1904réf. 005358Oxford England 1904. Half Leather. Very Good. Madcap "salad days" from back when! 4to. 30 by 25.5 cm. Unpaginated 20 pages with caricatures mounted onto card rectos. Additional blank card and a number of drawings that are loose some of which were probably always so. In total 91 separate pieces of overwhelmingly caricature of varying size and ranging from simple portraits exaggerated in one way or another as called for by the medium to multi-character cartoons or depictions of a scene with dialogue bubbles and captions. The caricatures center around but are not confined to the doings and personalities of Merton College Oxford. A few of the portraits would appear to be of Theodore Roosevelt for example. Many but far from all of the mounted caricature illustrations are signed or credited although we think it is quite likely that pseudonyms were used as was obviously the case with "the Freak". The album is quite unusual then in its creation with multiple contributors something common in a friendship or amicorum album which this decidedly is not. We would surmise that the contributors were members of an informal club of artistic anarchists. The quality is not entirely even as might be expected from such an effort but overall the caricatures are vivid and amusing with quite a few displaying true artistic cleverness. Rebacked in matching calf. Wear to the corners and edges. Some scrappiness to interior. Paste marks where there once were a few mounted pieces. unknown books
1931réf. 007561New York: Charles Scribners Sons 1931 TEG with deckled edges. Cloth boards with vellum spine titled in gilt one plate with tiny abrasion at top edge else fine and clean. Limited to 512 copies signed by Wyeth. Illustrated with tipped-in color frontis title page and 14 color plates with tissue guards. . Signed by Artist. First Limited Edition. Near Fine/No Jacket. Thick 4to. Charles Scribners Sons hardcover books
1931réf. 03734THE LITTLE SHEPHERD OF KINGDOM COME Scribners 1931 first edition thus fine in dust-wrapper and vg/near fine box with full color plates by N.C. Wyeth. Scarce thus. Scribners / Scribner's unknown books
2023réf. 11396Larkspur Press/Echo Art Bindery 2023. Hardcover. Fine in Fine Drop-Spine Archival Box. Hardcover. Designed by Gabrielle Fox and finely printed in red and black letterpress at Larkspur Press. Volume one contains text illustrations selected bibliography and in a rear pocket a folding map showing location of the images portrayed. Volume two is a Portfolio of prints. Deborah Thompson is a noted binder and paper marbler and founder of Echo Art Bindery. She was the 11th graduate of the fine binding diploma program at the American Academy of Bookbinding. Full brown carved leather dyed deer skin binding with laced-on boards edge-to-edge doublures flyleaves in handmade paper made by the binder all edges sprinkled with ink silk endbands; custom drop spine box with map and image cards. 64mo. Larkspur Press/Echo Art Bindery hardcover books
1881réf. 1409565New York: E. B. Treat 1881. First Edition. Hardcover. Quarto viii 48 plates 106 pages. In Very Good minus condition. Quarter-bound in black leather and marbled paper boards. Gilt lettering and decoration on compartmentalized spine and corners. Free endpapers and paste downs marbled. Red speckling to edges of text block. Mild shelf wear on boards concentrated on spine and edges. Chipping along the hinges of spine and corners. Slight white staining on front board. Three stickers from previous owners adhered to front and back pastedowns. Reinforcements to endpapers/ Mild staining on text block concentrated on pages i-iii and 81-106. All 48 plates included. Shelved in in Case 4. George Henry Fox was one of the six founders of the American Dermatological Association and was often. This book was publisher almost a decade before before he served simultaneous terms as president of the New York County Medical Society and the New York State Medical Society. Source: The New York Times. 1409565. Shelved Dupont Bookstore. E. B. Treat hardcover books
2010réf. 626911London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson 2010. Hardcover. Fine/Near Fine. First edition. 564pp. Illustrated with color and black and white plates. Slight page toning else fine in a near fine dust jacket with some creasing and faint toning. Signed by Richards on the title page. Weidenfeld & Nicolson hardcover books
