---

The Catalog to One of the Earliest Exhibitions
                            of American Folk Art -A Lovely Copy

1. American Folk Sculpture. The Work of Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century Craftsmen. Newark; The Newark Museum: 1931. The catalog to one of the earliest exhibitions of American folk art, held just a year after the same Museum’s exhibition of American primitive paintings. The loan pieces included figureheads, cigar store Indians, weather vanes, eagles and other animal carvings, decoys, toys, stove plates and other metals, and some chalk ware figures. The text includes an interesting essay on American folk sculpture by Holger Cahill. An important and increasingly uncommon early catalog. Softcover. 6”x9”, 108 pages, 20 b/w plates; a little light soil, but a very nice, fresh copy in the original card covers. [30907] $125.00

 

2. Appleton’s Dictionary of Machines, Mechanics, Engine-Work, and Engineering. Illustrated with Four Thousand Engravings on Wood. New York; D. Appleton & Co.: 1852. First published in 1851. A treasure-trove of mid-19th century manufacture and engineering, including anchors, aqueducts, brick-making, calico, cannons, casting & founding, electricity, and so on. You get the idea... 2 volumes. Hardcover. 7”x10”, 960 + 940 pages, 4,088 wood-engraved illustrations. Publisher’s brown cloth with leather spines; spines with gilt stamped locomotives, gears and bridges; covers somewhat worn and scuffed, contents with some scattered soil, a few marginal stains, a bit of scattered foxing. [30925] $250.00

 

3. [Avery] Sieben-Morgan, Ruth. Samuel Putnam Avery (1822-1904), Engraver on Wood; A Bio-Bibliographical Study. Hartford; self-published: 1942. Avery was a famous art collector, dealer and philanthropist. He was also, earlier in his life, a talented and successful wood-engraver of illustrations and advertisements. This publication was a master's thesis project which contains much interesting information on his life and work. Card covers. 9"x11.5", 157 mimeographed pages, several decent quality b/w illustrations; some cover soil; ex-institutional. [30939] $150.00

 

A Very Uncommon Furniture Exhibition Catalog-

4. Barber, Edwin Atlee. Exhibition of American and English Furniture of the Sixteenth, Seventeenth, Eighteenth and Early Nineteenth Centuries. Philadelphia; Pennsylvania Museum: 1916. A very early loan exhibition catalog. There appears to be more English than American furniture illustrated, and the descriptions are a bit loose by today’s standards, but nonetheless an uncommon and desirable early American furniture exhibition catalog. Semowich 1446. Softcover. 5”x7.5”, 61 pages, b/w illustrations; original front cover intact; spine paper and rear cover are missing; newly (and a bit crudely) re-stapled, but the pages are beginning to break through the top staple. Library stamp on back of last page; light soil. “Compliments of Edwin Atlee Barber” card loosely inserted. [30839] $100.00

 

5. Barker, Marilyn Conover. The Legacy of Mormon Furniture. Salt Lake City; Gibbs, Smith: 1995. A beautifully illustrated survey of 19th century Mormon furniture, including material on Mormon craftsmen. Includes color photographs of a number of pieces in private collections. Hardcover. 9”x11”, 144 pages, color and b/w illustrations, dj; a fine copy. [30894] $40.00

 

6. Beckerdite, Luke (ed.). American Furniture 2006. Chipstone Foundation: 2006. Features articles on: Peter Scott, Cabinetmaker of Williamsburg; Robert and William Walker: Scottish Design and Colonial Virginia Furniture, 1730-1775; Furniture of Fredericksburg, Virginia, 1740-1820; The Careers and Work of William and Washington Tuck; Thomas Constantine & Co.’s Furniture for the United States Capitol, 1818-1819; also book reviews. Card covers. 8.5”x11”, 255 pages, color and b/w illustrations. New. [90225] $60.00

 

7. Beckerdite, Luke (ed.). American Furniture 2005. Chipstone Foundation: 2005. Features articles on: ‘Early Rhode Island Turning’ by Erik Kyle Gronning & Dennis Andrew Carr; ‘Mannerism in Early American Furniture: Connoisseurship, Intention and Theatricality’ by Glenn Adamson; ‘Structure, Style, and Evolution: The Sack-Back Windsor Armchair’ by David R. Pesuit; ‘New York Card Tables, 1800-1825’ by Philip D. Zimmerman; ‘Fashioning Furniture and Framing Community: Woodworkers and the Rise of a Connecticut River Valley Town’ by Joshua W. Lane & Donald P. White III; plus book reviews. Card covers. 8.5”x11”, 282 pages, color and b/w illustrations. New. [90189] $60.00

 

8. Blanchot, I-L. Les Bijoux Anciennes. Paris; Les Editions Pittoresques: 1929. A fascinating French study of "ancient" jewelry, meaning anything from ancient Rome through the Middle Ages to Renaissance France. Chapters include Collecting; Families of Jewelry; Diverse Techniques of Jewelry; Ornaments of Jewelry; Gems; Mediterranean Antique Jewelry; and Oriental Jewelry. An intriguing study of older jewelry and its history. From the "Collection des Collectionneurs" series. Softcover. 5.5"x8", 255 pages, color frontispiece and 48 b/w plates; text figures. Elaborately decorated publisher's softcovers with a watercolor of Singasari in a grove of maple trees; light wear, a little soil, but overall a nice copy of a fragile item. [30932] $85.00

 

9. Bogdonoff, Nancy D. Handwoven Textiles of Early New England. The Legacy of a Rural People, 1640-1880. Harrisburg; Stackpole Books: 1975. An extremely important study which illustrates not only period textiles, but also the patterns and sewing techniques. Hardcover. 7"x10", 192 pages, color, b/w and line illustrations, dj. Light wear, but a very nice copy. [30927] $100.00

 

An Important New Book on Philadelphia Empire Furniture-

10. Boor, John William, with Allison, Jonathan, Christopher, & Peter Boor. Philadelphia Empire Furniture. Hanover; University Press of New England: 2006. “This volume looks closely for the first time at Philadelphia Empire furniture and the development of decorative arts in Philadelphia between 1800 and 1840. The authors explore Neo-Classicism, contemporary history of Philadelphia, the emergence of Greek-Revival architecture, and the cabinetmakers of Philadelphia Empire furniture. ‘Philadelphia Empire Furniture’ illustrates in color and describes in detail hundreds of Philadelphia decorative art forms from this period, including wood types, dimensions, and maker (if known). Chapters are dedicated to each of the following forms: card tables, platform pedestal tables, pier tables, worktables, sofas, chairs, sideboards, secretaries, chests, bedsteads, looking glasses, clocks, and other decorative elements. The furniture illustrated comes from various sources, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Atheneum of Philadelphia, the Winterthur Museum in Delaware, The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, The White House Historical Association, and from many private collections.” Hardcover. 9.5”x12.5”, 596 pages, 495 color and 126 b/w illustrations, dj. New. [90232] $140.00

 

11. Bouvier, M.P.L. [& Adolph Ehrhardt] M.P.L. Bouvier’s Handbuch der Oelmalerei fur Kunstler und Kunstfreunde. Braunschweig; C.A. Schwetschke und Sohn: 1875. 5th edition. A revised German edition of a classic French work, first published in 1827. The text is divided into 30 lessons, covering all aspects of colors, working with oils, and workshops, with an appendix on conservation and restoration. There are 7 folding plates illustrating brushes, easels, stretchers, palettes, and a cabinet and box for tools. Bouvier [1766-1836] was a noted miniature painter who had studied at the Academy of Paris and was a member of the Geneva Society of Arts. Hardcover. 6”x9.5”, xxxi + 536 pages, plus 7 lithographed folding plates. Bound in new plain cloth with new endpapers; text a bit browned, some minor wear and soil. [30922] $350.00

 

12. [Broadside] An Elegy on the Death of Mr. Harfield Lyndsey, Aged 26 Years. [Enfield, Massachusetts; John Howe: ca. 1837]. A very handsome broadside elegy, featuring a woodcut border of stylized leaves, with a coffin in the upper left corner. The main elegy is added to by “An Acrostic” by “Samuel Dunn, Aet. 91 years 7 months”. Samuel Dunn [1746-1843] wrote a number of funereal acrostics and poems, and was known as something of a “poet of the death-bed”. The broadside is attributed to the printer John Howe of Enfield, Massachusetts. Enfield is one of the towns which was submerged by the Quabbin Reservoir in the 20th century. Broadside. 8.5”x9”, light soil, some light wrinkling. [30827] $250.00

 

13. Brawer, Nicholas A. Britain’s Portable Empire. Campaign Furniture of the Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian Periods. Katonah Museum of Art: 2001. One comes away from this exhibition catalog with two firmly fixed ideas- the English, even when in the wilds of the furthest corners of the Earth, liked to be comfortable, and they were ingenious in the ways they managed to do it. Here are chairs, desks, beds, and other furniture that come apart and fold up small enough to, if not fit in your pocket, at least fit in two pockets... Softcover. 10.5”x7”, 36 pages, color and b/w illustrations. New. [90231] $20.00

 

14. Butler, Joseph T., et al. The American Eagle. Spirit and Symbol, 1782-1882. Katonah Museum of Art: 1988. “Symbol of the Republic, America’s ubiquitous eagle surfaced in many places, enhancing furniture, household items, architecture, military artifacts, coins, broadsides, posters, and more. The catalogue includes a sampling of the exhibition with black-and-white illustrations. Curator Joseph T. Butler writes about the eagle in the American decorative arts, while Philip M. Isaacson, author of ‘The American Eagle’, offers an anecdotal discussion of the history of the eagle as an American symbol.” Softcover. 8.5”x11”, 16 pages, b/w illustrations. New. [90230] $12.00

 

American Folk Art;
The Museum of Modern Art’s Groundbreaking Exhibition-

15. Cahill, Holger, et al. American Folk Art. The Art of the Common Man in America 1750-1900. New York; Museum of Modern Art: 1932. The catalog to one of the first major exhibitions of American folk art, with a very influential essay by Holger Cahill. The exhibition included a large selection of folk portraits and other oils and watercolors, as well as paintings on velvet and glass, wood sculpture, metal sculpture, and plaster ornaments. An important and influential catalog. Softcover. 7.5”x10”, 52 pages, plus 80 b/w illustrations; original brown covers, spine head slightly chipped, covers apparently reglued to the spine and offset 1/8 of an inch up from the base; light soil, a little wear; owner’s stamp on title page. [30837] $60.00

 

16. Canton, F.J. Sanchez. Los Arfes, Escultores de Plata y Oro (1501-1603). Madrid; Editorial Saturnino Calleja: 1920. The life and work of a famous Spanish silversmithing family of the 16th century- Enrique de Arfe, Antonio de Arfe, and Juan de Arfe. Softcover. 4”x6.5”, 79 pages + 28 b/w plates; publisher’s decorated covers with a Renaissance frame of pillars and putti; covers lightly spotted; contents with light foxing throughout; partially unopened. [30897] $85.00

 

Taking Pot Shots at the French Impressionists-

17. Champney, Lizzie W. John Angelo at the Water Color Exhibition. Boston; D. Lothrop and Company: 1883. Young John Angelo and his friend, Teddy Landseer, tour the halls of the Water Color Exhibition at the National Academy of Design and discuss the work of the artists with an amazing amount of knowledge and insight for ones so young. They also take digs at certain popular artists and styles and pretty much trash the French Impressionists. An interesting look inside the American art "scene" in the 1880s by the wife of the American artist J. Wells Champney. Hardcover. 7.5"x9", 28 pages, line illustrations of paintings, etc. Original pictorial cloth; covers somewhat worn and soiled, lower outer corner bumped and with some surface loss; endpapers unevenly browned, spine rubbed, a little internal soil. [30940] $150.00

