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The House of Lost Identity - and - The Haunted Jester -
Donald Corley
1927 - Robert M. McBride &, New York - First Editions
“Far away on some dark road, the young man rode, in pouring rain, and often cold and penniless, eagerly asking of every one he passed where the Elixir of youth might be found...”
Two volumes adorned in the scarce and stunning gold dust jackets. Corley’s tales of mystery and wonder have become celebrated for their spin on traditional fairy-tale motifs, amplifying them with darker, sinister elements... along with occasional comedy.
Drawing influences famed myths and legends from Persia, Ireland, China and Greece, both volumes are profusely illustrated throughout with the author’s own Harry Clarke-esque illustrations, and include a foreword by American sci-fi writer, James Branch Cabell.
From the library of the infamous Joseph Alexander Sadony, philosopher-scientist, inventor and poet, whose Michigan based ‘Educational Research Laboratories’ at ‘Valley of the Pines’ studied the power of the mind...
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Price HK$ 2,500
1927 - Robert M. McBride &, New York - First Editions
“Far away on some dark road, the young man rode, in pouring rain, and often cold and penniless, eagerly asking of every one he passed where the Elixir of youth might be found...”Two volumes adorned in the scarce and stunning gold dust jackets. Corley’s tales of mystery and wonder have become celebrated for their spin on traditional fairy-tale motifs, amplifying them with darker, sinister elements... along with occasional comedy.
Drawing influences famed myths and legends from Persia, Ireland, China and Greece, both volumes are profusely illustrated throughout with the author’s own Harry Clarke-esque illustrations, and include a foreword by American sci-fi writer, James Branch Cabell.
From the library of the infamous Joseph Alexander Sadony, philosopher-scientist, inventor and poet, whose Michigan based ‘Educational Research Laboratories’ at ‘Valley of the Pines’ studied the power of the mind...
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Price HK$ 2,500
One Cried Murder. A Murray Hill Mystery -
S. H. Courtier
1954 - Rinehart &, New York - First Edition
A fine first edition of Australian author Courtier’s second Crime novel with superb and bright example of the dust jacket designed by L. Kamp, a review copy with publisher’s review slip laid in at front of book.
Featuring ‘the amiable Dr. Fabian Honeychurch and the distinctly waspish Inspector Burnivel of Scotland Yard’.
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Price HK$ 1,800
1954 - Rinehart &, New York - First Edition
A fine first edition of Australian author Courtier’s second Crime novel with superb and bright example of the dust jacket designed by L. Kamp, a review copy with publisher’s review slip laid in at front of book.Featuring ‘the amiable Dr. Fabian Honeychurch and the distinctly waspish Inspector Burnivel of Scotland Yard’.
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Price HK$ 1,800
The Indigo Necklace -
Frances Crane
1945 - Random House, New York - First Edition
A fine example of the rubbing-prone dust jacket with a very good book which appears to have been matched to the dust jacket, would benefit from a better book.
Featuring crime solving couple Lieutenant Pat and Jean Abbot, the locationn isis New Orleans and the famous French quarter.
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Price HK$ 1,600
1945 - Random House, New York - First Edition
A fine example of the rubbing-prone dust jacket with a very good book which appears to have been matched to the dust jacket, would benefit from a better book.Featuring crime solving couple Lieutenant Pat and Jean Abbot, the locationn isis New Orleans and the famous French quarter.
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Price HK$ 1,600
Murderers Make Mistakes -
Freeman Wills Crofts
1947 - Hodder &, London - First Edition
Twenty three short stories that then formed the basis for eighteen short radio plays broadcast by the BBC from 1943 to 1945.
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Price HK$ 1,400
1947 - Hodder &, London - First Edition
Twenty three short stories that then formed the basis for eighteen short radio plays broadcast by the BBC from 1943 to 1945.
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Price HK$ 1,400
The Belgrave Manor Crime -
Moray Dalton
1935 - Sampson Low, London - First Edition
A rare title in the complete, bright and thus rare dust jacket, by one of the lesser known of Golden Age detective fiction writers.
Featuring the psychic investigator Cosmo Thor, Detective Inspector Hugh Collier and Superintendent Cardew, in a case that threatens to ruin Collier’s career.
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Price HK$ 6,200
1935 - Sampson Low, London - First Edition
A rare title in the complete, bright and thus rare dust jacket, by one of the lesser known of Golden Age detective fiction writers.Featuring the psychic investigator Cosmo Thor, Detective Inspector Hugh Collier and Superintendent Cardew, in a case that threatens to ruin Collier’s career.
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Price HK$ 6,200
Funeral in Berlin -
Len Deighton
1965 - Jonathan Cape, London - First Edition
This is one of a small number of promotional copies with a near fine wraparound band featuring a photograph of 007 author Ian Fleming and Len Deighton in conversation, and a photograph of Deighton with Michael Cane from The Ipcress File movie shoot. A scarce item.
‘Funeral In Berlin’ is the basis for the classic film starring Michael Caine as 'Harry Palmer', produced by Harry Saltzman who made the Bond movies; mention of the film 'From Russia, With Love' appears on the dust-jacket flap, as does a quote from Queen magazine, claiming Deighton's hero was "James Bond's most serious rival". .
