Highlights from Michael Graves-Johnston Antiquarian and Rare books

WEBSTER, George: Cape Coast Castle, A British Settlement on the Gold Coast, Africa (1806)

To His Royal Highness the Duke of Clarence this Plate is with His gracious permission humbly Dedicated by His Highnesses most obliged and devoted servants, G. Webster & J. Barrow. Published Oct. 26th 1806 by J. Barrow and G. Webster.

A hand-coloured aquatint measuring 23´ x 18´ inches with the image being 21´ x 15¨ inches. The image views Cape Coast Castle from the sea, it is positioned to the right of centre, a large ship is on the right with several smaller sailing ships, in the foreground is a rowing boat manned by eight crew with two European naval officers being taken to the shore. The sea is calm and there is a peaceful and almost languid air about the scene.
The paper is slightly browned overall. Coloured images of West Africa from this date are unusual and rare. £1,500

PHELPS, Steven: Art and Artefacts of the Pacific, Africa and the Americas (1976)

The James Hooper Collection. London: Hutchinson, 1976 Med.4to. 487pp. 8 colour and 250 monochrome plates, numerous maps, biblio., index, dw. A total of 1927 pieces are catalogued; the Pacific, 1307 pieces; the Americas; 424 pieces; and Africa, 196 pieces.

The catalogue of the magnificent collection of ethnographic art formed by James Hooper (1897 - 1971), which was collected over his lifetime. His grandson, Stephen Phelps was the author of this work. An excellent copy of this important catalogue in the publisher's dustwrapper. [31792] £1,200

AZAIS, R.P. & R. Chambard: Cinq Annees de Recherches Archéologiques en êthiopie: Province du Harar et Ethiopie Meridionale (1931).

Prêface par Edmond Pottier.
In two volumes, Texte et Atlas. Paris: Librairie Orientaliste Paul Geuthner, 1931 Half calf with marbled endpapers, 4to.

(1). Texte. xv,348pp. 6 collotype plates, map, index.
(2). Atlas. iv,10pp. Numerous illustrations from photographs on 110 collotype plates. Excellent photos of people, sites, etc in the Province of Harar and middle Ethiopia. The Winterton copy with his bookplate, a fine set in a recent half calf with gilt spines.p £ 500

WEINTHAL, Leo (Ed.). The Story of the Cape to Cairo Railway and River Route, from 1887 to 1922.

Compiled, Illustrated and Edited by Leo Weinthal. In four volumes with seperate map case. London: The Pioneer Publishing Co., Ltd., 1923 - 1926 Publisher’s gilt decorated black half-morocco, 4to.

(1). The Record and Romance of an Imperial Project; how it materialised to date; and the Story of its Creators. Forewords by J. C. Smuts, The Earl Buxton and Sir Francis Younghusband.
(2). The Main Line as it exists to-day from the Cape to the Nile Delta.
(3). Variations of the Main Trunk Route and its Feeder Lines in existence or projected. Africa’s Native Tribes and Wild Game.
(4). Volume Four. The Finance, Commerce and Industry of the Countries served by the Route; their Geological Features and Mineral Production; the Railways on the Route; and Irrigation Works.
(5). Index to volumes I., II. & III.
All volumes with copious plates and maps. A massive compilation on the countries of Africa along the route of the railway, the associate editors were Sir Alfred Sharpe, C. W. Hobley, Gerald H. Lepper, Charles Rudy, Alfred J. Clevely, Charles Sheldon, W. Ingram-Lyon and William J. Brand. Containing contributions by the famous africanists of the day. An excellent copy in the publisher’s black half morocco. £3,000

BIRCH, S. Catalogue of the collection of Egyptian Antiquities at Alnwick Castle.

Printed for private distribution. London: R. Clay, Sons, and Taylor, Printers, 1880 Roy.4to. xx,374pp. 22 lithographed plates after Joseph Bonomi, some coloured, index.

This collection was formed by the 4th Duke of Northumberland from objects acquired in Egypt in the 1820’s and subsequent purchases including the sale of the Salt collection in 1835 and J. Burton’s in 1836. Samuel Birch (1813 - 1885) was Keeper of Oriental Antiquities at the British Museum. With the stamp of the University of London, Archaeology Library on the endpaper, lower title page and contents page with their ‘Cancelled’ stamp; on the verso of title is a stamp reading ‘Presented by the Duke of Northumberland. AD. MDCCCLXXXII.’ Two small marks to the spine where shelf numbers have been removed, a very nice copy in the publisher’s gilt decorated dark green cloth. £950

BRUCE, James. Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile, In the Years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772, and 1773. In five volumes.

By James Bruce of Kinnaird, Esq. F.R.S. Edinburgh: Printed by J. Ruthven, for G.G.J. and J. Robinson, London, 1790 Contemporary half calf, 4to.
Bound without half-titles as often the case, engraved title vignettes, engraved arms on dedication leaf in first volume.

Bruce, James, of Kinnaird (1730-1794), African traveller, only started writing his account twelve years after returning from that continent. “Anxious to emulate the form of James Cook’s Voyage to the Pacific Ocean (one of the best-selling travel books of the century), Bruce published his 3000-page Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile in five quarto volumes in 1790. It was immensely successful, most of the original edition being sold to retail booksellers within thirty-two hours, and was rapidly translated into French and German.” - DNB. Despite favourable reviews Bruce’s reputation was widely impugned at the time by among others Samuel Johnson; however later nineteenth century travellers largely verified his accounts. The spines rebacked in dark brown calf ruled and lettered in gilt, recornered, very occasional light foxing and browning, the marbled paper on the boards a little rubbed, with the contemporary armorial bookplate of B. A. Heywood, Esq., a very nice clean set of the first edition in a contemporary half calf. [Blackmer: 221, Gay: 44, Ibrahim-Hilmy: I,91.] £5,000

FARNELL, Lewis Richard. The Cults of The Greek States. In five volumes.

Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1896 - 1909 8vo.

A monumental account of the early Greek cults amply illustrated with examples of sculpture, etc., on which the author spent twenty years of research. Originally planned in three volumes, the work was expanded to five volumes. A very nice set in the publisher’s dark green cloth. £ 500