Cartography

Terra Australis to Australia – Williams and Frost

Published by Oxford University Press, Melbourne a first edition 1988. A fine copy.

Edited by the noteworthy Glyndwr Williams (University of London) and Alan Frost (La Trobe University). With contributions from Voyager favourite Gunter Schilder (author Australia Unveiled) and Helen Wallis previously Keeper of Maps at the British Library

Octavo, 242 pages heavily illustrated and in colour where appropriate. Super selection of maps.

A high class production – from Theory on and Speculation of Terra Australis, The enigma of the Dieppe Maps, the Dutch Discoveries and the arrival of the English. Beautifully and intelligently done from start to finish.

Must rate as one of the best books on the subject

$50.00

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Decorative Printed Maps of the 15th to 18th Centuries – R.A. Skelton FSA

A very good book of decorative cartography by the much admired Skelton.

Quarto, 79 pages plus 84 full page plates of maps some in colour. Published by Spring Books, London in 1966. This is a re-issue of a work originally published in 1952 with a re-worked text and improvements in the plates.

A super book for someone building their understanding of the development of the map and the pure beauty behind the trade. Takes the accepted progression .. Ptolemy; woodcut maps; Italian line-engravers; the Dutch; the beginning of the English Regional Map; Dutch and German development; French emergence; the English again during the period to Thomas Jeffreys.

Skelton on Decorative Maps – Essential well rounded.

$50.00

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Maps and Map-Makers – R.V. Tooley

Tooley the greatest 20th century name in maps who was not a map-maker. The author of many works on cartography and the standard reference point on many topics. This is his perennial book on the broader subject. Great cross referencing to sources and plentiful illustrations.

A third impression published by Batsford, London in 1961. Small quarto, 140 pages, highly detailed and with many illustrations, some colour. A very good copy in an excellent dust jacket.

From the library of Australian cartographic expert Thomas M Perry with his signature on the front free endpaper.

If it’s maps it’s Tooley!

$40.00

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Van Dieman’s Land – Cartographer John Dower – 1836

An original map of Tasmania or Van-Diemans Land, drawn and engraved by John Dower published in London in the 1830’s. Note the misspelling “Dieman’s”. This is a very early version of the Dower map published by Orr & Smith of Paternoster Row, London. Engraved area 26cm by 21cm. Very good condition, clean and bright colouring. Refer Tooley Printed Maps of Tasmania number 196.

This map was first published in 1831. In this updated version Lake St Clair is added. And bottom left the following note … Population 31,718; Capitol(sic) Hobart Town; The estimated average importation of Convicts into Van Dieman’s Land is 1,709 per Annum.

Much of the terrain to the west half remains unexplored. A number of interesting features can be found in the detail. Above the “rocky and barren shore” below Rocky Point in the west we see “White topped mountains apparently granite”, north of which are “Higher and less barren hills”. Travelling north from Hobart Town are a string of pubs … The Stokell Inn, Crown Inn, Swan Inn, Ransome Inn, Lovely Bank Inn, New Inn, Sorrell Spring Inn, Stockers In and on to Launceston. Whilst known high ground is shown with hachures certain peaks are estimated … Ben Lomond 4,200 feet, Peak of Teneriffe 4,500 feet, interestingly not Mt Wellington.

John Dower (1791-1847) was a quality map maker, print seller and publisher based in London. He worked with many prominent map makers of the time including Weller, Cassell, Bacon and Petermann.

Price $190.00 unframed

Earlier scarce Dower Map of Tasmania c1836

$190.00

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The Seamans Secrets (1633) – John Davis – Fine Facsimile from John Carter Brown University – 1992

Published by Scholars’ Facsimiles & Reprints, New York 1992. Reproduced from a n original in The John Carter Brown Library at Brown University. Hard to come by.

Longer title … “The Seamans secrets. Divided into two parts, wherein is taught the three kindes of sayling, horizontall, paradoxall, and sayling upon a great circle. Also an horizontall tyde-table for the easie finding of the ebbing and flowing of the tydes, with a regiment newly calculated for the finding of the declination of the sunne, and many other most necessary rules and instruments, not heretofore set forth by any. Newly corrected and amended, and the fifth time imprinted.”

Octavo, very good condition with no jacket as published. Facsimile reprint with a very good historical introduction by A.N. Ryan. Illustrated, one folding at rear, and with tables and charts. Original unpaginated but runs to circa 110 pages … here after 26 page introduction and further reading list, references etc.

John Davis (1550? – 1605) published the first edition of this book in 1595. He made three voyages in search of the North West Passage. He was associated with Sir Humphrey and Adrian Gilbert promoters of English colonisation in North America. Through the Gilbert’s he knew Walter Raleigh and the famous mathematician and cosmographer Dr John Dee.

Nice reproduction of important early maritime navigation book.

$50.00

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Discovery – The Quest for the Great South Land – Estensen

Miriam Estensen’s very readable book about the hunt for land in the Southern Hemisphere.

Published by Allen & Unwin in 1998. Octavo, 286 pages including and index and extensive bibliography. Nicely illustrated very good condition.

Estensen employs a much wider and very much earlier time frame for this work. Despite this we have the Spanish, Dutch and Portuguese activities before the French and the English … and a good balance is achieved regarding the relevance of all.

The Quest well researched nicely written

$20.00

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Terra Australis to Australia – Williams and Frost

Decorative Printed Maps of the 15th to 18th Centuries – R.A. Skelton FSA

Maps and Map-Makers – R.V. Tooley

Van Dieman’s Land – Cartographer John Dower – 1836

The Seamans Secrets (1633) – John Davis – Fine Facsimile from John Carter Brown University – 1992

Discovery – The Quest for the Great South Land – Estensen

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