Natural History

The Story of the Rear Column of the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition (Jameson’s Story of the Rear Column) – First UK Edition 1890.

First UK edition 1890 published by R.H. Porter, London. A book edited by Mrs James Jameson … as the author of the diaries, letters etc upon which this is based died during the expedition. Published partly to exonerate her husband from rather difficult accusations

Royal octavo, 455 pages with 100 plus illustrations. Two pages of folding maps at the rear that if which joined must be close to two metres long [We have only shown a scan on one map in two scans, in the images provied]. Really nice “Woodburytype” of Jameson as frontispiece. Original green cloth covered boards, gilt title to spine, gilt device to front with some loss of gilt. Some age, generally in a good to better condition. Illustrations by Charles Whymper from sketches by Jameson

This is one of the four important accounts concerning the Henry Morton Stanley lead mega-expedition of 1886 to 1889 to save Emin Pasha who was under siege as the Governor of Equatoria. Stanley had put together an impressive yet unusual array of officers and gentlemen to assist in the expedition. Stanley’s account is written up in his best seller “In Darkest Africa” … volumes written within a few weeks of the expedition being over whilst resting in Cairo.

It is a long story … Stanley heavily connected to Prince Leopold of Belgium decided to approach Equatoria, in the east from the west coast, up the Congo and through some very difficult previously unexplored territory “Darkest Africa”. There were many difficulties and mainly due to the immense number of personal and feeding them etc he decided to split the venture and produce and Advance and Rear Column

James s Jameson was of the Irish whiskey family and a man of money. He was assigned to the Rear Column under the command of Barttlot. He acted as Naturalist and Artist. The organisation within the rear column quickly was in disarray many because they were left with insufficient currency to procure men, food etc (which was ammunition). Barttlet was shot attempting to strike a woman. Jameson got involved in one of the greatest scandals of the 19thC. He was said to be obsessively intertest in cannibalism and procured a young woman paying ten silk handkerchiefs … and the purpose was for him to witness her being offered in a ritual act of cannibalism. It is suggested he made sketches of various parts of the process. A Syrian translator with the Rear Column, Assad Farran, exposed these goings on which naturally Jameson vehemently denied … the book containing letters back to his wife etc on the affair … news of which had reached London. Perhaps fortuitously, Jameson contracted a fever and died.

Jameson – in Stanley’s Darkest Africa with the Rear Column

$290.00

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Australian Frogmouths – Broinowski – 1890

An original hand finished chromolithograph from Broinowksi’s magnificent wok on Australian birds published late in the Victorian era.

Two frogmouths … Podargus Strigoides (Tawny Frogmouth) an Podargus Plumiferus (Marbled Frogmouth). With moderate gum arabic highlights on the eyes, beaks and wing tips.

Matted nicely ready to frame. Printed area 31cm by 24cm. external mat dimensions 43cm by 34cm. A nice example of the desirable frogmouth image … easier to see here than out in the bush.

Price $140.00 unframed but nicely matted as described. Sorry our scanner is too small to show the full effect of the matting … its nice … double matted with French lines coloured and gilt.

Australian Frogmouths … very Australian

$140.00

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The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex – Charles Darwin – 1890

A very good second revised and augmented edition, published by John Murray, 50 Albermarle Street, London, 1890.

The desired original “Murray”’ green cloth binding as issued with blind stamped borders and gilt titles and banding to spine. Octavo, 693 pages with 78 illustrations. Very clean binding, tight and whilst a little age to page edges a very good copy of desirable edition.

Darwin’s classic work on comparative anatomy. By comparing the physiological and psychological aspects of man and ape, he fills in what had been merely suggested in the Origin: that man’s ancestor, if still alive today, would be classified among the primates and on a lower scale than the apes.

The last chapter is an added essay on sexual selection, the superior chances of mating that some individuals of one sex have over their rivals. The essay ends with the famous and often misquoted statement, “Man still bears in his bodily frame the indelible stamp of his lowly origin.”

