Natural History

Fourth Archbold Expedition to New Guinea 1953 – Brass

Results of the Archbold Expeditions No 75. Summary of the Fourth Archbold Expedition to New Guinea (1953)

The Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, New York. Published 1956. Quarto, soft cover with standard blue wrapper, 152 pages illustrated from photographs with an annotated sketch map of the locations explored. Distinguished anthropologist Brain J Egloff’s copy. Wrappers a little aged, internally very good.

Richard Archbold (1907-1976), American zoologist, was from a wealthy background. He attended Columbia University but never finished his formal training. Before WWII he funded three substantial expeditions to New Guinea. One of the members of his team was the Toowoomba born Leonard Brass (1900-1971) a brilliant botanist. After the War the expeditions resumed with three further expeditions completed in New Guinea under the leadership of Brass. This is the “Summary” of the Fourth Expedition – 1953. Before the War Brass had moved to Canada and then the USA where he became a citizen, working closely with Archbold. He was a curator of the Archbald Collection housed and the American Museum of Natural History.

Brian Egloff has had an inspiring career, assisting the National Museum of PNG, Port Arthur in Tasmania and the preservation and restoration of the Tam Ting Caves in Laos. He has published several interesting books … our choice being “The Bones of the Ancestors – The Ambum Stone” which centres on a 3,000-year-old New Guinea artefact that made its way to Australia.

In this the Fourth Expedition, Brass and his team are in the far eastern parts of Papua around the Cape Vogel Peninsula. Between Collingwood Bay and the central range at Mt Dayman and out to Goodenough Island in the D’Entrecasteaux Group and parts of Ferguson Island. Brass’s reports are written in a very readable style and whilst containing the scientific information expected (they collected close to 90,000 specimens) his general narrative of the trekking and observations along the way are very enjoyable.

Fundamental New Guinea record – Fourth Archbold

$50.00

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Around Cape Horn to Honolulu on the Bark “Amy Turner” – L.V. Briggs

Around Cape Horn to Honolulu on the Bark “Amy Turner”

Originally published in 1926 this classic sailing account is reprinted here by the Macdonald Maritime History Series, London in 1974.

Octavo, 186 pages, top edge blue, with images from photographs, charts, diagrams and embellishments as per the original. End paper maps. Bound in quarter morocco, gilt line and blue sailing ship motif clothe covered boards. Dust jacket torn to top, and tape mended. A paper wave at the bottom as if it has stood onboard for a time but nothing offensive.

The author Vernon Briggs was only sixteen at the time he left Boston for Honolulu. His observations and penmanship mature well beyond his years. Part journal part narrative Briggs learns sea skills fast and is also a keen observer of his surroundings and the abundance of natural history along the way … including the Amy Turner cockroaches!

Prized narrative onboard the Amy Turner.

$25.00

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Platypus Hand Coloured Copper Engraving – Schmuzer – 1798

Original hand coloured copper engraving of the Platypus by Schumzer for Gottlieb Tobias Wilhelm. It was produced for Wilhelm’s “Discourses in Natural history”.

Wilhelm (1758-1811) was a Protestant Pastor born to an engraver and publisher in Augsburg, Germany. He began his great work on natural history in 1792. It was printed by his father and issued in installments. This engraving by Jacob Schmuzer was completed in 1798 and is clearly based on the image in Hunter’s First Fleet Journal.

Price $120.00 unframed … enquire if you would like this item framed …

Very early Platypus Engraving from the late 18th Century

$120.00

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Banded Hare-wallaby or Munning – Lesson – c1830

Le Kangourou elegant (Halmaturus elegans) or …. Banded Hare-wallaby or Munning

Original hand coloured engraving originally drawn by Charles Alexander Lesueur (1778-1846) . Good strong clean example. Produced for Rene Primevere Lesson (1794-1849) for his extension of the great natural history work originally produced by Count Buffon. They were published in Paris in c1830.

The Banded Hare-wallaby is considered vulnerable and is found on Bernier Island and Dorre Island off Western Australia

Lesueur participated in the Baudin Expedition, Geographie and Naturaliste, originally taken on as a gunner. Baudin discovered his talent for art and appointed him to illustrate his private journal. Lesson participated as doctor and naturalist in the Duperry voyage round the world on board La Coquille (1822-1825).

Price $120.00 unframed … enquire if you wish framing options.

The rare Australian Banded Hare-wallaby … look after him!

$90.00

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Harpoon at a Venture (In the Scottish Islands) – Gavin Maxwell – 1955 Edition

First published in 1952 this is the 1955 Adventure Library edition of the first work by “Ring of Bright Water” author Gavin Maxwell.

Octavo, 254 pages with six maps, including in end papers 23 illustrations from photographs and eight illustrations in the text.

Maxwell had active service with the Special Forces in WWII. After the war he purchased the Isle of Soay off Skye in the Inner Hebrides, Scotland. There he attempted to start a Basking Shark fishery … which failed due to lack of finance.

This book covers his exploits in that regard and provides a perfect picture of the Scottish Islands and the adventurous activities that ensue.

Gavin Maxwell with the Sharks before the Otter.

$35.00

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A Handbook to the British Mammalia – Richard Lydekker – 1896

Published in London in 1896 by Edward Lloyd. Octavo, 339 pages, original maroon cloth binding with sharp gilt lines to boards and gilt title and author to spine.

The highlight the 32 plus frontispiece full page chromolithographs highlighted occasionally with gum arabic.

A superb Victorian systematic reference forming part of the Lloyd’s Natural History Series. Nice to see the bats, rodents etc getting equal weight with the badger, squirrel and fallow deer. The additional three chapters on the Ancient Mammals of Britain adds to the interest.

Lydekker on British Mammals – Nicely Illustrated

$40.00

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Fourth Archbold Expedition to New Guinea 1953 – Brass

Around Cape Horn to Honolulu on the Bark “Amy Turner” – L.V. Briggs

Platypus Hand Coloured Copper Engraving – Schmuzer – 1798

Banded Hare-wallaby or Munning – Lesson – c1830

Harpoon at a Venture (In the Scottish Islands) – Gavin Maxwell – 1955 Edition

A Handbook to the British Mammalia – Richard Lydekker – 1896

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