A complete set of 36 stereocards of Mesopotamia printed in London by Sunbeam Tours Ltd, circa 1923. Captioned to front, publisher’s details to verso, each measures approximately 7 x 3.5 inches (27.5 x 9cm).With the original accompanying text in three sheets, each 4 pages. Together with an antique stereoscope viewer, the “Paragon” Scope by the Keystone View Co., in perfect working condition.

An excellent series of 36 views of Mesopotamia (Iraq), shortly after the First World War. The accompanying text pamphlets include a brief introductory paragraph, mentioning the population of Mesopotamia in 1923 being 3 million and explanation of the images. Photographs feature striking images of a few archaeological sites including Babylon, the great mosque of Baghdad, the Minaret at Kut, Magil-Basra railway, a gun boat, hospital ship, General Townsend’s House at Kut, the burial place for the British in Baghdad, Indian sick veterans, Armenian refugees, local people, policemen in Baghdad, date harvesting, and shepherds. Some images with reference to the recent war.

LAYARD, Austin Henry.

London: John Murray, 1849 & 1853. 2 volumes, folio (560 × 385 mm; 578 × 380 mm). The first series in publisher’s portfolio, red half skiver, matching linen-covered boards, title and illustration of a winged human-headed lion in black to the upper board, corners and spine skilfully renewed; the second in the publisher’s red half skiver, dusty pink grained cloth boards, title gilt to the spine, and to the upper board together with a large elaborate gilt roundel. Chromolithographed title and 171 mostly lithographed plates, 13 of them chromolithographed, some folding. The portfolio of the first series rebacked and recornered as noted, the flaps relined, new black petersham ties; corners, joints, and head- and tailcaps to volume II restored, some foxing to the contents throughout as usual.

First editions, uncommon, of the two extensive and highly-detailed suites of plates issued to accompany Layard’s accounts of his remarkable campaigns of excavation in Iraq.

Layard’s cousin, patron, and eventually mother-in-law, Lady Charlotte Guest was one of his keenest promoters, “anxious to help him in every way possible, giving parties in London and at Canford [the Guest's Dorset estate] for her ‘Ninevite.’ John Murray had visited Canford and discussed the terms for publishing the book … The Treasury had refused to grant funds for publishing the drawings and Layard told [Henry] Ross [who had assisted in the excavations]; ‘The state of finances and the events occurring on the Continent, have driven Nineveh and all other antiquities out of people’s heads.’ Lady Charlotte stated in her diary … that she had persuaded Murray to publish the drawings and there was to be a public subscription to cover the expense” (Waterfield p. 184).

The list of subscribers in the first series shows 170 copies in all, 100 in proof and 70 “plain.” It was the East India Company who placed the biggest single order for the proofs, weighing in with 40 copies. Various publishers were responsible for the largest orders of the plain: Simpkin, Marshall with ten copies, Longman with six, and Putnam in New York with four. Important, and rarely encountered complete and in anywhere near collectable condition. This set is complete. Atabey 686 & 688; Howgego, II, L19; Waterfield, Layard of Nineveh. [ 62674 ]

A Japanese scroll depicting 28 provincial flags and two national flags, with details of the ruling families, including the annual revenue and province of each family, in English and Japanese

Japanese scroll from circa  1850-1870, appears to be hand-painted onto Japanese paper, possibly printed, but no colophon, measuring approximately 158 inches x 7 inches (401cm x 18cm).  Tears to some folds, repaired at verso, minor soiling, otherwise in very good and original condition. Quite possibly a one-off or archival copy.  Extremely rare in such original condition. Only 2 copies in institutional holdings albeit later and in book form, not as scroll.

