You searched for: H. G. Wells
The Yellow Book -
Aubrey Beardsley
April 1894-April 1897 - Elkin Mathews & John Lane, London
A complete, clean and better than normally encountered thirteen volume set of this groundbreaking art nouveau publication, in the publisher’s bright yellow illustrated covers with designs by Aubrey Beardsley. Together with ‘A Selection’ published in 1950 and bound in yellow cloth to match the earlier set. Fourteen volumes in total.
From its initial visually arresting issue, for which Aubrey Beardsley was art editor and for which Max Beerbohm wrote an essay, ‘A Defence of Cosmetics’, ‘The Yellow Book’ attained immediate notoriety.
Published by John Lane and edited by Henry Harland, ‘The Yellow Book’ attracted many outstanding writers and artists of the era, such as Arnold Bennett, Charlotte Mew, Henry James, Edmund Gosse, Richard Le Gallienne, and Walter Sickert.
Although dominated by the illustrations of Aubrey Beardsley, and his decadent fin de siècle aura, many other distinguished artists contributed to the quarterly, notably Frederic Leighton, Will Rothenstein, Walter Sickert and Philip Wilson Steer; contributors to the text included Max Beerbohm, John Buchan, Baron Corvo, Edmund Gosse, Kenneth Grahame, Henry James, E. Nesbit and W. B. Yeats.
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Price HK$ 10,000
April 1894-April 1897 - Elkin Mathews & John Lane, London
A complete, clean and better than normally encountered thirteen volume set of this groundbreaking art nouveau publication, in the publisher’s bright yellow illustrated covers with designs by Aubrey Beardsley. Together with ‘A Selection’ published in 1950 and bound in yellow cloth to match the earlier set. Fourteen volumes in total.From its initial visually arresting issue, for which Aubrey Beardsley was art editor and for which Max Beerbohm wrote an essay, ‘A Defence of Cosmetics’, ‘The Yellow Book’ attained immediate notoriety.
Published by John Lane and edited by Henry Harland, ‘The Yellow Book’ attracted many outstanding writers and artists of the era, such as Arnold Bennett, Charlotte Mew, Henry James, Edmund Gosse, Richard Le Gallienne, and Walter Sickert.
Although dominated by the illustrations of Aubrey Beardsley, and his decadent fin de siècle aura, many other distinguished artists contributed to the quarterly, notably Frederic Leighton, Will Rothenstein, Walter Sickert and Philip Wilson Steer; contributors to the text included Max Beerbohm, John Buchan, Baron Corvo, Edmund Gosse, Kenneth Grahame, Henry James, E. Nesbit and W. B. Yeats.
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Price HK$ 10,000
The Master Spy -
Arthur Gask
1937 - The Macaulay Company, New York - First American Edition
Featuring detective Gilbert Larose. As a last resort the Secret Service recruits Larose to track down an unknown agent who is stealing secrets from arsenals and aircraft factories throughout Great Britain.
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Price HK$ 1,200
1937 - The Macaulay Company, New York - First American Edition
Featuring detective Gilbert Larose. As a last resort the Secret Service recruits Larose to track down an unknown agent who is stealing secrets from arsenals and aircraft factories throughout Great Britain.
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Price HK$ 1,200
Five Children And It -
E. Nesbit
1902 - T. Fisher Unwin, London - First Edition
A fine first edition of this magical tale bound by Bayntun-Riviere of Bath, illustrated by H. R. Millar with forty-six black and white plates – Cyril, Athena, Robert, Jane, and baby brother, Lamb, are exploring the land around the house their parents have rented for the summer when they find the sandpit. They decide to dig a hole straight through to Australia. Their plan is interrupted when Athena discovers a magical creature hiding in the sand. It is a Psammead, and it can grant wishes.
‘The children stood around the hole looking at the creature they had found. It was worth looking at. Its eyes were on long horns like a snail's eyes, and it could move them in and out like telescopes; it had ears like a bat's ears, and its tubby body was shaped like a spider's and covered with thick soft fur; its legs and arms were furry too, and it had hands and feet like a monkey's.’
Psammead: I am a Sand Fairy!
Jane: A Sand Fairy? I thought fairies had little ballet dresses and wings and wands.
Psammead: What on earth have you been reading?
Jane: I'll call you Sandy.
Psammead: Why?
Jane: Because we found you in the sand.
Psammead: You're so funny. Have your parents tried boiling you?
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Price HK$ 12,500
1902 - T. Fisher Unwin, London - First Edition
A fine first edition of this magical tale bound by Bayntun-Riviere of Bath, illustrated by H. R. Millar with forty-six black and white plates – Cyril, Athena, Robert, Jane, and baby brother, Lamb, are exploring the land around the house their parents have rented for the summer when they find the sandpit. They decide to dig a hole straight through to Australia. Their plan is interrupted when Athena discovers a magical creature hiding in the sand. It is a Psammead, and it can grant wishes.‘The children stood around the hole looking at the creature they had found. It was worth looking at. Its eyes were on long horns like a snail's eyes, and it could move them in and out like telescopes; it had ears like a bat's ears, and its tubby body was shaped like a spider's and covered with thick soft fur; its legs and arms were furry too, and it had hands and feet like a monkey's.’
