Rare books, prints, maps, photographs, manuscripts and ephemera for sale at the ANZAAB Antiquarian Book Fair

Melbourne, 23 – 25 November 2010

Douglas Stewart Fine Books is exhibiting rare colonial manuscripts, photographs and artworks, illustrated French children’s books from the 19th century with Australian content, silk broadsides from a Melbourne playhouse in 1858, a rare photograph of the first Melbourne Cup trophy. The Lindsays are well represented with Fauns and Ladies and A Homage to Sappho, complemented by original paintings, drawings and etchings by Norman, Ruby and Lionel Lindsay. Also on offer are Rembrandt’s etching The Hundred Guilder Print from 1649, the first edition of Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species (with a manuscript and several signed photos), and an extraordinary 4 metre-long chromolithographed Panorama des Jardins Zoologiques illustrating a French zoo ca. 1880 with Australian animals.

Barbara Hince is offering the first edition of the most amazing one-man feat in its field, Samuel Johnson’s A Dictionary of the English Language, 1755. This work is the greatest single achievement in scholarship, taking only ten years from the first prospectus until publication. An observer had remonstrated with Johnson early on when Johnson estimated the work might take three years "But, Sir, how can you do this in three years? The French Academy which consists of forty members took forty years to compile their dictionary." Johnson responded: "Sir, thus it is. This is the proportion. Let me see; forty times forty is sixteen hundred. As three to sixteen hundred, so is the proportion of an Englishman to a Frenchman."

Books of Kells Pty Ltd (Fiona & Stuart Kells) is a general antiquarian bookseller, with strengths in books about books, fine bindings, private press, literature, travel and eighteenth-century books. Books of Kells will have on display a selection of fine bindings, an important edition of the Works of John Locke (1751), some highlights from their recent catalogue Egypt, Arabia, Asia, and some highlights from their 2010 Hong Kong Book Fair offering. Books of Kells will also have a selection of recent catalogues and shortlists on display, as well as details of forthcoming catalogues, including the Creedy Collection of Important Economics Books, a collection of Hakluyt Society volumes, and a significant offering of items from the Golden Cockerel Press. Michael Treloar Antiquarian Booksellers has a choice selection from his diverse range of books, photographs and manuscripts. These include Frank Hurley vintage photographs, Mawson letters and important rarities from his personal collection, rare carte-de-visite photograph albums of provincial Victorian towns, militaria (first edition sets of Bean and Butler, 8th Field Ambulance photographs, a signed William Slim presentation volume), Neville Barnett books on Japanese prints, a Leonard French portfolio of prints (one of only 25), a fine Evelyn Waugh letter, Walsh's Bradshaw Art of the Kimberley, Strehlow's Songs of Central Australia, Broinowski's Birds of Australia (six fine volumes in full morocco), and signed copies of Maitland's The Marx Sisters, Lindsay's Picnic at Hanging Rock, and the 1934 WA Secession volume.

Jörn Harbeck of Harbeck Rare Books will be bringing William Swainson’s Exotic Conchology in the very rare second issue of 1834, with 48 finely hand-coloured lithographs, and complemented by two original 1822 pencil drawings of shells by his wife Mary Swainson; the 1719 French edition of Campen’s book on the Amsterdam Town Hall, with the engraved floor map showing the Dutch discoveries along the Australian coast. Other items will include a unique copy of J B Stephens’ Convict Once (1871) illustrated throughout with original ink drawings by two Brisbane girls in the 1870s; a Tourist guide of the Eastern & Australian Steamship Co. (1899), Schmeisser’s Goldfields of Australasia with the rare maps (1898), and an inscribed copy of Hammond’s History of the 11th Light Horse Regiment (1942). Out-of-print Books will be bringing Louisa Anne Meredith (aka Twamley) Our Wild Flowers, Familiarly Described, in full leather with 12 coloured plates. The Romance of Nature, in full leather with 27 coloured plates. William Stearn’s The Flower Paintings of Ferdinand Bauer, numbered copy, 25 full colour tipped-in plates. Robert Fitzgerald’s The Orchids of Australia of 1875 to 1894, a two volume set with half leather binding with the lithographs by A. J. Stopps. Reverend Caunter’s The Oriental Annual of 1836 in full leather, full page & vignette engravings. Edward Young’s The Search After Livingstone, (1868), The diary that he kept during the seven months searching for Livingstone before Stanley. James Prichard’s The Natural History of Man, (1855) with 62 colour plates depicting the natives of the world.

