(Extra-illustrated) Boswell, JamesBiblio.com
2.983 Ergebnisse
1887Best.-Nr. 303657Oxford: Clarendon Press 1887. Superbly extra-illustrated with more than 500 mounted portraits. Added title pages for each volume printed in red and black. Numerous folding plates. 11 vols. 8vo. Full red morocco gilt doublures gilt t.e.g. Bookplate of Nicholas Frederic Brady 1878-1930 by J. & E.B. Spines a bit toned; top of upper joint of Index volume with small repair a near fine and very handsome set. Superbly extra-illustrated with more than 500 mounted portraits. Added title pages for each volume printed in red and black. Numerous folding plates. 11 vols. 8vo. An abundantly extra-illustrated set of Boswell's classic biography of the great lexicographer Samuel Johnson. Clarendon Press unknown
1887Best.-Nr. 303657Oxford: Clarendon Press 1887. Superbly extra-illustrated with more than 500 mounted portraits. Added title pages for each volume printed in red and black. Numerous folding plates. 11 vols. 8vo. Full red morocco gilt doublures gilt t.e.g. Bookplate of Nicholas Frederic Brady 1878-1930 by J. & E.B. Spines a bit toned; top of upper joint of Index volume with small repair a near fine and very handsome set. Superbly extra-illustrated with more than 500 mounted portraits. Added title pages for each volume printed in red and black. Numerous folding plates. 11 vols. 8vo. An abundantly extra-illustrated set of Boswell's classic biography of the great lexicographer Samuel Johnson. Clarendon Press unknown books
1791Best.-Nr. 307361London: Henry Baldwin for Charles Dilly 1791. First Edition first state of S4r with "gve" for "give. Engraved portrait by J. Heath after Joshua Reynolds 2 other engraved plates in Volume II. xii 16 516; 2 588 i.e. 586 pp. 2 vols. 4to. Bound in contemporary brown mottled calf rebacked with original red and green labels on spine laid down. Bookplate of John Mountenay Lely 1839-1907 and Robert McKinlay. In open-faced blue cloth slipcsae. First Edition first state of S4r with "gve" for "give". Engraved portrait by J. Heath after Joshua Reynolds 2 other engraved plates in Volume II. xii 16 516; 2 588 i.e. 586 pp. 2 vols. 4to. Pottle 79; Rothschild 463; Grolier English 65 Henry Baldwin for Charles Dilly unknown
1791Best.-Nr. 307361London: Henry Baldwin for Charles Dilly 1791. First Edition first state of S4r with "gve" for "give. Engraved portrait by J. Heath after Joshua Reynolds 2 other engraved plates in Volume II. xii 16 516; 2 588 i.e. 586 pp. 2 vols. 4to. Bound in contemporary brown mottled calf rebacked with original red and green labels on spine laid down. Bookplate of John Mountenay Lely 1839-1907 and Robert McKinlay. In open-faced blue cloth slipcsae. First Edition first state of S4r with "gve" for "give". Engraved portrait by J. Heath after Joshua Reynolds 2 other engraved plates in Volume II. xii 16 516; 2 588 i.e. 586 pp. 2 vols. 4to. Pottle 79; Rothschild 463; Grolier English 65 Henry Baldwin for Charles Dilly unknown books
1791Best.-Nr. 007319London: Charles Dilly. Printer: Henry Baldwin 1791. Half Morocco. Paper pastedown on boards. Custom cloth slipcase custom cloth dust jacket. Near Fine. 4to. 28.5 by 23 cm. Frontis portrait of Johnson after Reynolds painting engraved by J. Heath. Title Dedication to Reynolds -- vii Table of Contents unpaginated with Corrections and Additions 16 1-516 second title Advertisement -- pagination to xii 1-588 pp. followed by Facsimles of Johnson's hand writing plate. Round Robin plate also present -- Vol. 2 by p. 92. First issue -- "gve in second indented quote line p. 135. Condition: morocco of bindings with some wear -- typical rubbing along joints some along raised bands. Interior: scattered mostly light foxing generally by upper and lower margins or early and final leaves and here and there elsewhere but overall a clean-ish copy and few would find such soiling disconcerting we believe. A very handsome copy of this classic seminal and really sui generis biogaphy of the great Dr. Johnson that more than simply a recounting of his life captures his personality and originality. And a work in which Dr. Johnson can entertain us more than two centuries later almost as if we were present as he was holding forth. Charles Dilly. Printer: Henry Baldwin unknown books
1835Best.-Nr. ST17226London: John Murray 1835. First Illustrated Edition Croker's Second Edition. 170 x 105 mm. 6 3/4 x 4 1/4". 10 volumes. VERY PRETTY PURPLE CRUSHED MOROCCO GILT BY BAYNTUN OF BATH stamp-signed on front turn-in covers with gilt rule border central panel diapered in gilt with knots at line intersection central compartment filled with floral tools raised bands spine compartments with large fleuron gilt lettering gilt-ruled turn-ins with trefoil at corners marbled endpapers all edges gilt. With a total of 51 ILLUSTRATIONS consisting of: engraved frontispiece and extra engraved title page with vignette in each volume a folding map a folding facsimile plate and one double-page plate as called for all by Edward Francis Finden and all hand-colored AND EXTRA-ILLUSTRATED WITH 28 PLATES 10 portraits nine views nine folding facsimile plates four with vignette views ALL COLORED BY HAND all with tissue guards. Pottle 92. Spines just slightly and evenly sunned to a very pleasing burgundy one front hinge exposed with no hint of looseness offsetting from and onto the folding facsimiles other trivial imperfections but A LOVELY SET clean and fresh internally with attractively colored plates in a luscious and lustrous binding with virtually no signs of use. This is the first illustrated edition of the work generally considered to be the greatest biography in any language here embellished with additional portraits of Johnson's associates and views of important places in his life. First published in 1791 Boswell's account of Dr. Johnson reveals the most fully realized figure in literature and it prefigures modern biography in emphasizing the character of the subject rather than his deeds. It is also a tribute to Boswell's genius in that the bulk of the text is made up of accounts by the author of situations that he himself created so that his subject would be prompted to behave in a revealing and memorable way. Boswell "was a consummate impresario stage-managing the setting and 'dramatis personae' amidst which Johnson would glitter and then providing topics and opinions to elicit the magnificent rejoinders of Johnson." The result is that we see an unforgettable portrait of a man brilliant and profound and at the same time dogmatic overbearing prejudiced and irascible. Day This edition also includes Johnson's journal of his visit to the Hebrides Islands and "anecdotes by Hawkins Piozzi Murphy Tyers Reynolds Steevens &c. and notes by various hands" in the two final volumes which have the running title "Johnsoniana." Our handsome set is a good example of the early 20th century decorative work typical of the Bayntun firm founded in Bath in 1894 and now the last of the great Victorian trade binderies still in family ownership. It is not terribly uncommon to encounter extra-illustrated examples of this and similar sets of major literary works but it is unusual to find such a set with all the illustrations hand colored. John Murray unknown books
