20 unnumbered leaves. 8vo, attractive antique panelled calf (title & a few leaves with minor & careful strengthenings, minor worming). Cologne: Heirs of H. Quentel, 1501.

First edition of one of the earliest arithmetics; this is an extremely rare book on the market. “This is the earliest treatise on algorism printed at Cologne. It is divided into four ‘tractati,’ and includes the fundamental operations through evolution; a brief treatment of abacus or line reckoning; common fractions; rule of three, partnership, and over twenty miscellaneous rules…In the algoristic treatment of integers Huswirth places ‘duplatio’ (doubling) after multiplication, and ‘mediatio’ (halving) after division; but when he... More

Each title within the same architectural woodcut border, two folding woodcut plates in the second part (the 2nd plate is numbered p. 33), & numerous woodcuts in the text of geometrical & surveying problems. 8 p.l., 88 pp.; 2 p.l., 33 pp. Two parts in two vols. Small 4to, modern vellum-backed paste-paper boards. Nuremberg: S. Halbmayer, colophon dated “1626.”

First edition, and complete with both parts, of this posthumously published work. Galgemair (1564-1619), who had been a student of both Apian and Mästlin at Tübingen, wrote a series of books on scientific instruments.

The first part of this book describes the precursor to the sector and proportional compass that is today known as the reduction compass; a full-page woodcut of the instrument appears on A2r. There are 100 examples of the uses of the instrument, most with illustrations. The first examples provide geometric solutions to problems of a more abstract nature, while the latter address practical problems, such as how much gold foil a goldsmith needs to cover a round roof at the top of a tower, heights and distances of buildings, etc. The uses for the architect and cartographer are obvious. More

One folding engraved plate. [6] pp. Small 4to, attractive modern marbled boards, leather lettering-piece on spine. Augsburg: D. Francken, 1610.

First edition and very rare. Faulhaber (1580-1635), a teacher of mathematics at Ulm and a friend of Kepler, made his most lasting accomplishments in the dissemination and explanation of the logarithmic method of calculation.

This is Faulhaber’s second book and caused him considerable problems with the city’s municipal council, as it was published without the permission of the office responsible for supervision of the schools. This book describes a surveying instrument invented by Daniel Speckle in the Netherlands. The fine plate depicts... More

Woodcut printer’s device on title, full-page woodcut heraldic device on recto of leaf preceding text, two divisional titles, & woodcut diagrams in the text. 38 p.l., 269, [3], 343 (i.e., 353)-798 pp. Three parts in one vol. Large thick 4to, cont. vellum over boards, yapp edges, ties gone. Cologne: J. Gymnich, 1591.

First edition, the very fine Bibliotheca Colbertina – Honeyman copy, of this important work on economics, the history of money, and numismatics. Budel (d. 1597), was director of the Bavarian mint.

This massive work is really a collection of texts on economics, money, and the study of coins and paper money by a.... More

4 unnumbered pages. Small 8vo (200 x 125 mm.), orig. printed wrappers, staple-bound. [London: Gimpel Fils, 1948].

The very rare exhibition catalogue, with an invitation to the private viewing laid-in. Held at the Gimpel Fils gallery, this exhibition consisted of 13 paintings and 15 drawings by Modigliani. For almost every picture, details are provided of the lenders, exhibition history, and provenance. The art critic and much sought-after lecturer Eric Newton (1893-1965) has contributed a concise biography and analysis of the artist’s life. Sotheby’s auctioned Portrait of Baranowski (no. 1) for just over 16 million pounds in March 2017.

Very good copy. More

1 p.l., ii, 152 pp. Small 8vo (160 x 100 mm.), cont. calf-backed paste-paper boards (tail of spine worn), spine gilt, green morocco lettering-piece on spine. [Paris]: L’Imprimerie des Sciences et Arts, [?1801].

