AntiquarianAuctions.com Auction #59 Highlights, May 25-June 1
AntiquarianAuctions.com is an online auction site dedicated to the sale of rare and out-of print books, maps & prints, documents, letters, ephemera and vintage photography.
All pricing is done in US$. No buyer’s premium is charged.
Lot 1
Fitzpatrick (Sir Percy) Jock of the Bushveld (This is the first copy of “Jock” - “belongs to the Likkle People”
Published: London, 1907 Estimate: $12,500/15,000
5000 copies of the first impression were printed at a total cost to Longmans of £416. 7s. 11d.
Signed on the title page by J Percy Fitzpatrick. His full name was Sir James Percy Fitzpatrick.
Inscription on the front paste-down end paper reads: This is the first copy of “Jock”- “ belongs to the Likkle People” and the mere narrator desires to acknowledge that fact in proper form. J Percy Fitzpatrick Hohenheim October 1907 The dedications page reads: It was the youngest of the High Authorities who gravely informed the Inquiring Stranger that “Jock belongs to the Likkle People!” That being so, it is clearly the duty, no less less that the privilege, of the mere Narrator to dedicate the Story of Jock to those Keenest and Kindest critics, Best of Friends, and Most Delightful of Comrades The Likkle People.
Fitzpatrick's adventures during this time of his life, when he was pioneering in the Bushveld, are vividly described in his book Jock of the Bushveld, which is generally accepted as a South African classic.
Lot 3
[Bay Psalm Book] The Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs of the Old and New Testament... For Use ... especially in New-England
Published: Edinburgh, 1759-1771
Estimate: $5,000/8,000
The very large and decorative title cartouche, copied from Jailot, includes a lion, an ostrich, an elephant, a crocodile as well as classical and native figures. William Berry changed the coat of arms to that of the Royal Arms and included a dedication to the then recently restored King Charles II. There is also a cartouche that includes five distance scales.
William Berry was a bookseller, geographer and engraver, who was active between about 1670 and 1703. His most enduring partnership was with map-maker Robert Morden and, together, they dealt in topographical works, prints, maps, charts and globes. In the title of the map, Berry added detail for his English audience.
Provenance: Thomas Hewston (inscription at front "Thomas Hewston was born May 18th 1757 at eleven o'clock in the forenoon", one possibility is a Thomas Hewston, of Bedford Co., Penn. who is listed amongst the 'new levies' in a list of 'Rangers on the Frontiers - 1778-1783' [see W.H. Egle (editor). 'Muster Rolls of the Navy and Line, Militia and Rangers 1775-1783.' Harrisburg, Pa.: 1898 p.353].
A very rare late edition of the famous Bay Psalm book (possibly the last edition to be published without the Rev. Prince's revisions of 1757/8), bound with an apparently unrecorded issue of the Bible. In addition, there are two further possibilities that would add considerably to the book's interest:
1. the binding may be by Scottish/American binder Andrew Barclay: the blind roll on the cover is an apparent match for roll 'T5' as pictured in Hannah French's 'Bookbinding in Early America' (Worcester, 1986) p.39, and see images.
2. the inscription at the front may refer to a Thomas Hewston who served as a 'Ranger on the Frontier' in Pennsylvania sometime between 1778 and 1783, raising the possibility that the present work, in its 'travelling binding' accompanied him during his service. Although there were apparently 22 editions of the Bay Psalm book published in Scotland, they are rare on the market: the records show just two examples, in 1938 Goodspeed's offered a 1741 18th edition with the upper cover of the binding missing, and in 1896 Littlefield offered a 1737 16th edition. None are listed as having been offered at auction.
Lot 4
Jefferson (Thomas), Wilberforce (William), Chatterton (Thomas) &c. - Barbour (John G.): Dialogues of the Dead, chiefly of the Moderns ... by the Author of "Evenings in Greece"
Published: Edinburgh, 1836
Estimate: $1,500/2,000
First and only edition - completely unrecorded in any of the standard bibliographies. There is one other copy known (which I used to own). See images for list of contents. The Wilberforce / Jefferson dialogue is particularly interesting, and of its time: Wilberforce berates Jefferson for allowing slavery to continue.
It is not clear why this work is so rare, Barbour was the author of a number of other works that do show up from time to time. The present work's politics sail quite close to the wind on occasion - was it perhaps banned or withdrawn or destroyed?
Lot 134
Kinza (Hirai), Piscator, [A Japanese writer writes, in English, on Japanese customs -] a 10pp. autograph manuscript article, titled ‘Visiting’
Published: New York?, 1893/94
Estimate: $1,500 /2,000
Hirai Kinza was an influential figure at the cultural crossroads between Japan and the United States during the final decade of the 19th century and into the early-20th century. In the present manuscript article, he offers a ‘modern’ view of the bow: the feature of Japanese etiquette that is still the best-known outside Japan.
