AT ONCE a great basic resource and a rewarding volume for browsing or bibliophilic pleasure-reading, this classic work by John Carter contains over 490 alphabetical entries offering definitions and analysis of technical terms as well as the jargon of book collecting and bibliography — with ampleexamples now including illustrations and much enhanced coverage of the implications of the internet.  Carter's ABC, first printed in 1952, was last revised, expanded, and given a new introduction by Nicolas Barker, his friend and the respected editor of The Book Collector, in 2004.  This new, 9th edition co-revised by Barker and Simran Thadani is a book that no purchasing collector or cataloguer should think of as a frivolous expense, and a book that as a gift to a collector or cataloguer cannot fail to please.

• Complete with printed dust-jacket; new. (39930)

Binding:  Publisher's gilt-stamped olive green paper wrappers with color-printed parrot portrait onlay on front wrapper.

Searches of WorldCat locateno copies in the U.S., with two found in Canada and one at the National Library in New Zealand, which last library supplies the “[North Vancouver?]“ attribution for this production without internal assertion of imprint place. Another online source gives “Tavewa Island,” with we know not what evidence.

•  Wrappers crisp and fresh, showing virtually no wear save for a small area of faint discoloration from now-absent label; booklet pristine and lay-ins present. A lovely copy of a scarce and attractive item. (41361)

The work was first serially published in Ainsworth's Magazine in 1842–43, with a three-decker book-form printing following shortly after its completion; the present example (described as a “new edition” on the title-page) follows the story's first appearance in one volume in 1843. This copy is in the publisher's original gilt-stamped red cloth binding.

•  NCBEL, III, 912; NSTC 2A5904.   Publisher's textured red cloth, covers with embossed knotwork frames, front cover with gilt-stamped deer and castle vignette, spine with gilt-stamped title and three scenes; joints and extremities rubbed with cloth starting to peel at back corners, spine and board edges somewhat darkened. Frontispiece portrait with upper outer corner waterstained (not affecting image), added engraved title-page darkened, scattered small spots of foxing to pages and plates. A delightful Cruikshank item, and thrill-inducing in its own right as an English Gothic historical novel. (39887)

This is the original first edition, not a modern reprint.

Binding:  Publisher's light blue straight-grained cloth, front cover and spine with gilt-stamped title, front cover with desert vignette stamped in black and green.

•  Binding as above, minimal wear to extremities, spine with small area of light discoloration. Light pencilled underlining and marks of emphasis, including a star and a wing (all removable). A nice copy of an interesting volume.  (28604)

Binding:  Publisher's dark green cloth, front cover with foliate frame stamped in gilt and light green surrounding a chromolithographed paper onlay depicting the March girls peacefully at work in the woods, spine with foliate motifs repeated.

•  Binding as above; gently rubbed, spine slightly darkened, lower corners bumped. Inscription on front fly-leaf as above. Pages faintly age-toned, with foxing surrounding plates (plates themselves unaffected). Loved and still lovely, with an appealingly sentimental inscription. (41375)

The booklet includes on its final three pages “A short-title list of items exhibited in Some of Our Best Friends: Books Selected from Collections of Members of the Philobiblon Club, at the Rosenbach Museum & Library, 12 February – 9 May 1993,” and that is preceded on pp. 1–53 by a reprint of “A loan collection of decorative bindings, rare books, manuscripts, and other bibliographical specimens from the libraries of Philadelphia,” being the catalogue of an 1893 book exhibit at Philadelphia's Academy of the Fine Arts that partly led to the Club's formation. This is not a social history of the Club, but rather an excellent snapshot of its founding and centennial members' leading book interests.

•  New. Original tan wrappers. Saddle-stitched.  (35805)

This edition was the first to feature Thomson's charming illustrations, depicting both indoor and outdoor scenes while notably prioritizing well-dressed human figures over Allen's lovingly described gardens and woods.

Binding:  Publisher's olive cloth, front cover and spine with gilt-stamped branch and bird designs (unsigned).

•  BAL 468; Wright, III, 76 & 80 (for first eds.).   Binding as above, spine and board edges sunned. Page edges untrimmed; one signature carelessly opened. Aesthetically pleasing, culturally intriguing, and sure to be of interest to both birders and gardeners. (37531)

A search of WorldCat findsonly three U.S. institutions reporting holdings  (New York Public, Huntington, Earlham College).

