Blofield Books

IF by Rudyard Kipling - £499.99.

Published by Macmillan, London, 1914. First English edition, (16 x 11.5cm.) 4pp. of text, 2pp. advertisements recto and verso of the lower cover. Bound in the original thin card covers (slight toning, previous owner's name in pencil to the upper front cover edge). First published in 'Rewards and Fairies' in 1910, Kipling's poem had its most significant impact with this edition, which was published during the first month of the war. A very rare 1st UK separate edition of this classic poem, which surprisingly was published 4 years after the American standalone volume. Vg- overall.

"If—" first appeared in the "Brother Square Toes" chapter of the book Rewards and Fairies, a collection of Kipling's poetry and short-story fiction, published in 1910. In his posthumously published autobiography, Something of Myself (1937), Kipling said that, in writing the poem, he was inspired by the character of Leander Starr Jameson, leader of the failed Jameson Raid against the Transvaal Republic to overthrow the Boer Government of Paul Kruger. The failure of that mercenary coup d'état aggravated the political tensions between Great Britain and the Boers, which led to the Second Boer War (1899–1902). As an evocation of Victorian-era stoicism—the "stiff upper lip" self-discipline, which popular culture rendered into a British national virtue and character trait, "If—" remains a cultural touchstone.

Ltd 1000; The Pageant of Peking (1920-1st Edition) Donald Mennie (Illustrated by) Putnam Weale (Text)

Published in Shanghai by A.S Watson & Co, 1920. First edition and impression. Limited to just 1000 copies, of which this copy was one of the first published at number 24. Recently professionally rebound in blue silk, retaining much of the original front cover titles in silk, as shown, with blue leather spine plates and date added. New endpapers. Folio sized volume containing 60 numbered and captioned full page sepia plates (of 66 - lacking plates 10, 12, 14, 38, 42, and 52), all shown. Pages with age toning and scattered foxing, as expected in a 100+ year old Asian book, though condition is generally in keeping for the age. Weighty volume in excess of 3kg exc pkg. Good/None.

Donald Mennie (1875-1941) was a Scottish photographer who worked in early twentieth century China. His marvelous images depict a record of the city, people, sights and architecture and "evoked a romantic vision of antique China, featuring shopkeepers, travelers, merchants, dusty caravans, misty villages, old palaces, the Forbidden City, and the Great Wall of China" (see Worswick and Spence, Photographs of Imperial China, 1980). Mennie was proposed as a member of the Royal Geographic Society for his Grandeur of the Gorges (1926) depicting scenes along the Yangtze River.

Bertram Lenox Simpson (1877–1930) was a British author who wrote about China under the pen name "B. L. Putnam Weale" (or sometimes simply "Putnam Weale"). Lenox Simpson was the son of Clare Lenox-Simpson, who had been in the Chinese Maritime Customs Service since 1861; he had a brother, Evelyn, a mining engineer who worked in China, and a sister, Esme. His education was at Brighton College, after which he too joined the Service. He was in China during the Boxer Rebellion and during the siege of the legations. After this, he became Brigade Interpreter for the British Expeditionary Force (he spoke 5 languages).

C S LEWIS - The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (1950) First Edition, First Impression - £799.99

Published by Geoffrey Bles, London, 1950. First Edition, First Impression. Recently professionally rebound in quarter green leather with green hardcover boards, titled in gilt to the spine. New endpapers. Half title. Light age toning to the pages, the odd handling mark and corner fold. Contents page, pp10 & pp34 with minor pen marks, but contents generally in good order. Monotone illustrations by Pauline Baynes not coloured in. Overall condition is Good/No jacket.