 

18. [China Trade] Davis, Nancy Ellen. The American China Trade, 1784-1844: Products for the Middle Class. Nancy Ellen Davis: 1987/Ann Arbor; UMI Reprints. A dissertation submitted to George Washington University. Comb-bound. 8.5"x11", 325 pages; very poor b/w reproductions of photographs; a reprint from the original microfilm. New. [90236] $65.00

 

19. [China Trade] Goldstein, Jonathan. The China Trade from Philadelphia, 1682-1846: A Study of Interregional Commerce and Cultural Interaction. Jonathan Goldstein: 1973/Ann Arbor; UMI Reprints. A dissertation submitted to the University of Pennsylvania. Comb-bound. 8.5"x11", 197 pages; very poor b/w reproductions of photographs; a reprint from the original microfilm. New. [90235] $65.00

 

Israel Sack’s Copy-

20. Clement, Arthur W. Our Pioneer Potters. New York; privately printed: 1947. Edition limited to 500 copies. "I have adopted...the course of discussing in some detail a relatively small number of potteries which seemed to me of unusual interest... I have given in the text my authority for each statement that I have made, and where I have drawn a conclusion, I have usually stated the evidence on which it is based" (from the Preface). "Clement produced several authoritative and well-documented studies of early pottery" (Strong). Hardcover. 6.5"x9.5", 94 pages plus 24 b/w plates; a little light wear, but essentially a very nice copy. Inscribed from the author to the famous American furniture and antiques dealer Israel Sack- “For my friend Israel Sack from Arthur Clement”. [30903] $200.00

 

21. Condit, Charles L. & Jacob Scheller. Painting and Painter’s Materials: A Book of Facts for Painters and Those Who Would Use or Deal in Paint Materials. New York; The Railroad Gazette: 1883. A wide-ranging book, with chapters including- The Cracking of Varnish and Paint; Purchase and Manufacture of Varnish; Use of Varnish; Testing the Qualities of Common Pigments; Priming Wood; Oils; Drying of Oils and Drying Oils; Old Oil and Fatty Oil; Causes of Decay in Paint and Varnish; Manufacture and Use of White Lead; Rust; Painting Iron; Paints for Iron and Out-Door Use; Brushes; Putty, Paste and Glue; Effects of Paint on Health; Linseed Oil and Painter’s Difficulties with It; Eccentricities of Oil and Varnish; The Carriage Varnish Shop; System in Car Shop; Description and Test of Pigments; Chemical Relations of Pigments; and Decoration by Color. The Appendix includes a short but interesting bibliography. An interesting, uncommon book. Hardcover. 5.25”x7.5”, xviii + ii + 465 pages, plus 32 pages of ornamental alphabets and advertisements. Colored frontispiece of a house, and some line illustrations in the text. Publisher’s brown cloth with gilt title and decoration; covers scuffed and worn, hinges cracked and very weak, front free endpaper missing; a little internal soil. [30917] $250.00

 

22. Cooper, William. The Crown Glass Cutter and Glazier’s Manual. Edinburgh; Oliver & Boyd and Simpkin, Marshall & Co.: 1835. William Cooper was “Glass cutter, Glazier, and Stained Glass-Maker in Ordinary to the King of Scotland”. This is a compact and comprehensive guide to the manufacture, cutting and glazing of glass windows, with much material on fancy work and stained glass. The 6 plates which illustrate window designs here are mostly devoted to Medieval and Gothic Revival styles; the importance of fancy leaded panes and stained glass to that style of architecture must have assured constant demand for such work, and hence a demand for instructional books such as this. The contents begin with a history of glass and description of the process of manufacturing crown glass, and then go on to crown glass cutting, packing glass, glazing windows (including “hot house glazing”), cutting diamonds, and stained & painted glass. The frontispiece shows the interior of a crown glass house, with the blowers at work, and the decorated title page illustrates the cone-like exterior of a crown glass house, with smoke billowing out the top. Hardcover. 5”x8”, x [ii] 125 pages, plus 19 engraved plates (several folding) and an illustrated title page; several line illustrations in the text; errata slip; publisher’s brown cloth with paper cover label; covers somewhat soiled, worn at tips; frontispiece and decorated title page a bit browned and with light spotting, rest of text and plates clean. Neatly rebacked, with new endpapers. [30842] SOLD

 

A Scarce Book on Wig-Making-

23. Creer, Edwin. Board-Work; or the Art of Wig-Making, etc. Designed for the Use of Hairdressers and Especially of Young Men in the Trade to which is added Remarks Upon Razors, Razor-Sharpening, Razor Strops, & Miscellaneous Recipes, specially selected. London; R. Hovenden & Sons: 1887. Creer was the editor of ‘The Hairdressers’ Chronicle’, author of several books on hair, and owner of an impressive shop in London which is pictured in an advertisement at the end of the book. There are many illustrations of wigs in the text, and a mounted photographic portrait as the frontispiece. Scarce- OCLC only locates 3 copies. Hardcover. 4.5”x7”, viii + 234 pages, with many line illustrations in the text, plus 4 lithographed plates with tissue guards, and a photographic portrait frontispiece; plus 6 pages of advertisements for Creer’s shop and other hair products, with several illustrations. Publisher’s brown cloth with gilt titles; covers a little scuffed, contents with minor scattered soil and several minor marginal stains, else a very nice, tight, bright copy. [30844] $250.00

 

An Important Study of Murals by a Leading American Muralist-

24. Crowninshield, Frederic. Mural Painting. Boston; Ticknor and Company: 1887. The first publication in book form of a series of papers which had originally appeared in the journal ‘American Architect’. The late 19th century saw a renewed interest in mural painting, and Crowninshield keeps modern considerations in mind as he discusses antique and Renaissance methods, techniques and examples. What emerges is a nice blend of historic and practical information. Boston-born Crowninshield [1845-1918] was a noted landscape painter, illustrator and muralist. He taught at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts, served as Director of the American Academy in Rome, and was a member of the National Society of Mural Painters. Hardcover. 6.75”x8.5”, viii + 155 + iv pages, with 12 full-page heliotype plates and 35 text illustrations. Publisher’s green cloth with gilt title; light wear, but a very nice copy. Apparently a publisher’s office copy, with bookplate stating- “Publisher’s First Edition Copy. Not to be Taken Away. Date of Publication: [in pen] Sept. 24, 1886”. [30921] $200.00

 

25. Darmstadt, Jo. Craftsmen and Artists of Norwich. An exhibition of furniture, paintings, clocks, silver, pewter and pottery, at the Slater Museum. Norwich; Society of the Founders of Norwich: 1965. A loan exhibition; in addition to the catalog entries, there are essays on the cabinetmakers by Houghton Bulkeley, the clockmakers by Ada R. Chase, and the seafarers by Raymond B. Chase. Softcover. 6"x9", 67 pages, b/w illustrations; light wear, but a very nice copy. [30845] $50.00

 

26. Edwards, Ralph. English Chairs. London; HMSO/ V&A Museum: 1957. 2nd prntg. A sweeping pictorial survey of the V&A's chairs, illustrated chronologically from 1525 to 1820. Softcover. 6"x9.5", 26 pages of text plus 120 b/w plates; light wear, corners thumbed. [30891] $40.00

 

27. Fisher, Frederick J. A Short History of the Worshipful Company of Horners. Designed and printed by Geo. B. Cotton & Co. Ltd. at the Galleon Press, Croydon. Published for Private Circulation by George Becker, Citizen and Horner: nd (1936). A privately printed history of this interesting company of craftsmen. Includes histories of the company and craft in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, transcriptions of charters, bylaws and statutes, and many illustrations of antique hornwork, as well as several newer examples. Hardcover. 6.5"x9.5", xiv + 138 pages, plus a colored frontispiece of the Horner's coat of arms and 35 b&w plates with tissue guards; bound in original black half morocco with vellum boards, raised spine bands and silver gilt spine letters, the Horner's Company coat of arms and title printed on the front board; covers a bit rubbed around the edges, light soil, but overall a nice copy. [30846] $200.00

 

America’s First Oriental Rug Club; Limited to 500 Copies-

28. Foster, Olive Olmstead. Fine Arts, Including Folly. A History of the Hajji Baba Club, 1932-1960. Hajji Baba Club: 1966. Edition limited to 500 numbered copies. A history of the first several decades of the first oriental rug club in America, based on the notes of its founder, Arthur Dilley. Members included such notables as Maurice Dimand, Joseph V. McMullan, James Rorimer, and Helen Keller. Keller, a Connecticut neighbor of Dilley, is the subject of one interesting chapter, in which she wins a club-sponsored rug identification contest... Softcover. 5.5”x8.5”, 57 pages, light soil, but a nice copy. [30831] $60.00

 

29. Fowler, James. On the Process of Decay in Glass, and, incidentally, on the Composition and Texture of Glass at different periods, and the History of its Manufacture. [Removed from] Archaeologia, Vol. XLVI. London; Society of Antiquaries: 1880. On the title page it is noted “Read November 30, 1876”. Duncan notes that this was also issued as a pamphlet in 1879; this is not that offprint, but the original article. James Fowler wrote widely on the subject and antique stained glass. Duncan 4388. Softcover. 8.5”x11”, pp.65-162, plus 2 colored plates; bound into modern red paper covers with a cloth tape spine, cover label; plates with a 19th century institutional blindstamp in the margin, else clean and nice. [30852] $100.00

 

30. Francis-Lewis, Cecile. A Practical Handbook on Chinese Lacquer Work. London; Francis-Lewis Studio: no date (1920?). 4th ed. A charming handbook for hobbyists with a very Victorian “feel”, and stark wood-engraved illustrations. The text describes how to create and “raise” your designs, gild and color them, apply shadows and other effects, and so on. There are illustrations of small pieces of furniture and desk accessories. Softcover. 4.75”x7”, 23 pages + 9 pages of advertisements; b/w illustrations; covers and cover gilt faded, light wear, a little soil. [30910] $60.00

 

An Uncommon and Intriguing Trade Catalog of Gothic Revival Arts & Crafts-

31. Frank Smith & Co. A Description of Part of the Collection of Church Furniture and Decorations Made according to Ancient Traditions. London; Frank Smith and Co.: [probably 1870s or 80s]. A charming trade catalog of Gothic Revival textiles, furniture, metalwork, lamps and candlesticks, and other accessories for the well-equipped Victorian Gothic Revival church. An elegant little catalog, with nice line illustrations and a variety of fancy initial letters and other decorative ornaments in the text. Softcover. 6.5”x8”, 37 pages, line illustrations. Covers somewhat soiled and tatty around the edges; a half-inch strip off the bottom of the front cover and first page (no text affected); string bound, and the cover is hanging on, literally by a thread. Printed on very brittle paper, and very fragile. [30840] $150.00

 

