New Arrivals

Southport: Angus Downie, 1956. First edition. 8ov. 200 pp. Printed by Merseyside Press Ltd. Absent dustjacket.

A truly scarce and true first edition of Kavan’s A Scarcity of Love. Published just after the midpoint of her career and following the financial failure of her novel Sleep Has His House, which saw her dropped by her Doubleday in the United States. Struggling to find a publisher Kavan paid Angus Downie to print only 500 copies, the majority of which were pulped after Downie went bankrupt. In the early 1970s, Peter Owen, after seeing success with her novel Ice, republished A Scarcity of Love alongside much of her bibliography. Unfortunately Kavan did not live to see much of this resurgence in her career as she passed away from heart failure in 1968.

A Scarcity of Love, despite its relative obscurity, is a wonderful example of the Kavanian style, combining semi-autobiographical work with haunting, dreamlike imagery. The novel follows the downward spiral a young girl finds herself in after being rejected by her cruel mother.

Black cloth board with gold text on spine. Slight lean to spine, with very small amount of wear to top and bottom. Very faint scratch to cover. Slight inward bend to top right corner. Very slight staining to top right corner pages. Slight inward bend to bottom back left corner. Small label from bookseller (Little Stour Books) on fixed end page. Despite the lack of dustjacket, this is an extremely scarce first edition in near very good condition.

London: Peter Owen, 1958. First edition hardback. 128pp, last two pages blank. 8vo.

An “anthology of current trends in Literature” edited by the publishers Wendy and Peter Owen. This collection includes work by well-known writers such as Anna Kavan, rarely anthologised, as well as Muriel Spark and Stevie Smith. The Kavan story collected here was also published in the book A Bright Green Field and Other Stories, which Peter Owen also published in 1958. The purpose of this book was to showcase the range of contemporary literature that Peter Owen were releasing.

Yellow leather binding. Yellow dustjacket, faded on spine. Unclipped flaps. Very good copy.

Paris: 1884-1931. Printed album, with botanic specimen samples pasted in throughout, hand-labelled with “Famille”, “genre,” “espèce,” as well as dates and places collected. Large 4to. i, 2-12, 32 specimen pages, interleaved with card pages to protect specimens.

This album was published and printed blank by Michel Engel, and includes an introduction (in French) explaining how to use this volume. This copy was likely filled out in a woman’s hand, although their identity is unknown. Some specimens use repurposed commercial labels including “Creme de Beaute”. The samples and labelling range from the tidy student’s hand of earlier samples to pencil written looser hand of the later samples, providing something almost like a narrative in botany.

Bound in brown cloth lettered black at front.

Cloth cover stained slightly and split showing internal binding on left edge and smaller split on bottom edge. Spine stained. Back cover stained at bottom. Slight lean to spine. Contents tattered due to being actively used as an album for many years.

New Bedford: 1849. Folio (160 x 210 mm), 60 leaves, 58 with specimens mounted on white card with handwritten paper labels slipped into mount below each. Some specimens include multiple species with identifications or have tentative identifications. Full brown calf with gilt title to spine label and raised bands. Double-ruled border with botanical tooling at corners. Slightly bowed and some wear with peeling to calf at edges. In very good condition. Gift inscription, date, and location in a neat calligraphic hand on the ffep. 

A full album containing colourful seaweed specimens collected and mounted with purpose, precision, some decorative flair and interest in science. One specimen is in the shape of a cross, the rest are mounted with care to demonstrate the structure of each example with best effort made to label each specimen with its binomial name in Latin. 

The album was created by Quaker merchant Edward Wing Howland and his second wife Gulielma (Ellison) Howland and sent as a gift to Edward's older sister Susan (Howland) Howland while she was traveling and preaching in Ireland accompanied by her husband George Howland. The Howlands were part of a large, interconnected, and prominent New England family.

Having come over from England, seaweed collecting was becoming more popular by the 1840s in New England. At this time the anti-slavery movement was in full swing and many Quakers were involved in the cause. Seaweed albums and collections were a feature of anti-slavery bazaars organised to raise money for the movement [Jao]. Christine Jao has argued that seaweed albums were used in anti-slavery circles “to shift the Atlantic Ocean from a place of violence and separation into a space of witnessing and connection”, and that mounting seaweed in albums with care and precision emphasised helped illustrate “godly design”.

