Exploration

High Latitudes – A History of Swedish Polar Travels and Research – Gosta Liljequist

Published in 1993 a monumental book by Polar Participant Professor Gosta Liljequist who was metrologist in the Norwegian-British-Swedish expedition to the Antarctic in 1949-52 and also leader of the 1957-58 expedition to Svalbard … so he is in here.

Weighting nearly 3 kgs so pricey to mail Overseas, cannot be found elsewhere in Australia. Largo quarto, 606 pages, with many illustrations from expedition photographs, maps, charts etc a worthy production. Very good copy in a very good dust jacket.

Hard to summarise but we start with the Pioneers 1758-1863 including Anton Martin, the first scientist to go truly North. Involvement with the French Le Recherche Expedition; then Otto Torell and Spitzbergen and his later expeditions to the Aeolus Group north of Svalbard. Quennerstedt’s zoological studies in the west Ice in 1863.

Then we have the Nordenskiold Epoch between 1863-1883 and here for sure too much to write about at both ends of the World. If you haven’t got the book on the Vega this covers it with many other ventures.

We move through some interesting low budget expeditions that did much for the dollar spent and on to Andree and the ill-fated balloon attempt … the searching for him and his companions was a lengthy event and a good Noir movie was made out of it.

We are only a third through and too many highlights to record here. Interesting side stories – the Arctic flight of the German Graf Zeppelin in 1931 – then the attempt from Stockholm to New York.

The Many Swedish Polar Achievements all in one place. Never again.

$280.00

Updating cart…

Sailing with Flinders: The Journal of Seaman Samuel Smith – Peter Monteath (Hardback version one of 200 Copies)

First edition, readily available as a softcover but rare as a hardback due to the tight limitation. Numbered 154 of 200 copies thus.

Published by the super Corkwood Press, Adelaide in 2002. Professor Peter Monteath [descendant of Gidley King] of Adelaide University a well published historian. This book marries well with his “Encountering Terra Australis” of which Voyager usually has a copy.

Fine condition, xiv, 86 pages, maps in text numerous other illustrations, notes and bibliography.

Monteath edits the extant journal and provided his sizeable introduction. Apart from Flinders writings this is the only journal kept during the Voyage of the Investigator 1801-1803 during which Flinders circumnavigated Australia proving undisputedly its island form and filling in many parts of the then “Unknown Coast”. The writer of the journal [It was more like an exercise book] , Samuel Smith, was from Manchester and joined Flinders’ crew below decks as low a rank as could be got. Nevertheless, Flinders had a small tightly bound crew and Smith’s account makes for good and full reading.

An important historical account one of the tightly held hardbacks.

$80.00

Updating cart…

The Life of Jean-Francois de La Perouse – Where Fate Beckons – Ian Harman

First edition published by the ABC in 2006. Large octavo, 292 pages, nicely illustrated . A quality production printed in heavy paper. Neat name on end papers. A very good copy.

The book on La Perouse by John Dunmore a recognised world authority on La Perouse and many things Pacific.

From his teenage life at war, the American War, issues in the Indian Ocean and the Great tragic Voyage and “the Mystery”.

La Perouse by Dunmore

$40.00

Updating cart…

Explorations in Garhwal around Karmet [Important Mountaineering Report] – Journal of the Royal Geographical Society – January 1932.

The Journal of the Royal Geographical Society, January 1932, containing a report by legendary mountaineer Frank Smythe relating to the climbing of Kamet, then the highest peak climbed in the World. During the expedition they discovered and named the “Valley of Flowers” now a National Park in Sikkim. Smythe wrote well and his report is a good example of “in the moment narrative” .. you can almost feel the chills. Super images from original photographs accompany this article.

Other articles of substance include, in the Rockies, the confirmation of the Purcell as the source of the Kootenay River and, a traverse through Norwegian Lapland by Charles Elton.

Usual original blue wrappers, good photographs as mentioned and maps for reference. A crease across early pages from storage [priced accordingly], else clean and bright, a worthy copy of a scarce mountaineering report.

