Selected Titles and Recent Acquisitions

Louis Wain, Little Miss Muffet, Original Signed Watercolour Painting

Original Louis Wain watercolour on paper, signed lower left, measuring approximately 37cm x 27cm. To the reverse is the publishers' Raphael Tuck stamp, numbered 664 and with Little Miss Muffet written in blue pencil. The painting is mounted, framed and glazed. The frame measures approximately 59cm x 44cm. The painting was used for the Raphael Tuck Nursery Series Christmas & New Year Postcard, first published in December 1904 and was also used again in later postcards. The painting was exhibited at the Louis Wain & the Summer Cat Show 2014 at the Chris Beetles Gallery, St James, London and has the Chris Beetles label to the rear of the frame. The illustration is also listed in Delulio & Ross' Especially Cats, Louis Wain's Humorous Postcards, Houston, 1985, page 166.

£5000.00

Five Original Paintings by Charles Brock for a Children's Book

Each is signed or initialled by the artist to the bottom and four of them are dated 1891. Painted on paper. "ESK" blind-stamped to the bottom corner of each. Varying sizes, the largest is 6.5 x 7.5 inches, the smallest is 4.75 x 5.5 inches. Two have a sketch by Brock to the reverse. Condition: They all have chips and edge wear.

£200.00

Agatha Christie, Peril at End House

Collins, Sixth Impression, February 1934. 7D cheap edition, measuring approx. 4 x 6.25 inches and issued without end papers. Original red boards, 252 printed pages. Bumped to the spine ends, foxed to the fore edge and last page, no inscriptions. The dust jacket is sunned to the spine and chipped to the corners and spine ends.

£150.00

Rudolf Erich Raspe, The Surprising Travels and Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Bound with; A Sequel to the Travels and Adventures of Baron Munchausen

R. S. Kirby, 1816. Two volumes bound together in one. Beautiful Riviere binding of full-leather, raised bands and gilt decorations to spine, top edge gilt, all pages and illustrations have been checked and are complete; 100 pages to vol.1, 90 pages to vol.2, title page, preface and contents to each volume, frontispiece to vol.1, 40 plates, numerous illustrations to text and this copy also has an extra 9 hand-coloured illustrations by Thomas Rowlandson. Condition: The leather is rubbed to the corners and spine, there is a book-sellers small tab and previous owners small book-plate to the front pastedown, scattered foxing mainly to the fore edge and first and last few pages, otherwise tidy.

£450.00

Elsie J. Oxenham, The Testing of the Torment

First Printing 1925. Original decorative cloth with pictorial onlay to front, 214 printed pages complete with 4 full-page illustrations correct as list. Bumped to the spine ends, gift inscription to the front free end paper, foxed to the fore edge and first and last few pages. The dust jacket has small chips to the corners and top of the spine.

£125.00

Picture Crimes, No. 1, June 1937, David McKay Publications

Rare. Each story uses photographs and captions to illustrate a crime, with clues provided so the reader can solve the mystery. Solutions provided at the back. The stories are: The Darkroom Murder; A Champ Passes; Death of a Gold Digger; Marked For Murder; Death At A Wooden Wedding; The Green Jinx Strikes; All Cops Are Dumb; Revel of a Raffles. 64 printed pages complete with photos and illustrations. Condition: The covers are dust soiled and are partly split to the spine, there is edge wear with a chip to the front bottom corner, a pencilled letter "K" to the front below "No.1" and a closed edge tear to the rear bottom edge. The contents are browned.

£120.00

P. G. Wodehouse, William Tell Told Again, A & C Black 1904

Mcilvaine lists as the 3rd issue. Original light brown cloth, titled and illustrated to front and spine, top edge gilt, 106 printed pages complete with 16 colour illustrations and captioned tissue-guards as issued and two pages of adverts at rear. Bumped and slightly frayed to the corners and spine ends, quite a browned spine, creased to the rear top corner, gift inscription to the top of the half-title page, scattered foxing and browning to the pages, one tissue-guard frayed to the edge.

£95.00

P. G. Wodehouse, Jeeves Omnibus

Herbert Jenkins, First Printing 1931, in the original dust jacket. Original green cloth, 847 printed pages complete with portrait frontispiece. Slight foxing to the front end paper, otherwise a tidy book with no inscriptions. The dust jacket is chipped and creased with large chunks missing from the spine ends and rear top edge and it also has a few archive paper strips to the reverse.

£275.00

Maurice Gorham & Edward Ardizzone, The Local, First Edition 1939

First Printing, signed and dated (1939) by Edward Ardizzone to the front free end paper and below this Maurice Gorham has signed. Original pictorial boards, 51 printed pages complete with illustrations. Book Condition: 80% of the spine is missing, bumped towards the top of the spine with resultant creasing to the top inner page corner, rubbed and bumped to the corners. Very rare, due to the bombing of Cassell premises during the Blitz.

