[n.d. but ca. 1821-1823.]. 8vo, ff. [18] leaves, printed on one side only, with hand-coloured engraved frontispiece and a further 14 hand-coloured engraved illustrations in the text to make a total of 15 not 16 illustrations as stated by title (other editions make a similar error); all slightly crudely coloured; lightly browned and soiled throughout, with some occasional offsetting and bleed through from ink and colour; stitched, as issued, in original publisher's printed pictorial salmon wrappers, spine rubbed and worn with some loss, with 5cm split at tail but still holding firm, wrappers rubbed and dust-soiled, with some surface loss notably at lower rear corner; though a little dog-eared, overall an appealing copy. Uncommon and attractively illustrated late Regency rhyming riddle game for children, and seemingly an early edition with the A.K. Newman & Co. Dean & Munday imprint. A test of both memory and counting, the format is akin to that of the ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’, and indeed its appear to date back to a similar time. Of the party who intend on playing one is appointed Treasurer who begins the game by passing an item, 'a penknife, pocket-book, or thimble' are among the suggestions to the person sat next to him stating 'Take this', the player responds 'What's this?', to which the Treasurer replies 'A gaping, wide-mouthed, waddling Frog'. The sequence is repeated, a line added to the nonsense verse with each turn. If a player misremembers a part of the increasingly complex rhyme he or she forfeits and must enact a penalty. Suggested penalties include 'Submit to be tickled by the company for five minutes', and 'Spell and pronounce this word twice within ten minutes, without a blunder - Al-di-bo-ron-ti-phos-ky-phor-ni-os-ti-kus'.
As with many similar chapbooks of the time, dating of the first edition seems unclear. As far as we have been able to establish, one of the earliest appearances of the rhyme in print was in ‘Mirth without Mischief. Containing the Twelve Days of Christmas, the play of the Gaping-wide-mouthed waddling frog, love and hatred, the art of talking with fingers, and Nimble-Ned’s alphabet and figures’ published by Davenport in 1780. It seems likely that, was in the case of the French inspired Twelve Days of Christmas, that the recited rhyme in various forms was already popular. In 1817 E. and J. Wallis issued ‘The Gaping Wide-mouthed Waddling Frog, adapted to a Game of Forfeits, coloured Plates’. The Osborne copy, and which appears to compare to the present copy, is dated to 1822 - from an manuscript inscription. A watermark date can be seen on [f.6] of 1821. A copy which sold at Christies in 2003, and which they suggested was 1822, had a variant title-page correcting the number of embellished engravings from sixteen to 15 as is in fact the case. Interestingly, that copy had ‘just 13 illustrations which are fully paginated’ (Christies, Dr Nigel Temple Collection of Children’s Books, 2003, lot 53).

1820-30. Series of nine oval die-cut ‘lace’ cards, 64 x 88mm, alternately cream and blue, tied together with blue silk, with 18 riddles neatly penned in a single hand (1-9 on recto, 10-18 on verso); some occasional light foxing and soiling, but otherwise clean and bright; now housed within custom made box. A charming, seemingly late Regency or early Victorian handmade parlour game, consisting of a series of 18 quite fiendish enigmas, charades and riddles - sadly without the answers - though attesting to the popularity of such games during the 19th century! Neatly written on nine oval die-cut cards, redolent of papers which became synonymous with Victorian Valentine’s Day card, this attractively produced set may perhaps have been given as a love token, although none of the riddles are on the theme of love. The riddles are as follows:
1. ‘Why is the famous Mr McAdam like one of the seven wonders of the World’; 2. ‘What colour are the winds and storms?’; 3. ‘My first is a prop, my second is a prop and my third is a prop’; 4. ‘My first I do, my second I do not and my third is what you are’; 5. ‘My first is a story, my second a story and my whole are(?) number of innocence’; 6. ‘Spell the archipelago in three letters’; 7. ‘My first supplies equality, my second inferiority, and my whole superiority’; 8. ‘Why are a pair of skates like an apple’; 9. ‘Why are fixed(?) stars like pen ink and paper?’; 10. ‘Name me and you break me?’; 11. ‘What word of ten letters can be spelt with five?’; 12. ‘Take a noun of plural number, to it add the letter ‘S’, plural’s plural now no more, sweet’s what bitter was before’; 13. ‘A letter in the Dutch alphabet named makes a lady of the third rank’; 14. ‘Why is grass like a mouse?’; 15. ‘If a pair of spectacles could speak, what ancient historian would they name?’; 16. ‘What sea would make a good sleeping room?’; 17. ‘What is majesty without it’s extremes?’; and finally 18. ‘My first is a proposition, my second is a composition and my third an acquisition’ (the answer we have worked out is fortune).
McAdam (1756-1836) became famous in the 1820s, question 1 being written in the present tense suggests the date of composition to be before his death in 1836.

