7. Nautical Reference Books

7.19   MARITIME ART BOOK.  Gervis Frere Cook, “The Decorative Arts of the Mariner,” 1966, Little, Brown & Company, Boston.  Large format, hard cloth cover with dust jacket.  296 glossy pages, profusely illustrated in color and in black and white.  Chapters include “Vessels of the Ancient World, The Vikings, Vessels of the Mediterranean, Ships of the Atlantic, Steamships Vessels of the Inland Waterways, Mississippi Rivercraft, Charts and Maps, Navigational Instruments and Timekeepers, Figureheads, Decorative Ropework, Ship Models, Scrimshaw Maritime art of the Americas and Pacific, Vessels of the Orient” and more.  Effectively this book covers every aspect of the topic.  With good supporting text, its emphasis is on illustrations of the topics.  With a published price of $20 in 1963 this book is worth $193 in today’s dollars.  Condition is good.  The dust jacket shows wear and the covers have foxing.  But the entire content is excellent.  Certainly one of the best books ever written on the topic of maritime art.  RARE.   95

7.17    LIGHTHOUSE REFERENCE BOOK.  John Murray and James Hyland, “America’s Lighthouses,” 2000, Publications International, Ltd.   Large format hard cover, 126 glossy pages, richly illustrated in full color with contemporary photographs.  A graphic summation of the most important lighthouses in the united States.  Chapters include “Colonial Lights, Post-Colonial East Coast Lights, Lighthouses of the Great Lakes, Gulf Coast Lights and West Coast Lights (including Hawaii).  Easy to read historical and descriptive text.  12 ¼ by 12 ¼ inches.  A beautifully produced reference book of coffee table quality.  49

7.38  FAMOUS P.O.W. ARTIFACTS CATALOG.  Raisonné of what was surely the most important and complete private collection of its type ever assembled!  "The Lloyd Collection of Napoleonic Prisoner- of-War Artifacts."  This catalog was published by well-respected nautical antiques dealer John Rinadli in September of 1986.  It comprises 116 pages cataloging 257 examples of the finest folk art ever produced by human hands!  It contains the most exquisite examples of bone and boxwood ship models, game boxes with cards and dominos, spinning jennies, straw work marquetry boxes, straw work chests, snuff boxes, chess sets, watch towers, bodkins, pipe tampers, game spinners or “teetotums,” tea caddies, models of fortresses, sewing devices, guillotines, snuff boxes, bone picks, miniature tools, picture frames, straw marquetry pictures and even eating utensils!  The diversity, ingenuity and precise workmanship of the items contained herein are truly mind boggling!  This catalog represents an unprecedented reference on the subject.  New old stock.  19

Ewart C. Freeston author of “Prisoner of War Ship Models 1775-1825,” 1973, Conway Maritime Press, Ltd., London, is THE definitive reference on P.O.W. works.  He writes: It was in 1793 that France declared war on England – a war which lasted until 1815.  As Britain dominated the conflict, French prisoners in English prisons abounded.  By 1796, the first prison especially for prisoners of war was built at Norman Cross.  Several others followed.  While the living conditions were horrid by modern standards, there soon came to be a symbiotic relationship between the incarcerated Frenchmen (many of whom were skilled craftsmen from the province of Dieppe) and their English guards.  The guards soon realized that the skills of the men in their charge could work to the advantage of both.  They began supplying the prisoners with tools, raw materials and a market in which to sell their wares.  So sophisticated was this cooperation, that amongst the materials the guards obtained was genuine gold foil!  The resultant output speaks for itself.

Ultimately the collection was dispersed at auction by the Richard W. Oliver of Kennebunk, Maine on August 7, 1888, as dictated by economic realities.

7.12  OCEAN LINER REFERENCE BOOK.  Robert Ballard and Rick Archbold, “Lost Liners,” 1997, Hyperion Publishing New York.  217 pages exclusive of index and credits. Hard cloth cover with dust jacket.  Large format 9 by 12 inches.  Profusely illustrated in rich color, spectacular paintings, and black and white original photographs.  This monumental book catalogs the major passenger liner disasters of the 19th and 20th centuries.  Dr. Ballard, famous discoverer of the wreck of the most famous of them all RMS TITANTIC, reveals his expertise on the subject.   Mint, original condition.  45

7.09  LIGHTHOUSE REFERENCE BOOK.  Michael Rhein, “Anatomy of The Lighthouse, 2000, Barnes & Noble.  Hard cover with dust jacket, 200 glossy pages exclusive of glossary.  Complete with a listing of the world’s major lighthouses.  Profusely illustrated in color.  A very thorough treatment of the subject, with chapters  on The History of Lighthouse Evolution, Weather, Oceans and Coastal Geography, Traditional Lighthouses, Wave-Swept Beacons, Optical Apparatus, Seamarks and Signals, Maps and Glossary.  Large format, 9 ½ by 11 ½ inches.  Content perfect.  19.95

