item number |
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| 1. | A Yachting Dabbler .(Charles William Rothery.) NOTES ON A YACHT VOYAGE TO HARDANGER FJORD, AND THE ADJACENT ESTUARIES. Lon. n.d. Tinted litho, steel engravings and woodcuts. xvii, 105 pp. “A vivid account of a voyage in a 70 ton gaff-rigged cutter from Lerwick to Bergen and southward along the Norwegian coast in July, 1845. Contains very good descriptions... and excellent illustrations by the author.”—Toy 938 (citing the 1885 reprint only). Abbey, Travel, 256. Rare first edition, with folding map and 26 plates, some of which are tinted lithos, and some of which are mounted. Original cloth, front cover gilt stamped with a cutter under sail. Light wear to spine ends and corners, but mostly unopened inside with contents in near Fine condition. Color lithos clean and bright. $850 |
| 2. | Adams, John Quincy. THE DUPLICATE LETTERS, THE FISHERIES AND THE MISSISSIPPI. DOCUMENTS RELATING TO TRANSACTIONS AT THE NEGOTIATION OF GHENT. Wash. 1822. 256 (3) pp. Adams was one of the commissioners who negotiated the treaty with Great Britain at the end of the War of 1812. America wanted to retain the fisheries rights she’d won in the Revolution and Britain attempted to bargain these rights against free navigation of the Mississippi River - a move that seems rather whimsical now. The commissioners departed without settling anything, and the rights of American fishermen in Canadian waters began to erode. This work was intended by Adams to shore up those rights. See McFarland pp. 152-159. Bound in original paper over board with printed spine label. Pages tanned but uncut and untrimmed. A Rare piece of fisheries history. $450 |
| 3. | Allen, Edward L. PILOT LORE. FROM SAIL TO STEAM. (NY). 1922. b/w plates. 322 pp. “Historical sketches of the various interests identified with the development of the world’s greatest port.” Historical information on pilot boats and skippers, as well as merchant and shipping lines. VG. $125 |
| 4. | Anon. A VOYAGE FROM THE UNITED STATES TO SOUTH AMERICA, PERFORMED DURING THE YEARS 1821, 1822, & 1823, EMBRACING A DESCRIPTION OF THE CITY OF RIO JANEIRO... OF EVERY PORT OF IMPORTANCE IN CHILE; OF SEVERAL IN LOWER PERU; AND OF AN EIGHTEEN MONTHS CRUISE IN A NANTUCKET WHALESHIP. Newburyport, MA 1823. 80 pp. First edition of an early American narrative which includes whaling activities, with a 7 page addendum entitled “Of Whaling.” According to Forster, “whaling section of narrative takes place aboard the ‘Improvement’ of Nantucket... which the author joined at Valparaiso.”—Forster, #10. Forster notes that there are three possible attributions of authorship - George Washington Chase, T.H. Bennett, and Henry Bradley. While Sabin and Jenkins attribute the work to Chase, the latest scholarship points to Bradley. In any event, this is a rare whaling narrative, seldom seen on the market. Only 500 copies of this first edition were ever printed. From Clifford Ashley’s library, with his bookplate. See Forster, #10, Jenkins p. 89, Sabin 100814. Not in Hill. Water stain in lower corner of many pages. Scattered foxing, but a tall copy with pages untrimmed. Rebound in boards with paper label. $1500 |
| 5. | Anon. LIGHT-HOUSE CONSTRUCTION AND ILLUMINATION. n.d. n.d. 16 pp. This article uses details of existing lighthouses to explain construction and illumination, including which materials, method and structure type is appropriate for each lighthouse. Stamped “Gift of the children of B. A. Gould Mar. 23, 1897”. Library-stamped first page of stapled pamphlet is detached but present. $75 |
| 6. | Ashley, Clifford. THE ASHLEY BOOK OF KNOTS. NY 1944. b/w halftone and line ills. to. x, 620 pp. Presentation copy of the famous book of knots, inscribed on half title. First Edition. VG in dj with light wear. $100 |
| 7. | Ashley, Clifford. THE YANKEE WHALER. Bos. & NY. 1926. Color and b/w plates, ills. to. (xvi,) 379 pp. One of 156 copies, numbered and signed, and with an original pen and ink sketch by Ashley. Profusely illustrated, some in color. “Probably the best pictorial record of American whaling which can be published.” - Hohman. Ashley went on a whaling voyage himself, aboard the Sunbeam, of New Bedford, and this volume includes an account of the voyage. Ashley was a friend of N. C. Wyeth, and a member of Howard Pyle’s Brandywine school. Forster 160. Rare in this edition, and the finest copy I’ve ever seen. Original quarter calf, blue boards, pictorial endpapers, a very fine, bright copy in all respects, in a worn publisher's box. $1750 |
