Publisher: Ralph Ginzburg, New York.

Format: Four hardcover folio magazines, 80pp or 96pp, 33 x 25.5cm.

EROS Magazine ran for only four issues in 1962, at the dawning of the sexual revolution. It ceased publication at the end of the same year, partly due to production costs, but primarily because editor Ralph Ginzburg was prosecuted and jailed.

With art direction by Herb Lubalin and editorial by Ginzburg, the quarterly magazine was “devoted entirely to the joys of love and sex” and contained literary and artful content as well as racy illustration.

EROS published articles and short stories on sexuality and sexual politics; Bert Stern’s photo session with the recently deceased Marilyn Monroe, which became known as “the last sitting”; an editorial on women’s favourable reactions to JFK; hate mail they’d received from the American public after mailing “three million letters to Americans of higher than average income and intelligence” for advertising; and, an editorial titled Black and White in Colour. A Photographic Tone Poem by Ralph M. Hattersley Jr., showing naked interracial love.

These subjects in particular spurred Robert Kennedy into prosecuting Ginzburg “because of his continual testing of boundaries of obscenity.” In 1966, after fighting the lower courts, the Supreme Court found Ralph Ginzburg guilty of violating a federal statute, commercial exploitation, pandering, and of titillation. He spent eight months in jail. Ref: Wiki.

Bumping to corners, foxing overall, tape repair to spine of number four.

Format: Group of twelve (12) pamphlet invitations printed in letterpress with colour lineblock or process screen illustrations, all with dates in text, sizes from 17.2 x 12.2cm to 30.7 x 24.7cm.

Showing wonderful Art Nouveau and Art Deco fashion illustrations, these invitations would have been sent to society ladies for the previews of the seasonal fashion collections of Melbourne softgoods importers and department stores, most of which were located in Flinders Lane.

Stores named are

• G. & R. Wills & Co.
• Brooks, McGlashan & McHarg Pty Ltd
• Robert Reid & Co. Ltd
• Paterson, Laing & Bruce Ltd
• Beath, Schiess & Felstead Ltd
• Sargood Bros.
• Richard Allen & Sons
• D. & W. Murray

Some with slight creases or stains.

Author: Ross, Roselle.

Publisher: Maxton Inc., New York.

Format: Shaped soft-cover book with folded removable insert, illustrated with process and colour process lithographs, 16pp, 30.2 x 20.9cm

First edition. Title page includes “Story by Roselle Ross. Illustrated by Charles E. Bracker. Covers by Paul Kaloda. One of a series ‘Mother and Baby Animal Books.’ Designed by Cyril von Baumann, noted American explorer and naturalist.”

Annotated “Not in Muir. 1st edition” in pencil on title page.

Slight creases, tears, minor stains.

Author: Maiden, J.H.

Publisher: William Applegate Gullick, Government Printer, Sydney.

Format: Hardcover folio with original board wrappers in letterpress, 18 plates, each captioned below image, 35.8 x 28.5cm.

Cover includes “Department of Public Instruction, New South Wales. Photographed from selected specimens. Brief botanical description of each specimen by J.H. Maiden, FLS. Sydney, William Applegate Gullick, Government Printer, 1911.”

Contains 18 crisp illustrations of Australian flora including flannel flowers, banksia, and waratah, with index inside front cover.

Joseph Henry Maiden (British, 1859–1925) was a botanist and public servant who made a major contribution to knowledge of Australian flora. He became curator of the Technological Museum, Sydney [Powerhouse], in 1880, and in 1896 became Director of the Botanic Gardens and Government Botanist.  “Active in the movement to retain large areas of native forests, Maiden also published important work on the use of plants to stabilize sand drift and on the essential role of trees in flood mitigation. A leading member of an important group of urban improvers, he ardently advocated more parks and trees to soften urban landscapes, dispatching thousands of seeds and cuttings from the gardens to local councils and schools. He wanted protection for trees endangered by urban development, and popularized the palms which became a feature of Edwardian Sydney.” Ref: ADB. Held in Powerhouse Museum.