•  Publisher's purple-printed paper wrappers; front wrapper with outer edge chipped and rear one with a corner lightly creased; title-page with two short closed edge tears. Clean and seemingly unread.  (41970)

•  Osborne Collection, p. 858 (for 1st ed.); this ed. not in Opie.   Publisher's blind-stamped red cloth, spine with gilt-stamped title and decorations, all edges gilt; cocked, with hinges (inside) starting from head and foot, and tender. Spine dimmed, sides with small spots of discoloration, joints and extremities rubbed; minimal age-toning and a few scattered spots of foxing, pages otherwise clean. A very readable copy of this interesting precursor to Black Beauty — and, the animal in the illustrations is full of personality!  (41803)

This isnumbered copy 733 of 2000 printed, signed at the colophon by the illustrator. Both the appropriate Club newsletter (in its original envelope) and the prospectus are laid in.

•  Bibliography of the Fine Books Published by the Limited Editions Club, 497.   Publisher's fabric-covered binding as above, spine with gilt-stamped leather title-label, in original brown paper–covered slipcase with printed paper label; spine cloth very slightly (and unobtrusively) sunned, slipcase showing only minimal traces of shelfwear.A nice copy of this handsome piece of LEC exotica.  (36838)

A gift inscription tipped to the front fly-leaf reads, “From the Wardroom Officers of the Joint A/S [i.e., Anti-Submarine] School & Barracks, Londonderry — with their congratulations and best wishes for a long & happy married life,” signed E. Hart Dyke, Commander, and dated 31 August 1946.

Binding:  Full olive green textured calf, spine gilt extra, boards with simple gilt double-rule borders and zig-zag gilt decoration along their edges; gilt floral roll to generous turn-ins and marbled paper pastedowns. All edges gilt. A tiny stamp on a front endpaper indicates this copy was bound by Bayntun-Riviere of Bath, England.

•  Bound as above, mild rubbing to rear board only and light soiling along edge of tipped-in inscription (perhaps from the glue). Binding and interior very clean. A lovely copy with a pleasing provenance.  (37324)

This is the first edition, illustrated with four striking color-printed plates by Clarence Coles Phillips, demonstrating his characteristic use of negative space.

Binding:  Publisher's brick-colored cloth, front cover with gilt-stamped title and vignette of the heroine stamped in silver and gilt, spine with gilt-stamped title and silver-stamped butterfly motif. The very unusual color-printed endpapers depict the novel's characters interspersed with (and shown as) butterflies.

•  Smith, American Fiction, 1901–1925, A-341.   Bound as above, extremities a bit rubbed; spine very slightly darkened. Pages fresh and clean. An interesting text, in an attractive presentation. (37481)

•  Publisher's yellow bookcloth wrappers, front wrapper with affixed photographic label. Very clean and crisp.  (30630)

•  Publisher's cloth in original dust jacket; jacket with spine sunned, spine and extremities chipped. Ex–social club library: Front pastedown with bookplate and evidence that jacket was once taped down, dedication page with inked numeral in lower margin, spine with inked shelving number. Title-page with inked private ownership inscription dated 1942. Laid in, an amusing newspaper snippet. Outer edges (closed) with small area of staining; otherwise, internally clean and nice.  (33133)

•  Publisher's quarter leather over printed boards, respined with cloth tape and with covers dustsoiled; interior age-toned with occasional old foxing or staining (most notable to first few leaves). A solid copy, overall clean.  (3612)

•  Publisher's stiff wrappers in the publisher's open-back slipcase. New.  (35392)

Provenance:  Presentation copy from the publisher: “C.S. Bell, Esq. with J.G.B.'s compts.” (i.e., John G. Bell). This copy came from the Bewick collection of S. Roscoe, with his cataloguing slip tipped in and his pencilled note “one of 18 on large paper” (which we believe is erroneous). Described on Roscoe's slip as “on blue” paper: if so, it is very, very pale blue.

•  Hugo, Bewick Collector, 466.   Fine copy in later marbled light boards, edges lightly rubbed; provenance/presentation indicia as above.  (38856)

•  Publisher's case of tan buckram and textured grey paper–covered sides, front cover and spine with red paper labels, in matching slipcase; slipcase rubbed but solid with spine cloth slightly foxed, case otherwise showing virtually no wear. The enclosed portolio, pristine. (41304)

Provenance:  From the library of American collector Albert A. Howard, small booklabel (“AHA”) at rear.

•  Bound as above, spines sunned as is often seen with these volumes; slipcase somewhat darkened with spine and edges showing this more notably. Books crisp and clean. A nice set. (41317)

Binding:  Straight-grained roan, covers gilt-ruled and spine gilt extra.