1957réf. 53749New York: Harry N. Abrams 1957. First edition. Hardcover. vg to near fine. Quarto. xxxviii 151pp. 1. Illustrated purple and red dust jacket. Beige cloth boards with illustration in black on the front cover black lettering on the spine. Illustrated endpapers. Original torn publisher's belly band laid in at the interior front cover. This unique copy contains two inscriptions to former president of Israel Zalman Shazar 1889-1974 in pen on the title page. One at the top is a 75th birthday gift inscription in Hebrew from a unidentified friend of Shazar and below it is another warm inscription from artist Marc Chagall in Yiddish dated 1964. Chagall writes: "In honor of the president and my good friend Z. Shazar with love Marc Chagall Jerusalem 1964". It can be assumed that Shazar's friend gave him the book as a gift and Marc Chagall who was present at the time also inscribed it to him. This monograph showcases Marc Chagall's graphic work from the years 1922-1957 and includes a total of 148 images reproducing the artist's work. Most images are in b/w with six in color and can be divided roughly into five major stages of Chagall's career: etchings for his autobiography - illustrations for Gogol's "Dead Souls" 1923-27 - etchings for La Fontaine's "Fables" 1927-30 - illustrations for the Bible - his post-war lithographs. All images are finely printed mostly in high quality offset with a few b/w images being lithographic. Dust jacket with some minor to light rubbing and creasing to extremities. Binding with very minor age toning along the bottom edge of the front cover. A few light stains to the top edge of the book block. Interior clean throughout with book block tight overall. Dj in very good binding and interior in very good to near fine condition overall. Harry N. Abrams hardcover books
1931réf. 3189New York: Charles Scribner's Sons 1931. Fine. Exceptional copy of the signed limited edition for this Civil War-set novel one of 500 numbered copies signed by Wyeth retaining both the original box and glassine. 11'' x 8.5''. Quarter vellum blue cloth boards. Top edge gilt other edges uncut; partially unopened. In original glassine and publisher's blue box. Illustrated by Wyeth with 16 mounted tissue-guarded color illustrations including frontispiece and title page surrounded by boxed borders in gold. 324 pages. Bookplate to verso of box lid. Light rubbing to box no repairs slightest bit of toning to glassine and vellum; overall exceptionally bright and fresh. Charles Scribner's Sons unknown books
1931réf. 320507New York: Scribner 1931. Limited. hardcover. fine. N.C. Wyeth. 14 tipped in color plates tissue guards deckled edges 4to vellum backed spine with gilt lettering. decorative blue and gold textured cloth original glassine wrappers and original board box. New York: Scribner 1941. A fine copy in a lightly worn box. Number 13 of 512 copies signed by the Illustrator of which the first 12 were for presentation. Scribner unknown books
1920réf. 148871Paris: Editions Nilsson 1920. First French Edition a trade softcover original preceding the first English language edition by nine years. Text in French. Cover illustration by Maggy Monier. Rare. A seminal horror novel written by one of the most important French genre fiction writers of the early twentieth century. The basis for several films including the classic German silent film starring Conrad Veidt "The Hands of Orlac 1924 and its American rival the sound version starring Peter Lorre "Mad Love" directed by emigre Karl Freund for MGM in 1935 and today considered one of the greatest horror films of the 1930s. Very Good in illustrated wrappers. All edges uncut. Slight lean some vertical wrinkling to the spine small chips at a couple of corners and wrappers foxed particularly rear wrapper. Barron 1999 4-125. Bleiler 1948 US. Clute & Nicholls US. Hubin 1994 US. Locke US. Reginald 12140. Senn US. Editions Nilsson unknown books
1891réf. 7927London: Chatto & Windus 1891. First edition. Fine. Original publisher's primary blue cloth gilt there are examples of remainder bindings extant octavo. Edges untrimmed 32 pp. publisher's ads at rear mostly uncut pictorial bookplate of Herbert & Sarita Ward to front pastedown. Fore-edge foxed otherwise a Fine copy with outstanding provenance. An extraordinary association copy of a noted rarity a sharp critique of the "Scramble for Africa". The copy of Herbert Ward sculptor writer and member of the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition. He was directly under the command of Major Edmund Barttlelot at the rear column having been appointed by Stanley as a lieutenant. The infamous column features heavily in Fox Bourne's work with the entirety of chapter five dedicated to the topic. Ward and his work My Life with Stanley's Rear Guard are quoted extensively and Fox Bourne clearly makes an example of Ward's illegal and immoral behaviour. A particularly disturbing example is the case of the execution of Burgari who was initially charged with stealing food from Ward before attempting to flee. Two officers Troup and Jameson wanted the punishment to be downgraded but Ward along with Bonny and Barttlelot voted for the death penalty. Fox Bourne became secretary of the Aborigines Protection Society in 1889. He edited its journal Aborigines' Friend and lobbied for the rights of indigenous peoples and especially advocated for those in Africa. He stated that indigenous people had fundamental rights to their land their rites and their institutions. He later published Civilisation in Congo Land A Story of International Wrong-Doing in 1903 focusing on the horrendous treatment of the indigenous population by the Belgian government. Fine. Chatto & Windus unknown books
