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Handwritten Lyrics of Lovely Rita, Meter Maid

Handwritten Lyrics of Lovely Rita, Meter Maid by The Beatles (written by Paul McCartney)

1 to 10 days for delivery
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Details
$500,000.00
( US$)
Seller: Biblioctopus
Title
Handwritten Lyrics of Lovely Rita, Meter Maid
Author
The Beatles (written by Paul McCartney)
Seller
Biblioctopus (United States)
Description
1967. Paul McCartney’s handwritten, working manuscript (as Beatle) for “Lovely Rita,” from the album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. the most famous album in the entire panorama of modern music. This is the very first (rough) draft, 10 lines (in ink), all in Paul’s handwriting and all written on a single side of an irregular scrap of lined paper (7 1/2” X 5”) torn from a spiral notebook. 7 lines in black are Paul’s first concept. 3 lines of changes have been added later in blue, such as, “writing all the numbers in her little black book” changed to “filling in a ticket with her little blue pen” and still later recorded as “filling in a ticket in her little white book.” Near fine condition. Lavishly matted, and framed with a full size, uncorrected, 1st state proof photograph of the album cover, varying in that McCartney is kneeling, the band instruments have been passed around, and 2 people are among the onlookers who would not sign releases, and therefore did not appear on the published album. Ex–Butterfield’s, Dec. 12, 1993. Rare. Icon time. Beatles manuscripts from Sargent Pepper held all the rock & roll world records until Bob Dylan’s Like a Rolling Stone sold at auction for $2,000,000 in 2014. But it’s been a while now and another Sgt. Pepper manuscript will take the record back eventually and someday soon the only way to see one will be in a museum, at the end of a long line, behind velvet ropes. The last authentic Sgt. Pepper manuscript at auction (A Day in the Life, admittedly a greater song), sold for $1,202,500 at Sotheby’s in 2010. The last real McCartney manuscript of a Beatles song at auction was an abridged, later, fair copy of 10 condensed lines from Hey Jude that he wrote out to be used as a key by a backup musician at a recording session ($910,000 at Julian’s in 2020) and that one, in contrast to ours, was not a working manuscript carrying his thoughts, inner debates, and changes. The handwritten lyrics to "Lovely Rita, Meter Maid" represent an intimate window into The Beatles' conceptual shift during their psychedelic period, showcasing McCartney's evolving storytelling approach. Unlike their earlier love songs centered on direct romantic sentiments, this track exemplifies their move toward character-driven narratives with whimsical scenarios and playful humor. This creative direction coincided with broader cultural movements challenging conventional structures and celebrating the previously overlooked aspects of daily life. The track's transformation of a mundane authority figure into the subject of amorous pursuit subtly subverted social norms while maintaining a façade of innocent charm—a hallmark of the band's distinctive cultural impact during this period. McCartney's composition emerged during a pivotal moment in Western society when art was increasingly blurring distinctions between "high" and "low" culture. The Beatles' work on "Sgt. Pepper" helped legitimize popular music as culturally significant, with songs like "Lovely Rita" demonstrating how seemingly simple pop compositions could contain nuanced social observation. The character sketch format allowed the band to adopt personas and perspectives outside their own experiences, expanding their artistic range while connecting with the era's interest in identity exploration and social role-playing. This approach positioned the band as both participants in and commentators on the rapid social changes reshaping 1960s culture, making even their lighthearted works like "Lovely Rita" meaningful cultural documents of their time.
The Vegetable

The Vegetable by Fitzgerald, F. Scott

1 to 10 days for delivery
Standard Shipping: FREE
Details
$950.00
( US$)
Seller: Biblioctopus
Title
The Vegetable
Author
Fitzgerald, F. Scott
Seller
Biblioctopus (United States)
Description
New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1923. First edition. A nice, near fine copy lacking the dustjacket. A satirical play, tracing railway clerk Jerry Frost's delusional ascent to the presidency before revealing this political climb as merely an alcohol-fueled fever dream.
UN CHRÉTIEN CONTRE SIX JUIFS

