Rare Book Collections works to build up the national collections through purchases (through dealers or at auction) and donations. This directory gives details of around 1100 of the most important items we have acquired since 2000. We update it regularly as new material comes in. The description gives information about why it was chosen and what makes it particularly interesting. You can order the list by date of acquisition, date of publication, author or title.
Please let us know what you think of this resource, if you have information to add about an acquisition, or if you have rare Scottish books that you would like to donate or sell. Email us at rarebooks@nls.uk.
Title |
Author |
Publication date |
Acquisition date |
Shelfmark |
Ladies and gentlemen, the contents of this bill are worthy your attention. Comfortable walking. D. Davis, (to be consulted at Mrs. Young's, No.5, College-street, Edinburgh,) the well known extractor of hard and soft corns, bunnions [sic] on the great toes, root and branch, without the least pain or drawing blood ....
|
Davis, D. |
c. 1810 |
03/06/11 |
AP.3.211.20 |
A treatise on forest-trees.
|
Boutcher, William. |
1775 |
03/06/11 |
Bdg.m.172 |
Lord Byron's Poesien.
|
Byron, George Gordon Byron, Baron, 1788-1824. |
1821-1828 |
20/05/11 |
AB.1.211.023-029 |
Vizsgalodas a nemzeti vagyonossag termeszeterol es okairol [Wealth of Nations]
|
Smith, Adam, 1723-1790. |
1891-1894 |
20/05/11 |
RB.s.2816-2819 |
Love and a sword: a tale of the Afridi War.
|
King, Kennedy [i.e. George Douglas Brown] |
1899 |
20/05/11 |
AB.2.211.006 |
Overland route to India and China.
|
[Anon] |
1858 |
20/05/11 |
RB.s.2815 |
The epistle of Paul to the Ephesians.
|
Bible. N.T. Ephesians |
c. 1837 |
20/05/11 |
RB.s.2822 |
[Collection of 6 pre-1701 items printed in Scotland]
|
[Miscellaneous] |
between 1630 and 1693 |
03/02/11 |
RB.l.277(1-6) |
The penitent lady, or reflections on the mercy of God. The third edition, corrected.
|
La Baume le Blanc, Louise Francoise de, Duchesse de la Valliere. |
1703 |
15/01/11 |
AB.1.211.014 |
Whiskiana, or, the drunkard's progress. A poem. In
Scottish verse.
|
[Anon] |
1812 |
15/01/11 |
AP.1.211.06 |
Nuevo triunfo de la religion Catolica, que los fieles deven al Christiano real cuydado, y magnanima providencia de serenissimo rey de la Bretaña Jacobo Segundo.
|
James VII and II |
[1687] |
10/12/10 |
RB.s.2813 |
The secret: a novel.
|
Kelly, Isabella. |
1805 |
19/11/10 |
RB.s.2807-2810 |
[Collection of 13 printed items mainly edited or written by Andrew Duncan the elder].
|
Duncan, Andrew. |
1801-1810 |
12/11/10 |
RB.s.2811(1-13) |
[Collection of c. 230 items printed by Alan Anderson at the Tragara Press]
|
[Anderson, Alan] |
1962-2009 |
12/11/10 |
Trag.C |
The true interest of Great Britain considered.
|
Anderson, James. |
1783 |
12/11/10 |
Bdg.s.949 |
A thanksgiving ode on the recovery of H.R.H. The Prince of Wales.
|
Goalen, Walter |
1872 |
03/11/10 |
RB.s.2801 |
[Album of Russian and Scandinavian photographs from the 1860s and 1870s]
|
Carrick, William & Eurenius & Quist. |
c. 1870 |
15/10/10 |
Phot.sm.147 |
Institutes of health.
|
Roberton, John. |
1817 |
08/10/10 |
AB.3.210.50 |
Kalogynomia or the laws of female beauty: Being the elementary principles of that science.
|
Bell, Thomas [pseud. of John Roberton] |
1821 |
08/10/10 |
RB.s.2799 |
A plain and earnest address to Britons, especially farmers.
|
Farmer. |
1793 |
08/09/10 |
AP.1.210.26 |
Antitortor Bellarmianus Ioannes Gordonius Scotus pseudodecanus et capellanus Calvinisticus.
|
Gretser, Jacob. |
1611 |
01/09/10 |
RB.s.2800 |
Faits divers, pensées diverses, et quelques réponses de sourds-muets précédés d'une gravure représentant leur alphabet manuel et de notions sur la dactylologie ou le langage des doigts, avec des détails intéresssants sur une sourde-muette-aveugle Francaise, et sur un Sourd-Muet-Aveugle Écossais.
|
Lenoir, Alphonse |
1850 |
23/08/10 |
AB.1.210.060 |
The tragedy of Macbeth. By William Shakespear [sic]. As it is acted at the Theatre-Royal in Drury-Lane, by His Majesty's servants. To which are added all the original songs.
