Exploration

Red Peak – Ascent of Pik Kommunizma

An unusual mountaineering event form start to finish written by the expedition second Malcolm Slesser seemingly without the authority of leader Sir John Hunt.

First American Edition, published by Coward McCann, New York in 1964. Octavo, 256 pages well illustrated from expedition photographs, charts , diagrams etc. A little ageing but still a very good copy.

The first British / Soviet joint expedition to climb in the Soviet Asia Pamir Mountains. And a venture not without drama. No native porters were taken. Things got tense between the groups, two Englishmen died during the ascent of a particularly rugged stage. Hunt and several others gave up and went home. Slesser elected to stay … the frankness with which he describes the flare-ups as they struggled to reach the 25,000 foot peak adds to the drama of this unique climb

Slesser writes frankly about the first British / Soviet joint mountaineering expedition.

$25.00

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Journals of Expeditions into Central Australia and Overland from Adelaide to King George’s Sound in the years 1840-1 in 2 Volumes – John Eyre

Fundamental Australian overland exploration.

Published by the Libraries Board of South Australia 1964. Facsimile reprint of the 1845 edition – Australiana Facsimile number 7 – only 500 copes printed.

two volumes thick octavo, xviii, 448, 512 pages light brown/ caramel colour with gilt lettering. Two folding maps in pocket at rear. One map of the whole of Australia demonstrating all of Eyre’s wanderings including earlier expeditions east into New South wales. The large folding map relating to this expedition is close to a metre wide so we have scanned it in three sections and still did not quite get the depth in … it really is special and makes the understanding of the narrative very clear. Very good and maps in great condition.

Eyre attempted to set up an overland route from Adelaide to the Swan River. After great hardships, with his second on charge being killed by Aborigines, and losing some of the supplies, the party arrived at Albany in 1841.

Heavy books so our postage allowance will not cover a single item Overseas purchase.

Eyre’s Travels Across Australia … required reading for any Australia(n) Historian

$120.00

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France Australe – Marchant

Leslie Marchant’s highly regarded book a very good first edition 1982.

A focus on French activity with a strong focus on Western Australia. Based on previously unused naval and other archival records in France.

The story of French exploration and their plans to colonise Australia. Commencing as early as the reign of Louis XII challenging the Spanish and Portuguese a period referred to as “the ancient regime” through the Napoleonic period and the Bourbon restoration.

The French, Western Australia and more

$60.00

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Fifth Archbold Expedition to New Guinea 1956-1957 – Brass

Results of the Archbold Expeditions No 79. Summary of the Fifth Archbold Expedition to New Guinea (1956-1957)

The Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, New York. Published 1959. Quarto, soft cover with standard blue wrapper, 69 pages plus illustrations from photographs at the end with an annotated map showing the locations explored. Very good copy.

Richard Archbold (1907-1976), American zoologist, was from a wealthy background. He attended Columbia University but never finished his formal training. Before WWII he funded three substantial expeditions to New Guinea. One of the members of his team was the Toowoomba born Leonard Brass (1900-1971) a brilliant botanist. After the War the expeditions resumed with three further expeditions completed in New Guinea under the leadership of Brass. This is the “Summary” of the Fourth Expedition – 1953. Before the War Brass had moved to Canada and then the USA where he became a citizen, working closely with Archbold. He was a curator of the Archbald Collection housed and the American Museum of Natural History.

In this the Fifth Expedition, Brass and his team are in the island groups to the east … Normanby, Fergusson, Misima, Sudest and Rossel (in the Louisade Archipelago), Woodlark Island and Kiriwina in the Trobriands. On the mainland the conducted specimen collections at Moruna near Samarai and near Milne and Modewa Bay.

Brass’s reports are written in a very readable style and whilst containing the scientific information expected (they collected close to 80,000 specimens) his general narrative of the trekking and observations along the way are very enjoyable. At Misima references are made to the glimpse of early gold … if only they had known …

Fundamental New Guinea record – Fifth Archbold – out in the Islands.

$60.00

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Fourth Archbold Expedition to New Guinea 1953 – Brass

Results of the Archbold Expeditions No 75. Summary of the Fourth Archbold Expedition to New Guinea (1953)

The Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, New York. Published 1956. Quarto, soft cover with standard blue wrapper, 152 pages illustrated from photographs with an annotated sketch map of the locations explored. Distinguished anthropologist Brain J Egloff’s copy. Wrappers a little aged, internally very good.

Richard Archbold (1907-1976), American zoologist, was from a wealthy background. He attended Columbia University but never finished his formal training. Before WWII he funded three substantial expeditions to New Guinea. One of the members of his team was the Toowoomba born Leonard Brass (1900-1971) a brilliant botanist. After the War the expeditions resumed with three further expeditions completed in New Guinea under the leadership of Brass. This is the “Summary” of the Fourth Expedition – 1953. Before the War Brass had moved to Canada and then the USA where he became a citizen, working closely with Archbold. He was a curator of the Archbald Collection housed and the American Museum of Natural History.

Brian Egloff has had an inspiring career, assisting the National Museum of PNG, Port Arthur in Tasmania and the preservation and restoration of the Tam Ting Caves in Laos. He has published several interesting books … our choice being “The Bones of the Ancestors – The Ambum Stone” which centres on a 3,000-year-old New Guinea artefact that made its way to Australia.

In this the Fourth Expedition, Brass and his team are in the far eastern parts of Papua around the Cape Vogel Peninsula. Between Collingwood Bay and the central range at Mt Dayman and out to Goodenough Island in the D’Entrecasteaux Group and parts of Ferguson Island. Brass’s reports are written in a very readable style and whilst containing the scientific information expected (they collected close to 90,000 specimens) his general narrative of the trekking and observations along the way are very enjoyable.

Fundamental New Guinea record – Fourth Archbold

$50.00

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1910-1916 Antarctic Photographs of Herbert Ponting and Frank Hurley

A first edition of this smart book of Ponting and Hurley photographs.

Published by MacMillan, Melbourne in 1969. Landscape 119 pages. The first twenty-five pages with and forward by Sir Vivian Fuchs and an introduction by Jennie Boddington, the selector of the images and then Curator of Photography at the National Gallery, Victoria. Very good condition.

It is universally agreed that it is impossible, even with modern camera to surpass the quality and emotion of the Ponting and Hurley images. Not for nothing is it called the Heroic Era. The story of Hurley’s anguish in leaving behind so many images on the ill-fated Endurance Expedition only goes to enhance what we have.

Ponting and Hurley – No Introduction Required!

$50.00

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Red Peak – Ascent of Pik Kommunizma

Journals of Expeditions into Central Australia and Overland from Adelaide to King George’s Sound in the years 1840-1 in 2 Volumes – John Eyre

France Australe – Marchant

Fifth Archbold Expedition to New Guinea 1956-1957 – Brass

Fourth Archbold Expedition to New Guinea 1953 – Brass

1910-1916 Antarctic Photographs of Herbert Ponting and Frank Hurley

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