Farmer, John S. edit.(pseudonym for E.O. Wolcott).  Merry Songs and Ballads prior to the year AD 1800. Privately printed for Subscribers only. National Ballad and Song 1897 5 vols.  Leather covers, ribbed spines Some have cracked hinges. Volume three has a 1.5 ” tear to the leather at the hinge. Vol 5 has damage to spine. Vol 5 cover detached but present. Needs a bookbinder’s tender mercies. Quarto 280, 267, 286, 287, 269 pp

” It has often been observed that the only connection between scholars and dollars is the rhyme. Farmer’s was an outstanding case of utter devotion to a valuable and quixotic work, struggling and staggering for decades under the encumbrance of crippling penury.  No connection with the university world in which scholarly publication has always been a patronized activity so long as it stays safe and polite. A sort of allowed self-advertising by means of which instructors slowly become professors, on the unwritten law of ‘Publish or perish!’ – Framer would under ordinary circumstances, have had recourse to commercial publishers. He however, made up his mind to produce linguistic and folkloristic works absolutely unexpurgated during the notably prudish late Victorian age, which is not yet over by any means so far as scholarly publication is concerned…”

W. M. Flinders Petrie and LI Griffith. Two Hieroglyphic Papyri from Tanis. Martino Publishing 2007 Rust colored hardcover with gold lettering. Very good cond. Folio 25 pp text, 15 line drawing plates Facsimile of 1889 edition

John Hoole, edit. Orlando Furioso by Ludovico Ariosto. Otridge and Son et al. : London 1799 5 volumes. Rebound in black covers with gold lettering (not by Rock Top Bindery) . Good. Frontispiece to Vol 3 missing. Octavo 335, 322, 407, 438, 427 pp not including postscript and index

Caroline Johnson. The King’s Servants. Men’s dress at the accession of Henry VIII. A Tudor Tailor Case Study. Fat Goose Press 2009. Softcover, unused condition. Quarto 48 pp

Julie Gardiner with Michael Allen, edit. .  Before the Mast : Life and Death Aboard the Mary Rose. Archaeology of the Mary Rose Vol 4 Stand-alone vol. Mary Rose LTD 2005 Pictorial hardcover. Some weakening of the hinges due to the weight of the book. Previous owner’s inscription. Large quarto 732 pp

A. Boyer. The Great Theater of Honour and Nobility…Both in French and English. Illustrated and Adorned with about Forty Copper-Plates, curiously engraved, dedicated to His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. Henry Woodfall : London 1729. 2 vols. in one. Full leather with stamped armorial on cover, previous owner notation on title page. Front board detached but present. Some of the creased folding plates have a tear at folding point. Some soiling, rubbing of boards. Needs a bookbinder’s tender mercies. Quarto xvi + 380 + 259 pp plus an additional correction page. 29 full page plates including 5 folding plates. Uncertain if I am missing a plate or not. Other sources call for 30-33 plates, no agreement. Small vignettes throughout the volume which tally to the 40 Copper plates..

Contents include :
1) The Science of Heraldry, II An Historical and Chronological Abridgement of the Settlements and Revolutions of the Monarchies and Sovereignties of Europe from the Downfall of the Roman Empire, till towards the end of the Tenth Century III The present State of the Empire of Germany, with relation to the Emperor, King of the Romans, Electors, Princes of the Empire, Imperial Cities, Diets etc IV The Achievements and Blazon of the Emperors, Kings, Princes and Sovereign States of Christendom.

Henry Shaw (1800-1873) Dresses and Decorations of the Middle Ages from the Seventh to the Seventeenth Century. London: William Pickering 1843. First Book edition. 2 vols. Rebound in cloth with black morocco spine. Gilt tooling and blind crosshatching on spine. Vellum lable with cross hatching and hand colored panes. Maroon cloth boards with blind stamping. 94 full page colored wood engravings. Elaborate initials or capitals and decorations throughout the text. Large Octavo Unpaginated

Forli, Boindo da. Roma Ristraurata et Italia Illustrata. Tradotte in Buona. Lingua Vulgare per Lucio Fauno. In Vinegia Appresso Dominco Giglio : 1558. Rebound in vellum, new endpapers Good, some soiling to vellum Small Octavo 241 pp plus addendum
“Boindo da Forli was also known as Flavus Bolondus, Flavio Blondo and Flavio Biondo. He was a papal secretary as well as Archbishop pf Florence and was most known for his History of Rome. Italia Illustrata originally was published in 1460 in Latin and Roma Ristaurata in 1481 in Latin as well. This particular volume was revised by his sons. . Forli was very interested in classical history and in his writings compared the culture of the past to that of his day.”

Eoin MacNeil and Gerard Murphy, edit. Duanaire Finn. The Book of the Lays of Fionn. Irish Texts Society 1948, 1933, 1953. Three volumes Differing years. Green cloth with gold lettering. Previous owner signature. Some notations and underlining in pencil. Sl wear. Octavo 208, 409, 451 pp Part1 Vol VII , Part II Vol XXVIII, Part 3 Vol. XLIII

Howard Besnia. The Beetlepeople of Scarabank. A Fantasy on Evolution. The Scarab Press. Sterling Junction : Mass. 1964 Blue cloth with leather spine hardcover in boards with gilt lettering in glassine wrapper in slipcase. Numbered and limited edition. 31/100 copies. Signed and stamped by Howard Besnia. An additional 10 plates in pocket in rear of book. This book calls for 11 of them so missing one plate. Article on the artist from 1990 included. Purchase Invoice from the Scarab Press included as well and signed by artist. Quarto @ 50 pp plus 10 plates in back