1827réf. 23959Newcastle: J. Hodgson 1827. First edition. Hardcover. Later brown cloth brown leather spine label lettered in gilt. Very good. xxii 2 312 pages. 23 x 15 cm. illustrated with engraved frontispiece folding table 7 plates 2 of which by Thomas Bewick and illustrations in the text. Provenance: Author to son Charles Fox with inscription dated 1830 gifted from "Mrs. Charles C. Fox dated 15 Nov. 1915. One of the most significant 18th century collections of Natural History and Ethnography. A catalogue of the museum's holdings that includes a section entitled "Utensils of Savage Nations" which includes material from New Zealand "Owhyhee and other Sandwich Islands" "Otaheite and Society Islands" George's Island the Pacific Northwest etc including material collected during Cook's voyages and a number of natural history specimens are described like the wombat illustrated the koala and the duck-billed platypus from Australia and an extensive foreign ornithological section which includes many specimens from the South Seas. Forbes lists only one copy and could find no references to this rare work. Some spotting or browning to plates and offsetting from plates to text. Interior contents fresh and clean. Rubbing to backstrip extremities. J. Hodgson hardcover books
1881réf. 20104New York: E.B. Treat 1881. FIRST EDITION. With 48 hand-coloured photographic plates. Modern half-calf and marbled boards; interior toned with only minimal browning. A very nice copy. First edition. Like his Photographic illustrations of skin diseases published a year earlier Fox's aim was "to present a practical exposition of the subject with special reference to points of diagnosis and treatment" preface. The photographic plates produced by Harroun and Bierstadt of New York depict a wide variety of dermatologic manifestations of syphilis. Fox 1846-1937 was a professor of dermatology at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of New York and was the longest surviving member of the six founders of the American Dermatological Association. "His contributions to dermatologic teaching were unmatched. His writings were numerous and outstanding including the first photographic atlas of skin diseases" Shelley. E.B. Treat unknown books
1928réf. 2221596"Wm Fox" to Jesse Lasky at Paramount-Famous-Lasky Corp. Times Square New York City on the new processes of producing talking films. 11" x 8 1/2" on his William Fox Fox Studio West 55th Street New York City letterhead August 21 1928. Very good closed file holes at top edges. In part: ".You already know of my great interest in the successful development of talking motion pictures. I am anxious therefore too see your company produce movietone pictures that are as near perfect as it is possible to obtain from the experience we have gathered. I realize that one of the things that would retard your progress would be improper printing - and there is more danger of failure here than in any other step of the work. The only one that thoroughly understands the proper development and printing of sound pictures today is our laboratory." Fox 1879-1952 was born in Hungary; originally named Wilhelm Fried. He founded the Fox Film Corporation in 1915 and the Fox West Coast Theatres chain in the 1920s. books
1847réf. 9675n.p. 1847. 1 vols. Folio. Sewn into original brown wrappers worn. 1 vols. Folio. The artist from internal evidence seems to be Rev. H.L. Bennet--clearly an ardent and well-connected sportsman as most of his sketches are portraits and caricatures of well-known hunting men and women of the day many of whom are identified. These include a portrait of Lord Jersey who Nimrod called "perhaps the most elegant rider for hounds the world has ever seen" and many others. The drawings are skilfully executed and are often amusing. A unique production of one of the golden ages of British sport. Including : Examples of 2 pages 7 images: Mrs. Rowley's Groom on his Compact Mare Rush Esq Farthgghoc Col. Joddsch Lord Anson's steward M-- Wyatt. J.H. Jr T.T.D. Another: 2 pages; Rev. G. Loyd T.T Darke Esq. 2 others Another: 2 pages; Col. Goodell 4 others Mr. Drakes Grey's horse. unknown books
1641réf. RFOXBOO00twCompany of Stationers 1641. Very Good. Foxe John. Book of Martyrs. Acts and Monuments of matters most speciall and memorable.Martyrs. 3 volumes. Fox John. London: Company of Stationers 1641. 1033 788 1030 106 94pp. Illustrated. 4to. Book condition: Very good. Title page of volume III has been replaced with a facsimile. Bindings are bumped and rubbed but sturdy and square. Paper repairs to a few edges. Increasingly scarce edition. 94 page index at terminus of volume III. Company of Stationers unknown books