Guest exhibitor Tinakori Books from Wellington, New Zealand will be bringing The History of New Holland, 1787 with 2 hand-coloured maps, first editions of Dampier’s second voyage to Australia, Ross’ Voyage of Discovery to the Antarctic Regions, the rare Ichthyology volume of the same voyage, the first French editions of Behrens’ narrative of Roggeveen’s voyage and the voyages of de Surville in 1769 and Marion du Fresne in 1772. Another highlight will be the extremely rare account by Geiseler of the German Easter Island exploration in 1882. Other items will include a 1567 Italian edition of Vitruvius’ book on Architecture, Giuntini’s Astronomy book: La Sfera del Mondo, 1582, Evelyn’s Numismata from 1697 and a 1564 copy of Honter’s Rudimentorum Cosmographicorum with 13 maps. The Antique Bookshop will display the rare WW1 Gallipoli item Five Months at Anzac, 1916, inscribed by the author Joseph Lievesley Beeston, Officer Commanding the 4th Field Ambulance, A.I.F. Major Darley’s very scarce With the Ninth Light Horse in the Great War, with a rare associated pamphlet. The Journal and Maps of the Elder Exploring Expedition, 1891-1892. The limited edition of Max Meldrum’s Science of Appearances. Modern firsts include a fine copy of the first Flashman book, Picnic at Hanging Rock, Monkey Grip inscribed by Helen Garner and also Patricia Lovell who produced the film. Signed books by Patrick White, Peter Carey, John Olsen, Jeannie Gunn, and J.J.C. Bradfield’s Report on the Proposed Electric Railways for the City of Sydney, 1916.

Rob and Janet Muir of Robert Muir Old & Rare Books will be bringing a collection of children's books featuring original manuscript material, some unpublished, by Mary & Elizabeth Durack and including the original art-work for the cover of their most famous book Way of the Whirlwind. Also available will be first editions of Mollie's Bunyip and Mollie's Staircase by Annie & Ida Rentoul and an autograph signed letter from L.M. Montgomery (Anne of Green Gables). Other items include an 1898 facsimile of Abel Tasman's voyage being the first translation into English; the two volume set of The South Pole by Amundsen and The Voyage of the Fox in the Arctic Seas signed by Jane Franklin together with an autograph letter signed; and a collection of items relating to Hans Heysen.


Guest exhibitor Addison Publications Ltd (London) design and make fine art facsimiles. Works on display will include The Highgrove Florilegium - A limited edition of 175 containing prints of botanical watercolours by leading artists from around the world (including five Australian artists) of the plants growing in HRH The Prince of Wales’ garden in Gloucestershire. Ferdinand Bauer's Natural History Drawings 1801-1803 - a limited edition of fifty sets of the zoological illustrations taken from specimens collected on the first navigation of Australia by Commander Matthew Flinders in HMS Investigator. The Gaston Phoebus’ Book of The Hunt, the most famous record of medieval hunting with illustrations by the Bedford Master is published as a facsimile limited edition bound in blue silk fleur de lis.