Born in Kyoto in 1859, Hirai studied English from an early age. An interest in the west went hand-in-hand with his interest in religion. Initially, he quite vigorously opposed Christianity in general and its missionaries proselytizing in particular. In 1885 he set up an English school in Kyoto called ‘The Oriental Hall’ (Orientaru Horu), with the backing of Buddhist groups, and with the aim of countering the Christian influence of the Doshisha school established by Niijima Jo.
Lot 203
Churchill (Winston) The World Crisis, (First Editions Inscribed to Sir Abe Bailey)
Published: London, 1923 - 1929
Estimate: $7,500/9,000
Inscribed by Winston Churchill on a preliminary blank flyleaf of Volume 5 “Abe / from / Winston / with every good wish / 6th Mar 1929”. It is also signed by Abe Bailey on the front free endpaper in pencil and dated May 1929. Volume 1 is signed by Abe Bailey in ink and dated May 1923. Volume 2 has a presentation inscription from Bailey’s wife Mary “With Mary’s love to Abe/Nov 6th. 1923” on a preliminary blank flyleaf. (Presumably a birthday gift as he was born on November 6th 1864). Volumes 3 and 4 are signed in pencil by Abe Bailey on the front free endpapers.
The recipient Sir Abraham Bailey, 1st Baronet, KCMG
(1864-1940), known as Abe Bailey, was a prominent South African Randlord, diamond tycoon, politician, financier and cricketer. He was a good friend and sometime financial sponsor of Churchill and his son John married Churchill’s eldest daughter Diana in 1932. He was also active in the First World War, serving as Deputy Assistant Quartermaster-General to the South African forces and was involved in recruiting men for the army. He was awarded the Croix de Guerre by the French government and a baronetcy by the British one in recognition of these services. These features make the set an association copy of considerable importance and of especial interest to South African collectors.
Lot 5
Rackham (Arthur) The Arthur Rackham Fairy Book - De-Luxe Signed Edition
Published: London, 1933
Estimate: $2,000/2,500
No. 420 of a total of 460 copies of this limited de-luxe edition signed by Rackham. 287pp. In the original full vellum gilt decorated binding. Top edge gilt, fore and lower edges uncut and a few pages unopened. With 8 full page colour plates and numerous black and white illustrations including many wonderful silhouettes. A very fine (as new) unmarked and unfoxed sparkling copy with no flaws whatsoever. In the original publisher's cardboard slipcase which has some wear. Scarce in this pristine condition.
Lot 149
Fries (Laurent) Tabu Nova Partis Aphri
Published: London, Lyons, 1535
Estimate: $2,000/2,750
The map was printed from a woodblock and was one of the first printed maps of Southern Africa reasonably available to collectors.
The map is the Laurent Fries reduction of the map by Martin Waldseemüller, a German priest and cartographer who contributed to 16th century editions of Ptolemy’s Geographia. The map was printed from a woodblock; the title and scrollwork above the map make this the 1535 publication of the Geographia by Melchior & Gaspar Treschel in Lyons (there are four states of the map, 1522, 1531, 1535 & 1541).
This map is considered to be “one of the most important maps in the Ptolemy ....; the coastal detail on the map indicates that the map was “evidently based on the surveys undertaken during the first two voyages of Vasco de Gama”, The map now has three kings on their thrones, an elephant and two serpents next to a sugar loaf mountain, while the King of Portugal rides a bridled sea monster on the Mare Prassodum, holding the banner of Portugal in his right hand and the sceptre in his left. Mountains have been added and rivers appear south of the Mountains of the Moon.” (Norwich)The Latin text near the equator states that "this part of ancient Africa remains unknown". Above this text are the Mountains of the Moon (still so named today, AKA the Rwenzori Mountains), from which the Nile was thought, at that time, to arise.
AntiquarianAuctions.com is an online auction site dedicated to the sale of rare and out-of print books, maps & prints, documents, letters, ephemera and vintage photography.
Dealers and collectors worldwide have been selling and bidding on the site since 2010.
Only established booksellers who are members of major national trade associations such as ABA, ABAA, PBFA or SABDA or are of good standing in the trade are permitted to sell on the site.
Auctions are held every five weeks and run on the model of a timed auction for one week.
All pricing is done in US$. No buyer’s premium is charged.
Contact: Antiquarian Auctions: Paul Mills P.O. Box 186 7848 Constantia, Cape Town South Africa E-mail: support@antiquarianauctions.com Tel: +27 21 794 0600