Russian 17th and 18th Century Pewterers-

32. Gahlnback, Johannes. Russisches Zinn. Zinn und Zinngiesser in Moskau. Leipzig; Verlag Karl W. Hiersemann: 1928. A survey of 17th and 18th century pewter and pewterers of Moscow. A companion volume on Leningrad was published in 1932. Hardcover. 7.5”x11”, xi + 217 pages, 187 b/w illustrations; 16 b/w plates; marks. Light wear, a little fading to the spine, but a very nice copy. [08747] $275.00

 

33. Galloway, J.H. Staining, Varnishing and Enamelling. London; The Trade Papers Publishing Co./New York; The Painter’s Magazine: 1920. A practical guide to the “new school” of wood finishing. The editor notes- “The time has passed when stains are applied to timber only for the purpose of imitating a superior wood, and many beautiful effects are now obtained by employing brilliant colors, such as reds, greens, blues and brown, thus securing a finish that is frankly due to staining and has nothing whatever about it of an imitative character”. Surprisingly uncommon in the marketplace. Hardcover. 5”x7.5”, 122 pages + 7 pages of advertisements; green cloth with gilt title; light cover rubbing, else a nice, clean copy. [30914] $85.00

 

34. Garvan, Beatrice. The Pennsylvania German Collection. Philadelphia Museum of Art: 1982. A fine catalog of pieces from the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s collection of Pennsylvania-German furniture, utensils, carvings, iron, tin, copper & brass, redware, stone & earthenware, glass, horn, baskets, textiles, illuminations and frakturs. Softcover. 7.5"x10", 372 pages, b/w and some color illustrations; light wear. [30895] $60.00

 

The Grand Silver Custodias of Spain-

35. Gascon de Gotor, Anselmo. El Corpus Christi y las Custodias Procesionales de Espana. Barcelona; Tipografia la Academica de Serra Hnos y Russell: 1916. A complete history and survey of the elaborate silver custodias and the processions they are carried in; includes a history of the procession and custodias form, notes on important silversmiths, famous processions, and much more. Softcover. 6”x9.5”, 160 pages, + 23 b/w plates. Covers worn and spattered, apparently with ink or paint; text browned and scattered light internal spotting; a fragile catalog. [30898] $150.00

 

“One is not likely to see again such a select and comprehensive collection of old Wedgwood ware as the one which was exhibited in 1879 at the Liverpool Art Club”.

36. Gatty, Charles T. Catalogue of a Loan Collection of the Works of Josiah Wedgwood Exhibited at the Liverpool Art Club, February, 1879. Liverpool; Published by the Club: 1879. Illustrated and revised edition. Solon notes- “To illustrate, as far as possible, the various sections of the catalog issued by Josiah Wedgwood, has been the motive of the organizers of this exhibition. The Liverpool Museum lent the best examples of the Mayer Collection, and the private collectors of England made it a duty to send the finest specimens in their possession. One is not likely to see again such a select and comprehensive collection of old Wedgwood ware as the one which was exhibited in 1879 at the Liverpool Art Club”. The best edition- the first edition had been in a smaller format and not illustrated. Extremely uncommon. Hardcover. 8.5”x11”, 190 pages, plus 15 autotype plates; decorative head and tailpieces; marks. Rebound in modern cloth with most of the original front cover laid down; a few pencil notes inside, but else a clean, tight, nice copy. [30901] $500.00

 

37. [Glass Patents] Patents for Inventions. Abridgements of Specifications. Class 56 - Glass. A.D. 1855-1866; 1867-76; 1877-83; 1884-88; 1889-92; 1893-96; 1897-1900. London; HMSO: 1894-1905. A fascinating compendium of patent summaries, many illustrated. Manufacturing techniques make up the majority of the patents, but there are also entries for types of decoration, ways to apply decoration, and so on. There is a good amount of material about bottle production as well. Hardcover, 7 issues bound as one in black cloth with gilt spine title; 349 pages, line illustrations; light cover wear. A bright, tight, clean ex-institutional copy with few marks. [30841] $250.00

 

A Key Victorian Japonisme Text-

38. Gonse, Louis. L’Art Japonais. Paris; Ancienne Maison Quantin Librairies-Imprimeries Reunies: 1886. A very nice copy of a key Victorian work on Japanese arts by one of their foremost champions of the period, the writer, critic and ‘amateur’ par excellence, Louis Gonse. Originally published as a deluxe (and very expensive) limited edition, two volume set with color plates in 1883, this is the trade, single-volume edition illustrated with b/w line illustrations. The craze for ‘Japonisme’ was in full swing by 1886, and this book included chapters on paintings, architecture, sculpture, metals, lacquer, textiles, ceramics, and prints, illustrated with examples drawn from private collections all over France. An important and influential book. Hardcover. 5.5”x8”, 336 pages, b/w illustrations; publisher’s mustard-yellow cloth with black decorations and gilt titles; covers a bit soiled, text a bit browned, but else nice and clean and tight. [30911] $125.00

 

An Elegant and Unusual Book
on a Set of Silver Buttons of “La Chasse”,
Inspired by Napoleon’s Coat -

39. Gosden, Thomas (ed.). Impressions of a Series of Animals, Birds, &c. Illustrative of British Field Sports: from a Set of Silver Buttons, drawn by A. Cooper, Esq. R.A., and engraved by Mr. John Scott. London; J.H. Burn: 1821. An exceedingly elegant and unusual book. As the advertisement mounted on the front pastedown explains (at length) “some time since, Mr. John Scott, happened to pass an evening with Mr. Gosden, and, while conning over the news of the day, Mr. G. discovered some ‘Sporting Intelligence from St. Helena,’ which he thought sufficiently curious to read aloud to his companion. Bonaparte it seems had turned sportsman, and was accustomed to wear a jacket ornamented with silver buttons, on which the different subjects of the chace were represented. Mr. Scott, who was astonished to hear of the existence of an artist on his own peculiar style, instantly said to his companion- ‘Gosden, if you will be at the expense of a set of silver buttons for your shooting jacket, I will engrave them and I will stake ten times their value that they shall beat the great Emperor’s buttons, or those of any other person in the world, as perfect representations of the various animals of the chace.”

                Each page features a single button, surrounded by decorative scrollwork, with text beneath, the whole surrounded by another decorative border. A few extra copies of some of the pages (according to the advertisement on the pastedown) were apparently printed off on India paper for sale as single prints. The engraved designs of English game animals such as a hare, mallard, hound, grouse, fox, stag, partridge, etc., possess a jewel-like quality, and it is possible that their detail and beauty are better shown here than they were on the buttons themselves. According to Gosden's note at the beginning, "To obtain impressions from an engraved button...has never succeeded till the present moment, and here it has been admirably performed." The text accompanying each engraving is taken from Bewick and Daniel. A singular, elegant, uncommon and altogether fetching production.

                Hardcover. 6”x9”, title page and 15 engraved leaves consisting of the decorative introductory page, the 12 buttons, the decorated contents page, and the decorative ‘Finis’ leaf; plus 2 additional leaves of advertisements for sporting prints and books. Lacking the half-title, but with the extra advertising pages, and the advertising leaf mounted to the front pastedown; publisher’s original blue boards and parchment spine with elaborate and decorative paper cover label featuring hunting paraphernalia. Covers a bit soiled and scuffed, contents fine, with such wide margins that one is tempted to assume this was part of the large paper edition (though this is not stated). [30843] $850.00

 

40. Gottesman, Rita S. The Arts & Crafts in New York 1726-1776. Advertisements and News Items from New York City Newspapers [and] The Arts & Crafts in New York 1777-1799 [and] The Arts & Crafts in New York 1800-1804. New York Historical Society: 1938, 1954, 1965. This standard reference covers various arts & crafts including- painting & engraving; silver and jewelry; ceramics; glass; pewter; furniture; clocks and watches; buildings and builders; smiths and foundries; ships and boats; metals and iron; stone cutters; printers and bookbinders; fabrics and needlework; trades and occupations; costume; painting and glazing; coach makers; music and musical instruments, and exhibits, curiosities, museums, waxworks and other novelties. A valuable and comprehensive resource. "Invaluable for factual material and for an overall view of the New York scene through contemporary eyes" (Ames & Ward). 3 vols. Hardcover. 6.5"x9.5", 450 pages; 484 pages; 537 pages. A nice clean, tight set. [30900] $450.00

 

An Interesting Pair of German Memorial Monument Trade Catalogs-

41. Grabschmuck. Katalog No.11 [and] Katalog No.17. Wurtemburg; Ernst Strassacker: ca. 1930 & 1936. A wonderful pair of trade catalogs of memorial figures and decorations for monuments and gravestones, issued by a German bronze foundry. Each features a wide array of figures, urns, vases, crosses, plaques, gates, pediments and other cast decorative elements, many with a distinctly Art Deco or Moderne feeling. The vast majority of the iconography is Christian, but each catalog does feature a dozen or so Jewish items, and the 1936 catalog features a selection of Hebrew letters in the fonts section. There are also brass symbols for various trades, and a selection of Masonic emblems. A very interesting pair of catalogs. 2 catalogs. Softcover. 9”x11.5”, 81 pages and 120 pages; filled with b/w illustrations; covers a bit sunned around the edge; several cover creases; some soil; a few pages of Catalog 11 with moderate soil. [30896] $275.00

 

42. Grimwade, Arthur G. London Goldsmiths 1697-1837. Their Marks & Lives, from the Original Registers at Goldsmiths’ Hall and Other Sources. London; Faber and Faber: 1982. Revised edition. Since its publication a quarter century ago this has been the standard, weighty reference work of record on London goldsmith marks. The product of a lifetime of research, it lists all known makers’ marks from 1697 to 1837- 3473 marks, many never before published, are reproduced from the actual registers and 441 from other sources. Provincial makers whose marks were registered in London are also covered, and in addition to the marks themselves there is a massive biographical dictionary of 2553 silversmiths. Hardcover. 6.5"x10", ix + 728 pages, marks, dj; book fine; jacket a bit worn and soiled. [30833] $400.00

 

43. Gutmann, Joseph. Jewish Ceremonial Art. South Brunswick; A.S. Barnes: 1968. 2nd prtg. “Presents in a comprehensive and succinct manner the complex history of this art from antiquity to the present day. The objects chosen range from fifteenth century Sicily to contemporary Israel and America. The origin, symbolic religious significance, and artistic development of each object is explained...”. Includes silver and some other metals, textiles and paper. Dr. Gutmann was the Director of the Jewish Museum. Hardcover. 8.5"x11", 37 pages plus 7 color and 61 b/w plates, dj; light wear and soil. [30931] $40.00

 

44. Hannavy, John. Case Histories. The Packaging and Presentation of the Photographic Portrait in Victorian Britain, 1840-1875. Woodbridge; Antique Collectors Club: 2005. “The cased photographic portrait was fashionable in Britain from the early 1840s to the end of the 1860s. There grew up around it a considerable industry supplying everything from simple leather covered cases to sophisticated creations in molded thermoplastic. In this book, the author looks at the photographic portrait from daguerreotypes to carte-de-visite, and at the range of cases in which they were marketed. Lavishly illustrated.” Hardcover. 10.5”x8.5”, 144 pages, mostly color illustrations, dj. New. [90226] $49.50

 

A Very Uncommon Victorian Shoe-Trade Book-

45. Hannibal, Alfred. Last-Fitting and Pattern-Cutting. A Scientific and Practical Treatise on Modern Shoe Manufacturing (illustrated by diagrams). London; The Leather Trades Publishers, Ltd.: 1888. 3rd edition. This book was based on a series of articles which had appeared in the ‘Boot and Show Trades Journal’ and includes 8 plates, 5 of which are patterns. Very uncommon- OCLC locates a single copy. Hardcover. 5.75”x8.5”, (viii) + 103 pages, with 8 lithographed plates. Publisher’s brown cloth with black decorative design and gilt title; light wear, a little soil, but a very nice copy. [30924] SOLD

 

46. d'Harcourt, Raoul. Les Textiles Anciens du Perou et leurs techniques. Paris; Les Editions d'Art et d'Histoire: 1934. A massive, classic study of ancient Peruvian textiles. This interesting book examines both specimens and construction techniques, and is illustrated with examples from collections around the world. French text, but very well illustrated. Softcover. 10"x13", 170 pages plus 109 b/w plates; rebacked, some cover soil, and several chips to the spine; cover splitting along the spine in several places. [30926] $350.00

 

47. Hardwick, Paula. Discovering Horn. Guidford; Lutterworth Press: 1981. A thorough and well illustrated study of a variety of types of antique horn and the myriad of things which have been made from it. Illustrates and describes a wide variety of antique objects made from horns, including drinking horns, sounding horns, powder and shoe horns, lanterns, fans, tools, combs, watch cases, boxes, cutlery, etc., etc., etc. Highly recommended. Hardcover. 8"x10", 192 pages, profusely illustrated in color and b/w, dj; signed; near fine. [30862] $150.00

 

Chair Caning & Knife Sharpening & Glazing- Oh My!

