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"This is what I gave voluntarily at the risk of my life to keep my promise to the Government": Exceptionally rare document containing the fingerprints of Mohandas K. Gandhi; signed and inscribed by him
GANDHI, Mohandas K.
Mohandas K. Gandhi Signed Document.
1909.
Early 20th century South African government document containing the fingerprints of Mohandas K. Gandhi, signed and inscribed by him, "This is what I gave voluntarily at the risk of my life to keep my promise to the Government. Phoenix, Natal, 15th February 1909, M.K. Gandhi." In April 1893, Gandhi aged 23, set sail for South Africa to practice law in the colony of Natal, which, like India was part of the British Empire. The racial discrimination he experienced in his first year of residence inspired him to found the Natal Indian Congress which opposed several proposed discriminatory legislations and molded the Indian…
Price: $650,000.00 Item Number: 132138
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“THE MOST IMPORTANT SERIES OF AMERICAN POLITICAL DEBATES”: Exceedingly rare first edition, first issue of The Lincoln-Douglas Debates; inscribed by Abraham Lincoln long-time political supporter and friend Martin S. Morris and accompanied by the table from the Morris household that Lincoln sat at, shared apples with Morris, and signed the book
LINCOLN, Abraham .
Political Debates Between Hon. Abraham Lincoln and Hon. Stephen Douglas, In the Celebrated Campaign of 1858, in Illinois.
Columbus: Follett, Foster and Company, 1860.
First edition, first issue of the most famous debates in American history which cemented Lincoln as a national presidential candidate; inscribed by Lincoln to close friend Martin S. Morris and accompanied by the table from the Morris household that Lincoln sat at, shared apples with Morris, and signed the book. Octavo, original cloth stamped in blind. First issue, with no advertisements, no rule above the publisher’s imprint on the copyright page, and with numeral 2 at the bottom of page 17. Association copy, inscribed by Abraham Lincoln on the front free endpaper, "M. S. Morris Esq A. Lincoln." The recipient,…
Price: $500,000.00 Item Number: 138634
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HAYEK'S PERSONAL COPY OF HIS MAGNUM OPUS THE ROAD TO SERFDOM; ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BOOKS OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY; SIGNED BY HIM, WITH HIS CORRECTIONS AND MARGINALIA, AND IN THE SCARCE ORIGINAL DUST JACKET
HAYEK, Friedrich August von [F.A.].
The Road To Serfdom.
London: Routledge & Sons, 1944.
Friedrich August von Hayek's first edition personal copy of one of the most influential books of the twentieth century and the most popular exposition of classical liberalism ever published. Octavo, original cloth. Hayek's personal copy with his ownership name to the front free endpaper, "F.A. Hayek" and notation, "published March 10th, 1944" and list of 12 early critical reviews of the book to the verso of the rear endpaper, "Reviews: Tablet 11/3/44 (Douglas Woodruff); Sunday Times 12/3 (1 or 2 volumes) Harold Hobson 2. 9/4 (G.M. Young); Birmingham Post 14/3 (T.W.H); Yorkshire Post 29/3; Financial News 30/3; Listener 30/3; Daily…
Price: $450,000.00 Item Number: 135374
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"To Dr Karl Popper a fellow struggler for freedom": Rare First English Edition of The Road To Serfdom; Inscribed by F.A. Hayek to Karl Popper
HAYEK, Friedrich August von [F.A.] [Karl Popper].
The Road To Serfdom.
London: Routledge & Sons, 1944.
First edition of one of the most influential and popular expositions of classical liberalism ever published. Octavo, original black cloth. Association copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, "To Dr Karl Popper a fellow struggler for freedom with friendly greetings from F.H. Hayek." Also included is a letter signed by Karl Popper to his assistant Melitta Mew, presenting her with this book as a birthday gift ("...It is the copy he sent me to New Zealand on publication of the book, with a beautiful dedication. And thank you for everything you are doing for my work (and…
Price: $400,000.00 Item Number: 123960
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"The greatest and finest atlas ever published": Willem and Joan Blaeu's magnificent Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, or, Le Theatre du Monde
BLAEU, Willem and Joan.
Theatrum Orbis Terrarum. [Le Theatre du Monde].
Amsterdam: Chez Jean Blaeu/Apud Guiljelmum et Johannem Blaeu, 1643-1645.
