Highlights

Melbourne, Printed at the Herald Office, 1862. 'The "Firefly", chartered by the Government of Victoria to convey stores, &c., for the exploration party sent in search of the ill-fated explorers, Burke and Wills, left Melbourne on July 29th, 1861 ... The "Firefly" encountered heavy weather and was eventually totally wrecked on Sir Charles Hardy's Island. This narrative is the captain's justification of his conduct' (Ferguson 11202).

An uncommon and unusually luxurious portfolio of prints after original oil paintings by Gustave Klimt. Although Klimt was not a printmaker, the publishers of this album were painstaking in their diligence, reproducing the detail, colour, and challenging tonality of his work in these thirty fine photogravure plates. Portfolio of 30 photogravure prints, some colour, and ten letterpress leaves (including title-page); each leaf measuring 480 x 460 mm., housed within the original publisher’s green cloth folding case (some wear); a fine set.

[Naikaku Insatsukyoku]. Tokyo. Showa 17 [1942].

This charming astronomical manuscript by Henry Ferdinand Pelerin (c.1772-1825) epitomises the strong intellectual interest in natural sciences in the later Enlightenment. The intricate presentation of manuscript data, the expertise in illustration, and the intellectual rigour shown in the composition of this Album, display Pelerin’s advanced understanding of astronomy.

The illuminated initial 'H' is in blues, pink and greens on a ground of burnished gold, with extensions into the margin of foliate scrolls in light & dark pink, greens, blues and finished with burnished gold bezants. The text is from "The Hours of the Cross" which marked the specific times of the day associated with the stages of Christ's Passion. Italy, c.1500, size of leaf c.80x60 mm. Very good/excellent condition.

London, printed for William Miller by S. Gosnell, 1808 [later issue]. Folio, with 22 fine handcoloured stipple engraved plates by J. Dadley, bound with new endpapers in early straight grain morocco, the boards within elaborate embossed and gilt frames, the backstrip preserving remnants of the original lettering, all edges gilt. As often, this is a later issue with some plates watermarked in 1817. Mason's time as a British army officer in Canton in 1789 gave him the opportunity to illustrate local customs and costumes, and he also provided the text for each plate. See Abbey Travel, 532.

Stereoview photograph, circa 1890. 86mm by 178mm (card). Buff card. Printed reverse with photographer's details. Jenkinson was active in Broken Hill from 1885, according to his advertisement in 'The History of Broken Hill' by Samuel Curtis (1908); Davies and Stanbury (1985) have him there from 1889. Broken Hill Proprietary Company Limited (now BHP Billiton) has gone on to become the largest mining company in the world. CONDITION : A few small marks and light soiling.

219 manuscript watercolour plates by M. Walhein, a Member of French Mycological Society, from the originals by French physician and botanist Jean Baptiste Francois Pierre Bulliard (1752-1793). Bound in quarter leather with a typescript index to the plates.

Colour linocut from multiple blocks. Editioned 3/28,titled, signed and dated '51' in pencil below the image. 225mm by 150mm (platemark).

Coloured initials added by hand. So called because the size conformed to that of many 13thC manuscript bibles, making it convenient to carry and easily affordable. Printed in a clear gothic font in 7-point size. Size of leaf:150x105 mm. Book of Leviticus.

London, Duckworth, 1926. Octavo, diffuse foxing, original blue cloth lettered in gilt with chipped pictorial dustwrapper (bit oxidised on spine). Third impression. Early printing in exceptionally scarce 1920s dustwrapper reproducing the fabulous John Nicolson ('Nick') artwork from the first impression but not priced on spine. Banned in New Zealand in 1926 and in Australia from 1929.