New York: Henry Holt and Company, (1959). First edition. Black and white photographs. Hardcover. Octavo. vi, 248 pages. History of the horrific night club fire that struck Boston's Cocoanut Grove on the night of November 28, 1942. At least 490 people lost their lives in 12 minutes. More
London: (S.n.), 1888. Hardcover. Octavo. 90 pages. The Preface contends that the goal of this work, taken largely from the "very rare work of the Abbe Boileau," is to record for posterity these strange practices that would otherwise not be believed to have been at one time in common practice..... More
Philadelphia: Printed by A. Bartram, for Thomas Dobson, 1806. First edition. Copperplate engravings. Full leather. Octavo. xvi, 787 pages. This book was the first attempt at a standardized description of drugs and their preparation for medical use in the United States. Dr. Coxe studied in Edinburgh and received his medical..... More
Yonkers-on-Hudson: World Book Company, 1915. Black and white photographs by Curtis. Hardcover. Octavo. xii, 113 pages. Curtis produced this book as an outline of a motion picture about the Native Americans who inhabited northern British Columbia. In response to surprise that head-hunting existed among North American Indians, Curtis points out..... More
New York: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1903. First edition. Black and white photographs. Full cloth. Small quarto. xiv, 492 pages. Observations and impressions by an American woman's who was with Ambassador Horace Porter's party on a diplomatic visit to Turkey. Dodd stayed at the Sultan's Yildiz Palace at Constantinople. Illustrated..... More
Pomona / Claremont: Progress-Bulletin / Saunders Press, 1939. First edition. Black and white photographic plates, endpaper maps. Full cloth. Octavo. [xiv], 246 pages. Chronicle of life on the Rancho San José in Southern California in the mid-19th century. Mexican Governor Alvarado granted the Rancho to two young Spaniards, Ygnacio Palomares..... More
[Rock Creek?]: 1786. Single sheet, laid paper. The document reads: "We whose names are hereunto subscribed do promise & bind ourselves to pay to the Reverend Mr. John Stewart, his order or assigns, the several sums annexed to our [crossed out word "names"] respective names, in consideration for his services..... More
New York: Farrar & Rinehart, Inc., (1940). First edition. Illustrated by Aaron Bohrod. Full cloth. Octavo. x, 355 pages. The 11th volume in the Rivers of America Series, as planned and begun by Constance Lindsay Skinner. The story of the Illinois River, from the early French explorers to the mid-20th..... More
[New York?]: Major Julius I. Peyser, [1928]. Wrappers. Octavo. 14 pages. Rare campaign pamphlet for Herbert Hoover's presidential candidacy in 1928, distributed by Major Julius I. Peyser of the American Jewish Congress. Promotes Hoover's past humanitarian efforts on behalf of Jews and other minorities. Hoover and his humanitarian efforts on..... More
Washington: Lincoln Sesquicentennial Commision, 1960. First edition. Full cloth. Octavos. Over 1100 pages. A valuable reference that traces, as nearly as possible, where Abraham Lincoln was and what he was doing each day of his life. Obviously such a record becomes much more complete and accurate for his later life--particularly..... More
New York: Columbia University Press, 1943. First edition. Black and white illustrations. Full cloth. Octavo. x, 375 pages. The authors went to original source material in this effort to present an objective analysis of Lincoln's policies in the distribution of public offices, government contracts, and other political favors during his..... More
Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1960. Black & white frontispiece portrait. Hardcover. Octavo. xxxii, [vi], xi-xii, 17-94 pages, + index. In 1860 Samuel C. Parks asked his friend, Abraham Lincoln, to read and annotate a copy of campaign biography of Lincoln--who had just been nominated as the Republican candidate for president..... More
Elmira: The Primavera Press, Inc., 1945. Limited edition. Black and white frontispiece photographic portrait. Full cloth. Octavo. [xiv], 629 pages. A companion to Wilson's earlier "Lincoln Among His Friends." Includes interesting recollections of Lincoln, many of which are earlier and from more obscure sources than in Wilson's earlier book. Includes..... More
New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1971. First American edition, Review Copy. Full cloth. Octavo. 446 pages. An extraordinary novel set in the midst of political upheaval at the beginning of the Irish War of Independence in the summer of 1919. Was awarded the Lost Man Booker for 1970 in 2010..... More
New York: Simon and Schuster, (1973). First printing. Hardcover. Octavo. 176 pages. Harrison's second novel, featuring a poet who loves only fishing (and girls), a Vietnam vet who loves only violence (and drugs), and beautiful long-legged girl who loves only one of them (at first). This trio of innocents sets..... More
New York: Greenberg : Publisher, (1935). First printing. Full cloth. Octavo. 249 pages. A scarce novel of the struggles and successes of immigrants in the United States. More
Boston: Little, Brown and Company, (1983). First printing. Hardcover. Octavo. 178 pages. Collection of 12 stories set in the mountain hollows of West Virginia, by an uncannily observant and tremendously promising young writer. Breece D'J Pancake's bright flame was brief, however, as he took his own life at age 27..... More
Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Company, (1963). First printing, first state. Full cloth. Octavo. 492 pages. Pynchon's innovative first novel, whose appearance in 1963 caused a stir, and had George Plimpton calling Pynchon "a young writer of staggering promise." Pynchon made some final revisions to the text for the subsequent..... More
New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc., (1966). First edition. Full cloth. Octavo. 250 pages. Uncommon biography of the charming and tormented ex-pat writer, William Seabrook. His 1929 book on Haitian voodoo, "The Magic Island," introduced zombies into popular culture. Seabrook once paid an accomplice to steal a chunk of..... More
Boston: E. P. Woodward & Co., (1867). First edition. Original cloth. Octavo. 131 pages, [5] ads. A rather frank--if overly dire--discussion of masturbation and its heinous effects in both men and women. In his Preface, Dr. Miller decries the lack of open discussion about sexuality in his day. "Children inherit..... More
Buffalo: Printing House of Matthews, Northrup & Co., 1884. First edition. Full cloth. Octavo. 192 pages. The author claims this is the first book of its kind published exclusively for the barber trade. In addition to the hundreds of recipes for barbering concoctions, there are probably as just as many..... More
Skowhegan: Sentinel Office, 1837. First edition. Hardcover. A window on mid-19th century women's health beliefs and practices as well as theories of child-rearing. Includes a few remedies and treatments. More
Caldwell: The Caxton Printers, Ltd., 1948. Limited edition. Color frontispiece, black and photographs, maps. Full cloth. Tall octavo. 366 pages. History of the western cattle empire, with first hand recollections on its twilight. Includes material on the hanging of Cattle Kate, the Johnson County War, Tom Horn and the Wild..... More
New York: Rinehart & Company, Inc., (1956). First edition. Illustrated by Lamar Dodd. Full cloth. Octavo. x, 435 pages. The 51st volume in the Rivers of America Series, here is the story of the Santee, which drains the Carolinas east of the Appalachian Mountains. Peopled with rugged individualists of the..... More
Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill Company, Publisher, (1931). First edition. Black and white photographs, maps. Full cloth. Tall octavo. 296 pages. Bertram Thomas was the first documented Westerner to cross the vast desert of Rub' al Khali on the southern Arabian Peninsula. He recounts that adventure and several others in the region, including..... More