1856. Large broadside, 535 x 77mm, meticulously penned in pencil, ink and wash in an elegant calligraphic hand, divided into three tables within attractive architectural frames, each incorporating calligraphic flourishes, and with central pencil drawn image of Chronos armed with his scythe; discrete repairs to central tear, some light browning and foxing visible with one or two minor abrasions visible, but otherwise bright; mounted, surrounded with marbled paper; a striking example. A large and most attractively executed perpetual calendar, the work of the young Seminary student Emile Pédedieu in 1856 at the Collège d’Aire (most likely to be in the historic town of Aire-sur-Adour in South Western France), and dedicated to his ‘dear parents’. The central pencil drawing done in pencil, represents Chronos armed with his scythe. Three architectural columns contain the various calendar tables and instructions for use, all of which have been meticulously drawn, incorporating numerous calligraphic flourishes and delicate use of wash shading.
‘Instructions for using the perpetual calendar. To find out the day of the week on which the month will have started (or will have to start), look for the Sunday letter of the year and then the month; and following the line where it is placed, up to the column and below the Sunday letter of the year, you will find the day of the week with which the month should begin. If the month begins on a Monday, go to the Monday table, etc., etc’ (online translation). ‘Dominical letters are used to determine the day of the week for any given date. The letters A through G are assigned to the days in the week, beginning with A for January 1. The dominical letter for any given year indicates the letter that is assigned to Sunday for that year. For leap years, two letters are assigned because throughout January and February, Sunday will fall on a particular letter. After February 29, Sunday will fall on the next letter in the sequence’ (Amy Bishop, ‘Cardinal Tales’ blog on the Iowa State University Website from July 5th 2018).

1833. Single year brass calendar medal, 39 mm in diametre, with central shield shaped calendar table of Sundays in each month, with Dominical Letter and surrounding inscriptions giving date of calendar, law terms and date and time of eclipses, with on the obverse a central portrait of George IV surrounded by concentric panels giving principle feasts days of the year and noting new and full moons; a little burnished with some small areas of staining. A nice, bright example, though unsigned, of a pocket calendar medal, of particular appeal featuring as it does the portrait of William IV. Such pocket aide-mémoires found widespread popularity during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, with noted makers such as John Powell and Peter Kempson (1755-1824), both originally button-makers from Birmingham, amongst the most prolific coin and token manufacturers. Neither ever featured a monarch’s portrait however, making the present example more unusual.
The obverse provides the calendar table, as well as noting both sun and moon eclipses, and noting the law terms: Hillary Term Jan 11 to Jan 31; Easter Apr. 15 to May 8; Trinity May 22 to June 12; Michls Nov 2 to Nov 25.
The obverse features a bust facing right of Willian IV ‘King of Great Brit.’ and is surounded with three concentric circles noting the main feast days of the year, and noting the New and Full moons.
Coin auctions point to this being possibly the work of Halliday (1771-1844), and though we have not been able to compare visually, the present examples certainly bears strong similarities to examples by him held at the British Museum. ‘Medallist, token-engraver, manufacturer of buttons, studs, Halliday originally worked at Soho Mint before setting up own business, first at Islington Row and Ann Street, then at 69 Newhall Street for some 30 years until his death. He is considered to have produced some of the best commemorative medals of national and personal events, including Reform, Anti-Slavery and Public Institution medals. ‘With Thomas Halliday, the design of the calendar medal, basically unaltered since 1742, underwent a considerable change. The square calendar table on the obverse becomes shield-shaped with the law terms arranged along edge and the lunar table and the memorable dates alongside it are replaced by a circular arrangement. For the first time a portrait bust of the British monarch appears in the centre on the reverse, firstly of George IV and from 1830 of William IV’ ‘Silke Ackermann, Maths and Memory, Calendar Medals in the British Museum, Part I, The Medal, no. 45, Autumn 2004, p. 41.

