War & Escape - 20th Century | Archive | Voyager Rare Books Maps & Prints

WWI Maritime and Travel Original Annotated Photograph Album – Over 180 Images

A most interesting collection spanning the years of WWI and shortly afterwards. Taken and compiled by a marine officer, over 180 original photographs, taken with some expertise, nicely presented in its original Morocco bound photograph album. The photographer has presented each photograph framing it within white borders and added very neatly in white a useful description.

The condition of the photographs is good overall, a few are faded or marked in some way from the passage of time, others are crisp and clean. A few have been removed or fallen out and few are loose inside …we have not studied where they could go … the album is robust and showing minor age wear, the whole package is very presentable and more or less complete. We wish we knew the photographer … he was clearly officer material on the Orontes and had a wife and child … we have included his image as the “thumbnail” … does anyone know who he was …?

The album can be split into two distinct periods. The first, before January 1919 being mainly onboard the HMT Orontes a vessel that plied the England – Australia route for the Orient line. With the outbreak of WWI, it became a troop carrier. The photographer appears to have also served on SS Derbyshire in a similar capacity. During this phase he took images of a number of famous vessels used in the war effort and numerous images of views, landmarks, architecture, and the people at various ports of call.

The second element post January 1919 is devoted to a circumnavigation on SS Cufic which head across the Atlantic to Nova Scotia, down to the Panama Canal and across the Pacific to New Zealand and Australia, Durban, Cape Town, and Home.

Photographs of vessels include … RMS Mauretania; Kaiseren Auguste Victoria [surrendered in 1919 and used to bring American troops home]; HMS Renown [in New York Harbour with the Prince of Wales on board]; HMS Carpathia [of Titanic rescue fame and later torpedoed and sunk]; RMS Pannonia; SS Explorer; SS Demosthenes [used to carry Australian troops]; HMS Sydney [in Colombo Harbour just after the sinking of the German Cruiser Emden]; SS Derbyshire [Colombo – Rangoon Line]; HMT Osterley; SS Cufic and HMT Orontes.

Examples of the touring images include …

The Flatiron (previously Fuller) skyscraper – New York
Washington Arch – New York
Statue of Liberty – New York
Top of Woolworth Tower – New York
5th Avenue – New York
A Glimpse of Wall Street – New York
Brooklyn Bridge and Williamsburg Bridge – New York
Boston views
The Citadel Quebec
Main Street Gibraltar
A “Blimp” convoying
A Glimpse of the US army
Panama Canal scenes
On route to Calcutta
Homeward bound in the Bay of Biscay
Cinnamon Gardens Colombo
Cape St Vincent – Portugal [Incorrectly described Spanish]
Hindu Temple South India
Colombo Harbour
Ox waggon Rangoon Burma
On the Temple steps – India
Native of South India
Children of North India
Hindu dockworker
The Pagoda Calcutta
Burmese Shrine to the God Dagan
The Schegadon Pagodas Rangoon
The lake Rangoon
A Burmese girl off to the well
Anzac Day 1918 some fancy costumes
Sierra Leone West Africa
Leaving Table Bay HMS Britannia escorting
South African troops on board – the first bugle call – “Cookhouse!”
Scene in Native Quarter Durban
Australian sheep Hamilton Victoria
Sydney Zoo
Wellington New Zealand
Tahiti South Sea Islands
Main Street Papeete
Tahitian Friends
Papeete from Crows Nest
A Harbour view Tahiti
A big dam Panama Canal
Electric Mule Panama Canal
Leaving Liverpool Jan 18, 1919 – “Bon Voyage” [a self portrait]
The first port Louisbourg – Cape Breton Island [Nova Scotia]
Snow scene St John Nova Scotia
Lock gates and numerous others – Panama Canal
“Star of Holland” mid -Pacific [a US Tall Ship]
New Zealand including memorial to Robert Scott
Melbourne – picking up the Pilot
Quarantine procedures in Melbourne
A number in Sydney, Newcastle, Brisbane … and the way home via South Africa

Superb, interesting unique photographic record. Now over 100 years old.

