Recent Acquisitions: Bonhams- June 7th, 2011

Graham Arader's Personal Reaction to the Sale (LINK)

For Lot Numbers 46 and 48:

-20% Markup for the next 30 Days

- 50% Markup after 30 Days

For Lot Number 50:

-10% Markup for next 30 Days

-50% Markup after 30 Days

For Lot Numbers 22 & 124:

-5% Markup for 30 Days.

-10% Markup from 31 to 90 Days.

-25% Markup after 90 Days

(See Official Invoice Below)

 

Lot 22: BOECKLER (GEORG ANDREAS)

Architectura curiosa nova, 4 parts in one vol., general title printed in red and black, additional engraved title (both laid down, engraved title with tear repaired), 198 engraved plates (of 200, lacking 2 in part 4, a few with short tears, 5 with small losses within platemark), some dampstaining and softening (mostly at beginning and end), dedication with loss of text, new endpapers, contemporary calf, worn with loss to spine [Berlin Kat. 3579; Cicognara 886], folio, Nuremberg, Paul Fürst, [1664]

Lot 46: COLONIAL MASSACHUSETTS
Plan of ye Town of Pownall, MANUSCRIPT MAP ON PAPER showing the plots laid out for Pownallborough lying between the Kennebec River and Wiscasset Bay, ink with outlining in blue or grey wash, large historiated cartouche containing a title within a dedication to Francis Bernard and signed "Tho. Johnston Sculp", stain affecting lower left, 525 x 735mm., Boston, 12 November, 1763

An important map of colonial settlement prepared for Sir Francis Bernard (1712-1779), governor of Massachusetts (1760-1769). Bernard, who gave his library to Harvard College following the disasterous fire of 1764, was the last properly-appointed royal governor of Massachusetts, his successors being the hated Thomas Hutchinson as acting governor, and Thomas Gage as military governor.

Bernard suceeded Governor Pownall for whom Pownallborough was named. Dozens of sizable plots are laid out with a small proportion showing houses, presumably indicative of the amount of settlement at the date of the survey.

The informative dedication reads "To His Exclly. Frans. Bernard Esq. captain General & Govenor in Chief in & over his Majestys Province of ye Massachsetts bay in N Engld. & Vice-Admiral of the Same, This Plan of ye Town of Pownall by order of ye Proprietors of ye Kennebeck purchase from ye late Colony of new Plymouth is humbly presented by Your Excellys Most Obd Hume Servant James Pitts James Bowdoin Benjm Hallowell Thos. Hancock Silv. Gardiner Boston 12 Novr 1763".

The area depicted was later divided and now includes Dresden, Wiscasset etc., and is today part of Lincoln County, Maine. The map appears to have been prepared for engraving by the well-known Boston engraver Thomas Johnston (1708-1767), although we have been unable to find any evidence that this was realised.

Provenance: by direct descent from Sir Francis Bernard, last governor of Massachsetts.

Lot 48: COLONIAL MASSACHUSETTS

MOUNT DESERT ISLAND. A Coppy of a Plan of the Six Townships Laid out on ye East Side of Mt. Desaert now calld Union River...as also a Plan of the land Laid out Six miles Latitude above The North Line of the Aforesaid Six Townships Togather with a Small Township Lying on the North Side of No.3...Laid by a Scale of one mile to an Inch Taken Novr. 12th 1764 ...Joseph Frie, MANUSCRIPT MAP ON PAPER, executed in brown ink, outline colour in yellow and sea coloured in an appropriate wash, 685 x 1045mm; A Plan of 12 Townships East of Penobscot-River...Scale one mile to an inch by John Jones of Dedham, MANUSCRIPT MAP ON PAPER, delineating half the area of the map above and naming a blank area in the former as township VII, some tears at top (not affecting mapped area), 735 x 500mm., 1760s (2)

Working manuscript maps relating to the first English settlement of Mount Desert Island. The first contains a key identifying 22 places, mostly to fix position or suggestive of good spots for settlement including: "Spruce marked on a small hill"; "Bragdon's Mill Stream"; "Shaws Harbour"; "Point Frances"; "Capt. John Frost's house & Stores"; "a stream for a mill" (three such). The island had been named by Samuel de Champlain, and granted to Francis Bernard around 1760. He retained the property through the years of the Revolutionary War, but as its close Massachusetts revoked the original royal grant, although the western half was then granted to Bernard's son, John.

Provenance: by direct descent from Sir Francis Bernard, governor of Massachusetts.

Lot 50: COLONIAL MASSACHUSETTS

An untitled road map extending east from Brunswick on Stephen's River to Fort St. George on the George River with the further route to Fort Pownall indicated, MANUSCRIPT MAP ON PAPER, lightly varnished, a few splits and tears without loss, laid later on sailcloth, the edges with embroidery in coloured silks and wool, affixed to two wooden rollers, 360 x 1815mm., [c.1770]

This road map measures distance from Boston, and commences some twenty miles north of modern Portland. The names of useful taverns along or near the route are are given, together with those of streams and rivers to be crossed: Ross's Tavern; Thompson's Tavern (Brunswick); Whigsig River; Kennebec River; Negwasett River; Monsweig River; Sevey's Tavern; Averill's Tavern (Sheepscutt River); Cunningham's Tavern; Dameriscotty River; Leissnar's Tavern (Broad Bay); McIntyre's Tavern at the crossing of the St. George River.

Provenance: by direct descent from Sir Francis Bernard, governor of Massachusetts.

Lot 124: ROYLE (JOHN FORBES)
Illustrations of the Botany and Other Branches of the Natural History of the Himalayan Mountains, and of the Flora of Cashmere, 2 vol., first edition, 2 hand-coloured aquatint frontispieces, 100 lithographed plates (all but 3 hand-coloured), blindstamp on titles, small ink stamp on all plates (3 strengthened with archival tape at inner margin), approximately 20 plates shaved touching pagination numeral or publication details, a few with image shaved, modern cloth [Nissen BBI 1690; Great Flower Books 134; Stafleu 1119], folio (252 x 253mm.), W.H. Allen, 1839

John Forbes Royle (1798-1858) was born in India where, after schooling in Edinburgh, he returned in 1819, becoming superintendent of the East-India Company's Botanic Garden at Saharanpur, in the foothills of the Himalayas. Here he liased extensively with plant collectors, whilst exploring the medicinal and commercial benefits of his botanical specimens. On his return to England in 1831 he began work on his Illustrations. The majority of the plates, mostly drawn by Gauci, are of botanical subjects, with a few of mammals and birds.