•  O'Callaghan 213; Hills 765 (not calling for a frontis.); not in Herbert.   Binding rubbed, with corners bumped and spine-gilt faded but still softly pretty; lacking the frontispiece (which Hills does not call for) and title-page partially detached at gutter. Pp. 5–6 and 229–30 chipped on lower outer corner, with loss of part of page number from the former; free endpapers chipped; some old dog-ears; light foxing and occasional spots, and occasional light waterstaining. An attractive, solid small American Testament.  (7513)

These items showcase advertisements, design, and packaging from four different drug companies of the period. Six packages come from S.W. Gould & Brothers of Malden, MA; they are offered in similarly designed, differently colored wrappers displaying the contents’ medicinal names, common names, and curative properties, along with the blazoned promise of their being “Always Fresh and Reliable.” The horsemint was sold by Allaire, Woodward, & Co. of Peoria, IL, and the “Initial Line” chestnut leaves, “loose pressed,” were sent forth from S.B. Penick & Co. Crude Drugs, based in NYC, Asheville, Chicago, and Jersey City. (Penick & Co. claimed to be the first producer of hermetically sealed botanical drugs of uniform medicinal strength “untouched by human hands”; see The Pharmaceutical Era, vol. 49, p. 132). The Mine Safety Appliances Co., which is still in business, supplied the package of ten ammonia inhalants, with the directions for use on the back of the box offering advice by way oftwo illustrations.

The era represented here is remembered as a great one for “patent medicines,” being typically manufactured compounds touting their variously scientific, exotic, or modern “secret” formulas; but these productions represent and serve a counter-thread in popular medical self- and family care — a desire and a market fornatural, pure, familiar, and even “traditional” curatives.

•  Gould herbs with printed paper wrappers and others in printed boxes, all but two later wrapped in plastic to better contain the contents, with some starting to unfold; some wrappers faded and rubbed but all generally intact. PLEASE NOTE THAT THESE ARE HISTORICAL ARTIFACTS NOT INTENDED FOR CONSUMPTION, although the herbs still bear a pleasant scent! A multipurpose educational gathering of items more commonly found individually as loners. (37294)

This is numbered copy 1063 of the 2000 printed, signed by both Levine and Bentley at the colophon. The monthly newsletter is laid in.

Binding:  Full black linen, stamped in gold on the front cover from a design by Levine, with gilt lettering to spine.

Binding, slipcase, and illustrations all properly evoke the grittiness of the London underworld.

•  Bibliography of the Fine Books Published by the Limited Editions Club, 529.   Bound as above, in original black slipcase with gilt lettering to spine; minor rubbing to slipcase. A highly enjoyable copy of a fine production.  (39034)

•  Publisher's green cloth. As new.  (29580)

•  Publisher's tan paper wrappers, spine very slightly sunned, otherwise showing virtually no wear. A fresh, clean copy. (41527)

Binding:  Publisher's tan cloth, gorgeously stamped in silver and light and dark blue arabesque motifs surrounding a cream title panel, framed in brown; spine with similar motifs. Top edges gilt.

•  Binding as above, spine gently darkened and with a small light spot of discoloration to front cover, otherwise showing very little wear. Pages with a few scattered small spots of light foxing. A handsome copy of a work offering multiple aspects of interest.  (41394)

•  NCBEL, III, 798 (for main Dombey & Son info.).   Publisher's printed light blue-green paper wrappers; wrapper edges sunned and lightly worn. Very slightly and evenly age-toned with small spots of faint foxing mostly confined to margins; light offsetting from images, primarily affecting (blank) reverses save in Little Paul's case, where a ghostly Edith is faintly visible over his head. An attractive set.  (41239)

Provenance:   Front free endpaper with early pencilled ownership inscription of Jane E. Brewster and with rubber-stamp of a Rochester, NY, bookseller. Most recently in the children's book collection of Albert A. Howard, small booklabel (“AHA”) at rear.

•  Publisher's blind-stamped red cloth, spine with decorative gilt-stamped title and embellishments; extremities and joints rubbed, spine slightly sunned. Pages faintly age-toned with a few scattered small spots of foxing; clean. A nice copy. (41800)

•  Binding as above. Pristine in a mylar wrapper.  (30559)

The colophon notes that this is one of 750 unnumbered copies “printed on Van Gelder hand-made paper and the type distributed in the month of December MDCCCCXIV.”

•  Bishop, Mosher, 180; Hatch, Mosher, 610.   Green paper shelfback with pictorial blue and white paper–covered boards, white printed paper labels with green and red lettering to spine and front board; minor darkening to board edges; signatures unopened. In original white paper dust jacket; age-toned and edgeworn with chipping to extremities. A truly handsome edition in a nice copy.  (38900)

Uncut and unopened copy of a beautifully accomplished volume.

•  Not in Penzer, Annotated Bibliography of Sir Richard Burton.   Publisher's quarter vellum and marbled paper–covered sides, spine with gilt-stamped title; vellum darkened, corners bumped. Pages clean.  (28273)

•  Binding as above, very gently sunned, upper outer corners slightly bumped. Front pastedown with private collector's armorial bookplate. Pages clean.  (19634)