William Gill Gems from the Coral Islands. Western Polynesia ...

Estimate

£80 - £120

William Gill Gems from the Coral Islands. Western Polynesia Two composite volumes, vol I covering the New Hebrides Group, The Loyalty Group and New Caledonia Group, rebound in a quarter calf with marbled boards, raised bands with gilt decorations to spine, lacks half title, scribblings and clip marks to ffep, tide mark to frontis and title page; ink stamp for Seale South Sea Island collection Pacific Grove Public Library to title page, edge of text block, and sporadically through not affecting text; some toning, pp.232, illustrations and map, good, Presbyterian Board of Publication, Philadelphia, [c.1855]; Vol II, with an adapted title '.....Or Incidents of Contrast Between Savage and Christain Life of the South Sea Islanders', covering Eastern Polynesia: The Rarotonga Group, Penrhyn Islands, and Savage Island, rebound in a different quarter calf with marbled boards, lacks half title, tide marks to frontis engraving, plates, pp.285, vg, Presbyterian Board of Publication, Philadelphia, [c.1856]. (2) From the library of Guy Slatter, whose lifelong passion for island life began in childhood with an interest in Pitcairn. After studying at Oxford and working for the BBC, he spent two years in the 1960s setting up a radio station in the Kiribati Islands. His deep connection to the Pacific led to many return visits, including work for a German museum, where he facilitated the export of an ethnic house for an exhibition. A dedicated scholar of Pacific history and culture, he built his collection of books over many years through a dealer in York and even translated two German works into English: The Material Culture of Kiribati and The Material Culture of Tuvalu.