48. Hasluck, Paul N. Domestic Jobbing. The Repair of Household Articles with numerous engravings and diagrams. Philadelphia; David McKay: 1912. A very useful little book, with illustrated instructions concerning how to repair furniture, cane chairs, glaze windows, make & repair umbrellas, sharpen & repair knives, “traveling cutlers grinding machines and barrows”, and repairing locks & making keys. A treasure-trove of period techniques, tools and fixes. Hardcover. 4.25”x7”, 160 pages, line illustrations; publisher’s green cloth with red Art Nouveau decoration and black titles. A tight, nice copy. [30916] $50.00

 

49. [Heade] Stebbins, Theodore E., Jr. The Life and Works of Martin Johnson Heade. New Haven; Yale University Press: 1975. The first edition of this key work on Heade. Stebbins updated the work a few years ago, but this original edition remains elusive in the marketplace and seems to have retained its popularity. Hardcover. 8.5”x11”, xix + 303 pages, b/w and color illustrations, dj; a near fine copy. [08161] $375.00

 

A Scarce Trade Catalog of a Leading Arts & Crafts Designer’s Work-

50. Heaton, [John] Aldam. A Record of Work. Being Illustrations of Printing, Stencilling and Painting, Stained Glass, Cabinet-Work and Marquetry, Embroidery, Woven fabrics and Other Decorative Works Designed and Executed by Aldam Heaton, With Notes by the Designer. London; Aldam Heaton; probably about 1890. J. Aldam Heaton [1830-1897] was a noted London designer and a leading member of the “Neo Classical Arts & Crafts Movement”. A member of William Morris’s circle, he was also a friend of Dante Gabriel Rosetti, who painted his wife. Most of his designs fall well within the style of the English Arts & Crafts movement, including his stained glass, wallpapers, textile designs, ceilings and friezes. When he designed furniture, though, he veered more toward the classic English 18th century.

                This is book is in fact a trade catalog, with each item described and priced. The first 26 items are Arts & Crafts overmantels, ceilings and mantels, followed by a dozen wallpapers and carpets; there are then a half-dozen carved and decorated altar panels, wall pieces and such, followed by more than 30 stained glass window designs. The catalog is completed with marquetry panels, furniture, screens and several window draperies. A few years after the death of its’ founder, Aldam Heaton & Co. would go on to design much of the interior of the Titanic. This is an interesting association copy, with the small bookplate of “Maurice B. Adams - Chiswick”. Maurice B. Adams [1849-1933] was an eclectic English architect who lived in and helped promote Bedford Park, the pioneering London ‘garden suburb’. From 1872 to 1923 he was the editor of ‘Building News’. Uncommon- OCLC locates only 5 copies.

                Hardcover. 9”x11.5”, 6 pages of text plus 63 b/w plates, with figures numbered 1-90, plus 2 un-numbered plates of drapery; there is no item 22, but it appears never to have existed. An albumen print of a painted frieze, apparently by Heaton, is pasted to the back of plate 14; a cabinet photo of Heaton, with the inked note “J. Aldam Heaton B.1830 D.1897” is pasted inside the rear cover. Publisher’s elaborately decorated covers; covers worn, especially at the tips; upper tip bumped; the outer cloth covering the spine appears to have perished leaving the black inner cloth, which is stained; spine head and base chipped; rear cover creased; endpapers soiled, front hinge cracked but tight; light internal soil and a little browning. [30854] $650.00

 

51. [Hibbard] Cooley, John L. A.T. Hibbard, N.A. Artist in Two Worlds. Concord; The Rumford Press: 1968. The standard biography of this popular New England artist, with an entire chapter on his Rockport baseball exploits and “brush” with the Boston Red Sox and Joe Cronin. Hardcover. 8”x10”, 175 pages, 18 color plates, many b/w illustrations. A very nice copy. [07985] $65.00

 

The Memoirs of a Famous American Folk Artist-

52. Hicks, Edward. Memoirs of the Life and Religious Labors of Edward Hicks, late of Newtown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Written by Himself. Philadelphia; Merrihew & Thompson: 1851. The memoirs of one of the 19th century’s most famous folk artists. Alice Ford described the memoir as “part diary, part retrospective autobiography, part contemplative soliloquy”. Hicks, a devout Quaker, notes in the Introduction- “My constitutional nature has presented formidable obstacles to the attainment of that truly desirable character, a consistent and exemplary member of the Religious Society of Friends; one of which is an excessive fondness for painting, a trade to which I was brought up, being connected with coach making, and followed the greatest part of my life; having been unsuccessful in every attempt to make an honest and honorable living by a more consistent business; and now in the decline of life, near my seventieth year, with a body reduced to a mere skeleton, racked by tremendous cough, with scarcely breath and strength at times to breathe or walk, I should be a burthen on my family or friends were it not for my knowledge of painting, by which I am still enabled to minister to my own necessities.” Hick’s memoir provides real insight into his religious life, which was at the core of his art. Autobiographies by 19th century American folk artists are almost nonexistent; Hick’s memoir is becoming more difficult to locate in the trade every year. Hardcover. 5”x8”, 365 pages; publisher’s ribbed and embossed dark brown cloth with gilt spine title; covers somewhat scuffed and a bit worn, tips and spine head and foot lightly chipped; contents with light to moderate foxing, as usual. [30838] $350.00

 

53. Hofer, Philip. Baroque Book Illustration. A Short Survey from the Collection in the Department of Graphic Arts, Harvard College Library. Cambridge; Harvard University Press: 1970. 2nd edition. An influential and informative survey of great book illustration of the 17th century. There are chapters on England, France, Italy, Spain & Portugal, Germany & Switzerland, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, and the Netherlands. Hardcover. 8.5"x11", 43 pages of text plus 149 b/w illustrations, dj. Bookplate, else a fine copy. [30933] $50.00

 

The Scarcest Book on American Glass-

54. Jarves, Deming. Reminiscences of Glass-making. Boston; Eastburn’s Press: 1854. The rare first edition of this famous book, which was reissued in an expanded, more available, edition in 1865. Deming Jarves [1790-1869] was one of the most important figures in the history of American glassmaking, the founder of the New England Glass Company, the Boston and Sandwich Glass Company, the Cape Cod Glass Company, and the Mount Washington Glass Works. He perfected the process of making mould-pressed glass, and invented the style known as “lacy pressed glass”, among other accomplishments. In his “Reminiscences” Jarves relates the history of the development of glass manufacture from early times through Europe and England, but the most interesting portion deals with the history of glass making in the United States of which he gives a lively account. Jarves originally published this material in his local newspaper, then collected it for book publication. Softcover. 5.5”x9.25”, 58 pages. Lacking the folding plate (we are including a copy of the reprint of the 1865 edition which has the illustrations). Original paper covers; covers stained, creased and soiled, spine professionally restored. In a new clamshell case. Almost impossible to locate in today’s marketplace in any condition. [30859] $2,500.00

 

An Important Collection of Furniture Designs-

55. Jervis, Simon. Printed Furniture Designs Before 1650. The Furniture History Society: 1974. An important compilation of 16th and 17th century furniture designs from period design books, with commentary. Jervis had access to museums throughout Europe and England and was able to provide an eye-opening and thoroughly enjoyable survey of designs from these rare books in a volume which is itself becoming increasingly hard-to-find. Hardcover. 6.5”x9”, x + 54 pages, plus 449 b/w plates; a nice copy. [08270] $375.00

 

56. Jobe, Brock. Portsmouth Furniture. Masterworks from the New Hampshire Seacoast. Hanover; University Press of New England/ SPNEA: 1993. An important work, based in part upon an exhibition but, as Jobe notes- "The book is more comprehensive than the exhibition, including furniture dating from as early as 1675 and extends beyond a simple cataloguing of the salient characteristics of the objects to tell the story of the development of Portsmouth furniture. Three essays provide an overview of the historical and architectural scene and the business of making furniture in Portsmouth. The appendices include a checklist of Portsmouth-area craftsmen, as well as the checklist of branded furniture". Contributors included: James L. Garvin, Brock Jobe, Myrna Kaye, Johanna McBrien, Richard C. Nylander, Robert Trent, Gerald W.R. Ward and Philip Zea. Hardcover. 9"x12.5", 454 pages, color and b/w illustrations, dj; a near fine copy. [30832] $850.00

 

57. Jourdain, Margaret & R. Soame Jenyns. Chinese Export Art in the Eighteenth Century. London; Spring Books: 1967. "Chinese arts found a sellers market in 18th century Europe. Fashionable caprice demanded that the great houses of the day should boast, if not a Chinese Room, then at least a collection of Chinese porcelains, lacquer goods, ivories, silks, screens and wall papers. This fascinating book gives a detailed and very well documented account of the China Trade, in which Britain and the merchants of her East India Company eclipsed all other European nations." Hardcover. 7.5"x10", 152 pages, 144 b/w illustrations, dj. Light wear, a nice copy. [30892] $45.00

 

A Nice Victorian Lamp Catalog-

58. [Lamps] M. David & Co. Commercial Glass and Lamp Works. Manufacturers of every description of Plain, Cut, Flint, Opal, and Coloured Glasses for Home and Export Trade. Lamps for India and Every Market in the World. London; no date, probably c.1880. Quite a nice catalog of Victorian lamp bases and glass shades in a wide variety of styles and types. Included are metal bases, including figurals, many with marble bases and some with ruby and other colored and cut glass decorations; there are also many Bohemian glass lamp bases with metal feet and fittings, and a number of etched or cut glass globular shades. Davis & Co. was established in 1800, and located at the London Docks. Softcover. 11”x8.5”, 20 pages, line illustrations; Original purple paper covers, folded once, and with a small, closed tear where something heavy and sharp was dropped on it that runs through the catalog -no paper loss, and can barely be noticed. Else a clean, nice copy. [30853] $375.00

 