1823. 8vo, pp. [iv], ii, 248; with woodcut publisher’s monogram on title-page; small tear at head of half-title and front free endpaper but without loss, text lightly browned and foxed throughout, but generally clean and crisp; in publisher’s full red morocco, spine ruled and lettered in gilt, with gilt monogram on upper cover, and tooled floral border, inner gilt dentelles, all edges gilt, marbled endpapers, some light wear to head and tail of spine, some minor surface wear; an attractive copy. First edition, and a most attractive copy, of this work intended to help students prepare for their philosophy examinations, the study of which was a required component of the Bachelor of Arts degree in France at the time. The ‘Bachelier ès-lettres’ was the first ‘grade’ available to students upon leaving school, and included the study of Latin and Greek, rhetoric, history, and philosophy (divided into logic and metaphysics). The passing of this largely oral exam was a condition for all further study in subjects such as theology, law, science and medicine.
We have so far found very little biographical information about the author, though he wrote a number of similar works aimed at aspiring students. He divides his work into two sections dealing in term with logic and metaphysics, each further subdivided into numbered ‘thèses’. These are presented in dialogue form, comprised of a series of questions and answers and thus resembling an oral examination.

1818.]. Pocket notebook neatly penned in a single hand in brown ink throughout, small 12mo (89 x 52mm) ; pp. [iv] title page and preface, 225, ‘Appendix’, 226 - 250, 251-259 index, [1] blank, ‘Appendix continued’, 261-400, 401-405 index, 406 - 409 blank leaves (including endpaper which is nos); some occasional light foxing, with some light browning to paper throughout; an appealing stationary binding of full red polished calf with wallet style folding flap, with marbled endpapers, spine in compartments ruled in gilt with gilt oval motif, all edges gilt, top edge a little discoloured, joints and extremities somewhat rubbed, lightly scratched and a little darkened, but otherwise very good; neatly inscribed in ink at head of front free endpaper, 'John Hoult, Dudley. Dec. 20 1818'. A beautifully executed pocket compilation of psalms and hymns, penned in a single, neat and very legible hand, and is we believe, a direct transcription of an provincial edition of Richard Cecil’s compilation of canonical psalms first published in 1795. Cecil (1748-1810), a leading Evangelical Anglican priest, later expanded his version to include Hymns for the principal festivals of the Church of England, and the work reached a thirty second edition by 1840. A comparison with the twenty-first edition of 1816, published in London by Seeley, shows this to be identical - although that 1816 printed edition ends at p. 260, whereas our copy continues with a Second Appendix.
The front free endpaper has been inscribed by one John Hoult, and is dated ‘Dudley, Dec 20th 1818’, and we believe him to be the author of what must have been a true labour of love and devotion. Dudley is based in the West Midlands of England, not far from Birmingham, and a further variant of Cecil’s Psalms was published there by Beilby, Knott, and Beilby under the title ‘Selection of Psalms and Hymns used by the Congregations of St. Mary’s Chapel, Birmingham and St. James’s Chapel, Ashted’ in 1807 (described as the 7th edition, although no further issues located and copies only located at the British Library). This Birmingham version matches that of the later London edition, but includes the continued second appendix from pp. 261-405, suggesting that Hoult was working from this Birmingham edition. It too, is described as being in 12mo, and Hoult has worked hard to ensure that his work matches the printed version page for page - although has allowed himself to extend the final index to an additional page! It must have been a painstaking exercise - and Hoult was clearly a skilled copy-writer.
Richard Cecil was associated with the Clapham Sect whose best known member was William Wilberforce, and was a founding member and leader of the Eclectic Society, an evangelical Anglican society which was started along with John Newton and Henry Foster.

1930. 8vo, pp. 62; with numerous illustrations; some light marginal dampstaining throughout; with loosely inserted attractive coloured compliments slip from the publisher, and a pictorial bookmark on Throat & Nose Hygiene; stapled as issued in the original cream wrappers, printed in green and black, staples a little rusted, covers somewhat dampstained and soiled. An appealing and evocative public health pamphlet from the early 1930s. Published by Newton, Chambers & Co., Limited, based near Sheffield, and costing 1 shilling, the work was also at some point freely distributed to readers of various local newspapers. Full of practical advice, as well as sections on the laws relating to infectious diseases, and first aid, the work is copiously illustrated, and also contains a number of strategically placed advertisements for Izal Solution

