Honorary Degree Books 2018

George Orwell. Burmese Days. New York: Harper Brothers, 1934.

Burmese Days

A first edition of George Orwell’s first novel, this copy was beautifully re-bound in black morocco by the Chelsea Bindery. The novel grows out of Orwell’s experiences during five years working as a commissioned officer in the Indian Imperial Police in Burma, an experience that seems to have stirred his social conscience and inspired him to speak out. Orwell’s critique of colonial authorities in Burmese Days is so complete that the manuscript was rejected by three British publishers, who feared libel, before Orwell decided to seek an American publisher. In her authoritative Orwell bibliography, Gillian Fenwick notes that Harper Brothers of New York had similar concerns but agreed to publish the novel with only minor alterations. A year later, Victor Gollancz finally agreed to publish a British edition “with various names etc altered, so the American edition,” as Orwell told Henry Miller in a letter (dated 26 Aug. 1936), “is the proper one.”  [PR 6029 R98 B96 1934]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Bobby Baker. Diary Drawings: Mental Illness and Me. Profile Books, 2010.

Diary Drawings: Mental Illness and Me

Bobby Baker has enjoyed an illustrious career in England as a multi-disciplinary artist for more than 40 years. In 1996 she was diagnosed with a borderline personality disorder. The drawings and watercolours in her book provide fascinating insight into her 11-year struggle with mental illness and a 2007 breast cancer diagnosis; they were selected from over 700 made between January 1997 and August 2008. The book has 17 chapters, called “stages,” that tell the story of Baker’s lengthy journey to full recovery, and each chapter corresponds with themed rooms where all 158 of Baker’s published illustrations were first displayed in 2009 at the Wellcome Collection in London in a major exhibition. The book was awarded Mind Book of the Year in 2011 by Mind, a mental health charity in England and Wales, which founded the annual prize in 1982 for outstanding books that heighten understanding of mental health issues. This first edition copy of Baker’s highly collectable book is signed by the artist. [N 6797 B34 A2 2010]

Hoani Paniana [John Bunyan]. He Moemoea. Otira, ko nga korero o te huarahi, e rere atu nei te tangata i tenei ao, a, tapoko noa ano ki tera ao atu; he kupu whakarite. Trans. Henry Tacy Kemp. Poneke [Wellington, NZ]: Te Toki [Robert Stokes], 1854.

He Moemoea. Otira, ko nga korero o te huarahi, e rere atu nei te tangata i tenei ao, a, tapoko noa ano ki tera ao atu; he kupu whakarite

A fine copy of the first Maori language edition of The Pilgrim’s Progress, this book is a very special addition to the extraordinary collection of John Bunyan’s works housed in Bruce Peel Special Collections and the first copy to be housed in a North American library. Enclosed in its original printed wrappers (i.e., paper covers), it has been rebound in a mid-nineteenth century half leather period binding by Edmonton bookbinder Alexander J. McGuckin. The original line drawings—on plates facing pages 6, 28, 56, 68, 162, and 212—are intact. We can tell that this copy is largely unread because it has many unopened pages: in other words, the folds that were used in the construction of the component sections of the book have not been trimmed or cut to allow the pages to turn freely. [PR 3330 A82 1854]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Q.A. Gillmore. A Practical Treatise on Roads, Streets, and Pavements. D. Van Nostrand, 1876.

A Practical Treatise on Roads, Streets, and Pavements

In the book’s preface, the author advises readers that he had three objectives in mind for his text. Firstly, “To give, within the compass of one small volume, such descriptions of the various methods of locating country roads, and of constructing the road and street coverings in more or less common use at the present day, as will render the essential details of those methods, as well as certain improvements thereon of which many of them are believed to be susceptible, familiar to any non-professional reader” (3). Secondly, “To make such practical suggestions with respect to the selection and application of materials, more especially those, with the properties and uses of which builders are presumed to be the least acquainted, as seem needful in order to develop their greatest practical worth, and realize their greatest endurance” (3). Finally, “To institute a just and discriminating comparison of the respective merits of the several street pavements now competing for popular recognition and favor, under the varying conditions of traffic, climate, and locality, to which they are commonly subjected” (3). This copy of an influential text on streets and street pavements is beautifully bound in brown decorative cloth with gilt lettering on the spine. [TE 145 G48 1876]

Department of Agriculture, N.W.T. North-West Brand Book. Herald Co., 1903.

