Travel & Exploration (all items)
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BOTTIGELLA, Giovanni Matteo; & Roberto Sanseverino.
Viaggio in Terra Santa. 1459
£500,000
EXCEPTIONALLY IMPORTANT ITALIAN/LOMBARD LANGUAGE MANUSCRIPT of a little-known pilgrimage to the Holy Land made from Venice to Jaffa by sea in 1458-9, containing "the most...
Quarto (220 × 155 mm), 133 unnumbered leaves written in a professional scribal hand in ink, about 29 lines per page on lined vellum, with contemporary annotations... Read more
ROBERTS, David.
Egypt & Nubia, from Drawings Made on the Spot … 1846–49
£165,000
First edition in the preferred deluxe coloured format of "one of the most important and elaborate ventures of nineteenth-century publishing, and it was the apotheosis of the tinted...
3 volumes, large folio (595 × 430 mm). Contemporary blue hard-grain half morocco on matching pebble-grained cloth, title gilt to spines, spines gilt in... Read more
GOULD, John.
The Mammals of Australia. 1863
£165,000
A superb copy of the first edition of Gould's work on the Mammals of Australia. Gould's interest in Australia was piqued by specimens sent back by his wife's brothers who had settled...
3 volumes folio (555 × 365 mm). Contemporary green half morocco on matching pebble-grained boards by Blunson & Co., spines divided into in seven compartments with... Read more
COOK, Captain James.
An Account of the Voyages … for Making Discoveries in the Southern Hemisphere…; 1773–88
£75,000
Second–first–third editions of the three voyages, traditionally considered the best edition for each of the three voyages; the largest possible copies of the text volumes,...
Together 10 volumes: 9 quarto text volumes and folio atlas. The text volumes uniformly bound and consecutively numbered in English Regency half calf, spines... Read more
SALT, Henry.
Twenty-Four Views in St. Helena, the Cape, India, Ceylon, the Red Sea, Abyssinia and Egypt. 1809
£50,000
First edition, with plates watermarked 1824. Having failed in his original ambition to be a portrait painter, "On 20 June 1802 Salt left England on an eastern tour, as secretary and...
Large folio (751 × 534 mm). Original marbled boards, with red morocco patch title label to the upper, rebacked and recornered in red morocco to style, title gilt... Read more
OGILBY, John.
America; being the latest and most Accurate Description of the New World… 1671
£45,000
First edition. In common with all of Ogilby's travel works (it is the second in a series which also included Africa, Asia, and Britannia), the book is a well-produced compilation of...
Folio in sixes (410 × 270 mm). Contemporary mottled calf, rebacked to style with spine elaborately gilt in compartments, red morocco label, corners repaired.... Read more
[PHILLIP, Arthur]
The Voyage of Governor Phillip to Botany Bay; 1789
£45,000
First edition of this foundation work on Australia as a European colony, the official account of the voyage of the First Fleet to Botany Bay and the settlement of Australia, based on...
Quarto (280 × 215 mm). Contemporary tree calf, professionally rebacked to style and recornered, red morocco label, flat spine, compartments with foliate arabesque... Read more
SELLER, John.
A New Systeme of Geography, [1685]
£37,500
First edition of John Seller's very rare work, one of the earliest English world atlases. This copy uniquely offers the maps unfolded and joined with the tables in oblong en plano...
Oblong octavo (230 × 136 mm). Contemporary red goatskin, expertly rebacked with the original spine, gilt in compartments, laid down, central cottage-roof panel... Read more
DODWELL, Edward.
Views in Greece, from drawings ... 1821
£37,500
First edition of one of the most spectacular aquatint travel books of its era, with good quality plates and excellent colouring; those engraved and coloured by Havell in particular...
Folio. Six parts, as issued, in original buff wrappers, green roan spines, titles printed to front wrapper, pasted errata slip on rear wrapper of part 5. Housed in a... Read more
![[Three voyages:] An Account of the Voyages … for Making Discoveries in the Southern Hemisphere…;](/content/store/products/8979/2/10395.jpg)
COOK, Captain James.
[Three voyages:] An Account of the Voyages … for Making Discoveries in the Southern Hemisphere…; 1773-85
£35,000
Second, fourth, and second editions respectively. A complete set of the official accounts of Captain Cook's three voyages around the world. "Cook did more to clarify the geographical...
9 volumes, 8 quarto text volumes (397 × 230 mm), and folio atlas (565 × 400 mm) of plates and maps to accompany the third voyage. Text volumes in early... Read more
HURGRONJE, Christiaan Snouck.
Mekka. 1888-9
£30,000
First edition, complete with its atlas of plates, of this historically important, and highly influential study of Islam's most holy city. Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje (1857-1936), a...
3 volumes: 2 text volumes large octavo (244 × 161 mm); folio atlas volume (363 × 285 mm). Text volumes in contemporary tan hard-grain half morocco, green and... Read more
SHACKLETON, E. H.
The Heart of the Antarctic. 1909
£27,500
First signed limited edition. Heart of the Antarctic number 193 of 330, The Antarctic Book one of 300 unnumbered copies, this in the second (corrected) state with contents without...
3 volumes, quarto. Original vellum, volumes I & II, and the supplement in vellum-backed grey paper boards, titles gilt to spines, upper boards of volumes I & II... Read more
DELISLE, Guillaume; Philippe Buache; & Jean Claude Dezauche.
Atlas geographique et universel 1789
£25,000
First edition thus and uncommon (just four listings on OCLC, three of these for the BNF, and no complete copy at auction for 30 years). Jean-Claude Dezauche was one of the...
