• Title page: DIALOGUE AUX ENFERS | ENTRE | MACHIAVEL | ET MONTESQUIEU | OU LA POLITIQUE DE MACHIAVEL | AU XIXe SIÈCLE, | PAR UN CONTEMPORAIN. | {6 lines of citations} | ~ | BRUXELLES, | IMPRIMERIE DE A. MERTENS ET FILS, | RUE DE L’ESCALIER, 22. | 1864 ||

    Description: 17.9 x 12 cm, quarter red morocco over marbled boards, spine with raised bands, gilt bees in compartments, gilt lettering,  marbled endpapers, ffep cut out top 1/4, ffep and h.t. loose.

    Collation: 12mo; fep, π4 1-2712, 292, fep.; total 174 leaves. Pagination: [2 h.t] [2 t.p.] [i] ii-iii [iv] [1] 2-337 [338] [2 errata].

    Inscriptions and markings: "Hommage respectueux offert à M. Bourdais par son très humble serviteur, 5 Janvier 1881". Signature: E. Rouger (?) "Vu et approuvé". "Valatte". Ink stamp: "M<aîtr>e E. Brouard - Notaire a Laon Aisne".

    Other copies: LIB-1034.2016 and LIB-2913.2021. Other related objects: SVVP-0062.2021. The publication was funded by the author and smuggled into France. Contributors: Maurice Joly (French, 1829 – 1878)
  • Title: GEORGE CRUIKSHANK'S | TABLE-BOOK. | EDITED BY | GILBERT ABBOTT À BECKETT. | ILLUSTRATED BY GEORGE CRUIKSHANK. | LONDON : | PUBLISHED AT THE PUNCH OFFICE, 92, FLEET STREET ; | AND SOLD BY ALL BOOKSELLERS. | MDCCCXLV.|| Pagination: ffl [2 blanks] [i, ii - engaved t.p. w/guard, verso blank] [iii], iv - letterpress t.p., colophon] [v], vi - list of engravings on still and on wood, [vii] viii - contents [2 - blank, engraved frontispiece] [1] 2-284 [2 blanks] bfl; 12 full-page steel etchings and 116 woodcuts and glyphographs by G. Cruikshank. Binding: Hardcover, 4to, 24.4 x 17 cm, later full red morocco by Kelly and Sons with gilt and embossed designs to covers, designs, title and year lettering to spine, facsimile in gilt of Cruikshank's signature to front cover, gilt line to inner edges, top edge gilt, marbled endpapers. Armorial bookplate of Harold A. Wernher of Luton Hoo to front pastedown. Major-General Sir Harold Augustus Wernher (1893 – 1973) – British military officer. Originally bound in red cloth, this binding by Kelly and Sons (Packer, Maurice. Bookbinders of Victorian London. — London: British Library, 1991 page 84). Title without the bottom section with lettering, on top lacking the 'Price one shilling', № 1, Vol. 1. inscriptions. Catalogue raisonné: A. M. Cohn № 191, p. 66-67.  
  • Title: GEORGE CRUIKSHANK'S | OMNIBUS. | ILLUSTRATED WITH ONE HUNDRED ENGRAVINGS ON STEEL | AND WOOD. | "De omnibus rebus et quibusdam aliis." | EDITED BY LAMAN BLANCHARD, ESQ. | LONDON : | TILT AND BOGUE, FLEET STREET. | MDCCCXLII. Pagination: ffl, [2] – blanks [i, ii] – blank / engraved t.p. w/guard, [iii, iv] – t.p., colophon] [v], vi – contents, [vii, viii] – h.t. / blank, [ix] – list of etchings on steel, [x] – list of wood-cuts, [2] – blank, frontis. engraves portrait of G. Cruikshank; [1] 2-300 [2] – blanks, bfl; 22 full-page steel engravings (three not by Cruikshank) and 78 woodcuts. As per A. M. Cohn: i-ii+i-viii+1-2+1-300. Binding: 24 x 14 cm, later full red morocco by Kelly and Sons with gilt and embossed designs to covers, designs, title and year lettering to spine, facsimile in gilt of Cruikshank's signature to front cover, gilt line to inner edges, top edge gilt, marbled endpapers. Armorial bookplate of Harold A. Wernher of Luton Hoo to front pastedown. Major-General Sir Harold Augustus Wernher (1893 – 1973) – British military officer. Originally bound in green, then red cloth, this binding by Kelly and Sons (Packer, Maurice. Bookbinders of Victorian London. London: British Library, 1991 page 84). A. M. Cohn № 190, p. 65-66. Motto translation: (About all things and something more besides).
