DAVID MASON BOOKS


Recent Highlights

BRADBURY, Ray. The Martian Chronicles. Garden City: Doubleday & Co., 1950. First edition.

Spine faded to tan which is common with this title, some minor fading to upper cover (through d/w), a bit of offsetting to e/papers but still a near fine, unworn copy in the d/w which is price clipped with minor rubbing to the top of the spine.

$2500.00 (CAD)


 

Art Work On Toronto. Published in Twelve Parts. (Toronto): W.H. Carre, 1898. In twelve parts. First edition. Folio, orig. purple wrappers, (18)pp. text, 76 plates (over 100 views).

There is some fading to the spines and some light fading to the edges of some wrappers; the fading is most pronounced on the upper wrapper of the first part which has at some time been left in the light with d smaller book on top causing a band of fading around the perimeter approx. 2" in width. However, this is in fact a beautiful copy. We would call it the finest copy that we have seen except that we have never seen another copy in 40 years. Queries throughout the trade have resulted in knowledge of two other copies noted in the collective memory of the trade over the last 40-50 years, and only one of these was in wrappers. Only "Toronto In The Camera" (1868) would equal this rarity, although a copy of "Toronto In The Camera" would bring a much higher price, probably two to two and half times greater. Like "Toronto In The Camera" this book, "Art Work On Toronto" provides stunning views of the principal buildings in Toronto, many of which are now gone. There was a reprint done in 1984 and it is a beautiful book and can of course still be obtained. However, it is unlikely that one would ever be able to obtain a finer copy of the first edition in the rare original parts than the copy described above.

$6500.00 (CAD)


 

HEMINGWAY, Ernest. Green Hills of Africa. London: Jonathan Cape, (1936). First English edition.

Name, spine and perimeter of green buckram slightly faded o/w near fine in a d/w with a touch of wear to the spine ends and slight soiling to the rear panel.

$850.00 (CAD)


 

Writing Away. The PEN Canada Travel Anthology. (Toronto) McClelland & Stewart, (1994). First edition.

One of fifty special copies signed by all the contributors. Specially bound and encased in a folding slipcase by Keith Felton. PEN Canada sold this special edition at $1000 and as far as we know this is the first to reach the open market. A very fine copy as issued.

$1250.00 (CAD)

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Reminiscences of the North-West Rebellion, With A Record of the Raising of Her Majesty's 100th Regiment in Canada. And A Chapter on Canadian Social & Political Life. Toronto: Printed by the Grip Printing and Publishing Co., 1886. First edition. 8vo., orig. green cloth with a pictorial decoration on the upper cover, bevelled edges, 531pp.

      A quite fine copy not surprising given that it still has the dustwrapper. Considered one of the best books on the Riel Rebellion this book has never been particularly scarce but with the dustwrapper it could be called excessively rare. This is the second copy we have seen and queries of members of the trade seems to indicate that there may be four copies seen or recorded including this one. One colleague, a Canadian specialist, believes that this 1886 dustwrapper is the earliest known Canadian dustwrapper. Certainly in 40 years we have seen nothing earlier or even this early nor can we locate any references to an earlier one.
$1500 (CAD)



ALLOM, Thomas and Robert Walsh. Constantinople And The Scenery of the Seven Churches of Asia Minor Illustrated. In a Series of Drawings From Nature by Thomas Allom. With An Historical Account of Constantinople, and Descriptions of the Plates by The Rev. Robert Walsh. First and Second Series.
London: Fisher, Son & Co., nd. (1838/9). In two volumes. First editions of both series. 4to., contemporary full dark green morocco, elaborated gilt compartments, large gilt decoration in the centre of upper and lower covers, blindstamped decoration in corners, A.E.G., xxxvi, 84; (iv), 100pp.

Blackmer 1766. Some scattered foxing in volume two affecting a few plates but not severely, some light rubbing but in fact a lovely copy in an attractive binding.

Thomas Allom [1804-1872] British architect and topographical illustrator. Alloms designs for churches aroused much interest and he subsequently designed many building in London and elsewhere in England. However he is primarily remembered for several topographical works including the above volumes which were a result of an expedition in 1834 through Istanbul, Anatolia, Syria and Palestine.