Slight crinkles and foxing overall, some pages annotated in pencil, soiling and wear to cover.

Author: Ferguson, J.A.

Format: Stapled typewriter booklet in letterpress card folder, annotated and dated “Lt. Commander G.C. Ingleton, from the author, 13.9.1954” in ink upper right of title page, 11pp, 26.2 x 20.7cm.

Title continues “A paper read before the Book Collectors’ Society of Australia at the Public Library of New South Wales. 28th May 1954.”

This essay by Sir John Alexander Ferguson (Australian, 1881–1969), bibliographer and judge, was reproduced from Biblionews, vol. 7, no. 10, 103rd issue, September 1954. Held in NLA.

Minor foxing, previous owner’s name and annotation in ink on title page.

Format: Softcover quarto in letterpress, lineblock and process screen, date “Aout 1925” and stamped “Bernard Strobel representant” on cover lower left and centre, 24pp, 27.6 x 20.9cm

Translated text from French includes “A unique presentation of your displays. For all kinds of business. Complete layout of stores, banks, offices, artistic copperworks, carpentry, mirrors. Office: 17, 19 & 31 Rue du General Fabvier. Factory: 37 & 49 Impasse de la Garenne.”

A catalogue for a wonderful array of shop fittings and cabinetry, created by “V. Haas”, whose furniture occasionally shows up on the market in France.

Minor creases, stains and foxing to covers.

Format: Softcover quarto in brown paper wrappers with gilt-lettering, letterpress and process screen illustrations in colour and b&w, 72pp, 24.3 x 17.8cm.

Text includes “Waring & Gillow (1932) Ltd, Oxford St, London W1. Factories at Lancaster, Liverpool and Hammersmith.” The catalogue advertises furniture, carpets, fabrics, lighting and kitchenware.

Waring & Gillow was a noted firm of English furniture manufacturers and antique dealers formed in 1897 by the merger of Gillows of Lancaster and London and Waring of Liverpool. Their Oxford Street store opened in 1906, and they remained there until 1973. Ref: Wiki.

Tears and creases to edges of wrappers, binding beginning to come apart, minor foxing to prelim pages.

Format: Letterpress and colour screenprint menu card with cloth card wrappers, date “May 12th, 1924” lower left, printer’s line “G.B. Philip & Son, print” verso, 18 x 11.5cm.

Held at Sargents’ Café. Shows menu, music and a song programme, with lyrics, including the Booksellers’ Anthem [“Yes, we have no remainders, hooray!”].

Many of the toasts are to noted booksellers of the day, including to George Roberston (Angus & Robertson); J.M. Forsythe (Dymocks); C.T. Clarke, C.A. Dunlop (Edwards, Dunlop & Co); and R. Wynn (NSW Bookstall). Held in SLNSW.

Slight foxing, ribbon binding fraying.

Format: Vellum-covered bank passbook with brass clasp and marbled edges, letterpress endpapers, customer’s name inscribed on front cover and title page, with dated transactions in ink throughout, 16.2 x 10.2cm

Title page reads “The Bank of Australasia, Port Melbourne Branch, in account current with William Howe, Bridge Street, Port Melbourne.”

According to an obituary, Mr William Howe was five times Mayor of Port Melbourne, having first been elected in 1900. Ref: Trove.

Minor soiling to covers.

Format: Vellum-covered bank passbook, customer’s name inscribed on front cover and title page, with dated transactions in ink throughout, bookbinder’s label pasted on inside endpaper, 16.3 x 10.2cm.

Title page reads “Bank of Tasmania. Dr. to per contra Cr. Mr Richard Thompson, Charles Street. Folio 1051.” Bookbinder’s label reads “Bound and ruled by A. Thomson, Charles Street.”

Richard Thompson may have been the publican of the Freemasons’ Hotel, New Norfolk, Tasmania. Ref: Trove; Tasmanian Archives.

Slight foxing to cover.