Leningrad: inshenerow-komandirow protiwoposharnoi oborony, 1940. Fabric-covered original cover with gilt titles, The gilt is a little faded, and some parts have been inked in so as to still be legible. A little marking and staining to the cover. Contains 1 exterior view of the institute building and 33 individual photographic portraits of lecturers and graduates, all named in the negative. These are tipped onto the card. The university, founded in 1933, is a forerunner of the "Akademija gos. Protiwoposharnoi slushby MTschS Rossii", which is located in Moscow today. A fascinating "photo-book" at a seminal period of Russian history. Image size 12: 8 cm. Album size 230 by 300mm (9 by 11¾ inches). Couverture originale recouverte de tissu avec titres dorés, La dorure est un peu passée, et certaines parties ont été encrées pour être encore lisibles. Un peu de marquage et de taches sur la couverture. Contient 1 vue extérieure du bâtiment de l'institut et 33 portraits photographiques individuels de professeurs et de diplômés, tous nommés dans le négatif. Ceux-ci sont renversés sur la carte. L'université, fondée en 1933, est un précurseur de l'« Akademija gos. Protiwoposharnoi slushby MTschS Rossii », qui se trouve aujourd'hui à Moscou. Un « livre photo » fascinant à une période charnière de l'histoire de la Russie. Taille de l'image 12 : 8 cm. Taille de l'album 230 par 300 mm.

London: 1908. Limited edition (1250 copies) of Smith's seminal work by Sands & Co. 9 volumes (complete) in burgundy buckram with paper labels to spine. Ex library copy with the usual stamps and marks. Fading to the spines of each volume and some marking / nicking to the spine edges (particularly vol. 9). still useful reference guide for the history of the origins and developments of European painting and painters. It provides an extensive listing of the more celebrated Dutch, Flemish and French painters of the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries. Attractive black and white plates with tissue protection. A heavy set (12kg packed) additional shipping will be required at cost, outside of Europe. Text in English. Édition limitée (1250 exemplaires) de l'œuvre phare de Smith par Sands & Co. 9 volumes (complets) en percaline bordeaux avec étiquettes en papier au dos. Ex exemplaire de bibliothèque avec les cachets et marques d'usage. Décoloration sur les dos de chaque volume et quelques marques / entailles sur les bords du dos (en particulier vol. 9). guide de référence toujours utile pour l'histoire des origines et des développements de la peinture et des peintres européens. Il fournit une liste complète des peintres hollandais, flamands et français les plus célèbres des XVIe, XVIIe et XVIIIe siècles. Jolies assiettes noires et blanches avec protection tissulaire. Un envoi supplémentaire lourd (12 kg emballé) sera nécessaire au prix coûtant, en dehors de l'Europe. Texte en anglais.

1903. Four documents concerned with the Paddington Estate in West London. The monks of Westminster had land in Paddington from the 11th Century. After the Reformation, these rested with the Bishop of London. From the late 19th Century, these were gradually sold of through holding companies, the last being sold in the 1980's. These documents comprise: July 1903 - A counterpart licence for 14 Cleveland Square with permissions to renovations and changes to the property. 4 pages. April 1913 - A counterpart licence to add a garage for private motor cars to 7 Chilworth Mews. 3 pages and a large drawn handcoloured architectural plan of the front of the building and ground floor (on glassine). July 1926 - A licence and deed of covenant to turn 40 Cleveland Square into 3 maisonettes. 12 pages. plus a large folding architectural plan of the proposed changes, with seals and tagged seal. February 1929 - A lease from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners to A. H. Heath for a lease on 110 Westbourne Terrace, Paddington. 6 pages and glassine coloured plan of property. A nice bundle of London related legal documents.

London: Printed by S. Roycroft for R. Blome, 1679. "The Fifth Edition, much enlarged with great variety of Bearings. To Which is added a Treatise of Honour, Military and Civil, According to the Laws and Customs of England, collected out of the most Authentick Authors, both Ancient and Modern by Capt. John Logan."
A very nice copy - recently bound in quarter calf with burgundy label and marbled boards. Recent end papers. The rest of the book is original and complete. This is an ex library copy, but the stamps are not too disfiguring. A stamp and a couple of location records to the title page. Otherwise some small stamps to the verso of plates. A few of the pages have minor nicking to the edges - but well away from the text. Slight browning to the pages. Overall though, a good clean copy, with nice clear and well pressed engravings in a flawless binding. The first part of the work (Guillim's) contains hundreds of examples of Arms throughout the text. The second part (the Analogia Honorum) contains two engraved dedications, 9 full page portraits and 105 engraved plates containing hundreds of Arms and honours. All uncoloured.
[xiv], 1-317, [ix]. [ii], 3-181, [ix]. pp + plates and engraved portraits. 380 x 250mm (15 x 9¾ inches).