1791Best.-Nr. 150970London: Printed by Henry Baldwin for Charles Dilly in The Poultry 1791. First edition first issue of both volumes of the most celebrated biography in the English language which was published on May 16 1791 in a print run of only 1750 copies. First issue with "gve" for "give" at line 10 of p.135 in Vol. I where MM4 and NN1 are cancels. Vol. I with Pottle's misprints: upon repeated at p. 48; "reollection" at p. 115; "exhihited" at p. 117; "condescente" at p. 275; and "Harvey" at p. 291 following the spelling "Hervey". Vol. II with title page blank on reverse and p. 586 incorrectly numbered 588 as well as all other misnumberings given by Pottle and the five noted cancels. Quarto bound in full polished calf rebacked gilt ruling and lettering to spine gilt ruling to the front and rear panels marbled endpapers stipple-engraved frontispiece portrait of Johnson by J. Heath after Joshua Reynolds 2 engraved plates all edges marbled. In very good condition. Armorial bookplate to each pastedown. An excellent example of this landmark work. “Boswell excelled in insight into human nature and in ability to dramatize a situation… It was a crucial part of Boswell’s magic to give significance and vitality to the apparently trivial; it is this trait together with his notable accuracy and unparalleled completeness of portraiture that made him… ‘the Shakespeare of biographers” Baugh et al. 1065-66. "One of Western literature's most germinal achievements: unprecedented in its time in its depth of research and its extensive use of private correspondence and recorded conversation." Gordon Turnbull Oxford DNB. Printed by Henry Baldwin, for Charles Dilly, in The Poultry unknown
1791Best.-Nr. 1307851791. First Edition. BOSWELL James. The Life of Samuel Johnson LL.D. Comprehending an Account of His Studies and Numerous WorksÉ London: Printed by Henry Baldwin for Charles Dilly 1791. Two volumes. Quarto contemporary full tree calf sympathetically rebacked with original burgundy and blue morocco spine labels preserved raised bands; housed in a custom slipcase. $8500.First edition of ""the most famous biography in any language one of Western literature's most germinal achievements"" handsomely bound.""The Shakespeare of biographers"" Macaulay James Boswell ""excelled in insight into human nature and in ability to dramatize a situation. For such purposes Dr. Samuel Johnson was God's plentyÉ Boswell was not merely a conscientious preserver of detail; he was also an inspired shaping artist. He knew and transmits the sound of his subject's voice to a degree unparalleled in other biographersÉ Completeness of portrayal was certainly Boswell's aimÑand his accomplishment"" Baugh et al. 1065-66. ""If there had been no Boswell Johnson would have been one of the most famous names in English literature; but that he has become a household nameÉ is due to the chance that brought Boswell into his companyÉ Boswell is the sniffing bloodhound who will follow the scent of individuality into whatever territory it leads him. The fascination of their dialogue that dialogue of mind heart and voice round which Boswell organized his great Life is that it is not merely between two very different men but between two epochs. In its pages Romantic Europe speaks to Renaissance Europe and is answered"" Wain 229. ""Sales exceeded all expectations. Of a total of 1750 sets printed 800 were sold in the first two weeks 1200 by the end of August 1400 by December and 1600 by August 1792É Boswell's Life of Johnson remains the most famous biography in any language one of Western literature's most germinal achievementsÉ"" DNB. Volume I is second state with ""gve"" corrected to ""give"" on page 135 line 10 a change made before publication. Cancels present at Volume I leaves 2M4-2N1 pages 271-74; Volume II E3 pages 29-30 2O4 pages 287-88 2Q3 pages 301-02 2Z1 pages 353-54 and 3E2 pages 395-96. With engraved frontispiece portrait of Johnson by James Heath after Sir Joshua Reynolds in Volume I and two engraved plates in Volume II. Rothschild 463. Grolier 100. Bookplates of the Chancellor family of Shieldhill castle in Scotland and of Duff Cooper English author politician and diplomat who was British ambassador to France from 1944 to 1948; his wife was the celebrated socialite Lady Diana Manners. Owner signatures to title pages and front free endpapers.Scattered foxing to text light expert cleaning to frontispiece and title page of Volume I only. Expert restoration to handsome tree calf boards. hardcover
1791Best.-Nr. 1307851791. First Edition. BOSWELL James. The Life of Samuel Johnson LL.D. Comprehending an Account of His Studies and Numerous WorksÉ London: Printed by Henry Baldwin for Charles Dilly 1791. Two volumes. Quarto contemporary full tree calf sympathetically rebacked with original burgundy and blue morocco spine labels preserved raised bands; housed in a custom slipcase. $8500.First edition of ""the most famous biography in any language one of Western literature's most germinal achievements"" handsomely bound.""The Shakespeare of biographers"" Macaulay James Boswell ""excelled in insight into human nature and in ability to dramatize a situation. For such purposes Dr. Samuel Johnson was God's plentyÉ Boswell was not merely a conscientious preserver of detail; he was also an inspired shaping artist. He knew and transmits the sound of his subject's voice to a degree unparalleled in other biographersÉ Completeness of portrayal was certainly Boswell's aimÑand his accomplishment"" Baugh et al. 1065-66. ""If there had been no Boswell Johnson would have been one of the most famous names in English literature; but that he has become a household nameÉ is due to the chance that brought Boswell into his companyÉ Boswell is the sniffing bloodhound who will follow the scent of individuality into whatever territory