Colonial History – Rare (55 items)

Collection of four very important and meaningful manuscript letters by Leopold II

34. Congo / Kongo – Leopold II of Belgium (1835-1909) – King of the Belgians and Owner / Absolute Ruler of the Congo Free State from 1885 to 1908.

Collection of four very important and meaningful manuscript letters by Leopold II to his administrator and Foreign Minister of the Congo – Free-State, Baron Adolphe de Cuvelier (1860-1931) with a total of 16 pages filled with Leopold’s instructions on pressing issues regarding a warning about an imminent visit by the Rector of the Mill-Hill Missionaries [probably Herbert Alfred Henry Vaughan (1832 – 1903)] and Leopold’s qualification of the visit of being detrimental to the Congo Free State (″ne travaillent pas pour l’État”). Leopold continues in another letter to talk about the hostile positions of english officials (consuls) and missionaries (″que les consuls anglais et les missionnaires anglais se conduisent bien mal envers l’État”). Interestingly, Leopold also touches on the nuisance of the german press criticizing Belgian Railway Lines and he is of the opinion that this is all happening in order to force the german parliament [″Reichstag”] to finance the building of the Tanganyika Railway [between Dar es Salaam and Kigoma]: (″cherche à effrayer l’opinion [en] Allemagne à propos de mes chemins de fer afin d’obtenir du Reichstag des fonds pour la ligne allemande vers le Tanganika”.

16 pages of MLS, Manuscript Letters (signed) on 10 leaves of Leopold’s official stationery “Château de Laeken” and “Palais de Bruxelles”. Laeken / Brussels, Château de Laeken [Palace of Laeken], 1901 – 1906. The leaves with different sizes (13,5 cm x 9 cm) and (18 cm x 11,5 cm). Excellent condition. Unsigned. Tremendously rare to find original letters by Leopold II on the open market in which the Colonial Free State and the protection against inquisitive visitors is discussed in such clear and instructive fashion. Leopold’s correspondence with Adolphe de Cuvelier shows how he is very much trying to still protect and influence the narrative of his Colonial Slavery Outpost even in the final years of his life.

EUR 7.800,-- 

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Richard Ligon, A True and Exact History of the Island of Barbadoes [sic].

35. Ligon, Richard.

A True and Exact History of the Island of Barbadoes [sic] / [Barbados]. Illustrated with a Map of the Island [missing], as also the Principal Trees and Plants there, set forth in their due Proportions and Shapes, drawn out by their several and respective Scales. Together with the Ingenio that makes the Sugar, with the Plots of the several Houses, Rooms, and other places, that are used in the whole process of Sugar-making; viz. the Grinding-house, Still-house, and Furnaces; All cut in Copper.

[Second Edition]. London, Printed, and are to be sold by Peter Parker, at his Shop at the Leg and Star over against the Royal Exchange, and Thomas Guy at the corner Shop of Little Lumbard-street and Cornhill, 1673. Small-Folio (19 cm x 29 cm). [II], 122 pages plus an unnumbered Index-page (bound, according to instructions for the bookbinder after page 84), lacking the Fold-out-Map of Barbados but including all six illustrations of Plants, as well as the three diagrams of Houses and Production-Rooms for Sugar. 19th-century Hardcover (half-leather with gilt lettering on spine). Condition of Binding: Very good condition with only minor signs of wear to the binding / Condition of bookblock: Original, front free endpaper was preserved and bound in. Rear endpaper missing. The original endpaper includes two historical ownership-signatures in ink (c.17th or early 18th century) as well as several annotations in ink and pencil. The previous owners seem to have been one Richard Gardner and there is an additional notation verso which reads: “E[x] Libris Richmondi Garnays [or Garneys]”. Some ink-annotations or corrections throughout the book. Signs of old bookworm – damage and very few abrasions due to fire-sparks (few pages effected only). Some plates with professional repairs, some tears. Some professional paper-repairs and re-enforcements to title-page and Content-Page. All the described flaws sound worse than they really appear. All plant-plates in strong impresion. A scarce publication ! From the library of Rev. William Andrew Lamb, Kilcoleman Park, County Cork.

EUR 1.480,-- 

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Montgomery Martin, The British Colonies; Their History, Extent, Condition and Resources

38. Martin, Robert Montgomery.

The British Colonies; Their History, Extent, Condition and Resources. 6 Volumes bound in 3 Volumes (Text only without maps and illustrations). The Set includes: Volume I – British North America / Volume II – Australia / Volume III – New Zealand, Tasmania / Volume IV – Africa and the West Indies / Volume V – British India / Volume VI – Ceylon, East India and Meditteranean Settlements /

First Edition. London and New York, The London Printing and Publishing Company [that was J. and F. Tallis], no year (c. 1850). Quarto (20 cm x 27 cm). Volume I (British North America [Canada / USA]): Frontispice illustrated titlepage, XXIV, 360 pages with pages 1 – 9 missing / Volume II (Australia): pages 361 – 744 pages / Volume III (New Zealand / Tasmania): II, 384 pages. / Volume IV (Africa and the West Indies): II, 188 pages / Volume V (British India): II, 564 pages with pages 455 – 456 missing / Volume VI (Ceylon, East India and Mediterranean Settlements): II, 172 pages. Hardcover / Original, decorative publisher’s halfleather with gilt lettering and ornament to spines. Bindings rubbed but overall in firm and very good condition with only minor signs of wear. All maps and illustrations besides one illustration removed by a previous owner. In the course of removal of maps and illustrations, one page slightly torn and 11 pages of text missing. This is still one of the most important text-sources of British Colonial History, itsevaluation in Britain and a plethora of data on economical and political impact the Colonies had for the former Empire. No other contemporary 19th century publication includes details on colonial produce, movement of population and local History from Tasmania to Quebec, from Hong Kong to Heligoland (Helgoland), and in general on the depition of “England, the ‘Nursing Mother’ of Nations” (Introductory page XXIV by Montgomery Martin).

EUR 280,-- 

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