1846réf. 468908London: Printed by Palmer and Clayton 1846. Hardcover. Good. First edition. Quarto. 4 338pp. 1 Talbotype salt print and 16 plates two of which are folded. Contemporary dark green quarter morocco and cloth over boards gilt spine. Ex-library with small date “1846” lettered by hand on spine else a clean unmarked copy. Wear to the joints and leather corners loss at head of spine about an inch bottom compartment of spine is rubbed loss at bottom right corner of title page not affecting the letterpress else very good with modest toning to the endpapers and scattered foxing. The highly sought after eighth volume of this important journal featuring William Henry Fox Talbot’s original salt print with a letterpress caption pasted underneath: “The Palace of Justice at Rouen. From Nature 1843” and a letterpress label pasted on the reverse: “Patent Talbotype or sun pictures”. The volume also contains sixteen other exemplary plates. A scarce copy in the original boards of “the first magazine in the world to be illustrated with a photograph”. Gernsheim 620. Printed by Palmer and Clayton hardcover books
1803réf. 218202London: Thomas Cox 1803. hardcover. very good. The Natural History of the Human Teeth Including a Particular Elucidation of the Changes which Take Place during the Second Dentition. viii 100pp followed by 13 copper plate engarvings. London: Thomas Cox 1803. AND: The History and Treatment of the Diseases of the Teeth the Gums and the Alveolar Processes with the Operations which they Respectively Require. iv 170pp followed by 9 copper plate engravings lightly foxed and stained. 4to with wide margins bound in full diced calf well-rubbed but sound. London: Thomas Cox 1806. Landmark work on orthodontics. Two classical treatises by the pioneering London dental surgeon. Fox was first to give explicit directions for correcting dental irregularities as well as instructions for various surgical procedures. Weinberger History of Dentristry Vol. I; pp. 340-4. In 1799 Joseph Fox pupil of John Hunter received the appointment of dental surgeon to Guy's Hospital the first hospital to add a dental surgeon to its staff and the first to institute a special course of dental lectures. GM 3679; 3671.1. Campbell 54 and 59. Thomas Cox unknown books
1929réf. 133042New York: E.P. Dutton 1929. First Edition. First Edition in English and first edition in hardcover preceded by the French edition "Les mains d'Orlac" in 1920. With the publisher's wraparound band. A seminal horror novel rare in dust jacket written by one of the most important French genre fiction writers of the early twentieth century. The basis for several films including the classic German silent film starring Conrad Veidt "Orlacs Hande" The Hands of Orlac 1924 and its American rival the sound version starring Peter Lorre "Mad Love" directed by emigre Karl Freund for MGM in 1935 and today considered one of the greatest horror films of the 1930s. Near Fine in a Very Good dust jacket with the publisher's wraparound band "The Dutton Prize Mystery for November". The jacket's deco design is bright and striking with some toning to the spine jacket and band a chip at the crown affecting a portion of the title "The Ha" and part of "n" a portion of the publisher name at the heel the "Du" in "Dutton" and a few tiny chips nicks and closed tears. Barron 1999 4-125. Bleiler 1948 US. Clute & Nicholls US. Hubin 1994 US. Locke US. Reginald 12140. Senn US. E.P. Dutton unknown books
1902réf. 52612Düsseldorf: Verlag der Dt. Nat. Kunstausstellung 1902. First edition. Loose leaf. Very good to fine condition. Oblong Quarto. 35 original silver gelatin prints. Original brown leather portfolio with gilt emblem and gilt lettering on gilt-framed cover. Red silk inside front cover and portfolio flaps. The bottom flap gilt-stamped Otto Renard Paul Adam Buchbinderei Düsseldorf. Album of thirty-five original photographs 9 3/4 x 11 1/4" by court photographer Otto Renard that document National Art exhibtion of 1902 by room. The photographs include a exterior panorama view of the newly built Art Palace its courtyard an interior view of the dome the large gallery the large hall and various galleries with work of artist groups and art organizations e.g. Kunstgenossenschaft Berlin Secession Berlin Dresden Düsseldorf 6 Munich Luitpold Group Munich Secession Munich Art Association Rhineland and Westfalia Art Alliance "Hagen" from Vienna 2 Art Collective Vienna Secession Vienna recreation room Secession Vienna the Van der Velde room the art historian gallery 5 old Japanese art. The exhibition includes paintings furniture sculpture and statuettes and a variety of interiors. The Art Palace was built for the 1902 Industry and Craft Exhibition for the Rhineland Westfalia and neighboring districts. The building of the Kunstpalast was