UN CHRÉTIEN CONTRE SIX JUIFS by (ANTI-SEMITISM). [VOLTAIRE, FRANÇOIS-MARIE AROUET]

2 to 7 days for delivery
Standard Shipping: $14.00
Details
$988.00
( US$)
Seller: Phillip J. Pirages Fine Books and Medieval Manuscripts
Title
UN CHRÉTIEN CONTRE SIX JUIFS
Author
(ANTI-SEMITISM). [VOLTAIRE, FRANÇOIS-MARIE AROUET]
Seller
Phillip J. Pirages Fine Books and Medieval Manuscripts (United States)
Description
La Haye [The Hague, but Geneva]: Aux dépens des Libraries, 1777. FIRST EDITION. 215 x 140 mm. (8 1/2 x 5 1/2"). 1 p.l., 303, [3] pp. Publisher's marbled paper wrappers, flat spine, edges untrimmed. A Large Paper Copy. Benesco 1860. Andrew R. Morehouse, "The Voltaire Collection in the Rare Book Room," The Yale Library Gazette 17, no. 4 (1943), p. 75. Paper wrappers a bit faded (as expected), slightly defective at corners, and a little curled, otherwise (and perhaps even so) A VERY FINE COPY--the text, within immense margins, entirely clean, fresh, and bright. This is a remarkable survival in its original wrappers of a work related to one of the most resonating controversies of Voltaire's life and writings--the question of his anti-Semitism. A giant of the Enlightenment and one of the greatest of French writers and philosophers, Voltaire (real name François-Marie Arouet, 1694-1778) writes here in response to "Lettres de quelques Juifs portugais, allemands et polonais, à M. de Voltaire," a 1776 critique by Antoine Guénée objecting to the anti-Semitism (especially as expressed within a commercial context) in our author's "Dictionnaire Philosophique." Deeply philosophical and leavened with satire, the 120 chapters of the seminal "Dictionnaire" were widely read, much condemned, and not infrequently burned, as they challenged religious authority, advocated for toleration, and dealt with many social and political issues from an uncomfortable Enlightenment perspective. And there can be no doubt that Voltaire's "Dictionnaire" does, in fact, contain critical remarks about the Jews; at the same time, the author's criticism is extended with equal warmth to organized religion in other forms. In the present response to Guénée, Voltaire is nothing if not scathing, which, in the end, works against him. As Voltaire scholar Andrew R. Morehouse wryly puts it, the text here expands upon Voltaire's previous points in such a way as to "justify the accusation that [he] is cruelly anti-Semitic." This work is not exactly rare, but it is very unusual to find it in original wrappers, as here, particularly in such fine condition..
Out of This Furnace

Out of This Furnace by Bell, Thomas

7 to 14 days for delivery
Standard Shipping: FREE
Details
$900.00
( US$)
Seller: Burnside Rare Books, ABAA
Title
Out of This Furnace
Author
Bell, Thomas
Seller
Burnside Rare Books, ABAA (United States)
Condition
Near Fine
Description
Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1941. First Edition. Near Fine/Near Fine. First edition. Signed by Thomas Bell on the front free endpaper, inscribed to former owner in the year of publication from a hospital. [viii], 413 pp. Original oatmeal cloth lettered in red. A little dust-soiling and offsetting to endpapers, else Fine in a Near Fine dust jacket, chip at foot, lightly worn and foxed, unclipped. An attractive copy of a notable proletarian novel of Slovak immigrant life in Pennsylvania steel mills, spanning three generations. The author was one of the most successful chroniclers of Eastern European immigrants in the American midwest, himself being of Slovakian/Lemko origin. This was his best-known work.
Blacks

