Wilkerson Books and Prints

Virginia Antiquarian Bookseller Association (VABA) Book Fair

One of our favorite events is coming up on May 30 and 31..... the Virginia Antiquarian Book Association’s (VABA) Book Fair held, each year, in partnership with the Library of Virginia at 800 East Broad Street, Richmond, Virginia. This year’s Book Fair is scheduled for:

 Friday, May 30 from Noon til 8PM and 

Saturday, May 31 from 9AM til 2PM.

It’s a wonderful event with 40 fine book sellers from Virginia and surrounding states set up in the inviting open spaces of the Library of Virginia. (And, if you read the Book Fair’s Fine Print, you might choose to do your book browsing to overlap with the wine and cheese reception scheduled from 5:30 til 7:30PM on Friday, May 30…………... The best of all possible worlds.)

For more information please visit  

www.virginiabooksellers.org or www.facebook.com/richmond.virginia.book.fair.

This is the Third Year we have participated in the Book Fair and we plan to bring what we hope is an interesting assortment of Art, Architecture, Gastronomy, and Literary First Edition books to the Fair including:

The Arabian Nights Entertainments 
Translated by Jonathan Scott 

A first edition of this translation with illustrations by R. Smirke published in six volumes by Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme and Brown, London, 1811.  Bound in original 19th century full calf and complete with bookplates of Edward Chatterton Orpen on the front pastedown and Winifred & Leonard Carpenter on front free endpaper and a subsequent owner’s name stamped at the top of each title page. 

Scott's edition of the Arabian Nights is one of the earliest editions in English of this classic work.  His translation was largely based on France’s Antoine Galland’s Les Mille et Une Nuits, although Scott augmented this from other sources and added stories from the original Arabic that are not found in Galland. 

A lovely set in very good condition priced at $1,750.

The American Lawyer, and Business-Man’s Form-Book; 

Containing Forms and Instructions together 

with the Laws of Each State 

by Delos W. BEADLE

A First Edition published by Phelps & Fanning, New York, 1851.  The first half of this book is made up of forms and instructions on United States' laws and the second half has explanations of laws specific to each particular state. Topics include mortgages, deeds, debts, contracts, real estate leases, wills, marriage, and business partnerships. The state sections also covers the rights of married women and usury laws. 

There are double page maps for each of the 31 (as of 1851) states and a double page United States map.  The state maps present all counties, cities and towns. The book consists of 359pp. plus one page of publisher's reviews of the book. It is 12mo, contemporary calf, professionally rebacked in 2010 with brown leather and a new leather label. The cover corners are slightly worn, and there is some light foxing to some pages of text and margins of maps. 

All in all, a very nice copy of the laws of the Nation and the individual states a short time before the Civil War .... Priced at $450.

Hot Jazz: The Guide to Swing Music 

by Hugues Panassie.

A First American Edition published by M. Witmark & Sons, New York, (1936) and inscribed by the Author. The book is bound in black cloth boards with gilt lettering on the cover and spine. Book is clean and fresh with moderate wear to edges of boards. 363 pages.  The rare unclipped Dust Jacket is split along the length of one corner of its spine and has several nicks along its edges.

This book was translated by Lyle and Eleanor Dowling from Panassie’s 1934 French publication, Le Hot Jazz.  Panassie provided some revisions for this English-language edition. Panassié was the founder of the Hot Club de Paris and for many years the most authoritative European voice on jazz.

One of the earliest serious works on jazz and difficult to find in any condition......Priced at $450.

Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog 

by Dylan Thomas.

A First American Edition published by New Directions, (1940), Norfolk, Conn.  8vo, 186 pages, maroon cloth with gilt lettering on the spine. Very faint discoloration to the unclipped Dust Jacket. This "Portrait" is Thomas's autobiography, told in a series of short stories based on amusing or dramatic incidents from his childhood and young manhood. This First American edition was limited to only 1000 copies.

A fine example...... priced at $400.00.

We look forward to seeing you next week in Richmond!!!.

 Thank you,