1807. At the foot is written 'we three, fools be.' The character on the left seems to have a jester's hat on.
On May 13th, 1807, William Wilberforce, Lord Milton, the Hon. Henry Lascelles (afterwards Earl of Harewood), and Mr. Walter Fawkes were nominated as parliamentary candidates in the Castle-Yard at York. This was the first contested election in the seat for 66 years. The struggle was also memorable on account of the vast expense that Lascelles incurred.
William Wilberforce, whose party almost entirely lacked organization, was head of the poll. There were concerns that Wilberforce allied himself with a candidate whose wealth was based on the slave trade, and he was forced to write to the electors to explain himself. Perhaps it is Lascelles and Wilberforce who are mocked as the electors here.
The caricature has been drawn onto the reverse of a scarce caricature engraving, of "Mr Riley in Solomon". This is most probably Samuel William Ryley (1759-1837), actor, and author of The Itinerant, or Memoirs of an Actor, 1808. 208mm x 248mm. Wilberforce, William (1759–1833), politician, philanthropist, and slavery abolitionist. Following the abolition of the slave trade, the Tories called an election. for the first and only time in his career he faced a poll for Yorkshire. Confronting as he did the great wealth and influence of both the Fitzwilliam and the Harewood interests, it was a testimony to the personal esteem in which he was held, and to his effectiveness in representing the county over the previous quarter-century, that he was returned at the head of the poll. It was alleged, however, that Wilberforce had compromised his independence by a coalition with Henry Lascelles, the Tory candidate. Wilberforce denied the charge and defended himself in a published letter to the electors.
He acknowledged that some of his supporters had indeed also solicited votes for Lascelles, but this was without his sanction, and it would have been improper for him to constrain their actions.
Lascelles, Henry, second earl of Harewood (1767–1841), Politician. His family wealth came from the slave trade in Barbados. After being elected twice as MP for Yorkshire, he stood again in 1807 - Lascelles, who was opposed by clothiers threatened by the removal of protection for their trade, and subjected to polemic about his family's slavery interests, was beaten by Lord Milton.
Ryley [formerly Romney], Samuel William (1759–1837), Actor and author.
Educated in Kensington & Fulham, although apprenticed to the woollen trade in Yorkshire, he eloped with his master's daughter and the married at Gretna Green. He was a jobbing actor, who later won a little more fame with his autobiography. "Ryley's life exhibits, with painful clarity, the precarious existence of the supporting actor of his day—snatching, at one moment, at dreams of fame and, at the next, facing the reality of poor shelter and meagre rations" (ODNB). This caricature seems true to life, as he was described as being very thin.

London: Jonathan Cape, 1966. First edition in dust wrapper. Wrapper is clean, with a touch of nicking and edgewear and with a 1cm closed tear to the head of the spine. Now in protective archival film. Hardback in clean and neat green cloth with just a touch of bumping. Book is in good clean condition throughout. What is interesting about this copy, is that there is a gift inscription to the verso of the half title, stating that the book was taken from the Iranian Embassy shortly after the SAS had ended the embassy siege in 1980. The annotation claims that it was taken from the embassy an hour after the siege, but apart from this seeming unlikely (with security concerns at the time) the date given is actually 3 weeks after the end of the siege. There is no evidence that this is true but a strange thing to make up and we offer it as an interesting oddity! 414 pages. 220 by 150mm (8¾ by 6 inches). Première édition sous couverture anti-poussière. L'emballage est propre, avec une touche d'entaille et d'usure des bords et avec une déchirure fermée de 1 cm à la tête de la colonne vertébrale. Maintenant dans un film d'archives protecteur. Couverture cartonnée en toile verte propre et soignée avec juste une touche de bosse. Le livre est en bon état de propreté partout. Ce qui est intéressant à propos de cet exemplaire, c'est qu'il y a une inscription cadeau au verso du faux titre, indiquant que le livre a été pris à l'ambassade d'Iran peu de temps après que le SAS eut mis fin au siège de l'ambassade en 1980. L'annotation prétend qu'il a été prise de l'ambassade une heure après le siège, mais à part cela qui semble peu probable (avec des problèmes de sécurité à l'époque), la date indiquée est en fait 3 semaines après la fin du siège. Il n'y a aucune preuve que cela soit vrai mais une chose étrange à inventer et nous l'offrons comme une bizarrerie intéressante ! 414 pages. 220 par 150 mm

Paris: Aux editions Raymond Schall, 1944. First edition. Published on 28th November. The photographs were taken surreptitiously, and at great risk, during the occupation, and the book was prepared during the final stages, allowing it to be published only three months after the liberation. Unpaginated. 27 pages of introduction and 131 pages of photographs with over 225 black and white photogravures. One of 1525 copies. A clean and tidy copy in very good condition, with just a touch of marking / rubbing to the boards. 270 x 220 mm (10¾ x 8¾ inches). Première édition. Publié le 28 novembre. Les photographies ont été prises subrepticement, et à grands risques, pendant l'occupation, et le livre a été préparé lors des phases finales, permettant sa publication seulement 3 mois après la libération. Non paginé. 27 pages d'introduction et 131 pages de photographies avec plus de 225 photogravures en noir et blanc. Un des 1525 exemplaires. Exemplaire propre et soigné en très bon état, avec juste une touche de marquage/frottement aux plats. 270 x 220 mm