‘The links between Len Deighton and Ian Fleming are many; Deighton's brand of spy fiction and his un-named series character (called 'Harry Palmer' on-screen) is in stark contrast to secret agent James Bond, although Fleming was certainly the catalyst to the sixties spy-boom; Fleming read Deighton's early books in proof-form and both authors were published by Cape; the pair met on several occasions and shared the same book designer, Deighton's life-long friend Raymond Hawkey, who composed the majority of his jacket art and also transformed the James Bond paperback series into million-sellers; Deighton contributed to the script of From Russia, With Love at the request of Harry Saltzman, who went on to produce the Harry Palmer film series. Deighton also wrote parts of the Warhead and Never Say Never Again scripts, based on the Thunderball film treatment.’ – Jon Gilbert.
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Price HK$ 9,000
1965 - Jonathan Cape, London - First Edition
This is one of a small number of promotional copies with a near fine wraparound band featuring a photograph of 007 author Ian Fleming and Len Deighton in conversation, and a photograph of Deighton with Michael Cane from The Ipcress File movie shoot. A scarce item.‘Funeral In Berlin’ is the basis for the classic film starring Michael Caine as 'Harry Palmer', produced by Harry Saltzman who made the Bond movies; mention of the film 'From Russia, With Love' appears on the dust-jacket flap, as does a quote from Queen magazine, claiming Deighton's hero was "James Bond's most serious rival". .
‘The links between Len Deighton and Ian Fleming are many; Deighton's brand of spy fiction and his un-named series character (called 'Harry Palmer' on-screen) is in stark contrast to secret agent James Bond, although Fleming was certainly the catalyst to the sixties spy-boom; Fleming read Deighton's early books in proof-form and both authors were published by Cape; the pair met on several occasions and shared the same book designer, Deighton's life-long friend Raymond Hawkey, who composed the majority of his jacket art and also transformed the James Bond paperback series into million-sellers; Deighton contributed to the script of From Russia, With Love at the request of Harry Saltzman, who went on to produce the Harry Palmer film series. Deighton also wrote parts of the Warhead and Never Say Never Again scripts, based on the Thunderball film treatment.’ – Jon Gilbert.
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Price HK$ 9,000
Oliver Twist; or, the Parish Boy s Progress -
Charles Dickens ( Boz )
1838 - Richard Bentley, London - First Edition, First Issue
‘Please, Sir, I want some more.’
First edition in fine contemporary bindings, first issue with the 'fireside' plate’ (i.e. Rose, Maylie and Oliver) between pages 312-13 (Vol.III), which was suppressed in the second issue. Illustrated throughout with frontispieces and twenty-one plates etched by George Cruikshank.
Dickens was severely criticised for introducing criminals and prostitutes in Oliver Twist to which he responded - ‘I saw no reason, when I wrote this book, why the very dregs of life, so long as their speech did not offend the ear, should not serve the purpose of a moral, at least as well as its froth and cream’.
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Price HK$ 32,000
1838 - Richard Bentley, London - First Edition, First Issue
‘Please, Sir, I want some more.’ First edition in fine contemporary bindings, first issue with the 'fireside' plate’ (i.e. Rose, Maylie and Oliver) between pages 312-13 (Vol.III), which was suppressed in the second issue. Illustrated throughout with frontispieces and twenty-one plates etched by George Cruikshank.
Dickens was severely criticised for introducing criminals and prostitutes in Oliver Twist to which he responded - ‘I saw no reason, when I wrote this book, why the very dregs of life, so long as their speech did not offend the ear, should not serve the purpose of a moral, at least as well as its froth and cream’.
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Price HK$ 32,000
The Christmas Books. Being; A Christmas Carol, The Chimes, The Cricket on the Hearth, The Battle of Life and The Haunted Man -
Charles Dickens, Charles Brock (illustrator)
1905-1907 - J.M. Dent and Co., London - First Editions to be Illustrated by Charles Brock in Colour
An attractive set of these classic seasonal tales, splendidly illustrated and presented in festive green and cranberry red bindings, all housed in a bespoke fleece-lined cloth slipcase with ribbon pull.
Beginning with A Christmas Carol when old, surly Ebenezer Scrooge receives a visit from the ghost of Marley, his late business partner, on Christmas eve, and he beholds a series of visions of the past, present, and future that make him decide to amend his ways…
‘After the success attained with A Christmas Carol in 1843 Dickens continued the series throughout the 1840s, maintaining what he called "the Carol philosophy" to "strike a sledgehammer blow" for the poor, uneducated, and repressed. In typical Dickens fashion he drove his message home with a mixture of humour and good cheer’. [David Purdue].
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Price HK$ 20,000
1905-1907 - J.M. Dent and Co., London - First Editions to be Illustrated by Charles Brock in Colour
An attractive set of these classic seasonal tales, splendidly illustrated and presented in festive green and cranberry red bindings, all housed in a bespoke fleece-lined cloth slipcase with ribbon pull.Beginning with A Christmas Carol when old, surly Ebenezer Scrooge receives a visit from the ghost of Marley, his late business partner, on Christmas eve, and he beholds a series of visions of the past, present, and future that make him decide to amend his ways…
‘After the success attained with A Christmas Carol in 1843 Dickens continued the series throughout the 1840s, maintaining what he called "the Carol philosophy" to "strike a sledgehammer blow" for the poor, uneducated, and repressed. In typical Dickens fashion he drove his message home with a mixture of humour and good cheer’. [David Purdue].
More details
Price HK$ 20,000