Art And Design

ART & DESIGN BOOKS AT HORNSEYS

Welcome to Hornseys, where trading in rare and second-hand books has been an integral part of our gallery business for many years. By specializing in being general, our collection spans diverse fields, including the arts, design and decorative arts, architecture, maps and atlases, fine printing and bindings, T.E. Lawrence, travel and exploration, natural history (including the Collins New Naturalist Series), gardening and botany, artist’s editions, important signed books, modern first editions, and children’s illustrated books. We are always interested in buying single items or entire libraries in these subjects. Please contact us for more details.

FEATURED ART & DESIGN BOOKS

POP ART: PETER BLAKE, AN ALPHABET: PRESENTATION COPY TO MEL GOODING: SIGNED BY PETER BLAKE, GAVIN TURK, AND PAUL STOLPER: PRICE: £495.00
Blake, Peter, Turk, Gavin & Gooding, Mel: Published by Coriander Studio & Paul Stolper, London, UK, 2007. First edition. Original pictorial boards. ISBN: 9780955215452 Size: 23cm x 30.5cm. Unpaginated. The catalogue of the exhibition of the original screenprints in 2007. Information sheet for the exhibition at the Paul Stolper Gallery loosely inserted. Preface by Gavin Turk. Text (in the form of an interview) by Mel Gooding and Peter Blake followed by a full-page illustration of each of the prints with description. Signed in pen by Gavin Turk beneath his preface. Inscribed to Mel Gooding by Paul Stolper on the night of the private view: ‘For Mel, Without whom…. Paul Stolper, 22/11/07’ and additionally inscribed by Sir Peter Blake: ‘For Mel, With many thanks & Best Wishes From Peter_______ Peter Blake’. Mel Gooding was a writer, teacher, and art critic who produced a number of important monographs on painters such as Patrick Heron, Bruce McLean, John Hoyland, Gillian Ayres, and Terry Frost. Binding nice and tight with very minor rubbing to the rear board. Pages very nice and clean. In very near fine condition indeed. A unique and important association copy. Scarce thus.

THE MAGIC OF A LINE: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF LAURA KNIGHT: PRESENTATION COPY WITH THREE SIGNED AUTOGRAPH LETTERS FROM THE ARTIST: £1495.00
Knight, D.B.E, R.A, Dame Laura: Published by William Kimber, 1965. First edition. Size: 16.6cm x 24cm. Original cloth gilt. Dustwrapper. Pp. 348. With sixty plates and twenty-two illustrations in the text. Occasional very minor spotting else a very near fine, tight, clean copy in a bright, clean dustwrapper which is very slightly faded to the spine, has a 1.5cm closed tear to the top of the front panel, a very short closed tear to the base of the front panel and minor rubbing and creasing which is in very good indeed condition overall. PRESENTATION COPY FROM THE AUTHOR: “FOR MY BELOVED FRIEND WINIFRED BARROWS I WRITE ‘LAURA KNIGHT’ IN THIS HER BOOK.” In 1936 Dame Laura Knight became the first woman (aside from the founders, two of whom were women) to be elected to full membership of the Royal Academy. Her long and remarkable career saw her blaze a trail through the male-dominated art world of the times. She would later write in ‘The Magic of a Line’: ‘Even today, a female artist is considered more or less a freak, and may be undervalued or overpraised, and by sole virtue of her rarity and her sex be of better press value. It cannot, however, be denied that a woman’s ear is closed to the thunderbolts of fancy to be found on the limitless horizon of man’s imagination; from babyhood, the horizon of womankind has been confined to the four walls of a home. Is it possible that the female is mentally incapable of the highest flight in the arts? Has she the capacity to develop inspiration with the sublime skill of a Michelangelo? Michelangelo has no baby’s bottle or teapot hanging around his neck. Now that womankind are no longer born to hold a needle in one hand and a scrubbing brush in the other, what great things may not happen?’ This work was written toward the very end of her illustrious career and during what became known as the ‘second-wave of feminism’ in the 1960s through to the 1980s where gender equality was considered in all aspects of life. Frequent subjects for her work included the worlds of the circus, the ballet, the theatre, and the lives of gypsy communities. A war artist during WWII, one of her most renowned works was ‘The Nuremberg Trial’ of 1946. Despite being denied the same opportunities as the male art students at Nottingham School of Art, Dame Laura Knight was one of the few female artists during her time who rose above the pack to be considered a great and beloved artist.

NEITHER HERE NOR THERE, THE ART OF OLIVER JEFFERS: SIGNED BY THE ARTIST: £145.00
Jeffers, Oliver, Edited By Seabrooke, Richard: Published by Gestalten, Berlin, Germany, 2012. 1st edition. Original pictorial boards. No dustwrapper, as issued. ISBN: 9783899554472 Size: 24.7cm x 28.8cm. Pp. 160. Illustrated throughout in colour by Jeffers and inscribed by him to the title page. A fine, tight, bright, clean copy. Scarce.

WHY CHOOSE HORNSEYS?

At Hornseys, we are committed to offering items that meet the highest standards of quality and authenticity. Our book collection is meticulously curated to ensure that each edition is a valuable and authentic piece of bibliographical history. Here’s what sets us apart:

  • Authenticity and Provenance: Every book is researched, collated, and verified for authenticity.
  • Expert Curation: Each book is selected with a keen eye for significance, condition, and rarity, ensuring a collection that is both diverse and distinguished.
  • Customer Satisfaction: We strive to provide an exceptional customer experience, from detailed descriptions and provenance to secure and prompt delivery of your purchase.
  • Returns Policy: We offer an unconditional guarantee on every item. If you wish to make a return, books may be sent back to us within fourteen days of receipt for any reason. We request advance notification of returns, and books must be returned in the same condition as sent for a full refund.

Explore Our Collection:
Visit Hornseys to explore our fine collection of fine, rare and signed books. Whether you are an avid collector or looking for a special gift, our selection offers something truly unique. Located in the picturesque Yorkshire Dales, our Ripon gallery has been a haven for book lovers, art enthusiasts, and collectors since 1976.

Thank you for looking.