17 March 2010


 Old books .
I admit our family have a large collection 
of books. ...many of which I find on sale or
in secondhand / thrift shops.
I especially appreciate the fine artistry and attention to detail
in bookbinding techniques
of this era.

 


 




 
But the finding of this book has a story to tell .

 
Being a Shackleton enthusiast,
I could not believe my luck one day when I
was wandering the aisles of Reverse Truck Garbage
 here in Ringwood. 
Perusing the scraps of timber piled up in a dark corner
I noticed an old book laying on top of the pile.
Out of interest , I picked it up, curious as to what it was.
To my surprise, I had stumbled across the popular edition
of Shackletons' account of his first trans-antarctic expedition.
Dated very early 1900's and with lots of black and white photos.
Complete with a map, outlining the route
his crew took.....I bought this book for $1!

 

Another Shackleton book I have is the
Aurora Australis,
which was the first book to be printed in the antarctic.
During the dark months spent in the south,
Shackletons crew needed to occupy themselves,
so compiled this wonderful book, printed in cramped conditions
in sub zero temperatures this was no mean feat....

 


 

On close inspection one can observe the obvious variations
in printing caused by the unreliable conditions effecting
the inks on the printing press. Adds such alot of character
                                     to the pages featuring  George Marstons beautiful illustrations.


Just some of my books that I love to read.


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