Louella Kerr of Sydney will bring some rare early Australiana, including John Rochfort’s The Adventures of a Surveyor in New Zealand and the Australian Gold Diggings, 1853, and The News-letter of Australasia, or narrative of events; a letter to send to friends. No. 5, November 1856, with a vignette of the University of Melbourne. Printed on very fine paper to be sent abroad, the newsletters were a summary of Colonial news, events, and prices. The last leaf (here present) was left blank for personal news. Louella will have her usual fine selection of literature, private press, and illustrated books, including a set of 40 miniature Shakespeares in a custom-made bookcase, a run of first edition James Bonds, and an interesting selection of ABCs. Ankh Antiquarian Books will be bringing a range of rare books on Egypt. These will include Rollin's History of the Egyptians, Carthaginians etc. 1814, in 6 volumes. History of Egyptian Mummies by Pettigrew 1814, signed by the author to the Duke of Sussex accompanied by a letter from the Royal Library at Windsor. Kings & Queens of Ancient Egypt 1924 by J H Breasted. The colour plates by Winifred Brunton are famous as realistic portraits of the Pharaohs, a very rare item. Egyptian Mummies by Smith & Dawson 1924, Egypt and its Monuments by Robert Hitchens, 1908. The Great Pyramid Its Divine Message by Davidson & Aldersmith, 1924. An 18th century children’s book, Children of God 1724 & the Histoire de L’ Art Dans L’ Antiquité Egypte by Perrot 1882. Books on Dean will exhibit a copy of Hamilton Hume's Brief Statement of Facts in Connection with an Overland Expedition from Lake George to Port Phillip in 1824, third edition, (Yass, 1874) inscribed by the explorer's great-nephew, Frederick W. Hume, to a friend in 1893. Frederick Hume later took his own life by cutting his throat. There will also be a rare, signed first edition of Frederick Boutcher's 1775 work, A Treatise on Forest-Trees, credited with being the first known book on plantation forestry, and a range of military history, including a number of scarce unit histories. A group on Fly-Fishing, and another on Rail and Steam will round out the offering.

Hordern House Rare Books will be exhibiting material on offer in their November catalogue Australia in the Eighteenth Century, including James Magra’s A Journal of a Voyage Round the World; Alexander Dalrymple’s A Letter from Mr. Dalrymple to Dr. Hawkesworth, Restif De La Bretonne’s La Decouverte Australe par un Homme-volant, an imaginary voyage by flying machine to Australia. They will also be exhibiting the exceptionally rare A Journal of a Tour of Discovery Across the Blue Mountains by Gregory Blaxland, privately published in 1823; William Hovell's own copy of the second edition of his Journal of Discovery to Port Phillip New South Wales (1837) and Gould’s The Mammals of Australia plus A Monograph of The Macropodidae or Family of Kangaroos. Gaston Renard Fine and Rare Books will be exhibiting a fine selection of limited edition books published by Edition Renard, including The Voyage of Governor Phillip to Botany Bay and John White's Journal of a Voyage to New South Wales. Another First Fleet item is Watkin Tench's Narrative of the Expedition to Botany Bay and there are fine illustrated natural history works including Smith and Sowerby's A Specimen of the Botany of New Holland (1793) and John William Lewin's Prodromus Entomology, or, a Natural History of the Lepidopterous Insects of New South Wales. Another interesting item is Aboriginal Life in Old Australia, first published in 1813, and bound in emu and kangaroo leathers. We look forward to seeing old friends and meeting new customers.

Mark’s Book Barn will have a rare copy of the Man from Snowy River, produced in 1950 to attract sponsors for a film. There will also be a diverse range of books and ephemera incl. Beatles’ autographs, limited edition books on bushrangers and signed poetry, bound volumes of mid-19th century newspapers like Bell’s Life in Victoria and the South Australian Colonist, and early 20th century travel and theatre ephemera on Victoria. Australian art books – Friend, Gruner, Lindsay, Preston and Waller will feature with some nice association copies of books of Pixie O’Harris and Ethel Turner. Sporting books will be represented by Sydney’s weekly The Referee covering the 1930 and 32/33 Ashes cricket tours and 1930 Phar Lap Melbourne Cup, Nat Fleischer’s books on boxing and a cycling scrapbook. Margaret Dunstan of Somerset House Books will be bringing early editions of popular children’s novels from the 1920s to 1960s by authors such as Johns, Bruce, Turner and Blyton. There will be a number of titles illustrated by Ardizzone, Theaker, Downing, Disney, O’Harris, Gibbs and Attwell. Particular highlights are some early editions illustrated by Ida Rentoul Outhwaite such as: Before the Lamps are Lit (1911), The Little Green Road to Fairyland (1932) and Gum Tree Brownie and Other Faerie Folk of the Never Never (1907). Featuring delicately drawn pictures of fairy folk these books have always been a great favourite amongst collectors. Collectors of pop-ups and early readers will also find much of interest and there are some nostalgic reminders of Christmases past.

