Published in Glasgow in 1822, this was a second edition of The Ball-Conductor…, a little work in a red, wallet style binding with gilt edges which guided aspiring ball-goers in the proper performance of quadrilles, mescolanzes and other dances.
In a grubby, green wallet-style binding, a 1929 instruction manual issued to fortunate new owners of the 4.5 litre Bentley was, I imagine, very much the main attraction in another lot that reached £800 – though in this case it was accompanied by 13 other early motor manuals.
Another motoring highlight was W Eden Cooper’s The Motor Car in the First Decade of the Twentieth Century of 1908. Rebound with new endpapers in black crushed morocco, it made £360.
From the Hart
Bearing a presentation inscription from a Mrs Emily Talbot that links it to a visit by HMS Hart to Shanghai at Christmas 1946 was a copy of The Marvellous Book, Containing 100 Studies of Famous Chinese Porcelains.
Compiled by Star Talbot, an Eurasian entrepreneur, and based on his own collection, it contains 102 colour plates plus notes in English, French, Japanese, Spanish, Italian and Chinese, and was one of 1000 copies published in Shanghai in 1930.
This copy sold at £660, but in November 2015, at Bonhams, another example reached £1800 and in 2004 PBA sold a copy for $3000.