it leads him. The fascination of their dialogue that dialogue of mind heart and voice round which Boswell organized his great Life is that it is not merely between two very different men but between two epochs. In its pages Romantic Europe speaks to Renaissance Europe and is answered"" Wain 229. ""Sales exceeded all expectations. Of a total of 1750 sets printed 800 were sold in the first two weeks 1200 by the end of August 1400 by December and 1600 by August 1792É Boswell's Life of Johnson remains the most famous biography in any language one of Western literature's most germinal achievementsÉ"" DNB. Volume I is second state with ""gve"" corrected to ""give"" on page 135 line 10 a change made before publication. Cancels present at Volume I leaves 2M4-2N1 pages 271-74; Volume II E3 pages 29-30 2O4 pages 287-88 2Q3 pages 301-02 2Z1 pages 353-54 and 3E2 pages 395-96. With engraved frontispiece portrait of Johnson by James Heath after Sir Joshua Reynolds in Volume I and two engraved plates in Volume II. Rothschild 463. Grolier 100. Bookplates of the Chancellor family of Shieldhill castle in Scotland and of Duff Cooper English author politician and diplomat who was British ambassador to France from 1944 to 1948; his wife was the celebrated socialite Lady Diana Manners. Owner signatures to title pages and front free endpapers.Scattered foxing to text light expert cleaning to frontispiece and title page of Volume I only. Expert restoration to handsome tree calf boards. hardcover books
1793Best.-Nr. 6215London: Henry Baldwin 1793. First edition. Near Fine. First issue with "gve" for "give" in the uncorrected state line 10 on p. 135 in Volume I and all of the errata uncorrected. Two quarto volumes 10 3/4 x 8 7/16 inches; 274 x 216 mm. vii 1 blank ix-xii 16 "Table of Contents" and "Corrections and Additions" 516; 2 588 i.e. 586 pp. Engraved frontispiece by James Heath from a portrait of Johnson by Sir Joshua Reynolds in Volume I two engraved facsimile plates in Volume II. "Round Robin." facing p. 92 and "Fac Similes of Dr. Johnson's hand writing" facing p. 588. Together with at the end of volume II: BOSWELL James. The Principal Corrections and Additions to the first edition of Mr. Boswell's Life of Dr. Johnson. London: Printed by Henry Baldwin for Charles Dilly 1793. Title verso blank 42 pp. Bound by Rivière & Son ca. 1910 in full mottled calf covers with triple gilt rules. Spines with five raised bands decoratively tooled in gilt in compartments red and brown morocco labels lettered in gilt gilt ruled board edges decorative gilt turn-ins marbled end-papers all edges gilt. Expertly rebacked and corners strengthened over fifty years ago with original spines laid down. Occasional light foxing or staining to a few leaves otherwise a fine copy of the first issue with the exceptionally rare Principal Corrections and Additions bound in at the end of volume two. "Boswell is the first of biographers. He has no second. He has distanced all his competitors so decidedly that it is not worth while to place them" Macauley. Indeed drawing on his close and longstanding collaboration with Johnson as well as Johnson's own diary James Boswell released a book that was a popular success and helped to establish the modern genre of biography. Still considered an important resource on the life and times of the famed memoirist and dictionary compiler Boswell's Life of Johnson breathes vivid life into one of the most important British figures of the century. "We know of him not as he was known to men of his generation but as he was known to men whose fathers he might have been.and long after his works may be forgotten he will be remembered through Boswell's Life" Macauley. This was Boswell's last publication before his death in 1795. "The work The Principal Corrections and Additions is now difficult to obtain; when it turns up it is almost invariably bound in with a copy of the first edition of the Life" Pottle. Regarding the "gve" or "give" question: "gve" is the earlier state. "The first proof shows the word correctly spelled but the lines are punctuated as follows: "Short O short! then be thy reign And give us to the world again." Boswell passed this in the proof but in the revise both proof and revise are in the possession of Mr. Adam he directed the printer to remove the exclamation point in the first line and substitute it for the first period at the end of the second which is in fact the punctuation of the printed text. When the changes were made the "I" dropped out and the printer not noticing what had happened filled up the line by inserting a space between "gve" and "us". After a considerable part of the edition had been printed the error was discovered and corrected in the press" Pottle. The correct first issue as here reads: "Short O short then be thy reign And gve us to the world again!" Near Fine. Courtney & Nichol Smith pp. 172-3. Grolier 100 English 65. Pottle 79 & 113. Rothschild 464 & 466. Sterling 71. Tinker 338. Near Fine. Henry Baldwin unknown
1791Best.-Nr. 116527London: Henry Baldwin 1791. First. hardcover. near fine. The whole exhibiting a view of literature and literary men in Great Britain for near half a century during which he flourished. 2 volumes. Engraved frontispiece portrait. Thick 4to handsomely rebound in 3/4 red morocco; gilt-decorated spines with raised bands a.e.g. London: Henry Baldwin for Charles Dilly 1791. First Edition later issue. Fine. Final three pages of vol. II mispaginated. Henry Baldwin unknown
1791Best.-Nr. 19741791. All Pottle's Points in a Fine Early Issue Copy of the First Ed Boswell James. THE LIFE OF SAMUEL JOHNSON. London 1791. 1st Edition. 2 volumes quarto early gilt 1/2 calf over old marbled boards. Wear to the board edges the marbled papers of the boards quite rubbed the front hinge of Vol 1 weakened a bit of wear to the spine ends the internals Fine. Vol 1 with engraved frontispiece portrait by Heath after Reynolds Title page blank on reverse i-ii Dedication to Sir Joshua Reynolds iii-vii with blank reverse Advertisement ix-xii Alphabetical Table of Contents to Both Volumes unnumbered which would be xiii-xxvii Corrections and Additions on reverse of last leaf would be xxviii text pp 1-516. With the "gve" reading on page 135 line 10 and the cancels at pp 271-2 and 273-4 Mm and Nn with stubs. The misprints noted by Pottle at page 152 of "The Literary Career of James Boswell" are all present in this copy. Vol 2 with title page blank on reverse and 586pp. wrongly numbered 588 plus the facsimiles facing pp 92 and 588 i.e. the last page. All of the pagination misnumberings noted by Pottle on his p. 153 are present. Cancels are present with stubs at pages 29-30 E 287-8 O o 301-2 Q q 353-4 Zz1 and 395-6 E ee2. All of the misprints noted by Pottle on his page 155 are present. As Pottle believed some of these misprints may have been corrected making two states for the leaf these are all first state. Both volumes with the bookplate of Westport House Mayo County Ireland; seat of the Marquesses of Sligo noting case and shelf number. Bound in at the end of Volume 2 are "The Principal Corrections and Additions to the First Edition of Mr. Boswell's Life of Dr. Johnson" issued in 1793 with Title blank reverse and pp. 1-42. The leaves of this copy measure 10 13/16" x 8 1/4" as against Pottle's measurements for an "entirely uncut copy" of 11 13/16" x 9". hardcover
