Products | Voyager Rare Books Maps & Prints

Wings of Gold – How the Aeroplane Developed New Guinea – James Sinclair

No greater expert in his subject, James Sinclair’s formidable book about the exploration driven development of aviation in New Guinea. Covering the period from 1922 to 1942 during which New Guinea was the busiest place for aircraft movements anywhere in the world.

Published by Robert Brown in 1983 in fine condition. Quarto, 326 pages a substantial book. Images to end papers and illustrated throughout with numerous period photographs, maps, facsimile documents etc. The aviation images are to die for.

Expatriates will know the Leahy family and Jack Hides and pleased to see Frank Hurley standing on the Curtiss Seagull flying boat and a special image of Amelia Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan just before they left Lae on their fateful attempt to cross the Pacific.

Wings of Gold – Best book on the period vies with Sinclair’s Three Volume “Balus” as the best aviation book ever.

$90.00

Updating cart…

Steve Young or the Voyage of the “Hvalross” to the Icy Sea – Fenn – circa 1915

The author George Manville Fenn was a prolific writer of adventure stories for the young in the Victorian era.

Published by Partridge and Co, London. Octavo, 416 nicely illustrated. Evenly browned internally otherwise a very good copy. Embossed illustrated boards and spine in near fine condition. Looks a beauty.

A rare book and we cannot find the title on his “official’ list of publications This edition circa WWI era .. we cannot find any other contemporary copies available.

Hvalross is Norwegian for Walrus. Steve Young is an orphan whose uncle, Captain Young has disappeared on a voyage in and around Spitzbergen in the Arctic Ocean. The Captain’s friends charter a boat the Norwegian “Hvalross” to search for him. Sixteen year old Steve goes along much to the disgust of the ships Doctor who thinks young fellows are just a nuisance. Gales, storms, intense cold and Polar Bears … strong currents complete darkness all add to the adventure.

Scarce adventure on the “Walrus” up around Spitzbergen …

$60.00

Updating cart…

Kiap – Australia’s Patrol Officers in Papua New Guinea – Jmes Sinclair – First Edition 1981

Published by Pacific Publications, Sydney a first edition 1981. Quarto, 294 pages with illustrated end paper and many many images from photographs … quite afew iconic of the people particularly the KuKuKuKu. A very good copy in a complete and bright dust jacket.

The author James Sinclair is the man , if you understand us. After WWII he too up the position of Cadet Patrol Officer and rose to District Commissioner by Independence in 1975. He was there all through the period with a keen eye a handy camera and an ability and desire to record activities as he and others saw them.

This book is much more than about the Kiap role … it is about the people, the many varied people of this remarkable place on Earth. The photographic record contained within this volume is justification alone.

The Kiaps had their place and surrounded by the people and the environment of Papua New Guinea

Postage will be more than the automatic allowance for this heavy book … we will absorb that within Australia.

$70.00

Updating cart…

Javan Parrakeet – Fawcett and Greene – 1884

Original wood cut hand finished engraving of the multicoloured Bluebonnet Parrot from “Parrots in Captivity”, published in London 1884. Very good condition … bright clean colours not a mark on the paper.

The Javan Parakeet also known as the Red or Pink Breasted or Moustached Parakeet. Sadly, so beautiful that it is heavily traded on the bird black market still .. when will people learn that their rightful place is in their natural habitat not a cage.

Greene’s delightful work comprising wood-engraved plates printed by Benjamin Fawcett after drawings by A.F. Lydon. The prints are hand finished with delicate highlighting in gum arabic to accentuate the bright colouring.

Benjamin Fawcett was one of the great colour printers of the 19th century. He pioneered a system of wood block engraving from multiple blocks that resulted in vivid finely coloured works. Fawcett had an association of some 50 years with Francis Orpen Morris to produce many beautiful works on birds. The engravings are the finest illustrations of parrots from the period.

Price matted in cream textured mat with French gilt line $140.00

A Javan Beauty

$140.00

Updating cart…

Hokule’a The Way to Tahiti – Ben Finney.

Published by Dodd. Mead & Co, New York a first edition 1979. Octavo, 310 pages with numerous illustrations from photographs as well as charts, diagrams drawings etc.

A fine first edition of Professor Ben Finney’s book … about the re-construction of an ancient double-hull Polynesian canoe to sail and prove the theory of early navigation between Hawaii and Tahiti. An exercise that proved very difficult with cultural and personal arguments getting in the way at almost every step. Makes for interesting reading as does the account of the successful voyage .. written well and nicely illustrated.

Professor Ben Finney (1933-2017) was pretty remarkable man. Professor of Anthropology who held positions at a number of Universities including the ANU. He spent most of his life in Hawaii and regarded as the world’s greatest authority on surfing history … the sport of Hawaiian Kings.

Maritime History Proven by Ben Finney

$35.00

Updating cart…

Hooded Racket-Tailed Magpie (Crypsirhina Cucullata) From Burma – John Gould – The Birds of Asia – 1860′s

Original hand-coloured lithograph produced on limestone from John Gould’s most impressive series “Birds of Asia” completed and published in London in the1860’s.

A striking bird found the in the lower jungles of Northern Burma. Threatened by clearing but currently still strong in numbers. Also known as the Hooded Crypsirhina and Hooded Treepie

First formally described by Thomas Jerden a British ornithologist in 1862. You can see form John Gould’s narrative that he was working from sketches provided by Jerden and unlikely to have an example of the bird.

The birds appear to be figured in natural size being roughly 30 cm long and two thirds of that being the remarkable tail… the accompanying narrative describes their colouring is some detail. The execution of the lithograph is excellent, it is very clean and the colouring still very bright and full and enhanced by the use of gum arabic which creates a sense of richness and depth

We all know about John Gould but maybe not so much about Jensen.

Thomas Caverhill Jenson (1811-1872) was a Scottish born surgeon in the East India Company and then the Military and spent most of his working life in India. He was a keen naturalist in a number of fields. Early on he sent birds back to Sir William Jardine in Scotland to be classified. They arrived moth eaten so from then on Jerden decided to complete that work himself. He became the leading authority in the broader region and sponsored by Lords Canning and Elgin produced The Birds of India in three volumes in the 1860’s. He was also an instigator of the broader work The Fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma.

Price $390.00 unframed … enquire if you wish

Unusual well executed Magpie from Burma

$390.00

Updating cart…

All products

Wings of Gold – How the Aeroplane Developed New Guinea – James Sinclair

Steve Young or the Voyage of the “Hvalross” to the Icy Sea – Fenn – circa 1915

Kiap – Australia’s Patrol Officers in Papua New Guinea – Jmes Sinclair – First Edition 1981

Javan Parrakeet – Fawcett and Greene – 1884

Hokule’a The Way to Tahiti – Ben Finney.

Hooded Racket-Tailed Magpie (Crypsirhina Cucullata) From Burma – John Gould – The Birds of Asia – 1860′s

Product Categories