ON THE CENTENARY OF THE MOSCOW SCHOOL OF THE ORDER OF ST. CATHERINE (INSTITUTE FOR NOBLE GIRLS): February 10, 1903 - An Album of 62 Phototypes.

MOSCOW: P.P. Pavlov Phototype Studio, 1902. (published in advance of the centenary celebration.)

Hardcover book, title embossed on the front cover, 13x10 inches (33x25.5 cm) oblong, 62 phototype plates, each printed on its own leaf.

A turn-of-the-last-century photographic document of Moscow's Girl School of the Order of St. Catherine, consisting of 62 full page phototypes by the noted Russian photographer Pyotr Petrovich Pavlov. There is a brief caption below each phototype describing the image, and noting the photographer as P.P. Pavlov. All captions and the photographer's name are in Russian.

FAIR condition: The covers are sunned, worn through at the corners and some places along the edges, have shelf rubs and scrapes, what was likely gilt embossed titling now appears blind stamped with no gilt, and the spine has been rebacked with cloth tape; still the covers are doing their job. Internally, there is cloth tape reinforcement to the front and rear inner hinges and to the gutter hinge of the first two plates; the first leaf has its phototype pasted on (your guess as to why), but all the rest are printed on their leaf as issued; all the phototypes have soiling at the margins, some more than others, and there is some foxing, corner wear, and edge wear here and there; nonetheless the phototypes are rare and quite amazing.

A remarkable document of a long gone Russian era.

About the Moscow School of the Order of St. Catherine (from Wikipedia):

******The Moscow School of the Order of St Catherine (Russian: ?????????? ??????? ?????? ?????? ?????????) was a girls' school in Moscow, Russia, between 1802 and 1918. It was a fashionable girl school for students from noble and rich burgher families (divided in different classes until 1842). The building now houses the Central House of Officers of the Russian Army.******

About the Photographer PYOTR PETROVICH PAVLOV (from the Russian site ??????? / The State Russian Museum and Exhibition Centre):

******Pyotr Petrovich Pavlov, b.1860 d.1924, was a prominent Russian photographer celebrated for documenting architectural monuments and everyday life in Moscow at the turn of the 20th century. His work provides a critical historical record of landmarks and public events during the twilight of the Russian Empire.

Born into a peasant family in the Petrozavodsk region of Olonetsk province, Pavlov relocated to St. Petersburg and eventually to Moscow in 1881. For a decade, he worked at the prominent photographic firm ?Scherer, Nabholz & Co.. In 1891, he opened his own portrait and group photography studio.

In 1898, Pavlov was commissioned by the "Old Moscow" board to document historical and architectural monuments.******

INTERNATIONAL BUYERS PLEASE NOTE: This book is large and heavy and will require additional shipping charges. After placing your order you will be notified of the additional charges and be able to accept or reject them before your payment is processed. Or you can contact us ahead of time to find out the shipping charge to your country. Thanks.

THE TRUE AND INVISIBLE ROSICRUCIAN ORDER - An Interpretation of the Rosicrucian Allegory, and an Explanation of the Ten Rosicrucian Grades. By PAUL CASE.

SIGNED and HAND NUMBERED by PAUL CASE on the front pastedown: "No. 152 / Paul Case".

Self published, second edition, 1928. Paul Case self published the first edition in 1927, limited to only 64 copies; it was NOT a signed edition. He then revised and enlarged his work and self published a second edition a year later in 1928. The second edition is a signed, numbered and limited edition. The exact limitation of the second edition is not stated, but certainly quite small. The 1927 first (unsigned) and 1928 second (signed and numbered) editions of "The True and Invisible Rosicrucian Order" are the only editions that were self published by the author. Both are scarce.

Hardcovers, black cloth covered boards with red titling on the front cover and spine, ii + 101 pages, pages printed on one side only, mimeographed from an original typed copy, self published. Illustrated with a plate showing the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, and one other plate; there are also a few small drawings within the text.