One of the "greatest and finest atlas ever published" (Koeman). Folio, 4 volumes, original full vellum with gilt tooling to the spine in eight compartments within gilt bands, central gilt arabesques and fleuron corner pieces within double gilt ruling to the front and rear panels, all edges gilt. Gilt presentation inscription to the front panel of vol. I dated July 3, 1646 dedicating the set to Omer Talon, avocat-général to the French Parliament with the compliments of François du Monstier, rector of the University of Paris. Illustrated with 335 magnificent hand-colored engraved maps of the world and four continents including,…
Price: $350,000.00 Item Number: 126307
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"Second only to Gilbert Stuart's Athenaeum portrait": Rembrandt Peale's "George Washington, Patriae Pater"
PEALE, Rembrandt. [George Washington].
“George Washington, Patriae Pater” Rembrandt Peale Original Oil Painting.
Rembrandt Peale's famed painted portrait of George Washington, "George Washington, Patriae Pater", considered by many second only to Gilbert Stuart's iconic Athenaeum portrait of the first president and variations of which hang in the Oval Office and Old Senate Chamber. Oil on canvas. In 1795, 17-year-old Rembrandt Peale was invited by his father, famed American painter Charles Willson Peale, to accompany him to a portrait sitting with President George Washington. Although young Rembrandt was not entirely satisfied with the resulting portrait of the aging Washington, it was well-received and made his debut as a portraitist. In 1822, after a trip…
Price: $350,000.00 Item Number: 135084
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“For anyone who loves intensely lives not in himself but in the object of his love, and the further he can move out of himself into his love, the happier he is": Exceptionally Rare first edition in English of Erasmus' in Praise of Folly; elaborately bound in full crushed levant morocco by Sangorski and Sutcliffe
ERASMUS, Desiderius. Translated by Sir Thomas Chaloner.
In Praise of Folie: Moriae Encomium. A book made in latine by the great clerke Erasmus Roterodame. Enlightened by Sir Thomas Chaloner, knight. [In Praise of Folly].
London: Thomas Berthelet, 1549.
First edition in English of one of the most notable and popular works of the Renaissance which played an important role in the beginnings of the Protestant Reformation and swiftly brought its author international fame. First printing with 'latine' and the printer's initials 'TB.' to the title page. Octavo, bound in full crushed levant morocco by Sangorski and Sutcliffe, gilt titles and elaborate gilt tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, triple gilt ruling to the front and rear panels, gilt turn-ins and inner dentelles, all edges gilt, wide woodcut border to the title page signed…
Price: $275,000.00 Item Number: 139476
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"THE MOST IMPORTANT BOOK IN ENGLISH RELIGION AND CULTURE AND ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL TEXTS PRINTED IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE": EXCEEDINGLY RARE AND ALMOST COMPLETE FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE OF THE KING JAMES BIBLE
The King James “He” Bible. [The Holy Bible, Conteyning the Old Testament, and the New: Newly Translated out of the Originall tongues: & with the former Translations diligently compared and revised by his Majesties Speciall Comandement. Appointed to be read in Churches.
Imprinted at London: Robert Barker, Printer to the Kings most Excellent Majeste, 1611.
Exceedingly rare and almost complete first edition, first issue of the King James Bible, often considered "the only literary masterpiece ever to have been produced by a committee" with the scarce original title page of the Old Testament. One of only 198 copies produced according to the Brake-Hellstern 2017 worldwide census of King James "He" Bibles, this is number 119. First issue, containing the erroneous phrase “and he went into the citie” in Ruth 3:15, which was corrected to “…she went…” in all subsequent printings, the three lines repeated in Exodus xiv. 16, and other points detailed in Darlow &…
Price: $250,000.00 Item Number: 142486
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“The constancy of the laws of nature, or the certainty with which we may expect the same effects from the same causes, is the foundation of the faculty of reason”: Rare First Edition of Malthus' An Essay on the Principle of Population; With An autograph Note from Him
MALTHUS, Thomas Robert.
An Essay on the Principle of Population, as It Affects the Future Improvement of Society.
London: J. Johnson, 1798.
First edition of this cornerstone text of modern economics. Octavo, bound in three quarters calf. Laid in is a clipping from an original manuscript signed by Malthus and entirely in his hand which reads in part, "If at one time such a given product would make an effectual demand for certain commodities the conditions of the supply of which are supposed to remain the same, it would immediately cease to make such effectual." Signed by Malthus in the lower right corner, "Malthus." The verso features two further partial lines of text relating to supply and demand. In near fine condition.…
Price: $200,000.00 Item Number: 116955
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Exceptionally rare autograph letter in the hand of Alexander Hamilton; signed by George Washington to revolutionary war ally Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau
WASHINGTON, George. [Alexander Hamilton; Rochambeau].