£580.00

C. E. Brock, Original Illustration titled "The Atlas Brigade answering a call", painted for Alfred Yeo's "Atlas Reminiscent", which was published by Dent in 1908

Watercolour on artist's board, showing a horse drawn fire engine, signed and dated lower right and titled in cartouche below. Measures 37.5 x 26.5cm (14.75 x 10.5 inches).

£125.00

P. G. Wodehouse, The Intrusion of Jimmy

First USA Edition, First Printing 1910, Published by W. J. Watt, New York

Signed, inscribed and dated (May 16. 1910) by Wodehouse to the front free end paper. The book is complete with frontispiece, tissue-guard and all four illustrations as issued. Book Condition: The boards are rubbed, it is frayed to the bottom corner of the spine, the spine lettering is dull, the front hinge paper is splitting but holding fine, there is occasional foxing to the pages.

£1500.00

Elsie J. Oxenham, Original Painting By Percy Tarrant

This is the original painting by Percy Tarrant that was used for the First Edition of A School Camp Fire, which was published in 1917 by Chambers. The painting measures 5.5 x just over 8 inches. It is in the original mount which has pencil notes to the bottom which read; Book 3, Chap 7, p.234, frontisp, Priscilla burnt her old name". The painting is tidy. The mount is creased to the corners and lightly soiled.

£695.00

P. G. Wodehouse, Original Christmas Card from Wodehouse to His biographer and bibliographer David A. Jasen

The card is from Christmas 1959 and is in the original stamped addressed envelope. All of the writing is in Wodehouse's hand, which includes the inscription inside the card, the address to the front of the envelope and the return address to the rear flap of the envelope.

£300.00

Original Video Sleeve for Jeeves and Wooster, Series One, Signed by both Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry.

Came from the collection of Mark Goodfellow. Comes with copies of a letter from Stephen Fry and a letter from the Producer's Secretary of the Jeeves & Wooster series. Slightly soiled and creased towards one edge.

£95.00

Original Video Sleeve for Jeeves and Wooster, Series Two, Signed by both Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry.

Came from the collection of Mark Goodfellow. Comes with copies of a letter from Stephen Fry and a letter from the Producer's Secretary of the Jeeves & Wooster series. Slightly soiled and creased towards one edge.

£95.00

P. G. Wodehouse, How I Became a Poet, SIGNED Typed Manuscript

Please be aware, although this manuscript has been signed at the bottom of the last page by Wodehouse in black pen, it is almost certainly not typed by him. As far as I know, in the 1960's a book dealer typed out some chapters from Wodehouse's books and asked him to sign them, which he obligingly did. The manuscript is a complete chapter, being 10 typed pages. Also comes with an invoice from when the manuscript was purchased in 1968 for $87.50.

£350.00

Victor Gunn, Murder with a Kiss

First Edition 1963, Published by Collins

First Printing signed and inscribed by the author. The inscription reads; 'To The Old Boys' Book Club - In appreciation of all the long years you have suffered at my hands. "Victor Gunn"', he has then signed beneath this in his real name 'Edwy Searles Brooks, Dec '63'. The inscription is in blue pen and is to the front free end paper. Condition: The book is slightly bumped to the corners and spine ends, but is otherwise tidy. The dust jacket is rubbed to the edges, has small chips to the corners and spine ends and has two closed edge tears. Not price clipped and correctly priced 12s. 6d.net to the inside flap.

£125.00

P. G. Wodehouse, "The White Feather"

Early Reprint, 1914, Publshed by Adam & Charles Black

Similar format to the first edition. Original pictorial brown cloth, 284 printed pages complete with all 12 illustrations correct as list. Bumped to the spine ends, the picture to the front board and spine is quite rubbed (as usual), gift inscription to the front pastedown, scattered foxing mainly to the fore edge and first and last few pages, otherwise tidy.

£195.00

P. G. Wodehouse, "The Gold Bat"

First Edition 1904, Published by Adam & Charles Black

Original pictorial red cloth, 277 printed pages complete with 8 full-page illustrations all correct as list and one page of adverts to the rear of the half-title page and 2 pages of adverts at the rear, all complete as issued. The spine is frayed to the ends and slightly to one side, it is quite faded to the spine (as usual), there is a previous owners' attractive book-plate to the front paste down, the tissue-guard for the frontispiece is browned and creased and there is foxing to the pages. No inscriptions.

£495.00

Elsie J. Oxenham, "Rosaly's New School"

First Thus 1921, Published by W. & R. Chambers

First of this issue, with the date (1921) to the rear of the title page. Original pictorial blue cloth, 303 printed pages complete with colour frontispiece and 2 further colour illustrations all correct as issued. The book is slightly bumped to the spine ends and has a prize book-plate to the front paste down, otherwise tidy. The dust jacket is the original and has wonderful artwork by P. Tarrant. It is chipped to the corners and spine ends and is rubbed to the edges. Not price clipped.

£150.00