Book Trade History

One page, c.6 x 7", good condition. He is billed for "State Trials" and the "Political Register".

Invoices, one page each, 4to, good condition. Receipts of conventional size, both signed "R. Toley" [not in BBTI]. The subjects are subscruiption editions of Lewis's Topographical Dictionaries of England and Wales (1845), Scotland and Ireland (1847), with prices, including "colouring Atlas[es]".

One page, 8vo, minor damage and staining. The invoice is to the account of [J?] Handscomb but the receipt is signed by "E. Hanscomb" identifiable with Eb Handscomb perhaps in BBTI though the dates are a problem. Apparently unrelated figures in pencil on reverse.

Dimensions roughly one and a half inches by two inches. One page, blank verso. Tipped in on piece of yellow paper. Within ruled border. An attractive item, with an illustration of key at head. Beneath this, in copperplate, 'Bought of I: Crokatt | at the Golden Key near | ye. Inner-Temple-Gate | Fleet-Street.' Crokatt, an associate of Dodsley, with whom Samuel Johnson worked, traded from the 1720s to the 1750s.

The collection as a whole is in good condition, although lightly creased in places and somewhat dusty and aged. All items have unobtrusive pinholes, and Item Seven has fraying and closed tears to extremities. An interesting correspondence casting light on publishing practices at the turn of the nineteenth century. ITEMS ONE TO FIVE: 12mo letters from Lucas's solicitors Field, Roscoe & Co., each on the firm's letterhead, to the 'Receiver and Manager appointed to carry on [Richards'] business', H. C. K. Stileman, dated 9, 11, 18 and 21 March, and 1 April 1905.

Stapled and unbound. Octavo: four leaves (eight unpaginated pages). On aged and lightly spotted paper. Vignette on title page. Includes list of plates and 'Specimen Entry' of pages 51-3. Verso of last leaf headed 'from CONSTABLE'S BIBLIOGRAPHICAL LIST', comprising 'THE CARTER-POLLARD DISCLOSURES', 'BIBLIOGRAPHIA SERIES' and 'DORMY HOUSE CATALOGUES'.

Card, c.4 x 3", soiled, remnants of album page on verso (four corners). Within the Royal Arms of the Duke of Clarence is printed "William Curtis / Bookseller / To H.R.H. the Duke of Clarence / Plymouth". At the botton "Harps, Pianofortes &c. on Sale or Hire."

One page, 6.5 x 5.5", good condition. Payment for one number of "Blackwood's Magazine". Note spelling "Recieved".

Periodical, 4to, separate issues, good condition though the paper for earlier numbers has aged (cheap). It contains advertisments and articles relating to the antiquarian and secondhand book trade, with columns of "Books Wanted".

Forty-four pages, octavo, with two-page leaf of addenda loosely inserted. Four pages illustrating seventeen pictorial covers on art paper. In printed card wraps. A worn and creased copy of an influential catalogue, issued at a time when, as the introduction points out 'catalogues devoted to detective fiction [were] something of a rarity in the book trade'.

Roughly twelve and half inches by nine and a quarter. Neatly mounted on piece of cream paper, with surrounding ink rules. Good, with some ruckling and wear to corners. Characteristically arresting arrangement of type. Reads: 'CAUTION. | THE ONLY CORRECT COPY | OF DONIZETTI'S OPERA | THE FAVOURITE | AS PERFORMED IN ENGLISH AT THE | THEATRE ROYAL DRURY LANE, | IS PUBLISHED BY | JEFFERYS AND CO.

Two pages, 8vo, vestiges of an album page on reverse, good condition. He sent a presentation copy of his "Rosemary & Pansies", somne of which "appeared in the privately printed ed[ition]" he gave him. He also sends a booklet "by one 'Lucian Lambert' - a gentleman who seems to have a good deal of gall in his composition, however much he may be wanting in the other qualities of a satirist. He has a signed copy of one of Jerrold's grandfather's books (Douglas) and some letters which his correspondent can view at the shop.

Invoice: one page, fol. good condition. Charges for advertising notices in various newspapers, printing posters of Sale Particulars, printing catalogues (full detail), and related printing and actions.

One page, c.8 x 6", minor defects, mainly good condition. 17s 6d received in payment of an invoice for "Philosophical Transactions" for 1814.