Rare 19^th century Japanese Scroll depicting the crests or Mon (紋)of the following Japanese clans:

Hisamoto; Makino (牧野氏, Makino-shi); Ōmura; Satake; Uesugi (上杉氏, Uesugi-shi); Ogasawara (笠原氏, Ogasawara-shi); Nanbu (南部氏, Nanbu-shi); Matsudaira (松平氏, Matsudaira); Yamanouchi (山内氏); Matsudaira (松平氏, Matsudaira-shi); Arima (有馬氏, Arima-shi); Mori (森氏 Mori-shi); Nabeshima; Ikeda (池田氏 Ikeda-shi); Etsizen, Owari and Mito (branches of Tokugawa clan); Kamonnokami; Kii; Todo; Hosokawa (細川氏, Hosokawa-shi); Kuroda (黒田氏 Kuroda-shi); Asano (淺野氏 Asano-shi); Maeda; Shimazu; Date of Sendai and Tokugawa.

Also showing the Imperial Seal and the National Flag of Japan also called Hinomaru  (日章旗 or 日の丸の旗  ”sun disc”)

Folio, 49 pages typed journal, plus an additional 33 pages of photographs and illustrative clippings. Contains 13 original black and white photographs, 9 printed watercolour illustrations, and a map on which the route is outlined. All leafs are loosely laid into a black cloth portfolio binding. Wear to spine and corners, otherwise in very good condition. The journey takes place from December 1931 to January 1932. The account is typed shortly thereafter, in March 1932, as per title page.

Nannie Brokaw, recently divorced, eager for adventure, and burdened by excessive disposable wealth for her day, embarks on a voyage to India, hiring the author of this account, known only as ‘Brownie’ to be her companion, guide and attendant, to take care of the banal details. An added flair of excitement, she meets and travels with Milton Brown, US Army Commander and once active delegate for relief in war-torn Belgium. An entertaining account of travelling in style, uniquely described in unpretentious terms with English humour and poignant candor, not by the wealthy tourist, but by a grounded and confident English resident of India.

The author met the wealthy Mrs. Brokaw for the first time in Dehli, December 1931. A few days later they are joined by two other travel companions, both Americans, Brokaw’s friend Mrs. Sims, and US Army Commander Milton Brown. By rail they travel to the Taj Mahal, spending Christmas together at a hotel somewhere in the vicinity. The itinerary finds itself replete with activities of the fortunate, attending a charity ball and the Governor’s Cup Day horse races, and mingling at elite clubs. The group visits the Old Delhi Fort, the Ivory Palace, the to the cities of Lahore and Peshawar, through the Kohat Pass and eventually back to Delhi, for a tour of the Viceregal Lodge or presidential palace. From here a journey to Benares – cruising the Ganges, Hindu temples, remarks of idolatry and suti (the burning of widows), are a few items that capture attention, followed by a visit to the Agra Fort. Further travel sees them to Udaipur before making their way to Bombay, which, after a visit to Malabar Hill and the Tower of Silence, completes the tour of India. The author makes occasional comments on Gandhi, as a few months earlier, March 1931 the Gandhi-Irwin Pact had been signed, and during this journey, the travellers learn of his arrest.

The travel journal is accompanied by two typed letters, also by “Brownie,” addressed to Mrs. Sims, one of the travellers who joined Mrs. Brockaw for the journey, in which she is reminiscing on their adventures, and discussing her manuscript account of it. One letter is dated May 16, 1932, the other is not dated, content is 5 pages combined.

The Three Principal Travellers

At the turn of the century Nannie Inman Brokaw (née Coffin) had married Clifford Vail Brokaw, son of a multi-millionaire New York clothier. As reported in the Milwaukee Sentinel, in January and February 1929, in a dramatic and unusual trial revealing petty mandates and public infidelity, Nannie was granted a divorce, their Glen Cove home on Long island, and a $2,000,000 cash settlement (approximately a quarter of the tycoon’s wealth).