Alexander Hamilton Autograph Letter Bearing the Signature of George Washington.
April 10, 1781.
Exceptionally rare autograph letter in the hand of Alexander Hamilton and signed by George Washington as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army to French ally Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, whose military assistance in the Siege of Yorktown essentially ended the Revolutionary War. The body of the letter is entirely in the hand of Alexander Hamilton and dated 10 April 1781. In the spring of 1781, officials from Massachusetts approached Rochambeau with a proposal to attack the British post at the mouth of the Penobscot river which had been established in June 1779 to secure timber for shipyards in…
Price: $175,000.00 Item Number: 125872
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First French Edition, Presentation copy of the Constitutions of the Thirteen United States of America; inscribed by Benjamin Franklin who requested the book's publication and personally distributed the 600 privately printed first edition copies
[FRANKLIN, Benjamin].
Constitutions des Treize Etats-Unis De L’Amerique. [Constitutions of the Thirteen United States of America].
Paris: D. Pierres/Pissot, Pere & Fils, Libraries, 1783.
First French edition of the Constitution of the United States of America, inscribed by Founding Father Benjamin Franklin who had the translation published and personally distributed each of the 600 copies produced. Octavo, bound in one quarter calf with gilt ruling to the spine, burgundy morocco spine label lettered in gilt. Presentation copy, inscribed by Benjamin Franklin on the front free endpaper, "A Madame, Madame la Presidente de Manieres [sic] de la parte du. B. Franklin." The recipient, Madame Durey de Meinires was a a French writer best known for her translations of Samuel Johnson, David Hume, and Sarah Fielding.…
Price: $175,000.00 Item Number: 138381
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“I’ve just had the happiest day of my life”: The Companion of Honour Medal: Awarded to Friedrich von Hayek by Queen Elizabeth II; with the royal appointment signed by Queen Elizabeth II
HAYEK, Friedrich von [F.A.]. [Queen Elizabeth II].
The Companion of Honour Medal: Awarded to Friedrich von Hayek by Queen Elizabeth II.
1984.
Exquisite Companion of Honour Medal, awarded by Queen Elizabeth II to Friedrich von Hayek on June 16th 1984 at Buckingham Palace. Measuring 2.5 inches by 1.75 inches, the medallion is surmounted by the royal crown decorated in red and green enamel and features a mounted knight and oak tree with the shield of the Royal Arms of the United Kingdom within a blue oval frame bearing the gilt motto, "In Action Faithful and In Honor Clear." On the verso is Queen Elizabeth's royal insignia. Presented on a red ribbon with gold thread borders and housed in a custom velvet blue…
Price: $150,000.00 Item Number: 117452
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"Sail on O Ship of State! Sail on, o union, strong and great!" One of the two broadsides specially printed and carried by Churchill to the Atlantic Conference signed by both him and Franklin Delano Roosevelt
ROOSEVELT, Franklin Delano; Winston S. Churchill. [Henry Wadsworth Longfellow].
Sail On, O Ship of State! The Longfellow Verse in Mr. Roosevelt’s Message to Mr. Churchill.
Raphael Tuck & Sons, Ltd., [1941].
Rare lithographic broadside signed by Franklin Delano Roosevelt as the thirty-second President of the United States and Winston S. Churchill as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom at the Atlantic Conference; one of only two known examples of this broadside specially printed at Churchill's direction and signed by both world leaders at their first wartime conference. One page, the lithograph features the famed Henry Wadsworth Longfellow verse first used by FDR in a letter of support to Churchill before the United States entered the war and a galleon at sea. The letter, sent the day before Roosevelt's third inauguration on…
Price: $150,000.00 Item Number: 125419
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Exceptionally rare pair of William and Thomas M. Bardin's New British Terrestrial and Celestial Globes; on the original mahogany tripod stands
Bardin’s New British Terrestrial and Celestial Globes. [Nineteenth Century English Globes].
c. 1800.