  • Title (historiated border, three-compartment): CAMEO CLASSICS | {rule} | CANDIDE | BY | Voltaire | WITH ILLUSTRATIONS | BY | Mahlon Blaine | {rule} | GROSSET AND DUNLAP | NEW YORK || Pagination: [1-6] 7-144, total 144 pages; frontispiece plus 4 plates within collation, head- and tailpieces – reproductions of Mahlon Blaine’s pen drawings. Binding: 21 x 14 cm, cream cloth with the cameo of Johann Gutenberg to front cover, gilt lettering to front cover and spine, in acetate dust jacket, in a pictorial slipcase. Arouet, François-Marie [Voltaire] (French, 1694 – 1778)– author. Woolf, Herman Irwell [Chambers, Dorset] (British, 1890 – 1958) – translator. Blaine, Mahlon [Hudson, G. Christopher] (American, 1894 – 1969) – illustrator. Grosset and Dunlap (NY) – publisher. J. J. Little & Ives Company (NY) – printer. Cameo Classics series was published by Grosset & Dunlap (New York) in 1935 – 1948 as a cheap reprint of illustrated classic editions, in this case – of Williams, Belasco and Meyers publication of Candide in 1930 (see LIB-2792.2021). The Cameo Classics books had a clear, acetate dust jacket and were boxed in a buckram alligator skin patterned slipcase with an illustrated cover. The price per volume started at 69 cents and was gradually lowered to 59 and 50 cents per volume by the late 1930s. Candide was translated into English quite a few times, starting from Tobias George Smollett (British-Scottish, 1721 – 1771) and up to today's translators. For some reason, the translator's name is almost never indicated. This translation, published by Williams, Belasco and Meyers in 1930 and reprinted by Grosset and Dunlap in c. 1935, was performed by Herman Irwell Woolf under the pseudonym of Dorset Chambers and first published in London by F.B. Neumayer in 1919. This edition was mentioned in the letter from Joseph Conrad to his son Borys in 1922, May 10.
  • Title (in red and black): CANDIDE | OU L'OPTIMISME | PAR | VOLTAIRE | ILLUSTRATIONS | DE | BRUNELLESCHI | {vignette} | GIBERT JEUNE | LIBRAIRIE D'AMATEURS | 61, BOULEVARD SAINT-MICHEL, 61 | PARIS || Pagination : [6] 1-163 [164][2], with 23 black tailpieces, plus 16 colour plates extraneous to collation, incl. frontispiece, printed by A. Dantan and stencil-coloured (au pochoir) by E. Charpentier after gouache and watercolour drawings by Umberto Brunelleschi; total 102 leaves. Limited edition of 2500 copies, this is № 39. Printed at Imprimerie Coulouma, Argenteuil (H. Barthélemy, director) on July 15, 1933. Binding: 26.5 x 20.5 cm, publisher’s pictorial wrappers, vignettes and lettering to front wrapper and spine, publisher’s device to back wrapper. Description of the stensil (au pochoir) technique.
  • Title (chain border): CANDIDE | VOLTAIRE | ILLUSTRATIONS BY | MAHLON BLAINE | {vignette} | NEW YORK | WILLIAMS, BELASCO | AND MEYERS || Title verso: (top) COPYRIGHT, 1930, BY WILLIAMS, BELASCO & MEYERS || (bottom) PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | BY J. J. LITTLE & IVES COMPANY, NEW YORK || Pagination:[1-6] 7-144, headpiece, frontispiece and 5 plates after Blaine’s pen drawings, within the pagination. Binding: 25 x 16.5 cm; blue cloth, blind-stamped frame, stamped-gilt lettering to front board and spine, thick wove paper, upper edge blue, fore-edge untrimmed, yellow vergé endpapers. Arouet, François-Marie [Voltaire] (French, 1694 – 1778)– author. Woolf, Herman Irwell [Chambers, Dorset] (British, 1890 – 1958) – translator. Blaine, Mahlon [Hudson, G. Christopher] (American, 1894 – 1969) – illustrator. Williams, Belasco and Meyers (NY) – publisher. J. J. Little & Ives Company (NY) – printer. See the Cameo Classic reprint [LIB-2777.2021].
  • Title (chain border): CANDIDE | VOLTAIRE | ILLUSTRATIONS BY | MAHLON BLAINE | {vignette} | NEW YORK | Illustrated Editions Company | 220 FOURTH AVENUE || Title verso: (top) COPYRIGHT, 1930, BY WILLIAMS, BELASCO & MEYERS || (bottom) PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | BY J. J. LITTLE & IVES COMPANY, NEW YORK || Pagination:[1-10] 11-144, headpiece, frontispiece and 5 plates after Blaine’s pen drawings, within the pagination; tailpieces by A. Zaidenberg. Binding: 21 x 14 cm; quarter beige buckram over blue cloth, stamped-gilt and red lettering and vignette to front board and spine. Binding in a way similar to Sterne's A sentimental journey published by Three Sirens Press in c. 1930 [LIB-2784.2021]. Not only that: tailpieces in this Illustrated Editions Company edition are the same as in Cameo Classic edition, with the only difference – here the name of the artist is stated, whether in the Cameo Classic it is not; see [LIB-2777.2021]. Bear in mind that Cameo Classic does not belong to Williams, Belasco and Meyers, it is a Grosset and Dunlap series. Compare Williams, Belasco and Meyers Candide and Illustrated Editions Company Candide title pages:

    Williams, Belasco and Meyers

    Illustrated Editions Company

      Arouet, François-Marie [Voltaire] (French, 1694 – 1778)– author. Woolf, Herman Irwell [Chambers, Dorset] (British, 1890 – 1958) – translator. Blaine, Mahlon [Hudson, G. Christopher] (American, 1894 – 1969) – illustrator. Zaidenberg, Arthur (American, 1902 – 1990) – illustrator. Williams, Belasco and Meyers (NY) – copyright holder. Illustrated Editions Company (1929-1942) – publisher. J. J. Little & Ives Company (NY) – printer. See the Cameo Classic reprint [LIB-2777.2021].
  • Title (chain border): CANDIDE | VOLTAIRE | ILLUSTRATIONS BY | MAHLON BLAINE | {vignette} | NEW YORK | Illustrated Editions Company | 220 FOURTH AVENUE || Title verso: (top) COPYRIGHT, 1930, BY WILLIAMS, BELASCO & MEYERS || (bottom) PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | BY J. J. LITTLE & IVES COMPANY, NEW YORK || Pagination:[1-7] 8-144, headpiece, frontispiece and 5 plates after Blaine’s pen drawings, within the pagination; tailpieces by A. Zaidenberg. Binding: 21 x 14 cm; quarter beige buckram over blue cloth, stamped-gilt and red lettering and vignette to front board and spine. Binding in a way similar to Sterne's A sentimental journey published by Three Sirens Press in c. 1930 [LIB-2784.2021]. Not only that: tailpieces in this Illustrated Editions Company edition are the same as in Cameo Classic edition, with the only difference – here the name of the artist is stated, whether in the Cameo Classic it is not; see [LIB-2777.2021]. Bear in mind that Cameo Classic does not belong to Williams, Belasco and Meyers, it is a Grosset and Dunlap series; a cream dust-jacket lettered in red and blue, and with a citation from W. Somerset Maugham; all edges red. Compare with LIB-2791.2021. Illustrations in the current copy are exactly the same. Compare Williams, Belasco and Meyers Candide and Illustrated Editions Company Candide title pages:

    Williams, Belasco and Meyers

    Illustrated Editions Company

      Arouet, François-Marie [Voltaire] (French, 1694 – 1778)– author. Woolf, Herman Irwell [Chambers, Dorset] (British, 1890 – 1958) – translator. Blaine, Mahlon [Hudson, G. Christopher] (American, 1894 – 1969) – illustrator. Zaidenberg, Arthur (American, 1902 – 1990) – illustrator. Williams, Belasco and Meyers (NY) – copyright holder. Illustrated Editions Company (1929-1942) – publisher. J. J. Little & Ives Company (NY) – printer. See the Cameo Classic reprint [LIB-2777.2021].
  • Title (in red and black): PART I | CANDIDE | OR | ALL FOR THE BEST | ★ | TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH OF | M. DE VOLTAIRE | ★ | WITH 10 ETCHINGS BY | CLARA TICE | ★ | EXACT REPRINT OF THE EARLIEST ENGLISH TEXT | PRINTED IN HOLLAND BY | JOH. ENSCHEDÉ EN ZONEN | FOUNDED IN HAARLEM ANNO MDCCIII | FOR | THE BENNETT LIBRARIES INC. | NEW YORK | MDCCCCXXVII || Limitation: 1,000 copies of which numbers 1 t0 250 are on a special deckle-edge Pannekoek paper; and numbers 251 to 1,000 are on papier à la cuve; this is copy № 310 (stamped in pink ink). Illustrations: 10 coloured etchings, incl. frontispiece, produced by an American artist Clara Tice (1888 – 1973) on a watermarked laid paper and bound in with tissue guards, lettered in red. Binding: 23.5 x 15.3 cm, quarter black buckram over wrinkled faux-marbled paper painted with gilt, gilt design and lettering to spine, black endpapers (both flyleaves present), top margin gilt, other trimmed rough. Collation: [10] – five blank leaves, [2] – h.t. / limitation, [2] – t.p. / imprint, 7-119 [120 blank], [121-2] – part 2 d.t.p. / blank, 123-182, [183-9] – contents, [190 blank], [10] – five blank leaves, the first blank uncut from [189/90]; total number of pages 216; total number of leaves  108 plus 10 plates with tissue guards, incl. frontispiece. Contributors: François-Marie Arouet [Voltaire] (French, 1694 – 1778)– author. Tobias George Smollett (British, 1721 – 1771) – translator (translation of 1759). Clara Tice (American, 1888 – 1973) – artist. The Bennett Libraries (NY) – publisher. Johannes Enschedé en Zonen (Haarlem) – printer.
  • Vol. 1: Title page (red and black): THE | COMIC HISTORY OF ENGLAND • | BY GILBERT ABBOTT A'BECKETT. | {vignette with one line caption} | WITH TEN COLOURED ETCHINGS AND ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY | WOODCUTS, | BY JOHN LEECH. | VOL. I. | PUBLISHED AT THE PUNCH OFFICE, 85, FLEET STREET. | MDCCCXLVII. || Pagination: [iii-iv] – t.p. / imprint., [v]-vi – preface, [vii]-viii – contents, [ix]-xii – list of ills. [1] 2-320, lacking half-title otherwise as called for by Tooley (1935) p. 161. Collation: 8vo; π3 b2 B-X8 plus 10 plates, incl. frontispiece, of hand-coloured steel engravings and 