Milton McIntyre Brown served as commander in Europe during the First World War, circa 1917, with the United States 4th Battalion, 83rd Field Artillery Regiment. The University of Virginia holds a collection of his letters which describe the arrival of his troop transport in France, censorship issues, struggles in Brittany, his work as an interpreter, living conditions in American bunkers, and a visit to a Belgian castle. Brown became a delegate for the Commission for Relief in Belgium (CRB) from 1916-1919, was director of the Belgian-American Educational Foundation, member of the Finnish Relief Fund from 1939-1942, vice-president and executive director of the Belgian Relief Fund from 1940-1942. Deeply committed to relief efforts for the Belgians, he wrote articles for the New York Times in 1918, concerning the deportation of Belgian workmen, and another on the war’s impact on the Belgian lace manufacturing industry.

The author is English, living for a time in India, as she is married to a railway sahib, or an Englishman working on the Indian railways. Apparently they have children in the UK. She refers to herself as a ‘courier’ for this role, and is known only as ‘Brownie’. Shortly after this journey she has settled in Monaco, in the French Riviera.

Set of 147 glass slides. Photographs of Switzerland taken circa 1947-1948 by award-winning photographer James A. R. Adams (A.R.P.S.). three slides are of maps, 144 are photographs, 12 of which are in colour. Majority of slides with manuscript caption on white lable. Contained in the two original boxes. The lot in very good condition.

Crisp, clean, spectacular black and white photographs, a few of which have received awards , in the form of glass slides, feature Breithorn and the Matterhorn, Lugano, Lake Thun, Lake Maggiore, remote villages and majestic peaks in the Swiss alps. Several photographs are captured by mountain trekking to high elevations, traversing glaciers by foot, light climbing, and hiking long trails. The photographer also captures a dog sled, horseback tourists, and an electric cable car high up in a mountain pass. Particularly striking is a magnificent ice tunnel, either the famous Grindelwald Upper Glacier Grotto, or the Eisgrotte Rhonegletscher – the Rhone Glacier Ice Cave.

Beautifully rustic and inviting are the images of a myriad of Swiss alpine villages, the images revealing a simpler and wholesome way of life, with cattle roaming about town, and a horse-drawn carriage seemingly employed in a regular routine. The photographer is most adept at drawing the viewer to nostalgia, with pleasing scenes of street market vendors and artisans, locals in traditional garment, hillside vineyard, lakeside villas, and cobblestone streets.

Baroque antiquity and art is shown in photographs of the interior and the gardens of the Italian Borromeo Palace, on Isola Bella, Lake Maggiore, including a scarce photograph of the elaborate mosaics of stone and seashells. The set also includes a view from Bissone showing the dam and bridge to Melide, in Lugano, breathtaking mountain and lake views, occasional remnants of medieval buildings, and a classic panoramic view of the Matterhorn from across Lake Zermatt.

Set of 92 glass lantern slides. Photographs taken circa 1903-1904 by Albert Edward Coe. Images are black and white. Each glass slide measures approximately 8 x 8cm, and each labeled with the photographer’s name in gilt. The lot in very good condition, contained in a wooden box, measuring approximately 20 x 38 x 10cm (WxLxH). Accompanied with two manuscript lists in the photographer’s hand. The first is headed ‘Holiday in the Mediterranean‘ 10 pages. The second, a double-leaf folio sheet listing the slides.

With the innate ability to render objects their due grandeur, renowned nineteenth century photographer Albert Edward Coe, owner of Coe & Sons Ltd. and leader in Britain’s elite photographic society, presents sublime views of antiquity and architecture in Turkey and Greece, dispersed with insouciant scenes of travel at the turn of the century. Exclusive and rare!

Coe’s seafaring tour was one of the last voyages of the clipper SS Cuzco, taken in 1903 or 1904. His journey and artistic approach affords us a unique visual perspective of some of history’s most significant landmarks. Features spectacular cityscape and harbour views, ancient towering columns, dilapidating monuments, archaeological sites, and remnants of despotic Roman, Greek, and Byzantine Empires. InConstantinople (Istanbul) we see the interior and exterior of the Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya), the Galata Bridge, mosques, and a group of male dervishes. He continues to Smyrna in Anatolia, capturing scenes of the inner city and its people, only a few years before it would see ruin by the Great Fire of Smyrna. Several photographs are taken in Ephesus (Efes) on the west coast of Asia Minor, including an ancient aqueduct and theatre. In Athens, Greece, he photographs the Parthenon and the Erechtheion of the Acropolis. Coe also visits Ancient Corinth and the canal which had just been completed in 1893.