North-West Brand Book

This early brand book is a detailed record of all livestock brands in the North-West Territories that were registered with the government records office in Regina. It contains the following information for each entry: picture of the brand, owner's name, ranch location, type of animal ("C." for cattle and "H." for horses), and location of the brand on the animal ("sh." for shoulder, "t." for thigh, "n." for neck, "j." for jaw, etc.). It also includes several pages of advertisements for Swiss cow bells, Dr. Clark's White Linament, Drewry's Refined Ale, Massey-Harris machinery, Tuckett's Marguerite Cigars, St. John's Condition Powders, BDC Gin Pills ("will cure every known disease arising from deranged kidneys"), and Dr. Warnock's Ulcerkure ("The Modern Wound Healing Wonder For Man or Beast"). Copies of this brand book were available by applying to the Herald Company in Calgary for $2.00 per copy. Today, brand books in good or better condition have become so collectible that they tend to sell quickly on the open market for hundreds of dollars and more. [SF 103 N87 1903]

George P. Nicholas and Thomas D. Andrews, eds. At a Crossroads: Archaeology and First Peoples in Canada. Archaeology Press, 1997.

At a Crossroads: Archaeology and First Peoples in Canada

This collection of twenty-two essays offers a progressive model of scholarship that reflects growing respect between archaeologists and Indigenous peoples in Canada. In their introduction, Nicholas and Andrews say that the book is “archaeology done with, for, and by Indigenous peoples” (3), asserting that cultural identity is deeply impacted when one has the “ability to control what happens to one’s ancestors, one’s artifacts, one’s lands” (8). The essayists, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous, explore a range of complex issues that are being debated within Indigenous communities, where some may see archaeology as threatening to oral history and others may see it as a useful tool to support land claims, and among archaeologists who are being counselled to work harder at cross-cultural communication. [E 78 C2 A82 1997]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

[Jacques Anatole Thibault]. Filles et garçons: Scènes de la ville et des champs by Anatole France. Ill. M.B. de Monvel. Librarie Hachette, n.d.

Filles et garçons: Scènes de la ville et des champs

Anatole France is the pseudonym of distinguished writer and critic Jacques Anatole Thibault (1844–1924), who was elected to the Académie française in 1896 and awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1921. The son of a Parisian book dealer, Thibault pursued his writing while he held several different positions, including working as assistant librarian at the Senate from 1876 to 1890. A prolific writer in the French classical tradition, Thibault’s writing is best known for exploring themes relating to social justice. A charmingly-illustrated children’s book, Filles et garçons offers gentle childish lessons through tales of everyday life in the latter decades of the nineteenth century. [PQ 2254 F83 1900]

Richard Burn. A New Law Dictionary: Intended for General Use, as Well as for Gentlemen of the Profession. T. Cadell, 1792.

A New Law Dictionary: Intended for General Use, as Well as for Gentlemen of the Profession

Having earned a reputation as an accomplished legal scholar, Richard Burn (1709–1785) was appointed Chancellor of the Diocese of Carlisle in 1765, an office he held until his death at the age of 86. In his preface, Burns explains the democratic aims of his book: “It is now offered to the world, in the pleasing confidence, that it will answer the end for which, I have reason to think, it was originally intended; I mean, for the use and information of those, who wish to have a rational knowledge of matters relating to their lives, properties, and other essential interests; to the critical knowledge of which, they are not professionally bred” (v). This handsome two-volume set has an etched frontispiece portrait of Burn, a one-page publisher catalogue, and a recent quarter calf binding over green cloth. [KD 313 B87 1792 v.1-2]

Philip Jones. An Essay on Crookedness, or Distortions of the Spine; Shewing the Insufficiency of a Variety of Modes Made Use of for Relief in Those Cases; and Proposing Methods, Easy, Safe, and More Effectual for the Completion of Their Cures; with Some Hints for the Prevention of These Affections, and Their Disagreeable, Painful, and Dangerous Consequences. London, 1788.