Although we do not have specific evidence of the Howlands' view of abolition and the anti-slavery movement, George Howland is directly referenced in Frederick Douglass’s memoir as “a man of great industry; a hard driver, but a good pay-master.” Douglass worked on Howland’s whaling ships and he noted that he ”got on well with” Howland [Douglass, p 256]. And the Howland’s house at 245 Walnut Street is now part of New Bedford’s Abolition Row historic district, associated with the Underground Railroad.

It is possible that Edward and Gulielma Howland were inspired to create their album by seeing other sea-weed albums at Anti-Slavery events. Accompanying the album is a letter from Edward and Gulielma to Susan encouraging her to give the album away. Their Quaker linguistic traditions are clearly marked, stating "thee is at liberty to present them [the mosses] from thyself to any one of thy many kind friends, whom thee has met with in that far distant land." 

Edward and Gulielma also describe harvesting the seaweed during winter wanderings on the shore near Bay View, their home at Clarks Point; the letter shows their spiritual association with nature and the sea:

“These winter specimens of Ocean Mosses which we have procured from our own Shore; gathering them from the foaming surge as it came rolling in; their little fibres often stiffened by the floating ice, yet still retaining that delicacy of color + completeness of finish, which pertaining only to the works of an Almighty God, who made all things perfect.”

Susan, a married mother of fourteen children, was a prominent Quaker preacher. She and George sailed for Liverpool, England in August 1848 for a European tour. Her itinerary was noted in the Quaker press; it included attending Yearly Meetings of the British Quakers in London and Ireland. She arrived in Ireland in February 1849. The gift inscription on the flyleaf of the album is to “May Malcomson / From her Attached Friends / George & Susan Howland / New Bedford / Massachusetts / North America.” The date of 1849 has been added in a different ink and different hand, possibly at a later date. Mary “May” (Fennell) Malcomson was part of a wealthy Quaker family in Clonmel, co. Tipperary, Ireland. 

A remarkable survival of amateur science in an anti-slavery era, and a unique early transatlantic example of scientific - and religious - exchange.

Sources:

Frederick Douglass, Life and Times of Frederick Douglass: from 1817 to 1882.

William M. Emery, The Howland Heirs, E. Anthony & Sons, 1919. 

Charline Jao, Flowers of the Sea: https://commonplace.online/article/flowers-of-the-sea/ 

Anne Louro, Preliminary Study Report, Proposed Abolition Row Local Historic District

London: Darton and Co., not dated. Octavo. 170 x 104 mm. xvii, 158pp (20). Externally smart with a little rubbing and bumping to the extremities. Tear to cloth at top. Spine slightly faded with a few marks to boards. Small splits in the cloth to the head of the spine. Front hinge just starting but firm. Internally, firmly bound. Pages are very bright with the odd small spot. Light spotting to the endpapers with minor age toning.

A striking second edition of this illustrated study of algology originally published in 1848. With a colour frontispiece and colour vignette to the title page and tissue guard between. Ten plates, five hand-coloured. Striped brown moire covered boards with variegated black horizontal stripes and stamped decorative framing and gilt marine illustration at center. 20 pages of adverts at rear.

Marine Botanist is an early book on the study of algology, written by Isabella Gifford, a Welsh-born botanist and algaeologist. Like many women science writers of the Victorian era, Gifford aimed to make the topic as accessible as possible, as she herself is believed to have been largely self-taught. She explains in her preface “The object of this little Work is to afford to those who are desirous of studying the Marine Algae short and scientific descriptions of the commonest kinds, given in as simple words as possible.” She credits Dr. William Henry Harvey’s work of the same year, “Manual of the British Algae” as a source as well as Dr Robert Kaye Greville’s work alongside her own discoveries. Gifford’s work was recognized in her lifetime, and this title was well-received upon publication, and some of the seaweed samples she collected are housed at the Bolton Museum and St Andrews University. A lovely copy.