59. Launert, Edmund. Scent & Scent Bottles. London; Barrie & Jenkins: 1974. A rose by any other name may smell as sweet, but when it comes to perfumes and scents you need something to put them in... This is a study of those fetching 17th-19th century scent bottles which were made of glass, metal and ceramics. The text also briefly explores the history of perfume and scents. Beautifully illustrated. Hardcover. 8.5"x12", 176 pages, 200 color and b/w illustrations, dj. Jacket somewhat worn, but a nice copy. [30873] $65.00

 

Striking Color Designs for Marquetry and Buhl Work-

60. Lawford, Henry. The Cabinet of Marquetry, Buhl, and Inlaid Woods. Designs for Doors, Corners, Panels, Ornaments, Trinkets, Natural Flowers, Marquetry, and Bands of Tulip Wood, Pedestals, Cabinets, Plate Glass Ovals and Round Decorations, Work Tables, Bureaus, Jardiniere, Walnut Wood Card Tables, Bookcases, Brass and China Decorations, &c. London: 1867. A very striking set of colored designs for very fancy marquetry, buhl and inlaid work on a variety of pieces of furniture. The pieces illustrated include many types of cabinets, tables, desks, sideboards and pedestals, illustrated from a single piece to three or four pieces per page. A very uncommon design book in the marketplace, or indeed anywhere, as OCLC only locates 10 copies. Hardcover. 11.5”x14.5”, title page plus 20 colored lithographic plates; ex-library, with a stamp on the title page and each individual design stamped. Publisher’s dark red ribbed cloth with gilt title inside a blindstamped wreath. Covers worn and abraded at the tips, etc. endpapers discolored, front endpaper with 5” closed tear; plates with a few light spots, but fairly fresh and nice, except for those stamps. [30899] $875.00

 

61. Lindsey, Bessie M. Lore of Our Land Pictured in Glass. Published by the author: 1948. A broad survey of pattern glass with historical American scenes and personages. Although the focus of the text is on the historical background rather than the glass itself, this remains an interesting and useful reference. Hardcover. 2 volumes. 6"x9", 537 pages, hundreds of b/w illustrations. Bookplate, a little light wear, but overall a very nice set. [30874] $100.00

 

62. Little, Nina Fletcher. Little by Little. Six Decades of Collecting American Decorative Arts. New York; E.P. Dutton: 1984. The Littles were unparalleled trendsetters and a moving force in the world of American country and folk arts for some sixty years. This is the story of their unique collection and how they built it, piece by piece, trip by trip, deal by deal. Along the way they met or dealt with most of the major figures in the antiques and arts, and many unforgettable minor ones, and they tell many interesting stories about their journey. The text is illustrated with hundreds of fabulous color photographs of pieces from their collection. Hardcover. 8.5"x11", 292 pages, color and b/w illustrations, dj. Small gift inscription on the endpaper; light wear. [08929] $125.00

 

63. Loubat, J.F. The Medallic History of the United States of America, 1776-1876. New Milford; N. Flayderman & Co.: 1967. Originally published in 1878. "Based on actual official records and correspondence of the U.S. government, it is unquestionably the finest study of Congressional medals. In an interesting manner, the author, a meticulous writer and researcher, has traced the development and history of each medal which was awarded by Congress for a single act of valor on land or sea. Medals from 1776-1876 are described in detail from the terms of their award to the designer, the number struck and whether in gold or silver". Hardcover. 6.5"x9.5", lxix + [xii] + 460 + [xvii] pages, plus 86 b/w plates, dj. Jacket with light wear. [08912] $75.00

 

64. Margetson, Stella. Victorian High Society. New York; Holmes & Meier: 1980. An interesting history of how the Upstairs Folks lived in the Victorian era, including chapters on Society & the Court, the London Season, dinner parties, the gentlemen, the ladies, young people, servants, sport & recreation, and the Gay 90s. Hardcover. 7.5”x10”, 216 pages, 113 b/w illustrations, dj. Light wear, but a nice copy. [30835] $40.00

 

Limited to 200 Copies-

65. Maynard, Ross H. An Early American Queen Anne Escritoire, 1715-1730. Privately printed for the author by D.B. Updike at the Merrymount Press: 1929. Edition limited to 200 copies. Maynard owned this distinctive piece; he asked Carl G. Beede to write the poetical, if slightly overawed essay describing it. The piece was subsequently purchased by John J. Gunther of York, Maine, and sold at the dispersal of his important collection in 1960. A beautifully produced early American furniture monograph which has become exceedingly difficult to locate in the marketplace. Semowich 898. Hardcover. 7.5"x10", 10 pages of text plus 5 gravure plates; original paper covered boards and cloth spine; marbled endpapers; typewritten paper title label taped to the spine; a nice copy. With a pasted-in card "Compliments of Ross H. Maynard". [30906] $375.00

 

66. Memorial Lithograph. Hartford; E.B. & E.C. Kellogg: probably 1845-50. A handsome colored memorial lithograph featuring a monument in the form of a pedestal with a stylized urn on top, set amidst other gravestones and rose bushes, under a weeping willow tree. In the background the scene stretches away starting with a churchyard, beyond that a hill, and beyond that a sailing ship. The monument has the printed legend “In Memory of”, with no name or details filled in below. The Kellogg company has been called “Connecticut’s Currier & Ives”; they published a variety of popular prints from the 1840s to the end of the century. The imprint “E.B. & E.C. Kellogg” was used during the 1840s, 50s and 60s. A handsome lithograph with interesting details. Colored lithograph. 11”x14”; some foxing, and several folds; several short closed tears, 1” and 1.5” long; left margin cut on a bit of a bias. [30829] $375.00

 

A Book about a House Paid for with Silver Buckles, and the Providence Art Club-

67. Miner, George L. Angell's Lane, The History of a Little Street in Providence. Providence; Akerman-Standard Press: 1948. Two houses have stood on an ancient street in Providence, once called Angell's Lane and now called Thomas Street, since the 18th century- the Dodge House and the Brick House, both built by a remarkable artisan named Seril Dodge. Dodge came to Angell's Lane in 1784 and set himself up as a clockmaker, a trade at which he became very successful. By 1789 he was also advertising for silver and working as a silversmith, specializing in spoons and shoe buckles. In fact, it was said at the time that the two fine houses he built were "paid for...in silver buckles". Dodge also dealt at various times with the well-known Brown family of Providence, about whom there is much in this book as well. Eventually the Providence Art Club came into possession of the houses and half of this book is devoted to the history of the Club from its founding in the 1880s, and its members and their exhibitions and hijinks. There is also material on the history of this section of Providence through the centuries, but three chapters are devoted in one way or another to Seril Dodge, his life, his clocks and his silver (both of which Miner illustrates, including a lovely cream pitcher), and his houses. Really, a remarkable amount of artistic history was packed into a short, block-long street, and it is thoroughly covered in this book. Hardcover. 6.5"x10", 198 + xxxvi pages, b/w illustrations. Publisher's brick red cloth, silver & black leather spine label; light wear, but really a very nice copy. [30847] $350.00

 

68. Montgomery, Charles F. Some Remarks on the Science and Principles of Connoisseurship. Reprinted from the 1961 Walpole Society Note Book. The Dean of American furniture studies explains his criteria of connoisseurship. He begins by reprinting Jonathan Richardson's 1719 essay on the subject, "Two Discourses", and then brings the subject to the Twentieth century and applies it to furniture and related decorative arts. This copy is inscribed- "To Helen Belknap, with affection -Charles Montgomery Dec. 1962". Softcover. 6.25"x9.25", 20 pages, plus 10 b/w illustrations; brown softcovers with a red cover label; light wear, but a very nice copy. [30908] $100.00

 

69. [Mourning Card] “In Affectionate Remembrance of William Henry Taylor, Who Died January 30th, 1879, Aged 14 Years”. No place: 1879. A pictorially pleasing embossed card in black & white with winged angels sitting atop a temple with columns, flanked by willows to each side and an urn at the top. The middle of the card contains the text, including a memorial poem. 3”x4.5”, embossed cream-colored card stock with the “picture” raised above the background, which is colored in black. Light soil, but very nice. [30823] $45.00

 

70. [Mourning Card] “In Memory of Sarah Waller Who Died 7th Sept. Aged 79 Years. Interred in the Bon[illegible] Cemetery, the 11th Day of Sept. 1865”. London; Moses John Hickman, Furnishing Undertaker: 1865. An unusual and attractive die-cut, embossed and colored mourning card. The scene shows a weeping woman before a gravestone, with a weeping willow’s branches spreading overhead and lilies growing around her. The background is cut-out, and the willow leaves and border of the tombstone and ground are colored dark-gold. The personal details are filled-in in pen, and the card bears the imprint of a London undertaker at the bottom. A very attractive card. 3.5”x5”, embossed cream-colored stock bordered in black, die-cut and partially colored with gold; light wear, a little soil, very slight damage to a few willow leaves and lilies. [30824] $65.00

 

71. [Mourning Cards] Four Un-Printed Embossed Mourning Card Blanks. Probably England, 1860s or 70s. Four black-bordered mourning card blanks with embossed scenes, but entirely unprinted. The scenes include- a crypt with willows and 2 angels; a tombstone with a sorrowing angel comforting a sobbing child with willows; a crying woman with columns and a short iron fence and, of course, willow branches; a woman comforting another woman, with decorative borders. 4 cards. Each 3”x4.5”, black borders and embossed designs. A little scattered wear, but very nice. [30826] $165.00

 

A Massive, Important Set on Artist Monograms-

72. Nagler, G.K., et al. Die Monogrammisten und Diejenigen Bekannten und Unbekannten Kunstler aller Schulen, welche sich zur Bezeichnung ihrer Werke eines Figurlichen Zeichens, der Initialen des Namens, der Abbreviatur Desselben, &c. Mansfield Centre; Martino Publishing. Originally published between 1858 and 1879, this is the standard work on artists' monograms with over 30,000 monogram facsimiles. An unsurpassed reference work of permanent value, it is an indispensable tools to identify artists who signed themselves only by their monogram or similar device. Nagler begins by giving an exact facsimile of the monogram(s); this is followed by the artist's name, his biography and then a list of his works. This edition also includes an index of artist names bound at the end of the fifth volume. 5 volumes. Hardcover. 7”x9.25”, xxviii, 1088 + viii, 1121 + iv, 1143 + 1155 + 436 + (Index:) iv, 109 pages; b/w illustrations. New. [90234] $475.00

 

An Uncommon and Interesting Edition of a Classic Work on Glass-

73. [Neri, Antonio] Neri’s Art of Glass; Translated by C.M. [Middle Hill Press] Typis Medio-Montanis, F. Crees: 1826. "Having regard to the influence of [Neri’s] book on future writers on the subject, especially upon those who sought to make glass by Venetian methods in England and elsewhere, it may without doubt be given the premier place as the most important work that has ever appeared on the preparation of glass" (Dillon).

                We know little of Antonio Neri (1576-1614), except that he was a Florentine priest and chemist who broke tradition in 1612 by publishing "L'Arte Vetraria", the first printed book solely devoted to the art of the glassmaker. These arts were trade secrets, and you didn't fool around with trade secrets. The Venetians (for instance) guarded their own glassmaking formulas and techniques so jealously that they had announced a death penalty for any glassmaker who traveled abroad and shared them.

