Non-fiction

Australia – Magic Lantern Slide Set – c1905.

Produced by W. Butcher & sons, London (1870-1906) under the brand name Primus. Sold as a set of eight in cardboard box with Lantern Lecture Reading notes. Complete.

Standard magic lantern glass size 3.5 inch by 3.5 inch. All images square with rounded corners, original black mounting tape along edges. Very bright colouring, super condition apart from a crack in one slide.

The slides comprise

Government House Melbourne
Sydney Harbour – Well before the bridge and heavily treed.
Gold Mining Past and Present
Sheep Shearing
Richmond River [Northern NSW]
In the Bush
A Kangaroo Hunt
Australian Aborigines

There is much more about these images than observed at first glance.

The image of aborigines includes an inset of a proud Murray River Warrior which is clearly derived from a photograph taken in 1880 by Samuel White Sweet. Resplendent in a possum skin coat holding a fighting waddy and decorated malcarra (shield) and string bag the subject cuts a proud figure. Maggs are currently selling a collection including the photograph – eye watering $.

The kangaroo hunt is rather gruesome particularly the practice of cutting the tendon.

The gold mining slide is super albeit cracked with an inset image of the old time cradle against the powerful mechanised image of Ballarat mines.

The accompanying words are fairly comprehensive and interesting but of the period so anti C’s beware.

Australia as it was seen over 100 years ago.

$270.00

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Sent Forth a Dove [Discovery of the Duyfken] – James Henderson

In 1606 the Dutch India Company ship the Duyfken came upon the Cape York Peninsula. The author reconstructs the fascinating adventure of this little ship and tells of the building of the replica.

The Duyfken appeared at the Hobart Wooden Boat Festival in 2023.We hope it returns in 2025. Voyager photograph of the vessel in the River Derwent shown here.

A softcover, large octavo, 218 pages, heavily and nicely illustrated. Published by the University of Western Australia in 1999. A super copy.

The Duyfken started it all as a Dove would

$30.00

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Lucien Dechaineux 1869-1957 [Tasmanian Artist] – A Retrospective

Florent Vincent Emile Lucien Dechaineaux was an inspiring Belgian born artist who found his place and home in Tasmania.

Published by the Centre for the Arts Gallery, University of Tasmania, where an exhibition of the artists work was held in September 1986.

Card covered large size 53 pages with many examples of the artists work, some in colour. Scarce and in very good condition.

Dechaineux was 15 years only when his family emigrated to Australia. Family failures in fruit growing and gold mining saw Lucien end up at the Sydney Technical College. His first foray into art was house painting, but it was not long before his talent shone through. He married a Tasmanian girl and moved to the Apple Isle where he blossomed as an artist and educator.

Lucien Dechaineux a Tasmanian artist we should see more of ..

$30.00

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Terre Napoleon – Australia Through French Eyes 1800-1804 – Susan Hunt and Paul Carter.

This is the upmarket hardcover version of this beautiful book published by the Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales in association with Hordern House – hence the quality.

Introduction by subject super expert Jacqueline Bonnemains of the Le Harve Museum where much of the great artwork from the early French expeditions resides.

Largish quarto, 148 pages, illustrated throughout from the Baudin voyage, many in illuminating colour. A very good if not fine copy in a fine dust jacket.

Baudin presented and described so well ..

$60.00

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Beaconsfield Gold [Tasmania] – Janet Kerrison – First Edition 1963

Published a few time by the local community Rotarians. First edition 1963. Card covers, unpaginated but 45 pages, illustrated nicely from historic images. We have a copy of a later printing …

Set before the re-opening of the mine and the later terrible accident which culminated in maybe the greatest Australian mine survival story.

Starting with the gold rush in 1877 to the delightfully named Brandy Creek … by the 1890’s a substantial mine was in operation, with its enormous 180 foot chimney stack. The mining technology in place by the turn of the century was second to none.

As with many mines, reserves became depleted and the mine was wound down during WWI. Locals rumours abounded for years that there was a high grade parallel lode. So true that after this publication the mine was re-opened as mentioned above … and then again.

Mailing costs will be reduced on this item

Beaconsfield Gold – the back history and it’s significant – First printing

$25.00

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The Black Bar – George Manville Fenn

A very nice copy of prolific writer George Manville Fenn’s “The Black Bar” a story of the British ship Nautilus patrolling the coast of West Africa deterring American slave ships.

Published by Sampson Low, London, octavo, 312 pages with the odd illustration. No date, a prize label at front suggests 1930’s – at the rear we have a Jules Verne promotion that suggest before 1928. The prized was given in Battery Point – maybe an indicator as to how long it took books to arrive at these distant parts.

Beautifully written as expected from Fenn. The story not at all uncivilised and a reminder of things that go on in the world – to this day.

The Nautilus off the Coast of Africa doing good work ..

$30.00

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Australia – Magic Lantern Slide Set – c1905.

Sent Forth a Dove [Discovery of the Duyfken] – James Henderson

Lucien Dechaineux 1869-1957 [Tasmanian Artist] – A Retrospective

Terre Napoleon – Australia Through French Eyes 1800-1804 – Susan Hunt and Paul Carter.

Beaconsfield Gold [Tasmania] – Janet Kerrison – First Edition 1963

The Black Bar – George Manville Fenn

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