Search Results: Authors starting with A from Ursus Books

1907. A KEMPIS, Thomas. A Kempis. [4], 307, [1] pp. Small 8vo., bound in contemporary three-quarter blue morocco, spine gilt, five raised bands. Uncut. London: Arthur L. Humphreys, 1907. A handsome printing containing the writings of Thomas A Kempis, including his musings on the love of solitude and silence, the profit of adversity, of inconstancy of heart, that a man should not be fretful in business, and wherein peace of heart and spiritual progress consisteth. A fine copy.

1980. ABBOTT, Edwin Abbott. Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions. With an introduction by Ray Bradbury. [56] ff. Illustrated with 14 line drawings and 10 die-cuts by Andrew Hoyem, with watercolour added by hand. Folio, 354 x 180 mm., bound accordion-style in original decorated aluminum covers, in a hinged and locking aluminum frame. San Francisco: Arion Press, 1980. One of 275 copies printed Monotype Univers on T.H. Saunders hot-press mould-made paper. Andrew Hoyem's radical design and illustrations realize many implications of this satire about a two-dimensional world. Signed by Ray Bradbury. Scarce. Arion Press Checklist 7. Reed and Phillips Artists and their Books p.102

1822. CHINESE GRAMMAR. Elemens de la grammaire chinoise, ou, Principes generaux du kou-wen ou style antique, et du kouan-hoa. By Jean-Pierre (Abel) Remusat. xxxii, 214, [2] pp. Illustrated with 2 folding plates and innumerable Chinese characters executed in woodcut throughout. 8vo., 230 x 155 mm, bound in contemporary calf with the front wrapper, printed on yellow paper, bound in. Paris: Imprimerie Royale, 1822. First Edition, a fine copy of this early Chinese grammar book which features both Literary Chinese and Mandarin. It was a major achievement of Chinese philology in the early nineteenth century, as well as being one of the earliest successful books with movable Chinese and Roman types. The folding lithograph plates were executed by Charles Philibert de Lasteyrie de Saillant. Rémusat (1788-1832), along with Julius Klaproth, is recognized as one of the founders of modern Oriental scholarship in the West. In 1811 he produced an Essai sur la langue de la literature… Read More

1945. ABERCROMBIE, Patrick. Greater London Plan 1944. A Report prepared on behalf of the Standing Committee on London Regional Planning at the Request of the Minister of Town and Country Planning. X, 220, [1] pp. Illustrated with 89 photographs & 33 illustrations from drawings, diagrams, & maps (some in colour, 9 folding) plus a large folding master plan in 2 sheets inserted in envelope at rear. Folio, bound in publisher's cloth and dustwrapper. London: His Majesty's Stationery Office, 1945. "Following World War II, London was presented with an opportunity to amend the perceived failings of unplanned and haphazard development that had occurred as a result of rapid industrialization in the nineteenth century. During the Second World War, the blitz had destroyed large urban areas throughout the entire county of London, but particularly the central core. Over 50,000 inner London homes were completely destroyed, while more than 2 million dwellings experienced some form… Read More

1625. ACCOLTI, Pietro. Lo Inganno de gl'occhi, prospettiva pratica. Trattato in acconcio della pittura. [12], 152, [4] pp. Illustrated throughout, woodcut diagrams, illustrations. Folio, 303 x 217 mm, bound in contemporary mottled calf. Florence: Pietro Cecconcelli, 1625. First Edition of the practical manual of perspective, of special interst to painters. Contains the first printing of Leonardo's treatise on painting, Discorso intorno al disegno [pp.144-152]. The books treats all aspects of perspective including: anamorphosis, light and shadow, and the camera obscura. Professional repair to the final text leaf, otherwise a fine copy. Fowler 1; Vitry 1; Cicognara 802.

1820. ACKERMANN, Rudolph. Marriage Costumes of Various Nations. Illustrated with 12 hand-coloured aquatint engravings printed on card stock. Cards measure 120 x 90 mm., loose in the original publisher's glazed gray paper covered slipcase with green printed paper label on top cover and extra plate on the rear cover, preserved in a new grey cloth folding box. London: Ackermann Repository of Arts, [1820]. A rare Ackermann publication. The twelve hand-coloured aquatints illustrate twelve brides and a grooms wearing different wedding costumes based on local traditions from regions throughout Europe: Austrians, Poles, Spaniards, Scottish, Turks, Russians, Italians, Swiss, Africans, Illyrians, Hungarians and Styrians. They are nicely executed and the colours are fresh and bright. Fine in the original box. Not found in Tooley, Abbey, Hardie, Lipperheide, Colas or Hiler.