Laid-in the book are a group of Paul Case related materials, lecture announcements, remarks on the Tarot, a card about B.O.T.A., etc. Some of the items are covered with relevant handwritten notes by a previous owner, perhaps taken during a Paul Case lecture. There are also 8 typed pages on the Sepher Yetzirah, with hand corrections to mistyped words. Likely a typed copy made by the previous owner from a printed translation. An interesting grouping of ephemera from a dedicated occultist.

Condition: The covers' spine folds are scraped and have some tearing to the cloth, the boards have some water drop stains and finger marks, and the edges have a few scrapes, otherwise the covers are solid and doing their job well. Internally, the endpapers have light offsetting / toning, otherwise the pages are tight, bright, clean, clear and unmarked. The various ephemera is well used, heavily marked condition; but still cool!

RARE Early Source Material on Rosicrucion Occultism, SIGNED by THE PRIMARY SOURCE, PAUL CASE.

THE TRAGEDIE OF OTHELLO, THE MOORE OF VENICE, by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE. FINE PRINTING by GRABHORN PRESS. ILLUSTRATED by MARY GRABHORN.

SIGNED and INSCRIBED by JANE GRABHORN on the front free endpaper: "With love to Annie on her wedding day - from Jane Grabhorn / January 20, 1957'.

SAN FRANCISCO: Grabhorn Press, 1956. First edition. Limited to 185 copies.

From the Colophon page (the last page): "This edition, reprinted from the First Folio of 1623, is limited to one hundred and eighty-five copies printed at the Grabhorn Press in the Month of May, 1956. The type used, Franciscan, was designed for the Press by Frederic W. Goudy and the paper was made by hand in England. The drawings by Mary Grabhorn were reproduced from a combination of zinc, wood, and linoleum blocks."

Hardcovers, red leather covered spine and decorative paper covered boards, gilt titles to the spine, folio 15x10.5 inches, printed on handmade paper, CXV pages, plus title page and several blank leaves at the front and rear.

Condition: The covers' spine ends have some fraying, the inner pages have some small spots here and there and there is a darkish shadow line across two of the rear blank leaves, all likely a result of the production of the handmade paper or the hand printing; otherwise a beautiful copy, with pages that are clean and bright.

SCARCE FINE PRINTING by the GRABHORN PRESS, made wonderful with the loving inscription by Jane Grabhorn.

About JANE GRABHORN (from Wikipedia):

******Jane Bissell Grabhorn, b.1911 d.1973, was an American artist, typographer, bookbinder, and printer. Born in San Francisco, and educated in France, where she learned bookbinding. In 1932 she married Robert Grabhorn. She became a master printer, working at Grabhorn Press with her husband, and starting her own imprints: The Jumbo Press, and The Colt Press. Her thoughts about women in the man's world of printing were expressed in several of her works, including "A Typografic Discourse for the Distaff Side of Printing, a Book by Ladies".******

About MARY GRABHORN (from an Obituary):

******Printmaker Mary Grabhorn was born in San Francisco, CA, on July 25, 1932. She was the daughter of Edwin and Marjorie Grabhorn, Edwin being one of two brothers (along with Robert) who founded the noted Grabhorn Press in San Francisco. Despite little information found on her life and education, she was one of the press's most prolific illustrators, creating color woodcuts at a fairly young age for all nine of the Grabhorn Press Shakespeare folios and a French illuminated Book of Hours, among many other publications. For a time she lived in London. She died in San Francisco on September 10, 1981.******

THE ATMOSPHERES OF MARS AND VENUS, a Report Prepared by William W. Kellogg and CARL SAGAN.

This is widely considered to be Carl Sagan's first book, which he co-prepared and co-wrote, published when he was just 27. As stated in the American Astronomical Society's obituary of Carl Sagan: "His first book was The Atmospheres of Mars and Venus...".

WASHINGTON D.C.: National Academy of Sciences - National Research Council - A Report of the Space Science Board, (Publication 944), 1961. First edition.