in large part due to the efforts of Fritz Roeber director of the Düsseldorf Art Academy the painter Georg Oeder and the art historian Paul Clement in the late 1800s who were able to convince Heinrich Lueg director of the association for commerce that the time for another great art and commerce exhibition had come. The goal was the establishment of a new permanent venture for art exhibitions that was to become the center of the arts in the Rhinelands and Westfalia. Lueg took the lead and started the planing for the Kunstpalast already in 1898. The goal was to exhibit the development of the past 20 years in a formidable gallery and the 1900 Paris World exhibition was the model for the undertaking. Despite the fact that some of the planned buildings were not ready by the opening of the two exhibitions it opened on May 1st and closed on October 20th 1902 the exhibitions became a huge success. Two OCLC entries. Text in German. Portfolio with light wear one inch closed tear at top right of portfolio cover. Some light worm damage in silk of inside front cover and right flap. Few plates with minor damage at edges and lightly age-toned in margins. Images fine. Otto Renard 1855-1943 was known for his documentation of art exhibitions among them the 1902 art and commerce exhibition in 1902. The distinction "Hof Fotograf Court photographer" he earned while working at the court of Zar Nikolaus II. Renard returned to Germany after the turn of the century to open photo-studios in Düsseldorf and Aachen. He became wealthy due to his invention of a photo-paper moved to Berlin and then to Darmstadt. Verlag der Dt. Nat. Kunstausstellung unknown books
1701réf. 6399London: T. Ilive 1701. Early English editions. Bound together with: The Most Pleasant and Delightful History of Reynard the Fox. The Second Part. Containing Much Matter of Pleasure and Content. Written For the Delight of young Men Pleasure of the Aged and Profit of all. To which is added many Excellent Morals. London: Printed by A.M. and R.R. for Edward Brewster 1681. And: The Shifts of Reynardine The Son of Reynard the Fox Or a Pleasant History of His Life and Death. Full of Variety &c. And may fitly be applied to the Late Times. Now Published for the Reformation of Mens Manners. London: Printed by T.J. for Edward Brewster and Thomas Passenger 1684. Three parts in one small quarto volume 7 5/16 x 5 9/16 inches; 186 x 141 mm. 156 2 table of contents 2 publisher's advertisements; 111 1 publisher's advertisements; 8 160 pp. Mostly black letter with titles and side notes in roman letter. Sixty-two woodcuts in the first part printed from thirty-nine blocks and fifteen woodcuts in the second part five repeated all repeats from the first part. Most cuts signed "E.B." Edward Brewster. Woodcut on C1 recto Part I printed upside down. Some browning occasional light damp staining and soiling. Part I with tiny puncture marks in the lower blank margin through gathering I just touching one letter in the imprint on the title-page six small holes in I3 and one tiny hole in I4 causing loss of a couple of letters. Part III with paper flaw in the upper blank corner of A3 and A4 tiny tear 1/4 inch in the lower blank margin of F4 and paper flaw in the lower blank corner of I2 none affecting text. Contemporary sprinkled sheep. Covers ruled and decoratively tooled in blind spine decoratively tooled in gilt in compartments with two red morocco gilt lettering labels. Some expert restoration to joints and corners. Armorial bookplate of Gloucester on front free endpaper. Bookplate of Hugh Cecil Lowther 5th Earl of Lonsdale 1857-1944 on front pastedown his sale 12 July 1937 lot 445. An excellent copy. Housed in a felt-lined quarter brown morocco clamshell case spine with five raised bands decoratively tooled and lettered in gilt in compartments. Reynard the Fox "hero of several medieval European cycles of versified animal tales that satirize contemporary human society. Though Reynard is sly amoral cowardly and self-seeking he is still a sympathetic hero whose cunning is a necessity for survival. He symbolizes the triumph of craft over brute strength usually personified by Isengrim the greedy and dull-witted wolf. . The main literary tradition of Reynard the Fox descends from the extant French 'branches' of the Roman de Renart about 30 in number nearly 40000 lines of verse. The facetious portrayal of rustic life the camel as a papal legate speaking broken French the animals riding on horses and recounting elaborate dreams all suggest the atmosphere of 13th-century France" Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature. There is some variation in chapter number within the early editions: From "Caxton's first edition 1481 to Thomas Gaultier's only edition 1550 the story is divided into 43 chapters" while the anonymous edition 1560-1585 has 58 chapters Varty. By the 17th century when the text is titled The Most Delectable