Featured Catalogue

67 items including most especially, a group of rare prints by John Webber, the artist on Cook’s third voyage. Some of these are rare lifetime issues that were self-published by Webber. According to Sir Maurice Holmes in his "Captain James Cook RN FRS, A Bibliographical Excursion" (1952), the original drawings were "etched and coloured by (Webber) himself". Some bear penciled notations of plate numbers and dates that are likely to be in Webber’s hand. There are also unpublished or re-titled images. These came from the collection of an early Pacific collector A. W. F. Fuller, some of which he signed and dated.

Portraits by John Webber, especially his “Death of Cook”, there on the voyage when Cook died; a proof plate of George Carter’s beautiful image of the same subject; Nathaniel Dance’s portrait of Cook; a proof plate of Joshua Reynold’s portrait of Omai.

Maps of Cook’s three voyages, some issued with his publications in various languages, others illustrating his vast impact on world discovery such as Samuel Dunn World map, 1787; William Wales “Astronomical Observations” 1788, arguably one of the rarest publications of Cook’s 1^st Voyage, in two editions; an unusual folio atlas for the 1^st voyage on watermarked paper, the composition & presentation in the album indicating contemporary assemblage, the plates full size with very large margins, many unfolded.

Works by or about Cook’s associates – Parkinson, Hawkesworth, Banks. Books, maps, prints, etc.