Ex-Library, wrappers re-bound in stiff vinyl library covers with black cloth tape to the spine and to the front and rear inner hinges; the original paper front wrapper is pasted onto the front vinyl board, the entire work is bound within including the original rear wrapper; ex-library marks, labels, stamps, a card pocket, etc., to the covers, title page, front page edges, and here and there. A blank prelim page has a label that reads: "National Research Council / Space Science Board..." The label has an overstamp that reads "WITHDRAWN / Cal. Poly SLO / Robert E. Kennedy Library". The book is 8.5x11 inches, and has 151 pages.

Ex-lib aside, the book is in GOOD condition, there is toning and a couple dark stains to the pasted on front wrapper; toning, creasing and a couple light stains to the bound in rear wrapper; a manuscript note on the front cover (ex-library related?) and some waviness to a few of the latter pages; otherwise complete, with pages that are bright and clear.

A foundational work that fathered numerous scientific studies and explorations of Mars and Venus, and is also a direct link to the multi-billionaires now rushing to Mars, perhaps to claim the planet for themselves.

Original 1961 copies of this work by CARL SAGAN and William W. Kellogg have become nearly impossible to find.

About CARL SAGAN (extracts from Wikipedia and various bios):

******Carl Edward Sagan, b.1934 d.1996, was an American astronomer and planetary scientist. He was the David Duncan Professor of Astronomy and Space Sciences at Cornell University and directed the Laboratory for Planetary Studies. He played an active role in the Mariner, Viking and Voyager programs.

Carl Sagan received his doctorate from the University of Chicago in 1960. His thesis, involving a theoretical model of the atmosphere of Venus, demonstrated that the greenhouse effect of a thick atmosphere of carbon dioxide and water vapor could explain the newly discovered high surface temperature of that planet.

In 1961 THE ATMOSPHERE OF MARS AND VENUS was published by the National Research Council - an Ad Hoc Panel on Planetary Atmospheres. The work was prepared by William W. Kellogg and [the young, just graduated] CARL SAGAN.

Subsequently, in 1961, Harvard University astronomers Fred Whipple and Donald Menzel offered Sagan the opportunity to give a colloquium at Harvard and then offered him a lecturer position. Sagan instead asked to be made an assistant professor, and eventually Whipple and Menzel were able to convince Harvard to offer Sagan the assistant professor position he requested. In 1968 Sagan left Harvard for a position at Cornell, where he remained until his death in 1996.******

ALAMEDA COUNTY SOCIETY OF ARCHITECTS 1916. An Exhibition of Alameda Architecture designed by members of the Society. Includes buildings, schools, homes, etc. Architects include W.H. Ratcliff, C.W. Dickey, Julia Morgan, John Galen Howard, William Knowles, and others. The exhibition took place at the Oakland Civic Center in 1916.

Published by the Alameda Society of Architects, printed by Taylor & Taylor, 1916. First edition.

Hardcovers, paper covered boards, gilt embossed title to the front cover, 8x10.5 inches, 126 pages, 58 of which contain photographs of Alameda buildings and the names of the architects who designed them. There is a section of ads at the rear from sponsors of the exhibition, most relating to the building trade.

GOOD condition: The covers are toned at the margins and spine, the front spine fold has a 4 inch thin split starting at its top edge, and there are a few small edge nicks, otherwise the covers are doing their job well. Internally, bright, clean, clear and unmarked. A solid, presentable copy.

A SCARCE look at the ARCHITECTURE of ALAMEDA COUNTY a la 1916.

HISTORIA FIORENTINA, by DOMENICO BUONINSEGNI.

FLORENCE: Giorgio Marescotti, 1581 - with the date 1579 printed on the colophon page, as it is many 1581 copies. This is a well known printer's mistake (or misdirection) as the book was first printed in 1580, not 1579. Because the 1579 date is often printed on the colophon of the 1581 printing, the book is occasionally mistakenly offered as a 1579 printing.