Classic portal fantasy novel for children written by C. S. Lewis and first published in 1950. The first book in The 'Chronicles of Narnia' series, which consists of seven novels. The story begins during World War II when four English siblings—Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie, are evacuated from London and sent to live with Professor Digory Kirke in the English countryside. While exploring the professor’s house, Lucy stumbles upon a magical wardrobe that transports her to the land of Narnia. There, she meets a faun named Mr. Tumnus. Lucy’s siblings initially doubt her story, but eventually, they too discover Narnia through the wardrobe. In Narnia, they encounter mythical creatures and talking animals, including the evil White Witch who has plunged the land into perpetual winter. The Lion Aslan, a central figure in Narnia, sacrifices himself to save one of the children. Later, he rises from the dead, defeats the White Witch, and crowns the children as Kings and Queens of Narnia. The book is a blend of adventure, fantasy, and Christian allegory.

THE GLAVEN PORTS - People & Places A Photographic Portrait Of The Norfolk Coastal Villages (of) Blakeney, Cley, Morston, Salthouse And Wiveton by Liz Shand Kendall, Judith Paxton, & John Warham. Just £4.99! (RRP £25.00) UK Postage £3.95.

Brand New and Unread.

Published by Thornham Local History Society, Thornham, 2017. Wonderfully illustrated throughout. A revised edition, with additional content and illustrations. Hardback - No jacket issued. Weight in excess of 1kg exc pkg.

“The Glaven Ports - People and Places” provides a photographic portrait of the popular north Norfolk villages of Blakeney, Cley, Morston, and Wiveton. Authored by John Warham, Judith Paxton, and Liz Shand Kendall, the book is a result of their studies in digital photography at the Julia Rafferty School of Photography. It is the fourth in a series of books about the North Norfolk coast and is cherished for its intimate portrayal of the area’s people, places, and events. The book was first published by the Thornham Local History Society in 2014, and was well enough received to warrant a second edition, with additional content, 3 years later. It is a treasure trove of photographs that has made the Glaven ports area so popular and loved by both residents and holidaymakers alike. If you’re interested in the history and visual culture of this part of Norfolk, this book would be a wonderful addition to your collection.

Villare Anglicum: or a view of the townes (towns) of England by Henry Spelman - £399.99.

Published by R Hodgkinsonne, dwelling in Thames Street neere (sic) Baynards Castle, London, 1656. First edition. Recently professionally rebound in full leather with blind stamped edging and corner design. Spine with date to the heel. Spine title plate, gilt on Morocco. New endpapers. Contemporary manuscript leaves to the front of the book, some notations on the first leaf, followed by a table showing the beginning of every Kings reign from the Norman conquest to 1665. Block sound, with age toning and a little foxing, as expected for a near 370 year old book. Unpaginated. Text in double column format. Previous owner's name and date (1656) to the upper title page. Rear leaf with manuscript list of Townes, Parishes and Villages in Taunton hundred, Somerset, loss to the lower page. Lists the towns of England their Counties, and hundreds. First published in 1656 after Spelman's death in 1641. Very rare

Narrative of a Journey to the Shores of the Polar Sea, in the Years 1819, 20, 21, and 22. With an Appendix on Various Subjects Relating to Science and Natural History - £1299.99.

Franklin, Sir John (1786-1847)

Published by John Murray, London, 1823. First edition. Wonderfully illustrated with etched plates and hand coloured aquatints, though sadly lacking 3 of the 4 folding maps to the rear of the volume, the one remaining with some misfolding. Size 4to, Professionally rebound in quarter leather with gilt titles on Morocco to the spine, date in gilt to the heel. Block sound. Pages with age toning and some offsetting from the plates Prev owner's name to the front endpaper (William Jardine, the Scottish physician, o***m merchant and trader who co-founded the Hong Kong based conglomerate Jardine, Matheson & Co. - dated 1823). Slight cigarette smoke odour, but overall a Good+ to Vg- condition copy of this extremely rare volume on Polar Exploration.

Classic overland travel narrative with an important appendix on natural history. The journey made to the mouth of the Coppermine, travelled overland some 5,500 miles with the aid of canoes, during which many of the party died from cold, hunger, or murder. The plates were engraved by Finden, from drawings by Hood and Back.

