Yokohama, Japan: N/A. Letter in German to M. Buffault. From A. Harris, Grand Hotel, Yokohama, January 8, 1911, 4 pages. The first page bears a coloured photo of three geisha. Binder holes at bottom of document. An attractive piece of early 20th Century Japanese ephemera. 180 by 120mm (7 by 4¾ inches). Yokohama Grand Hotel opened in 1873 and was seen as one of the finest in Japan. (it closed in 1923 due to damage from the Great Kanto Earthquake).

. Lettre en allemand à M. Buffault. De A. Harris, Grand Hotel, Yokohama, 8 janvier 1911, 4 pages. La première page porte une photo en couleur de trois geishas. Trous de reliure au bas du document. Une belle pièce d'éphémère japonaise du début du 20e siècle. 180 x 120 mm (7 x 4¾ pouces). Le Grand Hôtel de Yokohama a ouvert ses portes en 1873 et était considéré comme l'un des plus beaux du Japon. (Il a fermé en 1923 en raison des dégâts causés par le grand tremblement de terre de Kanto).

London: Not Identified, 1906. A reprint of an address by Sir John Forrest. Reprinted from the Australian Trading World. Soft brown covers. These are quite chipped with significant loss to the edges (but all text is present). Internally clean and tidy throughout, if fractionally darkened. 210 by 140mm (8¼ by 5½ inches). Conforms to FirstSearch / OCLC: 216601857. Sir John Forrest (1847–1918) was an Australian explorer and politician. He was the first premier of Western Australia (1890–1901) and a long-serving cabinet minister in federal politics. At the time of this address, he was the Treasurer of the federal government.

. Réimpression d'un discours de Sir John Forrest. Réimpression de l'Australian Trading World. Couvertures souples de couleur marron. Celles-ci sont assez ébréchées avec une perte significative sur les bords (mais tout le texte est présent). L'intérieur est propre et bien rangé, même s'il est légèrement assombri. 210 x 140 mm (8¼ x 5½ pouces). Conforme à FirstSearch / OCLC : 216601857. Sir John Forrest (1847-1918) était un explorateur et un homme politique australien. Il fut le premier premier ministre de l'Australie occidentale (1890-1901) et un ministre de longue date dans la politique fédérale. Au moment de cette allocution, il était trésorier du gouvernement fédéral.

france: NA, 1865. 21 albumen photographs on twenty sheets. 6 are hand tinted / coloured photographs of members of the Ouled Nail tribe, found mainly in Bou Saâda in Algeria. 2 appear to be commercial photographs, the other 19 are private photographs. These are attributed to Auguste Maure. He founded a photography studio in Biskra in 1860. Biskra features in several of the photographs here. He is also particularly known for photographing the Ouled Nails tribe. Hand written title. In a contemporary silk and velvet covered folder. It appears that the photographs (which are all laid onto stiff card backing) were originally bound into the folder - but they are now completely loose. Album dimensions: 165 by 100mm (6½ by 4 inches).

. 21 photographies albuminées sur vingt feuilles. 6 sont des photographies teintées / colorées à la main de membres de la tribu Ouled Nail, que l'on trouve principalement à Bou Saâda en Algérie. 2 semblent être des photographies commerciales, les 19 autres sont des photographies privées. Elles sont attribuées à Auguste Maure. Il a fondé un studio de photographie à Biskra en 1860. Biskra apparaît dans plusieurs des photographies présentées ici. Il est également connu pour avoir photographié la tribu des Ouled Nails. Titre écrit à la main. Dans une chemise contemporaine recouverte de soie et de velours. Il semble que les photographies (qui sont toutes posées sur un support en carton rigide) étaient à l'origine reliées dans la chemise - mais elles sont maintenant complètement détachées. Dimensions de l'album : 165 x 100 mm (6½ x 4 pouces).

London: J. M. Richardson, 1822. First Edition. Recent three quarter mustard colour cloth with marbled boards. Excellent fresh condition. Brown leather label with gilt titles. Brown end papers. There is an owner's stamp (elephant), and name stamp in Tamil to the half title. Text block is in excellent condition, clean and tidy throughout with just a touch of darkening and a few light foxing spots. Comes with two leaves of facsimile of the story printed on card. Paramār̲atakuruvin̲ katai; xii, 243 pages. Conforms to OCLC: 8034451. 24cm x 19cm (9½ by 7½ inches).