1846. 4to; with 14 engraved plates, four incorporating transparencies, all quite vibrantly coloured both mechanically and by hand, one card with printed text on verso; all cards somewhat soiled and browned due to use and paper quality, with signs of use, with light dampstaining to the ‘Latitude’ plate, and more prominent wear and creasing to the plate relating to ‘Longitude’; loosely inserted within contemporary maroon cloth portfolio, ruled in blind, with title in gilt on upper cover, inner gutter paper cracked and worn with some loss, spine sunned and lightly worn with small loss at lower joint, covers generally scuffed and lightly worn; with various ownership signatures on portfolio pastedowns attesting to the work having gone through a number of owners, including a gift presentation from Gladys Jones to Miss F Whitaker dated 1916; despite wear, a good set. An appealing, though presumed mixed set, of this elementary introduction to astronomy, one of several series of affordable, vibrantly coloured educational aids for children, to be used at home, in the class-room and elsewhere: a striking example of Victorian ‘infographics’, from the publishing firm widely acknowledged to have mastered the genre, that of James Reynolds.
Born in Islington, Reynolds father was a printer. Setting himself up in the Strand, James seems to have started business in around 1825, and went on to produce over many years a vast array of instructive and educational material, in a variety of large and smaller formats, ranging from standard maps and atlases, thematic maps on topics such as astronomy, geology, zoology and botany, tidal charts, physical maps, meteorological maps and much more. Very much an innovator in his field, though operating at the cheaper end of the market, his work was always reliable and accurate, and he routinely employed distinguished geographers such as Ernest George Ravenstein (1834-1913) and the geologist Professor John Morris (1810-1886) to advise on his diagrams. These could be purchased either in portfolio sets (usually of 12 cards, though that could vary), or individually for 1s. to enable the user to compile their own personal collection on subjects of their choice. Issued on stiff card, the majority of the diagrams were coloured (either by hand or later mechanically), and several cleverly incorporated transparencies. All beautifully executed, they were predominantly engraved by John Emslie, with whom Reynolds formed a productive, successful and enduring partnership. Their first joint production was the set of astronomical cards, issued sometime around 1846, and which proved so popular it was reprinted for decades. Reynolds was an adept and re-active publisher, who constantly revised his various publications, and provided them in a number of different and flexible formats to meet demand. Emslie went on to win a prize medal for his educational diagrams at the International Exhibition of 1862. Their publications captured the interest of the burgeoning middle classes of Victorian England, with many more parents interested in buying educational books for their children. The drive for worker’s and women’s education no doubt also fuelled demand. Reynold’s works vividly reflect the growing flowering of ‘infographics’ that emerged during the Victorian era, as the industrialisation of printing made it easier and cheaper to create books with detailed colour illustrations.
Perhaps his most famous and iconic series, this set of 'Astronomical Diagrams' is bound in a maroon cloth portfolio. Finding complete portfolios is increasingly uncommon, and it would perhaps be slightly naïve to assume that what appears to be a complete set, in fact contain the cards as originally purchased. One can well imagine that some ‘judicious’ swapping may have gone on over the years, and having handled a number of sets over recent years, it is our belief that the present set seems to include cards ranging in publication date. Though none of the cards are dated, varying imprints and differing typography employed suggest some of the cards are later in date - notably the ‘View of the Moon’. The plates are: 1. The Chart of the Heavens (transparent); 2. Transparent Solar System; 3. Transparent Diagram of the Phases of the Moon; 4. Comparative Magnitudes of the Planets (particularly striking) 5. The Sun and Solar Phenomena; 6. Comets and Aerolites (a variant to the one held previously); 7. The Earth and its Atmosphere; 8. The Seasons; 9. Eclipses (somewhat faded); 10. The Earth's Annual Revolution round the Sun; 11. Diagram of Meteorology (with explanatory text on verso); 12. Methods of Ascertaining the Longitude (somewhat worn around extremities); 13. Methods of Ascertaining the Latitude (with some slight dampstaining); and 14. View of the Moon (seemingly a later example).

