Literature
Rare & Classic, American or English Literature Books for Sale Online
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Rare large format photograph of American cultural icon James Dean; inscribed by him to his photographer Sanford H. Roth
DEAN, James. [Sanford H. Roth].
James Dean Signed Photograph.
Rare large format Sanford H. Roth photograph of cultural icon James dean playing table tennis. Inscribed beneath his image, "To Mr. Roth best wishes James Dean." The recipient, renowned American photographer Sanford H. Roth, was a close friend of Dean's and photographed him frequently. Dean visited Roth's home in California frequently and treated him and his wife Beulah almost as adoptive parents. Poignantly, Roth was in Dean's Ford station wagon driving behind Dean's new Porsche Spyder on the way to the Salinas Road Races on September 30, 1955, when Dean was killed in a late afternoon traffic accident. Roth took…
Price: $35,000.00 Item Number: 124398
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Complete Set of The Macallan James Bond Set
The Macallan James Bond 60th Anniversary Release Decade I-VI [Full Set].
Through a behind the scenes exploration of the James Bond archives this release celebrates 007 and The Macallan as modern innovators linked by their Scottish heritage. The Macallan and James Bond are bound together by our shared Scottish heritage, innovative nature and the pursuit of excellence. We have created a remarkable collection comprising six limited edition bottles inspired by each of The Six Decades of Bond, telling the story of innovation over 60 years and the pioneering character attributes of James Bond and The Macallan. The packaging of each bottle features an original illustrative design and colour to denote the…
Price: $12,500.00 Item Number: 145007
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First Edition of the Walt Disney's The Art of Animation; Inscribed by Him to director Ralph Hulett and other Disney Artists
THOMAS, Bob [Walt Disney].
The Art of Animation: The Story of the Disney Studio Contribution to a New Art.
New York: Simon and Schuster, 1958.
First edition of this definitive work on the animation of Walt Disney. Quarto, original half cloth, pictorial endpapers. Association copy, inscribed by Walt Disney opposite the title page, "To Ralph All Best Walt." The recipient, Ralph Hulett was a director, known for Sleeping Beauty, Lady and the Tramp and Peter Pan. Additionally signed by many of "Walt's Nine Old Men" animators throughout the book, including Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston as well as Disney Legends John Hench, Al Dempster, Xavier "X" Atencio, Collin Campbell, and other noted artists and animators from the Disney Studio. Near fine in a near fine…
Price: $11,000.00 Item Number: 142096
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“Rivers and the inhabitants of the watery elements are made for wise men to contemplate and for fools to pass by without consideration": Izaak Walton's The Compleat Angler; elaborately bound by Bayntun-Riviere in a cosway style binding
[WALTON, Izaak].
The Compleat Angler or The Contemplative Man’s Recreation Being a Discourse of Fish and Fishing Not Unworthy the Perusal of Most Anglers. [Cosway].
Chiswick: The Caradoc Press, 1905.
Finely bound example of Walton's classic work. Octavo, bound in full crushed levant green morocco by Bayntun Riviere in an elaborate Cosway-style binding with a hand painted miniature ivorene portrait of Walton (likely rendered by Stanley Hardy, who was painting for Bayntun at this time) under a thin pane of glass to the front panel within an elaborate gilt vignette, gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, double gilt ruling to the front and rear panels, gilt-ruled turn-ins and wide gilt stamp-signed inner dentelles, all edges gilt, watered silk endleaves, illustrated, tissue-guarded engraved…
Price: $11,000.00 Item Number: 142395
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Rare 1957 financial statement signed by both Hollywood Icon Marilyn Monroe and playwright Arthur Miller
MONROE, Marilyn and Arthur Miller.
Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller Signed Financial Statement.
Rare original 1957 Woodbury Savings Bank financial statement signed by both Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller in the beginning of their five-year marriage. One page, partially printed, the statement is dated September 9, 1957 and lists the couple's joint annual income as $50,000+, total expenses as $30,000+ or -, and amount of life insurance as $50,000+. The preparer has also listed Monroe as self-employed and President of Marilyn Monroe Production with a suit pending against the company as a corporation. Monroe and Miller's ages are also listed respectively as 31 and 41. Signed at the conclusion of the document, "Arthur…
Price: $7,500.00 Item Number: 114025
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"This is a book that needed to be written": First Edition of Tin Pan Alley; Signed by George Gershwin, Charles Previn and James Melton
GOLDBERG, Isaac; Introduction by George Gershwin.
