New Zealand

French Explorers Maps of New Zealand – Hargreaves

The Map Collectors’ Circle publication published in 1964 No 32 by R.P. Hargreaves who was senior lecturer in geography at Otago University.

Excellently researched and documented by the author under the watchful eye of Editor in Chief the one only R.V. Tooley.

Usual small quarto perfect bound softcover comprising 16 pages of a good introduction and reference catalogue followed by 14 pages of plates.

New Zealand the sizeable French contribution to its mapping.

$20.00

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Antarctica – Reginald Ford

An unusual facsimile presentation of one of the rarest heroic era publications – the tiny book “Antarctica” which was originally published in New Zealand in 1906.

A boxed set of items by the Erskine Press issued in 2015 comprising solid black box with a front label copy of the front cover repeated .. inside two postcards – Discovery in Winter Quarters from a painting by A.E. (Uncle Bill) Wilson and A new and accurate map of the islands of the Antarctic etc by Talland Power for the Erskine Press; a stout copy of a broadsheet advertising a lecture “Farthest South” by Mr C Reginald Ford with various positive opinions and press remarks. Also, a 12 page, card covered potted biography of Charles Reginald Ford by Crispin de Boos. And, the said facsimile with linen textured card cover, 32 pages numerous images – a faithful facsimile including the odd light stain from the original.

Ford was a steward on the Discovery Expedition and was the first person to beak his leg on the Antarctic when he was skiing. He was so well regarded that on return he acted as Scott’s secretary during his extensive leaders lecture tour.

Try to find an original if you can – the next best thing is this unusual collection from the Polar mad Erskine Press .

$85.00

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My Adventures on the Australian Goldfields – William Craig – First Edition 1903

A first edition rarity of this important highly readable book about the Australian goldfields of the 19th century. Much about personal associations with bushrangers.

Octavo, 340 pages, plus a useful index and a lengthy publisher’s period catalogue. Published by Cassell, London, Melbourne etc. A near to very good copy.

Craig arrived in Australia from New Zealand to make his fortune and, after all, it’s better here. He recounts his arrival and first days and then he is off to the Upper Wimmera. He joins a survey party and an adventure in the Bullarook Forest. His first search for Gold and the meeting of bushrangers (Melville) who when time was lean tended to procure their gold without a shovel. Dan Burns features – a man to keep on the right side of and then there is Black Harry … more gold including a horse shod in the gleaming metal (a yarn). The gold at Bendigo never stops, the Eureka Stockade and the strange “Mongolian Irruption”.

Written in a fulsome readable style with true first hand information of the goings on in an important aspect of Australian history.

Australian Goldfields and Bushrangers first hand from the second half of the 19thC.

$190.00

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Kauri Gum Hair Pieces – Late 19thC early 20thC

Rare and unusual outside museums. See example only at the Kauri Museum, Metakohe, New Zealand.

The Kauri Pine associated with New Zealand and Northern Australia and Papua New Guinea. The trees were harvested in North Island New Zealand for boat building and along with that its unusual gum was collected. At one time Kauri gum was Aukland’s biggest export. Over harvesting almost killed them off and now they are protected.

One of the oddest uses was the making of blonde simulated hair. This was dome by placing a piece of gum onto a heated plate. After a few second it was slowly lifted off. Fine strands formed as the gum was taken away. While still warm this could be arranged or plaited into this mock hair style. If become fragile another reason why examples are hard to come across.

Several groups in a shed made display cabinet approximately 44cm wide.

A postage supplement may be required dependent of any buyers location … don’t be shy ask us to quote best rates.

One of the most unusual curiosities we have ever sold – Kauri Gum Hair

$340.00

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Call to the Winds – P.G. (Bill) Taylor – First Edition 1939

Important and scarce aviation book. “Bill” Taylor’s heroic flight with Kingsford Smith and Charles Ulm.

First edition Angus and Robertson, Sydney, 1939. Octavo, 227 pages, with period photographs of the aircraft “Southern Cross” including the damaged engine and propeller and the life saving thermos flask. Signature on front paste down. Very good copy with an almost impossible to find dust jacket.

Patrick Gordan Taylor (1891-1966) later knighted one of Australia’s greatest aviators. Participated in several major flight firsts with Sir Charles Kingsford, Charlie Ulm and later Richard Archbold. Known affectionately as “Bill” … Taylor joined the British Royal Flying Corps in 1916 with No 66 Squadron. After the war he returned to Australia and the start of commercial aviation activities.

The core of this book is about a 1935 flight, in the Southern Cross, with Kingsford Smith and Ulm from Australia to New Zealand with the view to establishing a mail service between the two countries. Mid Tasman the starboard engine failed. They decided to return to Sydney but encountered high winds. The port engine began to overheat and was running out of cooling oil. Bill Taylor climbed outside the aircraft along the wire below the wind strut, with a thermos flask, drained oil from the broken starboard engine and transferred it to the port engine. He did this six times before they made a safe landing back in Sydney.

Aviation Heroics – Bill Taylor with Kingsford Smith and Ulm – outside the Southern Cross over the Tasman

$180.00

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Tales of the Angler’s Eldorado New Zealand – Zane Grey – First edition 1926

First edition, published by Hodder & Stoughton, London in 1926.

Quarto, x,228 pages bound in the original blue cloth covered boards with gilt titling and leaping fish to front. A little age to spine ends otherwise a super copy for a book near 100 years old. Heavy at circa 2kg so likely not suitable for Overseas.

Zane Grey (1872-1939) famous for his interest in and writing about great fishing adventures rather than his profession – dentistry. He was also handy with the camera and the many illustrations are from photographs taken by the author. Additional sketches by Frank Phares.

Fishing for some big guys … Marlin, Swordfish and the Mako Shark and maybe less butch for Taupo and Trout on quieter waters.

Zane Grey is the man with the “fush” in New Zealand ..

$120.00

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French Explorers Maps of New Zealand – Hargreaves

Antarctica – Reginald Ford

My Adventures on the Australian Goldfields – William Craig – First Edition 1903

Kauri Gum Hair Pieces – Late 19thC early 20thC

Call to the Winds – P.G. (Bill) Taylor – First Edition 1939

Tales of the Angler’s Eldorado New Zealand – Zane Grey – First edition 1926

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