                In his book Neri documented and described the formulas for glass derived from his own long association with the glassworks in Florence and Antwerp; Ferguson notes that he also worked at the Murano glasshouses. Neri began in Florence under the patronage of Antonio de Medici, to whom he formally dedicates this book in the usual florid style of the day. Neri later moved to Pisa and Antwerp, before returning to Florence around 1611. Neri's book was translated into English (1662), Latin (1668), German (1678), and Spanish (ca.1778). It also became the basis for a number of later works.

                The present copy represents a new edition of Christopher Merret’s 1662 translation of Neri’s work, the first English translation. The text as issued here includes letters from Merret to Robert Boyle and the “Ingenuous Reader”, and a letter from Neri to Don Antonio Medici, dated January 6, 1611. The publisher, Sir Thomas Phillipps, became famous for amassing the largest collection of books and manuscripts in private hands in England, an assemblage it took 100 years of auctions to disperse. He set up his Middle Hill Press to reprint important English works of particular interest, of which obviously he judged this one such. Although there is no limitation stated internally, Phillipps bibliographers guess that the edition was probably limited to 100 copies, of which this probably represents an unsold and un bound copy in the original blue paper covers. OCLC locates 4 copies. An uncommon and intriguing edition of this classic and important work. [Duncan 9299]. Softcover. 8.5”x13”, title page, viii + 33 + 1 pages; a set of loose, unbound sheets contained in a period dark blue paper folder. A little wear at the edges, small stab holes in the left margin, else very nice, neat and clean. [30858] $850.00

 

74. Padgett, Leonard E. Pairpoint Glass. Des Moines; Wallace Homestead: 1979. A comprehensive guide to this popular glassware and the factory that made it. "Profusely illustrated with company trademarks, old catalog pages, advertisements and beautiful color photographs. The text includes new information on Thomas J. Pairpoint, the Smith Brothers, Pairpoint silverplated wares and the diversified products of the National Pairpoint Company". Hardcover. 8.5"x11", 246 pages, hundreds of color and b/w illustrations, dj. Jacket with some wear and a few small chips; jacket wrinkled on the rear panel and a very, very light wave to the last few pages- not noticeable unless you look for it. [30882] $250.00

 

An Important New Book on Irish Furniture-

75. Peill, James & The Knight of Glin. Irish Furniture. New Haven; Yale University Press: 2007. “This lavishly illustrated and comprehensive volume provides a detailed survey-encompassing everything from medieval choir stalls to magnificent drawing-room suites for the great houses-from earliest times to the end of the eighteenth century. The first part of the book presents a chronological history, illustrated with superb examples of Irish furniture and interior carving. In a lively text, the Knight of Glin and James Peill consider a broad range of topics, including a discussion of the influence of Irish craftsmen in the colonies of America. The second part of the book is a fascinating pictorial catalogue of different types of surviving furniture, including chairs, stools, baroque sideboards, elegant tea and games tables, bookcases, and mirrors. The book also features an index of Irish furniture-makers and craftsmen of the eighteenth century, compiled from Dublin newspaper advertisements and other contemporary sources. Hardcover. 10”x12”, 352 pages, 100 b/w and 400 color illustrations, dj. [90233] $125.00

 

The First Exhibition of the Pewter Collectors Club-

76. The Pewter Collectors Club of America, Being an Account of The First Display in Their Country of Ye Best Superfine White Hard Metal Pewter In Ye Public Library of Ye City of Boston, Massachusetts. Pewter Collectors Club of America: 1935. The exhibition was held at the Boston Public Library in Copley Square from November 18 to December 15. The Club had been formed in March of 1934, and had immediately set out to form this grand loan exhibition. Six full cases of pewter from a number of private collections were presented, and each case is illustrated and its contents described here. There is also an overall photo of the exhibition room. A very intriguing and uncommon early exhibition catalog. Softcover. 8.5”x11”, 27 pages, 9 full-page b/w plates; some cover wear and soil; original cloth spine tape is now torn and threadbare; lower edge slightly curled; contents a bit soiled and minorly thumbed. [30904] $125.00

 

77. [Photo-Illustrated] Le Vavasseur, Gustave. Inter Amicos. Paris; Henri Plon: 1866. A book of poetry by the noted French sculptor and poet, Gustave le Vavasseur [1819-1896]. Le Vavasseur was a compatriot of Baudelaire, and both were among the founders of the Normandy School of French poetry in the 1840s. This book is most interesting for its illustrations, which consist of two mounted albumen plates- the frontispiece shows a medallion bust of Vavasseur, the second plate illustrates the interior of his sculpture studio. Scarce- OCLC locates only 2 copies, both of which are noted as having only a single plate. Hardcover. 5”x7.25”, 174 pages, 2 albumen prints; publisher’s pebbled green cloth with leather spine label; light cover rubbing, but a nice, tight, clean copy. [30912] $200.00

 

78. [Plate Glass] Terms of Sale, Authorized by the Governor and Company of the Plate Glass Manufacturers. [London] C. Wood, Printer, Poppin’s Court, Fleet Street. No date. [c.1810] A single letterpress sheet, specifying trade terms for “Town Customers” (London) and “Country Customers”. The main terms deal with the size of orders requiring cash payment, and those eligible for longer terms. The additional terms for Country Customers were that The Company would not guaranty the “safe arrival of any glass”, but would offer insurance at a rate of 5 percent within ten miles of London and ten per cent for all others. The Company at the time was located at “Albion Place, Blackfriars Bridge”. Single sheet. 7.75”x9.75”, letterpress printed on laid paper, watermarked T. Edmonds. Folded, and with a half-inch by quarter-inch ink stain in the upper portion which is mirrored on the lower portion; soil along on edge, lightly browned on the other edge, but otherwise clean and unworn. [30851] $150.00

 

79. [Porter, George Richardson] A Treatise on the Progressive Improvement and Present State of Manufacture of Porcelain and Glass. London; Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green: 1832. A very early history of the ceramic and glass arts, with a third of the book devoted to ceramics and two-thirds to glass. According to Solon, the ceramics portion is largely based on the works of DeMilly, Brongniart and other French writers. It includes information on the history of potting, a description of clays, tools, firing and glazing, the manufacture of tobacco pipes, and porcelain manufacture in China. The portion of the book devoted to glass includes a history of the ancient development of glass, ingredients used in making glass, construction of furnaces, manufacture of flint glass, crown and broad glass, bottle glass, plate glass, artificial gems, making glass from bones, using blow pipes, forming lenses, colouring glass, staining and painting glass, cutting, engraving and etching glass, glass defects, gravity, and devitrification. This was published as part of the Rev. Dionysius Lardner’s ‘Cabinet Cyclopedia’ series. [Duncan 10345]. Hardcover. 4.5”x7”, decorative engraved title page, xiv + 334 pages, with 50 wood-engraved text figures; publisher’s red cloth with paper spine label. Covers faded about the edges, and with some wear; label a bit chipped and rather soiled. Contents with some scattered browning and a bit of soil. [30855] $150.00

 

80. Quimby, Ian M.G. (ed.). Arts of the Anglo-American Community in the Seventeenth Century. Winterthur Conference Report 1974. Winterthur/University Press of Virginia: 1975. Includes essays- The Dutch and Their Homes in the Seventeenth Century; Regional Traditions in English Vernacular Furniture; The Hadley Chest Reappraised; The Joiners and Joinery of Middlesex County, Massachusetts, 1630-1730; English Interiors of the Seventeenth Century; Seventeenth English Silver and Its American Derivatives; The Textile Trade in Boston, 1650-1700; and Ceramics in the Seventeenth-Century English Colonies. Softcover. 6”x9”, 299 pages, b/w illustrations; light soil, a little wear. [30836] $35.00

 

81. Recipes for the Colour, Paint, Varnish, Oil, Soap and Drysaltery Trades. Compiled by an Analytical Chemist. London; Scott, Greenwood & Son: 1912. 2nd revised and enlarged edition. A very interesting and comprehensive practical study, first published in 1902. Includes chapters on pigments and colors for paints & lithography; mixed paints & paper hanging; varnishes for decorators, cabinetmakers, coach builders, etc.; soaps; perfumes; lubricants; cements & glues; writing & stencils; laundering; disinfectants; and leather dressing. Hardcover. 5.75”x8.5”, vii + 325 pages, plus 24 pages of advertisements. Publisher’s pebbled green cloth with gilt title; light cover soil, endpapers apparently with a bookplate removed, else a clean, tight copy. [30915] $100.00

 

82. Richmond, W.D. The Grammar of Lithography. A Practical Guide for the Artist and Printer in Commercial and Artistic Lithography, and Chromolithography, Zincography, Photo-lithography, and Lithographic Machine Printing. London; E. Menken: ca.1885. 11th edition. First published in 1878, this book was the standard 19th century English work on the subject of lithography, and the first comprehensive treatment of the subject since the English translation of Senefelder’s 1819 treatise. Richmond was the editor of the ‘Printing Times and Lithographer’, a professional journal, and incorporated much material that had first appeared there, expanding upon it for this book. Hardcover. 5”x7.5”, xiii + 254 pages, 10 text illustrations. Publisher’s impressed pebbled cloth with gilt title. Light internal soil, cloth slightly puckered on the rear cover; a few minor underlines. [30920] $50.00

 

83. Schorsch, Anita (ed.). The Art of the Weaver. New York; Main Street Press / Universe Books: 1978. An anthology of articles from the pages of The Magazine Antiques. Includes material on fancy and plain American and foreign goods, upholstery, quilts, rugs, curtains, coverlets and much more, by authors including Fiske Kimball, Marion Day Iverson, Florence Montgomery, Abbott Lowell Cummings, Ruth Davidson, and many more. Softcover. 8.5"x11", 256 pages, loaded with b/w illustrations; light wear. [30928] $40.00

 

84. Schwander, Johann G. Calligraphy. Calligraphia Latina. New York; Dover Publications: 1958. "Schwander's 'Calligraphy' (Calligraphica Latina), which was first published in Vienna in 1756, is one of the legendary books in the graphic arts. It has long been recognized as perhaps the most beautiful and most ambitious collection of continental calligraphy ever published. This is the first reprinting of this important work since its original publication some 200 years ago". This edition also includes a translation of Schwander's introductory "Epistolary dissertation upon calligraphy". Hardcover. 9"x13", about 150 pages, a little light soil; jacket somewhat worn, a bit soiled. [30934] $35.00

 

The Beginning of the Hancock Shaker Village Museum-

85. [Shakers] A Proposal to Save The Shaker Community at Hancock, Massachusetts. Its Importance as part of the American Heritage. Planned by Carl Purlington Rollins and printed by Connecticut Printers, Inc: 1960. A very interesting prospectus for what would become the famous Hancock Shaker Village restoration. The Shakers closed the community in 1960 and sold the buildings and 900 acres to a private group which re-opened it to the public in 1961. This pamphlet outlines in broad terms the importance of the community and plans for its restoration and educational programs. A scarce piece of ephemera. Softcover. 5”x8”, 6 pages, reproduction of a period woodcut of the village on the cover; a near fine copy. [30905] $65.00

 

An Odd and Offbeat Albert Pinkham Ryder-Related Book; One of 65 Copies for Friends of the Publisher-