Fine pair of two large Regency period globes produced by William and Thomas M. Bardin, two of the most highly regarded globemakers of the period. Both the celestial and terrestrial globe measure 18 inches in diameter and are mounted on the original mahogany tripod stands with central compasses mounted on raised brass casters. Fitted with brass meridian rings, the terrestrial globe with an additional brass hour circle at the north pole. The horizon circles for both globes have engraved paper zodiacal rings with calendar. Each with a cartouche reading, "Sir Joseph Banks, Bart K.B., President of the Royal Society, this…
Price: $150,000.00 Item Number: 129376
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First edition of Alhazen's fundamental Book of Optics
ALHAZEN (HASAN IBN AL-HAYTHAM),.
Opticae Thesaurus Alhazeni Arabis. [Alhazen’s Book of Optics].
Basel: Eusebius Episcopius , 1572.
First edition of Alhazen's fundamental work on optics and vision, which influenced Galileo and Kepler and paved the way for the modern science of physical optics. Folio, bound in full contemporary Basel vellum with central arabesques blind-stamped to the front and rear panels, titles stamped in black and five raised bands to the spine, woodcut printer's device to the title page, woodcut initials, diagrams and full page illustration to the verso of the title page. Translated from Arabic into Latin by Gerard of Cremona. In very good condition. From the library of American physician Chester Tilton Stone with his bookplate…
Price: $142,000.00 Item Number: 90395
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"The longest letter signed and entirely in the hand of John Adams obtainable": Exceptionally rare 16-page autograph letter signed by Founding Father John Adams defending the ultimate necessity of American sovereignty
ADAMS, John.
John Adams Autograph Letter Signed.
1809.
Exceptionally rare 16-page autograph letter signed by and entirely in the hand of Founding Father John Adams defending the ultimate necessity of American sovereignty and its precedence over international alliances. Sixteen pages, entirely in the hand of John Adams and written on both the recto and verso of each page, the letter is dated January 9, 1809 and addressed to Speaker of the House of Representatives, Joseph Bradley Varnum. Although France and America shared a strong alliance which proved crucial to winning the Revolutionary War, at the onset of the French Revolution in 1789, Washington's fear that American involvement would…
Price: $125,000.00 Item Number: 121560
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First Edition of Von Neumann and Morgenstern's Classic Work Theory of Games and Economic Behavior; Signed by John von Neumann
VON NEUMANN, John and Oskar Morgenstern.
Theory of Games and Economic Behavior.
Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1944.
First edition of von Neumann and Morgenstern's landmark work. Octavo, original cloth. Boldly signed by John von Neumann on the title page. Near fine in a very good dust jacket. With the original “Corrigenda” slip laid in. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box. Books signed by von Neumann are exceptionally rare.
Price: $125,000.00 Item Number: 137277
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Exceptionally Rare 200-page autograph manuscript entirely in the hand of Israeli military commander Moshe Dayan documenting his years as a journalist in Vietnam
DAYAN, Moshe.
Moshe Dayan ‘Vietnam Diary’ Original Autograph Manuscript.
1966.
Rare autograph manuscript consisting of roughly 200 pages entirely in the hand of Israeli military commander Moshe Dayan, published one year later as part of Dayan's "Yoman Vietnam" or "Vietnam Diary." Folio, approximately 200 pages handwritten by Dayan on a variety of paper mounts with numerous edits, margin notes, and cross-outs which suggest an intensely involved and meticulous writing process, an original map showing military movements on page 220, and a drawing or other schematic on page 367. With English language terms throughout which provide especially revealing snapshots of what Dayan was observing during his Vietnam War experience including: "Lt.…
Price: $125,000.00 Item Number: 134059
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"To J. Edgar Hoover- a public servant of the highest courage- with the admiration of the author": First Edition of John F. Kennedy's Profiles In Courage; Inscribed by Him to J. Edgar Hoover
KENNEDY, John F.
Profiles In Courage.
New York: Harper & Brothers, Publishers, 1956.
First edition of Kennedy's Pulitzer Prize-winning work. Octavo, original half cloth, with eight pages of black-and-white photogravures. Association copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, "To J. Edgar Hoover- a public servant of the highest courage- with the admiration of the author- John Kennedy." The recipient, J. Edgar Hoover served as the first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States for nearly 48 years, being first appointed director of the Bureau of Investigation – the FBI's predecessor – in 1924 and was instrumental in founding the FBI in 1935, where he remained director…
Price: $125,000.00 Item Number: 134320
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From the library of Charles Darwin: First edition of Herbert Spencer's The Study of Sociology; from the library of Charles Darwin with a presentation inscription from Spencer to Darwin
SPENCER, Herbert.
