Curiosities

Living on the Edge – Our Personal Antarctic Story – Yvonne Claypole

First edition paperback (only form) published by Harper, Australia in 2001.Decorated covers. 262 pages, nice real photographs of goings on and the usual map. Surprisingly scarce and in great condition.

The story of adventurous couple Yvonne and Jim Claypole who gave up the quiet life in Melbourne to live in “Gadget Hut” nearby Mawson’s Hut, Cape Denison for a full year. They managed scientific readings from Mawson’s Hut during the period.

At 3.6 metres by 2.4 metres, Gadget Hut is no Hilton. Minus 33 Degrees in the “Dunny” called for swift action. Their winter boredom nearly got to them but cigars, fruit and the US papers from a passing US Military Scientist helped. A delightful and at times chilling narrative.

Would you feel safe at Gadget Hut? … maybe the place to be!

$25.00

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Global Warning – A Pop-Up Book of Our Endangered Planet – Sandy Ransford

A super high standard educational pop-up book from 1992 … threats to the Earth from ozone depletion, global warming, rain forest destruction.

Conceived and designed by Graham Brown and Ruth Mawdsley, who did the “Paper Engineering” … written by Sandy Ransford. From the Five Miles Press, Balwyn, Australia.

60cms by 22mc, illustrated boards, ten pages with some super pop-ups, pull outs and an inspiring narrative which has none of its meaning in a current sense.

Serious fun for a budding environmentalist …. a warning on the warming

$50.00

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Unusual Queensland Item – Directions by Night and by Day – Simple Methods Developed for the use of Scout Troops – E. T. Holdaway FRAS and W.J. Newell

This is a essentially a military guide for soldiers and scouts (maybe with military intentions) printed by Roberts & Russell, George Street Brisbane, described as distributed by Barker’s Bookstore so therefore also generally available. Having said that we cannot find any other copies; not in Trove.

A 24 page soft cover. Large folding chart celestial chart of unusual style at front, numerous other diagrams throughout. Stapled binding with spine sometime split now re-enforced. Generally good condition for a fragile item

Edwin Thomas Holdaway was a Fellow of the Astronomical Society and the Head Surveyor in the Queensland Lands Department, Lecturer at the University of Queensland in Surveying. Newell was also in the Lands Department and was the designated Queensland Astronomical Observer of the time. Holdaway died in 1947 which confirms the likelihood this was a WWII technical assistance booklet.

Unusual Queensland Astronomical Work – WWII

$70.00

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Brisbane City Medal Celebrating Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee 1897

Minted by Stokes and Sons, 31 mm diameter circa 14 gms weight. Reference Carlisle 1897/43

Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee was celebrated with enthusiasm around the Commonwealth. This medal was issued by the Municipality of Brisbane to celebrate the event.

On the obverse we have Jugate busts of a young and older Queen Victoria, around Queen Victoria’s 60th Year of Reign *1837 to 1897* … mint name Stokes & Sons in tiny letter on the rim below the date.

The reverse has at its centre within a wide rim the Shield of the Municipality, quartered with top left … horses, sheep and bull; top right … farmer with plough, wheat sheaf and spade; bottom left early steam-ship and lighthouse; bottom right … sailing ship at Brisbane Port loading produce including bale of wool and barrels. Around the rim *Municipality of Brisbane* Incorporated 1859.

Collectable Victoriana Unique to Brisbane.

$80.00

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WWI Maritime and Travel Original Annotated Photograph Album – Over 180 Images

A most interesting collection spanning the years of WWI and shortly afterwards. Taken and compiled by a marine officer, over 180 original photographs, taken with some expertise, nicely presented in its original Morocco bound photograph album. The photographer has presented each photograph framing it within white borders and added very neatly in white a useful description.

The condition of the photographs is good overall, a few are faded or marked in some way from the passage of time, others are crisp and clean. A few have been removed or fallen out and few are loose inside …we have not studied where they could go … the album is robust and showing minor age wear, the whole package is very presentable and more or less complete. We wish we knew the photographer … he was clearly officer material on the Orontes and had a wife and child … we have included his image as the “thumbnail” … does anyone know who he was …?

The album can be split into two distinct periods. The first, before January 1919 being mainly onboard the HMT Orontes a vessel that plied the England – Australia route for the Orient line. With the outbreak of WWI, it became a troop carrier. The photographer appears to have also served on SS Derbyshire in a similar capacity. During this phase he took images of a number of famous vessels used in the war effort and numerous images of views, landmarks, architecture, and the people at various ports of call.