1791Best.-Nr. 19741791. All Pottle's Points in a Fine Early Issue Copy of the First Ed Boswell James. THE LIFE OF SAMUEL JOHNSON. London 1791. 1st Edition. 2 volumes quarto early gilt 1/2 calf over old marbled boards. Wear to the board edges the marbled papers of the boards quite rubbed the front hinge of Vol 1 weakened a bit of wear to the spine ends the internals Fine. Vol 1 with engraved frontispiece portrait by Heath after Reynolds Title page blank on reverse i-ii Dedication to Sir Joshua Reynolds iii-vii with blank reverse Advertisement ix-xii Alphabetical Table of Contents to Both Volumes unnumbered which would be xiii-xxvii Corrections and Additions on reverse of last leaf would be xxviii text pp 1-516. With the "gve" reading on page 135 line 10 and the cancels at pp 271-2 and 273-4 Mm and Nn with stubs. The misprints noted by Pottle at page 152 of "The Literary Career of James Boswell" are all present in this copy. Vol 2 with title page blank on reverse and 586pp. wrongly numbered 588 plus the facsimiles facing pp 92 and 588 i.e. the last page. All of the pagination misnumberings noted by Pottle on his p. 153 are present. Cancels are present with stubs at pages 29-30 E 287-8 O o 301-2 Q q 353-4 Zz1 and 395-6 E ee2. All of the misprints noted by Pottle on his page 155 are present. As Pottle believed some of these misprints may have been corrected making two states for the leaf these are all first state. Both volumes with the bookplate of Westport House Mayo County Ireland; seat of the Marquesses of Sligo noting case and shelf number. Bound in at the end of Volume 2 are "The Principal Corrections and Additions to the First Edition of Mr. Boswell's Life of Dr. Johnson" issued in 1793 with Title blank reverse and pp. 1-42. The leaves of this copy measure 10 13/16" x 8 1/4" as against Pottle's measurements for an "entirely uncut copy" of 11 13/16" x 9". hardcover books
1791Best.-Nr. 116527London: Henry Baldwin 1791. First. hardcover. near fine. The whole exhibiting a view of literature and literary men in Great Britain for near half a century during which he flourished. 2 volumes. Engraved frontispiece portrait. Thick 4to handsomely rebound in 3/4 red morocco; gilt-decorated spines with raised bands a.e.g. London: Henry Baldwin for Charles Dilly 1791. First Edition later issue. Fine. Final three pages of vol. II mispaginated. Henry Baldwin unknown books
1793Best.-Nr. 6215London: Henry Baldwin 1793. First edition. Near Fine. First issue with "gve" for "give" in the uncorrected state line 10 on p. 135 in Volume I and all of the errata uncorrected. Two quarto volumes 10 3/4 x 8 7/16 inches; 274 x 216 mm. vii 1 blank ix-xii 16 "Table of Contents" and "Corrections and Additions" 516; 2 588 i.e. 586 pp. Engraved frontispiece by James Heath from a portrait of Johnson by Sir Joshua Reynolds in Volume I two engraved facsimile plates in Volume II. "Round Robin." facing p. 92 and "Fac Similes of Dr. Johnson's hand writing" facing p. 588. Together with at the end of volume II: BOSWELL James. The Principal Corrections and Additions to the first edition of Mr. Boswell's Life of Dr. Johnson. London: Printed by Henry Baldwin for Charles Dilly 1793. Title verso blank 42 pp. Bound by Rivière & Son ca. 1910 in full mottled calf covers with triple gilt rules. Spines with five raised bands decoratively tooled in gilt in compartments red and brown morocco labels lettered in gilt gilt ruled board edges decorative gilt turn-ins marbled end-papers all edges gilt. Expertly rebacked and corners strengthened over fifty years ago with original spines laid down. Occasional light foxing or staining to a few leaves otherwise a fine copy of the first issue with the exceptionally rare Principal Corrections and Additions bound in at the end of volume two. "Boswell is the first of biographers. He has no second. He has distanced all his competitors so decidedly that it is not worth while to place them" Macauley. Indeed drawing on his close and longstanding collaboration with Johnson as well as Johnson's own diary James Boswell released a book that was a popular success and helped to establish the modern genre of biography. Still considered an important resource on the life and times of the famed memoirist and dictionary compiler Boswell's Life of Johnson breathes vivid life into one of the most important British figures of the century. "We know of him not as he was known to men of his generation but as he was known to men whose fathers he might have been.and long after his works may be forgotten he will be remembered through Boswell's Life" Macauley. This was Boswell's last publication before his death in 1795. "The work The Principal Corrections and Additions is now difficult to obtain; when it turns up it is almost invariably bound in with a copy of the first edition of the Life" Pottle. Regarding the "gve" or "give" question: "gve" is the earlier state. "The first proof shows the word correctly spelled but the lines are punctuated as follows: "Short O short! then be thy reign And give us to the world again." Boswell passed this in the proof but in the revise both proof and revise are in the possession of Mr. Adam he directed the printer to remove the exclamation point in the first line and substitute it for the first period at the end of the second which is in fact the punctuation of the printed text. When the changes were made the "I" dropped out and the printer not noticing what had happened filled up the line by inserting a space between "gve" and "us". After a considerable part of the edition had been printed the error was discovered and corrected in the press" Pottle. The correct first issue as here reads: "Short O short then be thy reign And gve us to the world again!" Near Fine. Courtney & Nichol Smith pp. 172-3. Grolier 100 English 65. Pottle 79 & 113. Rothschild 464 & 466. Sterling 71. Tinker 338. Near Fine. Henry Baldwin unknown books