1867 PROVENANCE of ALFONSO CERQUETTI, with his SIGNATURE, DATE and PLACE in the bottom corner of the rear endpaper "Alfonso Cerquetti / 21 November 1867 / Forli". Alfonso Cerquitti, b.1830 d.1905, was an important Italian philologist, lexicographer, author and teacher (including at Forli, Italy, in 1867). He was known to be brilliant, but also infuriatingly pedantic (especially when it came to Italian linguistics), and sometimes ran afoul of religious authorities. Cerquetti is now, sadly, mostly forgotten. There is a wonderful article about Cerquetti online, search with the key words - Montecosaresi Alfonso Cerquetti - and you are bound to find it.

1906 PROVENANCE of PROFESSOR GEORGE BENSON WESTON, with his SIGNATURE, PLACE and DATE on the front free endpaper: "George B. Weston / Rome July 1906", and his BOOKPLATE on the front pastedown. George B. Weston, b.1874 d.1959, was a Professor Emeritus of Romance Languages at Harvard University, and a noted scholar of early Italian literature. He donated his library to Harvard in the 1950s. The Morgan Library holds a copy of his bookplate.

Professionally rebacked, resewn, and conserved, likely in the 19th or early 20th century. Hardcovers, vellum spine and marbled paper covered boards, 4to. 6x9 inches (15.5x23 cm). Manuscript title written on the vellum spine and bottom page edges. Pagination: [40], 829, [1], plus a front and rear endpaper. Illustrated with a woodcut printer's device on the colophon page and several engraved vignettes and decorative initials within the text.

LACKING THE TITLE PAGE (facsimile title page laid-in), otherwise complete. Collated page by page with a 1581 digitized copy in the Bavarian Library and a 1581 copy in the Austrian National Library. The pages in THIS copy are in much better condition (whiter and cleaner) than in either of those copies.

Condition: Lacking title page as noted above, otherwise this copy is one of the best preserved copies I have seen. The conserved covers and resewn binding make the book remarkably solid and well bound. Internally, the front endpapers have some recent relevant notes in pencil and ink, there is slight toning to the page edges, a bit of scattered foxing, mostly to the margins, and some light general signs of age and use. There are also a number of early, iron gall ink, additive marginalia notes and a bit of associated underlining, which I think adds to this copy (e.g. In the Tavola there are some names added in their proper alphabetical order, beside which are written the page numbers where the added names can be found). Overall the pages are tight, bright, and still look and feel fresh.

Solid, attractive copy, with the provenance of two notable linguistic scholars, and a bit of interesting early marginalia (perhaps by Alfonso Cerquetti?). Yes, this copy is lacking the title page (facsimile laid-in), but it is still one of the most well preserved copies I have seen. Thank you Alfonso Cerquetti, George Benson Weston, and all other previous owners who, since 1581, took excellent care of this book.

WE FARM MEMORIES - A BROADSIDE by DAVID MAS MASUMOTO, a Central California Organic Peach and Grape Farmer.

ART by PATRICIA CURTAN.

SIGNED by the Farmer / Author, David Mas Masumoto.

Broadside, printed on heavy-stock laid paper, 9x14 inches.

Published by Point Reyes Books, 2009. First edition. Limited Edition, so stated, number of copies unstated.

NEAR FINE condition, light signs of handling, a bright, lovely copy.

Colophon at the bottom states: "Broadside Published by Point Reyes Books on the Occasion of The Geography of Hope Conference: Celebrating Writing on Farming and Rural Life, Point Reyes Station, March 2009. TEXT: David Mas Masumoto... ARTWORK: 'Peaches' by Patricia Curtan... Printed Letterpress by Point Reyes Printing Co. / Limited Edition."

Read the broadside's text and you will be craving a fresh, deliciously sweet, peach.

The broadside would look great mounted and framed.

BIBLIOGRAFÍA YUCATECA, by Felipe Teixidor.