| 8;. | Beans, George H. A LIST OF JAPANESE MAPS OF THE TOKUGAWA ERA. (WITH) SUPPLEMENT B (AND) SUPPLEMENT C. Jenkintown. 1951, 1958, 1963. b/w plates. 3 vols. to. 51; 66; 42 pp. Rare cartographical reference works for the period in Japanese history that includes most of western contacts - 1615-1867. Many maps are reproduced in black and white and all are dated and described. These books were published by the Anthoensen Press and are from the reference library of that company, with Anthoensen Press bookplates. All three volumes are rare; vol. I having been printed in a limited edition of 150 copies, the two supplements of 100 copies each. The only auction record for this set call for a 4th volume, not present here. Bottom edges of main text and Supplement B water wrinkled, else a clean and presentable set. 3 vols. $600 |
| 9. | Becke, Louis. 9 BECKE NOVELS FROM THE LIBRARY OF CLIFFORD ASHLEY. Becke was a a former newspaperman who spent a good part of his life roaming the Pacific. He wrote about the region with an authority that has made him something of a cult figure. These are American editions, probably from the 1920s, with illustrated color jackets reminiscent of pulp novels. Titles are “Adventures of Louis Blake,” “Helen Adair,” “By Reef and Palm,” “James Shervington,” “Under Tropic Skies,” “Pacific Tales,” “Adventures of a Supercargo,” “Notes from my South Sea Log,” and “Yorke the Adventurer.” All have Ashley’s initials inscribed on front blank, with his bookplate. “Pacific Tales” has his full signature and his bookplate. 9 vols. VG in dj. $450 |
| 10. | Blanckley, Thomas Riley. A NAVAL EXPOSITOR, SHEWING AND EXPLAINING THE WORDS AND TERMS OF ART BELONGING TO THE PARTS, QUALITIES, AND PROPORTIONS OF BUILDING, RIGGING, FURNISHING, & FITTING A SHIP FOR SEA... Lon. 1750. b/w engravings to. (6), 191, (1 blank) pp. First Edition of one of the most visually attractive books on marine technology. With 330 marginal engravings, and 3 larger engravings in text. The four-page list of subscribers includes many of England’s naval notables. Truly a superb dictionary and an accomplished piece of bookmaking. The marginal engravings are all finely detailed, and are accurately aligned with the accompanying text. Craig pp. 12-13. McDonald 247. Roeding I:118, calling it “above all splendidly printed, and the best English dictionary before Falconer.” Scott Coll. p. 261. Contemporary calf, expertly rebacked, some light marginal discoloration on the title and last leaf, migrated from the binding, but a fine, bright, attractive copy of this most decorative marine dictionary. $4000 See Illustration |
| 11. | Bouguer, Pierre. TRAITE DU NAVIRE, DE SA CONSTRUCTION, ET DE SES MOUVEMENS. Paris. 1746. b/w folding plates. engraved chapter head. to. xl, 682, (4) “First edition of the first treatise on naval architecture written on a scientific basis.” Horblit sale, 153. According to the Scott catalog, Bouguer knew his stuff. “He succeeded his father as professor of hydrography ... in 1713. In 1730 he was appointed professor of hydrography at Havre. In 1735 he accompanied Charles Marie de La Condamine on a scientific expedition to Peru...” He was awarded several prizes by the Academie Royale des Sciences for his work in mathematics and navigation. Bouguer was one of the first to investigate mathematical principles as related to shipbuilding, and devised methods for calculating displacement and stability. Scott 256. Polak 1050. Contemporary mottled calf, spine gilt, joints worn but attached, quite an attractive copy. $2700 See Illustration |
| 12. | Brindley, Robert. A COMPENDIUM OF NAVAL ARCHITECTURE, ARRANGED IN QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. WITH ILLUSTRATIONS... Devonport. n.d. (ie., 1832) b/w frontis. 5 plates, some folding. xii, 167 (1) pp. Shipbuilding and marine architecture expounded in catechism form - “Q: How are the bevellings of the hawse pieces taken?” etc. This interesting work contains a 20 page dictionary of shipbuilding terms. First and only edition. Scott 601. Not in Craig. This is the copy of American artist Irving R. Wiles, with his ownership signature. It was later owned by Clifford Ashley, who obtained Wiles’ library, and it bears Ashley’s bookplate. An excellent association, as both American marine artists shared a deep interest in the details of ship construction and rigging. Old label nearly worn off backstrip, else VG $350 |
