Dublin: Chamberlaine and Rice, P. Wogan and others, 1790.
Rare poetic epitaph for Captain Cook
Two volumes, with both half-titles; contemporary mottled calf, flat spines gilt and with double red and green morocco labels. A fine and attractively bound set of voyages collected and edited for the enlightenment of younger... More
London: Wetton & Jarvis, 1822.
The illustrious persons series
Engraving, 92mm x 63mm (plate size);. For the series Portraits of illustrious persons, after the famous portrait by Dance. More
Melbourne: J. H. Moulines and Co. for the Committee of the 'Admella', November 1859.
Iconic Australian shipping disaster
Octavo, frontispiece and folding map; in original blind blocked plum cloth with dramatic gilt vignette to front board bearing the slogan 'Hope to the Last.'. Only edition: the harrowing tale of the... More
Adelaide: W.C.Cox, Government printer, 1859.
The tragic wreck of the Admella
Foolscap folio, 36, [iv] pp., last blank, large folding map; wrappers thumbed. Uncommon: official report of the Commission tasked to investigate the appalling loss of the steamship Admella off the coast of South Australia in 1859. The tragedy marks... More
Lisbon: Vicente Jorge de Castro, 1841.
Portuguese public servant's imaginary voyage to the interior
Three volumes bound in one, small octavo; some wear to the edges of the boards and a library reference at head of spine, an attractive copy in contemporary quarter calf. A rare Portuguese imaginary voyage to... More
Lisbon: Vicente Jorge de Castro; Sociedade Propagadora dos Conhecimentos Uteis, 1841.
The pernicious contagion of immorality
Three volumes bound in one, small octavo; in contemporary marbled sheep preserved in folding cloth case. A rare Portuguese imaginary voyage to Australia, not recorded by most of the commentators on the genre. In... More
Antwerp: Christopher Plantin, 1558.
One of the great Renaissance travel books: the Southern Cross, Ethiopia & Prester John
Small octavo, printed in italic and roman letter, xxx, [2], 341 leaves numbered on rectos only, with a woodcut of the stars of the Southern Cross and six woodcut plans of Ethiopian... More
New York: Enoch Morgan's Sons Company, 1893.
William Andrews' solo crossing in his smallest boat
Octavo, folding map and folding plate, illustrated throughout; in original illustrated brown cloth, flyleaf inscribed and signed by the author. Signed presentation copy in original illustrated cloth, detailing the audacious solo transatlantic crossing of William... More
Paris: Plon, 1893. Octavo, folding map; a good copy, uncut in the original blue-grey wrappers, First edition: this is an especially good account of Hawaii at the end of the nineteenth century, by a French diplomat, written under the pseudonym Georges Sauvin.D'Anglade was French Consul and Commissioner to Hawaii and... More
Philadelphia: (Dobelbower, Key and Simpson), 1796. Engraved portrait, 155 x 100 mm. Oval engraved portrait of Cook in profile.Originally issued in The World Displayed, or A Curious Collection of Voyages and Travels Selected and Compiled from the Writers of all Nations by Smart, Goldsmith & Johnson. More
![The Death of Captain Cook [caption title]. ANONYMOUS.](/pictures/thumb/4007930.jpg?v=1459830501)
Philadelphia: circa 1798. Engraving on laid paper by Scot & Allardice, 65 x 130 mm. Robert Scot and Samuel Allardice worked together in Philadelphia as printers and engravers, Francis Shallus who is credited with doing all 41 plates of the 1818 Philadelphia edition of The Voyages of Captain Cook, worked... More
Paris: Delaunay, c. 1810.
Peoples of the world, and their characters shown on their faces
Duodecimo, 25 engraved plates (all hand coloured); mottled pink wrappers. First edition of this fascinating French physiognomical study of the peoples of the world, which compares the facial structures and features of various European races... More
London: Thomas Pingo, 1747.