The Study of Sociology.
London: Henry S. King & Co, 1873.
First edition, association copy of famed English philosopher Herbert Spencer's classic work on the evolution of society; presented and inscribed by him to Charles Darwin. Octavo, original publisher's cloth with gilt titles to the spine, dark green endpapers. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the title page, "Charles Darwin with the Author's kind regards." English philosopher, biologist, sociologist, and anthropologist Herbert Spencer invented the expression "survival of the fittest" which he coined in his Principles of Biology (1864) after reading Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species (1859). A description of the mechanism of natural selection, in Principles of…
Price: $110,000.00 Item Number: 141586
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"Undoubtedly the most influential of all English language versions of the Bible": THE GREAT KING JAMES "SHE" BIBLE
[BIBLE],.
[The King James “She” Bible]. The Holy Bible: Conteyning the Old Testament, and the New: Newly translated out of the Originall Tongues: and with the former Translations diligently compared and reuised by his Maiesties speciall Comandement. Appointed to be Read in Churches.
London: Robert Barker, Printer to the Kings Most Excellent Majestie, 1611.
Rare first edition of the King James Bible with the erroneous phrase found in the first issue “and he went into the citie” in Ruth 3:15 corrected to “…she went…” Folio, bound in full early calf with gilt ruling and stamping to the spine, morocco spine label lettered in gilt, marbled endpapers, lacking the title page to The Old Testament, The New Testament title page with elaborate historiated woodcut border dated 1611 with the words "Appointed to be read in churches" and "Cum priuilegio" at the foot, woodcut initials & headpieces, with the opening calendar printed in red and black,…
Price: $95,000.00 Item Number: 139786
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"The Greatest Work In The History of Science": Rare First Edition in English of Newton’s Principia
NEWTON, Isaac.
The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy. Translated into English by Andrew Motte. To which are added, the Laws of the Moon’s Motion, according to Gravity.
London: Benjamin Motte, 1729.
First edition in English of Isaac Newton’s magnum opus Principia which Einstein called, "perhaps the greatest intellectual stride that it has ever been granted to any man to make." Octavo, two volumes, bound in full contemporary calf, gilt titles to the spine, engraved frontispiece after and by A. Motte in the first volume, section-title to Machin's Laws of Motion, 47 folding engraved plates, 2 folding letterpress tables, 3 engraved headpieces by Motte, numerous woodcut head and tailpieces, historiated and ornamental woodcut initials. Translated by Andrew Motte. In very good condition. An exceptional example of this cornerstone of scientific thought, most…
Price: $82,000.00 Item Number: 140042
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“DEMOCRACY IS ESSENTIALLY A MEANS, A UTILITARIAN DEVICE FOR SAFEGUARDING INTERNAL PEACE AND INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM”: Rare First Edition of THE ROAD TO SERFDOM; INSCRIBED BY F.A. HAYEK
HAYEK, Friedrich August von [F.A.].
The Road to Serfdom.
Chicago: University of Chicago, 1944.
First edition of one of the most influential and popular expositions of classical liberalism. Octavo, original cloth. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, "To Mr. Allan T. Preyer at the Luncheon of the 'Ad ' Club New York April 11, 1945 with cordial regards of F. A. Hayek." Near fine in a near fine price-clipped dust jacket. Foreword by John Chamberlain. First editions are rare, presentation copies exceptionally so.
Price: $82,000.00 Item Number: 130745
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Exceptionally rare autograph album containing the autographs of 24 American Presidents in addition to numerous autographs of Cabinet Members, vice presidents and several rare carte-de-visites
WASHINGTON, George; John Adams; Thomas Jefferson; James Madison; Andrew Jackson; Martin Van Buren; William Henry Harrison; James Tyler; James H. Polk; James Buchanan; Zachary Taylor; Millard Fillmore; James Buchanan; Franklin Pierce; Abraham Lincoln; William Seward; Andrew Johnson; Ulysses S. Grant; James Garfield; Chester A. Arthur; Grover Cleveland; Benjamin Harrison; Grover Cleveland; William McKinley; Alexander Hamilton.
Autograph Album of the Presidents and Cabinet Officials of the United States of America.