1840.]. 32mo, pp. [viii]; illustrated with woodcut to cover and fourteen within the text; minor staining to fore edge and lower corner; the original folded sheet, uncut and unsewn; a good copy. Seemingly a later issue of this charming Alnwick chapbook. According to Nigel Tattersfield, the images may have originally come from the Bewick stable, and that this may be a re-issue of the 1792 ‘Lilliputian Riddle Book’ printed by the Catnach Press in Alnwick. ‘Although no copy of the original title has been located, chemist William Davison, who succeeded to the Catnach’s business in Alnwick, reissued the small lozenge-shaped cuts as The Guess Book a Collection of Ingenious Puzzles about 1815’ (Tattersfield 2: p. 421). The present scarce issue has a slightly revised title and may be a little later.

1830-7.]. Small 16mo, pp. 16; with numerous woodcuts throughout; advertisements on front and rear inside covers; some light spotting and browning, but otherwise fine; stitched as issued, uncut in the original yellow printed wrappers with small woodcut of an auctioneer on upper cover, covers a little soiled, slight crease to rear cover; a very good copy. A charming Oxfordshire chapbook, containing a series of appealing woodcuts with a rhyming riddle below, and dealing in turn with a sheep, bear, tree, drum, ship, mouse, cat, ass, cow, sun, dog, Noah’s Ark and a miser. The leaf preceding the title-page bears a verse and illustration, with the caption ‘Rusher’s Edition’ on the verso.
Meriton & Dumontel suggest that Peter Puzzlecap is, in fact, a pseudonym used by William Cowper (1731-1800), though I am unsure how they reached this conclusion, although he is known to have contributed riddle’s to The Gentleman’s Magazine. Gumuchian 1576, referring to a collection of Rusher chapbooks notes: ‘It was Rusher who restored the tradition of Giles Gingerbread (of Newbery fame) with the History of a Banbury Cake, and in the childhood of Queen Victoria, his little shop was still famous for toy books’ (Florence V. Barry).

-1870s.]. 8vo, carte de visite photograph album, ff. 15 leaves of thick card, with images on both recto and verso, and comprising a lithograph introductory text within a garland border, followed by 28 numbered albumen print photographs of comical drawings, also within matching garland borders, each with lithographed text mounted below, the ‘windows for each surrounded by chromolithograph triple gilt ruled border; somewhat dust-soiled throughout with some marginal staining, first window previously torn but now repaired, the photographs all a little faded, more so towards the end, top corners of each card clipped for easier insertion into windows, small tear at tail of ff. 2, with further light wear and occasional minor tears to each, and cards a little awkward to remove; bound within the original elaborate blindstamped red morocco album, though now considerably darkened appearing almost brown, upper cover lettered in gilt 'The Club Adventures of Alderman Akeinside', sympathetically newly rebacked to style with new endpapers and later morocco label, spine with raised bands, all edges gilt and with inner gilt dentelles, with remains of brass clasps; a most unusual and appealing ephemeral item. A wonderful and somewhat curious piece of mid to late Victoriana, and seemingly a rare production. We have so far been unable to find any record of ‘B & Co. London (Wholesale), and have only found two copies held by Institutions, and none in the UK.
Presented as a carte de visite photograph album, the work contains 29 ‘cartes’, the first of which is a lithograph introductory text, followed by 28 numbered albumen print photographs of comical drawings illustrating the gluttonous night-out of Alderman Akeinside at his club, his inebriated return home, and his final consultation with Dr. Sloe and Mrs. Akeinside. Though slightly hard to remove from their ‘windows’ (each framed by a gilt ruled border), each card has the imprint 'Published by B. & Co. London (Wholesale)', within a circle on the verso, though undated. Harvard hold what is presumably the original manuscript version, and which they date to 1850, and which contains ‘pen, pencil and watercolour’ drawings, each signed ‘GB’ or ‘GBR’. Toronto holds a copy of the present later version including the albumen carte-de-visite prints, most probably photographs of the original album held at the Houghton, and which they date to 1860.
From the Introduction: 'August ye 12th. 18-- Dine at the Club tomorrow ? Of course I shall, whoever heard of such a thing ? Mrs. A. wont eat turtle, never did: I dont like Ice: because I once fell into the Serpentine: no wonder she dont know the difference between Turtle and boiled Goose!! Some people dont know the difference between a sheeps head and a Carrot!'.