| 13. | (British Admiralty) HANDBOOK OF SIGNALLING. Lon. 1913. Color and b/w plates, ills. 12mo. (28), 154, (10) pp. British Admiralty signal book on the eve of WW I. 19 pages of color plates of signal flags and pennants, war and merchant ensigns, country flags and house flags and funnels. Also Signalling methods such as semaphore, heliograph and telegraph are thoroughly covered. Front hinge cracked else VG $65 |
| 14. | Brooklyn Yacht Club. CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS, SAILING REGULATIONS, ETC. 1871. NY. 1871. folding color plate. 12mo. 51 pp. Lists of yachts and members, tables of allowances. by-laws, and 16 1/2 inch folding color plate of private signals of the yachts of the Brooklyn Yacht Club. VG Rare. $250 |
| 15. | Carrick, Robert W. and Richard Henderson. JOHN G. ALDEN AND HIS YACHT DESIGNS. Camden, ME. (1984) b/w plates, plans. to. xvi, 445 pp. Biographical sketch and examination of more than 100 Alden designs. This title has become quite scarce. Fine in fresh dj. $175 |
| 16. | (Churchill, Awnsham.) A COLLECTION OF VOYAGES AND TRAVELS, SOME NOW FIRST PRINTED FROM ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPTS, OTHERS NOW FIRST PUBLISHED IN ENGLISH. Lon. 1732. b/w plates, maps. Folio. 6 vols. Various paginations. Second edition of one of the great travel compilations, with an index added and voyages updated. Hill calls it, “a very valuable collection, both for its range of coverage and for the fact that it gives the original accounts.” Sabin adds, “many of the works in this collection have never appeared elsewhere in English.” American, polar, Pacific and oriental travels are well represented among the dozens of accounts given here. This set is complete, with its full complement of 171 engraved plates and maps, many double paged spreads. Hill -. 52-53. Sabin 13017. Bound in contemporary calf with backstrips laid down. Backstrips are chipped and worn, but the set is clean and tightly bound. 6 vols. $8500 |
| 17. | Clarke, H. G. (publisher). THE GREAT EASTERN STEAM SHIP: A DESCRIPTION OF MR. SCOTT RUSSELL’S GREAT SHIP, NOW BUILDING AT MILLWALL, FOR THE EASTERN STEAM NAVIGATION COMPANY. Lon. n.d. (ca. 1857?) b/w folding plates, ills. (2 advert. 2), 28, (14 advert.) pp. First Edition of this scarce promotional pamphlet on what was then the largest ship in the world. Folding frontispiece of the launch, 3 double-page plates, illustrations in text (some full-page). Original printed front wrapper (back wrapper replaced), front wrapper a bit dusty, in a clamshell folding box. “As a ship she was the wonder of her day; as an example of ship construction she has been praised by the greatest naval architects; as an achievement she was the product of an age alive with optimism and grandiose ideas.” - Smith, A Short History of Marine Engineering, p. 108. Included in the pamphlet is a note that admission to view was possible, and gives prices for tickets as well as routes to the yard. One of the scarcest of the Great Eastern pamphlets. Not in the Scott Collection. $750 See Illustration |
| 18. | Clerk, John. AN ESSAY ON NAVAL TACTICS, SYSTEMATICAL AND HISTORICAL... IN FOUR PARTS. Lon. 1790-97. fldg. plates with some hand coloring. to, [2, vii]-xii, [1, 1 blank], [5]-165, [1 blank, 2], [vii]-ix, [1 blank], [5]-34, 29, [1 blank], 61, [1 blank] pp. This is the the first effort by an Englishman to systematize naval tactics with theories based on actual engagements. Though widely read, opinions differed as to its usefulness in battle. Part I was privately printed in 1782, and finally published in 1790. Parts II-IV were published in 1792, and were issued with the original printing of 1792. Clerk's work was written at the time of a movement for tactical reform within the Royal Navy. He drew on numerous historical examples, including several in the American Revolution: Arbuthnot off the Chesapeake (March 1781); Graves off the Chesapeake (September 1781); and Rodney and DeGrasse (1782). "Precipitated a long debate over Rodney's 'maneuver' of breaking the French line during the 1782 Battle of the Saintes."--Smith, Navies of the American Revolution, 349 (citing only the 3rd edition of 1827). Nelson fought the Battle of Trafalgar by Clerk's principles. "This must be considered Clerk's grandest achievement."--D.N.B. Not in Neeser nor Sabin, in spite of the American interest. Corbett, Signals and Instructions, pp. 377-78, and passim. Scarce. Antique-style half calf, spine gilt, some toning to the paper, but a fine, tall copy. $1500 |