Rare late 19th century folio album containing an extensive collection of Presidential autographs, letters, carte-de-visites, and portraits in addition to those of each Cabinet. Folio, bound in three quarter morocco with five raised bands and gilt titles to the spine. The album contains: a clipped signature of President George Washington with a four-page letter of provenance dated July 13 1948, several portraits of him including two rare carte-de-visites as well as a carte-de-visite of Martha Washington; and autograph letter signed by John Adams as President to Benjamin Lincoln, Quincy, July 23, 1799; a clipped document signed by Thomas Jefferson as…
Price: $82,000.00 Item Number: 129509
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Scarce 1792 printing of An Act to extend the Time limited for settling the Accounts of the United States with the Individual States; signed by Thomas Jefferson
[JEFFERSON, Thomas].
Second Congress of the United States: At the First Session, begun and held at the City of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, on Monday the twenty-fourth of October one thousand seven hundred and ninety-one. An Act to extend the Time limited for settling the Accounts of the United States with the Individual States.
Philadelphia: Childs & Swaine, 1792.
Scarce printing of an early United States law providing for the funding of the national debt, signed by Thomas Jefferson as Secretary of State. Folio, one page. The document, which also carries the printed signatures of President George Washington, Vice President John Adams, and House Speaker Jonathan Trumbull, was approved January 23, 1792. Individual acts and bills of the first Congresses were routinely printed for public consumption. A provision was made, however, to print a few copies of each act for dissemination to the states, and to have each copy signed by Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson. One of the…
Price: $82,000.00 Item Number: 125388
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Elaborately bound collection of Presidential autographs; containing the autograph of each of the first 34 Presidents of the United States from George Washington to Dwight D. Eisenhower
WASHINGTON, George; John Adams; Thomas Jefferson; James Madison; James Monroe; John Quincy Adams; Andrew Jackson; Martin Van Buren; William Henry Harrison; John Tyler; James Polk; Zachary Taylor; Millard Fillmore; Franklin Pierce; James Buchanan; Abraham Lincoln; Andrew Johnson; Ulysses S. Grant; Rutherford B. Hayes; James Garfield; Chester A. Arthur; Grover Cleveland; William McKinley; Theodore Roosevelt; William H. Taft; Woodrow Wilson; Warren G. Harding; Calvin Coolidge; Herbert Hoover; Franklin D. Roosevelt; Harry Truman; Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Autographs of the Presidents of the United States of America.
1783-1956.
Elaborately bound collection of Presidential autographs, containing the autograph of each of the first 34 Presidents of the United States from George Washington to Dwight D. Eisenhower. Quarto, bound in full red morocco by Riviere & Son with gilt titles and ruling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, gilt presidential seal to the front panel with white and blue morocco onlays, gilt arms and motto of George Washington to the rear panel with white and blue morocco onlays and his gilt signature in facsimile, centerpieces within quintuple gilt ruling with star emblems at each corner, blue…
Price: $80,000.00 Item Number: 125384
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“We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union... do ordain and establish this CONSTITUTION for the United States of America": Rare first edition of Vol. VII of the Journal of Congress; containing the first official Congressional Journal publication of the proposed Constitution of the United States
Journal of the United States In Congress Assembled: Containing the Proceedings From the Sixth Day of November, 1786, to the Fifth Day of November, 1787. Volume XII.
New York: Published by Order of Congress, 1787.
Rare first edition of Vol. VII of the Journal of Congress; containing the first official Congressional Journal publication of the proposed Constitution of the United States. Octavo, original boards. Contains the first Congressional Journal publications of the proposed United States Constitution (pp. 149-166) and the Northwest Ordinance (pp. 85-93). In very good condition. Small loss to the title page affecting the “L” in “Journal”. A rare and important piece of American history.
Price: $75,000.00 Item Number: 129855
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RARE PORTRAIT OF THE FATHER OF SOVIET RUSSIA: VLADIMIR LENIN; SIGNED BY HIM
LENIN. [ULYANOV, Vladimir Ilyich].
Vladimir Lenin Signed Portrait.
1922.
Rare printed photographic portrait signed by the father of Soviet Russia, Lenin. One page, printed with a folded crease, inscribed by Lenin in the lower portion of the portrait, "VI Ulyanov (Lenin) 28.IV.1922." In very good condition. Matted and framed. The entire piece measures 17 inches by 31.75 inches.
Price: $75,000.00 Item Number: 132168
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Three exceptionally rare Abraham Lincoln Pieces; An autograph Pardon of December 8, 1863 Signed by him; pristine original carte-de-visite; and exceedingly rare contemporary printing of the Proclamation of Amnesty
LINCOLN, Abraham.