MERIDA, YUCATAN, MEXICO: Museo Arqueologico e Historico de Yucatan / Talleres Graficos del Sudeste, 1937. First Edition in book form (originally serialized, Limited to 500 copies, this being copy number 196. The bibliography contains 1,460 listings, no illustrations.

FINE BINDING. The original book complete with its paper wrappers have been finely bound in hardcovers with red morocco half-leather and red cloth covered boards, four raised spine bands, and gilt titles and designs to the spine; 8vo. 5.75x9 inches (14.5x22cm), 263 pages. TEXT in SPANISH.

Laid-in here and there in between pages are approx 40 pieces of ephemera, mostly scraps of paper with handwritten notes, plus some clippings and a few other items. Most seem relevant. I have not fully investigated the importance of the ephemera (if any), but the fine binding, the ephemera, and the penciled relevant margin notes here and there throughout, indicate the book likely had a scholarly previous owner at one point.

Condition: The finely bound covers have a few scrapes to the edges, otherwise they are solid and quite attractive. The bound-in front and rear wrappers are darkened and toned, both have a stiff vertical crease, and some edge wear and light chipping; the text pages are toned to a greater or lesser degree, and some of them have edge wear; there are numerous relevant, handwritten margin notes, in pencil, here and there throughout.

AN IMPORTANT BIBLIOGRAPHY ON THE YUCATAN, with Scholarly Notes, FINELY BOUND.

SONG OF THE DRAGON AND OTHER STORIES, by John Taintor Foote. A collection of seven short stories.

Published by D. Appleton and Company, New York and London, 1923. First edition in book form. The title story, Song of the Dragon, was originally published as a two part serial in The Saturday Evening Post in 1921.

Hardcovers, red cloth covered boards gilt titling to the front cover and spine, 5x7.5 inches, 311 numbered pages, plus a few prelim pages and a page of ads at the rear, no dustjacket.

GOOD condition, the covers spine is sunned, the spine gilt is faded, the gilt on the front cover less so, otherwise the covers are sturdy and doing their job well; internally, the lovely bookplate of William Sewall Wells is on the front pastedown, the pages are lightly toned, overall tight, bright, clean and unmarked. A solid, presentable copy.

About THE SONG OF THE DRAGON by JOHN TAINTOR FOOTE, and the film NOTORIOUS by ALFRED HITCHCOCK (extracts from IMDB and Wikipedia):

******Alfred Hitchcock's 1946 film Notorious was inspired by a short story titled "The Song of the Dragon" by American writer John Taintor Foote. The story originally appeared as a two part serial in the Saturday Evening Post in 1921 and published in book form in 1923. While the film was significantly reworked by screenwriter Ben Hecht, it retained the core plot of Foote's story: a woman with a troubled past is recruited by government agents to seduce and gather information from a leader of a group of enemies. Among the changes are: in the story the action is set during World War I in New York, rather than in post World War II Rio de Janeiro, and the WWI mysterious enemy agents are replaced with Nazis.******

EXPLORING MYSTIC DZI 3 - Organization, Chronology and Classification. By Yam Sheung-cheong. (Volume 3 in the Exploring Mystic Dzi series.)

HONG KONG: Aglow Trading Co., 2011. First edition. ISBN: 9789881724847. TEXT in CHINESE and ENGLISH.

Hardcover Book, in Dustjacket, in Slipcase, 8.5x12 inches (22x31 cm), 192 pages. ILLUSTRATED with hundreds of color photographs.

Condition: The book is in VERY GOOD condition, it is signed and inscribed on the front free endpaper in the year of publication, but the signature is a monograph that is unidentifiable by me, so I don't know if it does or does not have any relevance to this book; the rear bottom cover's corner tip is bumped, otherwise the book is tight, bright, clean and unmarked. In a GOOD dustjacket and slipcase that have superficial scratches, rubs, and general signs of handling, else both are bright and are doing their job well.

An important resource for anyone interested in dZi beads.