All items octavo. Bound together in contemporary leather half-binding with red label. Good, on aged paper. Front board beginning to split. Label and stamps of Newport Reference Library. Each title-page initialed in contemporary hand 'G. S. W.' Part 2, 1825: pp.[ii] + [103]-348, items 1666 to 6197. Part 3, 1825 ('Including the libraries of the late Rev. Dr. Ryland; J. Nott, M.D. of Clifton, Deceased; And other Collections, recently Purchased'): pp.v + 349-606. With two-page 'Brief Memoir of the late John Nott, M.D. of the Hotwells, Bristol', 'Extracted from Felix Farley's Bristol Journal'.

all octavo, in worn nineteenth-century binding, with front hinge loose, lacking spine. New endpapers. All items good, on aged paper with occasional foxing. An invaluable collection, providing a snapshot of secondhand bookselling in provincial Victorian England within an extremely short timescale. Several of the booksellers are not represented in the British Library collection, and others are only represented by catalogues of a later date. Of note are the two catalogues published by Sotheran's Manchester arm, the existence of which is not mentioned in Andrew Block's 'Short History' (1933).

Dimensions of paper roughly eight inches by five; dimensions of print four and a quarter inches by three and a half. Good clean image, on paper aged and creased at extremities only. A wild-haired octogenarian Gent leans on a pile of books in a stone archway, holding open a copy of his History of Rippon (1733). Taken from Thorpe's edition of Gent's 'Life', published in 1832.

One page, c.16 x 6.5", good condition. The list includes history including military, geology, theology and other subjects. A list of volumes bound is appended. Note:A "Lewis Smith", wholesale stationers, printers and publishers, bookbinder and circulating library , occupied 50 Union Street, 1842+ No mention of a "John Smith" (SBTI).

One page, 4to, good condition. The printed circular is a request for the "early settlement" of an outstanding bill, adding that "A Catalogue of the whole of the extensive and valuable Stock of the late Partnership, is now published; and each article will be sold, for ready money, with a Discount of Ten per Cent. from the marked prices." The manuscript portion comprises the name of the debtor and a detailed receipt for payment for numbers of the "Edinburgh Review" (received in 1814 and 1815), signed "[W. Tripp?]".

Two pages, on a rough-edged leaf approximately seven inches by four. Good, though aged and a lightly stained. A highly interesting list of twenty-seven titles by a radical publisher. Several works relating to Robert Wedderburn and Thomas Davison. Also 'The Cast-Iron Parson', 'A Peep after Hell' and 'GREAT GORGY: giving a Humourous Description of his Journey to Westminster, on Giff, the Ch-lor's Grey Mare'. Ends 'The Trade Supplied with all the Popular Works of the Day. | Printing & Bookbinding | NEATLY AND EXPEDITIOUSLY EXECUTED. | NEWSPAPERS SERVED IN TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Two pages, c7.5 x 19", folded, good condition. It comprises more than 80 tiles, some entries are multiple, mainly theological, but other subjects include history, memoirs, and poetry. Brief details of binding work given, and prices, total £4.1.6. Philip also charges for "advertising Scott's Bible" in the "banner" and "Journal". The list is substantial enough to represent a private library.

One page, 4to, part printed (headed notepaper), poor condition, loss of most of signature of the receipt. They invoiced for circulars they had printed. Correct BBTI 50 Castle Street (or add). Also provides binding service and export.

One page, 8vo, stained and small hole but text clear and complete. Charges for a book on poultry, a Portuguese dictionary and a binding job.

Two pages, on leaf roughly eight and a half inches by five. Very good, with three stab holes along one margin. Headed 'NEW COLLECTION OF VOYAGES AND TRAVELS, [...] This Day is published'.

Landscape. Dimensions of paper roughly nine inches by thirteen and a half. Trimmed. Clear image on aged and foxed paper. Captioned 'This ENGRAVING of the BOOKSELLERS' PROVIDENT RETREAT at Abbots Langley, Herts, erected upon ground presented by JOHN DICKINSON, ESQ.

Two pages, fol., fragile, sl. chipped, inch round hole in second page with some loss of text. Hatchard reports on the distribution of copies of his book ["A Family Exposition of the Pentateuch: Genesis" (J. Hatchard, 1841)] as "From the Author", giving a substantial list occupying the second page (c.80 names consisting of the great and the good, with excisions, corrections and additions, with six names ticked and three show multiple copies). He tells him how many copies have been printed of the first and second editions, the issuing of the second he expects to give the first "a lift".

Octavo, 216 pages. One of 'only fifty copies printed, on thick paper'. Title-page in red and black. Aged and a little stained, in recent half-leather rebinding. 9670 items listed, 'for the most part second-hand'.

One page, 8vo, good condition. A "Sederunt Book".

One page, 8vo, defects but text clear and complete. "State Trials" and "Cobbett's Register".

One page. Dimensions of slip roughly four inches by five and a quarter wide. Somewhat aged, but entirely legible. Reads 'British Quarterly Review | Can you tell me what was the last part of this issued, if it is possible to get a title-page and index to vol 83. My last part is 166 April 1886'. Docketed note of reply states that no title was published to the volume containing April 1886.