Catalogues & Lists

Koapena

Koapena

A superb portrait by the Russian scientist and artist Miklouho-Maclay, depicting the striking New Guinean man Koapena (or “Quapena”), a chief in the region of Hood Lagoon, south-east of Port Moresby.

Captain James Cook 250 years on

Captain James Cook 250 years on

As it is the 250th anniversary of the voyage of His Majesty’s Bark Endeavour into Australian and New Zealand waters we celebrate with this catalogue the achievements of Captain James Cook and his crew.

Much has been discussed about the impact of the English exploring expeditions in the early colonial period. We acknowledge that whatever may have been the eventual...

Navigating Cook

Navigating Cook

We invite you to enjoy this catalogue, part of a new collaborative exhibition between Hordern House and leading art dealers Michael Reid. The exhibition will be running in Sydney until May 23rd. Michael Reid will be exhibiting works by 15 significant artists who have charted the nations changing attitudes to the cause and effects of the navigator Captain James Cook's...

Books with stories

Books with stories

A list of books which each "tell a story" beyond authorship: whether by publisher, owner, association or historical context.

Meditations on the history of the book

Meditations on the history of the book

'Whatever they may do, authors do not write books.  Books are not written at all.  They are manufactured by scribes and other artisans, by mechanics and other engineers, and by printing presses and other machines.'  
 
So observed Roger Stoddard, the eminent book historian and former curator of Rare Books at Harvard, which is the starting point for a meditation...
Corsali to Cook

Corsali to Cook

A curated list of voyage books relating to the mapping and exploration of our world from the early period up until the late Enlightenment. A full description of the rare library globes pictured may be found here

Andrea Corsali & the Southern Cross

Andrea Corsali & the Southern Cross

In 1515 Andrea Corsali, an Italian under the patronage of the Medici family, accompanied a Portuguese voyage down the African coast and around the Cape of Good Hope, en route to Cochin, India. On his return Corsali's letter to his patron describing the voyage was published. It included the earliest illustration of the stars of the Crux, the group of stars known...

New York Book Fair 2020

New York Book Fair 2020

Our catalogue for the New York Book Fair March 5-8 at the Park Avenue Armory features: 
Voyage de Découvertes aux Terres Australes...
The great French voyage of the Napoleonic period, the ambitious voyage to the "terres Australes" or southern continent under Baudin, chronicled by its participants Louis de Freycinet (later to command his own voyage) and the scientist François...
Représentations des animaux...(1768)

Représentations des animaux...(1768)

Rare complete first edition of Johann Ridinger's great series of quadrupeds, in the original German with French translation. This is a classic of zoological illustration, its 127 large and beautifully coloured plates showing wild and domestic quadrupeds, with a few of the plates depicting two or more animals, sometimes from different species.