120 in-text woodcuts by John Leech. Vol. 2: Title page: similar but “VOL. II.” And “MDCCCXLVIII”; typeface “with ten coloured…” is different (sans serif). Pagination: [iii-iv] – t.p. / imprint., [v]-vi – advert., [vii]-viii – contents, [ix]-xii – list of ills. [1] 2-304, lacking half-title otherwise as called for by Tooley (1935) p. 161. Collation: 8vo; π3 b2 B-U8 X2 plus 10 plates, incl. frontispiece, of hand-coloured steel engravings and 120 in-text woodcuts by John Leech. Binding: two volumes 22 x 14.5 cm each uniformly bound in full tan calf with gilt double-fillet border, spine gilt in compartments with red and green morocco labels lettered in gilt, blind-stamped dentelle inside, blue marbled endpapers, all edges marbled, additional flyleafs at the front and end. Catalogue raisonné: Hardie p. 210-11; Abbey, Life № 434, p. 362; Tooley (1935) p. 161 Contributors: Gilbert Abbott à Beckett (British, 1811 – 1856) – author. John Leech (British, 1817 – 1864) – artist. Bradbury & Evans (Whitefriars); William Bradbury (British, 1799 – 1869); Frederick Mullett Evans (British, 1804 – 1870) – printer. Punch – publisher.
  • Woodcut pictorial title page (red and black): THE | COMIC | HISTORY | OF | ROME | By GILBERT ABBOTT À BECKETT. | ILLUSTRATED BY JOHN LEECH. | BRADBURY AND EVANS, 11, BOUVERIE STREET. || Pagination: [iii-iv] – t.p. / imprint., [v]-vi – preface, [vii]-viii – contents, [ix]-xii – list of ills., [1] 2-308, lacking half-title (i-ii) otherwise as called for by Tooley (1935) p. 162. Collation: π1 b4 B-U8 X2 plus 10 plates, incl. frontispiece, of hand-coloured steel engravings and 98 in-text woodcuts by John Leech. Imprint: “LONDON: | BRADBURY AND EVANS, PRINTERS, WHITEFRIARS.”; same in the colophon on p. 308, in one line. Binding: 22 x 14.5 cm, full tan calf with gilt double-fillet border, spine gilt in compartments with red morocco label lettered in gilt, blind-stamped dentelle inside, marbled endpapers, additional flyleaf at the end (binding similar to 2-volume “The Comic History of England” LIB-2847.2021, making three volumes in total). Edition: 1st thus (in book form), without “and Co.” in the imprint on t.p. verso. Catalogue raisonné: Tooley (1935) p. 162. Catalogue raisonné: Hardie p. 210; Abbey, Life № 435, p. 365-6; Tooley (1935) p. 162. Contributors: Gilbert Abbott à Beckett (British, 1811 – 1856) – author. John Leech (British, 1817 – 1864) – artist. Bradbury & Evans (Whitefriars); William Bradbury (British, 1799 – 1869); Frederick Mullett Evans (British, 1804 – 1870) – printer.
  • Title page: DIALOGUE AUX ENFERS | ENTRE | MACHIAVEL | ET MONTESQUIEU | OU LA POLITIQUE DE MACHIAVEL | AU XIXe SIÈCLE, | PAR UN CONTEMPORAIN. | {6 lines of citations} | ~ | BRUXELLES, | IMPRIMERIE DE A. MERTENS ET FILS, | RUE DE L’ESCALIER, 22. | 1864 ||

