Cox & Budge Books

1897–1900; Poems, Yeast, Hypatia, Westward Ho, Two Years Ago, Hereward the Wake, and Alton Locke

Paper Read by W H Lever at a Meeting of The Architectural Association, London, March 21st, 1902

Hardback, bound in full red leather, with five raised bands and gilt tiling to spine, gilt decoration to boards, inner gilt dentelles and marbled endpapers. All edges gilt. 21.5 × 14cm, xxix [3], 271pp.

First published in 1871, this is American spiritualist Hudson Tuttle's guide to spiritualism and all that it entails, from manifestations to good vs evil, from mediumship to Heaven and Hell (the supposed abodes of the departed). Tuttle references many examples of spiritualism and mediumship throughout the book.

Condition

This is a beautiful copy. The leather is in very good order bar a few small marks to the top edge of the upper board. There is a neat previous owner's gift inscription to the ffep, but otherwise the contents are in excellent condition with clean pages and secure binding.

Tales of Chinese Magic

First edition. Hardback, bound in the grey cloth with red printed titling and design. 25.5 × 19.5cm, viii + 125pp.

A scarce first edition of this collection of Chinese fairy-lore (fairy tales). This copy with 10 full page black and white illustrations as well as a few smaller tailpieces. The tales are: 1. The Fox-Maiden, 2. The Enchanted Cave, 3. The Lovers' Bridge, 4. The Luck of Lin-Wang, 5. The Two Gifts, 6. The Pot of Pearls, 7. The Shell of Remembrance, 8. Pearl-of-the-World, 9. The Badness of Yang-Ling, and 10. The Last of the Magicians.

Condition

A good / fair copy. The cloth is heavily soiled and tanned to the spine, with lesser tanning to the boards. The book has ten plates, of which one has been coloured in by a previous owner (quite well). The contents are in strong readable condition, but page 39 has the top corner torn off but not affecting text. Overall, a good readable copy of an elusive title.

NIne issues, listed separately, of this student's architectural journal and review of the post-war years

Le Manuscrit de Ma Mere

Early reprint. Hardback, bound in half-vellum by Rolandi, red leather title label to spine. Marbled paper covered boards, gilt decoration and all page edges dyed red. 18.5 × 12cm, xi + 322pp. French text.

The diary of Alix de Lamartine (1766–1829), edited by her son Alphonse, and first published posthumously in 1871. It covers the momentous events in France from the French Revolution through to the author's death.

Condition

This copy is in very good condition but with light scattered foxing throughout. Previous owner's name to ffep.

A biography of The First Astronomer Royal at Greenwich

First edition. Hardback, bound in green faux leather with gilt titling to spine and upper board. Text printed recto only throughout. 26.5 × 20.5cm, 229pp.

This copy has been signed and dedicated by the author to the ffep, "To Dear Robbie, with affection from Arthur, 1975". A pencilled note on the acknowledgement page (which also mentions Robbie) states "Robbie refers to Lt. Col. R T Robertson sometime C/O of the Kaffrarian Rifles & Lt. in the S African 1st Brigade in 1914–18".

A fascinating autobiographical account of the Western Front in the Great War. Arthur Henry Betteridge was born in 1896 and elisted in the South African infantry. He fought on the ground in the Battle of the Somme and was wounded at Delville Wood. After recovery, he retrained and transferred to the Royal Flying Corps / Royal Air Force and joined No 3 Squadron flying Sopworth Camels again over the Somme. He served under Ronald McClintock (who, along with plenty of other pilots such as N S Smuts and Curtis Kinney are mentioned in the book). The book is illustrated with a few reproduced photographs and maps. Arthur Betteridge died in 1983.

This book was reissued in 1986 in three volumes but this is the single volume first printing which had a very small print run and remains the scarcest edition.

Condition

This copy is in very good condition There is some very minor bumping to the corners, and a slight forward lean to the spine. One small mark to the pages' top edge but otherwise this book is in very good order. Please contact me if you would like further photographs.