Together with Coe’s original lists of the photographs. The first is headed ‘Holiday in the Mediterranean’ and lists photographs in sequence taken, essentially also serving as an itinerary of travel, 10 pages, 8vo fastened with a brad. The second document, headed ‘List of Slides’ is more specific in naming places and sights, 3 pages written on a folio double-leaf. From these lists it appears that all but nine photographs were made into glass slides.

Select photos in this collection warrant special merrit for the breadth achieved, particularly when taken into consideration that the art of photography was still developing, and the tools at Coe’s disposal were somewhat rudimentary by today’s standards. (The first fully practical color plate, Autochrome, did not reach the market until 1907.)

Albert Edward Coe (1844-1928) of Norwich began his career in photography in 1863 when he was hired by Sawyer and Bird, the well-established company of opticians who also specialised in photographic cabinet-size portraits. Then only 19 years of age, Albert Edward Coe, accepted the position of manager at their studio on London Street and Castle Meadow. In 1883 Albert Coe took over the premises, naming it A.E. Coe and Sons Limited, and in 1889 also became an optician. The Coe company prospered, and for some time he made a point of recognizing his predecessors: ‘Albert E Coe, late Sawyer & Bird’ appears on his mounts at least as late as 1891. In addition to the portraiture side of the business, a thriving commercial department was established, under the guidance of H. Frederick Low, the renowned aerial photographer of the Norfolk and Norwich Aero Club. The company has the longest continuously run portrait studio in the world, dating from 1855, and remaining in business at 13-A Castle Meadow until 2003, when a merger produced Barrett & Coe. A move to new premises followed in 2008. Albert Edward Coe’s legacy continues, through his great, great grandson Andrew Coe who is a partner and leading photographer.

Rare Signed Manuscript Note, dated Rom, 13 March 1884. Single sheet, single-sided, measuring approxiamtely 5 inches x 7 inches (11cm x 18cm), written in German in a clear hand. A few minor brown spots, otherwise in very good and original condition. Together with a 19th century conducting baton, 15 inches (38cm) long, in its original black, velvet lined case. Minor crack to the tip of the Baton, otherwise in very good condition. The rare manuscript note is a music score from Wagner’s “Götterdämmerung” – (Twilight of the Gods) – to Miss Teresa Martini, signed by Joseph Rubinstein. Later the same year, Rubinstein tragically took his life.

Rubinstein worked for Richard Wagner and when Wagner hired him, ‘he introduced himself with the confession: ‘I am a Jew. This says it all for you’. Wagner hired the excellent pianist, who believed he had to atone for his Jewishness,at his studio in Bayreuth in 1872. After Wagner’s death, Rubinstein saw his mission in life completed and committed suicide.’(Bauer, Wagner-Lexikon).

Rubinstein prepared the piano score of Wagner’s “Parsifal” and a solo-piano version of the “Siegfried Idyll“.

‘It is well known that Richard Wagner, the renowned and controversial 19th century composer, exhibited intense anti-Semitism. The evidence is everywhere in his writings as well as in conversations his second wife recorded in her diaries. In his infamous essay “Judaism in Music,” Wagner forever cemented his unpleasant reputation with his assertion that Jews were incapable of either creating or appreciating great art.

