Rare editions and poetry for Valentine's Day
From Austen's witty courtships to Merrill's inscribed devotions, this collection celebrates love through literature's greatest works. Discover first editions, illustrated treasures, and intimate inscriptions, each volume a testament to romance across centuries. Whether you seek classic novels, passionate verse, enchanted fairy tales, or modern provocations, these rare books transform Valentine's Day into a collector's occasion.
Classic Romance
Rare first editions of Austen, Brontë, Hardy, and Wilde. Shop classic romantic literature including Pride and Prejudice, signed editions, and finely bound Victorian novels.
Love in Verse
Rare poetry collections from Shakespeare to the Romantics. Featuring Doves Press sonnets, Keats, Shelley, Rossetti, and illustrated editions by Golden Cockerel Press.
Modern Passion
20th-century romantic literature including D.H. Lawrence, Fleming, C.S. Lewis, Claude Cahun inscribed editions, Beardsley, and signed modern first editions from 1900-1990.
Inscribed with love
James Merrill first editions inscribed to partner Peter Gillis. This collection includes Divine Comedies, Selected Poems, A Different Person, and 22 additional inscribed volumes.
Featured Books
The Sleeping Beauty
DULAC, Edmund, (illustrator); QUILLER-COUCH, Arthur, (editor).
A sumptuous edition, exquisitely illustrated; the additional stories are: Blue Beard; Cinderella; Beauty and the Beast.First Trade edition, first issue 4to, (309 x 250mm); mounted coloured frontispiece and 29 plates...
Lorna Doone
BLACKMORE, R.D.
Attractive edition of R.D Blackmore's third and most popular novel from 1869. Born six years after Queen Victoria, he was curiously dubbed "The last Victorian."Later printing; small 8vo (190 x...
The Novels.
AUSTEN, Jane.
A handsome set in half red morocco of Jane Austen's six published novels, comprising Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey, and Persuasion, together with her...
Pride and Prejudice.
AUSTEN, Jane; THOMSON, Hugh (illustrator).
The third printing of the 'Peacock Edition' of Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen, with stunning gilt cover design by Hugh Thomson. Hugh Thomson (1860-1920) renowned illustrator, in pen and...
Pride and Prejudice.
AUSTEN, Jane; THOMSON, Hugh (illustrator).
Second printing of the 'Peacock Edition' of Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen, with stunning gilt cover design by Hugh Thomson. Hugh Thomson (1860-1920) renowned illustrator, in pen and ink,...
The Picture of Dorian Gray.
WILDE, Oscar.
one of 250 copies - signed by the authorDeluxe first edition of Wilde's only novel, this being number 225 of 250 copies signed by the author. The Picture of Dorian...
Historical Romances
AINSWORTH, William Harrison
William Ainsworth Harrison (1805-1882)was closely associated with the Gothic-Revival era, and his narrative style shared an affinity with Walter Scott. It is worth noting that he was commercially more successful...
The Novels of the Sisters Brontë
BRONTË, Charlotte, Emily and Anne.
A highly regarded edition of the Brontë sisters' works, enhanced by Elizabeth Gaskell 's biography of her friend, Charlotte Brontë, who died in 1855 and whose biography Charlotte's father, Patrick...
Tess of The D'Urbevilles
HARDY, Thomas.
Only 1000 copies were printed in the week beginning, 29th November, 1891 of this first impression of Tess of the d'Urbervilles and as was the case with many Victorian novels,...
Wives and Daughters
GASKELL, Mrs. [Elizabeth].
rare in the original, unrestored clothWives and Daughters was first published in the Cornhill Magazine as a serial from August 1864 to January 1866. The story of Molly Gibson, the...
Leila wa Majnun,
NIZAMI GANJAVI.
Kashmiri book illustrationA charming provincial Kashmiri manuscript, illustrated with paintings in the text of scenes from Nizami's famous romantic tragedy Leila wa Majnun.Single volume, illuminated manuscript on paper, in Farsi,...
A collection of 18 first editions in the original paperback format:
CARTLAND, Barbara.
inscribed by the authorA selection of Cartland's famous historical romances each with her signed presentation inscription, in pink or red ink, to the inside of the front wrappers, to her...
Twelfth Night or What You Will.