1850. ADAM, Victor. Les Synonymes en Action. Contents include; hand-coloured lithographed title and twenty-four hand-colored lithographed plates, heightened with gum arabic, (W, X & Y on one plate). Folio, 337 x 250 mm, bound in publisher's blind stamped red cloth over boards, front cover decorated and lettered in gilt, expertly rebacked to style. Paris: Chez Arnauld de Vresse,1850. A rare and attractive Abécédaire by the keen Parisian societal observer and illustrator, Victor Adam. Each letter of the alphabet is represented by a series of colourful and imaginative vignettes on subjects including costume, animals, trades and many others. OCLC lists only a copy at NYPL. Minor rubbing to extremities. Short marginal tears to plate numbers 11, 12, 19 & 21, minimal marginal foxing and soiling, otherwise an excellent copy of this scarce series of plates. PROVENANCE: Small bookplate of J.J. Coudera on front pastedown.

1862. ADAMS, Rudolph. Die Farben-Harmonie in ihrer Anwendung auf die Damentoilette. xii, 322, 4 pp. Illustrated with 3 lithographic plates of which two are chromolithographs. 8vo., 213 x 135 mm, bound in publisher's mint green illustrated wrappers in a new cloth folding box. Leipzig: J.J. Weber, 1862. First Edition of this German work on colour discussing application specifically relating to the Damentoilette, or powder room. An introduction to colour theory is followed by sections on types of colour suitable to different complexions. A rare book with OCLC listing copies in the US, at Yale and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, BPL and U.Wisconsin, and eight copies in Europe. Wrappers slightly worn, still a good copy.

1950. ADVERTISING. Citrus Fruit Labels. 60 labels. Laid into a linen bound album. Labels average 250 x 195 mm. VP. VD. [ca. 1950]. A highly unusual collection of colourful Italian post-war citrus labels from Southern Italy, including Naples, Catania and Sicily. Printed on flimsy paper, not many can have survived, especially as here in rather good condition.

1968. Los Angeles County Museum of Art. BILLY. Unpaginated exhibition catalogue with 9 color and 43 b&w illustrations. Wide 4to, sandpaper wraps. 1968. A Catalogue designed by Ed Ruscha, this artist's book is wrapped in sandpaper, and bound with nuts, bolts and pink ribbon.

1938. ALEKSEEV, S. Tsvetovedeniye dlya arkhitektorov [i.e. Color in Architecture]. 157, [2] pp., illustrated with 12 leaves of plates, some colour. 8vo, 220 x 153 mm., bound in original brown cloth. Leningrad: GONTI, 1938. A very good copy of this work on color in architecture in Russia. Conceived as a textbook for architecture students in two parts, the first dedicated to general knowledge on colors dealing with such matters as mixing colors, color and sight, measuring colors, and color perception. The second part deals with specific problems such as lighting, with the most valuable part of the book being practical advice on the correct usage of colors. Among the tables is one which has all the colors matched with areas of use, resistance to light, main function (inside and outside coverage, decor, roof paint), specific characteristics (chemical reactions to other materials) etc. OCLC lists copies at Texas, CCA, LC, Columbia and Cambridge.

1933. ALFIERI, Dino and Luigi FREDDI. Mostra della Rivoluzione Fascista. 263 pp., with hundreds of illustrations, including some color plates and a facsimile reproduction of an inscription by Mussolini as a frontispiece. 4to, 240 x 168 mm., bound in original cloth-backed illustrated boards. Rome: Partito Nazionale Fascista, 1933. The book commemorates the tenth anniversary of the Facist revolution, and is a typical example of their propaganda. The profusely illustrated text provides one of the best contemporary surveys of Fascist art, architecture and design. An immaculate copy of a book rarely found thus.

1840. ALLOM, Thomas. Original Drawing- Pencil and pen with sepia wash and white highlights. The Imperial Travelling Palace at the Hoo-Kew-Shan, or Tiger Mound, Henan Province.128 x 194 mm. Matted and framed. London, ca. 1840. The subject of the palace at Huo-kew-shan in the Henan Province was famous throughout China for its Romantic setting. It served as a way station for the Emperor Daoguang (1782-1850) when he traveled through this part of the realm. This drawing was used as the source for the engraving by J. Sands that appears opposite page 14 in volume one of China, in a Series of Views.

1934. ALPERT, Max et al. URSS en Construction. Combinats de la Boucherie de Moscou et de Leningrad 1934 No. 5. 40 pp. Folio, bound in original wrappers (stained). Moscow: Editions d'Etat des Beaux-Arts, 1934. A fine copy of one of many monographic issues of this landmark periodical, devoted to the meat-packing industry in Moscow and Leningrad. As Martin Parr says "from 1930-1940 URSS en Construction employed the best Soviet photo-journalists and graphic designers. Amongst the photographers were Max Alpert, Arkadi Shaikhet, Georgi Zeima, Boris Ignatovich, Semen Fridland and Georgi Shaikhet. Designers included Nikolai Troshin, El Lissitzky, Sophie Kueppers, Aleksandr Rodchenko and Varvara Stepanova. All the visual strategies of the propaganda photobooks, designed by Lissitzky, Rodchenko and others -- the elaborate photomontages, innovative photography, fold-out pages, transparent overlays and so on -- were developed in URSS en Construction, one of the most beautifully produced… Read More