Blacks by Brooks, Gwendolyn

2 to 8 days for delivery
Standard Shipping: $5.00
Details
$350.00
( US$)
Seller: The First Edition Rare Books, LLC
Title
Blacks
Author
Brooks, Gwendolyn
Seller
The First Edition Rare Books, LLC (United States)
Condition
Near fine
Description
Chicago: The David Company, 1987. First Edition, Second Printing. Leather bound. Near fine. Signed first edition, second printing of Blacks by Gwendolyn Brooks.. Octavo, 512pp. Blue morocco soft cover, title printed in gilt on front cover and spine. Stated "Second Printing, September 1987" on copyright page. Solid text block, small spots of wear along edges. A near fine example. (Blockson 4883) Signed by the author on the half title: "Sincerely, Gwendolyn Brooks / April 11, 1988." Gwendolyn Brooks (1917-2000), a renowned author, was the first African American to receive a Pulitzer Prize. Her book of poetry, Annie Allen, was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry on May 1, 1950.
Flags Of Our Fathers; with Ron Powers

Flags Of Our Fathers; with Ron Powers by Bradley, James

2 to 8 days for delivery
Standard Shipping: $1.75
Details
$175.00
( US$)
Seller: The First Edition Rare Books, LLC
Title
Flags Of Our Fathers; with Ron Powers
Author
Bradley, James
Seller
The First Edition Rare Books, LLC (United States)
Condition
Near fine
Description
New York: Bantam Books, 2000. First Edition, First Printing. Hardcover. Near fine/near fine. Signed first edition, first printing of Flags of our Fathers by James Bradley.. Octavo, [8], 376pp. Blue hardcover, blue cloth spine. The first printing, with a full number line on the copyright page. In the publisher's near fine dust jacket, with "autographed copy" on sticker, light shelf wear, a bright example. Signed on the half title by James Bradley.
Love in Another Town

Love in Another Town by Bradford, Barbara Taylor

2 to 8 days for delivery
Standard Shipping: $1.75
Details
$125.00
( US$)
Seller: The First Edition Rare Books, LLC
Title
Love in Another Town
Author
Bradford, Barbara Taylor
Seller
The First Edition Rare Books, LLC (United States)
Condition
Near fine
Description
New York: HarperCollins, 1995. First Edition, First Printing. Full leather. Near fine. Finely bound first edition of Love in Another Town by Barbara Taylor Bradford, from her personal collection.. Octavo, [8], 181pp, [1]. Finely bound in full green morocco, gilt and black trim along covers. Four raised bands, title in gilt on spine. All edges gilt, colorful marbled endpapers. Books from the library of Barbara Taylor Bradford are bound in the style of the Bayntun-Riviere Bindery. "First Edition" statement and full number line listed on copyright page. Solid text block, light sunning to spine. Housed in a matching green morocco slipcase with marbled paper interior. A beautiful example. Provenance: Doyle Auctions of New York, May 2025. This copy is from the private collection of Barbara Taylor Bradford, a British-American novelist. Following the success of her debut novel, A Woman of Substance (1979), Bradford wrote 40 best-selling novels, often about young women advancing in the world through hard work.
AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED (ALS)

AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED (ALS) by BARRIE, J. M

10 to 14 days for delivery
Standard Shipping: $8.00
Details
$625.00
( US$)
Seller: Charles Agvent, ABAA
Title
AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED (ALS)
Author
BARRIE, J. M
Seller
Charles Agvent, ABAA (United States)
Condition
Faint crease from folding. Fine
Description
22 December 1915. Letter. Faint crease from folding. Fine. One-page handwritten letter to James A. H. Catton on 5-1/2" x 7-1/8" Adelphi Terrace House stationery SIGNED "J. M. Barrie." In full: "Thank you for your letter and all heartily good wishes for your book of reminiscences which ought to be very interesting, but I have had to give up writing ('?') as intimidating so kindly excuse me. A happy Christmas to you." With original envelope addressed in Barrie's hand. James A. H. Catton was a sports journalist respected for his writing on football (soccer) and cricket. Barrie, of course, is the creator of Peter Pan.
SONNY AND CHER [ca. 1966-67] Set of 3 photos