86. Sherman, Frederic Fairchild. Sonnets Suggested by Paintings. Springfield; 1937. One of 65 copies "privately printed by the Pond-Ekberg Company for Cordelia Sargent and John Dudley Pond and their friends during the month of December MCMXXXVII". Frederic Fairchild Sherman (1874-1940) was a well-heeled collector and the editor-publisher of 'Art in America', who also published beautifully-printed, extremely limited edition studies of American art and artists in the 19-teens, 20s and 30s. This Christmas offering was printed in several very limited editions, of which we have seen two- both for friends of the printer, Pond-Ekberg (one for Pond, one for Ekberg). It features sonnets apparently written by Sherman himself, each suggested by a painting which is pictured on the facing page. Botticelli's 'Primavera' begins the selection, followed by 'Homer', "suggested by a portrait by Caravaggio"; then come three Albert Pinkham Ryder paintings and sonnets- 'Sunset at Sea', 'The Road of Life', and 'The Spirit of Autumn'. 'Mother and Child' by Robert Loftin Newman ends the series. If this is nothing else it is an intriguing Ryder item for the completest- Sherman was a fan of the eccentric American artist, and wrote the first book-length monograph on his work in 1920. Hardcover. 8"x10", [i] + 6 pages plus 6 b/w plates; light wear, a little soil. [08288] $150.00

 

87. [Silhouettes] Oliver, Andrew. Auguste Edouart's Silhouettes of Eminent Americans, 1839-1844. Charlottesville; published for the National Portrait Gallery by the University Press of Virginia: 1977. Of all the practitioners of the almost-lost art of the silhouette, by far the most accomplished and prominent was Auguste Edouart. Edouart worked in Europe, England and America, and made it a practice to keep duplicate silhouettes for himself which he arranged in albums, to be used to produce duplicates for customers or as a promotional tool. In December of 1849 Edouart was returning to England from his final trip through America when his ship ran aground off Guernsey. In the ensuing wreck he was able to save only a few of the 50 or so albums of silhouettes he had cut in America, and these albums were given to his rescuers, descending in the family until they were purchased by Mrs. F. Nevill Jackson in 1910. She used them as the basis for her several books on silhouettes, but in the process she broke up all but one of the albums and distributed the contents. One album was kept intact, and it is reproduced here exactly as Edouart assembled it over 150 years ago. Each silhouette is illustrated with its original pen and wash background, with extensive modern biographical notes on the sitters. This volume, with informative introductory material by Andrew Oliver, provides a vivid glimpse of the complete art of the silhouette as it was accomplished so long ago. Hardcover. 8.5"x11.5", 553 pages, 348 full-page b/w plates; dj. A near fine copy. [30937] $100.00

 

88. [Silhouettes] Jackson, F. Nevill. Catalogue of 3,800 Named and Dated Silhouette Portraits by August Edouart, 1789-1861, Silhouettist to the Royal Family of France and to H.R.H. the Duke of Gloucester. London; F. Nevill Jackson: no date (about 1923). In this booklet Mrs. Jackson provides an alphabetical list of all the silhouettes in the Edouart albums [see the description for item 87], and offers photographic facsimiles of them at a price of 1 Pound, 10 shillings each. She also offers photographic facsimiles of the contents of all dozen volumes for 800 Pounds a set. Softcover. 5.5”x8.5”, 32 pages, several b/w illustrations; printed on stiff, wood-pulp paper which is now browned and brittle; covers with some chips along the edges, a few closed tears; light internal soil. A fragile catalog. [30861] $100.00

 

89. Swan, Frank H. Portland Glass. Des Moines; Wallace-Homestead: 1970s. Revised edition. First published in 1949, this standard history of the Portland, Maine glass company was revised and updated with much new material by Marion Dana. Hardcover. 6”x9.5”, 106 pages, b/w illustrations; light soil. [30889] $40.00

 

90. Taft, Robert. Artists and Illustrators of the Old West 1850-1900. New York; Bonanza Books: 1960s. A standard history of this exciting, formative era of Western painting. The text is extensively annotated. Hardcover. 7"x10", 400 pages, 90 b/w plates, dj; a fine copy in a lightly worn dj. [30936] $30.00

 

“One of the outstanding jade books, not well known due to its rarity”

91. Tanner, P. de. Chinese Jade. Ancient and Modern. Descriptive catalogue, illustrating the most prominent pieces of a collection of jade articles, with special reference to sepulchral jades. Berlin; Dietrich Reimer / Ernst Vohsen: 1925. Tanner was the Commissioner of the Chinese Maritime Customs Service, and collected a wide variety of antique Chinese jades while in China between 1913 and 1919. Sinkankas comments- "One of the outstanding jade books, but not well known due to its rarity... Its text is meager and its principal value lies in the enormous variety of objects of which there are approximately 2,000 portrayed upon the plates...". Indeed. Tanner was an omnivorous rather than acutely discriminating collector, buying both fine and crudely made objects, in quartz, jadeite and hardstone as well as jade. There are pendants, discs, plaques, figures, axes, knives & swords, bells, vases, urns, musical instruments, and mythological creatures. Volume 2 includes 7 colored plates showing object which illustrate the colors jade comes in. Sinkankas notes- "As an encyclopedia of forms that imaginative Chinese lapidaries created from jade this book is worth whatever is asked for it". 2 volumes. Hardcover. 13"x9.5". Volume 1- 35 + 15 pages + 64 b/w plates with facing descriptive pages; Volume 2- 17 + 2 + 8 +3 pages, plus 53 b/w plates and 7 color plates, all with facing descriptive pages. Original cloth with new leather spines; half-title to Vol. 1 torn in half and repaired; some cover wear and soil, a little internal soil. [30941] $2,000.00

 

92. Taunton, Nerylla. Antique Needlework Tools and Embroideries. Woodbridge; Antique Collectors Club: 2007. A comprehensive, beautifully illustrated examination of needlework tools from the seventeenth century to the Edwardian era. From 17th century sewing kits and Georgian boxes to Victorian work tables and all sorts of other wonderful things, this is an extravaganza for the needlework tool enthusiast. First published in 1997. Hardcover. 8.5”x11”, 216 pages, many color and several b/w illustrations, dj. New. [90227] $49.50

 

93. Thiele, Ivan G. La Restauration des Tableaux. Paris; Librairie Renouard/Henri Laurens: 1949. A concise yet fairly comprehensive French guide to painting restoration, including information on varnishes, cleaning, relining, colors, murals, tempra paintings, and so on. Softcover. 5.25”x8.5”, 64 pages; 8 text illustrations. Covers slightly worn, text printed on French 1940s wood pulp paper and browned. [30919] $75.00

 

A Rare and Early Tiffany & Co. Promotional Booklet-

94. Tiffany & Co - Centennial Exhibition Promotional Catalog. New York; Tiffany & Co.: 1876. A handsome, if diminutive, promotional catalog for Tiffany & Co., distributed at the 1876 Centennial Exhibition. The text begins by extolling their silver wares, especially the newly-completed Bryant Vase, and also mentions a Persian-style tea set they are showing at the Exhibition. Pages are then devoted to promoting their electro-plated ware, jewelry, watches, stationary, and leather goods. The catalog unfortunately is not illustrated, but any Tiffany promotional material of this era is quite uncommon. Not listed in Romaine; not located by OCLC. Card covers, 4.25”x5.5”, 16 pages, stitched binding. Elaborately decorated front and back covers, Renaissance-style woodcut headpieces, and decorative initial letters printed in red throughout. Very light tide-mark along the upper third of the pages, most visible on the last four leaves; else a very nice copy of a fragile and scarce catalog. [30902] $250.00

 

95. [Undertaker’s Card] “Davis Brothers, Dealers in Fine, Medium and Common Furniture, Drapery Poles and Curtain Fixtures. Five and Ten Cent Goods a Specialty. Also, Funeral and Furnishing Undertakers. Davis Block, Tenant’s Harbor, Maine”. Probably 1890-1900. An interesting card showing the various businesses small-town undertakers engaged in. 3”x4.5”, nice typography. Light soil. [30825] $35.00

 

A compact little explosion of French Art Deco-

96. Verne, Henri & Rene Chavance. Pour Comprendre l’Art Decoratif Moderne en France. Paris; Librairie Hachette: 1925. A compact little explosion of French Art Deco, obviously based on the 1925 Exposition des Arts Decoratifs. It includes all the usual suspects- glass, ceramics, jewelry, silver, textiles, furniture, architecture, and interiors, and at the end takes a Corbu-like foray into the industrial aspects of Deco, as seen in aircraft, automobiles and trains. Hardcover. 4.75”x7”, 288 pages, b/w illustrations; publisher’s green cloth with gilt decorations and title; covers with light wear and a small stain; contents with light soil, and an upper corner damp-wrinkle. [30913] $150.00

 

97. Vetter, P.J. The Art of Practical Cutting Adapted for Self Teaching. London; Simpkin, Marshall & Co.: no date [ca.1870]. 3rd edition. A nice set of this rare cutting guide. The coverage includes a wide variety of men’s Victorian clothing, including some military coats, and some of the plates include illustrations of men in the finished articles. The NUC locates 1 copy (BPL); rare in the marketplace. 2 vols. Hardcover. Text volume- 4.75”x7”, 139 pages; plate volume- 5.75”x8.5”, iv pages + 129 lithographed plates. Both volumes in publisher’s brown cloth with black rules and titles; slight cover soil, light wear, some foxing to the preliminaries, else a very nice set. [30923] $350.00

 

98. Voronov, N. & E. Rachuk. Soviet Glass. Leningrad; Aurora Art Publishers: 1973. A very interesting survey of glasswork in Russia from the 1930s through the 60s. There is a 7-page English introduction, and short English plate captions, but the bulk of the book is devoted to color and black & white illustrations of a wide variety of modern glass by Russian glass artists. Hardcover. 7.5"x11", 180 pages, profusely illustrated in black & white and color. Covers with some wear- the spine head is a little chipped, and there is some light cover soil. Contents fine. [30888] $35.00

 

99. [Walpole Society] The Walpole Society Note Book -1929. Topsfield; Printed for The Walpole Society by the Wayside Press on Glaslan hand-made paper: 1929. Edition limited to 40 copies. This issue includes reports on meetings at the New York Yacht Club and Princeton, the Fall Meeting at New Bedford and Nantucket, a visit to the nautical collections of Frank Wood in New Bedford; the book ends with an extended appreciation of late member Theodore Salisbury Woolsey, including a reprinting of his early article on American silver. Pre-1940 Walpole Society Note Books have become very difficult to locate. Hardcover. 6.5”x9.25”, 41 pages, plus 8 b/w plates; marbled clovers, linen spine; light wear, but a nice copy. [30863] $450.00

 

100. [Walpole Society] By Their Chins Ye Shall Know Them. The Walpole Society: 1979. Edition limited to 125 copies printed by the Stinehour Press and the Meriden Gravure Company. A delightful Walpoleian foray into the world of the 18th century silhouette- a silhouette of each then-current member is presented in the order of their election, but with no identification except the year (though a roster, also noting election year, is provided at the back). A charming and offbeat Walpole Society book. Softcover. 6”x9”, 4 pages of text plus 30 b/w silhouettes, one-per-page. Red and white patterned softcovers; a light smudge on the endpaper, else a fine, nice copy. [30909] $200.00

 

101. [Washington] Monuments of Washington’s Patriotism: containing a Fac-Simile of His Public Accounts, kept during the Revolutionary War; and some of the most interesting documents connected with his military command and civil administrations. Washington; Washington’s Manual Labor School and Male Orphan Asylum: 1841. 3rd edition, with additions and embellishments. An appealing and interesting compilation of material related to Washington, including a facsimile of Washington’s now-famous “Expense Account”, letters and resolutions honoring him, his Farewell Addresses to the Army and Nation, his Inaugural Address and other state speeches, and much more! Hardcover. 9”x14”, [viii] + 10-4 pages, + portrait frontispiece, and 9 lithographed and engraved plates with tissue guards; bound in sumptuous red pebbled leather with elaborate gilt scrollwork decorations, as issued. Covers worn, tips rubbed, spine head chipped; hinges shaken and front hinge cracked; light to moderate foxing; plates toned by tissue guards; several signatures pulling. [30930] $250.00

 

The Father of the American Industrial Revolution-

102. White, George S. Memoir of Samuel Slater, The Father of American Manufactures. Connected with a History of the Rise and Progress of the Cotton Manufacture in England and America. With Remarks on the Moral Influence of Manufactories in the United States. Philadelphia; Printed at No.46, Carpenter Street: 1836. The earliest and best biography of the “Founder of the American Industrial Revolution”, written by a friend. As a teenager Slater had been apprenticed to Jedidiah Strutt, a partner, with Richard Arkwright, in one of England’s pioneering textile mills. Realizing that there was a greater chance for advancement in America than England, especially for a young man armed with technological secrets the British were frantic to keep within their own borders, Slater snuck off to America disguised as a common laborer and was soon employed by a struggling Rhode Island textile firm. Reproducing the Arkwright textile machines from memory, Slater transformed the American textile industry overnight, eventually founded his own mills, and became a millionaire.

