Rare books from Michael Treloar Antiquarian Booksellers

The archive comprises nearly 440 pieces (each approximately 320 × 510 mm or larger), many from the later 1970s when Mitchell was at the height of his powers. A unique commentary on the personalities and events of the times: when Hawke, Fraser and Dunstan were in power, Nixon went to China, the war in Vietnam ended and the first wave of 'boat people' began to arrive here, many Indigenous Australians were in a parlous state, cricket and cricketers still caused grief ... [Approximately 440 items].

The image, from the early 1850s, is in the original leather case gilt-embossed 'Mr Kilburn, 234 Regent Street'. The celebrated William Kilburn trained his brother Douglas, who established Victoria's first professional photographic studio in 1847.

London: Lovell Reeve, 1859. First Edition. Hardcover. London, Lovell Reeve, [November] 1859 [first separate edition]. Large quarto, viii, 128 pages (complete with the half-title). Later half roan and stippled cloth, lightly rubbed at the extremities; a very crisp and bright copy. 'The first important botanical work by a supporter of the doctrine of evolution by natural selection' (Norman, often quoted, but not going nearly far enough in our opinion!). A singular rarity, of the utmost importance. In the concluding paragraph of the postscript, unique to this edition, Hooker writes: 'I would further observe here, to avoid ambiguity, that my friend Mr. Darwin's just completed work "On the Origin of Species by Natural Selection" [sic], from the perusal of much of which in MS. I have profited so largely, had not appeared during the printing of the Essay, or I should have largely quoted it. Kew, November, 4, 1859'.

The very fine portrait (visible image size 545 × 395 mm, in its original ornate gilt frame, external dimensions 740 × 595 mm) is exquisitely hand-painted and signed by the famous colonial photographer, Townsend Duryea (1823-1888). His original label is affixed to the paper backing on the verso of the frame ('T. Duryea, Artist Photographer, 66 and 68 King William Street, Adelaide'), and in our opinion, he has created a masterpiece as both artist and photographer with this work. James Hurtle Fisher commenced practice as a solicitor in London in 1816 and 'was drawn into the colonizing movement in 1835.... [He] was selected as resident commissioner, one of the most important offices under the South Australian Act ... second only to the governor'. Fisher 'left England in July 1836 with the governor's party in the "Buffalo", arriving on 28 December 1836 at Holdfast Bay, where the official oaths were administered, a proclamation was read and a ceremony marked the beginning of settlement. In January 1837… Read More

London: Becket & De Hondt, 1771. First Edition. Hardcover. Very Good. London, Becket & De Hondt, 1771 [first issue, with the dedication leaf to Banks and Solander, quickly suppressed]. Quarto, [ii] (title page, verso blank), ii (dedication leaf), 130, [3] ('Vocabulary of the Language of Otahitee') pages. Later half brown morocco, marbled sides and endpapers, edges dyed yellow; leather lightly rubbed; slight surface loss to the sides; title page slightly marked and a little dusty, with the inkstamp of the 'Northern Protector of Aboriginals' in the top corner; early notes in ink on the initial binder's blank; later marginal notes in pencil on about a dozen pages (but see below); an excellent copy. The first published account of Cook's first voyage to the Pacific, which appeared some two years before the official account. This copy carries the stamp of the Northern Protector of Aboriginals, and appears to have been in the collection of the notable ethnographer Walter E. Roth, who occupied that office… Read More

The door panels are inlaid with large eight-pointed stars, and flanked by three applied carved foliate pilasters (with trailing ribbons, flowers, fruit and acanthus leaves; possibly later). The large overhanging cornice is plain except for an applied central garland. The lower portion comprises a single drawer above massive bun feet. Height 2155 mm; width 1975 mm; depth 780 mm. Minor signs of use and age, but minimal conservation treatment has resulted in a most attractive and imposing item. Its construction is typical of this style of furniture, traditionally a dowry piece; by removing a few pins and wedges, the main body of the cabinet breaks down into flat panels for ease of relocation and transportation. In her 1958 biography of her father, G.D. Delprat, Paquita Mawson records his lengthy trip to England, Europe and America, from February to October 1907. She notes that he 'was always generous in his gifts to us and this time there was quite a lot of furniture, which we still have' ('A Vision of… Read More

