Andre Helle: Big Beasts and Little Beasts. Frederick A. Stokes, New York. 1924. First U.S. Edition. An uncommon example of the French illustrator's work in an English language book. Published in France as "Grosses Betes & Petites Betes", that version has some black and white drawings and references to Noah's Arc that this one does not. A wonderful array of 20 Art Deco images grace this small but lovely book. Clean, sound and bright inside and out with barely a hint of extremity wear. $650.00

Lydia and Don Freeman: Pet of the Met. Viking Press, New York. 1953. First Edition. SIGNED "DON AND LYDIA FREEMAN" WITH A FOUR LINE UNPERSONALIZED NOTE: "Here's cheers / and big chunks / of cheese go / with these". An arrow extends from the last word to point at, on the opposite page (the half title), an elaborate drawing in pen and crayon of Petrini and his offspring at an auction podium with Mephisto watching from the wings. We're guessing this was donated by the author and illustrator for a fund raising auction. Beautifully produced color illustrations throughout that just jump from the page. See Bader, p. 206. Clean, bright and sound inside. Covers are bright but there are tiny abrasions at the spine ends. The jacket is complete but for a tiny chip at the head of the spine, and even tinier chips at bottom front panel and top rear panel. There are a couple of edge tears, one at the top front panel of about an inch and a two inch tear from the bottom of the rear spine fold. $350.00

Cook, Frederick A. My Attainment of the Pole, Being the Record of the Expedition That First Reached the Boreal Center, 1907-1909, With the Final Summary of the Polar Controversy [Signed]. New York: The Polar Publishing Co., 1911. First Edition. SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR, FREDERICK A. COOK, ON THE FRONT ENDPAPER, and inscribed to a now obscure Illinois political figure. Quarto, about 10 inches tall, in brown cloth stamped in gilt and illustrated in black and green. 604 pages illustrated by photographs and maps. Cook's claims were generally regarded as fabrications at the time of the controversy over the conflicting assertions of Cook and Peary. An unusually nice copy: clean inside, soundly bound, minimal extremity wear to the covers. The gilt is bright, no fading to the cloth. Hardcover. Near Fine. (15412)$850.00

Peary, Robert E.; introduction by Theodore Roosevelt; foreword by Gilbert H. Grosvenor. The North Pole: Its Discovery in 1909 Under the Auspices of the Peary Arctic Club [Signed]. New York: Frederick A. Stokes Co., 1910. First Edition. Octavo, almost 10 inches (25 cm) tall, in 3/4 blue morocco on light blue cloth, top edge gilt, marbled endpapers. 373 pages illustrated by 7 hand colored photographs and a color map projection, color folding map at rear, black and white photographs. SIGNED BY ROBERT PEARY, LIMITED EDITION # 295 OF 500 COPIES. The "General Hubbard Edition", named after the founder of the Peary Arctic Club which financed the expedition. Text lightly toned; facing blanks at front moderately toned obviously from the insertion of newsprint, one page with an inconsequential 1.5 inch tear. Inside is otherwise clean, unmarked, and soundly bound. The covers are lightly rubbed with wear at the front joint; spine evenly sunned to brownish blue. Hardcover. Very Good+. (14406)$1,500.00

Allen, Hugh. The Story of the Airship. Akron OH: Goodyear Tire & Rubber, 1931. Seventh Edition. Octavo, about 9.5 inches tall, in black faux leather decorated blue and white, the decoration showing a dirigible over a city skyline at night. 84 pages illustrated by photographs. The seventh of a yearly report on the airship industry. ASSOCIATION: This one has about 35 autographs at the front including many important figures in aviation. The occasion was an airship outing over Cleveland on August 30, 1931 during the Cleveland Air Races of that year. Many participants in the races are signers. The names include Billy Parker, Lewis Yancey, Louise Thaden, Carl Lienesch, Clema Granger, C.R. Smith, Walter J. Carr, Eddie Schneider, Russ Brinkley, Bob Dake, Doc Kincade, Randall Henderson, Earle Ovington, Emory Bronte, and Phoebe Omlie. The book is clean and bright but there is minimal wear at the extremities. Hardcover. Very Good+. (15203)$750.00

