Shop

An extremely rare Nazi report on the state of roads in Germany's former African colonies and the Belgian Congo, made early in World Wat II in preparation for plans for the Third Reich to regain its African empire either by diplomacy or force, being a printed copy of an original typescript labelled as 'Als Manuskript gedruckt' ('Printed as a manuscript'), issued…

The first Ottoman book on the modern geomagnetism and binnacle, including an almost always missing rotating volvelle   Small 4°: 332 pp. with an illustrated title page, charts and one illustrations, 3 double-page illustrations including a colour lithograph, folding chart, a page with mounted volvelle, composed of two parts and a string and instructions on the last page, original errata…

A rare manual for officers is the fifth and the last book, printed in the first Istanbul lithographic press, run by a Frenchmen Henri Cayol on the premises of the Ministry of War for only five years. It was written by the main patron of this new technique, the statesman and admiral Koca Hüsrev Mehmed Pasha.   8°: [6 pp.]…

A rare, unusual separately issued propaganda publication in Croatian language with an extreme anti-Semitic content, was printed in 1939, on the eve of WWII. It is a reprint of a 1906 article by an influential Croatian politician Stjepan Radić (died 1928), who later became a liberal politician and regrated his early writings.   8°: 16 pp., original green wrappers with…

An exceedingly rare illustrated program for the 1925 silent movie Ben Hur with Ramon Novarro was issued for the movie theatre in Konya, Turkey.      Large 4°. 6 pp., [2 pp.] with black and white illustrations, printed on thin paper, unbound, as originally published (leftovers of old mounted and rubber taxation stamp on the cover, tiny holes in the…

An Italian map of the natural harbour of Kismaayo, in the far south of Somalia.     Photozincograph, with navigational markers heightened in yellow and some details added in manuscript in red pen, with pastedown date stamp in lower left corner (Very Good, some wear along old folds), 55.5 x 70.5 cm (22 x 27.5 inches).  

This chart maps the mouth of the Jubba River in southern Somalia, long a vital lifeline for agriculture and trade.  The chart was made from surveys conducted by Commander Giovatto of the Italian Navy in 1908.    Zincograph (Very Good, some light toning and light wear along old folds), 53 x 61 cm (21 x 24 inches).  

This is the extremely rare first edition of the Italian Navy’s sea chart of stretch of the Somali coast around El Ataleh, some ways up from Mogadishu.          Zincograph (Good, but with noticeable wear along old folds with some toning in upper area), 63 x 59 cm (25 x 23 inches).  

This is the first sea chart of the harbour of Massawa predicated upon proper scientific surveys, as well as one of the only detailed early maps of the city of Massawa as remodeled by the new Italian colonial regime.   Zincograph, with some navigation markers heightened in yellow, some contemporary manuscript navigational additions in pencil (Good, but with noticeable wear…

[2nd Congress of the Antifascist Council of the Yugoslav Liberation]   A rare Croatian WWII underground partisan pamphlet describes the 2nd  Congress of the Antifascist Council of the Yugoslav Liberation (AVNOJ), the most important Partisan event during the war, where Tito was proclaimed Marshall. The date was later celebrated as the Day of the Republic.   8°, 72 pp., original…

A rare edition of Samkhya Darsana, a text related to the Yoga school of Hinduism, was published by the Sanskrit College of Calcutta.             8°. 246 pp., original wrappers with lettering (slightly age-toned and stained, tiny chips and tears in margins, but overall inside in a good clean condition, later stripe on the spine).  

A charming complete series of 12 pamphlets in Ottoman Language with biographies of contemporary American silent movie actors combined with a presentation of one Russian and two Turkish silent movie stars offers a valuable insight in the modern society of the new Republic of Turkey and its perception of the popular culture of the West.   12 issues (complete). 12°.…