By ADRIENNE CARLISLE
A valuable and rare first edition of William John Burchell’s two-volume set Travels in the Interior of Southern Africa is up for auction.
Billed as one of the most important South African travel books written, it is anticipated that the beautifully illustrated set, which is in good condition, will – at the very least – match previous auction prices of around R90000.
Paul Mills, who heads online rare book auction site AntiquarianAuctions.com, says previous sets have been sold for between $6000 and $8000 (about R88000 to R117000).
The two volumes chronicle the first year of the English explorer, naturalist, artist and author’s 7000km 1811-1815 expedition into Southern Africa, while he was the Cape Colony’s official botanist.
Only 700 editions of the first volume were published in 1822 and 500 editions of the second in 1824.
There were therefore a total of only 500 of the first edition two-volume sets and many had been lost through time, says Mills.
“There are some in libraries – lost to the market – and many were taken apart for the pictures.”
The remarkable illustrations and maps, sketched by Burchell himself, are part of what make the two volumes so special.
After his four-year journey, which took him as far north as Kuruman and through the Eastern Cape, he reportedly returned home with 500 scientific and ethnographical drawings, some of which appear as illustrations in the book.
He collected over 63000 natural history specimens including 120 animal skins and 265 bird species.
His book also describes the indigenous people he encounters, their way of life, including music and dance.
His descriptions and findings are commemorated in the names of many South African animals and plants, including Burchell’s zebra, Burchell’s coucal and the Eciton burchellii army ant.
“Burchell was an enterprising man who observed and wrote beautifully,” says Mills. “It is a remarkable travel book.”
Barry Burchell, a direct descendent of Burchell’s brother James – an apothecary and chemist who settled in Port Elizabeth in the 1800s – said the two volumes were an exceptional prize worth pursuing.
Speaking from his Alicedale farm, he said he would not be bidding as his family already had two of the two-volume sets and many of Burchell’s paintings.
Much of the collection comes from Burchell’s father, Fred, who founded East London’s Mpongo Park – once also home to the William John Burchell Museum.
Mills said the two-volume book was currently in England where the seller was based. The auction will run online until July 14.
Rare Burchell travelogue for sale
A valuable and rare first edition of William John Burchell’s two-volume set Travels in the Interior of Southern Africa is up for auction.
Billed as one of the most important South African travel books written, it is anticipated that the beautifully illustrated set, which is in good condition, will – at the very least – match previous auction prices of around R90000.
Paul Mills, who heads online rare book auction site AntiquarianAuctions.com, says previous sets have been sold for between $6000 and $8000 (about R88000 to R117000).
The two volumes chronicle the first year of the English explorer, naturalist, artist and author’s 7000km 1811-1815 expedition into Southern Africa, while he was the Cape Colony’s official botanist.
Only 700 editions of the first volume were published in 1822 and 500 editions of the second in 1824.
There were therefore a total of only 500 of the first edition two-volume sets and many had been lost through time, says Mills.
“There are some in libraries – lost to the market – and many were taken apart for the pictures.”
The remarkable illustrations and maps, sketched by Burchell himself, are part of what make the two volumes so special.
After his four-year journey, which took him as far north as Kuruman and through the Eastern Cape, he reportedly returned home with 500 scientific and ethnographical drawings, some of which appear as illustrations in the book.
He collected over 63000 natural history specimens including 120 animal skins and 265 bird species.
His book also describes the indigenous people he encounters, their way of life, including music and dance.
His descriptions and findings are commemorated in the names of many South African animals and plants, including Burchell’s zebra, Burchell’s coucal and the Eciton burchellii army ant.
“Burchell was an enterprising man who observed and wrote beautifully,” says Mills. “It is a remarkable travel book.”
Barry Burchell, a direct descendent of Burchell’s brother James – an apothecary and chemist who settled in Port Elizabeth in the 1800s – said the two volumes were an exceptional prize worth pursuing.
Speaking from his Alicedale farm, he said he would not be bidding as his family already had two of the two-volume sets and many of Burchell’s paintings.
Much of the collection comes from Burchell’s father, Fred, who founded East London’s Mpongo Park – once also home to the William John Burchell Museum.
Mills said the two-volume book was currently in England where the seller was based. The auction will run online until July 14.
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