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Nobody knows or loves books so well as rare booksellers. They’re out there finding the treasures, elbow deep at rummage sales, church bazaars, estate sales and more in the hopes of finding the gem they’ve had an eye out for all these years. With an unrivalled Passion for Books, AbeBooks booksellers are eager to share their most beautiful, collectable books, and we’re happy to display them.
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Bookseller: Collectable Books, Mottingham, London, UK
Publication Date: 1608
Publisher: Printed [by Humphrey Lownes] for the Company of Stationers.
Book Price: £4,427.50
Collected out of the ancient Writers, and best learned in our time; worthy to be read with an earnest minde of all Christians in these daungerous and troublesom daies, that God for Christs sake will yet stil be merciful vnto vs. [Commonly known as 'Queen Elizabeth's prayer book' since the first edition was privately printed for the Queen's own use, in 1568. The only surviving copy of that edition is now in the Lambeth Palace Library.] At London: Printed [by Humphrey Lownes] for the Company of Stationers. [Printer's name from ESTC.] 1608 Small quarto, 180x120 mm. [8], 138, [2] folios, with an ornate colophon on the verso of the final leaf. In 18th or 19th century brown calf binding, minimally rubbed at extremities; double gilt-ruled border on boards with decorative corners plus decorative inner blind rule with small gilt florets in the corners. Spine with five raised bands; title and place and date of publication in two of the compartments the rest with blind-tooled floral decoration. Hinges a bit creased but firm. All edges gilt. Brown silk book mark. Gilt armorial bookplate, on crimson background, at top centre of the front paste-down; below this there are two manuscript ownership inscriptions: 'Henry White | Close Lichfield | April 30th 1809' [Sacristan of Lichfield Cathedral] and 'Kenyon | March 2nd 1973'. Lord Kenyon was President of the National Museum of Wales from 1952-1957, Chairman of the National Portrait Gallery in London from 1966-1988 and a trustee of the National Portrait Gallery from 1953-1988. There is a further armorial bookplate, of 'Herbert Charles Marsh' at the foot of the rear paste-down. [8], 138, [2] leaves. Roman and black letter. The first three leaves are expertly repaired at the edges, probably at the time of re-binding since their edges are gilt. Title within a broad woodcut border showing the Tree of Jesse; fine, full-page woodcut of Queen Elizabeth praying before a prie-dieu on the verso. 'To the Christian Reader' signed R.D., i.e. Richard Day. The text on each page is printed within ornate, pictorial, woodcut borders illustrating the life of Christ, virtue, sin, the five senses and, finally, The Dance of Death. Printer's woodcut device on final leaf. Some dusting throughout. Occasional early marginalia. An excellent copy, with very important provenance, of this most important book.
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Bookseller: Collectable Books, Mottingham, London, UK
Publication Date: 1596
Publisher: Venetiis, Apud Haeredes Simonis Galignani de Karera. [Venice]
Book Price: £8,050.00
[Claudius Ptolemy], [Claude Ptolomee]. Magini, Fabio di Giovanni Antonio. Geographiae universae tum veteris tum novae absolutissimum opus duobus voluminibus distinctum, In quorum priore habentur Cl. Ptolomaei Pelusiensis Geographicae enarrationis Libri octo: Quorum primus, qui praecepta ipsius facultatis omnia complectitur, commentariis uberrimis illustratus est a Io. Antonio Magino Patavino. In secundo volumine insunt Cl. Ptolemaei antiquae orbis tabulae XXVII […] Et tabulae XXXVII recentiores, quibus universi orbis pictura […] ob oculos patet […]. Venetiis, Apud Haeredes Simonis Galignani de Karera. [Venice]. 1596 'A new (Latin) Edition with new maps, edited by Giovanni Antonio Magini of Padua' [Henry R Stevens, Ptolemy's Geography. A brief account …]. Earlier editions were based on the Sebastian Munster edition of Geographia, first published in 1540, when he added a geographical index and 48 woodcut maps (with Ptolomaeic projection) to the earlier editions of Geographia. Variants of these Munster maps were used right up to and including the 1574 edition. This late 16th century edition is in an 18th century leather binding, sometime rebacked. 220x158mm, [16], 184, 47, [1], [40] pages; 292 [i.e. 288], [25] ff (leaves). All edges washed red. Very occasional early underlining in text. Extremely crisp and clean throughout. Vignette on title-page. Woodcut head and tailpieces and 17 woodcut diagrams in text plus 63 full-page copperplate maps. The title-page refers to 27 Ptolemaic and 37 ‘modern’ maps. In all the copies of the 1596 Venice and 1597 Köln editions we have been able to examine there are 27 Ptolemaic projection maps and only 36 ‘modern’ maps. All the maps in both these editions form part of the collation, indicating that they are complete. As a result, the British Library is re-assessing its catalogue entries. British Library Shelfmark: Maps C.1.b.7. |
Bookseller: Roz Hulse Ltd. Conway UK
Publication Date: 1933
Publisher: Simmons Ltd, Sydney AU
Book Price: £980.00
A beautiful illustrated book about an iconic work of construction. Limited Edition. Inscribed by author/illustrator, making this a rare book, with a very interesting association. Cloth backed paper boards decorated in silver and red with an underside view of the bridge in construction.