Astrolabe Booksellers will be exhibiting a copy of the scarce Notorious Bushrangers of Tasmania by ‘Cabby’ and Marie Bjelke Petersen’s own copy of the (previously unseen?) Arabic edition of her allegorical tale, The Mysterious Stranger. Attractive sets of books will be a 16-volume Dictionnaire Historique et Critique de Pierre Bayle (1820), and a fine complete set of Historical Records of Australia. Some military items include complete sets of Bean's official history of Australia’s part in the First World War and Butler’s three-volume history of the Australian Army Medical Services, Lewis’ On the Veldt from the Boer War, and from WWI Newton’s The Story of the Twelfth, Green’s The Fortieth and Broinowski’s Tasmania’s War Record, and an unusual hand-made WWII manual on ‘unarmed defence’. This year Asia Bookroom will feature many beautiful Japanese coloured woodblock books that need no Japanese language skills to appreciate, including a 19th century edition of Hiroshige's famous work Fifty-three Stations along the Tokaido Road. It is in an accordion style binding, illustrated with 55 full page colour woodblock prints. Also on offer are further examples of the remarkable art of the Japanese woodblock, displayed on each of the 200 cards that make up the 19th century set of Hyakunin Isshu, the Japanese poetry game of skill and intellect. Other Japanese highlights include e-sugoroku, WWII era Japanese maps and a collection of important reference works on Japanese swords. Good collections of Chinese, Southeast and South Asian art and history will also be available.

Andrew Isles Natural History books will be exhibiting a fine selection of colour plate and better natural history books. Highlights include the Rex Nan Kivell copy of the 1838 edition of Lewin's Birds of New South Wales and a fine copy of Flora Vitiensis by Seemann, the most important of the south Pacific floras. We will also be exhibiting a complete set in the publisher's cloth of the Avicultural Magazine which was the first cage bird journal. This journal is lavishly illustrated with many hand coloured plates of Australian birds. We have a spectacular association copy of Legge's Birds of Ceylon illustrated by Keulemans and also an original Keulemans bird painting. There will be a good selection of better Australian reptile, insect and mammal books plus a small selection of interesting natural history paintings. Sainsbury’s Books will be bringing new acquisitions in their specialist areas of modern art, photography and literature. Amongst the literature books from the library of Gerald Lyons will be inscribed copies by John Betjeman, a first inscribed Mad Max and a copy of Four Poets by David Malouf, Don Maynard, Judith Green and Rodney Hall. Gerald worked in radio in Melbourne and his library included many signed and inscribed books. We will also bring a collection of children’s books including a number of Rupert Annuals. Other areas will include books on golf, motoring, Australian history and Australian architecture.

Sebra Prints will be exhibiting etchings and woodcuts by early 20th-century printmakers such as Mortimer Menpes, Lionel Lindsay and John Hall Thorpe. 19th-century prints of Australian and New Zealand interest will include photogravures after Kahler of Flemington, Gillray's The Great South Sea Caterpillar (Bohn), Angas views of Adelaide, Von Guerard lithographs, Nicholas Chevalier chromolithographs, a Sands and McDougall chromolithograph of Mount Aspiring after John Gully in its original maple frame and John Gould's Ka Ka Parrot. International works will include Japanese meiji period woodblocks, English 18th-century colour mezzotints after James Ward, sepia mezzotints after Claude Le Lorrain and a pair of fine stipple engravings after Thomas Barker of Bath. Brighton Antique Prints and Maps is offering rare maps relating to Australia by Montanus, Bunting and de Jode, which pre-date the Dutch discoveries of 1606; the earliest map of the Pacific by Ortelius, and Antarctica by Wyfliet and the three earliest maps of Australasia by Thevenot, Bowen and Bellin. The collection includes the Russell map of Melbourne, the earliest map of Port Phillip, and the 1847 Ham map of Victoria and maps by Mercator, Allard, Dampier, Ottens, Djurberg, La Perouse, Flinders. Victorian County maps by Bailliere (1867), Hiscock (1874) and Sands (1886). County maps of NSW by Basch and Sands. Dampier’s 1729 four volume Voyages, Freycinet/Peron’s 1811 atlas, and Flinders’ 1814 A Voyage to Terra Australis and early views of Melbourne by Adamson, Rowe and Burns are on offer.

