A selection of books spanning 90 years of Russian voyages of exploration, from the 1780s ending in 1872 with an rare private letter from the great explorer Lütke to the Russian privy counsellor von Adelung. The official account of the Lütke voyage, one of the rarest and most beautiful of all illustrated Pacific voyage publications is also featured. As well, Choris's magnificent colour plate book of the Pacific, together with accounts of the Krusenstern's circumnavigation, and early visits by Timkovski to China and Golovnin to Japan.  

Our latest online List: thirteen broadsides and news printings 1780-1886. Highlights include: three relating to George Anson, two celebrating his naval conquests and one, rather less gloriously concerning the control of venereal disease amongst seamen signed by him as Admiral; a rare Sydney-printed poem lauding the generosity of the merchant Quong Tart; a vivid pictorial printing advertising “dioramic lectures” celebrating Australia & America which toured England in 1850, together with a stirringly large broadside protesting Edward Eyre in Jamaica; and one relating to the abortive attempt by George Grey to force his way into the British Parliament.

Our March short list celebrates the work of James Busby who did so much to bring the cultivation of vines and wine to Australia. He was a foundation figure for the wine industry and of international repute, as the London and New York printings of his first work indicate. Included too are manuscript letters: on the equipping of Freycinet’s Uranie voyage; and an account of the goods carried on the ship Rose at the height of Governor Bligh’s rule. As well, we have a finely bound copy of Speechly’s Treatise on the Culture of the Vine, rare pamphlets by Hall on The State of New South Wales and Mansfield printings of Archdeacon Broughton’s addresses exhorting pious living. No doubt he would have disapproved of the Catholic Bleasdale, the bibulous cleric and subject of the final work in this list. The visual highlights of the list are Quadri’s sumptuous work on Venice with its remarkable hand-coloured views and Raskin’s high art deco Fantaisies Oceanographiques.

Our first catalogue for the year, prepared for the California Antiquarian Bookfair, includes foundation French voyage accounts together with a broad offering of material relating to Cook's three voyages, and two great rarities: Samwell's account of the Death of Cook; and Alexander Shaw's Catalogue of Tapa, long regarded as one of the rarest and most desirable of all Pacific voyage books. Also making the list are James Busby's two influential accounts for the development of the Australian wine industry. Of special note is Fernandes de Lucena's announcement of exploration to the east: a highly important precursor to the "Columbus letter", the English edition of Du Halde's magnum opus on China, and an early Macrobius with the refigured world map. 

The catalogue is a linked pdf, so please click on any page for more information, images and prices in AUD, or search at hordern.com

This catalogue is a linked pdf, so please click on any page for more information and images. or search at hordern.com