P.G. Ruskin & Company LLC Books

PRESENTING AN EXTREMELY RARE FIRST US EDITION hardback copy of “Enquiry Concerning Political Justice and Its Influence on Morals and Happiness by William Godwin, First American from ...

A truly comprehensive and laser-focused examination of a really wonderful, expressive art form. Understanding caricature offers artists, aspiring artists, students, journalists, bloggers, etc... a lively guide to an old and respected art form. A great caricature is one that not only captures the subject's look and personality but amplifies them significantly. They are almost always funny and very often (but not always) mean spirited. Eyes, ears, nose, mouth, hairline, cheeks, eyebrows, teeth, chin: There’s no facial feature (or any other body part, for that matter) that can escape the sardonic scrutiny of caricaturist and illustrator Greg Houston. But though he cleverly twists, exaggerates, and distorts each subject’s image, he always makes sure the person remains recognizable—an absolute must for successful caricature. Whether on assignment or simply drawing for his own perverse pleasure, Houston loves skewering the high and mighty—movie stars, moguls, politicians, and assorted other VIPs—especially when they misbehave. Caricature, says Houston, is a very sharp weapon for the powerless to use against the powerful, and he can teach you to wield it, too. After defining caricature, differentiating it from other forms of portraiture, and delving into its centuries-long history, Houston gets down to the nitty-gritty of how to do it. He focuses sequentially on the face, the hair, the body, and what he calls “accoutrements”—distinctive items of clothing that help viewers immediately identify celebrities. You yourself will learn to poke artistic fun at the famous through a series of demonstrations that let you follow Houston as he constructs caricatures of Jake Gyllenhaal, Masie Williams, Dwayne Johnson...

4 Volumes. Cervantes, Don Quixote. Bound in full red morocco. Top edges gilt. Gilt-tooling on the covers and raised band spines. Embellished with engravings from pictures painted by ...

Pocket globe London, between 1775 and 1798 Re-edition of the globe of Hermann Moll (1678-1732) dated 1719 The globe is contained in its original case, which itself is covered in shark skin. There are slight gaps in the original paint on the sphere. The case no longer closes. The sphere measures 2.7 in (7 cm) in diameter whereas the case measures 2.9 in (7.4 cm) in diameter. lb 0.22 (kg 0.1) The globe is made up of twelve printed paper gores aligned and glued to the sphere. In the North Pacific Ocean there is a cartouche with the inscription: A Correct Globe with the new Discoveries. The celestial globe is depicted on the inside of the box and is divided into two hemispheres with the cartouche: A correct globe with ye new cons relations of Dr. Halley & c. It shows the ecliptic divided into the days of the zodiacal calendar and the constellations represented as animals and mythological figures. On the globe are delineated the equinoctial line, divided by degrees and hours, the ecliptic and the meridian (passing west of Greenwich). The continents are shaded and outlined in pink, green and yellow. It shows: the Cook routes; a wind rose in the Southern Indian Ocean; Antarctica without land; Africa with Negroland (Hermann Moll is considered the first geographer to name the West African region in his 1727 map. (Encyclopaedia Britannica, ed. 1902, under "States of Central Africa"); Tartary in Central Asia; the Mogul kingdom in northern India; in North America only New England, Virginia, Carolina, Florida, Mississippi are identified; California is already a peninsula; the northwest coast of America is "unknown parts" (Alaska is not described and it is only partially delineated, it was to become part of the United States in 1867); Mexico is named "Spain"; Central South America "Amazone America". Australia (which was to be so named after 1829) is called New Holland. The route of Admiral Anson is traced (1740) and the trade winds are indicated by arrows. (See Van der Krogt, P., Old Globes in the Netherlands, Utrecht 1984, p. 146 and Van der Krogt, P. - Dekker, E., Globes from the Western World, London 1993, pp. 115.) Elly Dekker, comparing Moll’s 1719 globe and his re-edition (of which the one described above is a sample), identifies the differences between them: the two editions are quite similar to each other, but in the "anonymous" globe, compared to the previous globe of 1719, California looks like a proper peninsula - the reports of the Spanish explorers of the region had given rise to uncertainty over whether it was connected to the mainland or not. The geographical nature of California was confirmed after the explorations of Juan Bautista de Anza (1774-1776). The routes of Dampier's journey were partially erased and the route of Captain James Cook's first voyage was superimposed on them, and the geography of Australasia was adapted accordingly, including the denomination of the Cook Strait. See Dekker, Elly, Globes at Greenwich, 1999. An important ante quem element is represented by Tasmania: it is not separated from Australia by the Bass Strait...

Fiske, John. The American Revolution. Boston and New York: Houghton, Mifflin and Company, 1901. In two volumes. Reprint ("Twenty seventh thousand"). 8vo. Three-quarter tan calf, blin...

An invitation into the endlessly inspiring and unique celebrations of the iconic tastemaker and hostess, this elegant entertaining book reveals how to bring beauty, style, and joy in...

Sotheby's New York: Property From the Collections of Lily & Edmond J. Safra Volume III, November 4, 2005. First Edition softcover catalogue on European Furniture and Fine & Decorativ...

Great Georgian Houses of America; Volumes 1 & 2 by Architects Emergency Committee, William Bottomley chair. Dover Publications, Inc., 1970. First Edi...

2 Volumes. Epictetus. The Discourses. Translated by George Long. Bound in full brown morocco, gilt on covers and spines, raised bands, top edges gilt. Published: London: George Bell ...

New York Nude, a photographic essay by Charles R. Collum. NY: Watson-Guptill publications. First edition hardcover with dust jacket, 1981. 128 pp. A collection of nude portraits capt...

3 Volumes. John Ruskin, The Stones of Venice. Second Edition. Bound in full brown morocco with the covers and raised band spines displaying gilt-tooling. All edges gilt with gilt-too...

2 Volumes. The Discourses of Epictetus, translated by George Long. Bound in 3/4 tan morocco with linen boards. Gilt tooling on the raised band spines. Top edges gilt. Marbled endpape...