1905. ALPHABET BOOK. Alfabeto da Phosphatina Falières. 8 ff. With 12 colour-printed illustrations by Timoleon Marie Lobrichon. 8vo., stitched as issued in original illustrated wrappers. Paris: Phosphatine Falières, n.d. [ca. 1905]. The Portuguese edition of a charming "Abécédaire" which is not recorded in Gumuchian, or Osborne. The illustrations combine infants or children playing in or around letters of the alphabet, some of which are constructed from chairs, trees, lamps, bricks, ladders, diving boards, etc. The 12 colour-printed plates, with text in French and Portuguese, are executed after original designs by Timoleon Marie Lobrichon (1831-1914) who is "above all celebrated for his humorous portraits of children" (Benezit). The work was published by the Phosphatine Falières who also issued it with a French text, which is of equal rarity. In fine condition. Extremely rare with OCLC listing only the copy in the BN.

1943. ALPHABET. ABÉCÉDAIRE du Marechal Petain. [28] ff., illustrated throughout. Square 8vo, 140 x 140 mm., original illustrated wrappers in a new linen box with black label. n.p.: Bureau de Documentation du Chef de l'Etat, 1943. One of the strange alphabets, but a perfect insight into the creation of Petain as saviour of France. A rare little book. OCLC lists just 3 copies, all in France.

1921. ALTMAN, Natan Isaevich. Lenin: risunki i oblozhka raboty Natana Al'tmana. [28] pp., illustrated with 10 reproductions of drawings by Natan Altman. 8vo, 230 x 190 mm., bound in original illustrated tan wrappers, in a new linen cloth folding box. Saint Petersburg: Otdela Izobrazitel'nykh iskusstv Narodnogo Komissariata po Prosveshcheniiu, 1921. First edition of this series of nine portraits of Lenin at work and at rest by one of the major figures of Russian Futurism. Natan Altman (1889-1970) was a painter, graphic artist, theatrical designer and a contributor to the seminal volume Worldbackwards. The work consists of nine intimate portraits of Lenin and a view of the Kremlin from his office. Front wrapper illustrated with an attractive Suprematist design by Altman. Rowell & Wye, No. 331.

1935. AMMOSOV, M.V. O Zheleznodorozhnom Transporte SSSR. 154 pp., profusely illustrated with photographs, photomontages and maps. Oblong folio, publisher's cloth with silver spine, and original slipcase. Moscow: Transzheldorizdat, 1935. One of the finest Russian Constructivist photobooks. Designed by Nikolai Troshin it is a brilliant combination of photomontage and clever use of photography to convey the power of the railways and the vastness of the Soviet Union. In many ways the ultimate Russian photobook. It also contains the almost obligatory portraits of Lenin, Stalin and Molotov among others. This copy is without the metal locomotive that was affixed to the front cover, and the perspex window in the slipcase defective, and is priced accordingly. Very few copies would have seemed to have survived, and only the British Library copy is listed on OCLC. Parr. The Photobook. Volume 1, p.165

1751. AMSTERDAM. Description de l'Hotel de Ville D'Amsterdam. Avec l'Explication de tous les Emblemes, Figures, Tableaux, Statues, &c. qui se trouvent dehors & dans ce Batiment. [4], 3-126, [2] pp., illustrated with 4 fold-out engravings of city hall and woodcut tailpieces. Small 8vo, 155 x 90 mm., bound in contemporary mottled calf, spine gilt with red morocco spine label, board edges gilt and marbled endpapers. Amsterdam: Dirk van Maarten, 1751. First edition. A thorough guide to the "emblems, figures, paintings, and statues" decorating Amsterdam's city hall, with four engraved plates of the old structure; the current anterior; posterior; and a floor plan of the salle des bourgeois, galleries, and apartments. In French, with some Dutch and occasional Latin. An English version (Description of the Cityhouse of Amsterdam, ESTC 96967) was printed the same year. Rare with the plates. Binding a little rubbed with small spot of glue on spine, a near fine copy.… Read More

1591. () ANGELI, Bonaventura. La Historia della Citta di Parma, et la Descrittione del fiume Parma...divisa in otto libri. [16], 783 (i.e., 795), [1]; [160] pp., illustrated with large woodcut historiated initials at the beginning of each chapter, ornamental head- and tailpieces, plus the printer's woodcut device on title-page and colophon (f. Ddd4v). 4to, 203 x 147 mm., bound by Le Gascon in contemporary French blonde calf, double-ruled in gilt, framing a central armorial device with the monogram of Antoine de Sève at corners of inner panel on each board and in spine compartments (interlacing A.D.S.E.V.; Olivier 683, fer 2 and 3); spine with raised bands and title gilt in second compartment of six, the remaining five with same monogram; endpapers and fly-leaves ruled in red, contemporary document in secretary hand used as binder's waste visible (illegible) beneath endpapers; edges speckled red. In Parma: Appresso Erasmo Viotto, 1591. A history of the city and river of Parma,… Read More