Prestige Items

The Malay Archipelago -The Land of the Orang-Utan and the Bird of Paradise, with Studies of Man and Nature – Alfred Russel Wallace

Wallace’s great book dedicated to Charles Darwin. Beautifully written. An early fourth edition published by Macmillan in 1872. Nevertheless scarce and sought after.

Octavo, 653 pages. Re-cased at some time with the spine and front laid down; with the desired Orang-utan gilt device retained on front and similarly bird of paradise retained on front. Some marks near front but generally in good condition. Priced to condition for a scarce desirable item.

Wallace collected over 125,000 specimens identifying thousands of new species during this expedition. This book represents the backbone of his discoveries (The Wallace line) that supports the “Origin of Species”. Well illustrated with maps and engravings

Wallace – Monumental work – vies with “Origin”

$290.00

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James Fenton of Forth – A Tasmanian Pioneer 1820-1901 – One of 100 special bound, signed and numbered copies.

This magnificent and substantial book was complied and edited by the subjects descendant Paul Fenton as a celebration of the 100th year of the great man’s death. Effectively self published with no cost spared.

Limited overall to 800 copies. This part of a special first 100 copies specially quarter bound in Buckram with Brillianta spine and signed and numbered by Paul Fenton – this number 48.

Folio, 454 pages, profusely illustrated. A fine, as new copy, in a fine protected dust jacket. A heavy book that will require a distance postage supplement.

James Fenton was not only a pioneer and traveller through unmapped territory in Tasmania he penned some interesting accounts of his travel and one of the few dependable histories of Tasmania, still very much collectable and referenced by all serious historian.

Signed limited numbered edition – we cannot find another one.

$180.00

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Folding Georgian Guinea Scales c1805

A good set of early Guinea Scales with contemporary instructions label. Likely by Stephen Houghton who took over from Anthony Wilkinson at Ormskirk, Lancashire. Wilkinson had died in 1804.

The end pin is bit tight which means the set need to be pulled gently to open.

Self-erecting and known generally as the Lancashire Gold Balance. The brass beam is rectangular in section and has a hinged “turn and swing” overweight which counter poises the beam for the guinea or half-guinea. This set has an uncommon variation with the weight having two components, clearly designed for additional weighing standards.

A small rectangular sliding weight on the load arm registers in graduations to show discrepancies in of under-weight coins.

The collapsing mechanism makes the whole entirely portal in the gentleman’s trouser.

Functioning Georgian Gold Sovereign Scale

$220.00

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A Manual of the Birds of Australia – Gregory Mathews and Tom Iredale.

Described as Volume I but there only ever was one volume. Scarce work led by the guru of Australian bird life Gregory Mathews. Tom Iredale ex British Museum was effectively employed by Matthews on this and Mathews massive illustrated work. Some believe that much attributed to Mathews was in fact done by Iredale.

Published by Witherby, London in 1921. Quarto, 279 pages, top edge gilt, ten coloured plates and 36 monochrome plates. Some light spotting on page edges, very good complete dust jacket which is a rarity.

Private library stamp of Harold W Tarr a distinguished Australian ornithologist with a number of published works and papers.

This volume covers the orders Casuarii to Columbae. The illustrations nicely done by Lilian Medland, the wife of Tom Iredale. A comprehensive work of some distinction as those in the know would expect.

Important Australian Orinthological Work – Mathews and Iredale 1921

$280.00

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The Forces of Nature – A Popular Introduction to the Study of Physical Phenomena – Amedee Guillemin – Translated by Mrs Norman Lockyer – Edited and with Additions from J Norman Lockyer – 1873

Despite being a “Popular” edition, this substantial book is very scarce indeed, possibly because it would have been very expensive in the day. No expense was spared in producing the illustrations.

This copy housed in a rather flash full leather binding, albeit showing some sign of wear with leather scuffs etc. The binding reflects the provenance which was as a prize at the Hereford Cathedral College in England. At the front is the most elegant manuscript prize inscription in Latin, of course.

Large royal octavo, 679 pages, with over 150 illustrations, some in colour from chromolithographs.

A most enterprising book on physics which not only still holds some educational interest today but for anyone interested in the history of the development of the physical sciences then its hard to pass by. Starts with Gravity, Weight, and Universal Attraction … Falling Bodies … the Laws … Newton etc. then Hydrostatics, weights in liquids … Archimedes, Boyle etc Barometers, Pumps Mariotte’s Law. Sound, reflection, velocity, refraction, vibrations, strings, waves etc. Sources of light, photometry, reflection, refraction, colours, spectrum. Radiation, phosphorescence, nature of light, polarization. Heat, calorimetry, a species of motion. Magnets, electrical attraction and repulsion, electrical machines. Leyden Jars, induction, electrical lighting (remember 1873) and finally Atmospheric Meteors.

We have already indicated that there is so much to like about this book. At Voyager we have always had a fascination regarding electro induction devices such as the Wimshurst machine. Here we have several woodcuts of some of the more superior “electrical machines” of the day … just superb.

A super gift for anyone interested in early fundamental physics and or the history of the science.

$320.00

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Narzinge and Ceylon Petrus Bertius – Published 1610

An original copper engraved miniature map of Southern India and Sri Lanka (Ceylon). One of the earliest maps of the region.

This map was originally drawn by Barent Langenes and published by him at Middleburg and as part of Petrus Bertius’ Caert-Thresoor in 1598.

Bertius continued to include this map in his most successful “Tabularum Geographicarum Contractarum Libri” published by Cornelis Claesz in Amsterdam. This example comes from the 1603 edition of “Tabularum”.

It is rather scarce. Here uncoloured, as it should be 85mm by 122mm. Very good condition, any darkening of the paper exaggerated by the scan.

Petrus Bertius (1565-1629) was born the son of a Flemish minister a Baveren, Flanders. He became a religious refugee and moved and settled in Amsterdam. In 1577. After finishing his studies he was appointed Professor of Mathematics at the University of Leiden. He became a prolific writer on mathematics, history and theology. He also gained renown as a geographer and publisher of magnificent atlases. Later in life, in 1618 he became cosmographer and historiographer to Louis XIII of France. He died in Paris in 1629

Price as unframed

$160.00

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The Malay Archipelago -The Land of the Orang-Utan and the Bird of Paradise, with Studies of Man and Nature – Alfred Russel Wallace

James Fenton of Forth – A Tasmanian Pioneer 1820-1901 – One of 100 special bound, signed and numbered copies.

Folding Georgian Guinea Scales c1805

A Manual of the Birds of Australia – Gregory Mathews and Tom Iredale.

The Forces of Nature – A Popular Introduction to the Study of Physical Phenomena – Amedee Guillemin – Translated by Mrs Norman Lockyer – Edited and with Additions from J Norman Lockyer – 1873

Narzinge and Ceylon Petrus Bertius – Published 1610

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