Travel & Voyages

Shackleton’s Last Voyage -The Story of the Quest – Frank Wild – First Edition 1923

First US Edition published by Stokes, New York in 1923 – Scarce. Carries the imprint of Cassell, London Publisher, on spine.

Thick large octavo, xvi, and 372 pages, illustrated throughout from relevant photographs, maps etc. Decorated sky blue boards making a very attractive presentation. Scattered pale foxing aside a very good collectable copy.

Written by Commander Frank Wild C.B.E. from the Official Journal and Private Diary kept by Dr A.H. Macklin.

Shackleton driven to be in the Antarctic went back a fourth and for him final time in 1921.

The vessel the ill suited “Quest” a converted Norwegian sealer. The objectives were rather imprecise but included a circumnavigation of the Antarctic continent. Early in the voyage (at Rio) Shackleton had a suspected heart attack. He pushed on refusing proper treatment. On the 4^th January 1922 at South Georgia in the early hours of the morning he suffered a fatal attack.

The events are recorded here by his right-hand man Frank Wild (he had been on very Shackleton expedition). Wild believed that the “Boss” would have desired them to go on with the mission – which they did, and this is the record of the whole of the voyage and effort. In accordance with the widows wishes Shackleton was buried on South Georgia – later Frank Wild’s ashes were interred alongside Shackleton’s grave.

Shackleton and Wild no braver combination.

$890.00

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Atlas of Atlases – Phillip Allen

Super book for a generalist interest in early cartography. Great foundation.

Published by Bounty Books in 2005. A substantial book, large squarish quarto, 160 pages, magnificently illustrated as one would expect. A near fine copy.

Too large for our scanner I am afraid, so the image is cropped RHS.

Takes a chronological approach – Classical, Medieval the Era of Exploration, the Dutch, the Empires and the Modern Age.

Narrative very readable and information but it’s the numerous relevant, high-quality illustrations that makes this the tops.

A super education in one book

$40.00

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Following their footsteps – Exploring Adventure Bay [Bruny Island Tasmania] – C.J. Turnbull

A nice production, soft cover, perfect bound, 103 pages, nice illustrations throughout. Very good if not fine.

Published in 2006 by the Friends of Adventure Bay.

Adventure Bay, Bruny island – one of the worlds beautiful places.

Starts with a historical account – The Nuenonne and life before the arrival of the Early European Explorers – The Whaling Industry – Coal Mining – Settlers – Timber – Maritime history.

And modern times – the landscape – marine environment – flora – fauna etc.

Best Bruny Island with a focus on historic Adventure Bay – great illustrations

$35.00

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Van Diemens Land [Blackman’s Bay] and Ontong Java – Schley at the Hague in 1758

This unusual image was published by De Hondt, the Hague in 1758 for Provost’s History of Voyages. The image engraved by Jakob van der Schley was originally conceived by Francois Valentijn in 1726 relating to the voyage of Abel Tasman – that is that is what these images represent.

To focus on the lower image titled “Pays de Van Diemen // Diemens Land’ the image is actually of Blackman’s Bay the first place of landing of Abel Tasman.

The top image is of Ontong Java also know as Lord Howes Atoll but not to be confused with Lord Howe Island. Ontong Java is part of the Solomons Group – a small “boot shaped” island to the far north.

Sheet size 25 cm by 19 cm – image, with a strong impression and colouring 18 cm by 14 cm. A copper plate etching on hand made verge paper – a little creasing, generally a very good authentic example.

A good Tasmanian image of the actual first landing spot of Abel Tasman

$180.00

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$Madeira Spectroscopic, being a Revision of 21 Places in the Red half of the Solar Visible Spectrum with a Rutherford Diffraction Grating at Madeira in the Summer of 1881 – C Piazzi Smyth – Astronomer Royal Scotland – 1882.$

Madeira Spectroscopic, being a Revision of 21 Places in the Red half of the Solar Visible Spectrum with a Rutherford Diffraction Grating at Madeira in the Summer of 1881 – C Piazzi Smyth – Astronomer Royal Scotland – 1882.

Anyone who follows Voyager will know how much we adore Charles Piazzi Smyth read his wiki – too much for here. The Piazzi is after his Italian father-in-law and astronomer who influenced the Smyth family to set up their own observatory when CPS was very young. At near to sixteen he was off to South Africa to assist in astronomical experiments and it all expanded from there – his work of the Great Pyramid of Cheops is also something else.

Newton has written that the only way to improve the quality of astronomical images [having regard to size and quality of optics] was to take instruments higher in the atmosphere. CPS became an expert in this and pioneered trips to Teneriffe and Madeira to lug his instruments to higher ground – always accompanied by his knowledgeable wife. There we gave you a bit – like all these people of the times his brothers and sisters had similarly interesting lives.

Solar spectroscopy became a particular interest … as an aside he promoted the use of the Browning Rainband Spectroscope [we usually have one for sale]. At Madeira he went for the diffraction grating rather than prism combination. The results are scientific glory and nicely presented in this work published by Johnston, Edinburgh in 1882.

Square quarto, cloth binding with gilt rule and titles, 32 pages, 18 plates on in striking colour, vignette to title page. Some foxing but excuse it for its rarity, author and spot in astronomical history.

Charles Piazzi Smyth [1819-1900] top rank astronomer and pyramidologist.

$490.00

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Original 400 plus Year of Map of Tercera [The island of Terceira in the Azores] – Petrus Bertius – 1616

An original copper engraved miniature map by the great Petrus Bertius [1565-1629]. Published in the 1616 edition of the Tabularun Geograpicarum – the map engravings were executed by Jodocus Hondius Jnr who was related to Bertius.

Beautifully detailed, nicely coloured and embellished map with square rigged ship and sea monster. Numerous place names, mountains, rivers and vineyards, scale and compass and cartouche based around local produce. Nice hatching in the ocean areas. As you can see fine condition.

Framed approx. 30 cm by 25 cm – Map engraved area approx. 15 cm by 12 cm.

Framed in Voyager miniature map style for $290.00 or the map itself for $150.00

Geoffrey King the miniature map authority regarded these maps to be the most beautiful miniature maps ever made.

$150.00

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Shackleton’s Last Voyage -The Story of the Quest – Frank Wild – First Edition 1923

Atlas of Atlases – Phillip Allen

Following their footsteps – Exploring Adventure Bay [Bruny Island Tasmania] – C.J. Turnbull

Van Diemens Land [Blackman’s Bay] and Ontong Java – Schley at the Hague in 1758

Madeira Spectroscopic, being a Revision of 21 Places in the Red half of the Solar Visible Spectrum with a Rutherford Diffraction Grating at Madeira in the Summer of 1881 – C Piazzi Smyth – Astronomer Royal Scotland – 1882.

Original 400 plus Year of Map of Tercera [The island of Terceira in the Azores] – Petrus Bertius – 1616

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