London: Printed for James Knapton, 1691. Edition: First edition. Bibliographical References: Wing S-2872; NCBEL II, 745. ¶ A late play by Shadwell, a somehat coarse comedy about scourers, whores and scoundrels - but in the end one of the scourers comes around to virtue. This was an early use of... More
London: Smith, Elder, 1859. Edition: First edition. Bibliographical References: NCBEL III, 315. ¶ An important collection of pieces about Shelley and his association with the other principle romantics. More
San Francisco: The Arion Press, 1993. Edition: First Arion Press edition, number 107 of 300 numbered copies, signed by Sam Shepard and Stan Washburn. ¶ From the library of David & Valerie Belch. More
Hartford: Seldon & Goodwin, Printers, 1815. Edition: First edition. Bibliographical References: BAL 17615; American Bibliography 35937; Stoddard & Whitesell 1111. The uncommon first book by Lydia Huntley Sigourney (1791-1865), a substantial collection of poems and short essays which foreshadowed her career as one of the most popular and prolific American... More
[Oakland or Berkeley, Ca.]: Published for Private Circulation, [1887]. Edition: First edition. Bibliographical References: BAL 18015. ¶ A memorial to Edward Rowland Sill (1841-1887), a popular and respected teacher and poet at the University of California at Berkeley, where he moved from his native New England. Contributors include Charles Warren... More
Cambridge: Printed by J. Bentham, 1753-56. Edition: Third edition; second edition; second edition; first edition; first edition (respectively). Bibliographical References: Cf. Rothschild 1865; NCBEL II, 590. ¶ The famous Seatonian Prize Poems, an annual award that commenced in 1750 with the bequest of clergyman Thomas Seaton (1684-1741), who dictated that... More
San Francisco: Book Club of California, 1918. Edition: First edition, number 283 of 300 numbered copies. Bibliographical References: BAL 18783 (Sterling). The eighth book published by the Book Club of California, handsomely printed by Taylor & Taylor, with decorations by Florence Lundborg. The preface is by George Sterling, who was... More
London: Whittaker & Co., 1836. Edition: First edition. Bibliographical References: Sadleir 3109; Wolff 6437; NCBEL III, 767. More
Edinburgh and London: William Blackwood and Sons, 1857. Edition: First edition. Bibliographical References: NCBEL III, 1610. Thorndale or The Conflict of Opinions, a novel written in the form of the diary of Charles Thorndale, is one of the great 19th century fictional works of ideas and philosophical and religious opinions;... More
London: Printed for T. Evans and R. Baldwin, 1777. Edition: First edition. Bibliographical References: NCBEL II, 962; not in Rothschild. ¶ The scarce first collected edition of Tobias Smollett’s plays and poems, containing The Regicide and The Reprisal, two satires and twelve poems, preceded by a lengthy biographical sketch of... More
London: Printed for W. Johnston, 1753. Edition: First edition. Bibliographical References: Rothschild 1913; Block, The English Novel 1740-1850, page 221; NCBEL II, 963. The third novel by Tobias Smollett (1721-71), one of the great novelists of the 18th century, a tale of an "itinerant and totally amoral chameleon in a.... More
London: Printed for R. Sare, F. Saunders and Tho. Bennet, 1697. Edition: First edition in English. Bibliographical References: Wing Q-188. ¶ The first English translation of Quevedo's La Hora de Todos y la Fortuna con Seso, a biting satire of Spanish politics under the king's minister Olivaries, written under the... More
London: Published by W. H. Carpenter; Edinburgh: Archibald Constable, 1820. Edition: One of two rival editions to appear almost simultaneously in 1820, priority not established. The other was edited by Edmond Malone and published by John Murray. Bibliographical References: NCBEL II, 1749; Lowndes, page 2475. One of the great works... More
(San Francisco): The Book Club of California, 1999. Edition: First edition, one of 450 copies. From the library of Robert Harlan, who wrote the preface. Inscribed on the front free endpaper "To Robert - Your support & friendship made this book possible - Jack 22 July 1999 San Francisco." More
London: Printed for Jacob Tonson, 1714. Edition: First edition, second issue with the date in the imprint corrected from MDDCXIV to MDDCCXIV. Bibliographical References: Case 279; Rothschild 1957; Griffith 24; NCBEL II, 1115. ¶ An important miscellany, which includes previously unpublished poetry by Pope and Gay, viz: Pope's the Wife... More
Boston: The Four Seas Company, 1922. Edition: First edition, second binding. Bibliographical References: Wilson A5b. ¶ From the inventory of Burton Weiss, Bookseller. More
San Francisco: Roxburghe & Zamorano Clubs, 1964. Edition: First edition, one of 150 copies printed as a keepsake for the biennial meeting of the Roxburghe and Zamorano clubs. Bibliographical References: Goldstone & Payne A42. The first appearance in print of this humorous note which Steinbeck wrote to one of his... More
San Francisco: The Book Club of California, 1925. Edition: First edition, one of 600 copies designed and printed by John Henry Nash. ¶ An impressive selection from over 100 contemporary California poets, e.g.: George Sterling, Robinson Jeffers, Stephen Rose Benét, Ina Coolbrith, Yone Noguchi, Xavier Martinez, Sara Bard Field and... More
San Francisco: A. M. Robertson, 1916. Edition: First edition. Bibliographical References: BAL 18767; Mattila A12. A selection of Sterling's best poetry to date. Inscribed by Sterling on the front free endpaper to his wife, Carrie: "Dear Carrie: / Just a / few unnatural [?] sonnets. / George. / San Francisco... More
San Francisco: The Book Club of California, 1920. Edition: Second edition, one of 350 copies printed by Taylor & Taylor. Bibliographical References: Mattila A20; BAL 18791. This is first edition of Lilith as finely produced by Taylor & Taylor for the Book Club of California. More
San Francisco: A. M. Robertson, 1915. Edition: First edition, one of 525 copies. Bibliographical References: BAL 18762; Mattila A8. ¶ Sterling's famous ode that celebrated the opening of the exposition that celebrated the opening of the Panama Canal. Handsomely printed and bound in the manner of the Kelmscott Press by... More
New York: Boni & Liveright, 1926. Edition: First edition. Bibliographical References: BAL 18834; Mattila A31. A charming portrait of the young Robinson Jeffers by his fellow poet, friend and devotee, George Sterling. More
San Francisco: A. M. Robertson, 1921. Edition: First edition. Bibliographical References: BAL 18797; Mattila A25. ¶ An early presentation copy: "For / Ida Brenda Gregg / these songs of California / and Dreamland, with / all good wishes. / George Sterling. / San Francisco, Dec. 6th, 1921." The earliest presentations... More
N.p.: n.p., n.d. [but San Francisco, 1926]. Edition: First edition, one of 150 copies. Bibliographical References: BAL 18827; Mattila A29. ¶ A narrative poem that H. L. Mencken rejected as "unfit" for his magazine subscribers because of its "lesbian" leanings. There was apparently some discussion of the Grabhorns printing it... More
[San Francisco: William Dassonville], 1915. A rare and fine photographic portrait of the prominent California poet George Sterling (1869-1926), taken by the prominent California photographer, William Dassonville (1879-1957) and inscribed to Dassonville by Sterling in the lower left corner of the image: "Dear Dassonville: This is the best picture ever... More