Description: Octavo, about 9.5 inches tall, in gilt stamped gray-blue cloth. 294 pages illustrated by photographs. SIGNED BY HOUDINI ON THE FRONT ENDPAPER WITH A PERSONALIZED SALUTATION DATED IN THE YEAR OF PUBLICATION. Under the date is another inscription initialed by Houdini. Finally, there is a menu and seating arrangement signed by all ten of the people at the table including Houdini and the recipient of the inscription seated to Houdini's right. The book is the author's most direct attempt at debunking spiritualism. His pointed rejection of spiritualism in this book ended his friendship with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The covers are lightly edgeworn and there is a light moisture ring in the middle of the front cover. The front endpaper is moderately darkened and the text is lightly toned. The previously mentioned menu had been folded to fit into the book and the fold has started to break at one edge. Very Good.

Genre: Magic, Magician, Supernatural, Hoax, Spirtualism, Signed

Price $6500.00

Description: Nicodemus and His Gran’pappy
Nicodemus and Petunia
Nicodemus and His New Shoes
Nicodemus and the Newborn Baby
Nicodeumus Laughs

Five books in her Nicodemus Series, all First Editions, all very good in very good dustjackets. This series was published, for the most part, in the 1930s, and the stories, with dialogue in black dialect, reflect the racial stereotypes of the time. $250.00 each.

Genre: Black Collectibles, Children's, Black Dialect

Price $1000.00

Description: Twelvemo, almost 7.5 inches tall, in off-white paper covered boards. 35 pages. One of 500 copies although the book seems to be much rarer than that. Robin Smiley of Firsts Magazine, in his lengthy discussion of Williams' books, admitted that he had never seen a copy. This is the author's first book of poetry. He is best known for his novel "Stoner", and he won the National Book Award for "Augustus". SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR WITH A FIRST NAME INSCRIPTION, and dated in the year of publication. The paper is mildly toned and there is very light edge wear to the book. The jacket is complete and untorn but the spine is noticeably darkened, and there is modest staining to both panels adjacent to the foot of the spine and a thin dark stain a couple of inches higher on the front panel. Hardcover. Very Good+ in Very Good Dustjacket.

Genre: Poetry, Small Press, Modern Firsts, University of Denver, Colorado

Price $1500.00

Description: Folio chemise folder , about 12 by 16 inches, in glossy illustrated white card stock. 12 black and white photographic plates about 9 by 13, plus an English language chronology of Smith's career. The Japanese version of the same is printed on the inside of the chemise. SIGNED BY SMITH AND HIS WIFE AILEEN ON THE REAR COVER OF THE CHEMISE. Note that Ailleen was credited as co-author of the later book on the subject. Two of the plates are also signed by the pair with a personal salutation to the previous owner. This folio preceeded a more formal book on the subject published in 1975. See Roth, 101 Books, p. 232. However the size of the plates here have more impact. They illustrate the aftermath of industrial pollution on a massive scale in the seaside town of Minamata Japan. The plates are clean and crisp. The outside of the chemise is lightly soiled and the spine strip has three moderate abrasions with tears totaling less than two inches. Softcover. Very Good+.

Genre: Photojournalism, Japan. Mercury Poisoning, Photography Rare Book, Signed

Price $1500.00

Description: Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. London: Robert Riviere & Son, ca. 1894. Later edition. Sixteenmo, just under 7 inches tall, in half dark blue calf, marbled boards and endpapers, top edge gilt. Bindihng by Riviiere & Son. 336 pages with a frontis by William Cubitt Cooke. Note that there is no date in the book, but the publication date is based on the date Cooke illustrated the Novels of Jane Austen. See Houfe, p. 98. Interior is clean, bright and sound but previous owner name on the front pastedown. Spine is evenly faded to an attractive sage green from dark blue. Tips are very lightly worn. Hardcover. Very Good. $400.00

Austen, Jane; illustrated by Hugh Thomson; preface by George Saintsbury. Pride and Prejudice. London: George Allen, 1906. Fifth Printing thus. Twelvemo, 7.25 inches (18.5 cm) tall, in green cloth elaborately decorated by peacock feathers in gilt, top edge gilt. 786 pages with many black and white illustrations. Often called the most beautifully designed edition of this popular classic. The peacock edition was first published in 1894 and copies in excellent condition are eagerly sought. Later printings of the book with this binding are not common. This one is very nice: clean, bright and sound inside. The binding is sound although the endpapers are starting to split. The covers are clean with very light wear to the tips and very shallow loss of material to the spine ends. Hardcover. Very Good. $950.00

Austen, Jane; illustrated by C.E. Brock. Pride and Prejudice. London: J.M. Dent , 1907. First Edition thus. Twelvemo, about 7.75 inches (19.5 cm) tall, in the publisher's gilt decorated vellum. 336 pages illustrated by 24 color plates by Charles Brock. A lovely volume that was part of a six volume set. Brock had illustrated Austen some years before with other illustrators including his brother, but only in uncolored drawings. The illustrated endpapers are moderately toned; the text to a lesser extent but still obvious. The vellum, as is often the case in a dry climate, has shrunk causing the covers to bow and leaving the hinges a little tight. It should resolve itself in higher humidity. Otherwise clean and unmarked with the vellum slightly yellowed. Hardcover. Very Good- $750.00

Price $400.00