Food·Wine·Art
Cocktails
Food
Tobacco
Wine Whisky
Art
Architecture
Ceramics Jade
Fashion
Film Theatre
Interior Design
Music
Photography
The Lady's Assistant for Regulating and Supplying her Table, Being a Complete System of Cookery -
Charlotte Mason
1777 - J. Walter, London - Third Edition
‘Mrs Mason's lucidly composed English makes her delightful recipes as easy to follow today as they were in the eighteenth century, enabling the adventurous modern cook to re-create the extraordinary food of the Age of George III without a great deal of difficulty. Her fascinating bills of fare are invaluable to historians of food and dining for the insight they afford into the mores of Georgian table service.'
An important but much neglected eighteenth century cookery book. Unusually, the table settings show layouts for more ordinary households as well as affluent ones, and the recipes follow this pattern.
A particularly clean copy, scarce in the early editions (only five existing copies of the first and second edition are recorded).
More details
Price HK$ 8,000
1777 - J. Walter, London - Third Edition
‘Mrs Mason's lucidly composed English makes her delightful recipes as easy to follow today as they were in the eighteenth century, enabling the adventurous modern cook to re-create the extraordinary food of the Age of George III without a great deal of difficulty. Her fascinating bills of fare are invaluable to historians of food and dining for the insight they afford into the mores of Georgian table service.' An important but much neglected eighteenth century cookery book. Unusually, the table settings show layouts for more ordinary households as well as affluent ones, and the recipes follow this pattern.
A particularly clean copy, scarce in the early editions (only five existing copies of the first and second edition are recorded).
More details
Price HK$ 8,000
Traité Théorique et Pratique du Travail des Vins. Leurs propriétés, leur fabrication, leurs maladies. Fabrication des Vins Mousseux -
Edme-Jules Maumene
1874 - G. Masson, Paris - Deuxième Édition, Entièrement Refondue.
An influential and fundamental work in the history of Champagne production, by a pioneering industry chemist and Professor at Reims. In addition to the production of sparkling wines, and a lengthy study on the affects of sugar, this work deals with the properties of wine, manufacture, and their diseases. Also included are descriptions of the efforts made by other chemists, and a bibliography. This work appeared for the first time in 1858 under the title ‘Indications Théoriques et Pratiques sur le Travail des Vins’.
An internally fine unopened and uncut copy with illustrations and tables throughout.
Maumene was intrigued by the large number of exploding bottles, a problem that in some years affected over 60% of bottles in the mid-nineteenth century as Champagne houses battled to produce sufficient mousse to produce a good champagne. It had been supposed that the excess CO2 produced by the addition of too much sugar was the culprit, however Maumene, evaluating this ‘mousse-power’ by measuring the pressure of the CO2 inside the bottle, discovered that different wines produced different amounts of CO2 despite having the same amounts of sugar added.
Building on this work, by the end of the 19th century, Emile Manceau of Moet et Chandon, successfully reduced the breakage of 8-10 percent to 1 percent, and produced some pretty good Champagne to boot.
More details
Price HK$ 3,500
1874 - G. Masson, Paris - Deuxième Édition, Entièrement Refondue.
An influential and fundamental work in the history of Champagne production, by a pioneering industry chemist and Professor at Reims. In addition to the production of sparkling wines, and a lengthy study on the affects of sugar, this work deals with the properties of wine, manufacture, and their diseases. Also included are descriptions of the efforts made by other chemists, and a bibliography. This work appeared for the first time in 1858 under the title ‘Indications Théoriques et Pratiques sur le Travail des Vins’.An internally fine unopened and uncut copy with illustrations and tables throughout.
Maumene was intrigued by the large number of exploding bottles, a problem that in some years affected over 60% of bottles in the mid-nineteenth century as Champagne houses battled to produce sufficient mousse to produce a good champagne. It had been supposed that the excess CO2 produced by the addition of too much sugar was the culprit, however Maumene, evaluating this ‘mousse-power’ by measuring the pressure of the CO2 inside the bottle, discovered that different wines produced different amounts of CO2 despite having the same amounts of sugar added.
Building on this work, by the end of the 19th century, Emile Manceau of Moet et Chandon, successfully reduced the breakage of 8-10 percent to 1 percent, and produced some pretty good Champagne to boot.
More details
Price HK$ 3,500
Conservation Recipes -
Mobilized Women's Organisation of Berkeley, California
1918 - Berkeley Unit Council of Defence Women's Committee, Press of the Courier - Third Edition
'Food will win the war.’
A collection of recipes promoting food conservation, compiled by the Mobilized Women's Organisation of Berkeley, and including methods for 'Clam Chowder', 'Chicken Pie', 'Enchilada Eggs','Turnips a la Berkeley', and 'Angel Cake', among many others. The final 29 pages include advertisements, measurement and substitute guide, index, and blank pages for recipes.