An Essay on Crookedness, or Distortions of the Spine; Shewing the Insufficiency of a Variety of Modes Made Use of for Relief in Those Cases; and Proposing Methods, Easy, Safe, and More Effectual for the Completion of Their Cures; with Some Hints for the Prevention of These Affections, and Their Disagreeable, Painful, and Dangerous Consequences.

Philip Jones’s text on serious distortions of the spine is one of the earliest published works on the subject, and it includes five engraved plates illustrating distorted spines. In his introduction, Jones explains that many prior attempts to heal distorted spines have been unsuccessful: "Amongst the number of diseases which afflict the human body, there are few attended with more disagreeable consequences, and which appear to have been more neglected, than that which is the subject of the following sheets. Why it has been so much disregarded is not easy to conjecture, unless from the unsuccessful attempts which have been repeatedly made by many, having occasioned it to be considered as incurable; and perhaps from the contempt of modes, which, because they were simple and merely mechanical, have been thought inadequate to produce the desired effects" (1). Jones describes numerous cases of children and adults who have been healed by his treatment for spinal distortions. This copy of Jones’s book is bound in full calf and it includes an engraved portrait of the author. [RD 771 S3 J66 1788]

Shadrach Ricketson. Means of Preserving Health, and Preventing Diseases: Founded Principally on an Attention to Air and Climate, Drink, Food, Sleep, Exercise, Clothing, Passions of the Mind, and Retentions and Excretions. Collins, Perkins, 1806.

Means of Preserving Health, and Preventing Diseases: Founded Principally on an Attention to Air and Climate, Drink, Food, Sleep, Exercise, Clothing, Passions of the Mind, and Retentions and Excretions

Written by an influential New York physician, this pioneering book was designed “not merely for physicians, but for the information of others,” and, according to an endorsement signed by several subscribers, it is “well worthy” of the “attention of every class of society” (i). It is thought to be the first comprehensive manual of preventative medicine published in America, and it is also one of the first medical books to take into account the localized health concerns specific to the inhabitants of America (vi). While physicians are in the business of curing diseases, Dr Ricketson argues that many diseases are more readily prevented than cured and that “the preservation of health must, in some measure, be committed to the care and judgment of every individual” (viii). [RA 775 R53 1806]

H.R.H. Princess Louise. Letter to John D. Higinbotham. 13 September 1924. TS. Bruce Peel Special Collections, Edmonton.

H.R.H. Princess Louise. Letter to John D. Higinbotham

Her Royal Highness Princess Louise Caroline Alberta (1848–1939), Marchioness of Lorne, was the sixth child and fourth daughter of Queen Victoria. Princess Louise married John Campbell, Marquess of Lorne, on March 21, 1871, and in 1878 the couple moved to Canada when Campbell was appointed Governor General of Canada. The Province of Alberta was named for Princess Louise, but as time passed many people forgot the true origin of the provincial name. Some people assumed that the province was named after Prince Albert, while others were convinced that it was named after King Edward VII (Albert Edward). Postmaster and druggist, John D. Higinbotham (1864–1961), wanted to put to rest any lingering doubts about the origin of the province’s name, so he took it upon himself to settle the matter by writing to Princess Louise. She sent a thoughtful reply in affirmation: “You are perfectly correct in your belief that the beautiful, sunlit and prosperous Province, of Alberta was named after me by my husband, the Marquis of Lorne, the then Governor-General of Canada. He was asked to name it, as it was wished that the name should be associated with his tenure of his office. There being various objections to my first name, owing to the difficulty of keeping it quite original, he decided to call it after my last name, Alberta, of which he was very fond.” The typescript letter to Higinbotham of Lethbridge, Alberta includes a signed photograph of Princess Louise, and both items are housed in a custom portfolio with gilt lettering. [FC 3656 L888 1924]

Robert W. Swallow. Sidelights on Peking Life. Peking: China Booksellers Limited, 1927.