$590.00

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The Badge of the Artists Rifles (Special Air Service)

The Artists Rifles was formed in 1860. The idea of the Artists occurred to Edward Sterling, an art student and ward of Thomas Carlyle, who convened a meeting of fellow students in the life class of Carey’s School of Art, Charlotte Street, Bloomsbury – from this the Corps of Artists was formed consisting of painters, sculptors, engravers, musicians, architects and actors. The badge was designed by Wyon, the Queen’s medallist –consisting of two heads: Mars – God of War and Minerva – Goddess of Wisdom. The badge carries the motto “Cum Marte Minerva” also the title of the regimental march. A regimental rhyme of note is “Mars, he was the God of war, and didn’t stop at trifles, Minerva was a bloody whore. So hence The Artists’ Rifles”.

Light weight pressed metal 9cm by 6cm. strong deep relief.

The Artists have an outstanding war record; the Victoria Cross being awarded on eight occasions. Whilst disbanded in 1945 they were reformed in 1947 as the 21st Special Air service Regiment (Artists Rifles).

Notable members of The Artists included Ford Madox Brown, Edward Burne-Jones, Noel Coward, Frank Dobson, Sir Ranulph Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes OBE, Frederic Leighton, William Morris, Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Barnes Wallis

$80.00

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Voyaging – Captain James William Holmes – Edited by Nora Coghlan

Subtitled … “Fifty years on the seven seas in sail”. With pen pictures and paintings by Captain James William Holmes, Member of the Honourable Company of Master Mariners. With a forward by John Masefield.

A fine copy of the second impression published 1966 by Hutchinson of London.

Octavo, 207 pages with illustrations throughout mainly from the subjects magnificent artwork.

Masefield describes Holmes as one of the most famous sea captains of the late Victorian era and salivates over the then thrill of the sailing ships if full rig. The editor, Holmes’s daughter twice sailed around the world with her father. Much about sailing to Australian and New Zealand.

Captain Holmes from a special breed ..

$25.00

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The Sea and Me – Humphrey Barton – First edition 1952

An unusual maritime book by Marine Surveyor Humphrey Barton. A first edition published by Robert Ross, London in 1952. Octavo, 142 pages nicely illustrated by John Chancellor. Very good condition.

Fourteen short accounts, all true, from all angles maritime. Involves the vessels Kittiwake, Lady Nanella, Jean II, Dauntless, Monie, Fulruna etc and a M.F.V. during the War

A super collection of nautical accounts – ideal for evening reading .

$25.00

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The Quiet American – Graham Greene

This is the Book Society in conjunction with Heinemann, London issued the same year as the principal first.

Octavo, 247, aged around page edges, private bookplate on paste down under front jacket flap. Full dust jacket in pretty good condition. All up a good to better copy of a desirable issue.

Later turned into a classic movie (how many of Green’s novels have not been?) based in Indo-China a striking story of new and old world

Greene classic – 1955 Edition

$50.00

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The Atlantic Ocean (A Bridge Between Two Worlds) – George Kay

Published by the London Museum Press, first edition 1954. Octavo, 208 pages nicely illustrated throughout. Very good condition.

A not at all dated history of the Atlantic .From early Viking days … then Columbus, Cabot, Drake, Raleigh etc. The great islands and Voyager’s favourite St Helena. And in the air … the Alcock and Brown non-stop 1919 from Newfoundland. Slavery. Whaling. The fierce battles of WWII. Quite a subject in one book.

The Atlantic – a very good reference

$25.00

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War & Escape – 20th Century

WWI Maritime and Travel Original Annotated Photograph Album – Over 180 Images

The Badge of the Artists Rifles (Special Air Service)

Voyaging – Captain James William Holmes – Edited by Nora Coghlan

The Sea and Me – Humphrey Barton – First edition 1952

The Quiet American – Graham Greene

The Atlantic Ocean (A Bridge Between Two Worlds) – George Kay

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