Psammead: I am a Sand Fairy!
Jane: A Sand Fairy? I thought fairies had little ballet dresses and wings and wands.
Psammead: What on earth have you been reading?
Jane: I'll call you Sandy.
Psammead: Why?
Jane: Because we found you in the sand.
Psammead: You're so funny. Have your parents tried boiling you?
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Price HK$ 12,500
The Railway Children -
Edith Nesbit, C. E. Brock (illustrator)
1906 - Wells Gardner, London - First Edition
‘I think everyone in the world is friends if you can only get them to see you don't want to be un-friends.’
The first edition, scarce in such fabulous condition, of Nesbit’s most loved children’s story, the basis for the wonderful 1970 Lionel Jeffries film, and Simon Nye’s 2000 television adaptation (both featuring Jenny Agutter, firstly as Bobby and then as the children’s mother). Illustrated by Charles Brock with twenty black and white plates and illustrated title page.
‘When Father is taken away unexpectedly, Roberta, Peter, Phyllis and their mother have to leave their comfortable life in London to go and live in a small cottage in the country. The children seek solace in the nearby railway station, and make friends with Perks the Porter and the Station Master himself. Each day, Roberta, Peter and Phyllis run down the field to the railway track and wave at the passing London train, sending their love to Father. Little do they know that the kindly old gentleman passenger who waves back holds the key to their father's disappearance.’
'Her writing is so light and unforced, her humour so sure and her narrative quality so strong . . . she has given me the most complete satisfaction' – Noël Coward.
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Price HK$ 11,000
1906 - Wells Gardner, London - First Edition
‘I think everyone in the world is friends if you can only get them to see you don't want to be un-friends.’The first edition, scarce in such fabulous condition, of Nesbit’s most loved children’s story, the basis for the wonderful 1970 Lionel Jeffries film, and Simon Nye’s 2000 television adaptation (both featuring Jenny Agutter, firstly as Bobby and then as the children’s mother). Illustrated by Charles Brock with twenty black and white plates and illustrated title page.
‘When Father is taken away unexpectedly, Roberta, Peter, Phyllis and their mother have to leave their comfortable life in London to go and live in a small cottage in the country. The children seek solace in the nearby railway station, and make friends with Perks the Porter and the Station Master himself. Each day, Roberta, Peter and Phyllis run down the field to the railway track and wave at the passing London train, sending their love to Father. Little do they know that the kindly old gentleman passenger who waves back holds the key to their father's disappearance.’
'Her writing is so light and unforced, her humour so sure and her narrative quality so strong . . . she has given me the most complete satisfaction' – Noël Coward.
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Price HK$ 11,000
The Story of the Treasure Seekers. Being the Adventures of the Bastable Children in Search of a Fortune. -
Edith Nesbit, Gordon Brown and Lewis Baumer (illustrators)
1899 - T. Fisher Unwin, London - First Edition
A lovely unrestored and unfoxed first edition of Edith Nesbit’s first book. Illustrated with seventeen full page black and white plates.
When their father's business fails, the six Bastable children decide to restore the family fortunes. But although they think of many ingenious ways to do so, their well meant efforts are either more fun than profitable, or lead to trouble...
The messages intertwined amongst the various adventures make this a book that adults may actually find more entertaining than they expected, especially if read previously as a child.
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Price HK$ 4,000
1899 - T. Fisher Unwin, London - First Edition
A lovely unrestored and unfoxed first edition of Edith Nesbit’s first book. Illustrated with seventeen full page black and white plates.When their father's business fails, the six Bastable children decide to restore the family fortunes. But although they think of many ingenious ways to do so, their well meant efforts are either more fun than profitable, or lead to trouble...
The messages intertwined amongst the various adventures make this a book that adults may actually find more entertaining than they expected, especially if read previously as a child.
More details
Price HK$ 4,000
The Invisible Man. A Grotesque Romance -
H. G. Wells
1897 - C. Arthur Pearson Limited, London - First Edition
A bright, attractive copy of the first edition of one of the most important books of science fiction ever written.
‘I was invisible, and I was only just beginning to realise the extraordinary advantage my invisibility gave me. My head was already teeming with plans of all the wild and wonderful things I had now impunity to do’....
Wells' cult sci-fi novella is a commentary on the misuse of science for selfish ends; the famous story of a scientist who tampers with nature in his pursuit of superhuman powers.
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Price HK$ 26,000
1897 - C. Arthur Pearson Limited, London - First Edition
A bright, attractive copy of the first edition of one of the most important books of science fiction ever written.‘I was invisible, and I was only just beginning to realise the extraordinary advantage my invisibility gave me. My head was already teeming with plans of all the wild and wonderful things I had now impunity to do’....
Wells' cult sci-fi novella is a commentary on the misuse of science for selfish ends; the famous story of a scientist who tampers with nature in his pursuit of superhuman powers.
More details
Price HK$ 26,000