1791Best.-Nr. BSWeBOSW5London: Printed By Henry Baldwin For Charles Dilly 1791. 1791. 2 Volumes. 4to. pp. xii 16contents & errata 516; 1 p.l. 588 ie. 586. engraved frontis. portrait of Johnson by J.Heath after a painting by Joshua Reynolds. 2 engraved plates facsimiles of Johnson's handwriting & a 'Round Robin' with facsimiles of signatures. contemporary sprinkled calf rebacked corners renewed some light scattered foxing throughout - frontis. more heavily affected lower blank corner of final leaf defective. First Edition of the most celebrated biography in English literature with S4r Vol. I in the corrected state reading in line 10 'give' rather than 'gve'; with all the cancels 2 in Vol. I & 5 in Vol. II and misprints listed by Pottle. Grolier One Hundred Books Famous In English Literature 65. NCBEL II 1214. Pottle 79. Rothschild 463 1st Issue. F. London: Printed By Henry Baldwin, For Charles Dilly, 1791. unknown
1791Best.-Nr. 4147London: Printed by Henry Baldwin for Charles Dilly 1791 and 1793. "The Life": first edition. Two Volumes. 4to 272x210mm. pp. xii 16 516: 2 588 i.e. 586; 2 1-42. In volume I duplicates of pp153-56 and pp. 157-60 are bound between pp146-47 and pp150-51 respectively but it is complete. The scarce "Corrections and Additions" are bound in at the end of volume II. Engraved frontispiece portrait by J. Heath from Reynolds's portrait. Two plates with facsimiles of Johnson's handwriting in volume II between pp92-3 and after final page. "give" is correctly spelt at line 10 of p135 of volume I but other misprints usually attributed to the first issue are uncorrected so this is a mixed first and second issue. However the better i.e. Pottle's view is that the misprints or corrections simply reflect the states for individual sheets and one cannot from these assert an issue priority for any copy as a whole. The folding map of Scotland from the Tour of the Hebrides has been bound into volume I. Front pastedown of both volumes has book labels of James Mill London not that Mill sadly B. and M. Leslie and the ownership inscription of J. Innes. Bound in contemporary speckled calf flat spine with black morocco label lettered in gilt joints strengthened. Some slight scratching to the covers. Housed in brown cloth covered box with a little rubbing and scuffing to the extremities. Internally there is a little foxing in places but otherwise this is a very good copy of perhaps the most celebrated biography in English. Macaulay famously described Boswell as "the first of biographers" pre-eminent in his field as Homer Shakespeare and Demosthenes are in theirs. Indeed. That Johnson his own works so rarely read now has such a vivid place in our minds is due entirely to this brilliant work. London: Printed by Henry Baldwin, for Charles Dilly 1791 and 1793. hardcover
1791Best.-Nr. 31227London: Printed by Henry Baldwin for Charles Dilly in the Poultry 1791. 2 volumes. First Edition First Issue with 'gve' on p.135 of the first volume; Mm4 and Nn1 in Volume I and E3 Qq3 and Eee2 in Volume II are cancels as called for. With round robin plate signatures page portrait frontispiece. 4to 275 x 210 mm. full contemporary mottled calf the spines with raised bands separating the compartments the bands ruled in gilt two compartments with terra-cotta-red morocco lettering labels gilt the covers with double gilt fillet rules at the borders gilt tooled edges original endleaves. xii 16 516; 588 pp. A handsome and fine set with the bindings in excellent condition sometime expertly and very sympathetically renewed at the spines to style. A very pleasing set quite clean and crisp throughout. IMPORTANT FIRST EDITION FIRST STATE IN PLEASING CONDITION. Celebrated for its intimacy and vividness Boswell's Life of Johnson "is one of the best books in the world. It is assuredly a great very great work. Homer is not more decidedly the first of heroic Poets--Shakespeare is not more decidedly the first of Dramatists--Demosthenes is not more decidedly the first of Orators than Boswell is the first of Biographers." Macauley in the Edinburgh Review 1831. Boswell learned a great deal about the art of biography from his subject and brought to his task boundless curiosity persistence and zest. Boswell had been collecting material for this work since his first interview with Johnson in 1763 and was confident that his kind of biography "which gives not only a History of Johnson's visible progress through the world and of his publications but a view of his mind in his letters and conversations is the most perfect that can be conceived and will be more of a Life than any work that has ever yet appeared." He said too that: “A sanction to my faculty of giving a just representation of Dr. Johnson I could not conceal. Nor will I suppress my satisfaction in the consciousness that by recording so considerable a portion of the wit and wisdom of the brightest ornament of the eigteenth century I have largely provided for the instruction and entertainment of mankind.” If Boswell does indulge in a little harmless flattery to himself the concluding words of his preface are literally true for Boswell’s Johnson as much as any other book “has largely provided for the instruction and entertainment of mankind.” Only 1750 copies of the first edition were printed. Printed by Henry Baldwin for Charles Dilly, in the Poultry hardcover
1887Best.-Nr. 1249881887. JOHNSON Samuel BOSWELL James. Boswell's Life of Johnson includingÉ Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides and Johnson's Diary of a Journey into North Wales. Oxford: Clarendon 1887. Six volumes bound in eleven. Octavo contemporary full navy morocco gilt raised bands top edges gilt uncut. $11000.First George Birkbeck Hill edition of Boswell's Life of Johnson and Johnson's travels extra-illustrated with 1153 finely engraved portraits views maps and facsimiles including many proofs on India paper and facsimile of handwritten note by Hill tipped in. Handsomely bound in full morocco by Riviere & Son.Hill was a renowned Johnsonian scholar; when the Clarendon Press brought out this six-volume set in 1887 ""the edition was accepted as a masterpiece of spacious editing. The index forming the sixth volume is a monument of industry and completeness"" DNB. ""The fascination of Boswell and Johnson's dialogue that dialogue of mind heart and voice round which Boswell organized his great Life is that it is not merely between two very different men but between two epochs. In its pages Romantic Europe speaks to Renaissance Europe and is answered"" Wain 229. Due to the profusion of added plates portraits and facsimiles each of the five text volumes were divided into two volumes for a total of 11 volumes the index volume is not extra-illustrated. Interiors and added plates clean and fine. Volume I Part I and Volume III Part I expertly rebacked with original spine neatly laid down a few other joints slightly tender or with minor reinforcements bindings sound. A very handsome and lavishly extra-illustrated set in excellent condition. hardcover books
