Curiosities

The Dawn of Time – Australian Aboriginal Myths in Paintings – Roberts and Mountford.

A first edition of this “sequel” to Dreamtime. Another wonderful book by ethnologist Charles Mountford and artist Ainslie Roberts.

Published in 1969 again by Rugby, Adelaide. Same small quarto format 79 pages with a beautiful image for each of the myths recounted by Mountford received from Elders and Storytellers.

Includes some from the coast such as Kondole the Whale; Pipinyawari the Queen Fish … the Fighting Cloud Women; the Black Kangaroo; and our favourite Brolga the Dancing Girl .. albeit a little sad.

Remember this story when you see a Brolga.

$30.00

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A Living Voice of the Living Bush – William Ricketts – Wonderfully Annotated and Signed.

First and only edition published by the Victorian Forestry Commission in 1965 celebrating the incredible art of William Ricketts. Larger format soft cover, 24 pages with sixteen colour illustrations. A bit marked and aged on the cover, clean inside, forgive any deficiencies for his manuscript additions.

The annotation on the first blank page reads as follows … “From my Mountain of Remembrance where we remember with love everything that was created … [followed by his creation symbol underscored with his signature] … The Prayer of the Mountain – The Prayer of the Forest – My prayer – all are one Prayer … “

Added in different hand the name of the receiver.

William Ricketts (1898-1993) misunderstood and maybe he misunderstood … regardless he made beautiful objects. If it offends, well then that’s a bit sad. He was a religious man and felt the earth and whether he misrepresented and misplaced .. well that gives a job for the academic critics. Just enjoy them. They were badly damaged in a massive storm a couple of years ago … we hope they have been resurrected.

In the 1950’s he spent quite some time with the Pitjantjatjara and Arrente people in Central Australia … they inspired his work among the trees in the Dandenong Mountains.

William Ricketts – A rare annotation we believe.

$60.00

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Radio-Activity. An Elementary Treatise, from the Standpoint of the Disintegration Theory – Frederick Soddy M.A. – First Edition 1904

An important work in the history of science. Explaining all of the then known facts by the theory of radio-activity and the explosive disintegration of elementary atoms.

Voyager scientific hero Frederick Soddy (1877-1956) was to win the Nobel Prize in 1921… “for his contributions to our knowledge of the chemistry of radioactive substances, and his investigations into the origin and nature of isotopes”.

Published by “the Electrician” Printing and Publishing Co, London in 1904.

Octavo, brown cloth covered boards with gilt lettering on front and spine. Xi, 214 pages; 40 illustrations, diagrams and charts; publishers catalogue. Some age but a worthy copy of an important and scarce work.

Soddy in conjunction with Rutherford developed the disintegration theory of radioactivity from experiments conducted between 1901-1903.

Following this work Soddy lectured in physical chemistry and radioactivity at Glasgow University. By 1913 his theory of disintegration had been further developed and the concept of isotopes developed … i.e. that certain elements exist in two forms which have different atomic weights. He became Professor of Chemistry at Aberdeen in 1914 and after WWI went to Oxford where he stayed until retirement in 1937.

Important work Soddy on Radio-Activity – early days.

$180.00

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The Early Water Supply of Hobart – 1804-1904 – Crawford and Ryan

A special production by Crawford and Ryan assisted by the Institute of Engineers in Australia.

Published in 1988, perfect bound, large octavo in size, 66 pages, nicely illustrated throughout.

If you have walked to the “Springs” above Hobart in Mount wellington you will love this informative book. If you haven’t walked the track then you should its beautiful … and one of the easiest walks on the hill.

The illustrations are something special, maps, charts, engineering diagrams often from first hand sketches.

The early water of Hobart – its still in demand – save it if you can.

$30.00

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The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyan – Peter Pauper Press

A lovely little production by the superb Mount Vernon, Peter Pauper Press printed delightfully on rag paper.

The Edward Fitzgerald translation illustrated by Jeff Hill. No date but likely 1970′s

Unpaginated but 62 pages with 9 full page illustrations, the verses printed crisply within decorative borders. Decorated paper covered boards the design of which carries over to the dust jacket. Very good condition albeit a little ageing to the jacket.

The Rubaiyat should require no introduction .. every library should have several versions of which this a special one.

The Rubaiyat by the special Peter Pauper Press.

$40.00

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Rasmie’s Buddie [Shetlandic Poetry] – Haldane Burgess

This is the fourth edition of this most curios collection of “Poems in the Shetlandic” by Haldane Burgess illustrated by Frank Walterson.

Published in beautiful Lerwick, Shetland by the local publishing company. Octavo, xxii,104 pages including the useful if not essential comprehensive glossary of Shetlandic words at the end. Very good condition in a like dust jacket.

First published in the 19th century the work comprises forty seven poems which follow a very good biographical memoir of the poet by Manson and a preface by expert Lawrence Graham.

There are smatterings of English .. “The Shetland words are rather tough, – And there are folk you’d reach – Who’d like the “’Buddie” right enough; – But can’t make out the speech. – I have knocked about the world, – Seen and read a thing or two – And picked up some plain English, – Which I’m pretty sure would do”

But the fun in this work comes with the translation and the relaxing island style.

Shetlandic poetry – what a way in to a beautiful dialect ..

$35.00

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The Dawn of Time – Australian Aboriginal Myths in Paintings – Roberts and Mountford.

A Living Voice of the Living Bush – William Ricketts – Wonderfully Annotated and Signed.

Radio-Activity. An Elementary Treatise, from the Standpoint of the Disintegration Theory – Frederick Soddy M.A. – First Edition 1904

The Early Water Supply of Hobart – 1804-1904 – Crawford and Ryan

The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyan – Peter Pauper Press

Rasmie’s Buddie [Shetlandic Poetry] – Haldane Burgess

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