Large woodcut exlibris (border 175 × 144 mm) of Veit Tuchsenhauser, dated 1542, when Tuchsenhauser was Propst zu Kloster Pfaffmünster bei Straubing (diocese of Regensburg). Nothing seems to be known of his library; it could be that Tuchsenhauser’s books became incorporated in the monastery library at Pfaffmünster, and entered the market in 1803, after its secularisation. One other impression of this exlibris is known.
Two volumes (28 cm), xvii (3), 390 (2); iv, 494, (2) pp., profusely illustrated. Uniform contemporary French quarter-leather bindings, marbled page-edges. - Second, revised edition (original edition Paris: Librairie Bachelin-Deflorenne, 1870-1873). B.H. Breslauer, The Uses of bookbinding literature (New York 1986), p.17. ¶ From the auction sale of the Handbibliothek of the art-dealer Walter Bornheim (1888-1971), conducted by F. Zisska & R. Kistner, Munich, 27-28 March 1984, lot 2036. Attractive copy.
(19.5 cm), xix, 531 pp., numerous text illustrations, [5] leaves of plates (1 chromolithograph, 2 in colour; printed tissue guardsheets). Publisher’s green cloth, stamped in gold; top edges gilt. - Translation of Deutsche und österreichische Bibliothekzeichen (Stuttgart: Julius Hoffmann Verlag, 1901). ¶ Bookseller’s ticket on lower paste-down: The Torch Press Book Shop, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Spine sunned; otherwise a very good, unmarked copy.
(31 cm), clii, 352 (7) pp., with 279 unnumbered figures in the introduction, and 563 numbered figures in the text, 24 plates (22 in colour, 2 folding). Bound by Gustaf Hedberg (1859-1920), Stockholm, in half-morocco; monogram on upper cover. - The standard work on Swedish Royal armorial bindings. The artist and collector Arthur Sjögren was editor of Svensk ex-libris Tidskrift (1911-1917) and published extensively on the exlibris in Sweden and Nordic countries. The present work on royal book plates and armorial bindings is “his masterpiece and also one of the best produced Swedish books of the 1910s. It was printed by one of the leading printers in 18 copies on Japanese paper and 550 numbered copies [this is no. 334] on handwoven paper” (Sten G. Lindberg, Swedish books 1280-1967, Stockholm 1968, pp.60-61 no. 85). ¶ The binding is signed by Hedberg at the foot of the spine; his ticket is placed in the lower outer corner of the front free-endpaper. Superb copy.
(25.5 cm), xvi, 235 pp. 212 text illustrations. Bound in quarter-morocco, a collector’s binding. - Guide to armorial bindings and exlibris of French physicians and pharmacists. ¶ Copy 300 of 700 printed on paper satiné, in fine state of preservation
Brussels, Société des Bibliophiles et iconophiles de Belgique, 1930
Three volumes (30.5 cm), I (Maisons souveraines et gouverneurs généraux des Pays-Bas; Amateurs ecclésiastiques): xii, 384 pp., text illustrations, plates 1-17. II (Abbayes et institutions religieuses; Royaume, provinces, villes, universités et institutions civiles): vi, pp.385-630, text illustrations, plates 18-26. III (Amateurs particuliers): vi, pp.631-948, text illustrations, plates 27-38. Paged continuously. Loose in portfolios, as issued. Uniform publisher’s printed wrappers. - “A major reference source for armorial bindings from Belgium and the Low Countries, covering both private and institutional owners. Well illustrated with drawings of armorial stamps, and pictures of bindings” (David Pearson, Provenance research in book history: a handbook, London 1994, p.115). ¶ “Exemplaire No. 5. Imprimé pour M. le Vicomte de Jonghe” (of 50 special copies printed on “papier de Hollande Pannekoek”; the remainder of the edition of 700 numbered copies was printed either on “papier Hendon de luxe” or on “papier Hendon ordinaire”). Light spotting on some page edges; overall in excellent state of preservation.