SONNY AND CHER [ca. 1966-67] Set of 3 photos by Hans J. Hoffmann; EMI

2 to 8 days for delivery
Standard Shipping: FREE
Details
$450.00
( US$)
Seller: Walterfilm, Inc.
Title
SONNY AND CHER [ca. 1966-67] Set of 3 photos
Author
Hans J. Hoffmann; EMI
Seller
Walterfilm, Inc. (United States)
Condition
Fine
Description
Hans J. Hoffmann; EMI. No binding. Fine. Three vintage original borderless 5 x 7" (13 x 18 cm) German photos, fine. All are portraits of the duo from very early in their career. Two feature the pair in very op art matching suits, and have on verso the stamp of German photographer and music promoter Hans J. Hoffmann. These two photos were done at the time of their first concert tour of Germany, and their outfits were considered scandalous at the time. The other has stamp on verso of the German office of record label EMI.
No image available

The Dutiful Son by OPPENHEIMER, Joel

7 to 14 days for delivery
Standard Shipping: $10.00
Details
$250.00
( US$)
Seller: James S. Jaffe Rare Books LLC
Title
The Dutiful Son
Author
OPPENHEIMER, Joel
Seller
James S. Jaffe Rare Books LLC (United States)
Condition
Fine copy.
Description
(Highlands): Jonathan Williams, 1956. First edition, regular issue in the blue wrappers. One of 200 copies printed by the Windhover Press. Jargon 16. Fine copy.. FIORE, Joseph. 8vo, frontispiece by Joseph Fiore, blue wrappers with printed label. Fine copy.
No image available

The Augustan Books of English Poetry, Second Series, Number Four: W. B. Yeats by YEATS, W. B.

7 to 14 days for delivery
Standard Shipping: $3.50
Details
$75.00
( US$)
Seller: James S. Jaffe Rare Books LLC
Title
The Augustan Books of English Poetry, Second Series, Number Four: W. B. Yeats
Author
YEATS, W. B.
Seller
James S. Jaffe Rare Books LLC (United States)
Condition
Back cover a little wrinkled & creased, some slight rust stains around staples, else a fine copy
Description
London: Ernest Benn, (1927). First edition. Wade 155. Back cover a little wrinkled & creased, some slight rust stains around staples, else a fine copy. Thin 8vo, original printed white wrappers, stapled as issued. Back cover a little wrinkled & creased, some slight rust stains around staples, else a fine copy.
No image available

The Glass Menagerie by Williams, Tennessee

7 to 14 days for delivery
Standard Shipping: $3.99
Details
$275.00
( US$)
Seller: Sanctuary Books
Title
The Glass Menagerie
Author
Williams, Tennessee
Seller
Sanctuary Books (United States)
Condition
Very Good+
Description
London: John Lehmann, 1948. First UK Edition. Hardcover. Very Good+/Very Good. Williams contributed his own introduction to this edition. Original bright blue cloth in edgeworn and nicked dustwrapper. Previous owner's signature and small label of a Parisian bookshop.
Dry-Farming: A System of Agriculture for Countries Under a Low Rainfall

Dry-Farming: A System of Agriculture for Countries Under a Low Rainfall by Widtsoe, John A.

2 to 8 days for delivery
Standard Shipping: $3.00
Details
$100.00
( EU VAT US$0)
Seller: Tschanz Rare Books
Title
Dry-Farming: A System of Agriculture for Countries Under a Low Rainfall
Author
Widtsoe, John A.
Seller
Tschanz Rare Books (United States)
Description
New York: Macmillan Company, 1913. 445pp. Octavo [19.5 cm] Green decorative publisher's binding with the title gilt on the backstrip. Near fine. Illustrated throughout. Nice copy of this rare agricultural work by the noted academic and apostle. John Andreas Widtsoe (1872-1952) was born in Norway to John A. and Anna C. Gaarden Widtsoe. He joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1881 when his widowed mother joined. In 1883 the small Widtsoe family moved to Utah where John A. Widtsoe later attended Brigham Young College in Logan. He eventually went to Harvard for his Master's and obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Goettingen in Germany. Upon returning to Utah he worked in various agricultural experiments before becoming a professor of agriculture at Brigham Young University in Provo. After two years of teaching, he was appointed President of the Utah State Agricultural College (now Utah State University) and later the President of the University of Utah. At the end of his tenure as President of the University of Utah, he was called to be an apostle for the LDS Church, a position which he filled until his death.
Field-Days in California

