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Australia. 400 years' antique maps & prints

Aust.Diggles.Palm CockatooSince closing our Milton gallery at Camford Square at the end of 2011, Derek and I have been surprisingly  busy - mainly with maps, prints and books being bought from our website. We also catch up with customers who find they enjoy the drive out to the Antique Print Clubhouse off Springbrook Road on Mt Nimmel in Neranwood.

Bellin.CarteReduites-TerraAustrales

Our first exhibition showed 400 years of Antique Maps & Prints of Australia - some of the finest and earliest Australian engravings from Australia's discovery, the first sightings of native flowers, birds, animals and aboriginals inhabitants - through immigration, settlement, gold rushes & development. It will be well worth a visit, but if you are unable, you can see them on our website at Australian views and people, Australian maps and charts, Australian flora, John Gould Birds of Australia and other Australian birds, Australian marsupials and other Australian animals, Australian marine life, and if there is any other subject not covered, and you cannot find it in Australian views and people, please email us.

Au.Capt.Cook Kanguroo

As recently as the 17th century Terra Australis Incognita (unknown southern land) represented the long-held European opinion that a large landmass at the South Pole balanced the populated countries of the northern hemisphere. Including “curious” in their titles, up to the mid-18th century, maps showed wrong coastlines for Australia - until James Cook discovered and charted the east coast in 1770.

A.Banksia littoralisEarly European engravings showed decidedly strange  interpretations of Australia’s unfamiliar marsupials. Engravings of our birds and animals include the ‘kanguroo’ on Captain Cook’s voyage, which was more accurate in shape than many images from the First Fleet settlement!
19th century beautiful large hand-coloured lithographs of Australian birds and mammals were published by John Gould. 18th century hand-coloured engravings of distinctive Australian flora had finely engraved dissections of flowers. Some in the 19th century used uncoloured sections to emphasize foliage detail. Exquisite hand-coloured botanical lithographs c1840 provide beautiful decorative artwork.

Gill.Diggers of High DegreeEndeavour,aground c1790 One of the earliest and probably the most famous early view of Australia is of Cook’s ship Endeavour in the river near Cooktown in north Queensland, where it was repaired after running aground on the Great Barrier Reef. Engraved view of early countryside and city architecture, record life in colonial Australia. Engravings and lithographs depict the hardships endured by immigrants when carving homes and livelihoods from the land, and include wonderful S.T. Gill character studies of those seeking gold, and engravings of other more humorous incidents.

Formal Victorian customs and dress were not suited to life in the harsh Australian environment. We are lucky that early settlement and development was graphically recorded in engravings to provide images for publication and circulation back in Europe – and for us to appreciate today. We have hundreds more at the Antique Print Clubhouse. Let us know if we can be of assistance.

If you are looking for a present, Gift Certificates for any value can be provided for our website... or phone +61412 44 22 83 to arrange this directly.

Posted: 25/02/2014 5:01:32 PM by | with 0 comments