All photographs are archivally mounted and unframed; the size of each image is approximately 150 × 205 mm or the reverse. The condition is uniformly excellent. A separate illustrated catalogue has been prepared and is available on request. Richard Parkinson (1844-1909) is usually considered to have been of German origin, although he was born in the Duchy of Schleswig when it was part of Denmark. Following Germany's establishment of its Pacific Island colonies in the late nineteenth century, Parkinson was officially recognized by the colonial authorities as being German. He arrived in Samoa in 1876, having been employed by the German trading and plantation company Godeffroy as a surveyor and plantation manager. He became involved in the local political and social scenes and in 1879 married sixteen-year-old Phebe Coe, sister of Emma Coe, the American-Samoan who later became famous as Queen Emma of the South Seas. Emma moved to the Duke of York Islands, between New Britain and New Ireland in the… Read More

[Sydney: N.L. Press, 1922. First Edition. Hardcover. Very Good. [Sydney, N.L. Press, 1922]. Large folio, [36] pages with a pictorial title page lettered (along with the publisher's device) in gilt, 16 illuminated initials (with the letter in gilt), and 5 large tipped-in etchings with captioned tissue-guards. Original quarter cream sheep and parchment-covered bevelled-edge boards printed in red and decorated in gilt, all edges uncut; leather a little discoloured with minor surface loss; parchment a little marked and foxed; endpapers offset; occasional light foxing to the deckle edges of the paper; tissue-guards tanned and a little creased, with trifling loss to silverfish to one of them; a very good copy (the original etchings in fine condition) in a custom-made Solander box (half calf and cloth, now slightly marked). Number 5 of 133 copies (of which only 100 were for sale to the public) signed by Hugh McCrae. The five original etchings, individually numbered and signed in pencil by Norman Lindsay,… Read More

[London: McLean & Co, 1847. [London, McLean & Co., 1847]. Two hand-coloured tinted lithographs, individually framed and glazed at a much later date (matted just inside the printed surface; visible image sizes 149 × 255 mm; external dimensions 383 × 474 mm). Both items are in fine condition (but not examined out of the frames). 'Scenes in the Bush of Australia. By A Squatter' was originally published as 'an oblong quarto volume consisting of two fine lithographs within green titling-wrappers. [The wrappers (not present here) stated the work was 'Published for the benefit of the Famine Relief Fund of the Highlands of Scotland'.] The first plate, "The Squatter's First Home", is signed on the stone "ADL". The second, "An Exploring Party, Looking for a Sheep Run", is unsigned. The two lithographs were available either tinted or fully coloured by hand. The coloured issue is especially rare. Lang occupied a run at Terrinallum, near Mortlake in Victoria, between 1839 and 1845. He was a gifted amateur… Read More

London: Faber & Gwyer Limited, 1925. First Edition. London, Faber & Gwyer Limited, 1925 [1926, first edition, signed deluxe issue]. Demy octavo, [iv] (first leaf blank), 99 pages. Original white buckram lettered in gilt on the spine; sides bordered in blind; all edges uncut (and the first opening unopened); spine lightly sunned; rear bottom corner tip very lightly bumped; hand-made paper a little cockled at the edges (as expected); endpapers lightly browned; assuredly, a near-fine copy. Number 1 of 85 copies of the deluxe issue on hand-made paper, signed by T.S. Eliot (and only 75 copies were offered for sale). This collection includes some of Eliot's best-loved poems, including 'Prufrock', 'The Waste Land', and 'The Hollow Men'. Gallup A8b (noting a publication date for this issue of 6 January 1926).