Field-Days in California by Torrey, Bradford

2 to 8 days for delivery
Standard Shipping: $1.75
Details
$50.00
( EU VAT US$0)
Seller: Tschanz Rare Books
Title
Field-Days in California
Author
Torrey, Bradford
Seller
Tschanz Rare Books (United States)
Description
Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1913. First Edition. 234pp. Duodecimo [19.5 cm] Green cloth with the titles gilt stamped on the front board and backstrip. Near fine. Bookplate on front pastedown. Collection of essays about the author's time birding in California. Bradford Torrey (1843-1912) was an ornithologist who wrote 13 books of nature writing, these books are mainly collections of essays he wrote for the Atlantic Monthly. Torrey was among the most popular of the Houghton and Mifflin Company's travel and "outdoor" writers at the end of the 19th century.
Pieces of Time; Peter Bogdanovich on the Movies

Pieces of Time; Peter Bogdanovich on the Movies by Bogdanovich, Peter

2 to 8 days for delivery
Standard Shipping: FREE
Details
$130.00
( EU VAT US$0)
Seller: Carpetbagger Books, ABAA
Title
Pieces of Time; Peter Bogdanovich on the Movies
Author
Bogdanovich, Peter
Seller
Carpetbagger Books, ABAA (United States)
ISBN
9780877950721
Condition
Near Fine
Description
New York: Arbor House / Esquire, 1973. Hardcover. Near Fine/Very Good. Introduction by Harold Hayes. Second Printing. Signed by Bogdanovich on the front endpaper. Near Fine in a Very Good jacket, unclipped ($7.95), rubbed at the surface and edges, faded at the spine. Quarter white cloth with black paper on the boards. Square and firmly bound, clean internally. A collection of interviews, critiques, and opinions and impressions about topics ranging from Jerry Lewis and John Wayne to Bogdanovich's interactions with Marlene Dietrich and Cary Grant.
[VIRGINIA] JAMESTOWN TER-CENTENNIAL PROCLAMATION

[VIRGINIA] JAMESTOWN TER-CENTENNIAL PROCLAMATION by Claude A. Swanson

5 to 14 days for delivery
Standard Shipping: $10.50
Details
$95.00
( EU VAT US$0)
Seller: Black Swan Books, Inc.
Title
[VIRGINIA] JAMESTOWN TER-CENTENNIAL PROCLAMATION
Author
Claude A. Swanson
Seller
Black Swan Books, Inc. (United States)
Condition
Fine binding
Description
Richmond: Davis Bottom, Sup't. Public Printing, 1907. Soft Cover. Fine binding. Claude Swanson was Governor of the Commonwealth during the celebration of the 300th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown in the Colony of Virginia, the first permanent English settlement in the United States. The event place over a period of eight months, not at Jamestown but at Sewell's Point on Hampton Roads.~~The Governor announced the closing of all state offices on Monday, May 13th, 1907 and that all public schools and institutions of the state "hold appropriate commemorative exercises". He further urges that all in the future will keep the 13th of May as Virginia Day.~~A lovely copy, with red white and blue silk tie. Still with glassine cover and the original mailing envelope. Fine binding.
No image available

CORRIDOS POPULARES, COLECCION NUM. 6. EL CHARRITO VAQUERO.; Cancion de...Lara, Agustin y E. Guerrero