Wagner’s close ties with many talented Jews, then, are surprising. Most writers have dismissed these connections as cynical manipulations and rank hypocrisy. Examination of the original sources, however, reveals something different: unmistakeable, undeniable empathy and friendship between Wagner and the Jews in his life. Indeed, the composer had warm relationships with numerous individual Jews. Two of them resided frequently over extended periods in his home. One of these, the rabbi’s son Hermann Levi, conducted Wagner’s final opera–Parsifal, based on Christian legend–at Wagner’s request; no one, Wagner declared, understood his work so well. Even in death his Jewish friends were by his side; two were among his twelve pallbearers.’(Milton E. Brener)

Manuscript dedication note reads:
“Dieses Motiv aus Wagner’s Götterdämmerung Fräulein Teresa Martini widmet unterschreibt sich verehrend Joseph Rubinstein”. “[This score from Wagner's Götterdämmerung is dedicated to Miss Teresa Martini. Signed, sincerely Joseph Rubinstein]”

Götterdämmerung was the last in Richard Wagner’s cycle of four operas titled Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung, or The Ring for short). It received its premiere at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus on 17 August 1876, as part of the first complete performance of the Ring. The title is a translation into German of the Old Norse phrase Ragnarök, which in Norse mythology refers to a prophesied war of the gods that brings about the end of the world. However, as with the rest of the Ring, Wagner’s account of this apocalypse diverges significantly from his Old Norse sources.

Splendid and comprehensive, this journal of photographs taken onsite, by a young unassuming American soldier, makes an invaluable impression as to the complexities of society and war.

12mo, 1919. Japanese-made leather journal, top giltedged, front board decorated with a fish motif. Wear to boards, spine delicate, otherwise in very good condition, internally clean and neatly presented. The journal of Private James W. Willox, of Philadelphia, who was a member of the Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force. Comprises a succinct 5 pages of manuscript entries dated from 1-23 January 1919, signed by the American soldier, followed by 122 silver gelatin photographs neatly inserted in purpose-made incisions to each leaf. Photographs range in size. The largest measure 7,5cm x 11cm. The smallest measure 4cm x 6,5cm. Most are captioned in manuscript. A few photographs are fading as expected for silver gelatin of this period, but the vast majority retain a strong crisp image. Loosely inserted are also a postcard sent from Baghdad November and a letter sent December 1918, and a newspaper clipping notice of the soldier’s death abroad.

The journal’s commentary begins January 1st, 1919 though his photographs cover a period of at least two years, starting as early as March 1917. Evidently the soldier kept a previous diary the year prior, and eventually found it cumbersome to continue writing at the same time as keeping on with his duties. Excerpts from the journal: “Ramsey went to hospital with small pox….Some of the boys isolated from the rest (12) everyone fumigated and disinfected bath. Isolation lifted for some of us on guard… stuck in mud a couple of miles from the camp of Mr. Baxter, American officer… Ramsey died today…” After a few such cursory entries, leading up to the 23rd of January, he makes the brilliant decision to create this remarkable visual testament, which speaks rather audibly in its own manner.

Consisting almost entirely of photographs, and serving more as an album than a journal, this unique volume offers a most unusual opportunity – a firsthand visual chronicle of the Mesopotamian campaign, the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I – while also preserving striking and memorable images of the working population of Iraq.

Of particular importance to the First World War, are photographs relating to General Maude, the most successful commander to serve on the Mesopotamian Front, including a scene of British soldiers present for his famous “Proclamation of Baghdad,” as well as his gravesite and the Maude Bridge. Photographs also show the HMS Mantis, an armoured Rolls Royce, separate groups of Turkish and and Arab prisoners, his fellow soldier Baxter who died in January 1919, a Sergeant Painter posing with a local woman, and a portrait of himself in uniform.

Striking photographs of indigenous custom abound in this volume. Such would include Arab vendors of the potent and popular Middle Eastern spirit known as Arak or Araq, a camel caravan, simple irrigation water wells, clay dwellings, covered merchant boats and circular guffa (gufa) boats, a professional letter writer, a children’s park equipped, Arab weddings, with ferris wheels and swings constructed of mere wood, common uses of horses and mules, date palms and plantations, mosques and other exquisite edifices, including the tomb of the famed mystic theologian Sheikh Omar Al-Sahrawardi Shrine. An intriguing trio of images inscribed ‘Arabs at the Races’ appears to be a horse racing event, which are seen alongside military men managing a horse race score board.

