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<b>Bonhams:</b> MANDELSHTAM, OSIP. 1891-1938. Autograph Manuscript, 2 pp, [Petersburg,] January 1913, entitled

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Voyages, Views, Maps & Australiana from Hordern House The latest acquisitions at Hordern House. By Michael Stillman Recently received at AE Monthly from halfway around the world is a catalogue of February 2007 acquisitions from Hordern House. The Sydney, Australia, bookseller always provides a balanced collection of material, pertaining not only to its home continent, but those of Europe and America as well. Most early Australian material, naturally, pertains to exploration, and those visits were made by the great European navigators. Ties are also regularly found to America as these voyages usually traversed wide ranges of the Pacific, often visiting the west coast of America and Hawaii. That is not to say everything in this catalogue pertains to early voyages. There is some material of a strictly Australian interest. However, other collectors would be wise to take a look at what they have as these are clearly international catalogues. The latest is headed Voyages, Views, Maps, Australiana. Here are some samples of what Hordern House has recently discovered. Captain Frederick W. Beechey recounts a voyage across the Pacific and through the Bering Strait in Narrative of a Voyage to the Pacific and Beering's Strait, to co-operate with the Polar Expeditions; performed in His Majesty's Ship Blossom… The trip ran from 1825-1828, and while Beechey made stops at and explored several Pacific islands, including Hawaii, the main goal was to provide relief for northern Canadian expeditions by Parry and Franklin. Parry was attempting to find a northwest passage, but the wreck of his ship ended any hopes of success. Franklin traveled overland to map the north coast of Canada, traveling up the MacKenzie River. Beechey, sailing all the way across the Pacific almost hooked up with Franklin, but missed the latter by just 150 miles. Despite this disappointment, Beechey managed to visit many warmer places, including a stop at Pitcairn Island where he interviewed John Adams, the last survivor of the mutiny on the Bounty. This copy includes a bound-in letter from Beechey to the publisher. Beechey asks his publisher to forward a note and a copy of his book to Alexander Simpson, an employee of the Hudson's Bay Company. Simpson's brother was arctic explorer Thomas Simpson, who died on his last trip with an unexplained bullet in his head. Item 3. AU $11,000 (Australian dollars, or approximate US equivalent of $8,649). Louis Antoine de Bougainville was the first French navigator to circumnavigate the globe. He set out heading west in 1766, and discovered a few Pacific Islands, though not the mythical "Davis Land" thought to be situated off the Chilean coast. He thought he discovered Tahiti, only to find another explorer had beaten him there. However, his portrait of Tahiti as some sort of island paradise exists to this day. Bougainville also discovered a beautiful flower in South America which now bears his name -- the bougainvillea. Item 4 is the first English edition of his book, A voyage round the World, published in 1772. AU $9,000 (US $7,076).
Voyages, Views, Maps & Australiana from Hordern House Captain Cook medal; Arthur Orton album. Item 50 is an album containing 60 original photographs relating to the Arthur Orton trial. Orton was a notable imposter of the 19th century. An English butcher's son who had spent a few years in South America, he immigrated to Australia in 1852. He worked as a butcher and various other jobs and kind of disappeared for many years. In 1865, he learned through an advertisement that the mother of Roger Tichborne, heir to a baronetcy, was still looking for her son. He had disappeared off the South American coast in 1854 and was presumed drowned. Orton decided to stand in for Ticheborn and returned to England. Amazingly, he convinced his mother he was her long lost son, though he bore little resemblance to him. Mother and son must not have been that close. However, Orton did not convince other family members, including the brother who became the baron. Orton was put on the trial to which these photographs pertain. He was convicted and sentenced to 14 years in prison. When he was finally freed, Orton continued to press his claim and call himself Roger Tichborne, and while it got him publicity, he never collected an inheritance. The album includes photos of Orton as a young man, many at trial, Lady Tichborne, and other witnesses at trial. It is unknown who kept the album. AU $12,750. (US $10,022). Item 7 isn't a book, but it is closely related to one of the most important voyages ever. It is a medal minted in 1784 by the London Royal Society in honor of Captain Cook's third voyage, the one from which he never returned. Members of the Royal Society were entitled to a bronze medallion, but for an up-charge they could order silver or gold. The probable minting quantities were 22 gold, 322 silver, and 577 bronze. The desirability of these medals is underscored by the fact that the aforementioned Bougainville, among others, wrote the Society to remind its authorities that they were members entitled to receive one. Offered is one of the silver medals, with Cook's portrait on the head. AU $8,250 (US $6,485). You may visit Hordern House online at www.hordern.com, telephone (02) 9356 4411.