Sidelights on Peking Life

Born in China, Robert W. Swallow was fluent in Mandarin, and he was also perfectly familiar with the culture, history, and geography of Peking (i.e., Beijing) in the early twentieth century. His book covers a variety of topics about Peking life in twelve chapters, from “Peking, a City of Pleasure” to “Tales of the Spirit World.” The chapter on “Feasts and Restaurants” is especially engrossing with its description of a typical Chinese feast and why it is so central to Chinese life: “It is the master compromiser and its services are requisitioned on every possible occasion. Nothing is settled without its aid and no enterprise is started except under its auspices” (53). Bound in pictorial red cloth, the book is copiously illustrated with 50 captioned photographs and a map of Peking. [DS 795 S8 1927]

John Norbury. The Box of Whistles, An Illustrated Book on Organ Cases; With Notes on Organs at Home and Abroad. Bradbury, Agnew, 1877.

The Box of Whistles, An Illustrated Book on Organ Cases; With Notes on Organs at Home and Abroad

Offering "short descriptions of the different classes of organ cases" and of specific instruments, the author acknowledges his "quaint title" and the need "to beg those who read this, my first work, not to be very severe on my errors and shortcomings" (1-2). However, the charm of this little book lies less in the descriptive text than in the twenty full-page colour lithographs by Cooper & Hodson of London. These colour lithographs, based on the author's own sketches, showcase the wide variety of ornately-decorative organs that could be seen in major European cities in the latter half of the nineteenth century. Although there are copies of this book in British and American libraries, this will be the first copy to be housed in a Canadian library. [ML 552 N7 1877 folio]

J[oseph] G[uy] Lubbock. Love for the Earth. Bertram Rota, 1990.

Love for the Earth

Published in a limited edition of only 95 copies, this deluxe book was created to celebrate the manifold beauties of Earth. The book begins with a chapter aptly titled “The Cosmic Origins” and ends with “Peace and the Silent Stars.” Lubbock’s text is complemented with his beautiful artwork that depicts seemingly eternal terrestrial scenes of lands and seas, including rainforests, mountain ranges, icebergs, shorelines, and wind-blown plains and deserts. In the chapter titled “The Ultimate Interdependence,” Lubbock poses crucial questions: “Can the dedicated few who face daunting odds to hold so many species from the abyss of premature extinction, and to preserve the purity of atmosphere and essential vegetation, count on the unstinting help of nations? Our resources are adequate to provide the healing means; can we summon the necessary collective will” (17)? Lubbock’s magnificent book was designed and printed by Will Carter at the Rampant Lions Press, hand bound by George Percival, and signed and numbered 5 of 95 by the author/artist. [G 70 L83 1990]

Arthur Hollins. The Farmer, the Plough and the Devil: The Story of Fordhall Farm. Ashgrove Press, 1984.

The Farmer, the Plough and the Devil: The Story of Fordhall Farm

Arthur and May Hollins were pioneers of organic farming who made great strides advancing the principles of sustainable farming, conservation, and diversification of crops. The book tells the story of how the Hollins family overcame many adversities to reclaim poor soil and ultimately restore their land without the use of chemicals. Hollins died in early 2006 at the age of 89 and his first wife May died in an automobile accident in 1975, but their famous farm continues to inspire future generations of organic farmers. Fordham Farm operates today as a community-owned farm in Market Drayton, a market town in North Shropshire, England, where it is open year round to the public for tours, events, and retail sales. This first edition copy of Hollins’s seminal work on organic farming has the scarce dust jacket that features a charming linocut farm scene on the front cover by Barbara Vincent. [S 605.5 H65 1984]