Paper Books

The definitive book on the legendary decorator Billy Baldwin, known as the "Dean of American Decorating," famous for his classical taste, streamlined modernism, and brilliant use of colour. In the tradition of Rizzoli’s Albert Hadley and David Hicks, this is the first fully illustrated account of the career of Billy Baldwin (1903–1983), one of the most important decorators of the twentieth century, whose work has influenced contemporary designers from Bunny Williams to Jeffrey Bilhuber. A native of Baltimore, Baldwin’s work caught the eye of eminent New York decorator Ruby Ross Wood. She invited him to join her firm, saying his work stood out "like a beacon of light in the boredom of the houses around it." Baldwin’s style was a revelation—simultaneously classical and modernist, tailored and clean, yet dramatically coloured, and above all American. An enemy of clutter and conspicuous wealth, he favoured natural materials and comfortable furniture. The drama in his rooms often came from colour, as seen in the dark brown lacquered walls of Cole Porter’s library or the scarlet cotton print that covered Diana Vreeland’s apartment. Immensely charming, Baldwin was a popular addition to the high society of New York. His clients included Bill and Deeda Blair, Babe and Bill Paley...

A beautiful limited edition set of the complete works of Edgar Allan Poe, illustrated with ten plates to each volume, and signed by the publisher. The Arnheim Edition of Poe's works...

A set of eight antique French books. These books can beautifully decorate your bookcase or office. The leather spines with gold print are in good ...

Lifting the Curtain on Design Hardcover 2010 by Vicente Wolf. Simplify, Connect, Expand. These principles, each fundamental to the practice of design, provide the framework for inter...

Des Bouvrie: Architecture Interieur Hardcover Book by Jan des Bouvrie and Monique des Bouvrie 2015.Every once in a while a design firm charts a course that is truly memorable, a dire...

The Face in the Pool: A Faerie Tale by J. Allen St. John, also illustrated by the author. A. C. Mcclurg & Co., Chicago, 1905. James Allen St. John (1872-1957) was an American author...

by Maurice Dufrene The dramatic 1925 Paris Expositions des Arts Decoratifs heralded the emergence of the Art Deco movement as a great decorative style. The High Quality photographs i...

Indisputably the grande dame of modern design, Andrée Putman burst onto the scene twenty-five years ago with the graphic, black-and-white interiors of the Morgans Hotel in New York. ...

Dutch Colonial Homes in America by Roderic H. Blackburn, Photography by Geoffrey Gross and Susan Piatt, introduction by Harrison Frederick Meeske. Hardcover with dust jacket. 240 pp....

Baedeker's Northern, 1897 and Southern Germany, 1914. Handbook for travelers by Karl Baedeker. Published by Baedeker, Leipzig, 1897/1914. Since the 1830's Baedeker set the standard ...

Provence: The Beautiful Cookbook: Authentic Recipes from the Regions of Provence Hardcover – September 24, 1993. by Richard Olney (Author), Michael Freeman (Author), Peter Johnson (P...

The Complete British Motorcycle The Classics From 1907 To The Present by J Carroll.Hardcover with dust jacket. Profusely illustrated throughout.British motorcycles attract a fanatica...

Persia The Immortal Kingdom by Ghirshman Minorsky Sanghvi 1971. Persia, the Immortal Kingdom by Vladimir Minorsky, Ramesh Sanghvi and Roman Ghirshman, William MacQuitty (photographs)...

Sotheby's Catalog, An Important Russian Imperial Jewel. Geneva 17 November 2005. 1st Ed hardcover. "An impressive and highly important diamond ornament from the collection of the Russian Imperial Family, Russia, second half of the 18th century. This diamond necklace with bowknot clasp is not only a remarkable jewel in itself, but its Russian royal provenance puts it in a class of its own. It evokes the blinding splendour of Catherine II, Empress of Russia: the magnificence of her court, her parks, her palaces, her art collections, and monuments. The most striking and colourful figure on the stage of European political life, for thirty four years she ruled a mighty empire which stretched from Siberia to Poland and left it stronger, larger and richer than when she came to the throne in 1762. After her death in 1796, her friend the Prince de Ligne, who had named her Catherine the Great, declared that this title- which has never been lost- resumed all her genius, courage, sense of justice, and force of character. Using her court as a stage, she played the part of an autocratic but enlightened ruler to perfection, imposing in her public appearances, kind and charming in private. The French ambassador, the Comte de Ségur who noticed how “her majestic head and brow, proud look and dignified deportment made her seem taller than she was”, was also impressed by her feminine grace “ her aquiline nose, well shaped mouth, Saxe blue eyes beneath dark lashes, gentle glance and seductive smile”. In spite of her success, she once confided to the Prince de Ligne that she could have served Russia better if she had been born a man. Ever the courtier, he assured her that being a woman was a positive advantage. “Believe me, you are so much more impressive in your beautiful embroidered orange red velvet dolman or tunic than a man decked out in boots and shoulder sash can ever be. In addition the five huge diamonds blazing out from your hair are far more effective than a man’s hat which is either ridiculously small or ridiculously big”. He was right. Her diamond jewellery proclaimed her power and her rank as Empress and appealed to the Russian taste for sumptuous goods. It impressed the Rev. William Coxe, visiting St. Petersburg in 1778: “the glory and the splendor of the clothing of the court and abundance of precious stones leave the opulence of other European courts far behind” and his opinion was shared by the acute Madame de Stael...

