[Rarebooks] FS: Astle (1784) and Moyllus (Officina Bodoni)

[Nina W. Matheson]

Greetings.
We are pleased to offer for consideration the following fine books on 
writing & letter design:

Astle, Thomas The origin and progress of writing, as well hieroglyphic as 
elementary, illustrated by engravings taken from marbles, manuscripts and 
charters, ancient and modern.  London, Printed for the Author; sold by T. 
Payne and Son, B. White, P. Elmsly, G. Nicol, and Leigh and Sotheby, 
1784.  Modern binding of red buckram, black leather label on the backstrip. 
Book-plate of Richard Pearse Cope, writer on Devonshire and Cornish 
dialects, on the front pastedown. Corners bumped, backstrip faded, very 
good, internally fine.
235 pp. 31 numbered plates, some folded, some hand-colored.  Price: USD 
500.00  order no. 66432

Moyllus, Damianus A newly discovered treatise on classic letter design 
printed at Parma by Damianus Moyllus, circa 1480. Reproduced in facsimile 
with an Introduction by Stanley Morison.  Paris, at the Sign of the 
Pegasus, 1927. Original quarter vellum and blue-green paper boards. Boards 
slightly soiled, otherwise fine. Introduction, p. 9-23, Facsimile, p. 
[25-73], Translation, p. [75]-[82]. 350 copies printed by the Officina 
Bodoni, Montagnola, Switzerland. Mardersteig / The Officina Bodoni, an 
Account of the Work of a Hand Press 1923-1977, item 21. "The little Moyllus 
book contains the first known fifteenth-century construction of the roman 
alphabet in printed form. The only copy in existence was discovered by Leo 
Olschki and presented to the Biblioteca Palatina in Parma by. Tammaro De 
Marinis".  Price: USD 750.00  order no. 66936

William & Nina Matheson Books, Inc., ABAA/ILAB
PO Box 70821   Chevy Chase MD 20813
Website: http://www.mathesonbooks.com E-mail: matheson at boo.net
Voice: 301-718-7911
Members: ABAA, ILAB, IOBA,WABA
Specialties:  Books about Books, Poetry, Literary Press Books, 19th & 20th 
Century literature, Asian American Literature & History
TERMS:
Email or phone orders recommended.  Payment may be made by check, money 
order, or credit card (VISA, Master/Card, AMEX).  Libraries may be 
billed.  Maryland residents will be charged 5% sales tax.  Domestic 
shipment is by Priority Mail at $5 for the lst book and $1 for each 
additional book.   International shipment will be by Air Mail at the cost 
determined by the weight of the order.  Books may be returned, upon prior 
notification, if not as described.