Non-fiction

Unusual Engraving of “Birds from the Levant” – Thomas Shaw -1738

Engraved in copper by Thomas Shaw (1694-1751) and published as part of “Travels or Observations relating to Several Parts of Barbary and the Levant”.

Printed and published at “The Theatre’ Oxford.

Presented matted, ready to frame, 40cm by 30cm. Engraving in excellent condition.

The birds are the Hou-baara, Rhaad, Boo-ank and the Kittanria. We understand one of them is the Arabian Bustard and another a Willow Ptarmigan but we prefer there native names.

Fine bird engraving 280 years old.

$120.00

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The Albert N’yanza, Great Basin of the Nile, and Explorations of the Nile Sources – New Single Volume Edition – Sir Samuel W. Baker – 1876

Published by MacMillan, London in 1876 a new single volume edition. Octavo, 499 pages, plus publishers catalogue. With a general map of the Country and Nile Basin, numerous illustrations some full page. Original green cloth covered binding with embossed design in black to front, gilt titles and design to spine. A few knocks but looking pretty good. Internally patches of foxing, some pages a little loose, original chocolate end paper, still a good copy.

Samuel Baker was another one of those remarkable Victorian era individuals. This account represents one of the most important written on the Nile River. Speke and Grant had already proclaimed the Southern shore of Lake Victoria as the source of the White Nile. Baker accompanied by his second wife had commenced his own expedition whilst Speke was still active in the area. They met, and Speke gave Baker a rough map designed from reports by natives showing a possible large lake to the east. Baker explored in that direction and after finding and naming the magnificent Murchison Falls came across the western bank of a new massive lake which he named Lake Albert. He discovered that Lake Victoria emptied into Lake Albert before progressing north as the White Nile. Consequently, other inflows into Lake Albert were in themselves “sources” of the Nile. After a long period in the interior Baxter made his way north and eventually reached Khartoum in May 1865. On return to England this book was published in a two volume form with extra map etc. His writing style is well regarded as being very readable and his adventures reflect quite extraordinary circumstances and a quite extraordinary individual.

Baker’s earlier years are worth understanding. He was brought up in a relatively wealthy family, including private tuition and finishing in Germany. His first job was a civil engineer in Eastern Europe working on rail and bridges. He married young and his bride went to the Seychelles to manage the family plantation. After a couple of years, they went to Ceylon and started what was to be a successful mountain retreat. His wife had seven children and died at 32 from typhoid. By this time Baker had become a renowned hunter and already published books on the subject. On return to the England he organised a hunt in eastern Europe for the Maharajah Duleep Singh. Out of interest he took the Maharajah to the Vidin slave market. There, he fell in love with a girl destined for the harem and bought here freedom. They were to marry (but much later on return form Africa) and she went by the name Florence Baker. She accompanied Baker everywhere and she features throughout these volumes on the source of the Nile. Baker was given the Gold Medal of the RGS for his achievements and similar honours overseas. He was knighted, although Victoria refused to meet him due to the circumstances of his marriage and possibly because of an age discrepancy as Florence may have been rather young when they got together. Baker went on to big things politically becoming the first Englishman to sit in high office in Egypt.

The single volume edition of an important African journey.

$120.00

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Edward Wilson of the Antarctic – Naturalist and Friend – George Seaver

Published by John Murray, London in 1963. Soft cover issue. Excellent condition. Octavo, 228 pages. Illustrated and with maps.

Edward Wilson (known as “Uncle Bill”) was one of the four men who reached the South Pole in January 1912 together with Captain Scott and later perished in their tent after failing to return to their base.

This is a magnificent book; we rarely have paperback, but this one is such good condition we couldn’t resist. Folding map courtesy Apsley Cherry- Garrard and his “Worst Journey”

Great book about a Great Man

$20.00

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Pat Corrigan – Four Bookplates Commissioned from Australian Artists [Backen, Chapman, Willibrant and Elenberg] – 1970′s

Three original bookplates by three quite different artists, all produced circa 1970’s. All in excellent condition

Earle Backen (1927-2005), books in cubic arrangement. In his time one of the mots respected painters in Sydney. His foundation field was printmaking. In 1954 he won a travelling scholarship and went to London and Paris. 13.5cm x 9.2cm.