Two containers made from antique velum books. They are triangular in shape, each adorned with a faded golden design against a lighter background. The diamond-shaped central motif, b...

The first edition of the final novel published during Virginia Woolf's lifetime, in an especially bright example of the sought-after Vanessa Bell dust wrapper. The first edition, fi...

Chagall; (Twentieth-century masters) Hardcover – January 1, 1971 by Marc Bucci, Mario; Chagall (Author). Text: English, Italian (translation). 94 pages, Hardcover. First published Ja...

The Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia of American Motorcycles by Tod Rafferty. This lavishly illustrated history winds its way through the 20th century by exploring such popular Amer...

by David Bailey & Peter Evans Bailey and Evan's biographical portraits of the cultural figures that defined the swinging sixties, including the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Marianne ...

Sherman, William T. Memoirs of General W. T. Sherman, Written By Himself. New York: D. Appleton and Company, 1875. First edition. In two volumes. Rebound in quarter blue leather and cloth boards, with raised bands, gilt tooling, and gilt titles to the spine, new marbled endpapers. New custom archival cloth slipcase with Sherman portrait inlay. Presented is a first edition printing of The Memoirs of General W. T. Sherman. This two volume book set was published by D. Appleton and Company, in New York, in 1875. It is presented here, rebound in striking quarter blue leather and cloth boards, with raised bands, gilt tooling, and gilt titles to the spine, new marbled endpapers, and a custom archival cloth slipcase to fit both books. Ten years after the end of the Civil War, Sherman became the first General to publish his memoirs of that period. He began writing his account in 1872 and the two volumes were published by D. Appleton and Company in the spring of 1875. According to the publisher’s prospectus, the two volume set was originally offered in four different bindings, including fine blue cloth, green cloth, full sheepskin, and half blue moroccan leath. Sherman explains his motivations for writing in the preface of Volume I: “Nearly ten years have passed since the close of the civil war in America, and yet no satisfactory history thereof is accessible to the public;…. What is now offered is not designed as a history of the war, or even as a complete account of all the incidents in which the writer bore a part, but merely his recollection of events, corrected by a reference to his own memoranda, which may assist the future historian when he comes to describe the whole, and account for the motives and reasons which influenced some of the actors in the grand drama of war.” His two volume account touches briefly on his early life, including his time at West Point, his life in and out of the army in Florida, California, New York, Kansas, and Louisiana. Yet the bulk of the writing is focused on the Civil War. “Written with the propulsive energy and intelligence that marked his campaigns” his memoir provides firsthand accounts of Shiloh, Vicksburg, Chattanooga, the infamous Atlanta campaign, and his march to the sea through Georgia and the Carolinas. The memoir describes striking incidents and anecdotes and collects dozens of his incisive and often outspoken wartime orders and reports. Throughout it all, Sherman is quite frank in describing the rights and wrongs of the campaigns he saw, writing without much concern for the feelings or experiences of others. This complex self-portrait of an innovative and relentless American general provides for a vivid read and an exceptional Civil War account. CONDITION: Good condition. First edition. In two volumes. Beautifully restored and rebound. Quarter blue leather and cloth boards, with raised bands, gilt tooling, and gilt titles to the spine, new marbled endpapers. Paper is okay to good, with toning as to be expected. Scattered spots and smudges. Inscribed twice by previous owner, inscription on the top of the Note page of Vol I and on the full title page of Vol II. Large "Military Map...

