The Kafir Wars and the British settlers in South Africa. A series of picturesque views from original sketches by... descriptive letterpress by W.R. Thomson.
by BOWLER, Thomas W
- Used
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
London, London, United Kingdom
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
London, Day, 1865. . First edition. Imperial 4to., coloured lithograph frontispiece mounted on card as issued, 19 tinted lithographs, light spotting, original brown pebble-grained cloth decorated in blind, lettered in gilt on upper cover, a very good copy.
An attractive book by the 'David Roberts of South Africa'. Inspired by his friend, the writer and fellow artist, Thomas Baines, Bowler embarked on the Waldensian in December 1861 for his tour of the eastern frontier districts, returning at the end of January 1862 with numerous drawings which formed the basis of this book. The views are reproduced in treble tinted lithography and show localities that achieved fame during the eastern frontier struggles. In his introduction the artist expresses the hope that his work 'if not found very useful in the library among more exhausting books of travel... will be thought ornamental in the drawing room.' The work is considered to be amongst Bowler's finest, particularly the views of Port Elizabeth and its harbour.
'From a geographical point of view, Bowler's Kafir War series cannot be overestimated. They show the changing face and contours of the Eastern Province and Border districts more forcibly than the most fluent writing. The gentle streams flowing through wild and dense undergrowth, over rocky ledges; the cattle grazing on the abundant greenery in the native villages of Chumie and Burns Hill, are now to be seen only in the albums of Bowler and Baines. Encroaching civilisation has altered the Border districts to such an extent, that it is hard to believe that these pictures were not merely a figment of Bowler's imagination' (Bradlow).
Bradlow & Gordon-Brown pp195-198, plates 99-118; Mendelssohn I, 176-77.
An attractive book by the 'David Roberts of South Africa'. Inspired by his friend, the writer and fellow artist, Thomas Baines, Bowler embarked on the Waldensian in December 1861 for his tour of the eastern frontier districts, returning at the end of January 1862 with numerous drawings which formed the basis of this book. The views are reproduced in treble tinted lithography and show localities that achieved fame during the eastern frontier struggles. In his introduction the artist expresses the hope that his work 'if not found very useful in the library among more exhausting books of travel... will be thought ornamental in the drawing room.' The work is considered to be amongst Bowler's finest, particularly the views of Port Elizabeth and its harbour.
'From a geographical point of view, Bowler's Kafir War series cannot be overestimated. They show the changing face and contours of the Eastern Province and Border districts more forcibly than the most fluent writing. The gentle streams flowing through wild and dense undergrowth, over rocky ledges; the cattle grazing on the abundant greenery in the native villages of Chumie and Burns Hill, are now to be seen only in the albums of Bowler and Baines. Encroaching civilisation has altered the Border districts to such an extent, that it is hard to believe that these pictures were not merely a figment of Bowler's imagination' (Bradlow).
Bradlow & Gordon-Brown pp195-198, plates 99-118; Mendelssohn I, 176-77.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Shapero Rare Books (GB)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 98860
- Title
- The Kafir Wars and the British settlers in South Africa. A series of picturesque views from original sketches by... descriptive letterpress by W.R. Thomson.
- Author
- BOWLER, Thomas W
- Book Condition
- Used
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Place of Publication
- London, Day, 1865.
Terms of Sale
Shapero Rare Books
30 day return guarantee, with full refund including original shipping costs for up to 30 days after delivery if an item arrives misdescribed or damaged.
About the Seller
Shapero Rare Books
Biblio member since 2020
London, London
About Shapero Rare Books
Specialising in rare books on Travel & Voyages, Natural History, Literature (including modern first editions), Children's Books, Guide Books, Judaica & Hebraica, titles of Russian interest, and Islamica.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Gilt
- The decorative application of gold or gold coloring to a portion of a book on the spine, edges of the text block, or an inlay in...
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...