West Cork Rare Book Fair 2022 (27 items)

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

16. 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 With a stunning, unpublished, two-page manuscript letter, revealing several important details about the immediately favorable reviews and reception of the book “Two Duchesses” [″in the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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Collection of four very important and meaningful manuscript letters by Leopold II

17. 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.

EUR 2.800,-- 

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Viereck, Collection of Manuscript Material by the author Georg Sylvester Viereck.

18. Viereck, George Sylvester / [Frederick Franklin Schrader] / [Mentioning of Oscar Wilde / Lord Alfred Douglas].

Collection of early Manuscript Material (which is a Manuscript Ballad / Poem), a two-page Manuscript Letter (which is a MLS mentioning Oscar Wilde, Lord [Alfred] Douglas, Viereck’s literary tastes etc.) and the personal copy of “House of the Vampire”, all by the controversial german-american author George Sylvester Viereck. The collection includes: 1. One six-page, hitherto unpublished Manuscript – Ballad [Poem], called “Die Ballade vom Sündigen Glück” [Translates: “The Ballad of sinful Pleasure”]/ 2. A lengthy and extremely insightful Two-Page Manuscript Letter, signed in New York, 1902, which accompanied and talks about the enclosed Six-Page Manuscript – Ballad [The letter and Poem was not conclusively but very likely addressed by Viereck to Frederick Franklin Schrader, then editor of the New York Dramatic Mirror and shortly thereafter co-founder with George Sylvester Viereck of “The Fatherland” / 3. The collection also includes Viereck’s personal copy of his publication “The House of the Vampire” with handwritten, manuscript entry of his name, address in New York City as well as a pasted statement on the endpaper by the author Viereck: “Concerning “The House of the Vampire” : This book went through several editions when it was first published and was dramatized. It played for eight weeks in New York and for two years on the road under the management of the Shuberts. Critics have compared it to such books as Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde, Lady Into Fox, and Dorian Gray”]. The two-page letter is of great value and touches on Viereck’s admiration for Schrader and his “Blatt” [Newspaper]. Viereck is advertising himself to Schrader by introducing himself as a critical admirer with substantial references (Viereck details his working for numerous newspapers in America). Viereck mentions his secessionist tendencies and name-drops Oscar Wilde, Rosetti and Lord Douglas (whom he claims to know personally). This amazing, autographed/signed Manuscript-Material was created by Viereck directly during his transition from writer to propagandist and is an example of his early, bullish personality, which wants to be heard, which needs attention and it is here, in 1912, where his career begins to develop. This large Archive of manuscript material [8 pages in total] is stunning and unpublished (see partial Transcription of the original german material on our website). Viereck’s close friends included Nikola Tesla and even Theodore Roosevelt was among his acquaintances.

New York, Moffat, Yard & Company, 1902-1912. Play and Letters: 20.3 cm x 25.3 cm / Book: 13 cm x 19,5 cm. Pagination: Balld (Poem): 6 pages / Manuscript Letter (MLS): 2 pages / Book: 190 pages. Original Hardcover / Blue publisher’s cloth with gilt lettering on spine in protective collector’s mylar / The play protected in clear folder. The manuscript pages overall in excellent condition besides page IV of the play which has two abrasions with small parts of the text missing only. The book in excellent condition with only minor signs of external wear. Viereck’s usual vanity made him add the lovely littel note of critical success. The personal copy of this controversial author’s most interesting book is a unique possibility for each collector of unusual Vampire material. Extraordinary collection !

EUR 2.400,-- 

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Bushby, Round the World from North to South with Rod & Camera

19. Bushby, John / [Maori Village Travels] –

Round the World from North to South with Rod & Camera / Collection of three Volumes of printed and manuscript travelogue (reads like a logbook) / Travel Diary. Volume I – Privately printed, luxury photoalbum from the year 1907 – 1908 with 142 pages of printed photographs of a trip through Canada, Alaska South Sea Islands (Suva, Fiji), Tonga, New Zealand with several photographs of a trip on S.S.Manuka (Union Steam Ship Company) with images of life on board and of the trip to Maori Villages, Rotoiti, Tu Moana, Cape Horn, Rio de Janeiro, Teneriffe, Hunting, Fishing, Camping etc. / Volume II: Manuscript Volume in an easy decipherable hand of a trip on the steamer “Pretorian” from Liverpool on July 30th, 1903 to New York, Maryland, then on to Vancouver and Japan with excellent travel descriptions and list of costs of lodging in Yokohama, Kyoto, Nagasaki etc. / Volume III: Continues the Travelogue to Singapore, Siam, Java, Japan, Hawaii (Honolulu and back to California) – With extensive listing of costs for Passage, Hotels etc. in New York, Honolulu, Hongkong, etc. This Volume with longer descriptions of Hong Kong etc.