Abraham Lincoln Amnesty Proclamation and Signed Pardon of December 8, 1863.
Washington, D.C.: War Department, Adjutant General's Office, 1864-1869.
Rare autograph Oath of December 8 endorsement signed and entirely in the hand of the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln with an exceedingly rare contemporary printing of Lincoln's Amnesty Proclamation which includes the wording of the oath itself and a rare carte-de-visite of Lincoln [Providence, RI: Salisbury, Bro. & Co., n.d.]. One page, the endorsement is signed and inscribed by Lincoln, “Let these men take the oath of Dec. 8, 1863 & be discharged – A. Lincoln Dec. 30, 1863.” One page, disbound, the contemporary printing of the Amnesty Proclamation consists of 6 pages printed by order…
Price: $75,000.00 Item Number: 132045
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"One Of The Most Important Books Of The Twentieth Century": First Editions Of Karl Popper’s The Open Society; Both Volumes Signed By Him And In The Rare Original Dust Jackets
POPPER, Karl R.
The Open Society And Its Enemies.
London: George Routledge & Sons, 1945.
First editions of Popper's magnum opus. Octavo, 2 volumes, original black cloth. Each volume is signed by Karl Popper on the front free endpaper. Each volume is near fine in near fine dust jackets. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box. Signed first editions of The Open Society and Its Enemies are exceptionally rare.
Price: $75,000.00 Item Number: 130962
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"One of the best-written and convincing pieces in the Anti-Federalist canon": Rare First Edition of Observations Leading to a Fair Examination of the System of Government from the Federal Farmer to the Republican
[LEE, Richard Henry].
Observations Leading to a Fair Examination of the System of Government, Proposed by the Late Convention; and to Several Essential and Necessary Alterations in it. In a Number of Letters from the Federal Farmer to the Republican.
New York: 1787.
Rare first edition of the definitive and most important work in the Anti-Federalist canon; the antithesis of the The Federalist Papers. Octavo, bound in the original calf over original boards with six raised bands, edges speckled red. In very good condition. An exceptional example.
Price: $72,000.00 Item Number: 106800
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First edition of Richard Owen Cambridge's An Account of the War in India, Between the English and French; from the private library of Benjamin Franklin
CAMBRIDGE, Richard Owen [Benjamin Franklin].
An Account of the War in India, Between the English and French, on the Coast of Coromandel, From the Year 1760. Together with A Relation of the late Remarkable Events on the Malabar Coast, and the Expeditions to Golconda and Surat; with the Operations of the Fleet. Illustrated with Maps, Plans &c. The Whole Compiled from Original Papers.
London: Printed for T. Jefferys, 1761.
Benjamin Franklin's first edition copy of Cambridge's account of the progression of the Seven Years' War in India, from Franklin's private library. Quarto, bound in full contemporary calf, marbled endpapers, illustrated with 12 engraved maps and plans and 6 plates, mostly folding. From the private library of Benjamin Franklin. Franklin's contributions to science and politics were immense and his passion for making books more available to a broader audience prompted him to establish North America's first subscription library. In 1731, Franklin convinced the members of his Junto (a mutual improvement club he founded) to pool their money to purchase books…
Price: $65,000.00 Item Number: 137375
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"let those who are really inclinable to buy, come forward, like men that are in earnest, and say what they will give": Rare Autograph Letter Signed by George Washington as the First President of the United States of America
WASHINGTON, George.
George Washington Autograph Letter Signed.
January 24, 1790.
Rare autograph letter signed by and entirely in the hand of George Washington as the first President of the United States. Quarto, one page, the letter reads in full, "New York Jany 24th 1790 Sir Capt. Burnett delivered me your letter of the 18th and is so obliging as to take charge of this answer - It is my sincere opinion that the land mentioned in it is worth what I asked for it--to wit four dollars per acre and once would have sold for it; but if, in the present scarcity of cash it rather fetch that sum, let…
Price: $65,000.00 Item Number: 141583
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Rare collection of the works of Thomas Paine; finely bound with a rare early printing of John Quincy Adams' response to Paine's Rights of Man
PAINE, Thomas.
Common Sense: Addressed to the Inhabitants of America, Plain Truth, Rights of Man Parts I & II, and An Answer to Pain’s Rights of Man.