London; The Hogarth Press, 1934. 8vo., pale green cloth lettered in darker green to spine; front endpaper map showing the Island of Storn; together in the pictorial dustwrapper, both drawn by Ben Nicolson; the front panel showing a photograph of a seagull; pp. [x], 11-317, [i]; a very good copy, lightly spotted to edges, with previous ownership inscription in ink to the front free endpaper; the very good dustwrapper with some overall shelfwear and darkening; lightly nicked and chipped to edges, particularly head and foot of spine and folds; one closed tear to the lower panel (3.5cm approx.).

First UK edition.

Written in the stream-of-consciousness style which had at the time been popularised by Sackville-West’s friend, companion and lover Virginia Woolf, The Dark Island was the author’s ninth novel. Highly experimental in style, the plot follows protagonist Shirin, who marries the owner of ‘The Dark Island’, Storn, and follows her through a period of four decades in her life; sixteen, twenty-six, thirty-six , and forty-six. In many ways semi-autobiographical, the character of the protagonist mirrors Sackville-West’s own strength of character, love of place bordering on obsession (Shirin with the island, Sackvile-West with her beloved Sissinghurst), and the complex nature of their marriages. The wrapper and endpaper map is provided by the author’s son, Benedict, who was at the time 20 years old.

Scarce in the dustwrapper.

London: Hutchinson & Co., 1984. 1st UK edition thus. Large 8vo.

A collection of over 500 letters between the two writers, who were friends, lovers and confidants over a period of some 20 years. Presented in a narrative framework with Woolf’s replies, the collection here is an epistolary memoir which illuminates their fascinating and deeply moving relationship.

Black boards lettered in silver to backstrip with publisher’s device to foot; together in the unclipped black, white and red printed dustwrapper (£12.95 net); pp. [v], 6-473, [vii]; near-fine, a couple of white stains to upper board and lightly compressed to spine tips; upper edge with some red marking; previous owner’s Ex Libris to ffep; the wrapper lightly shelf worn and creased; evidence of a price sticker being removed from the front panel. 

London: The Bodely Head, 1949. First edition hardback, with introduction by Vita Sackville-West. 208pp, 8vo.

Edward Hyams was an essayist and translator with a passion for gardening. Over his life he produced over ninety books on a variety of topics, though gardening and horticulture was a topic frequently returned to.

Green cloth board with gold design on cover and spine. Spine leaning slightly. Edges of board a little discoloured. Dustjacket worn at edges and especially in bottom left corner. Spine faded from original orange. 1cm open tear to top of back dustjacket, closed tear to bottom.

London: Michael Joseph, 1969.

8vo., red publisher’s boards lettered in gilt to spine with publisher’s device to foot; in the unclipped red, black and white dustwrapper (unclipped, £2.50 to front flap) designed by Peter Brooks; pp. [vii], 8-344; with black and white photographic frontis showing Jeanne d’Arc’s birthplace at Domremy; spine a touch rolled and pushed with a little bowing the boards; previous owner’s inscription to ffep; with some spot marks to the upper right hand corner of prelims; the wrapper with some associate spotting and dampstaining; a very good copy. 

Second impression of the revised edition, originally published in 1936. 

The first full-length biography by Vita Sackville-West, who was at the time living at Sissinghurst Castle and devoting much of her time to historical research. A second biography, Pepita, concerning the author’s grandmother, was also published around this time. Here, Sackville-West provides extensive background on the hundred years war, and insights into medieval French politics, before tracing the life of the Saint from her humble origins as a shepherd girl, to her murder as a heretic and subsequent canonisation in 1920. An elegant and intruiging work.

Bloomsbury: The Hogarth Press, 1965. First edition, with preface by Jean Guiget. 160pp, 8vo.

Collection of Woolf’s non-fiction writing on her contemporary peers, primarily reviews of books published first in magazines and periodicals.

Brown cloth binding shows only the slightest wear on top edge of spine. In near fine condition. Dust jacket is slightly soiled, but has no other faults. Over all near fine.

London: Constable, 1981. First edition hardback. 205pp, last page bllank. 8vo.