It was in this book (page 2) that Darwin used the word “evolution” for the first time.

The Descent of Man Companion to The Origin of Species….

$490.00

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Unusual Engraving of “Birds from the Levant” – Thomas Shaw -1738

Engraved in copper by Thomas Shaw (1694-1751) and published as part of “Travels or Observations relating to Several Parts of Barbary and the Levant”.

Printed and published at “The Theatre’ Oxford.

Presented matted, ready to frame, 40cm by 30cm. Engraving in excellent condition.

The birds are the Hou-baara, Rhaad, Boo-ank and the Kittanria. We understand one of them is the Arabian Bustard and another a Willow Ptarmigan but we prefer there native names.

Fine bird engraving 280 years old.

$140.00

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Falco Gallinarius (Northern Harrier) – Johann Susemihl – 1797 to 1810

Original and striking hand-coloured copper engraving of a Northern Harrier by Johann Conrad Susemihl (1767-1847).

Published in Darmmstadt as part of a progressive work “Teutsche Ornithologie oder Naturgeschichte … between 1797 and 1810.

The execution of this massive work was a family affair with Johann being assisted by his children Eduard and Emilie and his brother Johann Theodor. The superior quality and scale of these engravings makes them highly sought after.

Paper size 50cm by 34cm … the engraved impression is 34cm by 25cm …

Price $190.00 unframed … enquire about framing options if you wish … click on me to see me all!

The beautiful dignified Harrier by Susemihl

$190.00

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Douglas Mawson – Report from the British Antarctic Expedition – Transactions and Proceedings of The Royal Society of South Australia

Published by the Society, Adelaide 1916, Being Volume XL.

Thick octavo, 631 pages with 54 plates and 21 figures in the text, Mawson map and folding diagram. Fine condition, barely opened, clean as a whistle inside. Unusually still in its original mailing envelope albeit chipped here and there. A super copy.

Numerous papers, many on entomology, marine species, flora, mineralogy etc.

Douglas Mawson features twice. First, his report on the Aurora Australis … “Aural Observations at the Cape Royds Station, Antarctica”. Pages 151-213 with plates xxi and xxii. The observations were taken during the British Antarctic Expedition in 1908. Mawson states that they were intended for publication in 1911. The delay was due to Shackleton wishing to publish the Scientific Reports as a series. However, for lack of funds this could not happen, and the series ides was abandoned, allowing this work to be published here. Special thanks are given to Edgeworth David for his contribution to the work.

Second, “Mineral Notes” is based on Mawson’s analysis of minerals exhibited at the Society in 1910 and 1911. Publication, gain, had been delayed … this time because Mawson mislaid his notes before departing for his own Antarctic Expedition of 1911. Minerals described include … Octahedrite, Twinned Gypsum Crystals, Beryl, Loadstone, Monazite, Cordierite, Sillimanite, Spinel, Sphene, Davidite, named after the great man, and much here about the radioactive properties. An addendum page by W.T. Cooke on the constituency of Davidite with reference to the spectroscopic work of the great Sir William Crookes identifying Scandium as a component.

Another standout report is by Walter Howchin on “The Geology of Mount Remarkable” pages 545- 584 with large coloured Geological Sketch Map.

Nicely illustrated journal with interesting reports by Douglas Mawson in very good condition.

$140.00

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The Story of the Rear Column of the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition (Jameson’s Story of the Rear Column) – First UK Edition 1890.

Australian Frogmouths – Broinowski – 1890

The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex – Charles Darwin – 1890

Unusual Engraving of “Birds from the Levant” – Thomas Shaw -1738

Falco Gallinarius (Northern Harrier) – Johann Susemihl – 1797 to 1810

Douglas Mawson – Report from the British Antarctic Expedition – Transactions and Proceedings of The Royal Society of South Australia

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