Labels

2018: Rare Book Discussion Group program

Meetings are held in the Society's rooms 
located in the Mortlock Wing of the State Library of South Australia

the last meeting for this year features
'The amazing art of George French Angas'
22nd November, 2018 
Refer to list of meetings summarised in this post  


'Klemzic. A village of German settlers near Adelaide'. George French Angas.

Sessions are from 10:30 am to 12 noon
Some sessions are repeated in the afternoon




Bookings are essential
and can be made through
the Society's website
or telephone (08) 8207 7266  

An entry fee applies to non members


Cover image: 
the Mortlock Wing,
in the State Library of South Australia,
houses the RGSSA Collection

'The Society's art work'
22nd February, 2018

Over the years, the Society has accumulated a large collection of wall-maps, paintings,
sketches, plaques and medals.
Come along to a guided tour with the Society's long-standing and
very knowledgeable President, Rod Shearing, to explore these precious items.

'Books written by people named in
the streets of  Adelaide'
15th March, 2018

Trams pictured running along King William Street, Adelaide, early 19th century

In 2016, Dr Jeff Nicholas, produced a three-volume book containing the remarkable stories of the people named in Adelaide streets and their links to reform in 19th century Britain. In undertaking this research, he discovered that 35 of the 58 people named in the Adelaide streets are authors in their own right. This session will explore some of these books in the RGSSA's library and in Jeff's personal collection.

'The Silver that turned to Gold' 
26th April, 2018



Stephen William Silver (1819-1905) started collecting books around 1850 when he and his brother Hugh were expanding their father's colonial outfitting business in London. Spurred by the need to waterproof items taken overseas, the brothers developed a huge India-rubber works in Woolwich and made fortunes providing insulating coating for the underground and underwater telegraph lines in the 1850s.
Silver developed two book collections: the famous one at his town house in York Gate, the other at his country estate, the Benhams, at Letcombe Regis. But, S.W. Silver & Co., also published their own books on colonial matters and these will be the focus of the session.
presented by Chris Durrant
RGSSA member 

 Refer:
Hankel, Valmai. The York Gate Library. RGSSA website (pdf. download, 16 pages), February 2008 : p. 3-5.


The Library's reference books include:
Catalogue of the York Gate Geographical and Colonial Library or York Gate Library catalogue
published J.Murray : London, 1882
Call Number: rgsp 017.2 P486

Catalogue of the York gate library formed by S. William Silver : an index to the literature of geography, maritime and inland discovery, commerce and colonisation
2nd edition published by J.Murray : London, 1886
Call Number: REFERENCE rga 017.2 P486.2 b Shelved with Australiana Bib. Tools rgsp 017.2 P486.2 b (copy 2)
To view the above catalogue records please enter the title in our search box
Available online from the Internet Archive :  https://archive.org/details/catalogueofyorkg00silvrich/page/n7


'The RGSSA Manuscript Collection' 

24th May, 2018

In 1981, the Society published, A catalogue of the Manuscripts in the Library of the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia (SA Branch), which contained 179 items, such as hand-written diaries, letters, journals of expeditions, memoranda, convict records, maps, sketches and watercolours. Over 150 items have been added since 1981. Many small snippets of significant information are to be found in this series, so come along and be amazed.
presented by participants from the Rare Book Discussion Group

Refer:
RGSSA Manuscripts Catalogue 
C. R. Harris, President. RGSSA website (pdf. download, 55 pages), 1981.
Please use the search box on our online catalogue to find catalogue records for the manuscript collection; just type in MS

'The Discovery of Gold in Australia'
28th June, 2018


'Panning' by S.T. Gill

The Australian gold rushes changed the colonies by attracting people with new skills and professions who contributed to the burgeoning economy, converting a remote dependency into a country of world-wide fame. Australia's population more than tripled from 430,000 in 1851 to 1.7 million in 1871, developing the country into a multicultural society.

The Royal Geographical Society has many first-hand accounts of life on the goldfields. Personal and Government records in the form of pamphlets, maps and newspaper articles trace the social and economic changes that resulted from the vast amount of gold that was discovered. 
presented by Sally Hanley
RGSSA member
Also refer:
Biography: Samuel Thomas Gill (1818-1880)

'Lithography in the age of ST Gill'
YouTube video: recorded 1 Jun 2015 : 3.52 minutes

Please use our search box to find books we have on gold mining, type in:
Gold mines and mining Australia

'Captain Charles Sturt : soldier and explorer'
26th July, 2018


Captain Sturt leaving Adelaide in August, 1844
sketched by Samuel Thomas Gill

Follow Charles Sturt (1795-1869) from the Peninsular Wars in 1813-1814 to 'The Grange' farm, built in 1840-1841. This man was responsible for England 'grabbing the western part of New Holland'.

