Through Unknown African Countries -
A. Donaldson Smith
1897 - Edward Arnold, London New York - First Edition
With a photogravure portrait of the author, 26 full page monochrome plates, over 40 in-text illustrations, and six maps (five of which are folding and most outlined in colour).
A. Donaldson Smith was an American medical doctor and amateur big-game hunter who, in 1894-95, undertook an 18-month expedition from Berbera, Somalia (then British Somaliland) to Lake Turkana (then Lake Rudolf) in Kenya. He explored the headwaters of the Shabeelle River in Ethiopia and, on his return journey, descended the Tana River to the Kenyan coast. This book is his account of the expedition. Its appendices contain detailed descriptions and illustrations of the fishes, spiders and scorpions, moths, geological specimens, fossils, plants, and ethnographic objects collected on the expedition. Also included are maps of the expedition’s route, glossaries of words collected from several African tribes, and his correspondence with Emperor Menelek, from whom he sought permission to travel through southern Ethiopia. Lake Turkana National Park in Kenya is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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Price HK$ 2,800
1897 - Edward Arnold, London New York - First Edition
With a photogravure portrait of the author, 26 full page monochrome plates, over 40 in-text illustrations, and six maps (five of which are folding and most outlined in colour).A. Donaldson Smith was an American medical doctor and amateur big-game hunter who, in 1894-95, undertook an 18-month expedition from Berbera, Somalia (then British Somaliland) to Lake Turkana (then Lake Rudolf) in Kenya. He explored the headwaters of the Shabeelle River in Ethiopia and, on his return journey, descended the Tana River to the Kenyan coast. This book is his account of the expedition. Its appendices contain detailed descriptions and illustrations of the fishes, spiders and scorpions, moths, geological specimens, fossils, plants, and ethnographic objects collected on the expedition. Also included are maps of the expedition’s route, glossaries of words collected from several African tribes, and his correspondence with Emperor Menelek, from whom he sought permission to travel through southern Ethiopia. Lake Turkana National Park in Kenya is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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Price HK$ 2,800
A Treatise on Cyder-Making -
Hugh Stafford, Anonymous
1753 - Printed for E. Cave, London - First Edition
Legendary and rare first edition of this anonymous work, all of which is generally but erroneously attributed to Hugh Stafford who contributed the sixteen page ‘Dissertation on Cyder and Cyder-Fruit’ at the beginning.
Covering the entire process from identifying and growing the best cider apples, collection, pressing, fermentation, racking, preserving and remedial action for a variety of issues ‘which are incident to Cyder’. With fold-out engraving of cider press (opp. p.32), in-text wood-cut diagrams to pages 43 and 68 (‘One side of the framed Press...’.) and wood-cut decorations to pages v, 47, and 61.
‘As Cyder therefore is generally allowed to be an wholesome drink, and as it is the natural product of our own country, he will surely be thought to contribute something towards the good of the public, who gives infallible directions for making it universally agreeable by varrying it so as to suit every palate, and by improving the flavour and the quality, both of the rough and the smooth, divesting it of its tendency to produce cholics, and giving it the sparkle of Champaign, without an eager and windy fermentation, and rendering it more spirituous than a small wine tho' less inflaming’. [Preface]
An influential work, Benjamin Franklin, who was partial to a drop himself, ordered three copies to be reprinted as pamphlets and distributed amongst the New England farmers after failing with their vineyards. It was plagiarised into various publications including encyclopaedias, cookbooks and later reference works related to cider.
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Price HK$ 42,000
1753 - Printed for E. Cave, London - First Edition
Legendary and rare first edition of this anonymous work, all of which is generally but erroneously attributed to Hugh Stafford who contributed the sixteen page ‘Dissertation on Cyder and Cyder-Fruit’ at the beginning.Covering the entire process from identifying and growing the best cider apples, collection, pressing, fermentation, racking, preserving and remedial action for a variety of issues ‘which are incident to Cyder’. With fold-out engraving of cider press (opp. p.32), in-text wood-cut diagrams to pages 43 and 68 (‘One side of the framed Press...’.) and wood-cut decorations to pages v, 47, and 61.
‘As Cyder therefore is generally allowed to be an wholesome drink, and as it is the natural product of our own country, he will surely be thought to contribute something towards the good of the public, who gives infallible directions for making it universally agreeable by varrying it so as to suit every palate, and by improving the flavour and the quality, both of the rough and the smooth, divesting it of its tendency to produce cholics, and giving it the sparkle of Champaign, without an eager and windy fermentation, and rendering it more spirituous than a small wine tho' less inflaming’. [Preface]
An influential work, Benjamin Franklin, who was partial to a drop himself, ordered three copies to be reprinted as pamphlets and distributed amongst the New England farmers after failing with their vineyards. It was plagiarised into various publications including encyclopaedias, cookbooks and later reference works related to cider.
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Price HK$ 42,000
Imperial Cricket -
P. F. Warner (editor)
1912 - The London & Counties Press Association Ltd, London - Subscriber’s Edition number 7 of 900
‘Hail CRICKET! Glorious, manly, British Game!
First of all Sports! be alike in Fame!’ – James Love, 1744.
And Huzzah! to that. Presenting a magnificent and obviously imperial work, which covers the growth and development of Cricket throughout the Empire from Hong Kong and the Far East, Ceylon, India, British Malaya and Bermuda to South Africa, West Africa, India, Australia, Fiji, Egypt and the Sudan. Not only the history of Cricket in each area but with anecdotes and illustrations. In addition there are chapters on The History of Cricket; Cricket and the Royal Family, Oxford and Cambridge Cricket; I Zingari; and Free Foresters.
Large quarto (32 x 26 x 6 cm), heavily illustrated with six full page photogravure plates, three full page colour plates and 93 black and white images.
Contributors include FS Ashley-Cooper, ACM Croome, Andrew Lang, Cecil Headlam and SP Foenander. With an extensive index compiled by Ashley-Cooper.
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Price HK$ 5,000
1912 - The London & Counties Press Association Ltd, London - Subscriber’s Edition number 7 of 900
‘Hail CRICKET! Glorious, manly, British Game!First of all Sports! be alike in Fame!’ – James Love, 1744.
And Huzzah! to that. Presenting a magnificent and obviously imperial work, which covers the growth and development of Cricket throughout the Empire from Hong Kong and the Far East, Ceylon, India, British Malaya and Bermuda to South Africa, West Africa, India, Australia, Fiji, Egypt and the Sudan. Not only the history of Cricket in each area but with anecdotes and illustrations. In addition there are chapters on The History of Cricket; Cricket and the Royal Family, Oxford and Cambridge Cricket; I Zingari; and Free Foresters.
Large quarto (32 x 26 x 6 cm), heavily illustrated with six full page photogravure plates, three full page colour plates and 93 black and white images.
Contributors include FS Ashley-Cooper, ACM Croome, Andrew Lang, Cecil Headlam and SP Foenander. With an extensive index compiled by Ashley-Cooper.
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Price HK$ 5,000