Sport·Pastimes
Cricket Baseball
Cycling
Driving
Fishing
Flying
Football
Gardens Flowers
Golf
Horses & Polo
Hunting
Mountaineering
Rowing
Rugby
Sailing
Skiing
Tennis
The Herball or Generall Historie of Plantes -
John Gerarde, Thomas Johnson
1633 - Printed by: Adam Islip, London - Second Edition, Enlarged and Amended
A superb and rare complete folio of Gerarde’s monumental work on the history of plants, the most circulated and influential botanical work of the 17th century. This is the first edition to be enlarged by Thomas Johnson.
Describing over 2,800 of plants, and profusely illustrated with engraved title page by John Payne and a new set of 2,766 woodblock illustrations by Plantin, which were commissioned for this new edition. Thomas Johnson added several hundred new plants to this enlarged and amended edition which he significantly revised and edited, correcting many errors in the original text by Gerarde of whom he notes that ‘Our author here (as in many other places) knit knots somewhat intricate to loose.’ [1114]. Passages which Johnson substantially emended were marked with a dagger, and completely new ones with a double cross. Contributions by his friends John Parkinson, George Bowles, John Goodyear, and others are acknowledged by name. Many of the additions are based on Johnson’s own journeys. Another excellent addition by Johnson to Gerarde is a survey of the history of botany, the first such in English.
See page 1617 for two tups of ginger, which Johnson calls ‘True China’ and ‘Bastard China’ with details of how the Portuguese brought it back to Europe.
More details
Price HK$ 40,000
1633 - Printed by: Adam Islip, London - Second Edition, Enlarged and Amended
A superb and rare complete folio of Gerarde’s monumental work on the history of plants, the most circulated and influential botanical work of the 17th century. This is the first edition to be enlarged by Thomas Johnson.Describing over 2,800 of plants, and profusely illustrated with engraved title page by John Payne and a new set of 2,766 woodblock illustrations by Plantin, which were commissioned for this new edition. Thomas Johnson added several hundred new plants to this enlarged and amended edition which he significantly revised and edited, correcting many errors in the original text by Gerarde of whom he notes that ‘Our author here (as in many other places) knit knots somewhat intricate to loose.’ [1114]. Passages which Johnson substantially emended were marked with a dagger, and completely new ones with a double cross. Contributions by his friends John Parkinson, George Bowles, John Goodyear, and others are acknowledged by name. Many of the additions are based on Johnson’s own journeys. Another excellent addition by Johnson to Gerarde is a survey of the history of botany, the first such in English.
See page 1617 for two tups of ginger, which Johnson calls ‘True China’ and ‘Bastard China’ with details of how the Portuguese brought it back to Europe.
More details
Price HK$ 40,000
The Gardens of Italy -
C. Latham, E. March Philipps
1905 - Country Life Ltd., London - First Edition
First edition, two large folio volumes of this monumental work by the English photographer Charles Latham, with an introduction and descriptions by Evelyn March Philips. Dedicated by special permission to his Majesty the King of Italy.
The descriptions and over 300 magnificent photographs guide you through the finest Italian estates, the Vatican, public gardens, and embassies.
Charles Latham's photographs of Italian gardens, taken during a trip in 1903, provide an extensive visual record of Renaissance and Baroque landscapes across the country. Commissioned by Country Life magazine, these images capture the grandeur of sites such as the Villa d'Este in Tivoli, where he documented the intricate Fountain of the Dragons and terraced fountains, and the Boboli Gardens in Florence, featuring the Lemonia grotto, the West Gate avenue, and parts of the circular lake. Other notable locations include the Villa Falconieri and Villa Torlonia in Frascati, as well as the Villa Farnese in Caprarola, emphasizing elements like sculpted terraces, fountains, and manicured parterres that defined Italian garden design. In all, Latham photographed thirty-seven gardens.
Volume I - Villa Albani, Villa Pamphilj Doria, The Vatican Gardens, Villa Borghese, Gardens of the Quirinal, Villa Medici, The Colonna Gardens, Palazzo Borghese, Fountain of Trevi, Palazzi Doria, Palazzo Barberini, Palazzo Brancaccio, Villa Parisi, Villa Sciarra, the British Embassy in Rome, Villa Barberini, Villa D Este, Villa Falconieri, Mondragone, Villa Torlonia, Villa Aldobrandini
Volume II – Villa Farnese, Villa Lante, Villa Palmieri, Villa Garzoni, The Boboli Gardens, Villa Bondi, Villa Salviati, Villa Medici, Villa I Collazzi, Castello and Petraja, Villa Gamberaia, Villa Capponi, Villa Fabricotti and Villa Stibbert, Villa Montalto (vol. II).
More details
Price HK$ 8,000
1905 - Country Life Ltd., London - First Edition
First edition, two large folio volumes of this monumental work by the English photographer Charles Latham, with an introduction and descriptions by Evelyn March Philips. Dedicated by special permission to his Majesty the King of Italy.The descriptions and over 300 magnificent photographs guide you through the finest Italian estates, the Vatican, public gardens, and embassies.