SHAKESPEARE, William; ROBINSON, W. Heath (illustrator).
A delightfully illustrated edition of one of Shakespeare's best-loved comedies.First Trade edition; 4to (255 x 195 mm); 40 tipped-in colour plates by W. Heath Robinson, including frontispiece, captioned tissue guards,...
Shakespeare's Comedy of the Tempest.
DULAC, Edmund, (illustrator); SHAKESPEARE, William.
A sumptuous, limited edition, exquisitely illustrated.Limited edition, number 126 of 500 copies, signed by Dulac: 4to (290 x 240 mm); 40 colour plates, including frontispiece, titled tissue guards, all by...
Shakespeare's Comedy As You Like It.
THOMSON, Hugh (illustrator); SHAKESPEARE, Wm.
'the fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool' . A charmingly illustrated edition of one of Shakespeare's perennial favourites.Number 234 of...
Love Poems of John Donne.
[NONESUCH PRESS]; DONNE, John.
A sweet selection of verse by the seventeenth-century metaphysical poet John Donne (1572-1631) on the theme of love, number 145 of 1250 limited edition copies from The Nonesuch Press.Limited edition...
The Works of Alfred Lord Tennyson.
TENNYSON, Alfred Lord.
A handsome copy of the collected works of Alfred Lord Tennyson, Britain's longest reigning Poet Laureate, in contemporary polished calf gilt by Mudie.8vo (190 x 130 mm); portrait frontispiece, slight...
The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth.
WORDSWORTH, William.
A delightful seven-volume edition of Wordworth's collected poems, bound in half red morocco gilt for Hatchards.7 vols; 8vo (17.5 x 11.5 cm); engraved portrait frontispiece, occasional light offsetting; half red...
The Oxford Book of English Verse 1250-1900.
QUILLER-COUCH, Arthur (editor).
Shrewsbury School prize-bindingA lovely copy of this important anthology of English poetry spanning 650 years, bound in full tree calf gilt for Shrewsbury School.8vo (17.5 x 12 cm); slight offsetting...
The Song of Solomon [The Song of Songs].
RABAN, Ze'ev (illustrator).
A magnificent publication of The Song of Songs, first published in Berlin in 1923, illustrated by Ze'ev Raban and personally dedicated to Prof. Boris Schatz, the founder and then manager...
Ballads and Sonnets.
ROSSETTI, Dante Gabriel.
Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828—1882), his works include Sir Hugh the Heron: A Legendary Tale in Four Parts (1843), Poems (1869), which was published in several editions with slightly different content,...
Keats.
[DOVES PRESS]; KEATS, John; COBDEN-SANDERSON, Thomas James (selected & arranged by).
After establishing the Doves Bindery in 1893, Thomas James Cobden-Sanderson partnered with Emery Walker to found the Doves Press in 1901. Alongside the Kelmscott, Ashendene and Vale presses it is...
Tulip, from The Garden of Love
INDIANA, Robert
'The Garden of Love' comprises of six colour variations of Robert Indiana's emblematic, square 'LOVE' composition. 'LOVE' is one of the most recognisable images of the American Pop Art movement...
Where Angels Fear to Tread.
FORSTER, E.M.
A very good first edition of the first novel by E.M. Forster, contrasting English and Italian sensibilities, the title derived from Alexander Pope's An Essay on Criticism: 'For fools rush...
[The Prince Encounters a Village Girl at a Well],
[INDIAN MINIATURE PAINTING].
Scenes painted around imagined amorous encounters between the 'prince and village girl' were popular among artists during the late Mughal period in centres such as Delhi, Lucknow, and Murshidabad. The...
Lady Chatterley's Lover.
LAWRENCE, D.H.
One of a number of pirated editions that followed the immediate aftermath of the first edition, also printed in Florence. This novel shines as an example of Lawrence's finite skill...
The Spy Who Loved Me.
FLEMING, Ian.
One of the greatest Bond novels, a departure from other works by Fleming as it is more experimental in nature. The story is told in the first person by Vivienne...
Allowing Flowers.
SOTH, Alec.
Alec Soth produced Allowing Flowers as part of a fundraising effort by CommonBond Communities, the largest nonprofit housing developer in the Upper Midwest. The book was never available commercially. Each...
Aveux non Avenus.