Rear-Admiral Sir John Franklin (16 April 1786 - 11 June 1847?) was a British Royal Navy officer and explorer of the Arctic. Franklin also served as Lieutenant-Governor of Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania) from 1837 to 1843. He disappeared on his last expedition, attempting to chart and navigate a section of the Northwest Passage in the Canadian Arctic. The icebound ships were abandoned and the entire crew perished from starvation, hypothermia, tuberculosis, lead poisoning and scurvy. The work includes the extensive Appendix on science and natural history.

SIGNED; EVELYN WAUGH - Edmund Campion: Jesuit and Martyr.

Published by Hollis & Carter, London, 1952. Signed and inscribed on the front endpaper from Evelyn Waugh, to the French Novelist, Agnes Chabrier (1914-1981), "For Agnes Chabrier this sadly second hand copy, a memorial of a happy meeting from Evelyn Waugh". The book is further signed and dated on the title page "Evelyn Waugh, SS Antilles, 12th Feb 1962". Bound in the publisher's blue hardcover boards, titled in gilt to the spine. Spine ends a little bumped, light soiling to the board edges. Internally the pages are a little age toned, but generally clean and tight. Jacket unclipped, with a little wear and chipping to the edges. Second edition reprint of the Hollis and Carter of 1947, though first published in 1935. Vg-/Good overall

This book traces the life of St. Campion, an Oxford scholar who became a Jesuit after a pilgrimage to Rome, returned to England to preach in secret, and was eventually captured and martyred. RARE Signed copy

Arthur Evelyn St. John Waugh (28 October 1903 – 10 April 1966) was an English writer of novels, biographies, and travel books; he was also a prolific journalist and book reviewer. His most famous works include the early satires Decline and Fall (1928) and A Handful of Dust (1934), the novel Brideshead Revisited (1945), and the Second World War trilogy Sword of Honour (1952–1961). He is recognised as one of the great prose stylists of the English language in the 20th century

CHARLES DARWIN - On the Origin of the Species (1866) 4th (8 Thou) Early Edition - £2500.00.

Published in London by John Murray, 1866. Fourth edition (completing 8th thousand) of this classic work, which was first published in 1859 in a print run of just 1,250 and considered to be the foundation of evolutionary biology. Includes the original half-title, folding plate, lacking the ads at the end of the volume. First few leaves with slight fraying and creasing to edges, the title page with a short closed tear to fore-edge (into text to verso but without loss), as well as some occasional light spotting, both mainly to peripheral leaves. Recently professionally sympathetically rebound in modern green cloth, though retaining much of the original spine strip. Slight smoky aroma, but generally in Good condition. [Freeman 385 and p.79], 8vo, 1866. Rare early edition of one of the seminal works on natural history.

Darwin's 'Origin' elaborated a proposition that species slowly evolve from common ancestors through the mechanism of natural selection. As he himself expected, Darwin's theory became, and continues to be in some circles, the object of intense controversy (American Philosophical Society). The five years [of Darwin's voyage on the Beagle] were the most important event in Darwin's intellectual life and in the history of biological science. Darwin sailed with no formal training. He returned a hard-headed man of science. The experiences of his five years in the Beagle, how he dealt with them, and what they led to, built up into a process of epoch-making importance in the history of thought (PMM).