Sixteen parts (20 cm), gathered in four volumes (1-4, 5-8, 9-12, 13-16), bound in brown buckram, original printed wrappers retained. 1 (December 1930-February 1931): (8), viii, 132 (12) pp., including advertisements. 2 (March 1931): (2), viii, 115 (13) pp., including advertisements. 3 (June 1931): xiv, 111 (11) pp., including advertisements. 4 (October 1931): viii, 123 (9) pp., including advertisements. 5 (January 1932): xvi, 117 (3) pp., including advertisements. 6 (April 1932): xvi, 89 (7) pp., including advertisements. 7 (July 1932): xvi, 96 pp., including preliminary advertisements. 8 (October 1932): xvi, 96 pp., including preliminary advertisements. 9 (January 1933): xvi, 96 pp., including preliminary advertisements. 10 (April 1933): xvi, 95 (1) pp., including preliminary advertisements. 11 (July 1933): xvi, 96 pp., including preliminary advertisements. 12 (October 1933): xvi, 96 pp., including preliminary advertisements. 13 (January-March 1934): xvi, 95 (1) pp., including preliminary advertisements. 14 (April-June 1934): xii, 99 (1), including preliminary advertisements. 15 (July-September 1934): xvi, 95 (1) pp., including preliminary advertisements. 16 (October-December 1934): xvi, 93 (1) pp., including preliminary advertisements. - A final (17th) part, published privately by A.J.A. Symons in April-June 1935, after Cassell and Co. Ltd pulled out, is not present here. “Having no distribution organisation [Symons] did not sell very many, which is why this swan song is now so scarce” (Desmond Flower, “The Book Collector’s Quarterly, 1930-1933” in The Private Library, third series, volume 1, Spring 1978, pp.39-48). ¶ Some spotting on fore-edges, endpapers, and on wrappers; very good, unmarked set.
Zurich, Schweizer Bibliophilen Gesellschaft, 1933-1937
Two volumes (32 × 24 cm), I: viii, 403 pp. II: xii, 432 pp., 135 plates, 38 plates showing heraldic outlines. Uniformly bound in publisher’s beige cloth. - A catalogue of more than 8000 Swiss bookplates, compiled by a prominent collector whose own collection is now in the University Library of Basel. Edition limited to 600 copies (this is no. 52 of 225 numbered copies distributed to the Société Suisse des bibliophiles). ¶ From the auction sale of the Handbibliothek L’Art Ancien, Zürich, conducted by F. Zisska & R. Kistner, Munich, 27-28 March 1984, lot 462. Spines lettered in pencil (A-L, M-Z); otherwise a fine, unmarked copy.
Two volumes (28.5 cm), I (Texte): vii, 309 pp. II (Album): 200 plates. Uniformly bound in collector’s cloth (original wrappers bound in; binder’s ticket: Robert Stevens | Relieur | 387, ch. de Wavrel | Bruxelles). - “Le volume de texte comprend plus de trois cents pages où sont énumérés, avec de brèves notices sur leurs possesseurs, 1.350 ex libris. L’album de deux cents planches reproduit plus de 600 de ces pièces. En outre le texte est truffé, lui-même, de 12 gravures tirées à part sur les cuivres originaux – et admirablement tirées” (from a review by Émile Gavelle, in Revue du Nord, volume 21, 1935, pp.75-80). “Cet ouvrage e été tiré à trois cents exemplaires sur papier Lafuma numérotés de 1 à 300”. ¶ This copy is no. 197. Exlibris of Emmanuel de Hennin de Boussu Walcourt (1876-1954). Excellent copy.
Vatican City (latterly Milan), Libreria Vaticana (latterly Hoepli), 1936-1940
Five volumes bound in two (25.5 and 27 cm), I (1936): 269 pp. II (1937): 240 pp. III (1938): 362 (2) pp. IV (1939): 313 (3) pp. V (1940): 314 (2) pp. Very numerous illustrations. Uniformly bound in half-morocco, a collector’s binding (original wrappers bound in). - Includes contributions by Roberto Almagià, Alessandro Baudi di Vesme, A.E. Popham, Max Sander, Albert Schramm, W.F. Volbach, Campbell Dodgson, Albano Sorbelli, P.O. Kristeller. Cf. Simone Misiani, La stampa periodica romana durante il fascismo (1927-1943): Repertorio (Rome 1998), II, p.591 no. 1791; Prause p.347; Nievo & Girard p.825 (duplicate entry 1607). ¶ From the auction sale of the Handbibliothek L’Art Ancien, Zürich, conducted by F. Zisska & R. Kistner, Munich, 27-28 March 1984, lot 949. Very fine set.
