Natural History

Australian Mammals – Trade Cards over 100 Years Old

A group of six brightly coloured trade cards by Liebig advertising their delightful food products. Printed and issued from 1904-1910.

Six delightful card chromolithographs of 1 the dingo and spotted quoll 2. the echidna and the Tasmanian devil 3. The wombat and the Tasmanian tiger (Buidelwolf) 4. The sea elephant and sea lion 5. Fruit bats looking for fruit 6 the kangaroo rat and the wallaby. 0cms x 7.3cms.

Price $80.00 the group

A nice early set of mammals with the desired no longer living Tasmanian Tiger

$80.00

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Magnificent Bird of Paradise and the Superb Bird of Paradise [From Papua New Guinea] – Lemaire – 1836

The most beautiful hand coloured engraving of the Magnificent and the Superb Bird of Paradise. Executed by Pauquet for Lemaire’s supreme work “Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux Exotiques” published in Paris in 1836.

The plate is 23cm by 14cm rich creamy paper and in fine condition. The colours are so vivid the engraving so fine they surprise the eye.

Both birds inhabit the Papua New Guinea mountain forests and can also be found in Indonesia. Whilst shy birds they exist in substantial number and are thankfully not considered endangered.

Price unframed $240.00 …. price framed in gilt $340.00

No birds more beautiful than the Birds of Paradise

$240.00

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Silvester Diggles – Australian Birds – Pied Honey-eater, Slender-billed Spine-bill and the White eye-browed Spine-bill

Rare original hand-coloured lithograph by Queensland naturalist Silvester Diggles. Published as part of his magnificent work “”The Ornithology of Australia” between 1866 and 1870 in twenty-one parts by Pugh of Brisbane, in a very limited edition. By the time part sixteen was published there were only 92 subscribers. The original plates were executed by Diggles and his niece, Rowena Birkett.

The work measures 38cm by 27cm, good hand colouring pretty clean with just the odd surface mark. A really scarce item.

Silvester Diggles (1817-1880) artist and musician born in Liverpool, England. He came to Australia in 1853 settling in Brisbane where he taught music and drawing. Diggles was a founder of the Brisbane Choral Society in 1859 and the Philharmonic Society in 1861 known as “the father of music in Brisbane”. Diggles was also a founder of the Queensland Philosophical Society and helped establish the Museum. His greatest work was The Ornithology of Australia. However it nearly sent him broke. His health deteriorated worry about finances being a factor. He died at Kangaroo Point in 1880.

Price $240.00 unframed

An opportunity to own a rare original bird print by Queenslander Silvester Diggles

$240.00

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“Cowslips” – Original Multi Coloured Woodcut – by Australian born Hall Thorpe – 1922

One for the collector. A striking example of a desirable woodcut by Australian born Hall Thorpe.

A very good bright impression, signed in pencil below the image. Thick wove paper 27cm by 23cm, printed area 16.5cm by 15.2cm. A lovely example. Authority on Hall Thorpe, Richard King (see Voyager listing) reference no 10. This work was completed in 1922.

Hall Thorpe (1874-1947) was born in Victoria, Australia. In the 1890’s he was apprenticed to John Fairfax as an engraver for the Sydney Mail. He was pretty good. In 1902 he moved to England and commenced further study at the Heatherly School of Art, Chelsea. He honed his skill in woodblocks holding his first one-man show in London in 1918. It was a great success and by the early 1920’s he had gained an enviable reputation for woodblock floral still life. He printed each example himself ensuring consistency and standard. Operating first from a studio in Redcliffe Square, he then moved into gallery space in South Kensington. As well as the UK they were popular in the USA and France

Original signed Hall Thorpe Woodcut – Cowslips.

$360.00

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Original Platypus Engraving – Fournier -1849

An original hand coloured engraving of two platypus drawn by distinguished Natural History artist Travies end engraved by Fournier.

Published in Paris as part of the Dictionnarie Universal d’Histoire Naturalle promoted by Charles Dessalines D’Orbigny a leading French naturalist of the time.

Dimensions 24cm by 15cm in very good condition with fine stipple engraving (which brings out every hair) and natural understated colouring of the delightful platypus (plural).

The image would appear to us to be based on the Lesueur artwork from the Baudin expedition.

Price $140.00 unframed

Fine and early Platypus engraving

$140.00

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Paradise Quest – A Naturalist’s Experiences in New Guinea – Lee Crandall – First Edition 1931

First Edition published by Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York in 1931. Octavo, 226 pages, 52 illustrations from period photographs … some really special ones.

Crandall was the Curator of Birds at the New York Zoological Park. This is an excellent account of his travels in Papua New Guinea. He journeys up the back of the Owen Stanley Range, meets the Mekeo and Kuni people, the latter being excellent bird catchers. Visits Deva-deva and many Birds of Paradise are seen. Mountain climbs, hidden villages and friendly cannibals (the best type) are all par for the course.

Numerous birds identified include the Sun Bird, New Guinea Pitta, Macklot Pitta, Magnificent Bird of Paradise, Lawes’ Six-plumed Bird of Paradise and the Prince Rudolph, Count Raggi’s, Long-tailed, King Birds of Paradise and, several Bower Birds and the Bonaparte Flycatcher and, many more …

Excellent naturalist’s account – Papua and Birds

$50.00

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Australian Mammals – Trade Cards over 100 Years Old

Magnificent Bird of Paradise and the Superb Bird of Paradise [From Papua New Guinea] – Lemaire – 1836

Silvester Diggles – Australian Birds – Pied Honey-eater, Slender-billed Spine-bill and the White eye-browed Spine-bill

“Cowslips” – Original Multi Coloured Woodcut – by Australian born Hall Thorpe – 1922

Original Platypus Engraving – Fournier -1849

Paradise Quest – A Naturalist’s Experiences in New Guinea – Lee Crandall – First Edition 1931

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