The second element post January 1919 is devoted to a circumnavigation on SS Cufic which head across the Atlantic to Nova Scotia, down to the Panama Canal and across the Pacific to New Zealand and Australia, Durban, Cape Town, and Home.

Photographs of vessels include … RMS Mauretania; Kaiseren Auguste Victoria [surrendered in 1919 and used to bring American troops home]; HMS Renown [in New York Harbour with the Prince of Wales on board]; HMS Carpathia [of Titanic rescue fame and later torpedoed and sunk]; RMS Pannonia; SS Explorer; SS Demosthenes [used to carry Australian troops]; HMS Sydney [in Colombo Harbour just after the sinking of the German Cruiser Emden]; SS Derbyshire [Colombo – Rangoon Line]; HMT Osterley; SS Cufic and HMT Orontes.

Examples of the touring images include …

The Flatiron (previously Fuller) skyscraper – New York
Washington Arch – New York
Statue of Liberty – New York
Top of Woolworth Tower – New York
5th Avenue – New York
A Glimpse of Wall Street – New York
Brooklyn Bridge and Williamsburg Bridge – New York
Boston views
The Citadel Quebec
Main Street Gibraltar
A “Blimp” convoying
A Glimpse of the US army
Panama Canal scenes
On route to Calcutta
Homeward bound in the Bay of Biscay
Cinnamon Gardens Colombo
Cape St Vincent – Portugal [Incorrectly described Spanish]
Hindu Temple South India
Colombo Harbour
Ox waggon Rangoon Burma
On the Temple steps – India
Native of South India
Children of North India
Hindu dockworker
The Pagoda Calcutta
Burmese Shrine to the God Dagan
The Schegadon Pagodas Rangoon
The lake Rangoon
A Burmese girl off to the well
Anzac Day 1918 some fancy costumes
Sierra Leone West Africa
Leaving Table Bay HMS Britannia escorting
South African troops on board – the first bugle call – “Cookhouse!”
Scene in Native Quarter Durban
Australian sheep Hamilton Victoria
Sydney Zoo
Wellington New Zealand
Tahiti South Sea Islands
Main Street Papeete
Tahitian Friends
Papeete from Crows Nest
A Harbour view Tahiti
A big dam Panama Canal
Electric Mule Panama Canal
Leaving Liverpool Jan 18, 1919 – “Bon Voyage” [a self portrait]
The first port Louisbourg – Cape Breton Island [Nova Scotia]
Snow scene St John Nova Scotia
Lock gates and numerous others – Panama Canal
“Star of Holland” mid -Pacific [a US Tall Ship]
New Zealand including memorial to Robert Scott
Melbourne – picking up the Pilot
Quarantine procedures in Melbourne
A number in Sydney, Newcastle, Brisbane … and the way home via South Africa

Superb, interesting unique photographic record. Now over 100 years old.

$790.00

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Australia and the Antarctic – The John Murtagh Macrossan Lecture – 1960 – Phillip Law

Phillip Law (1912-2010) was born at Tallangalta and educated at Hamilton, Ballarat and then Melbourne University where he achieved an MSc in Physics. During WWII he wished to join the RAAF but was persuaded to stay at Melbourne University working on weapons research.

His first trip to the Antarctic was in 1947 and from 1949 to 1966 he was Director of ANARE, heading a total of 23 voyages and expeditions. Over the period over 5,000 kms of Antarctic coastline was surveyed and much inland. The Mawson, Davis and Casey Stations were established.

A super lecture nicely presented here in the usual Macrossan Lecture style. Octavo, 22 pages, illustrated with charts and images from photographs. Law describes the challenges and achievements during his involvement to date … super detail in such a succinct format.

Distinguished writer, historian, bibliophile Geoffrey Ingleton’s copy with his bookplate. A very clean crisp copy.

Scarce Antarctic Ephemera from Phillip Law

$55.00

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Living on the Edge – Our Personal Antarctic Story – Yvonne Claypole

Global Warning – A Pop-Up Book of Our Endangered Planet – Sandy Ransford

Unusual Queensland Item – Directions by Night and by Day – Simple Methods Developed for the use of Scout Troops – E. T. Holdaway FRAS and W.J. Newell

Brisbane City Medal Celebrating Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee 1897

WWI Maritime and Travel Original Annotated Photograph Album – Over 180 Images

Australia and the Antarctic – The John Murtagh Macrossan Lecture – 1960 – Phillip Law

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