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The Narrative of the Jeannette Arctic Expedition – First Edition 1882

True first edition published by subscription only. With maps, portraits, engravings and the splendid decorated cloth covers which make the book a treasure. A hint of even toning, inner hinges tender, otherwise a very good copy in bright and clean decorated boards.

Longer title … “Our Lost Explorers: The Narrative of the Jeannette Arctic Expedition as related by the Survivors, and in the Records and last Journals of Lieutenant De Long, Revised by Raymond Lee Necomb, Naturalist of the Expedition. Also, an Account of the Jeannette Search Expeditions etc.”

Set out from San Francisco in July 1879 with supplies for three years sponsored by the owner of the New York “Herald” who also sponsored Stanley to search for Livingstone. The objective was to approach the North Pole through the Bering Straits.

She was lost for two years caught in ice near Wrangel Island and eventually crushed. The crew escaped but 13 survived out of 33.

Three new islands were discovered and named although they have always been regarded as Russian territory.

The Janette lost in the Arctic in the 1880’s

$190.00

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Call to the Winds – P.G. (Bill) Taylor – First Edition 1939

Important and scarce aviation book. “Bill” Taylor’s heroic flight with Kingsford Smith and Charles Ulm.

First edition Angus and Robertson, Sydney, 1939. Octavo, 227 pages, with period photographs of the aircraft “Southern Cross” including the damaged engine and propeller and the life saving thermos flask. Signature on front paste down. Very good copy with an almost impossible to find dust jacket.

Patrick Gordan Taylor (1891-1966) later knighted one of Australia’s greatest aviators. Participated in several major flight firsts with Sir Charles Kingsford, Charlie Ulm and later Richard Archbold. Known affectionately as “Bill” … Taylor joined the British Royal Flying Corps in 1916 with No 66 Squadron. After the war he returned to Australia and the start of commercial aviation activities.

The core of this book is about a 1935 flight, in the Southern Cross, with Kingsford Smith and Ulm from Australia to New Zealand with the view to establishing a mail service between the two countries. Mid Tasman the starboard engine failed. They decided to return to Sydney but encountered high winds. The port engine began to overheat and was running out of cooling oil. Bill Taylor climbed outside the aircraft along the wire below the wind strut, with a thermos flask, drained oil from the broken starboard engine and transferred it to the port engine. He did this six times before they made a safe landing back in Sydney.

Aviation Heroics – Bill Taylor with Kingsford Smith and Ulm – outside the Southern Cross over the Tasman

$180.00

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Battery Point Sketch Book – Fearn Rowntree – First Edition 1951

Sister of Amy Rowntree (Battery Point Today etc) this shows off the enchanting architectural sketches form hand of Fearn.

Landscape, softcover, booklet printed at the Mercury, Hobart. No date but considered 1951. 48 pages with circa toward 200 sketches.

Some interesting examples such as a glimpse of the Prince of Wales before they knocked it down and built the current monstrosity; a nice glimpse between the houses on Marine Terrace showing a glimpse of actual activity in the Purden and Featherstone Shipyards below; lots of interesting knobs and an Arthur’s Circus with young people playing!

A prize sketch book from the other Rowntree

$40.00

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Strahan and Macquarie Harbour – Tasmania’s Eldorado

Subtitled … The Commercial Port for the Western Mineral Fields and … the Gem of the States for Tourists and Travellers. Unsurpassed for Scenic Grandeur and as a Health Resort.

Originally published by John Ware of Strahan in 1908 and nigh impossible to get. This like for like facsimile was produced by the western Pioneers’ memorial Museum in 1981. Printed by Walch, Hobart.

Small format, staple bound card covered. Altogether 84 pages, heavily illustrated from period photographs. The last 24 pages with period advertisement as per the original – amazing in themselves.

Well what a vibrant area it was and Strahan was full steam go ahead just after the turn of the previous century. In those days the Union Line brought two stack steamers to Strahan from Hobart, Launceston and the Mainland … they also embarked on voyages connecting New Zealand the South Sea Islands and Vancouver, via Fiji. The Macquarie Harbour Hotel had sixty rooms available.

Mining booming … the previous years returns had show 20,548 oz gold, 1,810,559 oz of silver, 7,682 tons copper, 7,400 tons lead, 5,158 tons galena and zinc, tin etc

It was all go on the West Coast in 1908.

$40.00

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Orokaiva Society Papua New Guinea – F.A. Williams – First Edition 1930

Williams was the then Government appointed Anthropologist. Published by the Oxford University Press, with an introduction by Sir Hubert Murray.

Octavo, 355 pages, illustrated with images from period photographs.

The Orokaiva are the rather fierce proud people of Oro Province in New Guinea, the Owen Stanley Range bordering the southern reaches of their territory. They are divided into three groups … River, Salt Water and Inland. There tribal practices are complex and rather strange, partly resulting from their belief that they are descendants of Giants. As with most New Guinea tribes the initiation customs are rather complex and scary.

Francis Edgar Williams (1893-1943) was an Australian Rhodes Scholar who studied anthropology at Balliol, Oxford. He met the great Hubert Murray back in Australia who persuaded him to come to New Guinea. He spent over twenty years there much of it in the field strongly supported by Hubert Murray. He died in a light plane crash near Kokoda.

Tough growing up in Oro.

$120.00

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Malory’s – Chronicles of King Arthur – 3 Volumes

Published by the Folio Society in 1982. Three volumes in original slipcase. Octavo, 292,348 and 262 pages. Blue cloth covered bindings decorated in red and gold. A super looking production.

Introductions and explanations by experts Sue Bradbury and Kevin Crossley-Holand and nice lino-cuts by Edward Bawden.

The Chronicles comprise … The Tale of King Arthur; Sir Tristam de Lyonesse and The Morte D’Arthur.

The legendary tales were first put down in one place by George of Monmouth in the early thirteen century. In the fifteenth century Sir Thomas Malory produced the definitive work completed in 1470, This was at the time Caxton really got going with his printing press so Malory’s work was destined to be promoted and preserved. Naturally, the language and expression of Malory’s writing reflects the period and “modern” writers have edited the text to be readable nowadays.

What would King Arthur think of a boxed set?

$140.00

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All products

The Narrative of the Jeannette Arctic Expedition – First Edition 1882

Call to the Winds – P.G. (Bill) Taylor – First Edition 1939

Battery Point Sketch Book – Fearn Rowntree – First Edition 1951

Strahan and Macquarie Harbour – Tasmania’s Eldorado

Orokaiva Society Papua New Guinea – F.A. Williams – First Edition 1930

Malory’s – Chronicles of King Arthur – 3 Volumes

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