Gift Ideas
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HERODOTUS, and Isaac LITTLEBURY (translator).
The History of Herodotus: Translated from the Greek … The Third...
London, for D. Midwinter, A. Bettesworth & C. Hitch, J. & J. Pemberton, R. Ware, C. Rivington, J. Batley & J. Wood, F. Clay, A. Ward,...
The ‘third’ (in fact fourth) and final edition of the first complete English translation of Herodotus’s History.
£450
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[MONROE, Marilyn.]
DIENES, André de. Marilyn.
Cologne, Taschen, 2002.
First edition of this celebratory book on Marilyn Monroe, collecting photographs by her friend (and briefly lover) André de Dienes, who met Norma-Jean in 1945 and helped launch her career.
£200
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DUNCAN, Raymond.
A small archive of printed and manuscript material relating to, and printed by, the dancer and poet Raymond Duncan.
Paris, 1940s to 1970s.
The present archive includes:
£1500
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MARTIAL; James ELPHINSTON (translator).
The Epigrams of M. Val. Martial, in twelve books: with a comment.
London, Baker and Galabin, 1782.
First and only edition of a disastrous poetical project, the folly of the distinguished educationalist James Elphinston, who nevertheless attracted a host of distinguished subscribers including Samuel Johnson and Adam Smith. ‘Garrick declared it the most extraordinary of all translations ever...
£575
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[SOUTH OF FRANCE.]
‘Routes de Privas à Nîmes 1892’.
June-July 1892.
A nice sketchbook, by an anonymous artist, recording a trip to the South of France in 1892, capturing the beauty of the landscape, as well as some of the historic monuments in the départements of Ardèche, Gard, and Vaucluse.
£575
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MARLIANI, Bartolomeo.
Urbis Romae topographia.
Rome, Valerio & Luigi Dorico, September 1544.
First illustrated edition (third overall), showing the archaeology and antiquities of Rome as known in the sixteenth century. First published in octavo by Antonio Blado in 1534 and reprinted at Lyons by Sébastien Gryphe later the same year, Marliani’s topography of Rome remained the foremost...
£5500
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MAGNON, Jean.
Les heures du Chrestien, divisées en trois journées; qui sont la journée de la penitence, la journée de la...
Paris, se vendent chez l’autheur … et chez Sebastien Martin, 1654.
First edition of this handsomely illustrated collection of prayers and devotions in verse and prose by the French playwright and poet Jean Magnon (1620–1662). The number of plates in individual copies varies, this copy containing at least two more than those described on OCLC.
£650
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[LOTTERY SATIRE.]
A Scheme for a New Lottery: or, a Husband and Coach and Six for forty Shillings. Being very advantageous...
London: Printed for T. Dormer … 1732.
First edition of this facetious proposal to match, for the fee of forty shillings each, 50,000 ‘maids and widows’ with a similar number of ‘gentlemen and tradesmen’, by lottery. The ‘gentlemen and tradesmen’ include ‘500 Lawyers, 200 Petty-foggers … 2 Scotchmen, both Pedlars,...
£2000
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LOCKE, John.
[An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding]. Extrait d’un Livre Anglois qui n’est pas encore publié, intitulé...
Amsterdam, Wolfgang, Waesbergi, Boom, & Van Someren, 1688.
A substantial and extremely influential extract, published two years before the appearance of the book, of Locke’s Essay concerning human understanding: a publication of major consequence in the history of philosophy. This issue of the Bibliothèque universelle et historique also...
£2850
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[COMMON PRAYER.]
The Book of Common Prayer, and Administration of the Sacraments, and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church,...
London, Millar Ritchie for J. Good and E. Harding, 1794.
A splendid copy of the Good and Harding Book of Common Prayer, in a striking masonic binding by John Lovejoy.
£1850
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NEUMANN, John von.
The Computer and the Brain.
New Haven, Yale University Press, 1958.
First edition of John von Neumann’s pioneering book on the capabilities of machines as compared to human brain. Originally intended for Yale's Silliman lectures, The Computer and the Brain was left unfinished at the author’s death in early 1957 and was instead first published the...
£475
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LEWIS, Wyndham.
The Childermass … Section 1.
London, Chatto & Windus, 1928.
First edition, no. 74 of 225 copies of the special edition, signed by Lewis, additionally inscribed, in c. 1951, ‘To Geoffrey Bridson (through whom I am enabled to finish this book) – deepest thanks and friendliest greetings / Wyndham Lewis’.
£2500
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[CONGREGATION OF THE ORATORY OF ST PHILIP NERI.]
A collection of seven componimenti sacri per musica for the Oratory of...
Venice, 1746-1787.
A collection of seven libretti for sacred oratorios, to be performed in the Oratory of St Philip Neri in Venice.
£375
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ROUSSEAU, Jean-Jacques.
Discours sur l’origine et les fondemens de l’inegalité parmi les hommes.
Amsterdam, Rey, 1755.
First edition. ‘Rousseau’s object was to persuade people that the happier state is that in which inequality does not subsist, that there had once been such a state, and that this was the first state of nature’ (Morley). Nature imposes its own inequality, namely the inequality of physical...
£1950
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PASTEUR, Louis.
Études sur la bière, ses maladies, causes qui les provoquent, procédé pour la rendre inaltérable, avec une...
Paris, Gauthier-Villars, 1876.
First edition. In his Études sur la bière, Pasteur ‘described a new and perfected method of preparing pure yeast [and] emphasized that yeast occasionally required small quantities of oxygen in order to retain its “youth” and its capacity to germinate in oxygen-free environments. ...
£750
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DURRELL, Lawrence.
Collected Poems.
London, Faber and Faber, [1960].
First edition, inscribed ‘For Geoff from Larry Durrell 1962 / “too much tape [?]” Eliot’. Eliot had been the editor at Faber when Durrell submitted The Black Book in 1937, but had only recommended publication with cuts that Durrell was unwilling to make. Eliot did however publish...
£400
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ZUKOFSKY, Louis.
Some Time. Short Poems …
Stuttgart, Jonathan Williams, 1956.
First edition, one of 300 copies, inscribed ‘for D. G. Bridson, Sept. 21, 1957, Louis Zukofsky’.
£500
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REXROTH, Kenneth.
An Autobiographical Novel …
Garden City, NY, Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1966.
First edition, inscribed ‘In friendship / for Geoffrey Bridson / Kenneth Rexroth SF June 66’.
£300
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ARNIGIO, Bartolomeo.
Rime dell’Arnigio per la ill[ustre] signora Claudia Martinenga.
Brescia, Giovanni Battista Bozzola, 1566.
First edition of Bartolomeo Arnigio’s collection of poems addressed to Claudia Martinengo, wife to Ludovico Martinengo della Pallata, an important association copy presented by the author to fellow poet Antonio Beffa Negrini.
£1750
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[PRAYERS.]
‘Orationes diversae pro temporum opportunitate dicendae’.
[Likely Lucca, late eighteenth century.]
A delightful manuscript prayerbook for use in communal worship, most likely for a rural community, with prayers for help in times of plagues and of animal diseases, prayers seeking protection from storms and alleviation of droughts, for times of earthquakes, for the sick, and against pagans. ...
£475