                White’s biography not only affords us the insight of a personal friend of the great engineer, but also offers valuable details on the problems of manufacturing in early 19th century America, as seen through contemporaneous eyes. This first edition includes the separately printed title- “Letter from the Secretary of the Treasury Transmitting Tables and Notes on the Cultivation, Manufacture, and Foreign Trade of Cotton”. Hardcover. 6”x9.5”, 448 + 120 pages; with 22 (of 19 called for) engraved and wood-engraved plates (two folding), and several wood engravings in the text (the plate count of the 1836 edition varies from copy to copy; most copies seem to have either 19 or 21). Publisher’s diced patterned cloth with some soil and fading at the edges; neatly rebacked with new endpapers and a new spine. A little internal browning and light scattered foxing, but overall a very nice copy. [30918] $275.00

 

103. Whiting, Gertrude. Tools and Toys of Stitchery. New York; Columbia University Press: 1928. The first edition of what has become the leading study of needlework accessories, reprinted as "Old Time Tools and Toys of Needlework". Whiting is comprehensive and readable, as well as being well illustrated. A Classic book. Sestay 454. Hardcover. 7.5"x10", 357 pages, numerous b/w illustrations. Slightly dusty covers, a bit of wear and lightly shaken (but not stirred). [30929] $125.00

 

104. Wilner, Eli (ed.). The Gilded Edge. The Art of the Frame. San Francisco; Chronicle Books: 2000. ”Nothing enhances the appeal of a beautiful painting like the perfect frame. Indeed, framing is an art form in its own right, and ‘The Gilded Edge’ is the first book to offer a comprehensive visual survey of the beautiful antique frames made in America over the last two centuries. With essays by art world luminaries, museum curators, private collectors, and independent scholars, this richly illustrated volume covers topics ranging from frame history and fabrication to the art of perfectly matching frame to artwork. Unlike most art books that depict paintings without their frames, ‘The Gilded Edge’ presents many photographs that showcase frames in relation to the paintings they border-and as works of art themselves.” Hardcover. 10.5”x12.5”, 203 pages, filled with color and b/w illustrations; bibliography; dj; light wear. [09175] $300.00

 

105. Yi Song-mi. Korean Costumes and Textiles. IBM Gallery of Science and Art: 1992. A beautiful, oversize exhibition catalog of traditional Korean costume and textiles, old and new. The exhibition was sponsored by IBM and staged with the cooperation of the National Museum of Korea and several other institutions. Softcover. 9.5”x13.5”, 108 pages, color illustrations; English/Korean text; light soil, a little wear. [30893] $40.00

 

A Scarce 1853 Work on Pietre Dure, with Two Colored Plates-

106. Zobi, Antonio. Notizie Storiche sull'origine e progressi dei Lavori di Commesso in Pietre Dure che si eseguiscono nell'i e R. Stabilmento di Firenze. Firenze; 1853. Second edition. The first edition was published in 1841 and apparently lacked the 2 color plates - Sinkankas lists the first edition but was unable to locate a copy of it. Of this edition Sinkankas notes- "In this scarce work Zobi gives a detailed history of the development of the art of gemstone inlay, or pietre dure work, and of the Florentine school and its master craftsmen who helped to create the preeminent position of the school and its products... The text identifies and comments on early Florentine masters of such work and also those who cut and engraved rock crystal, after which Zobi examines the true origin of such stone work and its continuing improvement. Numerous citations from art historians and others appear throughout the text and in footnotes. ... Both (color) plates are carefully handpainted and outlined in gold paint borders... Following the text is a list of the stones adopted for use in the factory... Next is a roll of masterworkers, designers, and directors of the Florentine factory, listed from 1574 to 1824".

                   The two colored plates are spectacular- one illustrates a round table top with marbleized edges and a bouquet in the middle, the other a garlanded plaque with a silver cup, wheat sheaves, grapes and grape leaves, etc., as well as a smaller floral frieze. A wonderful, scarce book. Hardcover. 7.5”x10”, 6"x9.5", 352 pages, 2 colored plates; a large-paper copy of this scarce work, whose normal size is 6”x9.5”, in which format the two plates are folded to fit within the covers (they are not folded here). Bound in the original tan boards. Covers a bit soiled and worn, some rubbing, paper covering splitting along the hinges, but the hinges are tight. Contents clean and fresh; one plate detached but present, and a little worn along the outer edge. [30890] $2,000.00

 

---

 

RECENT PUBLISHER’S OVERSTOCKS-

107. Day, Susan (ed.) Great Carpets of the World. London; Thames and Hudson: 1996. “Great Carpets of the World celebrates the huge diversity of styles and designs found in traditional and contemporary carpets across the world. Ranging from Turkey to India, from Europe to the United States, this sumptuous volume includes the finest types of each carpet, from both museums and private collections. Four hundred rich colour photographs display the rugs.” Hardcover. 11”x12.5”, 380 pages, 400 color illustrations, dj. New. [95076]

Published for $100.00.
A few copies available for $60.00

 

108. Fennimore, Donald L. & Patricia A. Halfpenny. Campbell Collection of Soup Tureens at Winterthur. Henry Francis Du Pont Winterthur Museum: 2000. “Illustrated with color photographs throughout, this catalog highlights 121 important tureens, ladles, soup plates, bowls, and spoons from the collection given to the Winterthur Museum in Delaware by the Campbell Museum in 1996. Along with presenting fine examples of the silversmith's and ceramist's art, the collection illustrates the broader history of dining practices, particularly in the 18th and 19th centuries." Softcover. 9”x12”, 260 pages, many color and a few b/w illustrations. New. [95074]

Published for $39.95.
Available for a limited time for $20.00

 

109. Madigan, M.J. Steuben Design: A Legacy of Light and Form. New York; Harry N. Abrams: 2004. “Since its founding in 1903 Steuben glass has evolved to become the epitome of American crystal, a gift of presidents, and the treasured possession of generations of collectors. Mary Jean Madigan's text emphasizes the years after 1933, when Arthur Amory Houghton Jr. curtailed the production of colored art wares to focus on making ‘the most perfect crystal the world has ever known.’ ” The text and illustrations provide a breathtaking survey of the glass itself, as well as many behind-the-scenes period photos of the workmen, studios and showrooms as they have appeared over the past six decades. Hardcover. 9”x11”, 144 pages, color and b/w illustrations, dj. New. [95075]

Published for $29.95.
Available for a limited time for $20.00

 

110. Nagyszalanczy, Sandor. Tools. Rare and Ingenious. Celebrating the World’s Most Amazing Tools. Newtown; The Taunton Press: 2004. Over the centuries craftsmen have transformed inherently humble objects- drills, saws, planes and levels, into works of art. This beautiful book offers a breathtaking tour of antique tools that rarely leave the jealous hands of their owners. In more than 375 color photographs we see tools ranging from calipers in the shape of ballerinas to a drill shaped like a violin. The old, hand-polished woods gleam, the antique brass shines, and the dedication and imagination of hundreds of anonymous craftsmen from other times is evident on every page. Hardcover. 9.5”x10”, 210 pages, packed with color illustrations, dj. New. [95073]

Published for $37.00.
Available for a limited time for $20.00

 

111. Brownier, Jesse. The Duchess Who Wouldn’t Sit Down. An Informal History of Hospitality. New York; Bloomsbury: 2003. “Partisan, witty, and laced with surprising historical detail, this book looks at the darker undercurrent of hospitality. Beginning with the example of his own hosting of a poker game, in which he disarms his opponents' aggression with superb refreshments, Jesse Browner travels back in time to unravel the dynamics of host and guest.” Hardcover. 5.75”x8.5”, 198 pages, dj. New. [95067]

Published at $23.95.
Available for a limited time for- $9.95

 

112. Huey, Michael (ed.). Viennese Silver. Modern Design 1780-1918. Hatje Cantz Verlag: 2003. Illustrated with more than 500 images, including 189 color plates, this volume presents more than 180 outstanding silver objects from Vienna, of the period from Neoclassicism to the Wiener Werkstatte. Published in conjunction with the loan exhibition at the Neue Gallery in New York and the Kunsthistorisches Muaseum in Vienna. Hardcover. 9.5”x11.5”, 398 pages, b/w and color illustrations, dj. New. [95070]

Published at $125.00.
Available for a limited time for $60.00

 

113. Lang, Gordon (ed.). 1000 Tiles. Ten Centuries of Decorative Ceramics. San Francisco; Chronicle Books: 2004. A colorful extravaganza of antique tiles, from antique Islamic and Dutch tiles and Italian maiolica to Medieval pavements and colorful Victorian, Arts & Crafts and Art Deco examples. The authors include Paul Atterbury, Catherine Blake and Riccardo Sorani. If you love tiles you’ll love this thick, weighty book. Softcover. 8”x9”, 320 pages, packed with color illustrations. New. [95068]

Published at $29.95.
Available for a limited time for $15.00

 

114. Williams, Anne D. The Jigsaw Puzzle. Piecing Together a History. New York; Berkley Books: 2004. “This volume discusses the jigsaw's history, which dates back to the mid-1700s, and its cultural impact on society. It examines the minds of such famous puzzlers as Queen Elizabeth II, Bill Gates, and Stephen King, and provides a lively look at what goes into the construction of jigsaw puzzles.” Hardcover. 6”x8.25”, 250 pages, color and b/w illustrations, dj. New. [95065]

Published at $22.95.
Available for a limited time for- $9.95

 

115. Tsuna, Masuda. Kodo Zuroku. Illustrated Book on the Smelting of Copper. Norwalk; Burndy Library: 1983. This is a facsimile edition of Masuda Tsuna's 1801 treatise on copper smelting, with its original color woodcuts by Niwa Motokuni Tokei. It is translated by Zenryu Shirakawa and edited and introduced by Cyril Stanley Smith, with a preface by Bern Dibner. Softcover. 8”x10.5”, 96 pages, color and b/w illustrations. New. [95071]

Available for a limited time for $15.00

 

---

Home |*| Ordering |*| Our Books