Peter Chapman (1925-2016) Blues Player. Chapman born in North Sydney. He became one of Australia’s foremost comic book illustrators including The Phantom Ranger, The Shadow and Sir Falcon. 13cm by 10cm.

James Willibrant (Born 1950) Sydney Harbour. Willibrant was born in Shanghai, returning to Australia in time to study and develop an keen artists talent. Remains very active, his painting are a true delight … look them up. At the time of producing this special bookplate for Pat Corrigan he was teaching art at Chiron College. 12.5cm x 9.0cm. Initialled and dated in the image ’76

Joel Elenberg (1948-1980). Totemic form. Born in Melbourne and died very young in Bali. Soulmate of Brett Whiteley and loved by many. Elenberg an accomplished painter drawn later in his short life to sculpture. The form of this bookplate reflects that transition with its angular biomorphic form.

Pat Corrigan having done more to re-stimulate the art of bookplate design in Australia than any other person. The Wiki article on Pat Corrigan is excellent and has an interesting section on his promotion of bookplates.

Three Corrigan Commissioned Bookplates by three very different Australian Artists.

$80.00

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Solomon Islands with the Unusual Fictitious Terre de Qvir – Mallet – 1683

An unusual and scarce original copper engraved map “Isles de Solomons” by Allain Mallet published in Paris in 1683 as part of his great work on “the Universe”.

One of the most intriguing Mallet maps. It purports to show that Queiros had a theory that a great land mass existed between the Solomon Islands and New Zealand … here named “Terre de Qvir” … similar to, or as a part, of the supposed great southern continent “Terra Australis”. Decorated with nine sailing ships.

In 1567 Alvarode Mendana de Neira (Mendana) set out from Lima to fine gold in the Pacific. Legend had it that the Biblical Ophir which had provided the gold for Solomon’s Temple lay somewhere out there. They sailed for over eighty days and 6,000 miles before the reached land … and here marked Isle St Isabelle. It was almost thirty years later in 1895 that Mendana set off on a voyage to colonise the Solomon’s, following Drake’s plundering of the Spanish interest on the west coast of South America . His Chief Pilot was Pedro Fernandes de Queiros and they set sail with four vessels and 378 individuals (including family, criminals, prostitutes etc). First, the discovered the Marquesas and treated the native people very badly, many of whom were killed as if for sport. They then went on to find the Santa Cruz Islands … but failed to find the Solomon Islands. They headed for Manilla and only 100 survived the dangerous adventure. Mendana died on the voyage.

Allain Manesson Mallet (1630-1706) was a French cartographer and engineer. He started his career as a soldier in the army of Louis XIV and became a Sergeant Major and an Inspector of Fortifications a role which afforded him the resources required to produce this treasure.

Price $120.00 unframed or $220.00 framed in Voyager style … enquire if you wish

Historical important mallet Map for the Pacific region from the Solomon Islands to New Zealand

$120.00

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Bridge-Water – with Mount Direction Behind – Hobart, Tasmania -1840

An original lithograph from a drawing by Louis Le Breton (1818-1866) lithographed by Leon Jean Baptiste Sabatier published as part of the great “Atlas Pittoresque” to accompany “Voyage au Pole Sud et dans l’Oceanie sur les corvettes l’Astrolabe et la Zelee … sous commandement de M.J. Dumont d’Urville”.

A delightful view of Bridgewater looking across the river Derwent to the imposing Mount Direction

Lithographed on sturdy paper size 54.5cm by 34.5 cm. Very good clean condition. A scarce Hobart image.

Price $540.00 unframed – rare

Striking image of Mount Direction across the Derwent

$190.00

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Unusual Engraving of “Birds from the Levant” – Thomas Shaw -1738

The Albert N’yanza, Great Basin of the Nile, and Explorations of the Nile Sources – New Single Volume Edition – Sir Samuel W. Baker – 1876

Edward Wilson of the Antarctic – Naturalist and Friend – George Seaver

Pat Corrigan – Four Bookplates Commissioned from Australian Artists [Backen, Chapman, Willibrant and Elenberg] – 1970′s

Solomon Islands with the Unusual Fictitious Terre de Qvir – Mallet – 1683

Bridge-Water – with Mount Direction Behind – Hobart, Tasmania -1840

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