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

London: Sampson Low, Marston & Co. Ltd, 1899. New half calf (dark blue) with corresponding buckram cloth. Gilt titles to spine. New end papers. Text and Japanese characters throughout. Ex library, but the rebinding has resulted in very few library marks remaining. A lovely copy of this work. The binding is immaculate (it was finished last week!). Inside, the first 4 leaves have moderate foxing to them. The rest of the book is clean and tidy, with just a little darkening to the edges. Library marks are limited to a stamp to the verso of the title pages, then small discreet stamps to the top of page 1, and the bottom of page 480. Tape residue to the last page (list of author's other works). [vi], 1-480, [vi]. pp.
Chamberlain was one of the foremost Japanologists active in the Nineteenth Century. He wrote some of the earliest translations of haiku into English. During his tenure at the Tokyo Imperial University, he sent many Japanese artifacts to the Pitt Rivers Museum at Oxford.

London: Harvill Press: 1969. First Edition. Hardback. Signed by the author in dedication after his lecture on Siberia given in Southampton at the beginning of 1979. The book follows the author and his friend's exceptionally fascinating - and possibly unique - 12,500 mile trip (driving a Mini Minor car) across the former Soviet Union. In original unclipped colour photographic dust jacket. Brown cloth boards. This work includes a collection of quite extraordinary b/w and colour images covering all aspects of the journey. From costume, rituals, traditions, the arts, architecture and places. Offering a rare glimpse of life across towns and cities in former Soviet republics. Previous owner's small bookplate to front free endpaper. Minimal light spots of foxing to prelims. Overall a very good signed copy, in a very good dust jacket. 256 pages. 245 x 175 mm (9¾ x 7 inches).

London: Association for the Propagation of the Faith: 1850. A Periodical Collection of Letters from the Bishops and Missionaries Employed in the Missions of the Old and New. Pale blue paper covers. Uncut pages. The bulk of this issue is dealing with the missions to America and China. It also contains several letters from Pope Pius IX. A quite reasonable copy of this individual issue of the Annals. sound, but somewhat darkened and dusty pale blue paper covers. Internally clean and tidy throughout, although there is a little darkening to the first page. Uncut pages. The Association for the Propagation of the Faith is a Roman Catholic institution which is dedicated to supporting with prayer and funds the Catholic Missionaries who work overseas (I.e. not in the United Kingdom). pp. [vi], 253-306

London: Association for the Propagation of the Faith: 1849. A Periodical Collection of Letters from the Bishops and Missionaries Employed in the Missions of the Old and New. Pale blue paper covers. Uncut pages. This issue is largely dealing with the missions in China. There is also a loose gather with a half title and title page (and small vignette) to volume IX for the binder to use (unused). A very nice copy of this individual issue of the Annals. Clean and tidy pale blue paper covers. Internally clean and tidy throughout. Uncut pages. A tiny amount of foxing to the front cover of the wrapper and first page. The Association for the Propagation of the Faith is a Roman Catholic institution which is dedicated to supporting with prayer and funds the Catholic Missionaries who work overseas (I.e. not in the United Kingdom). [ii], [1]-79pp.

New York: Oxford University Press, 1955. First Edition. Signed dedication from Sell on the half-title page to Bill Fine (former president and general manager of WCVB-TV Channel 5 in the USA): Dear Bill Fine - never underestimate the Cody-Billings bloodlines - Henry Blackman Sell, Cody, Wyoming 1965. Linen boards in yellow illustrated dust jacket; Illustrated throughout. 278 pages. 260 x 200 mm (10¼ x 7¾ inches). The book has some discoloration, and the dust jacket is sun faded, with number of shallow chips to the edges. The contents are in a good clean condition, but the first few pages has evidence of a paperclip having been attached at some point. Sell was an ancestor of "Buffalo Bill", real name William Frederick Cody (1846 – 1917), a frontiersman who has been portrayed in many ways over the years.

Bill Fine (until 2020) worked for WCVB Channel 5, Hearst Television's flagship station, and in 1965 Sell was editor for Hearst's Harper's Bazaar, so they would have been colleagues.

Paris: Dentu, 1807. First edition. Nineteenth century (but not original) half leather binding, with brown marbled boards. Black labels to raised bands to the spine. Mottled closed page edge. In matching brown and marbled slipcase. Hand coloured end papers with gilt highlights. Two hand made map pockets at rear, with the large folding maps inside. Map of Interior: 350 mm x 270 mm. Map of the voyage: 490 mm x 380 mm. Very nice clean and tidy condition. No significant flaws. A touch of marking to the half title only. There is a small closed tear to the map of the voyage. X- 401 pp. 210 x 135 mm (8¼ x 5¼ inches). Édition originale. Reliure demi-cuir XIXème (mais pas d'origine), à plats marbrés marron. Etiquettes noires aux bandes en relief jusqu'au dos. Bord de page fermé marbré. Logé dans un étui assorti marron et marbré. Feuilles de garde coloriées à la main avec rehauts d'or. La reliure semble être un bon travail d'amateur plutôt que de professionnel. Deux pochettes pour cartes faites à la main (avec les grandes cartes pliantes à l'intérieur). Plan d'intérieur 350 mm x 270 mm. Carte du voyage 490mm x 380mm. Très bel état de propreté et de rangement. Pas de défauts importants. Une touche de marquage au faux titre seulement. Il y a une petite déchirure fermée sur la carte du voyage. X- 401 pp. 210 x 135 mm

Bathurst, Australia: Sydney, Kerry & Co, C1900, Original Photograph. A lovely photograph of an Aboriginal man named Gingung. Kerry & co / Tyrrell's Sydney: No. 1829 Gingung, a warrior.
Silver gelatin print, with albumen paper process. Signed in the negative. Studio Stamped. Title written in the negative. Stamp (slightly visible, see image) on verso. This is a print by Tyrrell from negatives from Kerry & Co. There is a copy referenced at the Maas Museum of New South Wales.

The photograph is stamped on back 'TYRRELL'S MUSEUM / OF / ANTIQUES BOOKS & CURIOS / 143 CASTLEREAGH STREET / SYDNEY' 1829 and identified by Smalls auctions in Australia as an early reprint from the original 'Kerry' glass negative. The sepia reprints are likely the working stock of the Kerry Studio that Tyrell acquired along with the original glass negatives.
"Produced by the Sydney firm Charles Kerry & Co. and part of the Powerhouse Museum's Tyrrell collection which contains over 2,900 glass plate negatives by Kerry & Co. Although a few appear to be from the 1880s most were produced between 1892 and 1917. Over this period, and well into the early 1900s, prints from these negatives appeared in many Australian publications and albums of views. In 1903 the company began producing postcards from these negatives, further establishing the images as some of the most significant and best known early views of New South Wales.
Some of the more significant themes covered by the collection include; views of New South Wales, Queensland, country towns, Sydney, Indigenous Australians, the South Pacific, rural life, native flora and fauna, and sentimental views. In addition there are a number of significant events from the 1900s covered by the collection including; Embarkation of troops for the Boer War, Hordens fire and the Inauguration of the Commonwealth in 1901, the arrival of the Great White Fleet and the Burns verses Johnson boxing match at Rushcutters Bay in 1908."
Geoff Barker, Curatorial, January, 2009. 205 by 150mm (8 by 6 inches).