antiquarian rare books: travel & exploration,
atlases, maps and others
(internet) antiquarian bookshop
Bronckhorst, Netherlands
mail to Rob van der Graaf
for orders, condition reports etc
worldwide shipping!
visits by appointment only
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Hundreds of adventurous travel stories outside Europe,
by land and sea, ego documents,
most in first published edition
and in original or contemporary binding.
recent additions:
Borchgrevink, Carsten
Das Festland am Südpol. Die Expedition zum Südpolarland in den Jahren 1898-1900
Breslau, Schlesische Verlags-Anstalt Schottlaender 1905 first German edition
8vo, publisher’s decorated cloth. (6), 609 pages with 6 coloured plates, 5 maps and many other full page and in-text illustrations. In near Fine condition.
Borchgrevink was the first person to definitively set foot on the Antarctic continent. He led the British Antarctic Expedition (Southern Cross Expedition) from 1898 to 1900. Borchgrevink and his team wintered at Cape Adare, located on the northernmost tip of Victoria Land in Antarctica. This made him the first person to spend a winter on the mainland of Antarctica. “The work and accomplishments of the expedition were, without a doubt, remarkable” (Rosove).
€ 220
Nieuhof, Johan
Het Gezandtschap der Neêrlandtsche Oost-Indische Compagnie, aan den grooten Tartarischen Cham, Den tegenwoordigen keizer van China
Amsterdam, Wolfgang, Waasberge etc 1693
Folio, contemporary full panelled calf, front joint cracked, marbled edges. 2 parts in 1 volume, (6), 208; 258, (8) pages, frontispiece, portrait, folding map, 34 double-page plates and 110 text engravings. Frontispiece edges frayed, bound without the binder’s instructions, else nice and clean.
Fourth (3 in Amsterdam, 1 in Antwerp) edition. It chronicles a remarkable expedition as part of a Dutch diplomatic envoy to the Qing Dynasty. This travelogue is a vivid tapestry of Nieuhof's experiences, insights, and observations during his sojourn in the 17th-century Chinese empire. Through his meticulous descriptions and intricate illustrations, Nieuhof documents China's multifaceted landscapes, architecture, flora, and fauna, providing a rare and valuable window into a largely unexplored land from a Western perspective. Nieuhof's encounters with Chinese officials, scholars, and common people offer readers a fascinating glimpse into the dynamics of cultural exchange and diplomatic negotiations at a pivotal time in history with details about the daily lives, traditions, and social norms of the Chinese people during the Qing Dynasty. It has retained its significance as a primary source for historians.
€ 5.800
Bruce, James
Reis naar Abyssinie, en te rug door de groote woestijn van Nubie, verkort
Amsteldam, M. de Bruyn 1801 first Dutch edition 3 volumes.
8vo, contemporary half calf with wear. (2), xl, xlviii, 525,(1); (2), vi, 528; vi, 439,(1) pages, complete with a large folding map and 6 plates. A nice copy. Rare.
Intent on reaching the source of the Nile River, Bruce left Cairo on an arduous journey by way of the Nile, Aswān, the Red Sea, and Mitsiwa (now Massawa, Eritrea), eventually reaching the Ethiopian capital of Gonder on February 14, 1770. Despite serious political unrest in Ethiopia, Bruce continued his expedition and reached Lake Tana, where the Blue Nile rises, on November 14. The journey homeward was one of extreme hardship. This vivid account of his travels is considered one of the epics of African adventure literature.
€ 1.200
