An extraordinary document listing the extravagant sums paid out in the year 1773 for carriage and other related transport expenses by the famous last mistress of Louis XV of France. 22 pp. Tall Folio, on laid paper bound with blue silk tie. Titled to head of recto of sheet one "Memoire Pour Madame La Comtesse De Dubaris D'Ouvrages faites par quenel charron du Roy Scavoir," following with expenses from January and concluding on the final sheet of ledger entries, ending 22 December at Versailles, signed "M thomas De quenel." Detailed descriptions of purchases or services, often with specific providers or locations are recorded with dates and amounts paid. First and final leaves separated, scattered foxing and general toning but very good condition throughout. Read More...
15341. Abbott, Berenice. (1898–1991). "The Path of a Steel Ball" - Original Photograph with the pictured Model Train
Original photograph showing "the path of a steel ball ejected vertically from a moving object," by the important and influential American photographer, together with the original model train used in the photograph, a copy of Berenice Abbott: Documenting Science, in which the photograph is reproduced, and a notarized letter describing the provenance of the model train which belonged to J. Eric Little, a young relative of the MIT physicist Dr. Elbert Little who assisted Abbott with the project. Gelatin silver print photograph signed at the lower right on the photographer's mount, stamped by the photographer on the verso mount. The photograph has been professionally restored, with surface losses inpainted and the gloss immediately around those areas adjusted to more closely resemble the gloss of the original. 19.25 x 9 inches, mount and frame 30 x 24 inches. Read More...
Regensburg: Gustav Bosse. 1926. Signed edition of the Bohemian-Austrian musicologist's essay on three great composers, a special edition excerpted from the Almanach der Deutschen Musikbücherei auf das Jahr 1926. Adler has signed and inscribed the booklet to a Frau Schalk on the verso of the title page. 12 pp. Some wear to the cover, ink bleeding from the signature, and a small tear above the lower binding staple; overall in very good condition. 5.25 x 7.5 inches (13.2 x 19.2 cm). Read More...
Hartford, Conn.: Park Publishing Co.. 1883. Third Edition. 8vo. Title; (Copyright); Contents [5-15 pp]; (Illustrations list); 17 - 618 pp. Includes 18 plates, but lacking the frontis portrait of Douglass. Fully rebound in crimson percaline with partial original decoratively stamped black and gold front cloth binding integrated to front board. A bit musty, with moisture stains to the modern endpages, scattered light foxing and light stains/toning around edges, small abrasions to the foredge, otherwise very good. Contemporary editions of Douglass' autobiographies are increasingly difficult to come by. Read More...
8vo. Engraved portrait frontispiece and a profusion of additional portrait plates. 549 pages, 7 pages of plates; index pages 557-565, plus advertisements. Fully rebound in crimson percaline with partial original decoratively stamped black, crimson and gold front cloth binding integrated to front board. A bit musty, scattered foxing and light stains/toning around edges, 4 leaves with a cup base moisture stain, extensive abrasions and small tears to the foredge, but only very slightly sometimes affecting the page margins themselves. Read More...
New York: The Viking Press. 1956. Signed autobiography from the trailblazing African-American opera singer. Signed on the title: "To Paul / Kind regards / Marian Anderson." 312 pp. 8vo. Original cloth-backed boards. Fine copy in original dust jacket with some edge wear, shelf soiling, and small edge losses. Read More...
A chilling example of anti-Semitic Nazi writing on music (in German). Berlin: Bernhard Hahnefeld, 1939. 94 pp. Handstamp of George Perle to front endpaper. Handstamp of Adolf-Hitler-Schule Köln Aachen to p. 4; shelf mark of its library to upper board and p. 4. 7.25 x 5 inches (18.5 x 12.5 cm). Browned; boards bumped; spine lost. Otherwise in good condition. From the collection of American composer George Perle. Read More...
New York: Allen, Towne & Heath, Inc.. 1947. First edition. Story of Louis Armstrong, inscribed by Armstrong on the front free endpage "To my life long Buddy Bill Davidson from Louis Armstrong." First edition in English, published in French, in Paris, in the same year. Hardcover, original blue cloth, title in gilt to spine, treble clef embossed to the upper board. Portrait frontispiece, 304 pp. Signed page heavily toned, half title with two small punched holes, spine rubbed with ends a bit frayed, somewhat shaken but solid. Read More...
New York: Simon & Schuster. 1959. First edition. 151pp, 11" 14 1/2". First edition, with acetate dust jacket. Fine condition, in stained and toned slipcase which bears a few splits in places. The photographer's first book. and certainly, one of the monuments of twentieth century collaborations between a photographer and author.
New York: Random House . 1993. First Edition, First Printing. Upright sumo. 287 pp. Signed and dated by the eminent American photographer on the front free endpaper, "Avedon, 9.27.93," from the collection of Adolph Green and Phyllis Newman. A visual autobiography that includes an assemblage of 284 photographs, this three-part book encompasses the faces, events and places that were critical in defining the life and career of Richard Avedon. In fine condition. Read More...
New York: Fraenkel Gallery [Distributed Art Publishers]. 2001. First Edition, First Printing. Upright folio (12 x 14.25 in). 56 pp, 40 quadratone reproductions. Limited edition of 5000 copies, this copy signed and inscribed by the eminent American photographer, "For Phyllis and Adolph / with love, / Dick / 2001" to the limitation page opposite inside back cover. In fine condition. Read More...