The uncommon second printing of this exhibition livret, with 945 works described. The present catalogue has combined the contents of two great exhibitions, the first of French and Flemish pictures, the other consisting of Italian paintings looted from Lombardy and Bologna. Both were held in the grande Galerie of the Musée central des Arts (now the Louvre). As explained in the Avertissement, the artworks from the exhibitions were combined into... More

25 color-printed double-page woodcut illus. & three color-printed full-page woodcut illus. 22; 18; 19; 21; 19; 17 folding leaves (some mis-paginations). Six vols. (numerated “1-6” in the first line of text of each vol.). 8vo, orig. speckled wrappers (rubbed), orig. block-printed title labels on upper covers (labels rubbed), early stitching. Edo: Ochakuya, ca. 1830-31.

First edition of this very rare erotic story of the famous Tamamo-no-Mae, a legendary figure in Japanese mythology. She is based on Huli jing, the nine-tailed fox, a Chinese mythological creature who could be either a good or bad spirit. In Japan, the fox metamorphosizes into the beautiful and intelligent Tamamo-no-Mae. Employing this deception... More

152 pp. 8vo, orig. pink printed wrappers bound in attractive modern marbled wrappers. [From the upper wrapper]: “Perthes & Besser Buchhandlung Hamburg 1816.”

Following a nine-year apprenticeship, Friedrich Christoph Perthes (1772-1843), established his own book business in 1796. Two years later, he entered into a partnership with his brother-in-law, Johann Heinrich Besser (1775-1826). They soon became one of the leading publishing and bookselling firms of northern Germany. During the Napoleonic period, Perthes experienced many difficulties caused by his public resistance to French influences and was forced to leave Hamburg.

This remarkable priced catalogue lists about 3000 books published in Britain and France from 1812... More

1 p.l., 114 pp. Small 8vo, attractive modern marbled wrappers. Würzburg: J.S. Richter, 1827.

The very rare auction catalogue — Loh, Vol. 7, p. 219, locates no copy — of the books, prints, and music offered for sale by the Würzburg bookseller and taxation official Louis. He died on 6 January 1828, two weeks before the sale. The sale was postponed, and his wife later held the auction in the autumn.

The catalogue has about 2000 lots, with excellent collections of medicine, surgery, anatomy, physiology, chemistry, pharmacology, botany, natural history, art, and philosophy. More

Engraved frontis. port. of Jenner, engraved vignette on title, & four folding engraved plates, each finely hand-colored. 223, [2] pp. Large 4to, cont. vellum over boards (covers somewhat stained, upper hinge cracked but strong), spine gilt, red leather lettering piece on spine. Milan: Tipografia Mussi, 1809.

First edition. Sacco (1769-1836), was Italy’s first and most enthusiastic supporter of Jennerian vaccination and the first vaccinator in Lombardy, where smallpox was eliminated within three years. After Jenner’s own works, this is one of the most important early treatments of the subject and the first major Italian treatise on vaccination. It had an enormous effect in swaying... More

Four very large woodblock printed folding plates, many tables & diagrams in the text. 2, 8, 19 folding leaves. Large 8vo (255 x 183 mm.), orig. aubergine semi-stiff patterned wrappers, orig. block-printed title label on upper cover, new stitching. [Japan]: 1857.

The very rare first edition in Japanese of an elaborate analysis of the muzzle-loading Minié rifle, an innovative French infantry weapon of the mid-19th century. The translator, Kosaburo Akamatsu (1831-67), was a rangaku scholar and an important military scientist. He translated several other Western military works. This is a translation of Booms’s Verhandeling over het schot der draagbare vuurwapens (1st ed.: 1855). Booms (1822-97) was a.... More

30 pp. Small 4to (185 x 130 mm.), attractive antique marbled boards, label on spine. Paris: Lebrun, 1789.

The very rare auction catalogue, with most prices and many buyers’ names written in a contemporary hand, of the Baron Holbach’s little-known but choice art collection. The sale’s expert, Jean Baptiste Pierre Lebrun, provides an exceptionally long and informative biography of Holbach (1723-89), enriched with several amusing anecdotes.

This catalogue describes 93 lots of paintings (by Teniers, Wouwerman, Berchem, Mengs, Le Nain, N. Poussin, S. Bourdon, Oudry, Vernet, etc.), prints, and various curiosities, such as Japanese and Chinese porcelain, shells, and miniature sculptures. The... More