|
Shakespeare, William. |
1755 |
20/08/10 |
RB.s.2798(1) |
The child's catechism in two parts. The first, treating of God... The second, of mans recovery... By a well-wisher to the education of children.
|
[Anon] |
1751 |
13/08/10 |
AP.3.210.09 |
A dramatic dialogue between the King of France and the Pretender.
|
[Anon] |
1746 |
09/08/10 |
RB.m.701 |
[Handbill for sermon to be preached at Glasgow Episcopal Chapel, August 14 1814, by Rev. Isaac Saunders]
|
Missionary Society for Africa and the East |
1814 |
05/08/10 |
AP.4.210.27 |
Earnest invitation to all profane persons to repent.
|
[Anon] |
1757 |
09/07/10 |
RB.s.2794 |
Slave trade.
|
|
1814 |
06/07/10 |
RB.m.702 |
Handbuch der Staatswirthschaft: zum Gebrauche bey akademischen Vorlesungen, nach Adam Smith's Grundsatzen.
|
Sartorius, Georg. |
1796 |
01/07/10 |
AB.2.210.18 |
Marci Duncani philosophiae et med. D. Institutionis logicae libri quinque.
|
Duncan, Mark |
1643 |
29/05/10 |
RB.s.2782 |
L' Argenide di Giovanni Barclaio.
|
Barclay, John. |
1636 |
29/05/10 |
RB.s.2803 |
Edinburgh sold by Arch. Gilchrist & Co. at their warehouse behind the city-guard ....
|
[Gilchrist, Archibald] |
[1781] |
29/05/10 |
AP.1.210.12 |
Glimpses of China: a series of Vandyck photogravures illustrating Chinese life and surroundings.
|
Mennie, Donald. |
[c. 1920] |
29/05/10 |
Phot.sm.145 |
De miraculorum natura philosophiae principiis non contradicente.
|
Graeffe, Johann Friedrich Christoph. |
1797. |
21/05/10 |
RB.s.2779 |
To circumjack Cencrastus or The curly snake.
|
MacDiarmid, Hugh [C.M. Grieve] |
1930 |
14/05/10 |
Bdg.s.942 |
The tail of the Beagle, ship! ahoy!
|
Rob Roy [MacGregor, John] |
[1865] |
14/05/10 |
AB.10.210.04 |
Jacobi des Andern aus Franckreich, in Gendancken nach Engeland.
|
[Anon] |
1696 |
14/05/10 |
AB.1.210.041 |
Munster village, a novel.
|
Walker, Mary, Lady |
1778 |
07/05/10 |
RB.s.2780-2781 |
A compendium of authentic and entertaining voyages digested in a chronological series.
|
[Smollett, Tobias, ed.] |
1756. |
07/05/10 |
AB.1.210.014-020 |
Photographic views of Loch Katrine and of some of the principal works constructed for introducing the water of Loch Katrine into the city of Glasgow.
|
Annan, Thomas. |
1889 |
30/04/10 |
Phot.med.117 |
Catalogue of an extensive & valuable library of economic, historical and general literature.
|
Hodgson & Co. [Auctioneers] |
1904 |
30/04/10 |
RB.s.2796 |
Observations on the means of exciting a spirit of national industry; chiefly intended to promote the agriculture, commerce, manufactures, and fisheries, of Scotland.
|
Anderson, James |
1779 |
30/04/10 |
RB.s.2783-2784 |
Als der Hoch-Edle, Großachtbare und Hochgelahrte Herr, Hr. Robert Scott, Medicinae Doctor, Sr. ChurFuerstl. Durchl. von Hannover wohlbestalter Leib-Medicus, am Sonntage Septuagesima 1714 durch eine gewaltsahme Kranckheit aus dem Weinberge dieser Welt von seiner Arbeit auffgefordert wurde ...
|
Reinbeck, Johann Gustav. |
[1714] |
30/04/10 |
AP.4.210.34 |
Report drawn up by a committee of the Highland Society of Scotland.
|
Highland Society of Scotland. |
[1812?] |
23/04/10 |
RB.s.2778 |
Wysgeerige en staatkundige verhandelingen [Political Discourses]
|
Hume, David |
1766 |
23/04/10 |
RB.s.2785 |
Essay on the memory and character of Dorophagus, the great patriot of the North.
|
[Anon] |
[1743?] |
23/04/10 |
AP.3.210.12 |
Vergleichung des Zustandes und der Kraefte des Menschen, mit dem Zustande und den Kraeften der Thiere.
|
Gregory, John. |
1768 |
23/04/10 |
AB.1.210.008 |
Entwurf von Platon's Leben, nebst Bermerkungen ueber dessen schriftstellerischen und philosophischen Charakter.
|
[MacFait, Ebenezer] |
1797 |
23/04/10 |
AB.3.210.07 |
Vier Philosophen
|
Hume, David |
1760 |
10/04/10 |
RB.s.2795 |
The experienced millwright; or, A treatise on the construction of some of the most useful machines, with the latest improvements. [2nd edition]
|
Gray, Andrew |
1806 |
02/04/10 |
RB.l.266 |