New York: Random House. 1994. First Edition, First Printing. Large 4to. 183 pp. First edition. Signed and inscribed by the eminent American photographer on the illustrated frontispiece, "For Phyllis and Adolph / with love / Dick / 1994". The companion to Avedon's spectacular An Autobiography, this definitive account of the life and work of photographer Richard Avedon features over 500 photographs documenting 50 years of Avedon's work, and was published to coincide with a major retrospective at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City. Mild wear to dustjacket, overall in fine condition. Read More...
New York: Random House . 1999. First. Upright folio. 235 pp. Unsigned first edition, from the collection of Adolph Green and Phyllis Newman. This work offers Avedon's comprehensive portrait of the sixties, including an impressive assortment of photographs and interviews with figures that defined the decade. Mild tears and creasing to dustjacket, else fine. Read More...
Madison: The University of Wisconsin Press. 1987. Collection of the important composer's lectures given in 1983 in Madison, Wisconsin. Signed and inscribed on the front free endpaper to his frequent collaborator, violinist Paul Zukofsky: "For Paul, / who doesn't need it, / With affection, / Milton / 6/5/90." 205 pp. Hardcover, purple cloth with dust jacket. Creases and edge wear to dust jacket; internally fine. With several post-it notes with personal anecdotes and jokes relating to Babbitt ("MBB") in the hand of Paul Zukofsky laid in. 7.25 x 10.5 inches (18.3 x 26.3 cm). Read More...
New York: Harper Entertainment. 2005. First. Hardcover in dj. 8vo. 506 pp. Signed copy of the American actress's memoir, which Bacall has inscribed to actress Phyllis Newman on the title page: "For my dearest Phyllis / Here we are again - with more love + admiration than ever / xxx Betty". In fine condition. Read More...
Leipzig: im Schwickertschen Verlage. 1797. Second. Carl Philipp Emanuel Bachs / vormaligem Kapellmeister der Prinzessinn Amalia von Preussen und Musikdirector in Hamburg / Versuch / über die wahre Art / das Clavier zu spielen / Zweiter Theil, / in welchem die Lehre von dem Accompagnement / und der freyen Fantasie / abgehandelt wird. / Nebst einer Kupfertafel. / Zweite vom Verfasser verbesserte, und mit Zusätzen vermehrte Auflage. Ownership stamp of the Austrian cellist Rudolf Glickh to title page. 8vo. 7 x 8.25 inches (18 x 22 cm). [8], 280 pp. In fine condition throughout, nicely bound in three quarter brown cloth over marbled boards. Read More...
London: London Gallery Editions. 1944. First. Softcover. 8vo. 47 pp. plus signed limitation page, hand numbered by the author 441 from the edition of 500. Pale green paper covers contained in the original yellow paper wrappers, all slightly toned but otherwise in fine condition; block split from cover along rear gutter with glue remnants visible along front and rear gutters. Several gatherings uncut. Overall a crisp, beautiful copy. Signed bilingual edition, translated by Roland Penrose and Mesens with illustrations by the author, including numerous poems concerning music, such as "La partition compléte / The Complete Score," accompanied by a two-page illustration of five staves covered in unusual key signatures and objects. Another poem "Le clavecin bien tamponné / de Jean Sébastien Bach / Entièrement Fait a la main / par l'artiste / en personne," appears with an illustration of a hand playing the piano. Read More...
A beautiful bound volume of special issues and supplements to the Parisian theatrical periodical Comoedia Illustré chronicling the 1909–1921 seasons of the Ballets Russes, with many photographs and full-color illustrations relating to the legendary ballet company. A selection of souvenir programs (published as supplements to the magazine) and extracts from the magazine are arranged in chronological order; interspersed leaves with texts by V. Svetloff (Russian critic and biographer of Anna Pavlova) give further details of each year's productions. Ownership inscription of Osborne Robinson and exhibition loan details on front free endpaper, some marginal dust-soiling, original green silk-covered boards with pictorial inlay (from The Firebird) by Natalia Goncharova, rebacked in green morocco, modern cloth. Graphically interesting endpapers covered in the names of important Ballets Russes figures. Most pages unnumbered; over 200 pp. total. Four leaves with clipped and mounted prints and hand-written captions appear to be the addition of the previous owner, and are partially detached; binding otherwise sound. Binding somewhat sunned, with later restored spine and slipcase. Overall in fine condition. 10.25 x 13.5 inches (26 x 34 cm). Read More...
Paris: Chez Cuchet. 1783. First, 1st issue. 8vo. 19.5x12.5 cm (7¾x5"). [i-iii] iv-xl, [1] 2-299, [3], 9 engraved plates (plate v as frontispiece). Contemporary full vellum with five raised bands, pages edged in red. With the ownership signature “Dutillet” to the inside front board in a contemporary hand, raising the intriguing possibility that this copy hails from the family of Évrard Titon du Tillet (1677-1762), great patron of the arts and secretary to Louis XIV, whose family mansion “La Folie Titon” was the sight of the first tethered balloon flight on October 19th, 1783 (Réveillon, de Rozier and de Villette). A later ownership signature “Allonneaud” in pencil, on the blank recto of the frontis engraving. A few pages slightly irregularly cut, including one partially separating from the gutter, else fine. References: Dibner, Heralds of Science 179; PMM 229; Norman 769; Sparrow, Milestones of Science 179; Tissandier p.21. Read More...
Newark: Rising Tide. [1990]. First. 8vo., 16 pp. black wrappers lettered in pink, orange and blue, stapled, as issued; minor soiling. First edition, first printing (not to be confused with the more commonly seen xeroxed edition with silver wrappers). A remarkable presentation copy, inscribed: "For Marlene / Be Everything We Need / Amiri Baraka, '91," on the front pastedown.