London, Book Centre Ltd (latterly, The Dropmore Press Limited), 1947-1951
Two volumes bound as one (19 cm), I (nine parts, 1947-1950): 1 ([February] 1947): xvi, 1-64 pp. 2 (1947): xvi, pp.65-112 [pp.113-126 (2) are bound after p.272; pp.129-176 are bound after p.476], and 2 folding plates. 3 (1947): xvi, pp.177-224. 4 (1947): xvi, pp.225-272. Supplement (1947): vi pp., two plates, (2) pp. (review by Jacob Blanck, reprinted from Publishers’ Weekly, 26 July 1947). 5 (1948): xvi, pp.273-320, and folding plate. 6 (1948): xvi, pp.321-368, and folding plate. 7 (1948): xvi, pp.369-416. 8-9 (1950): xvi, pp.417-476. Volume 2 (in four parts, 1951-1952). 1 (1951): xiv, 50 pp. 2 (1951): xiv, pp.51-104. 3 (September 1951): xiv, pp.105-162. 4 (December 1951-March 1952): xiv, pp.163-216. Index ([1952]): pp.477-484 (2), iv. Bound in blue buckram (upper wrappers are bound in place; lower wrappers have been discarded). - Edited by Reginald Horrox, a cataloguer at Sotheby’s, later editor of Book-prices Current. Publication began in February 1947 “when there was not enough coal or electricity to work the printing machines. Some power was supplied by hand and some by means of a trailer-pump, which had been used during the war to pump water into the fires caused by the Germans in their air raids. The first six parts were printed on rationed paper by the Broadwater Press Ltd., of Welwyn Garden City; the other three parts… were printed by Messrs W.S. Cowell Ltd., of Ipswich”. The second volume appeared under the imprint of The Dropmore Press, a venture of the newspaper proprietor Viscount Kemsley of Dropmore. In late 1951 The Dropmore Press was revamped as The Queen Anne Press, with Ian Fleming, Percy Muir and John Hayward as directors; and Book Handbook was revamped as The Book Collector, with the same three men serving as editors. ¶ Occasional discreet ink notation (denoting a catalogue received); otherwise unmarked, and in fine state of preservation.
Cambridge, Bowes and Bowes (latterly, Cambridge University Press; Cambridge University Library), 1949-1976
Six volumes (vols. I-V: 26 cm; vol. VI: 22 cm), bound in harmonious blue buckram (latterly by John P. Gray & Son Ltd, Cambridge), sprinkled edges (vols. IV-VI, only), printed part wrappers bound-in. I (in 5 parts, 1949-1953): viii, 444 pp., 25 plates, “List of members corrected to December, 1949 (pp.iii-x). II (in 5 parts, 1954-1958): viii, 389, (1) pp., 15 plates, “List of members at November 1954” (pp.[v]-xvi). III (in 5 parts, 1959-1963): vi (2), 428 pp., 15 plates. IV (in 5 parts, 1964-1968): viii, 401 (1) pp., 29 plates, advertisements and editor’s notes for each part (pp.i-vi; i-xii; i-iv, i-viii, i-viii. V (in 3 parts, 1969-1971): viii, 240 (2) pp., 28 plates, advertisements and editor’s notes for each part (pp.i-vi; i-viii; [viii]). VI (in 5 parts, 1972-1976): vi (2), 350 (2) pp., 18 plates (numbered I-XIII, portrait of A.N.L. Munby, I-IV), editor’s notes for each part ([2] i-ii; [2] i- ii; [2] i-ii; [2] i-ii; [2] i-ii). - An unbroken run of the first 28 years’ issues of the publication. ISSN 0068-6611. ¶ From the library of Alwyn Faber Scholfield (1884-1969), Cambridge University Librarian, 1923-1949 (occasional inscriptions on wrappers, insertions). Excellent set.
Thirty-eight volumes bound as thirty (29.5 cm), volumes 52-73 bound individually, thereafter two volumes are bound together, in harmonious quarter-vellum bindings (some original wrappers discarded). With: Indice venticinquennale 1924-1948 [volumes 26-50] (Florence 1956), (29.5 cm), 217 (7) pp. Publisher’s printed wrappers; Indice trentennale 1949-1978 [volumes 51-80] (Florence 1984), (29.5 cm), 161 (1) pp. Publisher’s printed wrappers. - A long run (1950-1987) of the leading Italian bibliographical journal, La Bibliofilía. From 1944-1978 editorship of La Bibliofilía was in the hands of Marchese Roberto Ridolfi (1899-1991), “the one great twentieth-century Italian analytical bibliographer” (Conor Fahy), and during his tenure the journal published many outstanding articles. ISSN 0006-0941.
Offered with The useful “Indice venticinquennale” (1924-1948) was compiled by Giuseppe Sergio Martini; the “Indice trentennale” (1949-1978) by Clementina Rotondi. ¶ “Exlibris Aleramo Spada” (in volumes 52-68 only). Shelf-wear along edges of the earliest volumes. Loosely inserted in appropriate volumes: “Indici cumulativi dei volumi LI-LII (1949-1950)”, 16 pp.; Anni LIII-LV (1951-1953), [24] pp; Anni LVIII-LIX (1956-1957), [16] pp.; Anni LX-LXI (1958-1959), [16] pp.; other volume indices are bound in place. The index “Anni LVI-LVII” (1954-1955) is lacking.