7 to 14 days for delivery
Standard Shipping: $10.00
Details
$75.00
( EU VAT US$0)
Seller: Beverly Karno Books LLC
Title
CORRIDOS POPULARES, COLECCION NUM. 6. EL CHARRITO VAQUERO.; Cancion de...Lara, Agustin y E. Guerrero
Seller
Beverly Karno Books LLC (United States)
Description
México, D.F.: Edición E. Guerrero, N.d.. b/w plates, color pict. cover.
Wholphin, Issue 7

Wholphin, Issue 7

5 to 14 days for delivery
Standard Shipping: $7.00
Details
$70.00
( EU VAT US$0)
Seller: Books Tell You Why, Inc.
Title
Wholphin, Issue 7
Seller
Books Tell You Why, Inc. (United States)
ISBN
9781934781128
Condition
Very Good
Description
McSweeney's. Very Good. 2008. First Edition; First Printing. 1934781126 . Case: Near Fine. Magazine: Near Fine. Text-block of magazine does not show pulling at the staples at rear paste-down, an extremely common defect due to Wholphin's design. DVD: Very Good Plus. Bonus disc: Good Plus. Minor surface scratchers; tested and plays well. Subscription card is NOT present. .
For the Major and Selected Short Stories

For the Major and Selected Short Stories by Woolson, Constance Fenmore

7 to 14 days for delivery
Standard Shipping: $5.99
Details
$35.00
( EU VAT US$0)
Seller: Kenneth Mallory Bookseller. ABAA
Title
For the Major and Selected Short Stories
Author
Woolson, Constance Fenmore
Seller
Kenneth Mallory Bookseller. ABAA (United States)
Condition
Very good
Description
New Haven: College and University Press, 1967. Hardcover. Very good. Hardcover. 367pp. Offsetting to prelims, foxing to edges of textblock, else a very good hardback in a tanned and rubbed jacket. Inscribed and signed by the editor on the front free endpaper.
No image available

Kasimir Malevitch: Dessins

7 to 14 days for delivery
Standard Shipping: $12.99
Details
$30.00
( EU VAT US$0)
Seller: Mullen Books, Inc. ABAA / ILAB
Title
Kasimir Malevitch: Dessins
Seller
Mullen Books, Inc. ABAA / ILAB (United States)
Condition
VG-: Exlibrary book. Catalogue sticker in the lower left corner of the front cover. Sticker on the inside of the front cover. St
Description
Bruxelles: Musees Royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique, 1975. Softcover. VG-: Exlibrary book. Catalogue sticker in the lower left corner of the front cover. Sticker on the inside of the front cover. Sticker and two stamps on the title page.. A square white staplebound book with black text on the front cover. 35 pages; illustrated in black-and-white.
In Praise of Sailors.  A Nautical Anthology of Art, Poetry and Prose.

In Praise of Sailors. A Nautical Anthology of Art, Poetry and Prose. by Warden, Herbert W.

7 to 14 days for delivery
Standard Shipping: $6.00
Details
$25.00
( EU VAT US$0)
Seller: Ten Pound Island Book Co.
Title
In Praise of Sailors. A Nautical Anthology of Art, Poetry and Prose.
Author
Warden, Herbert W.
Seller
Ten Pound Island Book Co. (United States)
Condition
V G. In D J.
Description
Abradale Press., (1978). V G. In D J.. 27 cm. 299 pp. B/W and color Plates drawings engravings.
No image available

Donkey Trouble by Young, Ed

5 to 14 days for delivery
Standard Shipping: $6.00
Details
$6.00
( EU VAT US$0)
Seller: Weller Book Works ABAA/ILAB
Title
Donkey Trouble
Author
Young, Ed
Seller
Weller Book Works ABAA/ILAB (United States)
Condition
Fine
Description
Atheneum, 1995. Fine. Young, Ed. Donkey Trouble. NY: Atheneum, 1995. Illustrated. 4to. Hardcover. Book condition: Near fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Very good with gently bumped edges.