Voyages, Views, Maps & Australiana from Hordern House

The latest acquisitions at Hordern House.

By Michael Stillman

Recently received at AE Monthly from halfway around the world is a catalogue of February 2007 acquisitions from Hordern House. The Sydney, Australia, bookseller always provides a balanced collection of material, pertaining not only to its home continent, but those of Europe and America as well. Most early Australian material, naturally, pertains to exploration, and those visits were made by the great European navigators. Ties are also regularly found to America as these voyages usually traversed wide ranges of the Pacific, often visiting the west coast of America and Hawaii.

That is not to say everything in this catalogue pertains to early voyages. There is some material of a strictly Australian interest. However, other collectors would be wise to take a look at what they have as these are clearly international catalogues. The latest is headed Voyages, Views, Maps, Australiana. Here are some samples of what Hordern House has recently discovered.

Captain Frederick W. Beechey recounts a voyage across the Pacific and through the Bering Strait in Narrative of a Voyage to the Pacific and Beering's Strait, to co-operate with the Polar Expeditions; performed in His Majesty's Ship Blossom… The trip ran from 1825-1828, and while Beechey made stops at and explored several Pacific islands, including Hawaii, the main goal was to provide relief for northern Canadian expeditions by Parry and Franklin. Parry was attempting to find a northwest passage, but the wreck of his ship ended any hopes of success. Franklin traveled overland to map the north coast of Canada, traveling up the MacKenzie River. Beechey, sailing all the way across the Pacific almost hooked up with Franklin, but missed the latter by just 150 miles. Despite this disappointment, Beechey managed to visit many warmer places, including a stop at Pitcairn Island where he interviewed John Adams, the last survivor of the mutiny on the Bounty. This copy includes a bound-in letter from Beechey to the publisher. Beechey asks his publisher to forward a note and a copy of his book to Alexander Simpson, an employee of the Hudson's Bay Company. Simpson's brother was arctic explorer Thomas Simpson, who died on his last trip with an unexplained bullet in his head. Item 3. AU $11,000 (Australian dollars, or approximate US equivalent of $8,649).

Louis Antoine de Bougainville was the first French navigator to circumnavigate the globe. He set out heading west in 1766, and discovered a few Pacific Islands, though not the mythical "Davis Land" thought to be situated off the Chilean coast. He thought he discovered Tahiti, only to find another explorer had beaten him there. However, his portrait of Tahiti as some sort of island paradise exists to this day. Bougainville also discovered a beautiful flower in South America which now bears his name -- the bougainvillea. Item 4 is the first English edition of his book, A voyage round the World, published in 1772. AU $9,000 (US $7,076).

Voyages, Views, Maps & Australiana from Hordern House

Captain Cook medal; Arthur Orton album.

Item 50 is an album containing 60 original photographs relating to the Arthur Orton trial. Orton was a notable imposter of the 19th century. An English butcher's son who had spent a few years in South America, he immigrated to Australia in 1852. He worked as a butcher and various other jobs and kind of disappeared for many years. In 1865, he learned through an advertisement that the mother of Roger Tichborne, heir to a baronetcy, was still looking for her son. He had disappeared off the South American coast in 1854 and was presumed drowned. Orton decided to stand in for Ticheborn and returned to England. Amazingly, he convinced his mother he was her long lost son, though he bore little resemblance to him. Mother and son must not have been that close. However, Orton did not convince other family members, including the brother who became the baron. Orton was put on the trial to which these photographs pertain. He was convicted and sentenced to 14 years in prison. When he was finally freed, Orton continued to press his claim and call himself Roger Tichborne, and while it got him publicity, he never collected an inheritance. The album includes photos of Orton as a young man, many at trial, Lady Tichborne, and other witnesses at trial. It is unknown who kept the album. AU $12,750. (US $10,022).

Item 7 isn't a book, but it is closely related to one of the most important voyages ever. It is a medal minted in 1784 by the London Royal Society in honor of Captain Cook's third voyage, the one from which he never returned. Members of the Royal Society were entitled to a bronze medallion, but for an up-charge they could order silver or gold. The probable minting quantities were 22 gold, 322 silver, and 577 bronze. The desirability of these medals is underscored by the fact that the aforementioned Bougainville, among others, wrote the Society to remind its authorities that they were members entitled to receive one. Offered is one of the silver medals, with Cook's portrait on the head. AU $8,250 (US $6,485).

You may visit Hordern House online at www.hordern.com, telephone (02) 9356 4411.