London, Queen Anne Press (imprint varies), 1952-2016
Sixty-six volumes (vol. 1: 18 cm; vols. 2-62: 22 cm), vol. 1 bound in blue buckram (original printed wrappers discarded), vols. 2-40 bound in harmonious shades of red buckram (wrappers retained in vols. 21-40), thereafter as issued in publisher’s printed wrappers. Cumulative Index (vols. 1-10, 1952-1961) bound separately in matching red buckram. Annual indices bound-in (vols. 1-40; except in vols. 1, 3, where loosely inserted); in the unbound vols. 41-65 the indices are loosely inserted in the first part. - A superb, unbroken run of “the only journal in the world that deals with book collecting”. ISSN 0006-7237. ¶ This set consists entirely of original issues, and is in excellent state of preservation, without marks of ownership. Most sets now entering the market are ex-library, or else partly in reprint (vols. 1-14 were reprinted by Kraus, Nendeln). ● Vols. 63-65 (2014-2015) are omitted from our photographs; they are present in the set.
San Francisco; The Hague, Alan Wofsy Fine Arts; Martinus Nijhoff, 1975; 1956
Two volumes (30 cm), I (1975): xi, 596 pp. II (1956): xi, 463 pp. Reproductions of collectors’ marks. Publisher’s cloth. - A standard tool for understanding the provenance of works on paper, recording and illustrating the stamped and written marks of public and private collections, marks used by dealers, mounters, printers, publishers and engravers, as well as studio and estate stamps (5215 in total). For every mark, Lugt wrote an entry presenting details about the collector or institutional collection. The first volume is a facsimile reprint of the previous Amsterdam 1921 edition. ¶ Fine copies.
Three volumes (25.5 cm), I (A-C, [1957]): 307 (3) pp. II (D-M, 1959): 277 (1) pp. III (N-Z, 1960): 256 (2) pp. Illustrations (included in pagination). Publisher’s printed wrappers. - Supplements Carlo Frati’s Dizionario bio-bibliografico dei bibliotecari e bibliofili italiani (Florence 1933). Title-page of volume I misdated “1952”. ¶ Edition limited to 333 numbered copies, of which this is no. 244 (”numerati solo nel primo volume”). Spines lightly soiled, a few spots on wrappers. Excellent set.
(24.5 cm), xxi, 298 pp., 18 plates. Publisher’s light brown cloth with Club arms blind-stamped on upper board, yellow dust jacket of hand-made Fabriano paper printed in black & red. - Account of Grolier Club members’ trip to Italy in May 1962, organized by Donald Hyde. Designed by Roderick Stinehour, printed in an edition of 750 copies (250 reserved for the Italian hosts and the travellers). For Jean Grolier & His Friends: 125 Years of Grolier Club Exhibitions and Publications, 1884-2009 (New York 2009), P268. ¶ Dust jacket torn and creased; otherwise a very good copy.
(24.5 cm), 49 (3) pp., illustrations. Publisher’s quarter-cloth, slipcase. - For Jean Grolier & His Friends: 125 Years of Grolier Club Exhibitions and Publications, 1884-2009 (New York 2009), P289. ¶ Small mark on slipcase; otherwise a fine copy.
(22.5 cm), (6) 203 (1) pp. Publisher’s cloth. - Facsimile reprint of the first edition (Cambridge: University Press, 1930). ¶ Few spots on upper cover; otherwise an excellent, unmarked copy.
Bordeaux, Société des bibliophiles de Guyenne, 1971-1994
Eighty-five parts (24 or 25 cm), in 70 volumes (nos. 58-85 published as 14 volumes), as issued in the publisher’s printed wrappers. - Unbroken run of the first twenty-three years of Revue française d’histoire du livre, a journal published under the aegis of the Société des Bibliophiles de Guyenne, a scholarly society founded in 1866. The objective of the Revue is described in the fourth issue (1972) in the following terms: “The intention of this review is to synthesize the different currents represented in the works of book historians: study of the printed book as an instrument of communication and of its historical functions; technical and economic aspects of production; bibliographical analysis of the constitution of the book with a view to publication and the study of texts; study of mentalities through the printed books of an era; recourse to archives to reconstitute the world of the book and that of its readers; history of taste through the book, its typography, its illustration, and its binding; history of public and private libraries; study of new methods to perform a census of the mass of books published up to our times; history of periodical classifications and the contribution of printed books and their illustrations in the rise of modern sciences.” (publisher’s translation). The current distributor of the journal (Librairie Droz, www.droz.org; link) can supply some issues 106-137 (2001-2016) only; earlier issues are out-of-print. ISSN 0037-9212. ¶ Tiny stain on wrapper of no. 3; otherwise fresh, entirely unmarked copies.