Daere (Cumberland), Privately printed and original manuscript, 1903 – 1908. Octavo. Volume I – 142 pages / Volume II (Manuscript) – 89 pages / Volume III (Manuscript) – 185 pages. Original Hardcover and flexible red leather. Very good condition with only minor signs of external wear. Magnificent account with exact and vivid descriptions of localities and the technique of the trip and its expenses. Ticket Prices, Hotel Costs, Voyage costs from Harbour to Harbour etc. etc. Unpublished account of a british merchant family’s private (Cotton Merchant) trip around the world.

EUR 1.800,-- 

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Vintage Photo Album of "Cruise No. 2 to 'The Norwegian Fjords'  in June 1913 on the R.M.S.P. Arcadian"

20. [Davey & Hackney] / R.M.S.P. Arcadian.

Two Vintage Photo Albums / Portfolios of “Cruise No. 2 to ‘The Norwegian Fjords’ in June 1913 on the R.M.S.P. Arcadian”. Fantastic combination of two photo logbooks of one of the last trips for this beautiful passenger liner before she served with the Royal Navy and was sunk by a U-boat, the German submarine SM UC-74, in 1917. These luxury photographic records were created by Davey & Hackney, Alexandra Palace, London. I. Album One: On 24 pages (12 stiff cardboards with photographs on both sides) with 44 vintage high-quality photographs, the cruise was documented by not only focusing on the natural beauty of Norway but also by documenting the captain (Captain Custance) and crew of the Arcadian, one large photograph shows the captain and all his officers. Some striking images of the ship itself are showing this liner in all its glory. The ship was built in 1899 by Vickers, Sons & Maxim Ltd. for the Pacific Steam Navigation Company as SS Ortona. This unusually luxury Album also documents in an appendix with a small map of Norway the Itinerary of the cruise. All mileage covered and dates the cruise would reach the scheduled destinations in Norway are mentioned (Grimsby, Wed. 18 June / Leith, 235 miles, Thursday 19 June / Aalesund 493 Miles Sat. 21 June / and so on and so on). The cruise would stop at Molde (Moldefjord), Aandalsnaes (Romsdalfjord) / Oie (Jorundfjord) / Hellesylt (Sunelvsfjord) / Merok (Geirangerfjord) / Olden (Invikfjord) / Loen (Nordfjord) / Mundal (Fjaerlandsfjord) / Balholmen (Sognefjord) / Gudvangen (Naerofjord) / Sundal (Maurangerfjord) / Norheimsund (Hardangerfjord) / Bergen / back to Grimsby on July 2nd, 1913 with a total of 2127 miles covered in 14 days. The photographs of the “Arcadian” are differing in size from a beautiful full ship image in 17.5 cm x 28.7 cm to detailed photographs of the deck in 11.5 cm x 16.4 cm; a nice photo of the “Arcadian’s” Launch (with small steem funnel), interior of the ship (Dining Salon), a photograph of a visiting steam Tender (″The Grimsby Tender”), Deck tennis – scenes, Playing Bull Board, Letting go the Anchor with two crew members. / II. Album Two: This additional, smaller Album, on an additional 24 pages (12 stiff cardboards with photographs on both sides) shows a further 24 vintage, high-quality photographs. These additional photographs show The Hardangerfjord / Folgefond Glacier / An Arcade in the Dining Salon / Photograph of Captain Custance / Sundal / The Landing Stage in Norheimsund / Fysse / The Landing Stage in Trondheim with many locals waiting / The Landing Stage in Forhatten / Digermulen / The Raftsund Fjord / Lyngenfjord / A boat full of Lapps in traditional clothing, showing and offering livestock and handmade dolls for tourists on board the “Arcadian” / Hammerfest / North Cape & Midnight Sun from the “Arcadian” / Tromso, with a large gathering of schoolchildren / A Boxing Match on the “Arcadian”, showing two pugilists fighting it out to the bemusement of bystanders / Pillow Fighting as Pastime for Tourists on the “Arcadian” / Molde from the Hill, showing the “Arcadian” in the Fjord / Aandalsnes / View from Aandalsnes / Bergen and Bergen Harbour with a few nice local Yachts in the foreground // The quality of the photography in both of these Album is excellent.

London / Norway, Davey & Hackney Photo (Alexandra Palace), 1913. Sizes: Vol. I: Folio (25.5 cm x 32 cm) / Vol.II: Oblong Octavo (25 cm x 17 cm). Volume I: 12 cardboard sheets with 24 pages (of which 24 are with photographs) with foldable appendix / Volume II: 12 cardboard sheets with 24 pages (of which 24 are with photographs) Hardcover / Green soft morocco with gilt lettering on cover and ornament around the pastedowns of the inner boards. Some minor rubbing to the binding but overall in excellent, near Fine condition with only minor signs of external wear.

EUR 2.200,-- 

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