History of Reynard the Fox it appears with only 25 chapters and maintains its image cycle. Early 17th century editions also maintained this "picture cycle" through Edward Brewster's 1662 edition but at this point the Wynkyn de Worde blocks were extremely worn and new set was created Varty. Forty images were used for his second edition 1671 and all contain his initials EB. "He published further illustrated editions in 1676 1681 1694 and 1701. in 1672 he grafted new life onto the old story with A Continuation Or Second Part of the Most Pleasant and Delightful History of Reynard the Fox" Varty for which he eventually created an additional 15 illustrations. In 1684 he would produce an additional sequel following the adventures of Reynard's son Reynardine. Brunet IV cols. 1228-1229. Lowndes p. 2076. Varty Appendix Three: "A Short-Title List of All Extant Illustrated Histories of Reynard the Fox from Wynkyn de Worde c. 1495 to A. Soulby c. 1800 which are kept in United Kingdom libraries based on H. Menke Bibliotheca Reinardiana" 24 18 and 21. Wing S3512 Part II and S3436 Part III. T. Ilive unknown books
réf. 140949913San Francisco: No publisher 1974. Original reverse painting by Residents' co-founder Hardy Fox on acetate measuring 16 x 19.75". Image of Edweena variant of that used on cover of The Residents' second studio album but shelved until it was released as their fourth album overall Not Available. The back of that album credits it "based on a drawing by a Resident"-- presumably this is either the drawing or a later development of it. In this painting Edweena's skin is a normal hue not green her hair brown as opposed to bright red her eyes red her name is not written along her collar and the background is a sedate turquoise rather than Near Fine with paint loss to upper corners a few tiny flakes along sides. From the estate of Hardy Fox. Not Available is a favorite among Residents fans but also a very dark album. Not surprisingly it came from a very dark place. The fandom wiki for the group states: "Following the commercial failure of Meet The Residents which sold only forty copies in its first year of release the group's lead composer Hardy Fox was in the midst of 'a bit of depression' and simultaneously coming to terms with the growing realisation that he was gay spent a great deal of time alone in The Residents' studio writing and recording 'somber melodies' with an old piano which he later called his 'best friend' at that time . The tensions which had developed among the members of The Residents peaked in the summer of 1974 supposedly culminating in a 'horribly embarrassing' food fight in a Chinese restaurant.Instead of allowing the group to splinter The Residents isolated themselves conducting 'rehearsals' as a form of group therapy. Through these rehearsals inspired by psychodrama a psychotherapy method in which participants act out their emotions through interpersonal interaction within a stage-like setting a stylized and surreal narrative began to develop." That psychodrama informs the album an opera of sorts. Like the music its album cover is distinctively off-putting. It's cartoonish but certainly not cute or comical full of resigned frowning faces and a certain emotionally-drained surrealism. Like the Residents oeuvre it is what it is. No apologies! [No publisher] unknown books
1562réf. 376729Frankfurt am Main: David Zöpfel 1562. Woodcut title vignette 43 woodcut illustrations some repeated. Title page in red and black. 8 300 leaves. Small 4to 7-3/4 x 5-7/8 inches. Late nineteenth century brown crushed morocco gilt by Frances Bedford marbled endpapers gilt edges. Provenance: William Title inscription dated 1856 on front free endpaper; C. S. Ascherson bookplate and inscription to; Edward Ascherson bookplate. Woodcut title vignette 43 woodcut illustrations some repeated. Title page in red and black. 8 300 leaves. Small 4to 7-3/4 x 5-7/8 inches. The first of two Frankfurt printings by David Zöpfel that year using the same woodcuts. The text is descended from the Low German version Reynke de Vos first printed at Lübeck in 1498. Among the most widely adapted of the beast fables the tales of Reynard the Fox originated in the 12th and 13th centuries with early versions in French Dutch Latin and German being notable. One of the most important secular literary traditions of the Middle Ages Reynard the Fox is at its essence biting satire and parody. The character of Reynard an anthropomorphic fox and trickster has since become almost an archetype in the literatures of many languages. "The supreme 'anti-hero' of medieval fiction" Cambridge Guide to Children's Books in English. This copy from the renowned library of the eminent British architect and book collector Sir William Tite 1798-1873 whose sale at Sotheby's in May-June 1874 took sixteen days certainly one of the greatest collections of the time. [David Zöpfel] unknown books