Charles Latham's photographs of Italian gardens, taken during a trip in 1903, provide an extensive visual record of Renaissance and Baroque landscapes across the country. Commissioned by Country Life magazine, these images capture the grandeur of sites such as the Villa d'Este in Tivoli, where he documented the intricate Fountain of the Dragons and terraced fountains, and the Boboli Gardens in Florence, featuring the Lemonia grotto, the West Gate avenue, and parts of the circular lake. Other notable locations include the Villa Falconieri and Villa Torlonia in Frascati, as well as the Villa Farnese in Caprarola, emphasizing elements like sculpted terraces, fountains, and manicured parterres that defined Italian garden design. In all, Latham photographed thirty-seven gardens.
Volume I - Villa Albani, Villa Pamphilj Doria, The Vatican Gardens, Villa Borghese, Gardens of the Quirinal, Villa Medici, The Colonna Gardens, Palazzo Borghese, Fountain of Trevi, Palazzi Doria, Palazzo Barberini, Palazzo Brancaccio, Villa Parisi, Villa Sciarra, the British Embassy in Rome, Villa Barberini, Villa D Este, Villa Falconieri, Mondragone, Villa Torlonia, Villa Aldobrandini
Volume II – Villa Farnese, Villa Lante, Villa Palmieri, Villa Garzoni, The Boboli Gardens, Villa Bondi, Villa Salviati, Villa Medici, Villa I Collazzi, Castello and Petraja, Villa Gamberaia, Villa Capponi, Villa Fabricotti and Villa Stibbert, Villa Montalto (vol. II).
More details
Price HK$ 8,000
The Lorette System of Pruning -
Louis Lorette, W. R. Dykes (translator)
1925 - Martin Hopkinson & Company Ltd., London - First Edition in English
A rare first edition of this classic work which revolutionised the pruning of fruit trees, profusely illustrated throughout with a total of 129 photographs and diagrams. First published in French in 1914, and then into this First Edition in English in 1925.
More details
Price HK$ 2,200
1925 - Martin Hopkinson & Company Ltd., London - First Edition in English
A rare first edition of this classic work which revolutionised the pruning of fruit trees, profusely illustrated throughout with a total of 129 photographs and diagrams. First published in French in 1914, and then into this First Edition in English in 1925.
More details
Price HK$ 2,200
A Treatise on Cyder-Making -
Hugh Stafford, Anonymous
1753 - Printed for E. Cave, London - First Edition
Legendary and rare first edition of this anonymous work, all of which is generally but erroneously attributed to Hugh Stafford who contributed the sixteen page ‘Dissertation on Cyder and Cyder-Fruit’ at the beginning.
Covering the entire process from identifying and growing the best cider apples, collection, pressing, fermentation, racking, preserving and remedial action for a variety of issues ‘which are incident to Cyder’. With fold-out engraving of cider press (opp. p.32), in-text wood-cut diagrams to pages 43 and 68 (‘One side of the framed Press...’.) and wood-cut decorations to pages v, 47, and 61.
‘As Cyder therefore is generally allowed to be an wholesome drink, and as it is the natural product of our own country, he will surely be thought to contribute something towards the good of the public, who gives infallible directions for making it universally agreeable by varrying it so as to suit every palate, and by improving the flavour and the quality, both of the rough and the smooth, divesting it of its tendency to produce cholics, and giving it the sparkle of Champaign, without an eager and windy fermentation, and rendering it more spirituous than a small wine tho' less inflaming’. [Preface]
An influential work, Benjamin Franklin, who was partial to a drop himself, ordered three copies to be reprinted as pamphlets and distributed amongst the New England farmers after failing with their vineyards. It was plagiarised into various publications including encyclopaedias, cookbooks and later reference works related to cider.
More details
Price HK$ 42,000
1753 - Printed for E. Cave, London - First Edition
Legendary and rare first edition of this anonymous work, all of which is generally but erroneously attributed to Hugh Stafford who contributed the sixteen page ‘Dissertation on Cyder and Cyder-Fruit’ at the beginning.Covering the entire process from identifying and growing the best cider apples, collection, pressing, fermentation, racking, preserving and remedial action for a variety of issues ‘which are incident to Cyder’. With fold-out engraving of cider press (opp. p.32), in-text wood-cut diagrams to pages 43 and 68 (‘One side of the framed Press...’.) and wood-cut decorations to pages v, 47, and 61.
‘As Cyder therefore is generally allowed to be an wholesome drink, and as it is the natural product of our own country, he will surely be thought to contribute something towards the good of the public, who gives infallible directions for making it universally agreeable by varrying it so as to suit every palate, and by improving the flavour and the quality, both of the rough and the smooth, divesting it of its tendency to produce cholics, and giving it the sparkle of Champaign, without an eager and windy fermentation, and rendering it more spirituous than a small wine tho' less inflaming’. [Preface]
An influential work, Benjamin Franklin, who was partial to a drop himself, ordered three copies to be reprinted as pamphlets and distributed amongst the New England farmers after failing with their vineyards. It was plagiarised into various publications including encyclopaedias, cookbooks and later reference works related to cider.
More details
Price HK$ 42,000