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Rare books & manuscripts by Anke Timmermann & Mark James: antiquarian book specialists in Grantham We are open by appointment

21/08/2026

Drawing portraits for T.E. Lawrence's Seven Pillars of Wisdom was a dangerous affair, as Eric Kennington realised when drawing this young Haurani camel driver of the clan of the Ateiba called Mahmas: when Kennington tried to wake him during the sitting, Mahmas sprang awake holding a dagger in his hand.

Kennington recalled: ‘I turned away and began selecting chalks, thinking, “It will go in just above the collar bone”. But nothing happened, so I soon asked him to sit down again'. And thus the dagger, which Mahmas continued to hold at the ready for the remainder of the session, also made it into this portrait.

Lawrence later told Kennington that he knew that Mahmas 'cannot endure to be worsted in argument. When it happens he leans forward with his little knife and kills the other party’...

This is one of several portraits of men that T.E. Lawrence encountered and fought with during the Arab Revolt, the limited Castle Hill Press edition, that are featured in our new catalogue: T.E. Lawrence in the Middle East. Discover more on our website (link in first comment).

(Quotations from Kennington, Drawing the R.A.F.: A Book of Portraits (1942)).

20/08/2026

These are the faces of men whom T.E. Lawrence encountered and fought alongside during the Arab Revolt. They were drawn from life by Eric Kennington, for Seven Pillars of Wisdom.

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Subscriber’s Edition of Seven Pillars of Wisdom, we are offering the Castle Hill Press’s limited edition prints in our latest catalogue, alongside works by and about Lawrence.

To browse the catalogue, please visit our website. Link in first comment!

17/08/2026

Happy birthday T.E. Lawrence! We celebrate ‘Lawrence of Arabia’s birthday month with the release of ’T.E. Lawrence in the Middle East’, a new catalogue of rare books and prints relating to Lawrence’s life and work.

Now available on our website. Link in first comment!
(NB: We are undergoing some scheduled IT maintenance these days, so if you can’t access the catalogue, please try again later, and thank you so much for your patience and understanding!)

12/08/2026

A scene from the Fringe Festival? Not quite. Almost a century ago, the scenographer and costume-designer George Sheringham and the artist and scenographer Robert Boyd Morrison put together a lavishly illustrated volume of costume designs by both established and young British costume-designers.

How lavishly illustrated? We have collated and counted the following:

- 1 colour-printed frontispiece after William Orpen
- 44 colour-printed and 63 monochrome plates reproducing costume designs and drawings by Max Beerbohm, Edward Gordon Craig, Edmund Dulac, Claud Lovat Fraser, Laura Knight, Paul Nash, William Nicholson, Glyn Philpot, Charles Ricketts, et al.
- 4 half-tone plates of photographs of costumes by Oliver Messell
- further woodcut illustrations in the text, of which 6 full-page
- woodcut head- and tailpieces.

This specially bound, limited edition of The Robes of Thespis (1928) - our copy is no 12 of 25 - was printed on hand-made paper and has two additional colour-printed plates.

To see more images, or indeed to order, please visit our website. Link in first comment!

08/08/2026

Flashback to our very first proper catalogue, which appeared 8 years ago! We are celebrating by recreating this experiment (followed by drinks with a slice of lime).

Happy weekend!

04/08/2026

Who knew? Broiling indoors in the early 19th century followed the same practical and hygiene rules as BBQ-ing outdoors today - with some variation: as far as we know, it is no longer customary to 'rub the bars' of the grill 'with clean mutton suet'...

This fascinating insight into the Regency Era kitchen comes from William Kitchiner's The Cook's Oracle* (here the enlarged 4th edition of 1822). If this has whetted your appetite, there is much more to be discovered in its 545 pages. It is now available from our shop - details on our website (link in first comment)!

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The delightful full title - which would fall victim to the editor's desk today - is: The Cook's Oracle, Containing Receipts for Plain Cookery on the Most Economical Plan for Private Families: also, The Art of Composing the Most Simple, and the Most Highly Finished Broths, Gravies, Soups, Sauces, Store Sauces, and Flavouring Essences: The Quantity of each Article is Accurately Stated by Weight and Measure; The Whole being the Result of Actual Experiments Instituted in the Kitchen of a Physician … The Fourth Edition, to which are Added, One Hundred and Thirty New Receipts, for Pastry, Preserves, Puddings, and an Easy, Certain, and Economical Process for Preparing Pickles, by which they will be Ready in a Fortnight, and Remain Good for Years.

01/08/2026

100 years ago, the Anglo-Belgian Union must have been busy planning the ‘Exhibition of Flemish and Belgian Art 1300-1900’, which was to be held at the Royal Academy in London in 1927. It would go ahead under the joint patronage of King George V and Queen Mary of Great Britain, and King Albert I and Queen Elisabeth of Belgium.

This handsomely produced volume illustrates nearly one hundred of the works exhibited, and is now available at our shop. To see more images and for further information, please visit our website (link in first comment) or contact us!

30/07/2026

Preview to September: Sir Joseph Banks - A Lincolnshire Botanist's Explorations! In this talk, we will focus on one of Lincolnshire's most famous explorers and the plants he discovered on the Endeavour voyage. And we will have prints from his Florilegium - whose history we will trace - to show, too!

Watch this space for further details in due time.

25/07/2026

Did you know that T.E. Lawrence came through Grantham (where we are located) on his motorcycle, following the Great North Road en route from London to Bridlington one wet night in 1934? We had not been aware - until we started research for our upcoming catalogue of rare books and prints relating to Lawrence, his life and the myths surrounding it.

Incidentally: if you would like to receive the catalogue but are not yet on our mailing list, let us know! We will then send it to you as soon as it is ready.

Photo adapted from the rear dustwrapper of Knightley and Simpson's 'The Secret Lives of Lawrence of Arabia' (1969).

21/07/2026

The holidays have started - time for a treat! This complete set of the first children's deluxe edition of the Harry Potter season may just be the perfect reward for a school year well navigated (for fans of Hermione) or birthday present for those celebrating far away from friends (akin to Harry, whose birthday falls on 31 July).

This set has never been read. We hope it will go to a fan who will enjoy it for many years!

To learn more about this set, or indeed to place an order, please go to our website (link in first comment) or contact us.

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Office No 4, Grantham Museum, St Peter's Hill
Grantham
NG316PY

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https://www.typeandforme.com/

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