Very good + condition with only minor signs of external wear. Pages 185 – 191 of Volume I with some stronger browning. Otherwise the interior very clean. All mezzotints in very good or even better condition. This is the original copy from the historical Castle-Freke Library in West Cork (Ireland), with two armorial bookplates to front and rear pastedown with the family’s motto ‘Pro Patria’. With two pages of manuscript annotations by a contemporary hand with a reference between the common name “Tarbet” in Scotland and a place-name in County Kerry in Ireland” (pages 13 of Volume II) / another entry is on page 12 of Volume II regarding the name-sake “Loch-Loung” for a Lake of ships in Scotland and Ireland.

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Luke Hansard, The Imperial Review ; or London and Dublin [Edinburgh] Literary Journal

82. [Hansard, Luke].

The Imperial Review ; or London and Dublin Literary Journal [From 1805 on called “The Imperial Review or London, Edinburgh and Dublin Literary Journal”].

First and only Edition. Five Volumes. London, Printed by Luke Hansard, for T.Cadell and W. Davies, in The Strand, also for J.Archer, J. Cooke (Ormond Quay); and M.N.Mahon (Grafton Street, Dublin); A. Edwards (Cork Printer); J. Barry (Limerick) and W. Magee (Belfast), 1804 – 1805. Octavo. Two Annuals (complete for the Year 1804 and 1805) of this Rare Periodical, bound in five Volumes. Year 1804: Volume the First: (January to April, 1804) XII, 654 pages including Index / Volume the Second: (May to August, 1804) VIII, 639 pages including Index / Volume the Third: (September to December, 1804) VIII, 628 pages including Index // Year 1805: Volume the Fourth [Titlepage missing] (January to June, 1805): VII, 733 pages including Index / Volume the Fifth (July to December, 1805): VII, 706 pages including Index. Original Hardcover with new spinelabels. All Volumes in collector’s Mylar. Very good condition with only minor signs of wear. Provenance: From the library of Richard Meade (Ballymartle), with his Exlibris / Bookplate to pastedown. Minor browning only. Titlepage of Volume four missing, otherwise complete and the interior in excellent condition. A very rare find, this is one of the more elusive periodicals of the early 19th century, printed just after the Act of Union in 1800 was established and printed by english printer Luke Hansard for publishers and printers in London, Dublin and Cork.

EUR 1.280,-- 

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Provenance: From the personal library of Adrian Liddell Hart / Collection of books on Military History, Strategy

94. [Liddell Hart, Adrian] / [Liddell Hart, Basil H.].

Provenance: From the personal library of Adrian Liddell Hart / Collection of thirteen (13) books on Military History, Strategy and two of his father’s, Sir Basil Liddell Hart, publications. Most of the books with the bookplate of Sir Basil Liddell Hart but with the name of Adrian written to the endpaper. The collection includes: 1. John Strachey – On The Prevention of War (1962) / 2. Lawrence Freedman – The Evolution of Nuclear Strategy (1982) / 3. Edward Mead Earle – Makers of Modern Strategy – Military Thought from Machiavelli to Hitler – Edited by Edward Mead Earle with the collaboration of Gordon A.Craig and Felix Gilbert (1966) / 4. B.H.Liddell Hart – History of the First World War (Reprint London, 1979) / 5. B.H.Liddell Hart – Why don’t we learn from History ? (First American Edition, New York, 1971) / 6. Hugh Thomas – The Spanish Civil War – (Third Edition, Penguin Books, 1977) / 7. Robin Lane Fox – Alexander The Great (Futura, 1975) / 8. Arturo Barea – The Track – It became a battlefield, there where they built the road across Morocco (Four Square Books, 1958) / 9. Steven Runciman – The Fall of Constantinople 1453 (Cambridge University Press, 1969) / 10. Geoffrey Rawson – Nelson Letters (Dent & Sons, 1971) / 11. Christopher Duffy – Borodino – Napoleon Against Russia, 1812 (Sphere Books, 1972) / 12. R.L.V.ffrench Blake – The Crimean War – Concise Campaigns (Sphere Books, 1973) / 13.Pieter Geyl – Napoleon: For and Against (Penguin Books, 1965) //

Mixed Editions. 30 Volumes. London, John Lehmann / Allen Lane – Penguin Books / Rupert Hart-Davis, 1940-1965. Octavo. [The Postcards written from Venice, Florence and Santa Barbarabetween the years 1952 and 1977 / Postcard I: From John Lehmann in Venice to Adrian Liddell Hart: “This city does not boast a supply of the “Sunday Dispatch”, and as the writer was gripped and enthralled by the last installment on June 1st, he hopes you will keep copies of the …for him to read on his return in ten Days time – J.” / Postcard II: From John Lehmann in Florence to Adrian Liddell Hart: “Am staying with [Sir] Harold Acton here in his marvellous Villa – calme luxe [″Villa La Pietra”], all night……pity, you aren’t with me. Off to the sea this afternoon – may post this in Porto Ercole. Your old friend is relaxing. Gracefully – Love J.” [Date hard to decipher, possibly in 1962] / 3. Postcard III: From John Lehmann in Santa Barbara in California to Adrian Liddell Hart: “Terribly sorry to hear about the broken leg, may it mend quickly, as surely it must undo the ministrations of Florence …..Nightingale. I expect to be in England all March, but then off again – to Jimmy Carter Country – Love J.” [20.2.77]. Hardcover and Softcover. Of the series of 28 Volumes of the “New Writing ″ Series, only three with stronger signs of wear and in poorer condition. All others in very good condition with only minor signs of wear. Lehmann’s personal copy of Sean O’Faolain’s Autobiography with the original dustjacket in poor condition but the Volume itself very good.

EUR 480,-- 

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