Spectacular views of the city of Baghdad almost 100 years ago, include some places which may no longer exist, such as the historical Exchange Square and New Street, as well as the iconic North Gate. A few photos are also taken at Makina Masus, near Basrah. Various ethnicities are represented, with photographs are Kurdish people in traditional dress, Russians and Armenians including a group of refugees, Arab women in their Jilbab, Indian Army Corps.

The following items accompany the journal:

Dated 22 November 1918 is a photographic postcard illustrating British troops camped amidst large date palms, postmarked ‘Base Post, BTH Desp’ and mailed to the soldier’s mother.

Dated 10 December 1918, the soldier writes a manuscript letter on British Expeditionary Force letterhead, to his family in Philadelphia. This is possibly the last letter he would have written, as an accompanying notice announces the deaths of six Pennsylvania soldiers who died of pneumonia during their service, which includes him. In the letter he speculates on his possible return home.
“Bagdad, Mesopotamia Exped. Force, Dec. 10.18… As yet we don’t know much about when we are coming home but suppose we will soon begin to hear some official news…

Circa February – March 1919 a death notice in a newspaper clipping announces that the deceased bodies of this soldier and five others were being brought to New York. Willox is included amongst these.
Baghdad was a principal site of the Mesopotamian campaign, the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I, fought between the Allies represented by the British Empire (mostly troops from the Indian Empire), and the Central Powers (mostly of the Ottoman Empire). The campaign which had officially ended on November 14, 1918 – only 6 weeks before the start of this journal.

A glimpse into the lighter side of the American Revolutionary years, and a rare collection indeed, the latter comprises a selection of manuscript documents from the archives of Nicholas Low, merchant and developer for whom Lowville, New York is named. Pertaining to the sale, transport, and consignment of wine, and one case of liquor fraud, these are original documents from various influential parties in the American Revolution era, including senators, governors, magistrates, and army generals. An interesting collection of documents, with the added interest of the early wine consumption in New York’s elite and discriminating circles.

Archive of eleven (11) Autographed Letters (ALS) and Notes, various sizes, all in manuscript, dating from 1776 to 1812, pertaining mostly to the early New York wine trade. A fascinating and unusual collection of manuscript documents, bearing the names and some original signatures of key Revolutionary figures. Several are addressed to financier, and prominent wine merchant Nicholas Low. Two letters pertain to tobacco sales, one of which is from an early and noteworthy American merchant. Some letters are delicate at seams, otherwise in very good condition. Some show evidence of red wax seals. The lot in an archival folder for protection.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, Madeira was considered the most prestigious wine in the United States, and was shipped to connoisseurs in major seaports from New Orleans to Boston. Prominent families purchased vintage Madeira in cask or demijohn, building sizeable collections of the caramel-colored sweet wine for long-term aging. It was the only alcoholic beverage of choice by the refined affluent society.

Two notes dated 28 August and 4 November 1792 respectively, each written and signed in the original by John Sloss Hobart, United States Senator and Federalist. Addressed to Low, each note represents a separate order for wine, and each bears an original signature. “Please to send for Bearer 15 Gallons L.O. Madeira” … “Please to send by Bearer ’6′ Gallons London Fr. Madeira”

Two letters sent by Morgan Lewis, 3rd Governor of New York. Addressed to Low, evidently written in the hand of Lewis’ secretary, and dated 23 and 24 January 1792, these consecutive letters deal with one order of Madeira wine. “Please to let the Bearer have two Gallons of wine as fresh as I had before, and charge it to acc’t. The Demi-Johns shall be returned” …. “The wine you last sent me, was not of the Quality of the first. The Bearer now wants a Quarter Cask of the Sixteen Shilling wine for Mr [Robert] Livingston… four Gallons for immediate use.”