A set of 20 antique French books from the De Maupassant series. These books can beautifully decorate your bookcase or office. These books are not ...

TASCHEN’s Guide to the Digital Art Revolution. Robert Alice’s On NFTs is the first major art historical survey text on the most compelling, disruptive area of contemporary art today. A rigorous and critical examination of all facets of the NFT ecosystem, On NFTs takes a multidimensional, artist-led approach, leaving its readers with a richer understanding of a topic often shrouded in misconception and pixelated mystery. The book, presented in TASCHEN’s iconic grand-scale BABY SUMO...

Sotheby's, English Furniture, Ceramics and Decorations: Including Property from the Collections of the Dowager Duchess of Bedford and Mrs. Douglas Auchincloss Oct. 20 & 21, 2003. No....

Winterthur by Jay E. Cantor, Signed and Inscribed by the Author. Published by Harry N. Abrams, New York, NY, 1986. 2nd Ed hardcover with dust jacket. Traces the history of the Delawa...

How to Detect Damaged, Altered and Repaired Stamps by Paul W. Schmid. Published by Palm Press Huntington, NY, 1979. Avoid costly mistakes. Paul Schmid explains how to detect alterati...

Two Private Presses The Four Wind Press and the Stone House Press on Long Island by Joan Digby, Limited 1st Ed 1/200. Published by The Four Winds Press, New York, 1988. The story of ...

Fitzgerald, F. Scott, The Great Gatsby. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1925. First edition, first printing. Rebound in full blue morocco leather with gilt tooling, raised bands a...

Wine Lover's Devotional: 365 Days of Knowledge, Advice, and Lore for the Ardent Aficionado by and Signed by Jonathon Alsop. Published by Quarry Books, 2010. 1st Ed hardcover. For tru...

by Charles Lockwood and Jeffrey Hyland This deluxe volume offers a meticulously researched and lavishly illustrated history of 45 magnificent estates in three of America's most prized residential districts: Beverly Hills, Bel-Air, and Holmby Hills. Lush new colour photographs as well as a trove of historical images take readers beyond the front gates for an exceptional, never-before-seen view of the mansions, grounds, and gardens of these sumptuous estates, and tell the history of Los Angeles' rise from rugged paddocks and farmland to famed metropolis. Each house is explored both for its historical and architectural importance, for here are the epitome of residences and gardens reflecting the famed Italianate and California Mediterranean styles by all the leading architects of Southern California, including Wallace Neff...

The Jay Hoffman Collection of United States Stamps: Sale 956, Thursday & Friday, May 8-9, 2008, by Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, Inc. One of the most important collections to c...

Fine Furniture: A Timeline in Woods by Mallett & Son Antiques. Mallett & Sons Antiques, 2007. 1st Ed softcover. 144 pp. Illustrated with furniture, mirrors, and accessories all photo...

Introduction to United States Revenue Stamps by Richard Friedberg and Classic U.S. Imperforate Stamps by Jon Rose. Published by Linn's Stamp News, 1994/1990. 1st Ed softcover.s Reven...

8 of 10 volumes (2-7 and 9-10) Chambers's Miscellany of Instructive & Entertaining Tracts New and Revised Edition, printed 1872 by W. & R. Chambers, Edinburgh. Uniformly bound in hal...

A first edition 10 volume folio set of Picturesque California and the Region West of the Rocky Mountains edited by John Muir, the famous American author and naturalist printed in 188...

Fundamentals of Philately by L.N. Williams. Published by American Philatelic Society, 1990. 1st Ed hardcover. The book includes 2 chapters on general collecting and the remaining 13 ...

Die Fouquet, 1860-1960: Schmuck-Kunstler in Paris by Sigrid Barten. (The Fouquet 1860-1960: jewelry artists in Paris." Published by Benteli, 1984. 1st Ed hardcover with dust jacket. ...

Exceptional and extensive compilation of the magnificent work and autobiography of Miguel Berrocal, ranging from exhibitions and collections to his monumental works, passing through ...

First edition of Mira Nakashima’s tribute to her father, George, whose standing as one of America’s foremost designer/craftsmen is reflected in his blue-chip status in the vintage de...

This is a very good set of the sales catalogues produced by Christie's for the sale of the magnificent collection put together by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Berge, 23rd - 25th Feb...

A set of 14 antique French books These books can beautifully decorate your bookcase or office. The leather spines with gold print are in good cond...

