By Eric George Millar. Many fine plates (six in color). Two vols. in four [all published]. Large folio, cont. red morocco-backed cloth. London: Privately Printed by John Johnson at the Oxford University Press, 1927-30.

A fine set and scarce. “One of the handsomest and most learned productions from the pen of a British palaeographer.”–De Ricci, p. 172.

From the library of Eric H.L. Sexton, the noted collector of incunabula. More about The Library of A. Chester Beatty. A Descriptive Catalogue of the Western Manuscripts

Engraved frontis. (dampstained in outer upper corner with blank corner renewed). 2 p.l. (incl. the frontis.), 4, 345, [1], 2 pp. 8vo, later 18th cent. half-sheep & marbled boards, flat spine gilt. London: J. Tonson & J. Watts, 1725.

The very uncommon inventory catalogue of the library of John Bridges (1666-1724), historian of Northamptonshire, who left his library to his two brothers. They prepared this catalogue for sale but their efforts were fruitless as the books were sent to auction before the year was out. This is one of the earliest of all English inventory catalogues.

Dibdin called Bridges “a notorious book-collector” and the library contained over 4000 books and MSS. It was notably rich in the history and antiquities of Great Britain and Ireland. More about Catalogus Librorum Johannis Bridges, Armigeri; nuper ex Hospitio Lincolniensi. Juxta Exemplar...

Thirty engraved plates (many folding). xxxv, [1], 571 pp.; vi, 656 pp.; vi, 290 pp., 3 p.l., 286, [1] pp. Three vols. 8vo, cont. mottled calf (foot of spine of Vol. III with a bit of wear), triple gilt fillet round sides, spines gilt, a.e.g., red morocco lettering pieces on spines. Paris: Briasson, 1767.

First edition, and a very handsome set, of this lavish and detailed catalogue. “In 1767 Romé was employed, on Sage’s recommendation, to draw up a catalogue of the curiosities that had been collected by Pedro Francisco Davila, who wished to sell his cabinet of natural history before returning to Peru. The... More about Catalogue systématique et raisonné des Curiosités de la Nature et de l'Art, qui composent le...

Colored frontis. and over 150 tipped-in illus., facsimiles of paper specimens and ream wrappers, & photographic illus. Large folio, orig. cloth-backed decorated paper boards, printed paper label on spine. Chillicothe: Mountain House Press, 1950.

Limited to 210 (?, see below) numbered copies, signed by Hunter who, for this book, made his own paper, type, and ink, and set all the type himself. “The most authoritative history of early American papermaking is Dard Hunter’s sumptuous, large folio Papermaking by Hand in America, a tour de force on one-man bookmaking, set by the author in a handcut type and hand-printed on handmade paper manufactured at... More about Papermaking by Hand in America

2 p.l., viii, 494 pp., 1 leaf of errata. Large thick 8vo (245 x 160 mm.), cont. aubergine straight-grained morocco, sides gilt & inlaid to an elaborate “cathedral” design in the shape of a “gothic” window enclosing a cathedral rose inlaid in ochre, light-green, & red, four bands on spine, two of the compartments lettered in gilt, the others gold-tooled & partly inlaid in light-green morocco, aubergine morocco doublures & triplures brilliantly gilt & blind-tooled, a.e.g., by Joseph Thouvenin (signed at foot of spine “THOUVENIN”), in Paris, ca. 1825. Paris: [Privately Printed by] Firmin-Didot, 1823.

Limited to 340 copies, of which this is one of thirty copies on large “papier vélin,” reserved for presentation to the members of the Société des Bibliophiles Français and magnificently bound in very fine mosaic cathedral-style binding by Joseph Thouvenin. Privately printed, this is one of the earliest Russian private library catalogues and was written by the owner himself with the aid of Charles Piquet. More about Catalogue des Cartes Géographiques, Topographiques & Marines, de la Bibliothèque du Prince...

2 p.l., 164, 5 pp. 12mo, cont. polished calf by Derome, triple gilt fillet round sides with floral devices in each corner, flat spine gilt in a fish-scale pattern, black morocco lettering piece on spine, a.e.g. Paris: de l’Imprimerie de Didot l’Ainé, 1783.

Limited to 25 copies only, finely printed by Didot on Annonay paper and handsomely bound in contemporary polished calf by Derome; this is one of the rarest and oddest of all private library catalogues. It is also notable as the first bibliography or catalogue with a limitation statement and, very probably, the first catalogue to mention... More about Catalogue des Livres en très petit Nombre qui composent la Bibliotheque de M. Mérard de S....

Finely engraved coat-of-arms on title. Title printed in red & black. 4 p.l., xliii, dxix (i.e. dxvii), [1], cccxlviii (i.e. ccclii), [3] pp. Thick large 4to, orig. publisher’s vellum over boards, fleuron in gilt in center of covers with gilt fleurons in each corner, double gilt fillet round sides, spine gilt, brown morocco lettering piece on spine, a.e.g. Venice: Typis J.B. Pasquali, 1755.

Third edition and the first complete edition of the catalogue of Smith’s magnificent collection of incunabula and a few early manuscripts. Smith (1682-1770), was British Consul at Venice and, in 1765, sold his superb library... More about Bibliotheca Smithiana, seu Catalogus Librorum D. Josephi Smithii Angli per Cognoma Authorum...