From the Publisher:

"For thousands of years, Tibetans have believed that dzi beads fell from the sky or were transformations of divine insects. In the 1970s, some scholars believed that dzi beads were made by Tibetans. Author Yam Sheung-cheong conducted in depth research in Tibet, Persia, India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Southeast Asia, unveiling the mystery of the origin of dzi beads. From an academic perspective, he determined dzi beads were neither fallen from the sky, nor naturally formed, nor made by Tibetans - a revolutionary truth. Another key focus of this book is its exploration of the development of ancient dzi bead etching techniques and the classification and dating of various types of dzi beads. The author devoted considerable resources to collecting samples and conducting on site photography in countries and regions related to the history of dzi beads, resulting in a captivating and engaging book. Printed on high quality pastel paper in A4 format, the book contains 192 pages and hundreds of exquisite photographs. Traditional hardcover binding: hard cardboard cover with gold stamped lettering, plus a beautifully printed gold stamped slipcase, and thread stitched inner pages, From the content and photographs to the book's production, meticulous attention to detail is evident."

THE ILLUSTRATED ATLAS AND HISTORY OF YOLO COUNTY, CAL. - Containing a History of California from 1513 to 1850, a History of Yolo County from 1825 to 1880, with Statistics of Agriculture, Education, Churches, Elections, Lithographic Views of Farms, Residences, Mills, &c. Portraits of well-known Citizens, and the Official County Map.

[San Francisco]: De Pue & Company, 1879. FIRST EDITION.

LARGE FORMAT FOLIO, original hardcovers, paper covered boards, gilt engraving on front cover, blind embossing on rear cover, 15x19 inches, [4], 105 pp., plus 50 numbered PLATES (11 of which are double page), 9 unnumbered PLATES of Notable Citizens, and 6 HAND COLORED MAPS (5 of which are double page).

The book's ORIGINAL ENGRAVED PLATES include views of Residences, Farms, Ranches, Towns, Mills, Businesses, a view of Hesperian College, etc. A true look at Yolo County as it was in 1879. The hand colored maps include the 1879 Official Map of Yolo County (with facsimile signatures of the 1879 Board of Supervisors), and other maps of Yolo and surrounding counties. The illustrations and maps are gorgeous.

Condition:

The book has been professionally conserved with the covers and spine reattached, the inner hinges strengthened, and some pages repaired. The book is now solid and tight, in archival condition (i.e. showing its original wear).

The covers' leather spine and spine folds are scraped, cracked, and well worn; the leather corners are likewise worn. The front and rear boards show some scrapes, rubs, scratches, etc. but are generally nice, with gilt titling and designs on the front board and blind embossing on the rear board.

Internally, the inner hinges have been reinforced and strengthened, the first two leaves (title page and contents) and the last page have stiff creases and have been professionally repaired (repairs to the last page affects some sentences), the last plate has a stiff vertical crease but remains bright and clear, there are closed edge tears from handling, spots, marks, small areas of staining, and finger smudges here and there; overall the pages are clean and bright and the plates are lovely.

A solid, original 1879 first edition. Rare to find in archival condition and complete with all its plates, maps and original (though worn) covers.

JOURNALS OF CONGRESS: Containing Their Proceedings from November 1, 1784, to November 4, 1785. VOLUME X.

PREVIOUSLY OWNED and SIGNED by Two Important Early American Congressmen, JESSE BURGESS THOMAS and COLONEL BENJAMIN STEPHENSON.

JESSE BURGESS THOMAS'S SIGNATURE is on the front free endpaper: "J. B. Thomas / Dec. 9th, 1828".

"Jesse Burgess Thomas, b.1777 d.1853, was an American lawyer, judge and politician who served as a delegate from the Indiana to the 10th Congress and later served as President of the Constitutional Convention which led to Illinois being admitted to the Union. He became one of Illinois' first two senators, and is best known as the author of the Missouri Compromise of 1820. He retired from the Senate in 1829." - Wikipedia.

