Anthropology

Hunters of the Great North (Arctic Exploration) – Vilhjalmur Stefansson – 1922 – Signed Copy to the “Cheerful Philosopher” Gerber Schafer

Published by Harcourt, New York. A special book by the Canadian Arctic explorer and ethnologist. On the whole this book covers the experiences of 1908 – 1907 when he lived with the Inuit of the Mackenzie Delta returning alone across country. References to later expeditions are included.

A first edition 1922 with the scarce dust jacket and the glorious pictorial boards. Very good condition, the scarce dust jacket a bit chipped and some tape used at the rear to repair a tear which has left a mark on the back board now Brodart protected. Private library embossed stamp (no ink) of Eotthe Gozdiskowski on title page very clean and crisp binding firm.

Signed as a gift much later March 17 1942 “to Sgt Gerber D Schafer The Cheerful Philosopher the story of a first trip North to remind him of his first talk with Vilhjalmur Stefansson”.

Well illustrated covering expedition preparation, the trip down 2,000 of the Mackenzie River and the first impressions of the Eskimos, Captain Klinkenberg and the SeaWolf, Discoverer and the Whaling fleet … learning to live like an Eskimo the end of the summer and lost in the Mackenzie delta, snow house, eskimo skin boat and rafting the Porcupine, hunting Caribou, Seals and Polar Bears … real men’s work.

Stefansson (1879 – 1962) whilst born Canadian was of Icelandic parents. His portfolio of exploration is massive and varied. History has him admired but there were disasters. In 1913 – 1916 he led the Canadian Arctic Expedition. His ship the Karluk got stuck in ice. He left the ship with five others to go hunting and the ship was carried away, crushed and sank and 11 men died in various attempts to survive. Some members were ex Shackleton’s British Antarctic Expedition. Survivors thought Stefansson’s departure was deliberate. More curious was his 1921 expedition to claim Wrangle Island north of Siberia, first intended for the Canadian’s who after the Karluk disaster said “no thank you” … so they planted the Union Jack for the British which surprised the Russians as it was their territory and an international incident occurred.

Aside from the above there were many wonderful achievement in his “mixed bag” and he was awarded the 1921 Founders Medal by the Royal Geographical Society. Later in life he was leader of this and that and hung out at Romany Marie’s Greenwich Village Café.

Sergeant Gerber Schafer was known as the “Cheerful Philosopher” and certainly was an incredible individual. In 1918 he was involved in an early aeronautical accident and broke his spine. He was paralysed from the neck down and needed full time care to stay alive. Nevertheless, he decided he could make a real contribution in life and raised money for many good causes from his bed … his achievements too many to list are worth tracking down if you are looking for inspiration….

Rare Arctic Account signed a gift to inspirational Gerber Schafer

$140.00

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Headhunting in The Solomon Islands – Caroline Mytinger

A First edition 1942 of Caroline Mytinger’s well regarded book about the Solomon Islands. Mytinger (1897-1980) was an American portrait painter and a truly independent woman. She was a noted beauty and had modelled for Charles Dana Gibson.

In the 1920’s she decided to travel with a friend Margaret Warner to the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. This is one of two book resulting from those expeditions. In her writing she records important ethnographic detail describing individuals with great respect bordering on affection. On returning to the USA the art she produced was exhibited first by famed anthropologist Margaret Mead.

Special book by a special person

$60.00

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Patrolling in Papua – 1923 – First Edition W.R. Humphries

Extremely rare London First 1923. Very good condition bar some occasional foxing. Bright and tight boards as published.

W.R. (Dickie) Humphries arrived in Papua in 1917 and took over an ambitious patrolling plan under the guidance of Hubert Murray. This excellent book records in detail a number of exploratory expeditions. Taking in Nepa, Tiveris, Kerma and Christmas on the Lakekamu, the Kukukukus and their raids on Nepa. Off into the unknown … ascending Mount Chapman and to the valley at Kwolum, friendly natives (rare) at Biaru and gigantic cigars. Ascending Mount Waria and a close shave. At Dunai-ia strange graves and thumb nails and to Boli, Nele and Morobe before turning back to Kokoda. Nicely illustrated with unique with over 40 photographic images. In 1924 Humphries escorted Frank Hurley on his famous photographic expedition into the Mount Yule area.

Scarce as they get patrolling expeditions immediately post WWI

$190.00

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Scented Isles and Coral Gardens – Torres Straits, German New Guinea, and the Dutch East Indies – C.D. Mackellar – 1912

Published by John Murray, London in 1912. The greatest travel and adventure publisher of all time.