Frank Smythe later overshadowed by Everest but up there with the best Mountaineer explorers.

$70.00

Updating cart…

The Discovery of the Torres Strait; Arctic Glacier Cap; Crete and the Gulf Stream – Journal of the Royal Geographical Society – August 1941.

The Journal of the Royal Geographical Society, November 1914, containing an important paper by “A.R.H.” regarding the discovery of the Torres Strait.

In 1928 Sotheby had sold a collection of Spanish manuscripts one being .. a “Relacion sumaria of the discovery begun by Pero Fernandez de Quiros and completed for him by Captain Don Deiego de Prado with the help of Captain Luis Baes de Torres … a document in Prado’s handwriting .. and a document that turned out to change the then held view.

Also, we have an excellent nicely illustrated paper on the Arctic Glaciers .. the West Ice of North East Land … including the Franklin Glacier.

A travel account relating to Crete takes us back to warmer weather.

Usual blue wrappers period adverts etc, illustrated with maps and images from original photographs.

The Prado manuscript changed it all re the discovery of the Torres Strait

$70.00

Updating cart…

Polar Gleams – An Account of a Voyage on the Yacht “Blencathra” [An Arctic Voyage] – Helen Peel – First Edition 1894

The author Helen Peel was the granddaughter of Sir Robert Peel, twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

With a Preface by Arctic voyager The Marquess of Dufferin and Ava and contributions by Joseph Wiggins and Frederick G. Jackson.

A first edition published in the same year in the UK and the USA. This is the American first by McClurg, Chicago, 1894.

Large Octavo, 211 pages, cloth covered boards with bright silver gilt titling to front and spine, with walrus head design on spine. Burgundy end paper, portrait frontispiece with signature facsimile. 15 other illustrations and two maps – the Sea Route to Siberia and the Great Siberian Railway. Re-cased expertly by Roger Perry, original spine laid down, very clean inside a nice copy of a very rare item.

The acknowledged adventurer the Marquess of Dufferin was the godfather of the adventurous Helen Peel. He admired her vigour and abilities in putting together this account of the Arctic voyage of the Blencathra that he provided his esteemed and thoughtful Preface.

From Britain through the northern Norwegian waters, the Barents and Kara Seas, up the Yenisei River to Gol’chikha and back to Archangel in the farthest reaches of Siberia… much interaction with Laps and Samoyeds.

The Blencathra (then named HMS Newport) was built in 1867 in the Pembroke Dockyard. Part of the Philomel class – a wooden screw gun vessel, with a single two-cylinder single expansion, single screw steam engine. She was the first ship to pass through the Suez Canal. She was bought by F.W. Laybourne-Popham in 1890 as a yacht. He had an interest in Arctic waters and appointed Joseph Wiggins as Captain for a voyage, the subject of this book. The whole exercise turned into a commercial one with the organisation of support vessels and the transport of rails for the Trans-Siberian Railway. Later the yacht was used by William Speirs Bruce and new owner Major Andrew Coats to cruise the Arctic as far as Novaya Zemyla and Kolguyev and then Spitzbergen. It was later purchased by the Russians who lost it near Franz Josef Land.

Rare Arctic Voyage – Unusual Author and Pedigree – Hard Working and Fated Polar Vessel.

$260.00

Updating cart…

High Latitudes – A History of Swedish Polar Travels and Research – Gosta Liljequist

Sailing with Flinders: The Journal of Seaman Samuel Smith – Peter Monteath (Hardback version one of 200 Copies)

The Life of Jean-Francois de La Perouse – Where Fate Beckons – Ian Harman

Explorations in Garhwal around Karmet [Important Mountaineering Report] – Journal of the Royal Geographical Society – January 1932.

The Discovery of the Torres Strait; Arctic Glacier Cap; Crete and the Gulf Stream – Journal of the Royal Geographical Society – August 1941.

Polar Gleams – An Account of a Voyage on the Yacht “Blencathra” [An Arctic Voyage] – Helen Peel – First Edition 1894

Product Categories