A Happy 2024 to you all

Original pen and ink Christmas card design by James Fitton, R.A. (1899-1982) on Royal Academy headed notepaper. Size 8 x 10 inches. James Fitton was a painter, lithographer and theatre set designer, as well as a founding member of the left-wing Artists' International Association. (SOLD)

WILLIAM HEATH: STUDIES FROM THE STAGE OR THE VISCISSITUDES OF LIFE - £1499.99 (SOLD)

Published in London by W Sams, 1823. Very scarce First edition. Wonderful hand coloured title, with 20 hand coloured plates, inclusive of the frontis, each with five to eight sketches per plate, lacking plate seven, (116 of 121 images), with the plates mis-bound. There is some scattered foxing to the pages, a couple of small closed edge tears, but generally in good order, given the 200 years of age. All pages shown. Size oblong 4to (37 x 27cm). Rebound in later half Morocco binding with titles in gilt to the upper board and spine (chipped), though the original marbled half leather binding has been retained and bound in at the back of the volume. Corners worn through. Marbled endpapers. Wonderful cartoon images from William Heath, one of the greatest caricaturists from the golden age of British caricature. Good/None.

One for anyone currently watching the contemporary incarnation of 'The Fall of the House of Usher' by E A Poe on Netflix.

Edgar A (Allan) Poe; Fall of House of Usher (1840 - First UK Printing) Rev Richard Harris Barham (Thomas Ingoldsby) Copy. £500 (SOLD)

Bentley's Miscellany - Volume VIII (8) Published by Richard Bentley, London, 1840. First Edition. Very rare volume, which includes the first UK Publication of Edgar Allen Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher". Also included in this volume is "The Duc de L'Omelette", also by Poe. The pieces were published without Poe's permission, the former originally being published in the US the year previously. From the library of the author Richard Harris Barham, better known as 'Thomas Ingoldsby', with his bookplate to the inner cover. He was best known as being the Author of the 'Ingoldsby Legends, or Mirth and Marvels' stories, some of which are included in this volume. Bound in contemporary half leather with marbled boards, worn to the edges and corners, boards with some scuffing. Banded spine with gilt lining, titled in gilt on morocco to the upper spine. One of the original wraps is bound to the start of the volume. Lacks 8 of the 13 illustrations called for in the plate index. Block tight, though there are some foxing spots to the early and latter pages, as well as the closed edges, some of the outer margins, heavier to the plate pages. Good/None.

The Last of the Mohicans; A Narrative of 1757 by J(ames) Fenimore Cooper (UK First Edition - Complete 3 Volumes) £1500.00

Published by John Miller, London, 1826. First UK Edition, complete in three volumes. Published around a month after the Philadelphia edition of the same year in the US. 287pp, 276pp, 295pp. Quarter bound in leather with marbled boards, light scuffing, leather spines and corners. This was the standard issued binding, for the purchaser to rebind as required. Both boards detached from volume 1, with the outer hinges cracked on the other 2 volumes. Spines scuffed, splitting to v2 horizontally, ends chipped, though the title and volume plates are all present. Internally the blocks are generally in good order, though with some foxing spots and light brown patches, offsetting here and there, but generally in good order. No half titles. The second book of the Leatherstocking Tales, though the only one that most people have heard of, set in 1757 during the French and Indian War (the North American theatre of the Seven Years' War) when France and Great Britain battled for control of North America. The volumes would benefit from being rebound, especially given the rarity of this set. Seldom found as the complete 3 volume set. Good/-

Now here's something you don't see every day. A football, signed for charity, c1987, with the notable signature of Diana, the then Princess of Wales.

Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens - Complete 20 part work in 19. Published in London by Chapman and Hall, between May 1864 and November 1865. True First, 1st Edition in the original 20 parts in 19, complete with 40 wood engraved illustrations by Marcus Stone. Includes the original advertisements and slips, as called for to the front and rear. Bound in the original illustrated wraps, some chipping to the edges, a couple with loss or with front/rear wraps detached, as shown. Spines chipped, with losses. Each part with full page illustrations by Marcus Stone, most with tissue guards still in place. All single issues, apart from the final issue, which covers parts 19 and 20. Unrestored, and rare as the complete set. The last novel completed by Dickens before his death. Each instalment cost one shilling (with the exception of the nineteenth, which was double-length and cost two), and featured 32pp of text. Sales of Our Mutual Friend were 35,000 for the first monthly number, but dropped by 5,000 for the second, the final issue selling just 19,000 copies. £799.99