. Première édition. Toile récente de couleur moutarde à trois quarts avec des planches marbrées. Excellent état de fraîcheur. Etiquette en cuir marron avec titres dorés. Papiers de garde bruns. Il y a un cachet de propriétaire (éléphant), et un cachet de nom en Tamil sur la moitié du titre. Le bloc de texte est en excellent état, propre et net, avec juste un peu de noircissement et quelques rousseurs légères. Livré avec deux feuilles de fac-similé de l'histoire imprimée sur carte. Paramār̲atakuruvin̲ katai ; xii, 243 pages. Conforme à OCLC : 8034451. 24cm x 19cm

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: L. B. Seeley, 1824. Half calf binding with embossed decoration and burgundy label with gilt titles to spine. A touch of nicking to the spine and slight rubbing only. Ownership signature of Elizabeth Agnes Fitzgerald of Listowel. A full year of this monthly publication comprising brief reports from each station around the world, divided into United Kingdom, Africa, Mediterranean, the Black & Caspian seas, India, Australasia, North & South America. 4 engraved plates and one map. In addition there are often articles and engravings, including: February - An obituary of four native Christians, and a lengthy report on the Mission to convert the Jews. Engraved plate of the Indian goddess Kalee. April - A memoir of the late Rev. Wililiam Ward, an engraving of a hindoo widow casting herself onto her husbands pyre. June - A Memoir of Theophilus Solomon Schumann. July - A memoir of the Rev James Richards. August - A memoir of the Rev F.C.G. Schroeter, an engraving of the Syrian college at Travancore. September - An obituary of the Rev. T.C. Deininger. October - An obituary of Mr John Harle, an engraved map of Cape Mesurado. November - An obituary of Drinave (a youth training in England), an engraved plate of the temple at Juggernaut. December - an obituary of the Rev. Philander Chase. 582 pages. 220 by 140mm (8¾ by 5½ inches).

London: T. Fisher Unwin, 1925. Scarce in original dust jacket. First UK edition. In hardback red cloth boards with gilt title. The front of the dust jacket has some marks, small tears / nicks to edges, a small surface loss, and a stain. Cloth boards are faded to the bottom and the boards are slightly warped. Neat bookseller label to the front of the dust jacket from La Librairie Francaise Peking - Tientsin. The bookshop was in the lobby of the Grand Hotel de Pekin and had a branch in Tientsin. Text and sepia reproductions of photographs taken by Ernst Boerschmann, documenting his journey in the 12 provinces: Zhili, Shandong, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Szechuan, Hupei, Hunan, Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangsu, Zhejiang. Boerschmann was the first Westerner to systematically document Chinese religious architecture. Captions in English, German, French and Italian. xxvi, 288 pp. 315 x 245 mm (12½ x 9¾ inches).

Harlow: Longman Group Limited, 1985. First edition. In original illustrated dust jacket. Signed dedication to front: H. E. Gordon Douglas, thank you for all your support towards our mutual goals and many shared interests, Francine Stone 18 November 1993. Fascinating insight in to the flora, fauna, people and buildings of Tihāmah - the Red Sea coastal plain of the Arabian Peninsula from the Gulf of Aqaba to the Bab el Mandeb. Profusely illustrated. From the Gordon's own library. Dedication refers to the former British Ambassador to Yemen (and PDRY) Douglas Gordon. According to international protocol, ambassadors and ambassadors-at-large are officially styled and addressed as His/Her Excellency, and the title is often abbreviated as H.E. Both book and unclipped dust jacket in excellent condition. 148 pages. 310 x 220 mm (12¼ x 8¾ inches).

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.

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).

Philadelphia: Rosenbach Museum & Library, 1999. First edition. Black soft back with blue dust jacket. Front cover overlaid with an illustration. The exhibition at the Rosenbach featured a copy of Manjiro's own lavishly illustrated manuscript account of his adventures, and this companion book includes full-page colour reproductions the manuscript. In very good / fine condition. 116 pages. 260 x 185 mm (10¼ x 7¼ inches).

In 1843 (at just 16 years old) Nakahama Manjirō became the first Japanese person to live in the United States. Two years earlier, at the tender age of 14, he had been rescued after a shipwreck by the crew of the 'John Howland', an American whale ship from New Bedford, Massachusetts. Having mastered English, sailing the world on whaling ships for several years, and trying his hand at gold mining, Manjirō later risked his life to go back to Japan in an attempt to make his homeland more "hospitable."
After much suspicion, and many interrogations, he was later to become a shōgun's samurai, a teacher of English and American culture, and his translation of Nathaniel Bowditch's 'The New American Practical Navigator' constituted the introduction of modern scientific navigation methods to Japan. His life story is certainly a fascinating one, and number of Manjirō's students would go on to play seminal roles in the Meiji-era modernisation of Japan.
This information has been extrapolated from an article written by Junji Kitadai.