Tin Pan Alley.
New York: The John Day Company, 1930.
First edition of this work on American popular music. Octavo, original cloth, illustrated. Introduction by George Gershwin. Boldly signed "Sincerely George Gershwin" on the dedication page. Additionally signed by conductor Charles Previn and tenor James Melton. Near fine in a very good dust jacket. Previn was an American film composer who was highly active at Universal in Hollywood during the 1940s and 1950s. Before going to Hollywood, Previn had arranged music for over 100 Broadway productions. Melton was a popular singer in the 1920s and 1930s and later began a career as an operatic singer when tenor voices went out…
Price: $5,500.00 Item Number: 84308
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First Edition of Dorothy Hartley's Food In England; Lengthily Signed by Her
HARTLEY, Dorothy.
Food In England.
London: Macdonald, 1954.
First edition of this classic work by the social historian Dorothy Hartley, which is both a cookery book and a history of English cuisine. Octavo, original cloth, illustrated with Hartley's own strong, detailed and lively illustrations. Lengthily signed by the author on the front free endpaper, "D. Hartley. the author- with remembrances of our meetings-at the National!" Near fine in a very good price-clipped dust jacket. Exceptionally rare signed, we trace no other examples.
Price: $5,500.00 Item Number: 131335
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"What the eyes see and the ears hear, the mind believes": First Edition of Harry Houdini's The Unmasking of Robert-Houdin; Signed by Him
HOUDINI, Harry.
The Unmasking of Robert-Houdin.
New York: The Publishers Printing Co, 1908.
First edition of this work by Houdini regarding his one-time idol. Octavo, original cloth, frontispiece of Houdini, illustrated throughout. Boldly signed by Harry Houdini on the front free endpaper. Bookplate to the front pastedown, in near fine condition.
Price: $3,800.00 Item Number: 99655
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Scarce first edition of Maxwell Knight's Talking Birds; illustrated and signed by David Cornwell aka John le Carre
KNIGHT, Maxwell. Illustrated by David Corwell [John le Carre].
Talking Birds.
London: G. Belll & Sons, Ltd, 1961.
First edition of Knight's work on the varying capabilities of talking birds; illustrated by David Cornwell (John le Carre) and one of his earliest appearances in print. Octavo, original cloth, illustrated by David Corwell. Signed by him on the title page with both his real and pen name, "David Cornwell x x a.k.a. John le Carre." Near fine in a near fine dust jacket. Jacket photograph by Alec Brooksbank. Small ownership name. Scarce signed by Le Carre with not other signed copies traced in auction records.
Price: $3,200.00 Item Number: 131508
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Rare First Edition of Richard Burton's A New System of Sword Exercise for Infantry
BURTON, Richard F.
A New System of Sword Exercise for Infantry.
London: William Clowes and Sons, 1876.
First edition of this classic text. Small octavo, bound in three quarters leather over marbled boards, illustrated. In near fine condition.
Price: $3,000.00 Item Number: 119468
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Rare First Edition of William Reid's Golfing Reminiscences: The Growth of the Game, 1887-1925; Inscribed by Him
REID, William.
Golfing Reminiscences: The Growth of the Game, 1887-1925.
Edinburgh: J. & J. Gray, 1925.
First edition of William Reid's autobiography. Octavo, original cloth, illustrated. Signed by the author on the front free endpaper, "With the author's compliments." Near fine in the rare original dust jacket with a few small closed tears and wear. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box.
Price: $3,000.00 Item Number: 26007
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Rare 19th century Christmas album
Welcome to Christmas.
1875.
Rare 19th century album on Christmas. Octavo, bound in full black morocco, elaborate ruling in blind and in gilt, silk moire endpapers, eight cardstock leaves, six in cream and two in grey, all hand lettered and or painted in traditional Victorian Christmas imagery. The title leaf with quill and pen, surmounted with elaborate titling in banner “Welcome to Christmas, 1865” and bedecked with holly, ivy and snow. A painted holly sprig follows. Then a lovely table with Christmas fair (”Let our walls now with evergreen garlands be graced } And a dainty repast on our table be placed”) The tree…
Price: $2,500.00 Item Number: 139519
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First Edition of The Bogey Man; Inscribed by George Plimpton and Jack Nicklaus To Max Steele
PLIMPTON, George (Jack Nicklaus).