COLONEL BENJAMIN STEPHESON'S SIGNATURE is at the top of page B1 (the first page of text).

"Benjamin Stephenson, b.1769 d.1822, was the congressional delegate for the Illinois Territory from 1814 until 1816, and a delegate to the Constitutional Convention that made it possible for Illinois to become a state. A colonel in the Illinois militia, Stephenson commanded a regiment during the War of 1812. In 1813 he was appointed adjutant general of Illinois, then in 1814 was elected for a two year term as delegate of the Illinois Territory in the United States Congress.Stephenson was also a representative to the convention that wrote the first constitution for the State of Illinois in 1818." - Wikipedia.

Published by FOLWELL'S PRESS "Under Authority of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives", Philadelphia, 1801. FIRST EDITION - LIMITED to only 400 COPIES.

From the Authorization Page (the page following the Title-Page): "RESOLVED by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America...four hundred Copies of the Journals of Congress are proposed to be published by RICHARD FOLWELL...Approved, March 2nd, 1799: // John Adams, President of the United States."

The Journals include many important resolutions, including: A resolution to ABOLISH SLAVERY IN WESTERN COUNTRY (i.e. Western Territories). Senators from seven Northern States voted Ay, Senators from Maryland voted mixed but there was a tie-breaker third vote so the state voted Ay, and Senators from four Southern States voted NO. So the 1784 resolution ABOLISHING SLAVERY in any Western States to be formed out of U.S. Western Territory was PASSED.

Hardcover Book, contemporary plain gray card covered boards with cloth covered spine, deckled page edges, 5.5x8.75 inches, 256 pages plus a 14 page Index at the rear. In a hand-made clamshell box, with cloth covered boards and a leather spine label titled in gilt.

Condition: The plain card covers have some soiling, scattered stains, and signs of handling and wear, but are still doing their job well. Internally, the pages are toned and there is some foxing throughout, the latter pages have light shorelining to their upper margin area (printing is always fully legible); there is an old (circa 1870) Lombard University library bookplate on the front pastedown (Lombard University was founded in 1853, changed its name to Lombard College circa 1890, and finally shuttered in 1930); the front and rear inner hinges are cracked but holding well, the front free-endpaper is browned and is separating from its gutter edge (just hanging on); there is edge wear including small closed edge tears and chips, folded corners, and a couple folded pages here and there; one page has a small whole; there are two signatures as noted above,

the number 178 written on the title page (copy 178?). A complete and original copy.

The professionally made clamshell box has a small coffee stain to its top edge, otherwise solid and lovely.

An important first edition copy - RARE with the ownership signatures of two early, important, Illinois congressmen / constitutional delegates.

TWO VOLUMES of "LA IMPRENTA EN MÉXICO 1553-1820". The 1947 First Edition, and the 1952 revised and greatly enlarged Second Edition.

(1) LA IMPRENTA EN MÉXICO (1553-1820) : 100 Adiciones a la Obra de José Toribio Medina, por Francisco González de Cossio.

[Printing in Mexico (1553-1820): 100 Additions to the Work of José Toribio Medina, by Francisco Gonzalez de Cossio.]

Hardcovers, red cloth covered boards, 9x13 inches, 205 pages. Illustrated throughout with facsimiles of early printed title pages and other printed items.

MÉXICO: Antigua Libreria Robredo, de Jose Porrua e Hijos. Esquina Guatemala and Argentina. (Old Robredo Bookstore, owned by Jose Porrua and Sons. Corner of Guatemala and Argentina streets.) 1947. FIRST EDITION, LIMITED TO ONLY 500 NUMBERED COPIES, this being copy number 130.

PLUS

(2) LA IMPRENTA EN MÉXICO (1553-1820) : 510 Adiciones a la Obra de José Toribio Medina en Homenaje al Primer Centenario de Su Nacimiento, por Francisco González de Cossio.