[ca. 1840-45]. Single sheet, 23 cm x 13 cm, printed on silk on one side; some very minor fraying to edges, and very slightly darkened, but otherwise in fine condition. A celebrated pianist, composer and inventor, Henri Herz (1803-1888), Austrian by birth but French by nationality and domicile, travelled world-wide, including tours in Europe, Russia, Mexico, South America, and the United States. In 1839 he founded his own piano factory where he made many important developments in piano design.
This luxuriously produced announcement, printed on silk, seems to be for a performance by some sort of mechanical musical instrument, using cylinders which were "changed through the medium of the patent dials." According to the flier, the two cylinders were capable of performing "8 operatic airs," and "5 quadrilles and 3 waltzes." We have so far been able to identify the machine in question, although Herz made improvements, and patented designs for various sostenente (or sostinente) pianos - the name given to keyboard instruments on which the duration of sounds is artificially lengthened by methods such as compressed air, the quick striking of hammers, free sounding reeds, or by other clockwork or mechanical devices. The first known example was invented by Henry Robert Mott of Brighton in 1817. Herz worked upon sostenente piano mechanisms using both compressed air (obtained by means of bellows moved by pedals or a motor and which is directed upon already vibrating strings in order to prolong the vibration), notably his ‘pianoeolique’, as well as a ‘melopiano’, a method of sustaining tones through the repeated and quick striking of hammers. Fast rotating cylinders were one way of achieving this.
This appealing silk promotional flier has been printed by the artist and engraver George Phillips Johnson (1807?-1848).

1922. 8vo, pp. 56; copiously illustrated throughout; printed in brown on cream paper, text within ruled border; some light foxing, with a few neat pencil corrections to prices; stapled as issued, in the original cream printed wrappers, retaining the original hanging cord at top of spine, staples somewhat rusted, which has stained the wrappers, with some light staining along upper fore edge, some light edge wear; a most attractive copy. A most evocative and striking trade catalogue, issued by the London firm of Silk’s Toilet Company, copiously illustrated and advertising a myriad of beautifying tonics, lotions, potions, powders, perfumes and colognes for both men and women. Amongst the must-have items we find ‘Silkodono... the latest scientific discovery for producing, preserving, restoring, and beautifying the hair and for keeping the scalp healthy and free from dandruff, scurf and scalp irritation’. Also for sale are manicure kits, nail polishers, powder puffs, hair nets, hair combs, and several pages devoted to wigs and wig-making, with ‘finest French hair’ available, as well as ‘beautiful French transformations’ - striking wigs and postiches for women.
We have been unable to find any information about the company, other than what is revealed by this wonderful brochure, in that they were manufacturing perfumers based at Red Lion Street, High Holborn, London.

1857. 8vo, pp. 77, [ii]; with large folding engraved frontispiece, and six further engraved plates (two folding); two small repairs to verso of frontispiece with a couple of small tears at folds but without significant loss, outer margin of title-page a little nicked and chipped, with slight loss to upper corner of first three leaves, further light marginal soiling and occasional spotting; with bookseller’s label at tail of front paste-down; in later three-quarter cloth over plain boards, spine lettered in gilt, front hinge cracked but holding, covers a little soiled, with slight sunning at tail of upper cover, extremities and corners a little rubbed and bumped; a good copy. A scarce abridged account of this noted Scottish trial, no doubt published to satisfy the voracious public interest that the notorious case had generated throughout Great Britain. The large folding and evocative frontispiece depicts the court-room, with the defendant standing with her head bowed, and facing away from the viewer. Portraits of Smith and the leading lawyers are also depicted, together with a view of both her house, and that of the victim, Pierre Emile L’Angelier.
Smith, the twenty-one year old daughter of the noted Glasgow architect David Hamilton, was tried for poisoning Pierre Emile L'Angelier, a poor Jerseyman of French extraction, in the summer of 1857. The pair had met in 1855 and began a secret correspondence that eventually resulted in a full-blown love affair. In the spring of 1857, Smith became engaged to William Minnoch, a suitor acceptable to her parents, and tried to end her relationship with L'Angelier. Insisting that their prior intimacy meant they were married in the eyes of God, L'Angelier refused to accept Smith's decision. After threatening to send her letters to her father if she went ahead with the marriage plans, he died suddenly on March 22, 1857. A post-mortem examination revealed that death had been caused by arsenic poisoning, and a search of L'Angelier's rooms turned up the letters Smith had written to him. Smith was arrested and charged with murder and two counts of attempted murder, based on reports of earlier attacks of a "mysterious" stomach ailment. Despite the evidence of the letters and the fact that Smith was shown to have purchased arsenic several times, the jury acquitted her of attempted murder and brought in a verdict of Not Proven on the final charge. It is interesting to note that for the London readership, Vickers has included a brief explanation of this verdict - specific to Scottish law.
OCLC notes a more fuller explanation of the trial published in the same year, published in Belfast and comprising 124 pages - and with a shorter version of 40 pp with a Melbourne imprint. The trial prompted several subsequent commentaries and analyses.