Winnie The Pooh by A A (Alan Alexander) Milne - Inscribed and Illustrated by E H (Ernest Howard) Shepard. SOLD

Published in London by Methuen, 1930. Tenth edition, originally published in 1926. Bound in green cloth with gilt line border. Gilt vignette of the eponymous bear and Christopher Robin playing with a pop-gun to the front cover, with gilt titles to the spine. Spine ends a little bumped, minor rubbing to the board edges, binding otherwise in remarkably good condition. Map endpapers showing Pooh' s House, Piglet's House, Eeyore's 'Gloomy place', etc. Inscribed on the half title "To Ann from a Lieutenant (RGA) in the belief that she appreciates (Winnie-The Pooh) 4th December 1930". The inscription is in the hand of E H Shepard, who illustrates the book, and who received a commission as a second lieutenant in the Royal Garrison Artillery, an arm of the Royal Artillery. He was assigned to the 105th Siege Battery, which crossed to France in May 1916 and went into action at the Battle of the Somme. Small crease to the lower title page, though a printing issue, with the odd wrinkle to a page, but generally in very good condition internally. Includes the original, unclipped, illustrated dustjacket, showing Pooh stuck in a rabbit hole after eating too much honey. There is a little fading and edgewear, but in very good condition, one of the best examples we have seen on a pre-war Pooh title, in fact. Overall a Vg condition copy of this much loved classis Children's novel, especially rare with the illustrators' inscription.

The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe, With Decorations by T.R.R.P. SOLD

Published in London by Gay and Bird, 1901. First edition (thus) copy of this Gothic Horror classic. Quarter bound in parchment with grey boards, minor marks. Spine ends bumped, less so to the board corners. Endpapers toned. Block edges untrimmed, top edge gilt. Elaborately illustrated and decorated by the artist 'T. R. R. P.' with a striking font printed within intricate woodcut border designs. The Initial letters of each verse presented in relief within bright red squares. Full-page woodcut illustration in B/W at the beginning and at the final verse. Each verse is printed on a single side of each page and on the verso of each is the verse number with a vignette decoration. 8vo. ff. [2], 18, [1]. Printed on watermarked paper of Superior Bath Vellum. Overall a nice copy of this rare title.

Star Maker by Olaf Stapledon.
Published by Methuen & Company, London, 1937. FIRST EDITION of this scarce Science Fiction Novel. Bound in the original illustrated wraps by Bip Pares, worn and creased, loss to the spine ends, with the covers detached from the block. Block is generally in good order, save for a few stray foxing spots. Would benefit from being rebound, given the books' rarity. Arthur C. Clarke considered this work as 'the most powerful work of imagination ever written', and Brian W. Aldiss termed it 'the one great grey holy book of science fiction'. The book describes a history of life in the universe, dwarfing in scale Stapledon's previous book, Last and First Men (1930), a history of the human species over two billion years. Star Maker tackles philosophical themes such as the essence of life, of birth, decay and death, and the relationship between creation and creator. A pervading theme is that of progressive unity within and between different civilizations.

This must be one of the most unfortunate author's name ever. I wouldn't have wanted to be him at School.....

Caledonia Illustrated in a Series of Views Taken Expressly for the Work, by W.H. Bartlett, T. Allom, and others; The Descriptive Text by William Beattie, M. D. (Titled 'Scotland Illustrated' on the engraved title page). **SOLD**

William Beattie, M. D., W.H. Bartlett, T. Allom, and others.