Alice McCormick of Rare Illustrated Books will be bringing a lovely selection of children's books from Australia and around the world including several rare works by Ida Rentoul Outhwaite and Violet Teague, some early watercolours and original drawings by Ethel Spowers, vintage comics illustrated by May Gibbs and other popular twentieth century artists, charming Christmas gift books like Lucie Mabel Atwell's Alice in Wonderland, a gorgeous original Biba fashion catalogue from London in the 60s, a bright collection of art deco books and catalogues on art, architecture and design, quirky French and Japanese erotica including a nineteenth century Pillow Book and a couple of large art nouveau natural history portfolios which are so beautiful that you might like to come and have a look at them just for fun. Roz Greenwood Old and Rare Books will be bringing The Kea (1908) inscribed to Crosbie Morrison, from the library of Graham Pizzey. There will be a fine illuminated address presented in Ballarat in 1910, and two original photographic offerings, one a trip to Mt. Baw Baw in 1919, and the other of Murray River interest with photographs of paddle steamers. Grahame Walsh’s Bradshaw Art of the Kimberley (2000) and Australia’s Greatest Rock Art (1988) will also be available. Western District and Pastoral History includes a signed copy of Harry Peck’s Memoirs of a Stockman (1942), Victoria and Riverina; A Biographical record of some the Pioneer Families (1933), and a rare original manuscript Western Victorian Station Journal in an early 19th-century meticulous hand.

Cornstalk Bookshop is bringing some rare May Gibbs items, including a near mint copy of Little Ragged Blossom & More About Snugglepot and Cuddlepie with a fine dustwrapper. Also in our May Gibbs collection are three pamphlets. Two of these were published by Cornstalk Publishing Company during the 1920s. Snugglepot and Cuddlepie Their Adventures Wonderful along with Little Ragged Blossom are in near mint condition. The third pamphlet we have was published in 1919 and is called Boronia Babies, a near mint copy with colour illustrated front cover. To round off our collection, there are hard back copies of the first edition of Two Little Gum-Nuts Chucklebud and Wunkydoo and a reprint in dustwrapper of Little Obelia. We will also display a number of older books on the Australian Aboriginal. New Century Antiquarian Books will be displaying an extensive collection of the works of Australia's premier poet, Les A. Murray, winner of the prestigious T.S. Eliot Prize. Most copies are signed and many inscribed. Apart from Murray's extremely scarce early volumes, these include an impressive complement of US and UK first editions (again many signed) but also some more obscure translations into languages other than English. Limited editions, such as the Brindabella Press broadside The Sleepout, are also present. A priced list will be available at the Fair and a complete cataloguing in pdf format will be available on our website a few days before the Fair.

Bradstreet’s Books (Mike O’Brien) will offer a good range of books. Among the highlights are the 1731 edition of Jethro Tull’s Horse Hoing Husbandry [the book that revolutionised agriculture]; a pristine first edition of A. A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh; an E.A. Petherick (Melbourne) 1892 edition of Chapman’s Homer; Bailey’s Universal Etymological English Dictionary [ 1731 - pre-Johnson’s Dictionary and an inspiration for him] and many volumes from Series III of the Hakluyt Society. Catalogues will include Military, Aboriginal and Fine Bindings. Paul Wilkinson of Full Circle Antique Prints and Maps is bringing a range of rare prints, including John Gould’s Thylacines, Tasmanian tigers. These two beautiful hand-coloured lithographs, showing both full figure and head, are for sale as a pair. Paul stocks one of Australia’s largest collections of natural history prints as well as a comprehensive selection of architecture and interior design prints, topographical views and 19th Century illustrated news. Other items on display are early maps and charts which offer an arresting, visual depiction of the first discovery of Australia, and of later exploration of the continent's interior. Berkelouw Books is pleased to present a range of titles including Norman Lindsay’s Idyllia (1922) and a first edition of Sir Antony Sherley: His Relation of His Travels into Persia (1613). Norman and Jack Lindsay are represented by The Passionate Neatherd (1926) and a selection of Norman Lindsay Scrap Albums (from 1896 onwards). Maps will include Herman Moll’s Thirty Two New and Accurate Maps of the Geography of the Ancients (1721) and a map of Brisbane by John Oxley (c. 1823). Early books on law will include Official Records of Debates from the Australian Federal Convention (1897-1890). Other items will include poetry of Henry Lawson, Banjo Paterson, and Tennyson and limited Australian art publications, which showcase artists such as Brett Whiteley, John Olsen and Sidney Nolan. Michael Richmond from Kookaburra Books will be bringing to the fair a first edition of Orwell's 1984, a signed limited edition of Forster's A Passage To India, two fine editions of The Complete Angler, The Rolling Stone first edition of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas with colour illustrations by Steadman, a collection of B. S. Johnson’s novels, including many signed first editions, a sixteenth century Bible, and many fine illustrated and children’s books.

