Rare Books

6:00PM 3 Abbey Street, Newton, Auckland

Art+Object’s final Rare Book auction of 2024 features a large and diverse collection of early New Zealand and Māori histories, Antarctic photographs, Hawaiian and South Sea Islands histories, Voyages and Exploration, New Zealand Literature, historic maps, prints and art.

Important consignments feature books from the collection of philanthropists and collectors David and Corina Silich, including first editions of ‘The New Zealander’s Illustrated’ by G.F. Angas ; Sydney Parkinson’s ‘A Journal of a Voyage to the South Seas; Edward Jerningham Wakefield’s folio, ‘Illustrations to Adventure in New Zealand’, with the text ‘Adventure in New Zealand’; Bank’s Florilegium – New Zealand, Parts XX–XXVI, 1st ed, Alecto.

We are also privileged to be offering books from the library of the Birch family of Patea. This collection includes a complete set of Captain James Cook’s 'Three Voyages' with two atlases, ‘The Life of Captain James Cook’ by A. Kippis. [1773–1788], and a copy of ‘Rambles in New Zealand’ by J.C. Bidwell.

Further highlights include: an extremely rare copy of David Samwell’s ‘A Narrative of the Death of Captain James Cook’. London 1786’; Sir W.L. Buller – ‘A History of the Birds of New Zealand’, first & second editions; Janet Frame material including signed books and original manuscript letters, one of which includes an unpublished poem; two original blue tinted carbon prints by Herbert George Ponting, from the British Antarctic Expedition; a superb example of ‘Maori Art’ by Augustus Hamilton.

This is a timed online auction. You can bid via our desktop platform (live.artandobject.co.nz) or the Art+Object app, which can be downloaded on the App Store or Google Play. Bidding begins closing with lot 1 at 6.00pm on Thursday 5 December. Thereafter, lots will close consecutively every 15 seconds until completion. If a lot receives a bid within the last two minutes, it will auto-extend until no further bids are placed, without holding up the rest of the auction.

Regular absentee bidding is also available below.

The catalogue on our bidding platform shows multiple images of most lots. You can browse it here.

Please contact info@artandobject.co.nz or ring reception on 09 354 4646 if you require assistance, we are happy to provide condition reports and answer additional queries.

NOTE: The buyer’s premium for this auction is 20% of the hammer price plus GST on the buyer’s premium (total of 23% of the hammer price). This is to be paid on top of any successful bid.