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: 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).

London: Luke Meredith at The King's Head, 1685. Full title reads: "A loyal tear dropt on the vault of the high and mighty Prince Charles II. Of glorious and happy memory. By Henry Anderson, M.A. vicar of Kingsumborne in Hampshire."
The original funeral oration for Charles II. Now bound in faux leather boards with gilt titles to the front board. End papers from time of binding. Bound in to the rear are two additional leaves, printed in Circa 1816 and each offering a hymn composed by Joseph Wiggins. He was a member of Stretton Friendly Society (Quakers). The faux leather cover is clean and bright. The text is mainly clean, with a touch of marking / foxing to it. small number 19 to title suggests that this has been abstracted from a larger collection at some point. [6], 26, [4] p. ; 4⁰. Signatures: A-D⁴ +2 leaves. 200 x 150 mm (7¾ x 6 inches).
Conforms to Wing A3091. Bibliography - Wing (2nd ed.), A3091

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

Bruxelles: N/A, 1910. From a Brussels collection, a photograph album featuring small (6.5 x 8.5cm) tourist photographs. These comprise: Port Said & Cairo (25 photographs) Mont St Michel (5) Dublin & Surroundings (15) and Glendalough (10) A total of 55 photographs. No date, but circa 1910 from the Dublin street scenes (not a car in any, trams and horses / coaches only). The photographs are in good clean condition. They are the well printed and focused images of commercial photographs of the day. The album, of mock snake skin covered card boards, is secured with cord. Each sheet is covered with a tissue guard. The album is a little bumped and with edgewear. Some of the images have become detached from their mounts, but still an attractive collection. Album size 130 by 190mm (5 by 7½ inches).

London: N/A, 1954. Beautifully bound by Sangorski & Sutcliffe. The attendees captured here include H.R.H. Princess Margaret, The Duke & Duchess of Gloucester, The Duke and Duchess of Kent. Landscape album 246 by 307mm (9¾ by 12 inches). 4 blank leaves, 2 titles (printed in red and black). 28 black and white silver gelatin prints (193x245 mm) mounted on 14 leaves. A further 4 leaves of blanks to the rear. Full morocco binding titled in gold on the first cover in a double frame of gilt fillets, ribbed spine decorated with gilt fillets, gilt fillets on the cuts, interior border highlighted with gilt fillets, binding signed Sangorski & Sutcliffe, London. A little bumping to the corners. Slight handling to the binding only. An inscription has been scratched away on a front end paper. Still a lovely copy. The first 14 photos document the visit of Princess Margaret who was then 24 years old, the next 6 photos concern the Princess and the Duke of Gloucester, the last 8 photos the Duchess of Kent (Princess Marina) and her eldest son (Now Prince Edward, Duke of Kent). Single album, or produced in a very few copies. Although this is a private collection, the indications are that it was produced by press photographers from the Daily Mail. To the title page, the address is Northcliffe House, London. EC4 - which was the headquarters of the Daily Mail at the time. A couple of the photographs can be identified as being used in the press at the time. Also identified in the pictures are Philip Rosenthal, of Rosenthal Porzellan, Germany. Lord Rothermere, Mr Stokes (The organiser of the exhibition).

London: T. Warner, 1727. First edition, second issue without the words "Conjugal Lewdness" in the main title. Daniel Defoe (ca. 1660-1731) published this essay under the original title of "Conjugal Lewdness or Matrimonial Whoredom" (1717) before being asked to rename it for the sake of propriety. This copy shows the cancel title mounted to a stub (as it should be!) Contemporary full calf, gold-tooled filets, fleurons on boards and coat of arms of Earl Stanley on upper board, ribbed spine with gold-tooling, inner filets in gold-tooling, all edged gilt. Boards have been repaired and the spine re-laid onto the back. Internally clean and tidy throughout, with just a touch of foxing to the pages. vi, [2], 406 pp. 195 x 125mm (7¾ x 5 inches).

Despite changing the title, Defoe's text is unchanged. In this essay "concerning the Use and Abuse of the marriage bed", Defoe deals with contraception and compares it with infanticide, "the diabolical practice of attempting to prevent childbearing by physical preparations". He also maintains that marriage should be a state of equality and companionship, and considers the fatal consequences of clandestine or forced marriages, unequal matches etc.

The coat of arms with the motto "Honi soit qui mal y pense" are from the Earl of Derby, Edward Stanley (1799-1869), member of the Order of the Garter. Ex-libris of "G.O.M."

Spain: n/a, 1850. A nice example of a Spanish ambrotype photograph. The image is a 2.5 x 2 inches (quarter plate) glass plate held in a gold coloured soft metal frame (3 inches by 2.5 inches) This in turn is held in a leather backing (with some rubbing). some slight surface scratching to the protective glass. A very nice clean image, with a touch of hand colouring to the woman's cheeks. This from a Spanish collection.
Total size: 80 x 72 mm (3¼ x 2¾ inches).

Ambrotype also known as a collodion positive in the UK, is a positive photograph on glass. Each is a unique original that could only be duplicated by using a camera to copy it. Developed circa 1850, by the mid 1860's Tintype and Albumen photographs had superseded the process.