Grey, Zane. Riders of the Purple Sage. A Novel. New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1912 (1940s). Illustrated by Douglas Duer. Presented in full gray Moroccan leather with gilt tooling to fr...

This is an antique copy of the Cabinet Maker's Drawing Book by Thomas Sheraton. An English, bound reference guide, dating to the Georgian period, published 1793. Highly influential ...

Published by MoMA, 1st edition, New York, 2002. Hardback with English text. Nearly 300 coloured and black and white colour plates. From the austere photo-based figurative realism o...

The classic encyclopedia of the arcane in an expanded edition. Renowned philosopher and lecturer Manly P. Hall’s masterful encyclopedia of ancient symbols, hidden rituals, and arcane practices has remained a classic since first published in 1928. Hall’s densely detailed writings explore topics ranging from Hermeticism to Tarot, Egyptian mythology to Pythagorean theory. Each chapter is accompanied by the vivid illustrations of artist J. Augustus Knapp, with additional images by Mihran Serailian found in the companion volume, each taking their own unique approach to nearly 60 artworks depicting occult subject matter. The initial concept for what became known as Hall’s “Great Book”, first began in 1923 when the young Los Angeles-based orator began a months-long trip around the globe. Circumnavigating by ship, Hall visited Egypt, China and India, immersing himself in the philosophical and religious history of each country. Upon his return he spent the next five years penning his massive compendium of philosophy and myth. Nearly a century after its release, this iconic masterwork has been reproduced for the first time from the rare and extravagant original edition. This meticulously-restored version of Hall’s “Great Book” is also accompanied by an expansive companion book, featuring condensed summaries of each chapter of The Secret Teachings, alongside newly-discovered artworks, rare photography...

All Hail the King of Fantasy Art. Frank Frazetta finally gets the big beautiful book he deserves. Frank Frazetta has reigned as the undisputed lord of...

First American edition monograph on jewelry designed by a who's who of Postmodern architects from the collection of design impresario Cleto Munari, who commissioned the pieces featured in the book. Includes work by Mario Bellini, Michele De Lucchi, Peter Eisenman, Michael Graves, Hans Hollein, Arata Isozaki, Richard Meier, Allesandro Mendini...

Shepard, Alan, Deke Slayton, Moon Shot: The Inside Story of America's Race to the Moon. Atlanta: Turner Publishing, 1994. First Edition. Signed by Alan Shepard on the full title page...

Published by Gagosian Gallery, 1st edition, New York & London, 2006. Hardback with English text. “In a punning reference to a Pollock masterwork, the image makes its point with rhyt...

Published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1st edition, New York, 2017. Hardback, English text. Nearly 300 black and white photographs, one of the largest volumes of works by Irvi...

Essays by Pierre Berge, Peter Marino and Reed Krakoff A stated first edition of a very scarce book on the husband and wife sculptors Claude and Francois-Xavier Lalanne. Beautifully p...

Published by Rizzoli & Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, 1st edition, New York, 2011. Hardback with English text. Quintessentially Spanish, Balenciaga took inspiration from the b...

Nixon, Richard. The Memoirs of Richard Nixon. New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1978. First Edition. Signed and inscribed on a pasted down bookplate. In original dust jacket and boards. Pr...

Truman, Harry. Memoirs by Harry S. Truman: Year of Decisions [and] Years of Trial and Hope. New York: Doubleday & Company, 1955-1956. Special Kansas City Limited Edition. Two Volumes...

Published by Les Édition de L’Amateur, 1st French edition, Paris, 1986. Hardback with French text. 700 illustrations, with 300 in colour and 400 in black and white. Illustrated t...