The Bogey Man.
New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1968.
First edition of Plimpton's classic work on golf. Octavo, original cloth. Association copy, inscribed by the author, "For Great Max another wild effusion- George." The recipient was Max Steele, who along with Plimpton started The Paris Review. Additionally inscribed by golf legend Jack Nicklaus on the front free endpaper to the same recipient, Max Steele. Fine in a near fine dust jacket. Jacket design by Robert Korn. A unique example.
Price: $2,000.00 Item Number: 136489
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“Learn from the mistakes of others. You can never live long enough to make them all yourself": First Edition of The Groucho Phile; Inscribed twice by Goucho Marx To Actress Sally Kellerman
MARX, Groucho.
The Groucho Phile.
Indianapolis : Bobbs-Merrill Company, 1976.
First edition of this work by the legendary comedian. Quarto, original boards. Association copy, inscribed twice by the author on the dedication page and again on page 364, "To Sally from Goucho?" On page 364 Groucho writes in his hand, “There’s a picture of a pretty girl from an old friend Groucho?” In the caption to the right Groucho states, "There's a world of show business in this picture. Sitting on the floor next to me is Sally Kellerman. We're an item." The recipient, Sally Kellerman was an actress and singer whose acting career spanned 60 years. Her role as…
Price: $2,000.00 Item Number: 137602
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Deluxe signed limited edition of Arthur Rackham's illustrated Compleat Angler
WALTON, Izaak. Illustrated by Arthur Rackham.
The Compleat Angler or The Contemplative Man’s Recreation Being a Discourse of Rivers, Fishponds, Fish and Fishing no unworthy the Perusal of most Anglers.
London: George C. Harrap & Co Ltd, 1931.
Deluxe signed limited edition of Arthur Rackham's wonderfully illustrated rendition of The Compleat Angler. Quarto, original publisher's full vellum decorated in gilt, pictorial endpapers, illustrated by Arthur Rackham with 12 full-page color plates and 25 in-text line cuts. One of seven hundred and seventy-five numbered copies signed by Arthur Rackham, this is number 143. In fine condition. An exceptional example.
Price: $2,000.00 Item Number: 140933
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First Edition of Dorothy Hartley's Food In England; in the uncommon dust jacket
HARTLEY, Dorothy.
Food In England.
London: Macdonald, 1954.
First edition of this classic work by the social historian Dorothy Hartley, which is both a cookery book and a history of English cuisine. Octavo, original cloth, illustrated with Hartley's own strong, detailed and lively illustrations. Bookplate, near fine in a very good dust jacket. Uncommon in the original jacket.
Price: $1,500.00 Item Number: 95798
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First Edition of The Legend of Bagger Vance; Signed by Steven Pressfield and by Matt Damon
PRESSFIELD, Steven [Matt Damon].
The Legend of Bagger Vance: A Novel of Golf and the Game of Life.
New York: William Morrow and Company, 1995.
First edition, early printing of one of the greatest golf novels of the 20th century. Octavo, original half cloth. Signed by the author on the half-title page, "Shalom Steven Pressfield." Additionally signed by Academy Award-winning actor Matt Damon on the half-title page. Damon starred in the 2000 film adaptation. Fine in a fine dust jacket. Jacket design by Richard Grider. Jacket illustration by Jerry LoFaro.
Price: $1,250.00 Item Number: 144822
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Finely Bound Set of the works of Surtees
SURTEES, Robert Smith; Illustrations by John Leech & H.K. Browne.
The Works of Surtees. . . : Ask Mamma; Handley Cross; Mr. Sponge’s Sporting Tour; Plain or Ringlets; Hawbuck Grange; Mr. Romford’s Hounds.
London: Bradbury Agnew & Company, .
Octavo, 6 volumes. Three quarters red leather over marbled boards, gilt titles and tooling to the spine, top edge gilt, gilt lined, marbled endpapers, colored frontispiece to each volume, as well as the title page. Illustrations by John Leech and H.K. Browne. In near fine condition.
Price: $1,250.00 Item Number: 3225