A very interesting a quite early book on the authors travels. Whilst published in 1912 it contains accounts, primarily from his detailed letter from 1885 onwards. Some of the illustrations are from his watercolours for which he apologises regarding quality. He need not as they are really quite good. There is some mild foxing which is usual for this book as it is printed on that spongy paper of the period.

Nice images and content on the Torres Straits islanders, of Kerapuna in New Guinea and the birds of paradise, the Solomon Islands and New Britain under German rule.

The last 70 pages of 190 are devoted to Java and Sumatra similarly written as if in the moment and with numerous relevant images.

A valuable New Guinea and broader book from the pre WWI era.

The author Campbell Duncan Mackellar (1859-1925) was born in Australia. Little is know of his early life. He wrote novels of which only one was published in Austalia … the rest in England and the USA. This, and one other was his only non-fiction works. In his later life in England he became quite a celebrity through [Unusually} his interest in Balkan politics. He amassed some wealth and was a sponsor to Shakleton’s Nimrod Expedition (1907-1909) and Mawson’s Australian Antarctic Expedition (1911-1914). As a result he got a mountain named after him by the former and a group of islands by the latter.

$90.00

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The Empire of the Amorites – A. T. Clay (1919) with Manuscript review by Prof. Duncan – leading Assyriologist at the American University of Cairo

An important work on the Amorite Civilisation, by Clay owned by and with lengthy hand-written review by leading A Dr. George S. Duncan, considers a new time-frame by which the Amorite civilisation, and its pervasion into Babylonia and Sumeria, may be understood.

Beginning with an exploration of the home of the Semites and the country of Amurru, excavations relating to the site, its races, languages and writing, the work examines Amorites in Bablyonia and early Babylonians in Amurru. In the second half of the work, Clay examines the capital of Amurru, Ur, and the interaction of the country with other Mesopotamian Kingdoms, Cappadocia, Egypt and Assyria.

Included with this piece is a hand-written review, over three pages, prepared by Prof George Duncan dated June 1921. Duncan begins his review with some history on the matter. With a brief account of the Amorites themselves, a Semitic people whose capital lay on the Euphrates in South Babylonia, Duncan concurs with Clay’s initial propositions with regard to the capacity to locate the influence of Amorite civilisation by virtue of their names and naming systems.

Duncan believes in the relevance of this line of research to dating the Amorite civilisation. Duncan concurs with Clay’s position that, contrary to then common belief, the research indicates the pervasion of an Amorite culture throughout Babylonia from a period much earlier than previously considered, though Duncan indicates the influence of this upon the Sumerian civilisation is not considered in what is, in its entirety, a “masterly” work.

Crown quarto, pp. 192. Plus folding map bound at end. Hardcover, bound in the original publisher’s blue cloth, gilt ruling to upper cover, gilt spine. In a very good condition. Bright interior, crisp map. First Edition. Yale Oriental Series. Researches, Volume VI. Provenance – George Duncan’s copy. Duncan was Professor of Egyptology and Assyriology at the American University in Cairo.

Leading work with superb working manuscript note from leading authority

$180.00

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R. Hamlyn-Harris (Ed.) – “Memoirs of the Queensland Museum – Vol. V” – 1916

R. Hamlyn-Harris presents the fifth volume of Memoirs of the Queensland Museum, issued in Brisbane, 10th July, 1916.

This work concerns itself with a staggeringly large number of exhibits, pieces and explorations of the Queensland Museum to that date, from fish poisoning and poisons employed among the Aborigines of Queensland to a check-list of Cephalochordates, Selachians, and fish of Queensland. Accompanied by 25 excellent plates, with additional illustrations to accompany each article.

This scarce and important publication contains articles to delight anyone with an interest in natural history, anthropology or Queensland itself.

$60.00

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Hunters of the Great North (Arctic Exploration) – Vilhjalmur Stefansson – 1922 – Signed Copy to the “Cheerful Philosopher” Gerber Schafer

Headhunting in The Solomon Islands – Caroline Mytinger

Patrolling in Papua – 1923 – First Edition W.R. Humphries

Scented Isles and Coral Gardens – Torres Straits, German New Guinea, and the Dutch East Indies – C.D. Mackellar – 1912

The Empire of the Amorites – A. T. Clay (1919) with Manuscript review by Prof. Duncan – leading Assyriologist at the American University of Cairo

R. Hamlyn-Harris (Ed.) – “Memoirs of the Queensland Museum – Vol. V” – 1916

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