J. Almon, J.S. Jordan, and J. Stockdale: London, 1776-1793.
Finely bound collection of the works of Thomas Paine, including the rare first British editions of Common Sense and Plain Truth (London: J. Almon, 1776), second editions of Rights of Man Parts I & II (London: J.S. Jordan, 1791-1792), complete with half-titles present, and a rare early printing of John Quincy Adams' response to Paine's Rights of Man (London: J. Stockdale, 1793), attributed to his father John Adams and written when John Quincy Adams was 26 years old. Octavo, bound in three quarters morocco over marbled boards with gilt titles and tooling to the spine, red morocco spine label, all…
Price: $60,000.00 Item Number: 96237
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FIRST EDITION OF RICARDO’S FUNDAMENTAL CONTRIBUTION TO THE SCIENCE OF ECONOMICS: ON THE PRINCIPLES OF POLITICAL ECONOMY AND TAXATION
RICARDO, David.
On The Principles of Political Economy and Taxation.
London: John Murray, 1817.
First edition of David Ricardo’s most important work, a cornerstone of economic theory— one of only 750 copies printed. Octavo, bound in contemporary half calf. Bookplate of John Hales Calcraft, member of Parliament in the late 18th century. Calf lightly rubbed, a near fine example. Rare in contemporary calf.
Price: $60,000.00 Item Number: 4046
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“Nothing is so indecent that it cannot be said to another person if the proper words are used to convey it": Rare First Edition in English of Boccaccio's Decameron
BOCCACCIO, Giovanni.
The Decameron.
London: Isaac Jaggard, 1620.
First edition in English of Boccaccio's masterpiece, published by Jaggard published three years prior to his printing of the Shakespeare First Folio. Boccaccio's masterpiece. Folio, 2 volumes, bound in full morocco by Riviere, gilt titles and tooling to the spine, all edges gilt, errata leaf at end of volume one, B1 is a cancellans, woodcut titles each with 6 vignettes, 98 woodcut vignettes in text chiefly repeating the title vignettes, woodcut initials, head- and tail-pieces. In near fine condition. First editions are rare.
Price: $60,000.00 Item Number: 128726
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"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit": One of Only 50 sets of The Works of Aristotle; Signed by Translator Thomas Taylor in volumes 1 and 4.
ARISTOTLE; TRANSLATED BY THOMAS TAYLOR,.
The Works of Aristotle.
London: Robert Wilks, 1806-12.
Exceptionally rare complete set of the first edition in English of the works of Aristotle, limited to only 50 sets, signed by the translator Thomas Taylor in volumes one and four. Quarto, 11 volumes, bound in full contemporary calf, gilt titles and tooling to the spine, morocco spine labels, ribbon book marks bound in, marbled endpapers, all edges marbled. The set composes of the following: Volume 1: The Organon, 1807, signed at the end by the translator Thomas Taylor, and with A Brief Notice of Mr. Thomas Taylor, the Celebrated Platonist, with a Complete List of his Published Works, by…
Price: $55,000.00 Item Number: 138648
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"Nothing contributes so much to the prosperity and happiness of a country as high profits": EXCEEDINGLY RARE FIRST EDITION OF RICARDO’S On The Principles of Political Economy and Taxation
RICARDO, David.
On The Principles of Political Economy and Taxation.
London: John Murray, 1817.
First edition of David Ricardo’s most important work, a cornerstone of economic theory— one of only 750 copies printed. Octavo, bound in contemporary marbled boards, leather, morocco spine labels. In near fine condition. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box.
Price: $55,000.00 Item Number: 108367
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"God is Truth": Exceptionally rare Etching Signed by Gandhi and Illustrator Fritz Eichenberg
GANDHI, Mohandas K. [Mahatma].
Mohandas K. Gandhi Signed Engraving Portrait.
Wood engraving of a bust-length portrait of one of the most famous graphic images of Gandhi by illustrator Fritz Eichenberg; signed by Gandhi, "God is Truth MK Gandhi." Below Gandhi's inscription reads, "To Eva Aug. 16th, 1948 with love from Fritz" and additionally signed "Fritz Eichenberg." The engraving is a proof impression on Japanese paper. The portrait by Eichenberg was originally created for The Catholic Worker, a newspaper in the cause of social justice, and was subsequently used in multiple other publications. "The word satya (Truth) is derived from Sat which means 'being'. Nothing is or exists in reality except…
Price: $50,000.00 Item Number: 103540