(South Pacific Islands) Charles Wilkes Narrative of the Unit...

Estimate

£80 - £120

(South Pacific Islands) Charles Wilkes Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition, During the Years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842 Two volumes, full embossed cloth with gilt decorations to spine, small chips to ends of spine with vol II suffering worst, frontispieces, additional vignette titles, plates and illustrations, publisher's advertisements at end, some light sporadic spotting, a very good set with fascinating steel engravings, Ingram, Cooke, and Co, 1852. (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.