Timed Auction Only Ending 10am Monday 10th April

We have something egg-citing for Easter this year – A TIMED AUCTION. Your bidding starts….. NOW!

The first lot of our timed auction ends at 10:00AM on 10th April (Easter Monday) unless someone else bids in the last two minutes.  The second lot ends at 10:02AM and so on. The ending times of each lot are listed on Invaluable. Good luck!

Something for Everyone these Holidays!

There is something for everyone including from Ornithology, Art Deco Sketches and Fine Sevres Porcelain to Tropical Diseases and Women’s Physical Education. With literary giants such as Charles Dickens, Stephen King (Richard Bachman), Henry Lawson and Vladimir Lenin, the catalogue is littered with surprises. We visit South Australia, Ballarat, China, Egypt, South East Africa, Russia, Japan, Gibraltar, Antarctica and Papua New Guinea through historical accounts, conflict and exploration. For the more light hearted we have the folk tales of the Arabian Nights Set, Beatrix Potter Volumes, Breakfast at Tiffany’s Short Novel, Harry Potter Pop Up, Punch Bound Magazines, Paul McPharlin Puppeteer Archive and Maurice Sendak Posters.

We are serving up some wonderful volumes from a wide range of topics.

We have an attractive complete set of Oxford Dictionaries, yes I said dictionaries… Lot 958 is perfect for the bibliophile who enjoys the last word. The last word in our dictionary set is Zymurgy (The practice or art of fermentation, as in wine-making, brewing, distilling etc).

We have three publications relating to wine in fact, including:  Lot 421 ‘Wine and Wine Countries’ which gives us a view into the early years of the wine industry in Australia with James Busby. Busby also features in a Convict System report from 1832.

We also have several Folio Society volumes including ‘Herodotus: The Histories Translated’ (Lot 866). He is controversially known as the father of history or the father of lies…. depending on your point of view. You decide!

We have numerous art books, the most impressive and beautiful is Lot 17, ‘The Soft Porcelain of Sèvres’, which displaying lavish French artistry in coloured drawings. Or you may fancy the history of ‘Spode’ in Lot 15, ‘Marks on Australian Silver’ at Lot 917 or three uncirculated silver $10 coins at Lot 624.

For bird lovers we have an extensive collection of Gracius Broinowski illustrations (Lot 832), Australian (Lot 484) and British Ornithology (Lot 915).

We have a number of good first editions including Truman Capote’s ‘Breakfast at Tiffanys: A Short Novel and Three Stories’ (Lot 111), bringing back memories of Audrey Hepburn, a symbol of fashionable femininity in New York. We also have Henry Lawson, a number of Charles Dickens, Emu Poison by Ford, as well as Cyaniding for Gold by Idriess.

Women’s Physical Education features at Lot 335, from the first woman to receive a medical degree in the US. We’ve come a long way!

Of course The Don gets a look in. Donald Bradman, our most famous cricketer, is always popular with several lots including a box set at Lot 761.

And, for a little controversy, Tony Rafty gives us his original sketches of court room testimony from famous Australian Cases c1989, featuring infamous characters at Lot 871.

Happy Easter Everyone!

When: Beginning 2:30pm Thursday 30th March and ending 10am Monday 10th April 2023
Bidding: online only

Click here to view our Catalogue

Misfortune, misadventure and tragedies
Voyages around the world

Auction 10am Monday 20th March

We have good and many publications on early voyages in our current auction. From Cook and Forster, to Anson, to Wilson to La Perouse. There are both publications from the late 18th century and more accessible modern reproductions. The crews from these voyages push boundaries both technological and territorial and often tragedy ensued.

Henry Wilson (1740–1810) was captain of the Antelope packet. In 1783, he and his crew went to South America to Papua New Guinea to the Philippines to Macau to Palau where they were shipwrecked on a reef (British Museum). The crew with the help of King Abba Thule, were able to retrieve the timber and build a new ship named Oroolong(Royal Museums Greenwich). We have a copy of his published journal (Lot 5)

We have a copy of the Narrative of the Mutiny of the Bounty, 1790 by William Bligh (1754-1817) (RMG).In 1789, Bligh and his crew were sent to Tahiti to get breadfruit plants to the Carribean. Not long after leaving Tahiti Fletcher Christian led a mutiny. He cast “off their commander and 18 of his supporters in an open boat only 7 metres long…They were given a sextant, compass and five days’ food and water.” Bligh managed to navigate over 5800 kilometers to Timor through difficult waters part along the north-east coast of Australia along the way (Australian Museum). (Lot 6)

Captain James Cook (1728-1779) known for three successful voyages and needs little introduction. He was killed in Hawaii in 1779. In our 1784 copy there is a fold-out image of illustrate=ing the death of cook. We have several books concerning Captain James Cook and his voyages including a 1777 edition of Forster’s Journal (Lot 31). We also have a copy of Cook’s Second Voyage (Lot 36); as well as several Beaglehole items as well as others on Sir Joseph Banks.

King Louis the XVI was inspired by James Cook and in 1785 sent Jean-Francois de Galaup La Perouse (1741–1788)(ADB).with L’Astrolabe and La Boussole with many scientists and artists to explore north and south of the Pacific and complete the maps begun by Captain Cook. He was also to establish new trade contacts(NGV). In 1788, he visited Botany Bay. He was seen leaving the heads but was never seen again(SLNSW). Lot 32

You may also be interested in:

• Pacific
• Voyages
• Hakluyt society
• Australian exploration

When: 10am Monday 20th March 2023
Where: C11/372-428 Wattle Street, Ultimo NSW and broadcasted online.
Bids: In the room, absentee, by phone or online. Best email to arrange.

Catalogue