2 volumes, folio (453 × 375 mm). Contemporary calf, rebacked, red morocco labels. Engraved allegorical title page and contents leaves to each and 151 double-page... Read more
AYROUARD, Jacques.
Recüeil de Plusieurs Plans des Ports et Rades et de Quelques Cartes Particulieres de la Mer Mediterranée, 1732-46
£18,000
First and only edition of this uncommon collection of charts, OCLC records just six copies outside of France, together with multiple listings for the BNF. Represents a remarkably...
Quarto (340 × 270 mm). Contemporary calf, gilt arms to both boards of Charles-Eugène-Gabriel, marquis de La Croix de Castries, secretary of state for the... Read more
MEDINA, Pedro de.
L'Arte del navegar, in laqual si contengonolere gole, dechiarationi, secreti, & avisi, 1554
£17,500
First edition in Italian, first issue with title dated 1554. First published in Valladolid in 1545, Medina's Arte del navegar was the first practical treatise on navigation and the...
Small quarto (215 x 149 mm). Contemporary limp vellum, manuscript title on spine, lacking ties, remnants of paper label at bottom of spine. Housed in a black quarter... Read more
RICHIE, Robert Yarnall.
Photographic album prepared for special presentation by the photographer 1945
£17,500
Presentation album of exhibition-quality photographs compiled by the photographer and bound for him in lavish morocco and gilt. An exceptional album of images made by the...
Folio. 30 original photographic prints each 340 × 270 mm in size, guard mounted and bound for presentation in original full green morocco, gilt map of Saudi... Read more
![[Epitome] Theatri Orbis Terrarum Enchiridion,](/content/store/products/23571/2/28886.jpg)
ORTELIUS, Abraham.
[Epitome] Theatri Orbis Terrarum Enchiridion, 1585
£16,500
First Latin and first quarto edition of Epitome. The engraver Philip Galle was a close friend of both Ortelius and Christopher Plantin and co-publisher of Braun and Hogenberg's...
Quarto (202 × 145 mm). Eighteenth-century half calf sewn on four cords, handwritten paper label to spine, marbled sides. Half-page allegorical engraving, 6... Read more
(COSWAY BINDING) LAWRENCE, T. E.
Seven Pillars of Wisdom a triumph. 1935
£15,000
First trade edition of Lawrence's great work, in an elegant and suitably dramatic Cosway binding, number 964 of the Cosway bindings according to the printed sheet signed by J. H....
Quarto (249 × 186 mm). Fine contemporary Cosway binding by Rivière and Son of red crushed morocco, spine gilt in compartments between five raised bands;... Read more
ACOSTA, Jose de.
The Naturall and Morall Historie of the East and West Indies. 1604
£14,000
First edition in English. "The most convincing, detailed, and reliable account of the riches and new things of America" (Hill). Acosta's De Natura Novi Orbis was first published in...
Small quarto (184 × 128 mm). Later sprinkled calf, neatly rebacked to style, vermillion morocco label to the spine, raised bands, double gilt rules to the... Read more
NATTES, John Claude.
Bath, illustrated by a Series of Views, 1806
£13,500
First edition, a very good, complete copy - "The half-title is frequently missing. Some copies have the vignettes uncoloured" (Tooley) Abbey suggests that although no precedence can...
Folio (451 × 321 mm) Modern green morocco, title gilt direct to spine, raised bands, gilt arabesque decoration in the compartments, wide gilt palmette and floral... Read more
BLIGH, Lieutenant William.
A Narrative of the Mutiny on Board His Majesty's Ship Bounty; 1790
£12,500
First edition of Bligh's personal account of "one of the most remarkable incidents in the whole of maritime history", published two years before his full official version of the...
Quarto (288 × 230 mm) Later speckled calf, black morocco labels, panel of French fillet gilt to the boards, spine gilt in compartments with repeated wavy line... Read more
HARRIS, John.
Navigantium atque Itinerantium Bibliotheca: or, a compleat Collection of Voyages and Travels: 1764
£12,500
Third edition, greatly expanded from the first edition which was published as a rival publication to Churchill's Voyages, the present edition contains the fine series of maps by...
2 volumes, folio (417 × 267 mm). Attractively rebound in full black calf, sides panelled in gilt, green morocco labels, spines gilt in compartments, marbled... Read more
CHURCHILL, Awnsham & John.
A Collection of Voyages and Travels, 1732
£11,500
Second, enlarged edition. "Compiled by Awnsham and John Churchill, this is a very valuable collection, both for its range of coverage and for the fact that it gives the original...
6 volumes, folio (351 × 216 mm). Contemporary speckled calf, rebacked, brown morocco labels, spines attractively gilt in compartments, Northern Light Board... Read more
DANIELL, Thomas & William.
A Picturesque Voyage to India; by the way of China. 1810
£10,000
First edition. Originally issued in ten parts, "the aquatints of India by Thomas and William Daniell have been continuously popular ever since their publication between 1795 and 1810...
Folio (348 × 250 mm). Nineteenth-century half calf on marbled boards, flat spine elaborately gilt in compartments, marbled edges and endpapers, neatly rebacked... Read more
BLIGH, William.
A Voyage to the South Sea, undertaken by command of His Majesty, 1792
£10,000
First edition of Bligh's own full account of his voyage which led to the most famous mutiny in the history of the sea. In mid-1787 Bligh received the command of the Bounty, then...
Quarto (271 × 219 mm). Near-contemporary half calf (perhaps Irish), skilfully rebacked with original spine laid down, red morocco label, spine decorated in gilt... Read more