CAHUN, Claude & MOORE, Marcel (pseuds. SCHWOB, Lucy & MALHERBE, Suzanne).
inscribed to Sylvia BeachAn exceptional association copy, inscribed: 'to Sylvia Beach / In memory of old days, and / in hope of no worse ones I throw / our friendship...
The Glass Cottage
SHUTTLE, Penelope; REDGROVE, Peter.
First edition of The Glass Cottage by Peter Redgrove and Penelope Shuttle. Inscribed to D.M. Thomas.This is the second novel by co-authors Redgrove and Shuttle, who have been described by...
A Kind of Loving.
BARSTOW, Stan.
First edition of the author's first book, set against the background of a West Riding industrial town.First edition, first impression; 8vo; faint offsetting to endpapers, ownership signature to front free...
David et Bethsabée (d'après Cranach)
PICASSO, Pablo
This work is a unique proof gifted to Geneviève Laporte (1926-2012), Picasso's lover during the 1950s. In 1951, Picasso and Laporte began an affair which lasted for two years and...
Senchimentaru na Tabi [Sentimental Journey].
ARAKI, Nobuyoshi.
Sentimental Journey is Araki Nobuyoshi's signature work, one of the key photography books of the twentieth century. It comprises photographs made whilst on honeymoon with his wife Yoko in Yanagawa...
Divine Comedies.
MERRILL, James.
association copyInscribed by the author to his lover Peter Gillis in orange ink on the title page: 'with love to Peter Gillis in far-off Boston –James / 1982 (by per...
Recitative.
MERRILL, James.
association copyInscribed by the author to is lover Peter Gillis on the title page: 'with love to Peter / - James / Rutland Sq. / 13 xi 86'.First edition, first...
The Country of a Thousand Years of Peace.
MERRILL, James.
association copyThe first of the author's books inscribed to his lover Peter Gillis. Inscribed by the author on the front flyleaf: 'with love to Peter from James / Stonington /...
The Seraglio.
MERRILL, James.
association copyOne of the first books inscribed by the author to his lover Peter Gillis. Inscribed on the front free endpaper: 'for Peter Gillis – I want this book to...
The Yellow Pages.
MERRILL, James.
association copyFirst published edition after the 1971 privately printed edition, inscribed by the author to his lover Peter Gillis on the half-title: 'esoTERRYca to keep by the phone at Rutland...
The (Diblos) Notebook.
MERRILL, James.
association copyMerrill's second novel, inscribed by him to his lover Peter Gillis on the title page: 'for Peter – 23 years later – amazed by the disappearing inscription. When this...
From the First Nine:
MERRILL, James.
association copyInscribed by the author to his lover Peter Gillis on the title page: 'with love for Peter. James / Boston 1984'.First edition, first printing, inscribed by the author; 8vo;...
Late Settings: Poems.
MERRILL, James.
association copyInscribed by the author to his lover Peter Gillis on the half-title: 'for Peter in his idyllic / setting - Love from James / V. & S'.First edition, first...
Mirabell:
MERRILL, James.
association copyA charming association copy, inscribed by the author to his lover Peter Gillis on the title page: 'Dear Peter - a joyeux Noël / and love from James and...
The Inner Room.
MERRILL, James.
association copyA lovely association copy, inscribed by the author to his lover Peter Gillis on the title page: 'with love to Peter Gillis who / knows so well how to...
The Changing Light at Sandover:
MERRILL, James.
presentation copyPresentation copy, inscribed by the author in black ink on the half-title: 'For Luis B. Medeiros / with best wishes / James Merrill (& Co) / 1984'.First collected edition,...
The Changing Light at Sandover:
MERRILL, James.
association copyAn interesting association copy, inscribed by the author and his then-life partner David Jackson to Merrill's lover Peter Gillis on the half-title: 'with long affection + / esteem for...
A Different Person: A Memoir.
MERRILL, James.
association copyInscribed by the author to his lover Peter Gillis on the title page: 'with love to Peter / from James / 1993'.First edition, first printing, inscribed by the author;...
Listen.
HARTLEY, George (editor).
A complete run in superb condition of an important little magazine, principally devoted to original poetry. The contributors included, Philip Larkin, Donald Davie, John Wain, Kingsley Amis, Richard Murphy, Elizabeth...
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