| 19. | Cock, John. MAST MAKING MADE EASY. Lon. 1845. b/w folding plate. 51, (1) pp. This odd little book gives narrative instructions for making sailing ship masts and provides 7 tables giving dimensions of different masts on various vessels. The folding plate is, according to the author, an ingenious geometric means of “producing all the diameters from the deck to the head of all top masts and top gallant masts.” VG $250 |
| 20. | Coffin, Captain Roland. THE AMERICA’S CUP. NY. 1885. b/w plates. viii, 155 pp. One of the earliest works on the America’s Cup. “Because he was present at all but the first race in Cowes and had access to New York Yacht Club files, he writes with authority.” — Toy. With b/w plates by Fred. S. Cozzens. This is the hardcover edition (it was also issued in wraps). Light wear to spine ends, faint oval stamps of private library on front blanks. A VG copy of an important book. Rulon-Miller “Checklist” #3. Toy 1575, Morris & Howland p. 32. $275 |
| 21. | Coffin, Tristram, (editor) and Anna Starbuck Jenks. THE OLDEST HOUSE ON NANTUCKET ISLAND. Poughkeepsie, NY. (1911). b/w plates. 129 pp. Compilation of writings that contain much general Nantucket history as well as information on this house, supposed to have been built in 1686. Crosby p. 164. Fourth edition, wraps. VG. $40 |
| 22. | Cook, James and John Hawkesworth. SET OF COOK’S THREE VOYAGES. Lon. 1773-1784. b/w plates, charts, many folding and double page. to. 8 vols. Various paginations. This set consists of the second printing of Cook’s first voyage (with frontispiece map and 24 maps and charts), the first printing of Cook’s second voyage (with frontispiece portrait, 14 maps, 7 folding charts, and 49 engraved plates, 23 of which are folding) and the second printing of Cook’s third voyage (with 24 maps and charts, 11 of them folding). In short this set has the preferred second printing of the first voyage, and all the maps and plates called for in each of the three voyages. It is not, however, accompanied by the atlas that was issued with the third voyage, and is priced accordingly. It is generally a good clean set, with maps and plates showing only occasional minor spots or tears, none amounting to any loss of printed area. Most are fresh and clean. Bound in handsome antique style half calf over marbled boards. 8 vols. $15000 |
| 23. | (Cook, James.) (Rickman, John.) TROISIEME VOYAGE DE COOK, OU JOURNAL D’UNE EXPEDITION FAITE DANS LA MER PACIFIQUE DU SUD & NORD, EN 1776, 1777, 1778, 1779 & 1780. Paris. 1782. b/w frontis., fldg. map. 508 pp. First French edition of an anonymous work, previously attributed to John Ledyard and William Ellis, anticipating the authorized account of Cook’s final voyage by two years. The English edition first appeared in 1781. See Beddie, 1607, 1611 for attribution of authorship. Hill notes, “The text, especially as regards details of Cook’s death, differs considerably from other accounts.” Hill p. 253. Bound in 18th century mottled calf, minor wear. Text shows scattered foxing, some tanning on fold of frontispiece (“Mort du Captaine Cook.”) Overall, a clean copy of a rare book in antique binding. $1250 |
| 24. | Cunard Line. THE LIVERPOOL, LONDON & PARIS GUIDE. Paris. 1874. 16mo. 303 pp. This little guide, “for gratuitous distribution” to passengers, includes information on hotels, parks, museums, churches, etc., as well as advertisements for businesses in each city. An early Cunard Line item. A passenger has charted his course in pencil on the folding map. Bound with flap-closure, a great little souvenir. With endpaper map, wood engraving of a Cunard steamer, folding chart of the Atlantic. Light wear, else VG. $100 |
| 25. | d’Orleans, Pierre Joseph and Nicolas Witsen. HISTORY OF THE TWO TARTAR CONQUERORS OF CHINA... Lon. 1854. xv, 153 pp. One of the rare first series Hakluyt publications. Two journeys of Verbiest and one of Periera, translated by the Earl of Ellesmere, with an introduction by R.H. Major. This copy has the bookplate of polar explorer and author Sherard Osborn. Ex-lib, call number on spine, old glue marks from card pocket on back endpaper, else VG $200 |