1791Best.-Nr. 124524London: Printed by Henry Baldwin for Charles Dilly in The Poultry 1791. First edition first issue of both volumes of the most celebrated biography in the English language which was published on May 16 1791 in a print run of only 1750 copies. Quarto bound in full calf gilt titles to the spine morocco spine labels. Frontispiece portrait of Samuel Johnson engraved by J. Heath after the Sir Joshua Reynolds 1756 painting. In very good condition. An excellent example of this landmark work. “Boswell excelled in insight into human nature and in ability to dramatize a situation… It was a crucial part of Boswell’s magic to give significance and vitality to the apparently trivial; it is this trait together with his notable accuracy and unparalleled completeness of portraiture that made him… ‘the Shakespeare of biographers” Baugh et al. 1065-66. "One of Western literature's most germinal achievements: unprecedented in its time in its depth of research and its extensive use of private correspondence and recorded conversation." Gordon Turnbull Oxford DNB. Printed by Henry Baldwin, for Charles Dilly, in The Poultry unknown
1793Best.-Nr. 685L2London: Henry Baldwin 1793. First edition. Fine Binding. Fine. 10.5" by 8". None. A finely bound copy of this very scarce work with manuscript corrections and additions to Boswell's 'Life of Johnson'. The first edition. With nine contemporary manuscript corrections in black in to references on pages 14-16 18 20 22-23 and 27. The manuscript corrections are very similar to those in the Malahide-Isham copy. The Malahide-Isham copy has had the ink annotations attributed to Boswell himself. The annotations to this copy are very similar to those and indeed match examples of Boswell's later hand in the British Library.Rebound in a fine Sangorski and Sutcliffe binding with their binder's stamp to the verso of front endpaper. With the signatures A1 B-F4 G1. This was Boswell's final lifetime publication and is very scarce. To this title Boswell analyses his first edition of Dr Johnson's life. This biography earned Boswell a great reputation as a biographer. As a great friend of Johnson he was a perfect candidate to write about his life. This biography is a landmark in the development of the genre. Presented as a list with page references to the left this forty-two page work explains the corrections and reasoning behind this. A very scarce beautifully bound copy of this work. In a crushed morocco binding with cloth covered boards. Externally excellent with minor shelfwear. Internally firmly bound. Pages are bright with occasional scattered spots to pages mostly to the first and last few pages. Fine Henry Baldwin unknown
1791Best.-Nr. 2864London: NP 1791. First Edition. Letter. EXCEPTIONALLY RARE LETTER FROM JAMES BOSWELL TO CARETAKER ANDREW GIBB DATED "30 APRIL 1791" TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE PUBLICATION OF LIFE OF SAMUEL JOHNSON. BOLDLY SIGNED WITH FULL SIGNATURE. Rarely at ease with himself James Boswell was famously a man of contradictions vacillating between different versions of his identity: Lecherous rake or doting husband Sophisticated Londoner or Scottish farmer Savvy businessman or indulgent landlord Rebellious rogue or obedient son If we were to put a pin on Boswell's most consistent character trait it may simply be 'contradictory.' In this letter written just two weeks before the publication of Life of Samuel Johnson we see these contradictions on display. The letter to Boswell's new estate manager Andrew Gibb offers a glimpse into Boswell's mind and affairs. On the one hand we see Boswell the provincial gentleman farmer concerned with the daily decisions of running Auchinleck his Scottish estate such as when he mentions "It will be very right to have the hayseed sold" and "let the bull calf be sold." At the same time despite his attempt to make financially savvy choices we are reminded of Boswell's well known kindness to his tenants as is seen here in his attempts to provide "some advantage to the tenants in the way of employment." But of course the managing of his ancestral home was not consistently a priority to Boswell. He pens the letter from London after all. And lest he manage to stay consistently professional and on task in his letter Boswell interrupts his own discussion of the management of Auchinleck with an angry declaration about a former tenant's offenses stating "I find Andrew Dalrymple behaves very ill. He must not be spared." Having followed his own disjointed stream of consciousness he returns to the financial affairs of the state without acknowledging his heated aside. What must Andrew Gibb have thought Even within this declaration about Andrew Dalrymple's supposedly terrible misdeeds we see contradictory behavior. In another letter to Gibb of the same year Boswell still furious about Dalrymple goes so far as to demand Gibb "let him be apprehended and imprisoned. I am very unwilling to proceed to extremities; but an example must be made in such a case." Yet apparently months later Dalrymple remained at large. One can imagine Andrew Gibb frequently laughing at his boss's bluster knowing it would likely come to nothing. Although brand new to his role Gibb would continue to serve James Boswell and his descendants as the caretaker to Auchinleck for the next forty-six years. In addition to being called upon to arrest unruly tenants he likely had enormous responsibilities given his boss's frequent absences from the estate as well as his infamously poor business savvy. Indeed at the time of this letter Boswell found himself in a precarious financial situation having taken large loans to purchase the neighborhing estate to Auchinleck. Yet we can forgive Boswell's emotional outburst. After all in addition to worrying about his potentially poor business decision