Malningar af Nagra Folkslag fran de Frammande Werldsdelarne..

Early-nineteenth century Swedish pocket guide to the peoples of the world, featuring three Pacific studies and complete with the original printed booklet and slipcase. Such materials were produced for a juvenile audience and effectively showcased traditional European folk dress and the native peoples of the wider world for the education of children. Unsurprisingly, such pedagogic aids are now rare given they were printed in limited numbers and faced the depredations of children over ensuing decades.

This example, printed in Stockholm and dated 1825, features three Pacific subjects - the Tahitian dancing maiden famous from the first depictíon in Cooks voyages, a Hawaiian warrior and a native of Kamchatka in furs which also originate from the official voyage publications. All three therefore derive by several degrees from the work of Hodges and Webber aboard the second and third Cook voyages respectively.

Of additional interest are two other outlandish figures - a Samoyed and Patagonian - alongside more familiar native costume studies. Each of the illustrations is accorded a good description in the charming slight booklet that accompanies the concertina.

This work is not listed in the standard bibliographies including Forbes, Kroepelien and O'Reilly & Reitman.