Australian Rare Books, 1788-1900

Hordern House, Sydney, first edition, 1987. Cloth, large 8vo, 26 cm,. x, 468 pp. plates, ills., tipped-in frontispiece. From the blurb: "Jonathan Wantrup has written what will undoubtedly prove to be for many years to come the definitive work on collecting Australian rare books. He introduces the subject with an examination of the nature and methods of book collecting and an explanation of the essential technical aspects. In the six succeeding chapters he provides a wide-ranging survey of the major Australian books that chronicle our past, relating each to the historical context in which it was produced. The rarity and market value of each of these milestones is fully examined. The long awaited standard reference work on the subject, Australian Rare Books 1788-1900 also offers a unique perspective on Australian history. Every chapter of Jonathan Wantrup's very readable volume testifies to the depth of his research and the breadth of his scholarship. The book includes an extensive bibliographical checklist detailing the 260 major printed sources discussed in the text, together with a glossary of terms used in book collecting and a general index as well as a special index of artists and engravers." 1 The Art of Book Collecting; 2 Anatomy for Book Collectors; 3 Founding Fathers 1788-1806; 4 Turbulent Years: Bligh-Macquarie 1806-1823; 5 The Unity of These Southern Regions: Coastal Discovery After Cook; 6 Into This Promised Land : Inland Exploration 1788-1850; 7 A Prospect Gloomy: Inland Exploration 1850-1900 ; 8 The Wild Scenery of Australia: Fine Early Plate Books; Epilogue; Appendix I: Checklist of Books Discussed in the Text; Appendix II: Terms Used in Book Collecting; General Index; Index of Artists and Engravers. Very Good in Very Good dustwrapper.