[Printing in Mexico (1553-1820): 510 Additions to the Work of José Toribio Medina in Homage to the First Centenary of His Birth.]

MÉXICO: Universidad Nacional de México, 1952. Second edition, revised and greatly expanded. LIMITED to only 1000 copies, as stated on the copyright page (the last page).

Hardcovers, red cloth covered boards, 9x13 inches, xvii, 354 pages. Illustrated throughout with facsimiles of early printed title pages and other items. TEXT in SPANISH.

BOTH VOLUMES are in GOOD condition, likely bound in library hardcovers as indicated by the scrapes at the bottom of both spines where shelving labels probably were at one time, and perhaps by the bit of erased writing at the upper corner of the title page of one volume, but there are no other library marks, labels, etc. In addition to the scapes to the spines the covers have a little wear to the spine ends and the 1952 edition has a small area of bubbling to the front cover, otherwise the covers are solid, bright, and doing their job well. Internally, the 1947 edition has some waviness to the first and last few pages, and the rear inner hinge is cracking; the 1952 edition has toned pages, and the upper corner of its title page has the ghost of some writing that has been erased but the indents are still there; otherwise the pages and all the facsimile printings are bright and clear.

An important resource for anyone interested in early Mexican printing.

REPLY of the HELLENIC DELEGATION to the STATEMENTS SUBMITTED TO THE PEACE CONFERENCE by the BULGARIAN DELEGATION WITH REGARD to the POLICY OF BULGARIA and ITS CLAIMS TO THRACE. [Paris Peace Conference 1919-1920]

"Translated from the French by Carroll N. Brown; with an Introduction by Theodore P. Ion; and with an Appendix of Seventeen Maps."

NEW YORK: Published for the American Hellenic Society by Oxford University Press, American Branch, first edition, 1920

Softcovers, 6.75x9.75 inches (17x25 cm), xvi, 51, plus 17 maps at the rear.

GOOD condition: the wrappers are peeling for 1 inch at the spine ends, have some corner creases, and the folds are tender but holding; internally, the pages have lightly creased corners, otherwise tight, bright, clean and unmarked. The 17 b&w maps at the rear have some light creases to the edges, but are all present and in solid, bright condition.

About the Post WWI Border Dispute between Bulgaria and Greece at the Paris Peace Conference (from Wikipedia and other Internet sources):

******"The Reply of the Hellenic Delegation to the Statements Submitted to the Peace Conference by the Bulgarian Delegation" refers to documents from the Paris Peace Conference of 1919-1920, whfdere Greece countered Bulgaria's territorial claims, particularly regarding Thrace, emphasizing Bulgaria's German alliance, wartime actions, and its role as an aggressor in Greece. Greece sought post-war territorial adjustments and security, while Bulgaria argued for fair treatment despite its pro-German alignment. Debates between the Hellenic and Bulgarian Delegations focused on border rectifications and Bulgaria's war responsibility.******

I TABACCHI GREGGI ITALIANI [Italian Raw Tobacco], by Umberto Rossi.

MILANO [Milan, Italy]: Istituto Grafico Vanzetti e Vanoletti, 1937 - XV [15th Year of the Fascist Era].

Softcovers, French folds, 4to 9x11.5 inches (22.5x29.5cm), 132 pages + 44 color plates of Italian Tobacco Plants and their Dried Leaves, plus a map of Italy showing the tobacco growing regions. The plates are protected with tissue guards. Who knew that Italy grew so many varieties of tobacco during the Mussolini fascist years?

GOOD MINUS condition, the covers are worn, especially around the bottom of the spine, lesser so at the edges and top of the spine; the rear inner hinge is cracked and worn but holding; there is a crease to the upper corner of the text block that creases the upper corner of all pages; the tissue guards are toned and have foxing as is normal, one is torn; there are some previous owner's relevant pencil notes here and there; otherwise tight, bright and clean.

A used but complete copy with all its plates depicting the amazing variety of tobacco produced in Italy under Mussolini.