Anson's circumnavigation and defeat of the French
Copper medal, 43.3 mm., with Anson crowned by Victory at right, on the reverse Victory on hippocamp, the names of Anson's officers around; corrected CAMPBEL variety, remnants of 'H' faintly visible, about uncirculated, some mint color remaining, slight abrasions... More
London: Office of the Admiralty, 5 October 1757.
"The Risque of getting those Distempers"
Folio, 6 pages plus integral blank; folded to docket size with manuscript annotation "Admiralty New Instructions relating to Surgeons" A scarce and desirable relic of eighteenth-century naval life: an official printed order from the Admiralty concerning... More
London: Thomas Pingo, 1747.
Circumnavigation and victory
Copper medal, 43.3 mm., with Anson crowned by Victory at right, on the reverse Victory on hippocamp, the names of Anson's officers around; CAMPHEL issue with 'B' faintly visible on 'H', about uncirculated, a few minor blemishes to the rims. An excellent medal... More
Birmingham: T. Aris, 1743.
Eight Million Pieces of Eight
Bifolium; franked. Original newspaper containing exciting news of Anson's buccaneering windfall: 'that Commodore Anson has taken eight rich Prizes, and after ravaging the Coast, departed about the middle of April for the East Indies; that he has two Ships with him... More
London: Printed for the Author by John and Paul Knapton, 1748.
One of the Royal Paper copies
Thick quarto, with strong impressions of all 42 folding engraved plates and maps, with the single leaf of directions to the bookbinder for placing the engravings; later half calf over original marbled boards... More
Venice: Io. Antonius da Sabbio & others, July, 1533.
Renaissance cosmography
Small octavo, with a large woodcut on title-page of an astrolabe enclosing the world, full-page astronomical woodcut on the verso, numerous illustrations and diagrams in the text, printer's device on last leaf; old half red calf. Essential cosmographical text... More
Venice: Sabiensis, 1551.
Renaissance worldview, neatly summarised
16mo., several woodcut illustrations; contemporary vellum. A particularly attractive copy of one of the early editions of Apian's classic description of the earth and its context, in the popular shortened format. Apianus' hugely influential work on cosmography offered an early geographical text with... More
Paris: Chamerot et Renouard, 1893.
The Paris Observatory statue of the scientist Arago
Quarto, 64 pp.; a very good unopened copy in the original grey titling wrappers. Publication commemorating the inauguration of the statue erected to honour the eminent French physicist and astronomer François Jean Dominique Arago (1786-1853).The bronze statue... More
Paris: Langlume, 1840. Single sheet measuring 305 x 222 mm., wove paper, lithograph. Confronting image of a Port Jackson Aborigine, lithographed after a sketch by Jacques Arago, official artist of the expedition commanded by Louis de Freycinet.This portrait is stylistically similar to the work of Arago's predecessor Nicolas Petit, who... More
Brussels: Société Typographique, 1840.
The abridged popular version
Large octavo, with a portrait frontispiece, lithographs and in-text illustrations; original gilt decorated full calf. One of the reduced single-volume editions of Arago's classic account. There were numerous editions of his narrative: this particular one is not recorded by Ferguson (although a.... More
Timor: during the expedition of the Uranie, 1818.
Beautiful original sketch drawn on the Uranie expedition by Freycinet's official artist
Fine pen and ink sketch, the image 198 x 265 mm., on laid paper; pencil note "Mr. Arago" in Freycinet's later hand at bottom left; framed. Fine sketch of a.... More
Paris: Hortet et Ozanne, 1839.
The new version, with new title
Four volumes, octavo, with 60 lithograph plates (six folding); later binding of quarter dark green morocco. A fine set of the substantially changed version of Arago's classic account of the French circumnavigation in the Uranie under the command of... More
Paris: H.-L. Delloye, 1840.
The rare supplementary volume
Large octavo, 15 plates, untrimmed with an early library stamp on the title-page; a handsome copy in polished half calf, spine banded and gilt. Fine copy of this unusual addition to his voyage account by the prolific and eccentric Arago, which includes... More