$2500.00 (CAD)

 

Edmund Wilson
"This Room and this Gin and these
Sandwiches".
New York: The New Republic, 1937.
First edition.
With a signed presentation inscription from the author.
Wrappers. Lightly soiled, spine darkened with 1" chip out at foot, light wear to tip but still very good, in a custom folding slipcase with leather label.

$1500.00 (Canadian)




Maria Rasputin. My Father. London: Cassell and Company, (1934). First edition in English. Cloth a bit mottled o/w near fine in a near fine d/w. "My Father" by Maria Rasputin along with "My Thoughts and Meditations" by Gregory Rasputin.

$450.00 (CAD)
 


(WARNER). Bugs Bunny and the Tortoise. Featuring Mel Blanc. (United States): Capitol Records, nd. (195-?). First edition. (later issues did not have the booklet) "Capitol Record Reader/Children's Series." 2 LP's 78 rpm with the original 20 page text with illustrations in colour. Fine in the original pictorial cardboard folding case. $300 (CAD)



(WARNER). Bugs Bunny In Storyland. Featuring Mel Blanc. (United States): Capitol Records, 1949. First edition. (later issues did not have the booklet) "Capitol Record Reader/Children's Series." 2 LP's 78 rpm with the original 20 page text with illustrations in colour. Very fine in the original pictorial cardboard folding case. $300 (CAD)

(DISNEY). Walt Disney's The Three Little Pigs. Told by Don Wilson with members of the original cast. (United States): Capitol Records, 1949. "A Capitol Record Reader, Children's Series. First edition. (Later issues did not have the illustrated text booklet) 2 LP's 78 rpm with the original 20 page text with illustrations in colour. Very fine in the original pictorial cardboard folding case. $350 (CAD)

 

DICKENS, Charles. The Personal History And Experience of David Copperfield, The Younger. With Forty Illustrations Engraved On Wood By J.W. Orr From Designs by H.K. Browne. New York: John Wiley, 304 Broadway, Corner of Duane Street, nd. (1850). In two volumes. First U.S. book edition, variant issue, status uncertain. 8vo.,orig. dark brown cloth with blindstamped decoration on the covers, gilt lettering on the spines, (xii), 480; viii, 454pp. With illustrations.

$2500.00 (Canadian)

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Walter de la Mare

Two Tales. (I.) The Green Room (II.) The Connoisseur.
London: The Bookman's Journal, (1925). First edition. One of 250 copies signed by the author.
8vo. vellum spine and decorated paper boards. A beautiful copy. $250 (CAD)

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Note: the above Walter de la Mare is part of a large group of de la Mare titles just purchased, mostly the limited signed issues and all in fine to very fine condition. Please check "Book Online" for a complete list of Walter de la Mare titles.

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



IN THE VERY RARE DUSTWRAPPER

Haggard, H. Rider. Ayesha.
Toronto: William Briggs, 1905. First Canadian Edition.
8vo., cloth gilt.
Lacks front free endpaper and has a previous owner's owner-ship stamp on recto of frontis. o/w fine in the dust-wrapper as issued. Canadian issues of international literature has been one of our specialties for almost forty years and we have handled many copies of this book which is relatively common (at least in Canada). However, this is the only copy in the rare dustwrapper which we have owned or, in fact, ever seen. $2,500 (CAD)

The complete set in full morocco. We have seen this set in a very cheap publisher's leather and, in it's usual issue of cloth, but we have not seen this set before in full morocco. Because this set is nicely bound with inner dentelles and supplied end papers with T.E.G. and because an earlier owner's name is gold-stamped on upper boards we believe it is probably a commissioned binding. Single volumes are more often encountered than full sets, each volume being complete in itself. The full set includes:
Myths of the North American Indians by Lewis Spence
Myths of Greece and Rome by H.A. Guerber
Myths of the Norsemen by H.A. Guerber
Myths and Legends of the Middle Ages by H.A. Guerber
Hero Myths and Legends of the British Race by M.I. Ebbutt
Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race by T.W. Rolleston
Myths and Legends of Japan by F. Hadland Davies
Myths of Mexico and Peru by Lewis Spence

Price for the 8 volume set $2500 (Canadian Funds).

 
 

Donald E. Westlake
"The Mercenaries ".
New York: Random House, 1960.
First edition.
Author's first book.
Black paper spine, decorative boards. Minor creasing to spine with slight bump at top; dustwrapper faded on spine with minor chipping to ends. All in all a very good copy in an acceptable jacket.

$650.00 (Canadian)

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