Antarctic, Arctic, Polar

Spotted Seal (Phoque de Choris) – Lesson – Paris 1838

Original hand coloured engraving drawn by Antoine Charles Vauthier and engraved by Smith. Good strong clean example.

Produced for Rene Primevere Lesson (1794-1849) for his extension of the great natural history work originally produced by Count Buffon. They were published in Paris in 1838. Interesting that Lesson himself originally classified this species.

The spotted seal inhabits the Arctic regions, at one time thought to be endangered but now seen in large numbers from Alaska right through Northern Siberia.

Very good condition, clean with bright colours and a sophisticated stipple technique. Strong thick paper.. 24cm by 17cm unframed … external dimensions when framed would be 36cm by 28cm a nice size for the study or hallway.

Lesson participated as doctor and naturalist in the Duperry voyage round the world on board La Coquille (1822-1825).

Price $90.00 unframed or $190.00 framed in Voyager Natural History style … enquire if you wish …

The spotted seal now quite often seen!

$90.00

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Wildlife and Wilderness – An Artist’s World – Keith Shackleton

A really super book of Keith Shackleton’s Polar art. Much of the work completed on the Ms Lindblad Explorer (see our copy of Keith Shackleton’s Antarctic Pilot). In his well written introduction he expresses his gratitude to Lars-Eric Lindblad for putting his vessel on the high seas with him aboard.

First US edition published by Salem House 1986. Small quarto, landscape 120 pages with 8 full page colour images of selected cold weather painting with a nice page of attendant narrative. Very good if not fine condition.

A nice forward by HRH Prince Charles. But to the art … something special … the subjects naturally well chosen and the style clean bright and dramatic

Keith Shackleton’s beautiful paintings – where can we get one?

$50.00

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Wake of the Invercauld – Madelene Ferguson Allen

First edition 1997, published by Exisle Publishers, Auckland, New Zealand. Large octavo, 256 pages well illustrated with images and maps. Very good if not as new condition. A super book.

In 1864 the Invercauld was shipwrecked on the remote Auckland Islands in the sub-Antarctic Ocean south of New Zealand. The author Madelene Ferguson Allen is the great-granddaughter of one of only three who ultimately survived the shipwreck or the subsequent hash conditions on the island.

More than a shipwreck book Allen draws on original manuscripts, details the early year of Robert Holding and his time in Australia, refers to the First Mate’s Narrative (kindly gifted) … her two visits to the Auckland Islands produced some lovely photographic images and extended the historical content … now carefully controlled as a genuinely untouched wildlife sanctuary the book brings the cold island group to life

Special book about a tragic event and a special island

$50.00

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The Cruise of the “Cachalot” Round the World after Sperm Whales – Frank Bullen – 1899

Published by Smith and Elder, a second edition, London 1899 in the more upmarket binding with the striking gilt whale to the front board.

Large octavo, 380 pages with 7 pages of plates and a folding map.

Bullen, a homeless waif, went so sea at twelve years old. After six years he landed at New Bedford, Massachusetts where he secured a berth on the “Cachalot” a whaler that would be his home for the next three years. A ripping yarn of fact and fiction actually based on the authors experiences on the “Splendid” of New Bedford in whaling grounds off “the Solanders, Vau Vau and the Australian Gulf”.

Admired by Rudyard Kipling as the best Whaling Narrative.

Best Whaling Story according to Kipling

$140.00

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The Great White South or, With Scott in the Antarctic – Herbert G. Ponting

Subtitle … Being and account of Experiences with Captain Scott’s South Pole Expedition and of the Nature life of the Antarctic.

Herbert Ponting’s highly regarded and popular contribution to the heroic era library. A tenth edition 1930 having been first published in 1921 and it continued to be popular for many years to come.

Published by Duckworth , London. Octavo, 305 pages plus In Memoriam, with an introduction by Kathleen Scott which has numerous references to Scott’s diary where he praises Ponting’s abilities and contribution. Blue covers marked and pages carry some foxing, gift inscription on ffep. Altogether and acceptable copy and we feel nicely priced for the edition.

Of course this book is about the fateful Tera Nova expedition so its not without sadness at the end. The narrative as a whole is well written and a different perspective. The images sublime making the narrative come to life in a manner that could not be done otherwise.

Ponting essential Antarctic and photography.

$30.00

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Triumph and Tribulation – H.W. (Bill) Tilman

Published by the Nautical Press a first edition 1977. Octavo, 153 pages, nicely illustrated and with charts.

Tilman heading north to the icy waters of Spitzbergen. He managed to sail right around the island of Vestspitzbergen coming within 600 miles of the North Pole. Then off to Greenland and Disko Bay. An extraordinary adventure well documented.

The author H.W. (Bill) Tilman (1898-1977) war hero, mountaineer and sailor extraordinaire. Major Tilman first served in the Royal Artillery on the Western Front gaining the Military Cross. Between the wars he grew coffee in East Africa and road bicycle 3,000 miles across Africa, climbed Kilimanjaro and the Mountains of the Moon. He turned to mountain climbing and more than once teamed up with Eric Shipton. In 1936 he conquered Nanda Devi which at that time was the highest mountain climbed. In WWII he re-joined the Royal Artillery in North Africa and the Middle East. He parachuted into Albania and worked by the resistance. Afterwards he was given a diplomatic position in Burma where he returned to climbing. On return to the UK with age coming on he took to sailing as a means of reaching unclimbed mountains. At the age of 80 he crewed on an expedition to climb in the Antarctic and lost his life at sea in the South Atlantic. The expedition vessel, a converted tug, leaving Rio but never making it to the Falkland Islands.

Tilman out in the cold again! Superb sailing in dangerous waters

$30.00

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Spotted Seal (Phoque de Choris) – Lesson – Paris 1838

Wildlife and Wilderness – An Artist’s World – Keith Shackleton

Wake of the Invercauld – Madelene Ferguson Allen

The Cruise of the “Cachalot” Round the World after Sperm Whales – Frank Bullen – 1899

The Great White South or, With Scott in the Antarctic – Herbert G. Ponting

Triumph and Tribulation – H.W. (Bill) Tilman

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