Autographs, Documents & Manuscripts

DUPERRÉ, Admiral Guy-Victor. [9 autograph letters, signed, mostly from the writer's time as Préfet maritime in Brest].
Brest, 22 February 1819 - 18 June 1829. Folio and 4to. Autograph letters in French, written in brown ink on single and double leaves of several laid and wove paper stocks.
With: (2) GHÉMAR, Louis-Joseph. Duperré [lithographic portrait].
Brussels, Charles Hen (printed by P. Degobert), dated 1842 by the artist. [4]; [1], [1 blank]; [3], [1 blank]; [1], [1 blank]; [1], [1 blank]; [1], [1 blank]; [1], [1 blank]; [2]; [2] pp. Full description

[MANUSCRIPT]. DYLIUS, Joannes, compiler. Dagwyzer der geschiedenissen, kortelyk behelzende, een' aanteekening van verscheidene gedenkwaardige zaaken, op elken dag van 't jaar, door de geheele waereld; bijzonder in de Nederlanden voorgevallen. Benevens de geboorte, en sterfdagen, van hooge, en laage stands persoonen, zo geestelijke als waereldlijke: beroemde helden, geleerde mannen, en kunstenaaren.
[Amsterdam], [frontispiece: 1778]. Narrow 8vo (16.5 x 9.5 cm). Manuscript in brown ink on laid paper, written in Dutch in a neat and clear but minute Latin hand, forming a calendar of historical events from 17 CE to 28 November 1777, with a grey ink and ink-wash allegorical frontispiece title, dated 1778 but signed by the artist "A:C. 1777.", and a title-page in 8 styles of plain and decorated Latin and gothic lettering (signed "Dr. Waller.|scripsit."). Contemporary richly gold-tooled red goatskin morocco, each board with a centrepiece and frame, both built up from separate (mostly floral) stamps, the whole surrounded by a sawtooth roll, the spine with a green morocco label in the 2nd of 6 compartments and each of the others with a central floral stamp and 4 cornerpieces (further with some fillets and rolls), gold-tooled turn-ins and board edges (with a floral roll), altogether 83 or 87 impressions of 7 or 8 stamps, plus 3 rolls and the fillets. It appears to come from what Storm van Leeuwen calls the "Rocaille-and-flower bindery", active ca. 1775-ca. 1812. [8 blank], [1], [1 blank], [1], [1 blank], [187], [9 blank] pp. including frontispiece. Full description

EGE, Otto F (compiler & author of the annotations). [Drop-title:] Fifteen original oriental manuscript leaves of six centuries. [Binding title:] Fifteen original oriental manuscripts.
[Cleveland, Ohio?], [Cleveland Institute of Art or Western Reserve University?], [ca. 1952]. 15 manuscript leaves (in one case a fragment of a scroll) of various formats and sizes, some glazed (see the detailed list of contents for specific dimensions), 7 written on straight-forward laid paper (European and non-European), 6 more problematic (probably all non-European), 1 on straight-forward wove paper (no. 14, supposedly made in Russia) and one on vellum (no. 7), most rubricated and/or decorated in various colours, some decorated or highlighted in gold. Each manuscript leaf is mounted (hinged on one edge to allow access to both sides of the leaf) in a passe-partout (46.5 x 33 cm) and each has a letterpress slip (10 x 18 cm) with explanatory text tipped onto the foot of the passe-partout. The publication has no title-page but includes a letterpress folio leaf that serves as a table of contents and has the drop-title given above (the present copy contains two copies of that contents leaf). The display typeface used in the letterpress leaves (and on the portfolio) is the 1938 Libra by the Dutch designer Sjoerd de Roos, inspired by uncial manuscripts. Publishers original portfolio (48.5 x 34 x 4.5 cm) covered with black cloth with on-lays in black and red on the front and the authors name in white and title in red on the spine, with three pairs of black ties (one on the inside) and a label on the inside of the right black flap giving information about the limited edition: "Edition limited to forty numbered sets of which this is No 33". [1] leaf (plus a duplicate) plus 15 original manuscript leaves mounted in white passe-partouts. Full description

[FALCONRY - JAUME III OF MALLORCA]. [Invoice document (albarán) for falconry expenses].
[Mallorca?], Saturday, 12 June [1330s?]. 4to (ca. 165 × 230). Catalan manuscript on cotton paper. 2 written pp. on a bifolium and a single leaf. Full description

[FALCONRY - SANCHO I OF MALLORCA].

[Invoice document (albarán) for falconry expenses].
1320. Folio (folded lengthwise, 11.2 x 32 cm). Catalan manuscript on cotton paper. Stored in custom-made purple half morocco case. 9 written pp. on 8 tall sewn leaves.

Full description

FORSTER, Johann Reinhold. [Letter to an unnamed fellow freemason in Braunschweig, probably Ferdinand, Herzog von Braunschweig-Lünenburg or someone in his inner circle].
Halle (Saale), 9 August 1781. 4to. Autograph letter in German, signed, written in brown ink on laid paper in a clear German hand, with foreign words and names in a Latin hand. [4] pp. Full description

[MANUSCRIPT - FORTIFICATION]. Traité de fortification.
[Northern Germany?, ca. 1685/1700?]. 4to & small folio (23 x 18 cm). Manuscript in French, written in black ink on paper in an easily readable cursive hand, with the title in a pen and ink decorated cartouche, about 45 pen and ink drawings (14 full-page and 8 larger folding, 2 of the folding ones in red and black ink with coloured washes, one of the colour folding leaves 36 x 27 cm), mostly showing fortification plans. Contemporary or near-contemporary calf, gold-tooled spine. [1], [3 blank], 164 pp., ll. 165-171, [172], pp. 173-197, 197 [bis], 198-289, [24 blank, partly numbered]. Full description

[MANUSCRIPT - FORTIFICATION]. Traite des fortifications.
[France, ca. 1730?]. 4 parts in 1 volume. 4to. With 32 folding drawings in black and red ink and grey and coloured washes showing plans, sections and elevations of fortifications and of military buildings, bridges, gates, etc. Near contemporary calf, richly gold-tooled spine. [93], [3 blank]; [249], [11 blank]; [77], [7 blank]; [88] pp. plus 32 folding drawings. Full description

[FORTIFICATION & APPLIED MATHEMATICS]. [4 manuscripts on fortification building, practical mathematics, navigation, the surveying of land and dikes, and sundials].
[The Netherlands, ca. 1645-ca. 1747]. 4 manuscripts. Folio (binding 38 x 22 cm; leaves 33 x 21 cm). 4 manuscripts (mostly in Dutch, but 1 in Latin and another partly in French) written in brown ink on laid paper in 4 different hands (plus a few later additions), the earliest with 16 skilfully executed illustrations of wooden barricades and tools and equipment for building fortifications, the others illustrated with line diagrams including 2 sundials. Loosely inserted in later limp sheepskin parchment (ca. 1794?). Full description

[MANUSCRIPT - FRANCE]. Colloquio su'gli affari presenti del 1683 fatto nell'Inferno, tra Maometto, e monsieur Colbert, già ministro di Francia.
[Italy, ca. 1684?]. Small folio (29 x 20.5 cm). Manuscript in brown ink on laid paper in a legible hand. Sewn. [54], [2 blank] pp. Full description