Biography of novelist and socialite Violet Trefusis, written in the aftermath of revelations about her personal life in the 1970s - namely that she had a lengthy affair with Vita Sackville-West, which was put to a halt after her parents forced her to marry a cavalry officer. 

Grey cloth board with gold text on spine. Dustjacket like new, showing a portrait of younger Trefusis on the front and a picture of an older Trefusis on the back. A number of black and white photographs throughout.

London: Michael Joseph, 1950.

First edition thus. Hardcover. 73pp, last three oages blank. 8vo. 

Illustrated edition of Sackville-West’s essay on the nursery rhyme and what it might reveal about English history. Illustrated by Phillipe Julian.

Yellow cloth board with red text design on cover and spine. Lean to spine. 2cm closed tear to dustjacket. Open tear to dustjacket spine at the top. Chip to back of dustjacket. Toning to endpapers from dustjacket. Owner inscription to front endpapers.

London: The Dropmore Press, 1947.

Large 8vo., blue cloth embossed with device in gilt to upper board; lettered in gilt to backstrip with rules in blind to head and foot; with decorative gilt turn-ins; title page in pink and black; with pink initial letter to p. [vii]; in both the original wrapper, duplicating the cover design and printed in blue on textured paper; and in the card slipcase (as often, missing the backstrip); outer edges untrimmed; pp. [vii], 2-66, [iv]; a lovely, clean copy; lightly compressed to spine ends; previous evidence of owner’s inscriptions removed from ffep; the jacket clean and bright, slightly darkened and creased to folds and spine with a couple of small spots to lower panel and some nicking and chipping to spine tips; the slipcase lightly browned, spotted, and bumped at corners, has done an excellent job of preserving the book and jacket beneath. 

First, limited edition, number 68 of 550 copies printed. The fourth book in a series entitled the ‘Dropmore Essays’, printed by hand press on paper handmade by Portals of Whitechurch and bound by Evans of Croydon. The book is dedicated to ‘Anna’ (Macmillan), the author’s secretary and lover. 

A humorous essays on the origins and nature of nursery rhymes, in which the author argues for the historical and contextual importance of childhood verses. “Coleridge had a proper appreciation of the preposterous, astounding, yet entirely acceptable propositions which go to make up the thaumaturgy of the nursery” she begins. “No one lacking that appreciation is advised to read any further in this essay.” Over the course of some 66 pages, Sackville-West delves into antiquarian explanations concerning the origins of nursery rhymes, sometimes poking fun at their supposed significance. 

As one review puts it, "Miss Sackville-West's inquiry is often conjectural but always entertaining, and she knows the magic that sometimes brings the nonsense of the nursery song near to pure poetry". (Manchester Guardian, 28 October 1947). 

A lovely copy of an increasingly scarce work, later published in a trade edition with illustrations by Philippe Jullian.

Ashcroft: Ash Tree Press, 2010.

Signed limited edition hardback, limited to 400 copies. 255pp, last two pages blank, 8vo. Introduction by legendary anthologist Stephen Jones.

Planned as Volume One of a two-part collection of Tuttle’s ghost and horror stories by specialist publisher Ash Tree Press, although Volume Two has not appeared. Collected here is every piece of ‘supernatural’ short fiction by the author from 1972 to 1985, including almost every story from her classic collection A Nest of Nightmares. Highlights of this remarkable run of stories include Dollburger, The Horse Lord and The Other Mother, which has an nightmarish opening sentence and only gets better from there: “Across the lake, on the other shore, something moved: pale-white, glimmering. Tall as a person.”

Striking glossy dustjacket with illustration by Jason Zerillo. Maroon cloth board with gilt silver lettering on spine. Like new.

London: Bloomsbury, 2006.

Uncorrected promotional pamphlet, including postcard. Numbered 81 of 1100. 50pp, 8vo. Illustrated by Charles Vess.

Containing an in-fiction introduction by “Professor James Sutherland” and the title story from the full collection, this short limited edition teaser was sent to readers ahead of the publication of Clarke’s follow-up to her modern classic Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. The illustrated postcard included with this book invites the reader to “Return to the world of English magic” that was introduced in that earlier novel.