Dreamwheeling. The stories behind 100 of the world’s most coveted automobiles. From the adrenaline-filled 24 Hours of Le Mans to the legendary Goodwood Festival of Speed, Lake Como’s famed Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este to the premier Monterey Car Week, the collector car calendar and market has shown one of the most extraordinary growth trajectories of recent years. As thousands flock to specialized meet ups, rallies, auctions, and Concours d’Elegance around the globe, asking prices for the rarest motors have revved higher and higher. So much so, that the value of the 100 cars included in this book exceeds a staggering $ 1 billion. For the seasoned car collector or the awestruck newcomer, this double-volume is the unrivaled collector car anthology. Curating 100 of the most exquisite, remarkable, and desirable cars of all time to tell a spellbinding story of automotive design-and-engineering endeavor in the tireless pursuit of ever-greater performance both on and off the track, from the first Indy 500-winning 1910 Marmon Wasp to the futuristic 2020 Aston Martin Valkyrie. Laps ahead of any generic catalog, this superlative volume exudes authority and elegance, settling for nothing less than the very best of the best, and presenting each model with the lavish spreads it deserves, complete with stunning imagery taken by the world’s leading car photographers alongside rare archival treasures, from original factory photos to famous motorsports event posters. Each entry is also accompanied by expert descriptive texts and specs, detailing each car’s make, model, year, engine size, horsepower, top speed, transmission, and all-important production numbers. By passionately tapping into their transatlantic expertise and insider knowledge of car auctions, museums, and collections around the world, design authors Peter and Charlotte Fiell survey the autoworld's finest cars of all time. Their carefully curated selection spans the whole history of the automobile, taking in such rare models as a 1912 Stutz Model A Bearcat, as well as lesser-known jewels such as the astonishing 1937 Talbot-Lago T150-C SS “Goutte d’Eau” Coupé by Figoni et Falaschi. This definitive compendium includes a foreword from Rob Myers, the founder of RM Sotheby’s, and includes an introduction from the authors that gives a unique perspective on the ins and outs of car collecting...

Hemingway, Ernest. A Farewell to Arms. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1929. First trade edition, first issue. In the original first-state dust jacket and publisher’s black cloth boards. Presented in a new archival ¼ leather and cloth clamshell case, with raised bands, gilt tooling, and titles to the spine. Presented is a first trade edition, first issue of Ernest Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms. The book was published by Charles Scribner’s Sons in New York, in September of 1929. This first printing is presented with its original first issue dust jacket. The dust jacket, as designed by Cleonike Damianakes Wilkins, is considered by many to be one of the greatest of the 20th century and rivals even The Great Gatsby in its collectibility. Set during World War I, A Farewell to Arms tells the story of a young American Lieutenant serving as an ambulance driver in Italy struggling through love and war. The story is told through first person narration detailing many aspects of war that would have been very familiar to readers at the time, as the book was published only 11 years after the 1918 armistice. The simple, direct tone his character uses when giving his unromanticized account of the war later defined Hemingway’s writing style. A Farewell to Arms is loosely based on Hemingway’s own experiences. The author briefly served overseas as an ambulance driver in the Italian Army, sustained injuries, and met a nurse who he eventually proposed marriage to but was declined. The novel’s post-war disillusionist subject assigned Hemingway to the “Lost Generation” of Modernist artists. A Farewell to Arms was Hemingway’s most successful publishing venture to date. Charles Scribner's Sons issued seven impressions of the novel in the short time between September and December of 1929, with over 100,000 volumes sold. The novel secured Hemingway’s place as a popular American author and became his first bestselling book. Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961) was an American author and journalist. His distinctive writing style, characterized by economy of words and dry understatement, strongly influenced 20th-century fiction, as did his life of adventure and his public image. Hemingway produced most of his work between the mid-1920s and the mid-1950s, winning the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954. Hemingway published seven novels, six short story collections, and two non-fiction works during his lifetime; a further three novels, four collections of short stories, and three non-fiction works were published posthumously. Many of his works are now considered classics of American literature. The book’s striking dust jacket design was illustrated by the artist Cleonike Damianakes Wilkins, who worked under the pen name of Cleon. Wilkins was known for her distinctive fusion of Art Deco and Hellenistic styles. She designed the dust jackets for Hemingway’s earlier The Sun Also Rises in 1926 and his later publication In Our Time in 1930, as well as Conrad Aiken’s Great Circle, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s All the Sad Young Men,and Zelda Fitzgerald’s Save Me the Waltz. Wilkins was chosen by Hemingway’s celebrated editor at Scribner’s, Maxwell Perkins. In order to differentiate Hemingway’s tale from other, competing WWI novels on the bookshop shelves, Perkins sought to widen its appeal through the dust jacket. The resulting design was Wilkins’ interpretation of Sandro Botticelli’s epic oil painting “Venus...

Picasso à L'oeuvre – Photographs by Edward Quinn 1965 Published by Manesse-Verlag, 1965. An intimate photographic biography by Edward Quinn with text written by Roland Penrose. Wonderful photographs capturing Picasso working and relaxing, from his finished pieces to his home and studio - including intimate interior and still life shots...

This is an antique carpentry book by Peter Nicholson. An English language, bound reference guide, dating to the Victorian period, published 1854. Full ...