North America

The Amazing Mr Doolittle [Biography of American Air Ace and Daredevil] – Quentin Reynolds – 1954

A very good copy of the second impression of the first UK edition published in June 1954 one month after the first.

Published by Cassell, London. Octavo, 313 pages, frontispiece of our Hero.

Biography of the great American Air Ace. The front cover boldly list his achievements .. some would be less bold nowadays .. that’s history.

His early flights is our bag though, and this ace started early in the 1920’s .. winner of the Schneider Trophy and a true daredevil .. where are they now? He was the first to fly on instruments alone, cross America etc.

Doolittle, Not talking to the Animals, flying the Aeroplanes.

$40.00

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The Passenger Pigeon – by Joseph Quinn.

No date comb bound copied item published circa 1990, see below. This was its original form – self published by the author.

Subtitled “A Boys Story” but not a story for Boys, in fact a compilation of the writings of the author, many of them, published in Bird World … and all about the demise of the Passenger Pigeon.

We learn that the last pigeon a female was given the name of Martha, after George Washington’s wife … the second last Passenger Pigeon, her brother, named George … naturally. We like this unusual work not just for its obvious rarity but the love of the writer for his subject. The Boys story is a reference to him finding his childhood scribbles about the subject matter.

96 pages in all, some images from the magazine that have not copied too well. Cream card covers.

A total of 20 separate articles, all of some length, published variously between 1982 and 1987.

Inserted on posh faux vellum paper is a poem written by the author in honour of the sadly retired bird; rather well penned and definitely moving.

Joseph Quinn – his life’s work on the Passenger Pigeon all in one place.

$40.00

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Gold Panning is Easy – Roy Lagal

An American standard but translates well for Australian’s with the gold bug.

A nice early one published in 1979. Softcover, 70 pages, illustrated throughout. Sticker removal mark on front otherwise a very good copy. Has the stamp of “Treasure Island Detectors” Sandy Bay Hobart on a blank at front a nice local touch.

The author a legendary panner from way back takes the reader through the choice of pans (crucial) the dry and wet panning, metal detecting, ore identification, dredging and super jets etc. we learned that it is important to learn to blow very gently … to get the last of the dust off the pan and leave the glitter behind. Images prove that all that is learned works.

Get the pans out today .. well the right ones.

$25.00

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The Story of Charles Francis Hall, Explorer – Weird and Tragic Shores – Chauncey Loomis 1972

The writer a Professor and arctic adventurer himself was well qualified to pen this thorough biography of the great and somewhat unusual American Polar explorer, Charles Francis Hall. His research included access to key papers at the Scott Polar Institute; the Stefansson Collection and unique documents held by descendants of Paul Fenimore Cooper.

Published by MacMillan, London in 1972 a first UK edition. Octavo, 367 pages, plus index etc. Illustrations from early images and a useful map. A very good copy.

Hall was a successful printer who out of the blue had a urge to become an explorer. His first venture was in the path of Eliza Kane to search for evidence of the lost Franklin expedition. He essentially set off by himself having tagged along on a whaling expedition. Fame a support followed and he was to go back several time before succumbing himself possibly like Franklin from food poisoning of sorts. He is said to be the first to live with the Eskimo and had good and bad vies on their approach to life.

Charles Francis Hall devoted a large part of and his life to Arctic exploration.

$40.00

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Tribal Tattoos – Andy Sloss

An interesting little soft cover, only ever in this form. Published by Carlton, London in 2007.

Perfect bound 72 pages, illustrated throughout (naturally). Some introductory and concluding pages and in between .. Pacific; South America; North America; some Europe and Africa.

The variations, contrasts and similarities make this an interesting study even if you are not an advocate of the dye and needle.

Tattoos – a nice sounding and looking word, and steeped in cultural heritage worldwide

$20.00

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Snapshots from the North Pacific [British Columbia] – Rev Ridley – Edited Alice Janvrin

Scarce. Published by the Missionary Society, London in 1904. Octavo, viii, 192 pages, illustrated throughout.

Essentially a travel account of Northern British Columbia from 1880 onwards by Rev Ridley who had the task of “converting” heathens indigenous and otherwise. When not doing that he travelled extensively by sea and land. His account if very interesting and the descriptions of the people he met along on the way priceless. Illustrations from early photo graph or sketches therefrom very good … we particularly like the Medicine Man and the Two Chiefs.

Over time he covers from the ease of Vancouver Island … the Skeena River; Massett; Metlakatia in the very north; meets the Kwaguti; visits Alert Bay; Aiyansh and Kitkatia. He sails to Dolphin island to meet to the Kilkatla or Gitxaala Nation … the first native people to take up arms .. encouraged by passing English. We like these people … Gitxaala translates to “People of the Open Sea” .. there are not many of them but they are proud people … we understand that they have currently suspended Treaty negotiations with the Canadian Government … we hope it works out for them.

Rev William Ridley religious but informed …

$90.00

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The Amazing Mr Doolittle [Biography of American Air Ace and Daredevil] – Quentin Reynolds – 1954

The Passenger Pigeon – by Joseph Quinn.

Gold Panning is Easy – Roy Lagal

The Story of Charles Francis Hall, Explorer – Weird and Tragic Shores – Chauncey Loomis 1972

Tribal Tattoos – Andy Sloss

Snapshots from the North Pacific [British Columbia] – Rev Ridley – Edited Alice Janvrin

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