1. 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 With a stunning, unpublished, two-page-letter, revealing several important details about the immediately favorable reviews and reception of the book [″in the Daily Telegraph”] and Vere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.

2. [Russell, Lord John / John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford].

Family – Bible of John Russell, 6th Duke of Bedford, with his bookplate to the Pastedown / The Holy Bible – Containing The Old and New Testaments : Translated out of the Original Tongues : And With The Former Translations diligently compared and revised, by his Majesty’s Special Command [The titlepage of the New Testament reads: “The New Testament of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ : Translated out of the Original Greek : And With The Former Translations Diligently Compared and Revised”]. Appointed to be read in Churches.

Stereotype Edition. Two Volumes in One (complete). London, Printed by George Eyre and Andrew Straha, 1817. Small Octavo. 1119 pages [Old Testament] / 343 pages [New Testament]. Hardcover / Excellent, full green morocco, with rich gilt tooling and lettering. Very good condition with only minor signs of wear. Extraordinary little hand-bible of the 6th Duke of Bedford.

3. Chalmers, Alexander.

A History of the University of Oxford, including the Lives of the Founders, by Alex Chalmers, with a Series of Illustrated Engravings by J.Storey & J.Greig. / A History of the College Halls. And Public Buildings, attached to the University of Oxford. [With 31 plates / steel engravings (including frontispiece)].

First Edition. Two Volumes (complete set). Oxford, Printed by Collingwood and Co., 1810. Octavo (14.4 cm wide x 21.7 cm high). Pagination: VolumeI: Frontispiece-Engraving of Oxford, engraved title-page, another title-page with a more explicit title, XVI, 260 pages / Volume II continues the pagination: Halftitle, Title, Pages 261 – 486 plus an Index (13 pages). plus 1 page (List of Plates). Original, very decorative, early 19th century full leather with gilt ornament to boards and masterfully rebacked spine with spine-labels. A superior copy of this often deranged and broken publication. A stunning example of british bindery-craftsmanship and with only minor signs of browning and foxing. The best example of this work we have ever seen. Firm, possible to be handled without fear of breaking, the leather smooth. A perfect gift !

4. Rare Illustrations of 19th century Oxford University – [Hopkins, T.H.T. (Thomas Henry Toovey Hopkins (1831–1885)] Heywood, James.

Illustrations of the Principal English Universities. [With several Aquatints and Lithographical plates showing academical dress and University ceremonies by R. W. Buss, R. B. Harraden] – [This was the personal copy of Thomas Henry Toovey Hopkins, Bursar at Magdalen College Oxford and Curator of the University Chest etc.]. Collected by James Heywood, M.A. F.R.S.

[Oxford], James Heywood, [1843]. Octavo. IV pages of Title and Contents plus 44 plates [collation complete]. Original Hardcover / Original cloth with gilt lettering to front board. The boards of this volume are cleanly detached, spine is missing. Interior pages and illustrations all complete, including endpapers with the personal Library Stamp of Hopkins: “T.H.T.Hopkins – Magd, Coll. Oxford” on teh endpaperand titlepage. Complete with all plates. Only very occasional, minor signs of foxing. Extremely scarce and wonderful publication on the student-life in Oxford and Cambridge during the first half of the 19th century ! Wonderful provenance.

5. Brownlow, Richard / John Goldesborough [Esquires].

Reports of Diverse Choice Cases in Law, Taken by those late and most judicious Prothonotaries of the Common Pleas. Richard Brownlow & John Goldesborough, Esquires. With Directions how to proceed in many Intricate Actions, both Real and Personal, shewing the Nature of those Actions and the Practice in them; excellently usefull [sic] for the avoiding of many Errours [sic] heretofore committed in the like Proceedings ; fit for all Lawyers, Attorneys and Practisers of the Law. Also a most Perfect and exact Table, shewing Appositely the Contents of the whole Book.

The Second Edition. London, Printed by F.L. for Matthew Walbancke at Grays-Inne, Gate and Henry Twyford in Vine Court in the Middle Temple, 1654. Quarto. [II], 241, [6] pages. Hardcover / Modern, stunning half-leather with marbled-paper-covered-boards. The Volume beautifully restored and now in protective Mylar. New endpapers. Faded dampstain. Very good condition with only minor signs of wear. Rare !

6. [Combe, William] / [Thomas Rowlandson].

The Tour of Doctor Syntax – In Search of the Picturesque – A Poem [plus: “Volume Second”: “The Second Tour of Doctor Syntax – In Search of Consolation – A Poem”].