and his badly behaved tenant in a few days his magnum opus Life of Samuel Johnson will be released to the world. It is admirable that he is attempting to manage his affairs from afar despite the overwhelming anticipation. He must have been preoccupied with both worry and excitement - will the public appreciate his work Will he succeed in memorializing his great mentor/friend Will the sales be sufficient to justify his audacious land purchases Is all of this haunting his thoughts as he pens this letter to Andrew Gibb To add to the energy and anxiety swirling around Boswell's life he notes in the letter that he has just moved to a new address in London on Great Portland Street his final move as he will die in London four years later in 1795. The letter grants us a snapshot into the mind of James Boswell during a wonderfully and terrifyingly anticipatory time in his life. It offers us a range of Boswell's contradictions-is he more Londoner or Scotsman Strict or lax landlord Serious estate owner or emotional writer It is delightful to imagine the frantic hand of James Boswell scribbling this letter attempting to stay focused on his faraway affairs while distracted by the expectations of the upcoming weeks. The letter reads in full: Great Portland Street observe I live here now & not in Queen Anne Street West 30 April 1791. Andrew. Your last letters have come safe. It will be very right to have the hayseed sold. From a letter from Mr. Grieve at Muir Kirk to Mr. Bruce Campbell I observe that the iron company has commissioned 1000 stone at 6d sixpence delivered there and will perhaps take 1000 more. You must therefore be very active in getting cart to take it to them at a penny a stone which will be some advantage to the tenants in the way of employment. I mentioned before that you must send me a bill for the price. Enclosed is a letter to Mr. Shaw which you will forward. I catchword on recto I find Andrew Dalrymple behaves very ill. He must not be spared. Let the bull calf be sold. I remain your wellwisher James Boswell. Hand-written letter in dark ink with strong and large full signature: "James Boswell." Great Portland Street London England: 30 April 1791. One page 186 mm x 227 mm 7.3" x 8.0 "; Mailing folds with some toning at folds. Contemporary ink smudges in lower margin. In excellent condition in a dark and legible text. Housed in a custom folder. SCARCE: We can only trace a handful of James Boswell letters that have ever been on the market. References: Moss Michael. The Duel between Sir Alexander Boswell and James Stuart: Scottish Squibs and Pistols at Dawn. United Kingdom Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2019. Turnbull Gordon. "Boswell James 1740-1795 lawyer diarist and biographer of Samuel Johnson." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. October 10 2019. Oxford University Press. NP unknown
1791Best.-Nr. 2864London: NP 1791. First Edition. Letter. EXCEPTIONALLY RARE LETTER FROM JAMES BOSWELL TO CARETAKER ANDREW GIBB DATED "30 APRIL 1791" TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE PUBLICATION OF LIFE OF SAMUEL JOHNSON. BOLDLY SIGNED WITH FULL SIGNATURE. Rarely at ease with himself James Boswell was famously a man of contradictions vacillating between different versions of his identity: Lecherous rake or doting husband Sophisticated Londoner or Scottish farmer Savvy businessman or indulgent landlord Rebellious rogue or obedient son If we were to put a pin on Boswell's most consistent character trait it may simply be 'contradictory.' In this letter written just two weeks before the publication of Life of Samuel Johnson we see these contradictions on display. The letter to Boswell's new estate manager Andrew Gibb offers a glimpse into Boswell's mind and affairs. On the one hand we see Boswell the provincial gentleman farmer concerned with the daily decisions of running Auchinleck his Scottish estate such as when he mentions "It will be very right to have the hayseed sold" and "let the bull calf be sold." At the same time despite his attempt to make financially savvy choices we are reminded of Boswell's well known kindness to his tenants as is seen here in his attempts to provide "some advantage to the tenants in the way of employment." But of course the managing of his ancestral home was not consistently a priority to Boswell. He pens the letter from London after all. And lest he manage to stay consistently professional and on task in his letter Boswell interrupts his own discussion of the management of Auchinleck with an angry declaration about a former tenant's offenses stating "I find Andrew Dalrymple behaves very ill. He must not be spared." Having followed his own disjointed stream of consciousness he returns to the financial affairs of the state without acknowledging his heated aside. What must Andrew Gibb have thought Even within this declaration about Andrew Dalrymple's supposedly terrible misdeeds we see contradictory behavior. In another letter to Gibb of the same year Boswell still furious about Dalrymple goes so far as to demand Gibb "let him be apprehended and imprisoned. I am very unwilling to proceed to extremities; but an example must be made in such a case." Yet apparently months later Dalrymple remained at large. One can imagine Andrew Gibb frequently laughing at his boss's bluster knowing it would likely come to nothing. Although brand new to his role Gibb would continue to serve James Boswell and his descendants as the caretaker to Auchinleck for the next forty-six years. In addition to being called upon to arrest unruly tenants he likely had enormous responsibilities given his boss's frequent absences from the estate as well as his infamously poor business savvy. Indeed at the time of this letter Boswell found himself in a precarious financial situation having taken large loans to purchase the neighborhing estate to Auchinleck. Yet we can forgive Boswell's emotional outburst. After all in addition to worrying about his potentially poor business decision and his badly behaved tenant in a few days his magnum opus Life of Samuel Johnson will be released to the world. It is admirable that he is attempting to manage his affairs from afar despite the overwhelming anticipation. He must have been preoccupied with both worry and excitement - will the public appreciate his work Will he succeed in memorializing his great mentor/friend Will the sales be sufficient to justify his audacious land purchases Is all of this haunting his thoughts as he pens this letter to Andrew Gibb To add to the