Curiosities

Woodcut Bookplate of Sir Samuel James Way Bart – Chief Justice c1910

A striking woodcut bookplate, over 100 years old, of Sir Samuel James way (1836-1916). 13cm by 9.5cm in very good condition. This was the third bookplate commissioned by Way .. it bears his coat of arms which features three salmon working their way upstream against the current .. a metaphor … struggling against all obstacles towards success. His motto “Fit Via ci” loosely translating as “Where there’s a will there’s a Way” … so a hint of humour.

Sir Samuel was Chief Justice of South Australia and Lieutenant Governor. He was invited to the Privy Council but had to give it up partly due to confusion as to who was to pay him. He was knighted in 1899. He was a avid collector of art, objects and book. His private library was one of the greatest ever amassed in Australia … a large part of it on his death went to the Adelaide University Library where it increased the collection by 60%.

Sir Samuel James Way – Leading South Australian

$30.00

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Original Woodcut bookplate by Lionel Lindsay – 1958

Original woodcut bookplate by Lionel Lindsay for Keith Wingrove created in 1958. Signed in the plate.

Keith Wingrove (1910-1995) was an art and book collector. He had a strong interest in bookplates and commissioned a number of designs by both Lionel Lindsay (1874-1961) and his brother Norman Lindsay and other artists of note. Wingrove was very close to the brothers .. Norman wrote over 350 letters to him …

10cm by 7.5 cm with a strong contrasting image directly from the plate.

Collectable Australian Bookplate.

$60.00

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Original Woodcut Bookplate by Kalman Gaborjani Szabo noted Hungarian Artist – 1934

A very stylish bookplate, original woodcut by Klaman Gaborjani Szabo (1897-1965) commissioned by Dr Arady Kalman (1893-1964). Dr Kalman was an avid bibliophile and commissioned numerous high class bookplates for his collection. An example of this exact bookplate is held in the Balatoni Museum and included on the Hungarian and European digital archives.

15cm by 7.5 cm, smooth with high contrast from the original plate. Veros in manuscript the artists name, Hungary, 1934, woodcut. A little age but really a super example.

Rare well executed art deco bookplate from named European artist.

$70.00

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Russian Arctic Islands – Mallet – 1719

An unusual hand coloured original copper engraved miniature map – Isle des Etat ou Staten Island (Ostrov Mestnyy) and Isle Maurice (Dolgy Island). From Beschreibung des Ganzen Welt Kreises … the German translation of Mallet’s great work on the Universe published by Johann Adam Jung in Frankfurt 1719.

Ostrov Msetnyy is in the Kara Sea south of Novaya Zemlya – Dolgy is to the west in the Barents Sea. The topography of the islands is contrasting Ostrov rather rugged and hilly whilst Dolgy is flat and pitted with lagoons. Sailing vessels very discretely engraved into the plate.

Paper size 20cm by 17cm; map area 15cm by 10cm. Good condition on wove paper. Unusually wide leading margin consistent with this printing.

Allain Manesson Mallet (1630-1706) was a French cartographer and engineer. He started his career as a soldier in the army of Louis XIV and became a Sergeant Major and an Inspector of Fortifications a role which afforded him the resources required to produce this treasure.

Early unique map of little known Arctic islands

$80.00

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Original Photograph Island of Ansoes – Dutch East Indies [West Papua) – 1939

A quality image 24cm by 18cm of the village on the Island of Ansoes [now called Palua Ansus], a small island south of Japen Island in the north of West Papua.

Photographer unknown but taken for the Publisher’s Photo Service [A Photo Library], New York. Dated August 21st 1939 on the rear with various ownership stamps and a caption, which reads …

“Dutch E. indies – Island of New Guinea … This entire village of Ansoes is built on piles which furnish protection both from disastrous floods and reptiles and preying animals from the dense surrounding jungles. Needless to say all visiting is done by native canoes.” i.e. the usual melodrama regarding the perceived primitive at the time of Tarzan the Ape Man.

We love the little guys put at the front of the scene playing local flute like instruments

Still a very isolated location … population at the last estimate was around 7,000 so we guess very little has changed.

Super image – very good clarity – photographic contrast.

$30.00

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Two Letters of Norman Lindsay – Richard Pennigton Private Press – Signed Number 5 of a Limitation of 75 Copies

Extended title … Two Letters from Norman Lindsay to Francis and Betty Crossle here printed for Members of the Christopher Brennan Society.

Privately printed signed and numbered by Richard Pennington, limited to only 75 copies this number 5.

The letters, in the possession of Richard Pennington printed for the first time – he received the permission of Janet Glad, Norman Lindsay’s daughter.

Octavo, 24 pages, limitations page, bound in decorative string bound wrappers. Printed in Stephenson Blake’s Perpetua type on Barcham Green hand-made “Tovil’ paper by Richard Pennington at Presse de l’Abricotier Abatuu Blanzac France in September 1980.

Richard Pennington was born at Rugby, England but spent a large part of his adult working life in Australia. He was Librarian at the University of Queensland for eighteen years from 1946. He retired to France where he purchased a hand printing set-up and operated first in Normandy then later in Blanzac. Ten years before this work he was involved in the printing of a special memoir on the Australian poet Christopher Brennan. Lindsay did a portrait sketch of Brennan for the memoir .. so you can begin to understand the connection.

Pennington provides a lovely six page introduction. Pennington knew the recipients, who had introduced him to Brennan’s poetry. He describes the recipients interest in the arts and their rather metaphysical view of life and the world … something they had in common with Lindsay. Good content regarding their conversations about Lindsay and how Pennington came to receive the letters from Betty.

The letters are most interesting a particularly that to Francis which runs to over 1,200 words. Lindsay clearly respects Francis as a Doctor and close friend .. as a consequence the content is extremely personal .. allowing one to understand this genius of man better. Lindsay struggles with over-reaching in his work and finds that whenever he tries to control this “problem” he usually turns to some other form of “work’. In the evenings he listens to classical music but that does not help as it stimulates his mind into thinking of many new elements of work yet to be done. Many rather complex metaphysical views are shared which seem to stem from deeper anxieties. He references Newman’s book .. the best revelation of the critical mind that I have come across, but read it with considerable disgust also. Critic Newman’s book on criticism was published in 1925 .. so dates the letter better than Pennington’s suggestion of the year before [Pennington references the wrong book].

The letter to Betty is less wordy … just over 500 words … but perhaps more intimate. Lindsay obviously does not like Rousseau .. one of the most evil minds that ever appeared on earth in the disguise of a Good man. Lindsay adores Beethoven, Turner and Byron. He is close to finishing his novel Madame Life’s Lovers … which he will send shortly.

Special Very Limited Private Press Lindsay Item – with an interesting series of connections

$140.00

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Woodcut Bookplate of Sir Samuel James Way Bart – Chief Justice c1910

Original Woodcut bookplate by Lionel Lindsay – 1958

Original Woodcut Bookplate by Kalman Gaborjani Szabo noted Hungarian Artist – 1934

Russian Arctic Islands – Mallet – 1719

Original Photograph Island of Ansoes – Dutch East Indies [West Papua) – 1939

Two Letters of Norman Lindsay – Richard Pennigton Private Press – Signed Number 5 of a Limitation of 75 Copies

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