Volume One in Fourth Edition / Volume Two in First Edition. Two Volumes. London, Published by R. Ackermann at the Repository of Arts, 1813 – 1820. Large Octavo. Pagination: Volume I: Frontispiece, engraved titlepage, [2], 276, plus 1 page with “Directions to the Binder for placing the Plates”. With 31 handcoloured illustrations (including Frontispiece and titlepage) by caricaturist Thomas Rowlandson / Volume II: Frontispiece, [1], 277 pages plus 1 page with “Directions to the Binder for placing the Plates”. With 22 (of 24) handcoloured illustrations by caricaturist Thomas Rowlandson. Hardcover / Original half leather with original spine-labels and ornaments. Both Volumes with some rubbing but both in firm, original condition. Interior of Volume I with some mild foxing and fingerstaining only but all plates excellent. Interior of Volume II with a tear and loss of paper to the front free endpaper, some mild foxing, one plate and one textpage (page 11) slightly detached and with fraying). Minor wormholedamage to rear board (neglectable). Overall these two Volumes are in very good condition !

7. [Knight, Chareles].

The Penny Magazine of The Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge – Volume I: Number 1 – Number 48. [The Inaugural Volume].

London, Charles Knight, Pall-Mall East, March 1832 – December 1832. Quarto. Folded Frontispiece, 389 pages with 215 illustrations throughout plus two pages of Index and a List of Illustrations. Hardcover / Original half-leather with gilt lettering on spine. Front endpaper detached, otherwise in very good condition with only minor signs of wear. This being the very rare, inaugural Volume in unusually excellent condition.

8. Martin, Robert Montgomery.

The British Colonies; Their History, Extent, Condition and Resources. 6 Volumes bound in 3 Volumes (Text only without maps and illustrations). The Set includes: Volume I – British North America / Volume II – Australia / Volume III – New Zealand, Tasmania / Volume IV – Africa and the West Indies / Volume V – British India / Volume VI – Ceylon, East India and Meditteranean Settlements /

First Edition. London and New York, The London Printing and Publishing Company [that was J. and F. Tallis], no year (c. 1850). Quarto (20 cm x 27 cm). Volume I (British North America [Canada / USA]): Frontispice illustrated titlepage, XXIV, 360 pages with pages 1 – 9 missing / Volume II (Australia): pages 361 – 744 pages / Volume III (New Zealand / Tasmania): II, 384 pages. / Volume IV (Africa and the West Indies): II, 188 pages / Volume V (British India): II, 564 pages with pages 455 – 456 missing / Volume VI (Ceylon, East India and Mediterranean Settlements): II, 172 pages. Hardcover / Original, decorative publisher’s halfleather with gilt lettering and ornament to spines. Bindings rubbed but overall in firm and very good condition with only minor signs of wear. All maps and illustrations besides one illustration removed by a previous owner. In the course of removal of maps and illustrations, one page slightly torn and 11 pages of text missing. This is still one of the most important text-sources of British Colonial History, itsevaluation in Britain and a plethora of data on economical and political impact the Colonies had for the former Empire. No other contemporary 19th century publication includes details on colonial produce, movement of population and local History from Tasmania to Quebec, from Hong Kong to Heligoland (Helgoland), and in general on the depition of “England, the ‘Nursing Mother’ of Nations” (Introductory page XXIV by Montgomery Martin).

9. Symons, N.V.H.

The Story of Government House [Raj Bhavan].

Bengal, Bengal Government Press, 1935. 14.5 cm x 22 cm. Frontispiece (Lord Wellesley as Govenor General, 1800 from a painting by R. Home), 155 pages, XVII. Some black and white photographic plates and illustrations throughout. Original Hardcover. Good condition with obvious signs of external wear. Book block and binding intact although frontipiece is cleanly detached. Message in ink pen to endpaper “With love to Henry from the Staff 29/5/46”. Covers slightly warped.

10. [Oxford University].

Parecbolae Sive Excerpta E Corpore Statutorum Universitatis Oxoniensis. [With an Appendix on the Statutes of the Bodleian Library: “Statuta Bibliotheca Bodleiana [1610]” / Includes also in english at the rear: Oath of Allegiance / Oath of Supremacy / Oath at the Matriculation of a Scholar / Oath at the Matriculation of a Privileged Person]. Accedunt Articuli Religionis XXXIX In Ecclesia Anglicana Recepti: Nec Non Juramenta Fidelitatis et Suprematus. In Usum Juventutis Academicae.

Oxford, E Typographeo Clarendoniano, 1808. Small – Octavo. [13], 267, [1] pages. Hardcover / Original full calf. Excellent condition with some minor signs of wear only. From the library of Daniel Conner (Connerville / Manch House), with his Exlibris / Bookplate falsely applied upside down to rear pastedown.