Manuscript document dated 12 November 1792, written and signed in the original by Brockholst Livingston, New York Supreme Court Justice, with particulars of an agreement and payment of debt – in wine. Double leaf watermarked paper with remnants of a red wax seal, and original signature. “… Mr. B. Livingston will thank Mr. Low to send the pipe of wine mentioned in his note of the 28 Aug to Mr. L’s dwelling, on the corner of Stone & Whithall Streets…. Rec’d… a pipe of Madeira wine being for a bet won…” Verso is inscribed “Receipt for a pipe of wine, 1792.”

20 December 1793. An autograph letter written and signed by Philip Livingston of Broadway, NY, most likely Philip Peter Livingston. “My Dear Sir …I shall be obliged to you to have a Quarter Cask filled with your best Madeira & to order your People to send it up to me tomorrow morning if it will not interfere…”

A note written 7 May 1794, possibly by a scribe, sent by John Sullivan the controversial General in the Revolutionary War, and twice Governor of New Hampshire. Note is signed Jno. Sullivan, dated eight months before Sullivan’s death, and addressed to Low. “If you’ll be at leisure tomorrow morning I would be glad if you would stop here to see if you & I can’t agree about some of your wines.”

Dated 29 June 1812, Bristol. An autograph note signed “Wm. Miller” addresses the matter of a shipment of rum bound for the Boston Harbour. “Enclosed you have the Bill of Laden for 65 punceon of Rum …. Consigned to you for sale or further order… Shipped in good Order & well Conditioned on the Stool Ranger Wm. Miller Master now lying in Penmaquid Bound for Boston… Sixty five Punceons Rum”.

A note dated April 1789, addressed to a wine merchant, written and signed by an unidentified party, permits Adam Shaw of Princeton (possibly a hotel keeper), to purchase Madeira wine on his behalf, offering “£30 in gold” for a “pipe of good wine”.

Also included is are two manuscript letters dealing with tobacco sales. The earliest is signed “George Beall”, dated 3 December 1776, and forms a succinct agreement for a delivery of tobacco, “Two [..] of Crop Tobacco, marks, numbers, weights & species, as per margin to be delivered by us to the said Frankling..” Another tobacco related document is dated 10 April 1788, and outlines a sale of tobacco and an inventory of product held in trust by Robert Fergusson, renowned agent and collector in Port Tobacco. 8vo. Torn at folds, otherwise good condition.

The earliest wine related is a legal document dated September 1778, an indictment for wine trafficking in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Northampton County, signed “Grant Sergeant Attorney General.” “…The Grant Inquest for the County of Northampton…I present that Erhart Weaver… this first Day of July in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred seventy eight… did keep a Tippling wine without any license…did sell and deliver … Quantities of Rum, Brandy, Whisky, and other spirituous liquours by less measures than one quart…” The accused was charged and fined £5 English currency.

Manuscript maps, drawn and hand-coloured by Edwin Hadlow Wise Dunkin (1849-1915), a genealogist and astronomer, who worked for many years at the Greenwich observatory, holding the important post of Chief Assistant; he also wrote books on astronomy, among his books include “The Monumental Brasses of Cornwall sixty-two illustrative plates with descriptive, genealogical, and heraldic notes“. He was the only son of Edwin Dunkin FRS (1821 -1898), who was a respected astronomer and the President of the Royal Astronomical Society and the Royal Institution of Cornwall.

A fabulous set of 66 hand-drawn maps, all hand-coloured, with the exception of one. Maps are in two sizes, 20 of which measuring approximately 4.5 inches x 3.5 inches (11,5cm x 9cm), and the rest (46 maps) measuring approximately 6 inches x 4.25 inches(15,5cm x 11cm). One map, entitling “Morocco, Algeria, and Tunis” is dated June 24th, 1861 and inscribed by Edwin H. W. Dunkin on the bottom margin. A set of fabulous and charming maps in excellent condition, bright with incredible detail and beautiful hand-colouring.