    Description:18.7 x 11.8 cm, quarter red morocco over marbled boards, spine with raised bands ruled in gilt, gilt lettering, marbled endpapers.

    Collation: 12mo; fep, 1 blank, π4 1-2712, 292, 1 blank, fep.; total 176 leaves. Pagination: [2] [2 h.t] [2 t.p.] [i] ii-iii [iv] [1] 2-337 [338] [2 errata] [2]. Other copies: LIB-0460.2015 and LIB-1034.2016. Other related objects: SVVP-0062.2021. The publication was funded by the author and smuggled into France. Contributors: Maurice Joly (French, 1829 – 1878)
  • Title page: DIALOGUE AUX ENFERS | ENTRE | MACHIAVEL | ET MONTESQUIEU | OU LA POLITIQUE DE MACHIAVEL | AU XIXe SIÈCLE, | PAR UN CONTEMPORAIN. | {6 lines of citations} | ~ | BRUXELLES, | IMPRIMERIE DE A. MERTENS ET FILS, | RUE DE L’ESCALIER, 22. | 1864 ||

    Description: 18.5 x 12 cm, quarter red morocco over marbled boards, spine with raised bands ruled blind, gilt lettering, marbled endpapers.

    Collation: 12mo; fep, 3 blanks, π4 1-2712, 292, 3 blanks, fep.; total 180 leaves. Pagination: [6] [2 h.t] [2 t.p.] [i] ii-iii [iv] [1] 2-337 [338] [2 errata] [6]. Bookplate to front pastedown: “Le Mis de Biencourt” (probably Mademoiselle Anna Charles de Biencourt). See other copies: LIB-2913.2021 and LIB-0460.2015. Other related objects: SVVP-0062.2021. The publication was funded by the author and smuggled into France. Contributors: Maurice Joly (French, 1829 – 1878)  
  • Hand-coloured etching by an anonymous artist, printed in July 1815. Description by British Museum (1866,0407.935): "Blücher (left) and Napoleon (right) support a heavy pier-glass in an upright position. Its solid base rests on the back of the prostrate Napoleon, from whose mouth issues a label: 'Si je pouvais encore me sauver! . . . mais non c'est fini Nicolas est pris.' The mirror, which towers above the head of its supporters, is framed by pillars, each surmounted by a fleur-de-lis. These also decorate the heavy superstructure which supports a trophy of two oval shields with the arms of Bourbon and Navarre, surmounted by a crown..., and four white flags. On the face of the mirror is a large Bourbon crown, and a lily plant. Blücher says: "Le Diable m'emporte s'il en réchappe." Wellington responds: "Pour cette fois nous en répondons." Inscription under the plate: 'Se vend chez Genty, rue St Jacques no.14' and 'Déposé au Bureau des Estampes'. Size: 33.2 x 25.7 cm
  • Hand-coloured etching from the series Historische Denkwürdigkeiten für gemütliche Leser by an anonymous German artist, printed c. 1815.
  • Hand-coloured etching by an anonymous British artist, printed on May 26, 1829, in London. Description by British Museum (1868,0808.8988): "O'Connell, in wig and gown, walks to the left from the massive door of a small stone building, stooping, and holding his handkerchief to his right eye. He wails: 'O, my poor Seat! my poor Seat! my poor Seat! I'd have given any thing for a seat.' In the doorway (right) stands Peel, saying with wary blandness: 'What good can weeping do you Dan.—I'm sure I did as much as I could!!' Above the large knocker on the plank door is 'Knock & Ring'. There is a projecting bell, above a placard: 'NB. Jews or Proselytes desirous of Obtaining Seats in the House may Knock and Ring at this Door.' One corner of "the House", a small stone shed, is depicted. O'Connell is walking towards a strip of water, across which is a mountain, with a board pointing 'To — Clare'. Comment by BM: "Catholic Emancipation raised high hopes among Jews; the first Bill, after a petition from Jews in Liverpool, was introduced 15 Apr. 1830, but Jewish Emancipation did not become law till 1858." Inscription under the frame with title, "A. Sharpshooter fec", text within image and publication line: "Pub. by G. Humphrey, 24 St. James's Street May 26 1829". Size: 37.5 x 26 cm.
  • Hand-coloured etching by L. Schlemer from Nürnberg, printed in c. 1815. Napoleon, with long ears, is seated on a throne made of a pile of crockery, which is falling over. Referring to the Battle of Waterloo. See p. 134 in vol. 2 of  A. M. Broadley. Napoleon in caricature, 1795-1821. — London, New York: John Lane, 1911.
  • Ink drawing on watermarked paper by an anonymous artist, British or American. Original pen and ink with manuscript text. About 7 x 10-1/2 inches, Vander Ley type watermark (Churchill 321), mounted to old laid paper; several corners chipped, some creasing, soiling, etc. Np, Late 18th-century.