Bottom corner of back cover has corrected bend. Cover and back cover are a scan of the final book’s clothbound edition. This is a scarce curio in near fine condition.

London: Severn House, 1987.

Signed first edition hardback. 218pp, last three pages blank. 

After making an impression on the genre scene with horror books A Nest of Nightmares and Familiar Spirit, as well as her George R. R. Martin collaboration Windhaven, Tuttle wrote this slim, deeply eerie novel following a young woman who becomes convinced that her deceased husband has returned to her in the form of a small boy named Ben. An unconventional ghost story, Gabriel is of a piece with Tuttle’s later short novels such as The Pillow Friend and My Death; utilising the horror form to plumb the depths of the female psyche. From the opening page: “His name was Gabriel Archer, and he was my husband for eleven months. He died at twenty-three, a few days before my nineteenth birthday. Ten years later, on my twenty-ninth birthday, he came back to haunt me.”

Dustjacket has slight wear to some corners and edges. Black cloth board with gold lettering to spine. Bottom right corner of top of board slightly bent inwards. Author signature on title page. Near fine.

London: Harrap, 1988.

First edition hardback, signed by Lisa Tuttle. 224pp, last eight pages blank, 8vo. 

Book of interviews introduced and curated by feminist genre author Lisa Tuttle, featuring interviews with a range of influential feminist figures from the 1980s including novelist Elizabeth Jane Howard, actress Judi Dench, Second World War nursing volunteer Sue Ryder and controversial writer Germaine Greer. Tuttle interviews each figure about the women who inspired them, making this a useful chronicle of late-80s feminist thinking. Dench discusses being taught acting at a Quaker school as a girl by Kay Macdonald/Joy Harvey, and Elizabeth Jane Howard talks about silent film star Lady Diana Cooper.

Blue dustjacket with the black and white photographs of some of the ‘heroines’ mentioned by interview subject. Red cloth board and gold lettering on spine. Like new.

London: Severn House, 1987.

Signed, limited edition first UK edition hardback. Numbered 5 of 50. 218pp, last three pages blank, 8vo.

Front endpiece reads “This is one of a special limited edition of fifty copies only, produced exclusively for the Andromeda Bookshop”. After making an impression on the genre scene with horror books A Nest of Nightmares and Familiar Spirit, as well as her George R. R. Martin collaboration Windhaven, Tuttle wrote this slim, deeply eerie novel following a young woman who becomes convinced that her deceased husband has returned to her in the form of a small boy named Ben. An unconventional ghost story, Gabriel is of a piece with Tuttle’s later short novels such as The Pillow Friend and My Death; utilising the horror form to plumb the depths of the female psyche. From the opening page: “His name was Gabriel Archer, and he was my husband for eleven months. He died at twenty-three, a few days before my nineteenth birthday. Ten years later, on my twenty-ninth birthday, he came back to haunt me.”

Glossy dustjacket features a colour illustration on the cover and a short list of “Further Horror Fiction From Severn House” on the back. Back of dustjacket has some light scratches. Blue leather binding, specific to this limited edition, with gold lettering on spine. A fine copy.

Wales: Sarob Press, 2002.

‘Deluxe’ edition limited to 52 signed by the author, this copy number 8. Includes handsome black slipcase. 152pp, last five pages blank, 8vo.

Cover and interior feature illustrations by prolific ghost story artist Paul Lowe. The cover illustration is for the short story Mr. Elphinstone’s Hands, one of the highlights of this collection - a story of a Victorian girl gifted (or cursed) with a poison touch. The stories that appear here were all written during the 1980s and 1990s and are excellent examples of the form, walking a line between contemporary anxieties and classical stylings. Tuttle describes, in the collection’s blurb, these as “stories about strange relationships with ghosts, with lovers, and with ghostly lovers,” and in the introduction she directly cites her influences: Shirley Jackson, Robert Aickman, M.R. James. Other tales collected here include Manskin, Womanskin, Haunts and The Walled Garden.

Slipcase is black cloth. Glossy dustjacket features full illustration. Shiny black cloth board with silver lettering on spine. Copy number and author signature on special inset title page. Scarce. Like new.