Highlights
Each year our exhibitors bring rare, beautiful and unusual items for sale.
Here are a sample of the wide range of printed materials that were available at the 2024 Fair. If you are interested in these, please contact the exhibitor, they may still be available
2025 Highlights will be posted in June 2025
Prologue to Genesis with an Ouroboros in the illuminated initial. Paris, c.1250.
$1785
The initial ‘D’ is formed from an “ouroboros” - a circular symbol that depicts a snake or dragon devouring its own tail, representing the eternal cycle of destruction and rebirth. A bar border of Illuminations extends from the initial to the top of the page.
Condition: This 770 year old leaf is very good/excellent condition. The script shows no ink loss and the illuminations retain vibrant colours. There is slight darkening of the vellum and a dozen of so small worm holes.
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Songs of Central Australia
$6550
STREHLOW, T.G.H. Songs of Central Australia. Sydney, Angus and Robertson, 1971. 4to, liv+776 pp. Colour frontispiece, musical notations, large folding colour map in rear pocket. Original boards in dustwrapper (minimally rubbed at head of backstrip). A near fine copy. One of only 500 copies printed, "The Author has set out on a task never before attempted...the analysis of Aboriginal songs as a fully-developed oral literature".
The Doors of Perception
$750
HUXLEY, Aldous.
The Doors of Perception
London: Chatto and Windus, 1954. First U.K. Edition. Hardcover : pp. [4] 5-62 [64] : blue cloth boards lettered in gilt to spine : price clipped jacket designed by John Woodcock. Small closed tear (5mm) to head of top cover; price clipped; some offsetting to the e.p.s; some foxing to the edges of the block. Very good in very good dust-jacket. Huxley's controversial essay based on his psychedelic mescalin experience. (14319)
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Dudley’s original manuscript manual for the use and instruction of the officers of the Tuscan fleet
$951500
The only known manuscript example of any part of Robert Dudley’s magnum opus, ‘Dell’arcano del mare’ held in private hands. An astonishing survival: a working manuscript, seemingly specifically assembled for the eyes and instruction of the officers of the Tuscan Navy, the Knights of St. Stefano, rather than for a public audience. This suggestion is borne out by the wording of the first title for the work that Dudley has crossed out: ‘Compendio del Direttorio Marittimo: Il pr[im]o Tomo e intilato , Supplemento della Navigare. Nel pr[im]o libro si discorre dell ‘arte, piu Curiosa di Navigare.
Chinae olim Sinarum regionis, nova descriptio. Auctore Ludouico Georgio.
$7950
Early edition (1587) of the earliest printed map to focus solely on China, and the first to illustrate the Great Wall.
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WOMEN'S FREEDOM LEAGUE. Birthday Book. Glasgow: [printed by Gilmour & Lawrence Printers for] Women's Freedom League Suffrage Centre, [c.1910]
An uncommon women's suffrage birthday book, published to fundraise for the Scottish Council of the Women's Freedom League, compiled by Eunice Murray, future president of the WFL in Scotland and the first Scotswoman to stand for parliament. It comprises contributions from a number of significant Scottish suffragettes including Helen Fraser, Alexia Jack, and Anna Munro.
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Par Voltaire, Siècles de Louis XIV et de Louis XV
$450
A nice set, published by Pierre Didot, Paris 1803, 3 Vols. 32mo. Buff leather spine, with Pink insert title and green volume with gilt letters, and various gilt decorations, boards marbled, endpapers marbled, edges yellow, owners ex libris Viet Valentin. Good-very good condition, silk bookmarks intact. Tom 1- II, 245pp lightly foxed, Tom III-IV 262pp edges lightly worn, interior bright with minimal marks, Tom V-VI 336pp light wear, inside bright.
Samuel Johnson: A Dictionary of the English Language
$18000
First edition of one of the landmark works of the English language.
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La Nuova Olanda e la Nuova Guinea delineato sulle ultime osservazioni
$9250
Very rare and important c.18th map of Australia based on Cook’s first voyage observations and one of only a handful of maps to be solely devoted to the Australia continent.
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The Du Poissey Anecdotes
$885
Hugh McCrae. The Du Poissey Anecdotes
An inscribed presentation copy to his father with pages of manuscript
Dawn The Worlds of Final Fantasy by Yoshitaka Amano
$130
A very good hardback copy of the artwork that inspired the designs of the Final Fantasy games.
Image Large Format Photo of Sumo Wreslers and Gyoji
$1100
by Raimund von Stillfried
Impressive, large format, hand-coloured, albumen photo of four Japanese sumo wrestlers in their kesho-mawashi along with a refereee (gyoji). This wrestler second front left is also in an individual photo by Stillfried.
[Yokohama]. Raimund von Stillfried. c1875. 24.9 x 19cm.
In very good condition with only minor age wear. Mounted on card.
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