More details
Price HK$ 1,300
1918 - Berkeley Unit Council of Defence Women's Committee, Press of the Courier - Third Edition
'Food will win the war.’A collection of recipes promoting food conservation, compiled by the Mobilized Women's Organisation of Berkeley, and including methods for 'Clam Chowder', 'Chicken Pie', 'Enchilada Eggs','Turnips a la Berkeley', and 'Angel Cake', among many others. The final 29 pages include advertisements, measurement and substitute guide, index, and blank pages for recipes.
More details
Price HK$ 1,300
Healths Improvement: or, Rules Comprising and Discovering The Mature, Method, and Manner of Preparing all sorts of Food Used in this Nation. -
Thomas Muffett (Moffett), Christopher Bennet
1655 - Printed by Tho: Newcomb for Samuel Thornton, at the sign of the white Horse in Pauls Churchyard
‘Written by that ever Famous Thomas Muffett, Doctor in Physick: Corrected and Enlarged by Christopher Bennet, Doctor in Physick, and Fellow of the Colledg of Physitians in London.’
Scarce first edition of this posthumous work, which André Simon said was “probably compiled about 1595. Some chapter headings will give an idea of the scope of this work, which is composed throughout in a gossipy and very readable style. ‘What Diet is’. ‘How it is to be chosen’. ‘Of Meats’. ‘Of the flesh of tame beasts’. ‘Of the flesh of wild fowl’ . . .”
From the collection of noted bibliophile and perfectionist, Brent Gration-Maxfield, with his neat pencil annotation to the front.
See page 154, where Muffett describes the flying fish he was shown by his friend Sir Francis Drake.
More details
Price HK$ 40,000
1655 - Printed by Tho: Newcomb for Samuel Thornton, at the sign of the white Horse in Pauls Churchyard
‘Written by that ever Famous Thomas Muffett, Doctor in Physick: Corrected and Enlarged by Christopher Bennet, Doctor in Physick, and Fellow of the Colledg of Physitians in London.’Scarce first edition of this posthumous work, which André Simon said was “probably compiled about 1595. Some chapter headings will give an idea of the scope of this work, which is composed throughout in a gossipy and very readable style. ‘What Diet is’. ‘How it is to be chosen’. ‘Of Meats’. ‘Of the flesh of tame beasts’. ‘Of the flesh of wild fowl’ . . .”
From the collection of noted bibliophile and perfectionist, Brent Gration-Maxfield, with his neat pencil annotation to the front.
See page 154, where Muffett describes the flying fish he was shown by his friend Sir Francis Drake.
More details
Price HK$ 40,000
De Arte Bibendi, Arte Jocandi, Artis Amandi, Dansandi; Meretricum fides: aliaque faceta. -
Vincentius (Vincent) Obsopoeus ( Heydnecker )
1648 - Typographia Rediviva, Leiden
Contemporarily bound example of this little Rake’s Vade Mecum, containing all a 17th century gentleman about town needed to know.
Beginning with Obsopoeus’ ‘Drinking without getting drunk’, and continuing with numerous important texts such as ‘Practising the Art of Love’, ‘The Art of Amusing Conversation’, ‘Faithful lovers of harlots’; ‘Elogy of a Drunkard’, ‘Rules of Dancing’, and an essay titled ‘Fornicators, gamblers and drunkards have the worst problems: Explained’.
‘This volume, rare and beautifully produced, from the presses of Abraham Commelin, whose mark is on the title page.’ - Willems.
More details
Price HK$ 10,800
1648 - Typographia Rediviva, Leiden
Contemporarily bound example of this little Rake’s Vade Mecum, containing all a 17th century gentleman about town needed to know.Beginning with Obsopoeus’ ‘Drinking without getting drunk’, and continuing with numerous important texts such as ‘Practising the Art of Love’, ‘The Art of Amusing Conversation’, ‘Faithful lovers of harlots’; ‘Elogy of a Drunkard’, ‘Rules of Dancing’, and an essay titled ‘Fornicators, gamblers and drunkards have the worst problems: Explained’.
‘This volume, rare and beautifully produced, from the presses of Abraham Commelin, whose mark is on the title page.’ - Willems.
More details
Price HK$ 10,800
Le Jazz Hot -
Hugues Panassié
1934 - Editions R.-A. Corrêa, Paris - First Edition
‘As a lover of Hot Music as well as a player, I take great pleasure in introducing a book on Hot Music which is written by that wonderful little critic on Hot Music, Mr Hugues Parnassié’ – Louis Armstrong, from his introduction
A bright copy of one of the earliest and most important works on jazz, written by the founder of the Hot Club de Paris, Hugues Parnassié, at the age of just twenty-two, with text in French and Armstrong’s introduction in French and English. Presented here with the publisher’s rare promotional orange wrap around band.