1862. 8vo, pp. xvi, 592; with engraved frontispiece portrait; very small marginal tears at head of pp. 485-7, minor dampstain at head of portrait and around margins, with some light foxing and browning throughout; with presentation inscription on front free endpaper ‘John H. Seale with the best wishes of Arthur F. Walter, on his leaving Eton Election(?) 1863’; attractive full tan calf, spine in compartments with raised bands, elaborately tooled in gilt with green morocco label, all edges marbled, some minor scuffing to upper cover, but otherwise a fine copy. A most attractively bound later revised edition of Mary Somerville’s (1780-1872) noted third work, first published in 1848 and now considered to be the first textbook on the subject in English. It was to be her most popular work, with six editions published during her lifetime, and for which was was was awarded the Patron’s Medal of the Royal Geographical Society in 1869.
‘Physical geography is a description of the earth, the sea and the air, with their inhabitants animal and vegetable, of the distribution of these organized beings, and the causes of that distribution’ (p. 1). ‘Relying on the new geology of Charles Lyell and Roderick Murchison, Somerville described the ‘successive convulsions which have ultimately led to its present geographical arrangement, and to the actual distribution of land and water’. But the text was very nearly destroyed. Physical Geography was almost ready to go to press when the first volume of Alexander von Humboldt’s Kosmos appeared. Although Mary’s was still the first work of its kind in English, she decided to burn her manuscript. Her husband and Sir John Herschel, to whom the work was dedicated, convinced her to finish it. It went on to go through seven editions’ (Alic, p. 188).
‘Her remarkable life spanned almost a century, from 1780 to 1872. It was an exciting century for physical science, for great strides were made in astronomy, in geology, in meteorology, and in geography. Many of the great pioneers in these fields - John Hershel, Charles Lyell, Roderick Murchison, and Alexander von Humboldt - were her friends, and they accepted her as a fellow scientist and acknowledged her contributions to science. Yet is was also an age when women were not given a formal education. Mrs Somerville was completely self-taught, which makes her four books in various fields of science all the more remarkable. Her books were not mere compilations of facts but attempts to explain the interrelationships between the sciences. She explained her aim in her scientific writings by quoting Francis Bacon on the title page of “Physical Geography” [first edition]: No natural phenomenon can be adequately studied by itself alone but to be understood, it must be considered as it stands connected with all nature’. (Sanderson, ‘Mary Somerville: her Work in Physical Geography’, in Geographical Review, Vol. 64, No. 3, 1974, pp. 410).
Provenance: presented to Sir John Henry Seale (1843-1914), Third Baronet Seale of Mount Boon, Dartmouth, Devon, and who later became a barrister, and Justice of the Peace for Devon and Monmouth.

[1945.]. Small 12mo, pp. 43, [1]; with moveable card instrument comprising a base board to which is pivoted a rotating central star disc marked with the months of the year and the constellations, over which is attached by two further rivets a partly transparent mask and graticule superimposed, with printed compass on verso; compass housed within cloth pocket on front paste-down; some very minor soiling, but otherwise clean and bright; stitched as issued, in the original blue cloth, lettered in blue, with some light edgewear at head and tail of spine, retaining the original price-clipped dust-jacket, slightly foxed and soiled, but with only minor wear, dust-jacket printed re-using old print stock; a very good copy. A lovely copy of the first edition of this practical manual, written by the noted British aviator and solo sailor Sir Francis Chichester (1901-1972), and including a portable and simple to use moveable planisphere and printed compass. Published at the end of WWII, the manual was aimed at both student and experienced navigators, and could be used to help with ‘steering by the stars or checking the magnetic compass, for use as a star clock or for finding the longitude, and not least important, [as] an excellent planisphere’ (front dust-jacket). Designed for use anywhere in the world in a band of latitude between 50 degrees N. and 55 degrees N, on both land or sea, it was 'ideal for the navigator, pilot, or cadet.' (rear dj).
Unable to join the RAF at the outbreak of WW2 due to age and eyesight, Chichester was not granted a commission until early 1941 when he joined the RAFVR for the duration of hostilities. His civil occupation was listed as Air Navigation Specialist. His first posting was to the Air Ministry in the Navigation section of the Directorate of Air Member Training, where he served until August 1942. In July 1943 he was sent to the Empire Central Flying School where he instructed in navigation until released in September 1945. During the war he wrote a number of instruction manuals for the Ministry, and pioneered fighter pilot flying techniques that did not require the use of maps. He was knighted by for becoming the first person to sail single-handed around the world by the clipper route, and the fastest circumnavigator, taking just nine months and one day to complete the voyage in his yacht, Gipsy Moth IV in 1967.