Grant’s Bookshop will offer its customary miscellany of Australiana, antiquarian history and literature and many interesting pieces from the stock of modern literature, children’s literature and Australian literature. Authors as different as John Steinbeck, James Joyce and Jack London will be represented, as well as some significant material on bookplates. The children’s books will include the standard Australian illustrators, Lindsay, Outhwaite, Gibbs et al., and works from some good English illustrators. Tim McCormick is showing a deluxe issue of Hunter’s Voyage bound in contemporary red morocco and a hand-coloured copy of White’s Journal, Diggles’ Ornithology; Walker’s Flowers of N.S.W and Krefft’s Snakes. Books from the library of Richard Fitzgerald (Macquarie’s agent) including his copy of Johnston’s Court Martial and a document relating to land acquisition on behalf of Elizabeth Macquarie. Maps and prints will include early land holders surveys of N.S.W. and aquatints Prince George’s passage to Australia. Other items will include photographs, drawings and prints of Aborigines by Fernyhough, Angas and others, an unrecorded prospectus for Barrington’s History of NSW 1795; Gov. Arthur’s orders of 1830 establishing the Black Line to contain the Aboriginal population of Tasmania. Louis Kissajukian of the Antique Print Room (Sydney) will be offering rare colonial prints including the first separately issued print of Sydney 1802 by the poet and print-maker William Blake A View of the Town of Sydney in the Colony of New South Wales. It appears to be taken from an oil probably painted in England from a drawing made by convict artist Thomas Watling in Sydney. Other items will include rare maps of the world, the Pacific and Australia; Barnett’s Figure prints of Japan, the rare special deluxe edition limited to 47, a very rare ca. 1815 handbill of Ramo Samee, the first professional juggler and sword swallower, a set of four of the most desirable of all colonial New Zealand prints by Patrick Hogan 1852 and the first printed view of Western Australia (1726) from the account of Willem de Vlamingh.

Mick and Irene Stone of Camberwell Books will be presenting early runs of comics and magazines. The prime item will be a volumes 1 – 11 of the Australasian Sketcher (1873-1883) in uniform half-morocco bindings. This handsome item is a window into the rich and burgeoning times in Australia rolling on from the wealth of the goldfields. With 1000’s of engravings it defines this period of our history from many aspects - the Kelly saga, sport, the Exhibitions, the city, the country, disasters, architecture, theatre, social & community events - even the Pacific and New Guinea. Other items on offer will include some nice early 1940s Wisdens; several Collingwood Football Club items, including a 1950s Autograph album; early Australian photographs; a range of good early trade catalogues; telephone directories (1920s/30s) and African and Eastern Travels.

ANZAAB Antiquarian Book Fair

Melbourne, 23 – 25 November 2010

Malvern Town Hall, Cnr High St & Glenferrie Rd

Opening hours:

Tuesday 6 – 9 pm
Wednesday 12 – 8 pm
Thursday 10 am – 4 pm

On www.rarebookfair.com you can find the contact details of all participating dealers. The website also features images and descriptions of selected items.

The article was published in BookFare. It is presented here by permission of ANZAAB President Peter Tinslay. From next year, ANZAAB will be issuing BookFare as a quarterly electronic newsletter with up-to-date news on what is happening in the rare book world in Australia and New Zealand. It will include diary dates, notices of members’ catalogues and interesting articles on rare book topics. If you would like to receive our new electronic newsletter from next year just go to the bookfair website www.anzaab.com and submit your details online or just send an email to admin@anzaab.com.au and ask to be put on the mailing list. (Editors: Jörn Harbeck and Barbara Hince)