Published by George Virtue & Co, London and New York, 1840. New Edition. Complete in 2 volumes - Both volumes contain many very attractive engraved illustrations of Scottish scenes. Volume 1. [x], [1], 2-200pp. Folding map, vignette title page and 73 plates. Volume 2. [vi], [1], 2-172pp. Frontis, vignette title page and a further 94 engraved plates. Some water staining to a few of the plates. Size 4to. Bound in full contemporary reverse calf, well worn, with volume 1 rebacked in calf (though not recent). Spine title plates with chipping. Inner hinges appear to have been repaired at some point, with the front endpaper rebacked. Heavy set at 4kg. £130 + Postage - POA

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C S (Clive Staples) Lewis. FIRST EDITION - £1499.99.

Published by Geoffrey Bles, London, 1952 (Undated, though with no subsequent printings noted). Bound in the original publisher's hardcover blue boards, titled in silver to the spine. Spine ends with a little bumping, light toning to the spine and boards, but binding otherwise in good condition. Internally there is a light age toning to the pages, small corner tear (not affecting text) a few foxing spots here and there, mainly to the endpapers and prelims pages. Map endpapers. Previous owner's inscription opposite the half title dated 1955, but generally clean and tight. Wonderfully Illustrated throughout by Pauline Baynes. Jacket clipped, age toned, some losses to the spin ends and edges. Good/Fair overall. Scarce Children's novel in the 'Chronicles of Narnia' fantasy series which started with 'The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.'

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is a high fantasy novel for children by C. S. Lewis, published by Geoffrey Bles in 1952. It was the third published of seven novels in The Chronicles of Narnia (1950–1956). Macmillan US published an American edition within the calendar year. with substantial revisions that were retained in the United States until 1994. It is volume five in recent editions, which are sequenced according to the novels' internal chronology. Like the other Chronicles of Narnia, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader was illustrated by Pauline Baynes, and her work has been retained in many later editions.

In the novel, Edmund and Lucy Pevensie (along with their cousin Eustace Scrubb) are taken out of this world into the enchanted land of Narnia. They are reunited with the Pevensies' friend, King Caspian X of Narnia, aboard Caspian's ship, the Dawn Treader. Caspian has vowed to sail east across the Great Eastern Ocean for a year and a day to find the seven lost Lords of Narnia.

Lewis dedicated the book to Geoffrey Corbett. Corbett, who later changed his name to Jeffrey Barfield, is the adopted son of Owen Barfield, a friend of Lewis's.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader has been adapted and filmed as four episodes of a BBC television series in 1989 and as a feature film in 2010.

Wishing all our customers a Wonderful New Year.

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STEPHAN LOCHNER: GEBETBUCH 1451

Published in Germany by Coron-Verlag, Lachen Am Zurich See, Verlag Muller und Schindler Stuttgart. Number 1403 of a Limited edition of 1995 copies. Facsimile of manuscript 70 held at the Hessian State University Library, Darnstadt, recreated in the original format down to the last detail of the original from the 15th century copy. 12mo. Bound in blind stamped leather, matching the original, with 4 raised bands, 2 brass clasps, both in good order. 57 gold-decorated initials with figures on 457pp. Small 8° (12 x 9.5 cm) Includes and accompanying commentary volume by Eberhard Konig in faux vellum binding with titles in gilt. Wonderful condition. This splendid 470-page manuscript originated in Cologne and was probably a collaboration with Lochner’s workshop at the behest of an aristocratic family from Cologne. It is supposed that they may have been a branch of the Hadenrather or Judden families. Weighty at around 3kg packed.

Stefan Lochner (the Dombild Master or Master Stefan; c. 1410 – late 1451) was a German painter working in the late International Gothic period. His paintings combine that era's tendency toward long flowing lines and brilliant colours with the realism, virtuoso surface textures and innovative iconography of the early Northern Renaissance. Based in Cologne, a commercial and artistic hub of northern Europe, Lochner was one of the most important German painters before Albrecht Dürer. Extant works include single-panel oil paintings, devotional polyptychs and illuminated manuscripts, which often feature fanciful and blue-winged angels. Today some thirty-seven individual panels are attributed to him with confidence.