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Bookseller: Librarius, Chester le Street, DUR, UK
Publication Date: 1939
Publisher: Blackie & Son Ltd.
Book Price: £136.00
Blackie & Son Limited, 1939. First edition. Rare, collectable. Tan cloth hardcover. Green border and black title to front board. Title and illustration of girl playing hockey to spine. Very good condition; minor edgewear, dusty top-edge of text block. Nice, flat copy; good, tight binding. Internally unmarked. B/w illustrated frontispiece, with b/w plates by F. E. Moorsom throughout. From the author of 'Lucy Brown's Schooldays', this is a charming schoolgirl story in the style of Winifred Norlin, Angela Brazil and Elinor M. Brent-Dyer. |
Bookseller: Greenroom Books, Ilkley, West Yorkshire UK
Publication Date: 2001
Publisher: BBC Books
Book Price: £95.00
The appeal of this book lies in its dedication by Bennett to a fellow playwright, including a charming cartoon sketch of himself, made by the author. Contains the twelve monologues plus 'A Woman of No Importance'. There are three intros by Bennett, totalling approx 25 pp. Illlustrated by stills from the pieces showing the performers, who were Patricia Routledge, Stephanie Cole, Thora Hird, Maggie Smith, Julie Walters, Eileen Atkins, David Haig, Penelope Wilton and Bennett himself. The dedication is to playwright Willis Hall, and reads: 'To Willis, with all best wishes from Alan'.
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Bookseller: Ely Books, Ely UK
Publication Date: 1797
Publisher: Printed for A. Bell & MacFarquhar
Book Price: £1,950.00
Constructed on a plan, by which the different sciences and arts are digested into the form, of distinct treatises or systems, comprehending the history, theory, and practice, of each, according to the latest discoveries and improvements. 1797. The third edition, 18 volumes, illustrated with 542 copper plates, including many Maps. |
Bookseller: Hugh Pagan Limited, Brockenhurst, UK
Publication Date: 1736
Publisher: "printed for the author, and for Joseph Ames, and Peter Thompson"
Book Price: £907.50
Its author, Rev.John Lewis (1675-1747), Vicar of Minster in Thanet, was an active local antiquary, and he provides a full account of the Isle, which, although comprising ten parishes only, included the seaside towns of Margate and Ramsgate. He also provides illustrations of the principal local buildings, including the North Foreland lighthouse, and prints the texts of relevant Anglo-Saxon charters and verbatim extracts from other relevant documents.
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Bookseller: Ocean Stripe Books, Cornwall UK
Publication Date: 1920
Publisher: Chatto & Windus
Book Price: £1,800.00
Rare 1st Edition of these poems about The Great War. The only volume of poems by this writer, who was killed on the front during the Great War, in 1918. The number of copies of this first edition from 1920 was small. Introduced by Seigfreid Sassoon. An historic publication in the field of war poetry, as Owen's approach to his subject was not to glorify war, but to draw on his direct experiences of its true horror & ultimate futility.
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Bookseller: www.rareandsigned.com, Leeds, UK
Publication Date: 1997-2006
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Book Price: £52,000.00
All true first editions, in hardcovers, first printings, and first state issue of 'Azkaban' as required. Original pictorial covered boards. With dustjackets (not issued for 'Philosopher's Stone'). Each title near fine, in fine wrappers. Each title is signed by the author. Accompanying items of provenance and ephemera including a Golden Ticket (for the 'Goblet' book signing) and various Harry Potter accompaniments.
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Bookseller: Emile Kerssemakers, Heerlen, Netherlands
Publication Date: 1825-137
Publisher: C.L.F. Panckoucke
Book Price: £2,813.65
All published between 1825 & 1837. 176 volumes (almost a complete set, a few vols. missing). Brown half leather, gilt text on spines; 23 cm. Text in Latin and French (covers (mainly edges) sl. worn, paper sl. foxed, sl. browned, convent library stamps).
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Bookseller: The First Edition, Harlow, UK
Publication Date: 1926
Publisher: Methuen & Co.
Book Price: £580.00 (SOLD)
Published by Methuen, this is the very rare deluxe first edition of Winnie-the-Pooh in the original limp red leather publisher's binding The red leather binding has an ornate border to the front with a gilt decoration of Christopher Robin and Pooh Bear to the centre which differs to the trade edition. The spine is ornately decorated in gilt featuring characters from the book along the spine and with the title to the top and publisher's name to the base of the spine
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Bookseller: The First Edition, Harlow, UK
Publication Date: 1906
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Book Price: £650.00 (SOLD)
This book is the First Edition, First Issue of Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, published by Hodder & Stoughton in 1906 in the original russet cloth with a gilt pictorial illustration of Peter Pan riding a long horned goat with decorative gilt lettering to the front and spine. The boards are in Very Good and attractive condition with light marks and rubbing and corner knocks. The gilt decoration and lettering to the front and spine is still very bright and vibrant. An extremely attractive and desirable set of boards.
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