Wonderfully illustrated with colour frontispiece by Roger Chastel and 10 black and white photographs of prominent jazz musicians, including Louis Armstrong, Colman Hawkins, and Duke Ellington.
Clearly essential to collectors of Jazz vinyl, the index features an impressive 58-page list of ‘disques hot’.
More details
Price HK$ 5,500
1934 - Editions R.-A. Corrêa, Paris - First Edition
‘As a lover of Hot Music as well as a player, I take great pleasure in introducing a book on Hot Music which is written by that wonderful little critic on Hot Music, Mr Hugues Parnassié’ – Louis Armstrong, from his introductionA bright copy of one of the earliest and most important works on jazz, written by the founder of the Hot Club de Paris, Hugues Parnassié, at the age of just twenty-two, with text in French and Armstrong’s introduction in French and English. Presented here with the publisher’s rare promotional orange wrap around band.
Wonderfully illustrated with colour frontispiece by Roger Chastel and 10 black and white photographs of prominent jazz musicians, including Louis Armstrong, Colman Hawkins, and Duke Ellington.
Clearly essential to collectors of Jazz vinyl, the index features an impressive 58-page list of ‘disques hot’.
More details
Price HK$ 5,500
Mammy Lou's Cook Book - SIGNED -
Betty Benton Patterson
1931 - Robert M. McBride & Company, New York - First Edition
‘Mammy Lou's cook book had to be written, for Mammy Lou is a composite characterisation of all the negro mammies we have known, loved, and lost awhile.’
Signed by the author, 'Cordially - Betty Benton Patterson' on front endpaper. Patterson was a local Houston food writer, whose collection of recipes for meals from the 'old south', and based on her regular newspaper column, bestowed more recognition on African American cooks than any other cook book writer of the era.
Dedicated to Ida Deberry Wheeler. 'Mammy Lou is a composite characterization of all the Negro Mammies we have known, loved and lost a while.' Head notes to many chapters are in Mammy Lou's African-American dialogue. Ms. Patterson wrote the Tuesday food column in the Houston Chronicle 1930s. Creole cabbage with sausage, Mam Jude's bread dressing, crabmeat souffle, honey pecan pie, cherry pie Roanoke, etc.
More details
Price HK$ 1,000
1931 - Robert M. McBride & Company, New York - First Edition
‘Mammy Lou's cook book had to be written, for Mammy Lou is a composite characterisation of all the negro mammies we have known, loved, and lost awhile.’Signed by the author, 'Cordially - Betty Benton Patterson' on front endpaper. Patterson was a local Houston food writer, whose collection of recipes for meals from the 'old south', and based on her regular newspaper column, bestowed more recognition on African American cooks than any other cook book writer of the era.
Dedicated to Ida Deberry Wheeler. 'Mammy Lou is a composite characterization of all the Negro Mammies we have known, loved and lost a while.' Head notes to many chapters are in Mammy Lou's African-American dialogue. Ms. Patterson wrote the Tuesday food column in the Houston Chronicle 1930s. Creole cabbage with sausage, Mam Jude's bread dressing, crabmeat souffle, honey pecan pie, cherry pie Roanoke, etc.
More details
Price HK$ 1,000
Johnson Over Jordan - The Play. And All About It (An Essay) -
J. B. Priestley
1939 - William Heinemann Ltd, London - First Edition
‘J.B. Priestley is one of our literary icons of the 20th Century. And it is time that we all became re-acquainted with his genius’ – Dame Judi Dench
A smartly bound copy of J.B. Priestley’s ‘adventure in theatre’, Johnson Over Jordan – the story of ‘everyman’ Robert Johnson who attempts to make sense of a life half lived – was the play he considered his finest and most ambitious achievement. Also features an essay by Priestly on the writing of the play and its origins, and the critical reception of the stage production.
Illustrated with 8 full page black and white photographic plates of the original 1939 stage production, which starred Ralph Richardson and featured a musical score by Benjamin Britten.
With a black and white photographic portrait of the playwright tipped in to front endpaper and the front panel of the original dust jacket laid in.
More details
Price HK$ 1,500
1939 - William Heinemann Ltd, London - First Edition
‘J.B. Priestley is one of our literary icons of the 20th Century. And it is time that we all became re-acquainted with his genius’ – Dame Judi DenchA smartly bound copy of J.B. Priestley’s ‘adventure in theatre’, Johnson Over Jordan – the story of ‘everyman’ Robert Johnson who attempts to make sense of a life half lived – was the play he considered his finest and most ambitious achievement. Also features an essay by Priestly on the writing of the play and its origins, and the critical reception of the stage production.
Illustrated with 8 full page black and white photographic plates of the original 1939 stage production, which starred Ralph Richardson and featured a musical score by Benjamin Britten.
With a black and white photographic portrait of the playwright tipped in to front endpaper and the front panel of the original dust jacket laid in.
More details
Price HK$ 1,500