Original albumen paper photographs (image size 88 × 59 mm), mounted on plain card as issued (105 × 63 mm); identifying surnames have been written in ink in the same hand on each verso at an early date (and their connection added later in pencil). The portrait of Burke has a few tiny marks in the top background, and the mount is a little foxed in the margins; the portrait of Wills is in near-fine condition. When compared with all other examples of portrait photographs of either explorer in the public domain, this matching pair - delicately hand-coloured and skilfully vignetted to the head and shoulders - has little if any competition. And significantly, they are fresh to the market ... However, when it came to collate the available reference material, the more information we discovered, the more anomalies, errors, and gaps in the story we brought to light. The following notes present the most pertinent of them, and our educated guesses are an attempt to clear a path through them. Tim Bonyhady, in… Read More

Very Good. A very large vintage blue-toned carbon print, on the original oversized thick card mount, recently mounted and matted using archival materials (visible image size 557 × 720 mm, external mat size 750 × 902 mm), ready for framing (or long-term storage in its custom-made Mylar sleeve). Uniform light tanning, with slight crazing to the emulsion on the darkest of the rocks on the right-hand side; in very good condition. This print comes from the original 1915 London exhibition of Hurley photographs. The label of the Fine Art Society, New Bond Street, London is on the verso of this print, with the title (as above) and the London catalogue reference number 102 in ink. Provenance: Sir Douglas Mawson; purchased from him in 1939 by Harold Fletcher, the zoologist on Mawson's BANZARE voyages, 1929-31; by descent. Harold Oswald Fletcher (1903-1996) 'started work at the Australian Museum in 1918 at the age of 15, and went on to become Curator of Fossils in 1941 and Deputy Director in 1957. After 48… Read More

Adelaide: Townsend Duryea, 1866. Adelaide, Townsend Duryea, [printed circa 1866; original negative circa 1863]. An albumen paper photograph (90 × 59 mm), mounted on the original card (102 × 62 mm) with 'T. Duryea, Photographer to His Excellency, 66 King William St., Adelaide' printed on the verso under the Vice-Regal Coat of Arms. 'Townsend Duryea began making cartes de visite in late 1862 or early 1863, and was advertising his "new" style of carte in May 1863' (Bob Noye, AGSA website). The portrait, taken in Duryea's Adelaide studio, shows Stuart after his epic crossing of the continent of Australia: he is visibly depleted - emaciated even - with his injured hand positioned awkwardly in his lap. The accident that caused this permanent injury occurred on 25 October 1861, the day the main party of the successful sixth expedition departed Adelaide. Stuart later described it in a letter to Charles Sturt: 'the accident I received from one of the horses being in a state of strangulation and endeavoured… Read More

Sydney: Charles Potter, Government Printer, 1892. First Edition. Hardcover. Sydney, Charles Potter, Government Printer, 1892. A very large oblong folio album (400 × 525 × 110 mm), containing 100 large-format high-gloss gelatin silver photographs (approximately 335 × 277 mm or the reverse) mounted recto and verso on 50 thick card album leaves, with attractive calligraphic captions written in ink on the bottom margin of each mount. Full morocco (with the title in gilt on the front panel) extensively decorated in gilt and blind, gilt inner dentelles, all edges gilt; scattered foxing to the margins of most mounts; slight fading around the edges of most plates; however, overall, this massive album has a superb binding in exceptional condition, and the plate contents are in excellent order. Mounted on the front pastedown is a leather presentation plate to 'The Lady Evelyn Gathorne Hardy | From George R. Dibbs'. Sir George Richard Dibbs (1834-1904) was Premier of NSW on three occasions (1885, 1889, and… Read More

London: Thomas M'Lean, 1847. First Edition. Hardcover. London, Thomas M'Lean, 1847. Imperial folio, [12] pages, comprising a superb hand-coloured pictorial lithographed title page dated 1846 (verso blank); letterpress title page dated 1847 (verso blank); lithographed dedication (verso blank); Preface; 'General Remarks on the Aboriginal Inhabitants of South Australia' (3 pages); 'Subscribers to South Australia Illustrated' (2 pages, with 243 copies accounted for), plus 60 hand-coloured lithographs, each with accompanying descriptive letterpress (usually one leaf, occasionally more). Contemporary (if not original) half dark green morocco and matching cloth, the spine lettered and ruled in gilt, the front cover lettered in gilt; leather lightly worn at the corner tips, with the corner pieces slightly marked with minor surface loss; surface cracks to both joints, a little more pronounced on the front joint; slight damage to a small section of the front joint near the title; cloth slightly scuffed and… Read More