Windsor, Edward, Duke of. A King's Story: The Memoirs of H.R.H. the Duke of Windsor, K.G. [Signed]. London: Cassell and Company Ltd, 1951. First Edition. SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR AS "EDWARD", LIMITED EDITION, ONE OF 20 COPIES NOT FOR SALE, LETTERED "L". The lettered copies were in addition to an edition of 250 numbered copies. Octavo, 9.25 inches (23.5 cm) tall, in full green morocco with elaborate gilt coat of arms on cover, gilt spine title, binding signed "Gray" (John P. Gray of Cambridge). 440 pages illustrated by photographs. The autobiography of the man who gave up the throne of England. This covers his life through the day he left England after the abdication. Previous owner name on the front endpaper, probably not the original owner who likely would have received this as a presentation. The first and last leaves show edge toning due to transfer from the leather turn-ins. Spine modestly and evenly darkened. Otherwise, clean and sound. The slipcase in marbled paper shows some darkening and modest edgewear. Hardcover. Very Good + in Very Good Slipcase. (15382)$2,500.00

The Secret of the Old Clock. The first book in the series, but a 1934 printing (the first was in 1930). Farah, 1934B-19. A clean, soundly bound copy with light toning to the text. The spine is mottled with spots of fading probably from offsetting from the binding glue. The jacket is clean, bright and complete with light general edge wear. Very Good - / Very Good +. $250.00.

The Bungalow Mystery. The third book in the series. The jacket is the earliest state (Farah, 1930A-1: he suggests that there may be as few as 10 of these in existence), but the book is a bit later (Farah, 1931A-4). The text is modestly toned. The covers have some light fade spots with modest fading to the spine. The jacket is pretty much complete but for some loss of material at the extremities, and the front panel illustration is bright, but the folds are exceedingly fragile with the front spine fold held together by a yellowed piece of tape on the verso. The spine is somewhat darkened. Marginal Very Good in a Fair dustjacket. $2200.00

The Mystery at Lilac Inn. The fourth book in the series. The jacket (Farah, 1930C-3) is earlier than the book (Farah, 1931D-7). The text is modestly toned; the spine is lightly faded. The jacket is complete but for a triangular chip, about a half-inch on a side, at the top of the rear spine fold. The spine is slightly darkened. Otherwise just very light edge wear and a remarkably bright and well preserved front panel illustration. Very Good + / Very Good -. $900.00

The Secret of Shadow Ranch. The fifth book in the series. Book and jacket are first state / first edition (1931A-1). The book is clean and sound with light toning to the text and minimal wear to the tips; very light spotting to the spine. This jacket is the most degraded with pieces missing from the spine ends (about an inch of the bottom and a little less than a half an inch at the top. Also small chips at the bottom front and top rear panels. The folds are generally fragile with the bottom front spine fold torn about half way up from the bottom and a two inch tear radiating from it onto the front panel along with associated moderate creasing. Also tears to the top rear panel, general edge wear, and the front panel illustration is pretty dull. Very Good / Fair (at best). $1500.00.

The Clue in the Diary. The seventh book in the series. Book and jacket are first state / first edition (1932A-1). The usual spotting to the spine is present but to a lesser degree. Text is also a bit less toned. This has the very uncommon blank endpapers. The jacket illustration is stunning: bright and clean. The jacket is complete with just very light edge wear. However the rear spine fold is held together only by a yellowed tape repair on the surface. Near Fine / Good +. $2500.00.

Nancy's Mysterious Letter. The eighth book in the series. Book and jacket are first state / first edition (1932A-1). The spine is evenly faded (not spotted this time). Otherwise just light extremity wear. The jacket also is bright with a crystal clear illustration; light top edge wear. Very Good + / Very Good +. $1250.00.