[1824]. Small 12mo in 6s, pp. 108, [1] engraved bookseller’s advertisement for William Darton; with tipped in engraved presentation leaf, engraved frontispiece, and two further engraved plates, all three dated 1824; frontispiece and plate I with crude contemporary hand-colouring; some faint marginal dampstaining to plates, with occasional light foxing and soiling; in contemporary red morocco backed marbled boards, spine lettered and ruled in gilt, head and tail of spine and joints rubbed and worn with small nick at tail, further wear to covers and extremities. First edition of this appealing work for children by the noted historical writer Agnes Strickland (1796–1874), in which a father encourages his children Harriet and Paul, to observe and enjoy nature and the great outdoors.
Strickland is an interesting example of the entry of women into writing as a profession during the early nineteenth century. Together with her sisters Elizabeth, Sarah, Jane Margaret, Catharine Parr, Susanna Moodie, and her brother Samuel, all were encouraged to write in childhood, and indeed all but Sarah eventually became writers. Her father approved of educating girls as it strengthened the female mind. In the years following his death in 1818, she and her sister Catherine wrote dozens of children’s books anonymously, publishing with both the William Dartons’, father and son. With her sister Elizabeth, she embarked upon the ambitious series of historical works on the lives of the Queens of England and Scotland, Elizabeth in fact undertaking most of the research and writing, but refusing all publicity.
In 1856, when Mary Howitt asked Agnes to sign the petition granting legal rights in their own property to married women, Strickland refused, commenting that “the grievances, though founded in fact,” were “irremediable by human means being part and parcel of the penalties entailed by Eve’s transgressions.” (Lilly Library Catalogue of Exhibition, 1992).
The present story draws inspiration from Adelaide O’Keefe’s (1776-1865) poem, ‘The Use of Sight’, first published in Darton’s Original Poems for Infants Minds (Vol. II. 1805), and reproduces the text here on pp. 6-8.

[n.d. but ca. 1910-13.]. Single printed sheet, 8vo, 220 x 143mm; paper a little browned, with small nick to lower right-hand margin; very good. Seemingly quite an early handbill issued by the NUWSS, encapsulating in nine neat bullet points, their arguments for voting reform. Each starting with the word ‘Because’ printed in bold, reasons include ‘only those who wear the shoe know where it pinches, and women know best what they want and what they don’t want’; ‘laws are made which specially affect women’s work and the work of their children’; ‘the vote has been given to women in some of our Colonies and has been of great use’.
We have so far located no other example, although a variant handbill dated 1913 includes very similar text, though notes their headquarters to be at 14,Great Smith Street, and was printed by The Templar Printing Works. It also notes that the President is Mrs Henry Fawcett, LL.D
The NUWSS formed in October 1897 following its proposal at a conference of all women's suffrage societies in Birmingham a year earlier. Its formation recognised the need for a structured and centralised approach to their campaign which would enable them to exert the maximum amount of pressure on the annual presentation of the parliamentary bill. Several members of the NUWSS left in 1903 to form the more radical Women's Social and Political Union, while those remaining continued campaigning peacefully through demonstrations and by putting pressure on MPs. From 1903-1910 their headquarters was located at No. 25 Victoria Street. In 1911 they moved to No. 14 Great Smith Street, where they remained until 1917. It was during this time that the NUWSS formed an alliance with the Labour Party whom at their annual conference in 1912 had passed a resolution to support women's suffrage. To strengthen the alliance, the NUWSS set up the Election Fighting Fund (EFF) which was used to support Labour candidates at by-elections. In January 1913, following the failure of proposed amendments to the Franchise and Registration Bill, the NUWSS decided to shift its focus from lobbying parliament to building support in the country.