energy and anxiety swirling around Boswell's life he notes in the letter that he has just moved to a new address in London on Great Portland Street his final move as he will die in London four years later in 1795. The letter grants us a snapshot into the mind of James Boswell during a wonderfully and terrifyingly anticipatory time in his life. It offers us a range of Boswell's contradictions-is he more Londoner or Scotsman Strict or lax landlord Serious estate owner or emotional writer It is delightful to imagine the frantic hand of James Boswell scribbling this letter attempting to stay focused on his faraway affairs while distracted by the expectations of the upcoming weeks. The letter reads in full: Great Portland Street observe I live here now & not in Queen Anne Street West 30 April 1791. Andrew. Your last letters have come safe. It will be very right to have the hayseed sold. From a letter from Mr. Grieve at Muir Kirk to Mr. Bruce Campbell I observe that the iron company has commissioned 1000 stone at 6d sixpence delivered there and will perhaps take 1000 more. You must therefore be very active in getting cart to take it to them at a penny a stone which will be some advantage to the tenants in the way of employment. I mentioned before that you must send me a bill for the price. Enclosed is a letter to Mr. Shaw which you will forward. I catchword on recto I find Andrew Dalrymple behaves very ill. He must not be spared. Let the bull calf be sold. I remain your wellwisher James Boswell. Hand-written letter in dark ink with strong and large full signature: "James Boswell." Great Portland Street London England: 30 April 1791. One page 186 mm x 227 mm 7.3" x 8.0 "; Mailing folds with some toning at folds. Contemporary ink smudges in lower margin. In excellent condition in a dark and legible text. Housed in a custom folder. SCARCE: We can only trace a handful of James Boswell letters that have ever been on the market. References: Moss Michael. The Duel between Sir Alexander Boswell and James Stuart: Scottish Squibs and Pistols at Dawn. United Kingdom Cambridge Scholars Publishing 2019. Turnbull Gordon. "Boswell James 1740-1795 lawyer diarist and biographer of Samuel Johnson." Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. October 10 2019. Oxford University Press. NP unknown books
1791Best.-Nr. 68052London: Printed by Henry Baldwin for Charles Dilly 1791. JOHNSON Samuel. D. Comprehending an Account of His Studies and Numerous Works in Chronological Order; a Series of His Epistolary Correspondence and Conversations with Many Eminent Persons; and Various Original Pieces of His Composition never before published. The whole exhibiting a view of literature and literary men in Great-Britain for near half a century during which he flourished. In two volumes. London: Printed by Henry Baldwin for Charles Dilly 1791. Full Description: BOSWELL James. The Life of Samuel Johnson LL.D. Comprehending an Account of His Studies and Numerous Works in Chronological Order; a Series of His Epistolary Correspondence and Conversations with Many Eminent Persons; and Various Original Pieces of His Composition never before published. The whole exhibiting a view of literature and literary men in Great-Britain for near half a century during which he flourished. In two volumes. London: Printed by Henry Baldwin for Charles Dilly 1791. First edition first issue with "give" spelled "gve" in line 10 on p. 135 of Volume I and with all of the peculiarities cited by Pottle for the first issue including the several uncorrected errors listed for Volume II and the various cancels. Two quarto volumes 11 3/4 x 9 1/16 inches; 297 x 230 mm.; the same dimensions Pottle gives for 'an entirely uncut copy' . xii 16 516; 2 588 i.e. 586 pp. Engraved frontispiece portrait by James Heath after Sir Joshua Reynolds in Volume I two engraved facsimile plates in Volume II. Bound without the front blank in Volume II. Contemporary half calf over marbled boards. Neatly rebacked to style preserving the original gilt spine and burgundy and black morocco gilt lettering labels. A few minor marginal paper flaws not affecting text. Some rubbing to boards and light tip wear. Overall a fine set in the original binding and entirely uncut Courtney & Nichol Smith pp. 172-173. Grolier 100 English 65. Pottle 79. Rothschild 463-465. Sterling 71. Tinker 338. HBS 68052. $15000. Printed by Henry Baldwin, for Charles Dilly unknown
1791Best.-Nr. 68052London: Printed by Henry Baldwin for Charles Dilly 1791. JOHNSON Samuel. D. Comprehending an Account of His Studies and Numerous Works in Chronological Order; a Series of His Epistolary Correspondence and Conversations with Many Eminent Persons; and Various Original Pieces of His Composition never before published. The whole exhibiting a view of literature and literary men in Great-Britain for near half a century during which he flourished. In two volumes. London: Printed by Henry Baldwin for Charles Dilly 1791. Full Description: BOSWELL James. The Life of Samuel Johnson LL.D. Comprehending an Account of His Studies and Numerous Works in Chronological Order; a Series of His Epistolary Correspondence and Conversations with Many Eminent Persons; and Various Original Pieces of His Composition never before published. The whole exhibiting a view of literature and literary men in Great-Britain for near half a century during which he flourished. In two volumes. London: Printed by Henry Baldwin for Charles Dilly 1791. First edition first issue with "give" spelled "gve" in line 10 on p. 135 of Volume I and with all of the peculiarities cited by Pottle for the first issue including the several uncorrected errors listed for Volume II and the various cancels. Two quarto volumes 11 3/4 x 9 1/16 inches; 297 x 230 mm.; the same dimensions Pottle gives for 'an entirely uncut copy' . xii 16 516; 2 588 i.e. 586 pp. Engraved frontispiece portrait by James Heath after Sir Joshua Reynolds in Volume I two engraved facsimile plates in Volume II. Bound without the front blank in Volume II. Contemporary half calf over marbled boards. Neatly rebacked to style preserving the original gilt spine and burgundy and black morocco gilt lettering labels. A few minor marginal paper flaws not affecting text. Some rubbing to boards and light tip wear. Overall a fine set in the original binding and entirely uncut Courtney & Nichol Smith pp. 172-173. Grolier 100 English 65. Pottle 79. Rothschild 463-465. Sterling 71. Tinker 338. HBS 68052. $15000. Printed by Henry Baldwin, for Charles Dilly unknown books