What did he tell the Colonial Office? And what is the connection with Edward Gibbon Wakefield? How did he attain the plaque on Adelaide's North Terrace; 'Soldier and Explorer, first to chart the River Murray'.
presented by Jill Kerby
RGSSA member

Search the Library's online catalogue
for books and letters written by Charles Sturt
Also refer:
Biography: Charles Sturt (1795-1869)
https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/sturt-charles-2712

What makes a book rare?
23rd August, 2018

Michael Treloar Antiquarian Booksellers was established in Adelaide in March 1976, and has a large out-of-print and antiquarian stock as well as vintage photographs, manuscripts and autographs. Mick will talk about the value of books with examples from the Society's collection. He will discuss what to look for and how books become known as 'rare.'

presented by Michael Treloar
Antiquarian bookseller



'A Journey through Medical History'
27th September, 2018

Modern medicine is said to have emerged in the 16th century, prompted by the invention of printing, the enlargement of the world by exploration, renewed interest in human anatomy and other factors. But devastation was still being caused by epidemics and disease and exploration was haunted by scurvy.
What does the RGSSA collection hold to show the gradual development of medicine and other measures to improve human health? 

presented by Mary Gabb
RGSSA member

'History of Settlement in South Australia'
Wednesday, 24th October, 2018
6.15 pm-7.15 pm

Surveyor General Michael Burdett will use several volumes of plans from the 1870s, covering the Principal Portions of the Settled Districts in the Province of South Australia. These plans show proposed facilities that came and went as the State's fortunes ebbed and flowed through government and private investment. 
This event will be a 'sundowner' at the special time of 6.15 pm.

presented by Michael Burdett
SA Surveyor General
To find other related reference books use the search box on the Library's catalogue, type in: Land settlement South Australia

'The amazing art of George French Angas' 
22nd November, 2018

'Klemzic. A village of German settlers near Adelaide'. George French Angas. 
An extract from the text accompanying the illustrations reads: 
About three miles from Adelaide is situated the picturesque village of Klemzic,
on the banks of the Torrens: it is entirely populated by one of the various
bodies of Prussian Emigrants ... their houses and cultivation are in the style of
their own country.
George French Angas (1822-1886) came to South Australia as a young man in 1844.
He was an industrious artist who recorded the scenery and people he saw on his travels. These watercolour paintings were shown in London, giving a better indication of this part of the world than had been previously displayed.
He also travelled to many other parts of the world, so come and see his amazing illustrations which are usually locked away!

presented by Nona Verco
RGSSA member

Original watercolour paintings in our Collection
'The Scenery of Rio Janeiro in a Series of Sketches.' [manuscript]
Angas, George French, 1822-1886
RGSSA catalogue


This watercolour is one of eight 'sketches' of Rio de Janeiro by Angas, described in the RGSSA Manuscripts Catalogue, (1981: pdf download, 55 pages, refer Item 1d), that states; these colours were never published. This painting was first reproduced in colour in the Society's Exhibition Catalogue, 2008, and features other works by Angas.

above image:
 'Rio [de] Janeiro from the Convent of Santa Teresa', (1845)
by George French Angas
RGSSA Exhibition Catalogue: 'Terra Cognita', 2008
[pdf download, 16 pages] 
https://rgssa.org.au/documents/Exhib2008.pdf
Also refer:
Previous blog post:
features extracts from Angas' diary of his voyage to Rio de Janeiro

Biography: George French Angas (1822-1886)
George French Angas Collection

Rare Book Discussion Group : 2018 program

Sessions are from 10.30 am to 12 noon
Some sessions repeated in the afternoon

Bookings are essential
and can be made through the Society's website
or telephone (08) 8207 7266 

An entry fee applies to non members
Please visit our website at www.rgssa.org.au


--
Originally posted January 16, 2018, on our previous blog site
All external links retrieved November, 2018 : updated November 4, 2024
posted by Sandra Thompson with additional research
RGSSA remote cataloguer
--
Labels:

Popular Posts