7.37  TIME-LIFE BOOK SERIES.   At the peak of their publishing prowess in the late 70’s Time, Inc., in cooperation with the editors of Life Magazine, set out to produce a set of books about men, ships and the sea, unrivaled in their research, quality of content and beauty of their illustrations.  The result was the series entitled "The Seafarers."   Each book was authored by world renowned experts in their field.  Extant examples are now rare.  But having the complete series is unheard of!  We are now proud to offer the entire set of these books at LESS than their published price over 40 years ago!  Each book is hard bound in faux leather and is in excellent original condition, 9 ½ by 11 ½ inches.  Combined weight is in excess of 50 pounds!  495/set 

This incredible offering, essentially the “Encyclopedia of Maritime History,” contains the following all inclusive titles:

1. The Pirates, 1978
2. The Windjammers, 1978
3. The Frigates, 1979
4. The Whalers, 1979
5. The Men - of- War, 1978
6. The Great Liners, 1981
7. The Northwest Passage, 1908
8. The U - Boats, 1979
9. The Armada, 1981
10. The East Indiamen, 1980
11. The Dreadnaughts, 1979
12. The Clipper Ships, 1979
13. The Explorers, 1979
14. Fighting Sail, 1978
15. The Spanish Main, 1979
16. The Venetians, 1980
17. The Ancient Mariners, 1981
18. The Pacific Navigators, 1980
19. The Atlantic Crossing, 1981
20. The Vikings, 1979

Prior to acquiring this set, we have been selling individual copies for $69, amounting to a combined value of $1,380. 

7.57   EXTENSIVE MUSUEM CATALOG.   A fine and very complete compilation of the collection of instruments in what can arguably be considered the greatest maritime museum in the world -- the National Maritime Museum Greenwich.  This voluminous compendium covers every form of scientific instrument with a specific emphasis on maritime and navigation.  It is divided into 19 sections.  They are:

1 - Armillary Spheres
2 - Artificial Horizons
3 - Astrolabes, Astronomical and Mariners'
4 - Astronomical and Optical Instruments
5 - Backstaves (Davis Quadrant)
6 - Charts, manuscript
7 - Charts, printed
8 - Circles, Reflecting
9 - Clocks, chronometers, chronographs and watches
10 - Compasses
11 - Computing Instruments
12 - Cross-staves
13 - Depth sounding equipment
14 - Dip circles
15 - Drawing instruments
16 - Globes
17 - Hour glasses
18 - Lodestones
19 - Logs (speed measurement)

Compiled from 1970 to 1973, this publication was distributed to all major nations at the time regardless of national barriers, including 24 different museums in the U.S.A. alone!

The format is as follows:
Date                Maker/Signature                    Dimensions               Ref. No.              Remarks

7.56  REFERENCE BOOK.  Kornelia Takacs, "Compass Chronicles," 2010, Schiffer Publishing, Atglen, PA.  176 pages hard cover with dust jacket.  Profusely illustrated in color with many technical drawings and advertisements faithfully reproduced in black and white.  The young authoress has done an exceptional job of researching and documenting in words and pictures the nature of and the evolution of pocket compasses, particularly those of American and European origins.  The wealth of information on the subject contained here really defies imagination.  Give Miss Takacs an A+ for this effort.   Cover price $39.99.  This copy is a brand new, mint, untouched.  29

4.63/7.51  MONUMENTAL BOOK.  Magnificent “collector’s edition” of one of the most important literary works in American history, Herman Melville’s “MOBY DICK or The Whale.”  This special edition was printed in very limited numbers for The Easton Press, Norwalk, Connecticut in 1977.  Hard cover, illustrated, containing 615 pages it is of the highest quality.  The publisher’s page reads, “This book is printed on archival quality paper especially milled for this edition.  It is acid-neutral and conforms to all guidelines established for permanence and durability of the Council of Library Resources and the American Nation Standards Institute.”  The title page reads, “MOBY DICK, Or THE WHALE By HERMAN MELVILLE With An Introduction By Clifton Fadiman and Illustrated by Boardman Robinson.  Bound in Genuine Leather.“  The leather cover is beautifully embossed with gold in the traditional manner.  The end covers are silk-lined.  The end pages of the entire book are gilded.  The content is the exact work of this American classic.  Melville originally wrote “Moby Dick” in 1851.  It quickly gained notoriety as one of the most interesting novels of that era.  Embodied here is an exquisite compilation of that work in an absolutely highest quality presentation.  As new, unread condition after 42 years!  SOLD

7.50  REFERENCE BOOK.  Maya Hambly, “Drawing Instruments 1580-1980,” 1988, Philip Wilson Publishers, Ltd., London.   Hard cover with dust jacket, 193 glossy pages profusely illustrated in color and black and white, exclusive of index.  In this beautifully pictured and comprehensively-written “encyclopedia” of drafting Ms. Hambly begins with “The History of Drawing Instruments and their Makers.”  She continues with “Types of Instruments”:  Straight Lines, Circles and Dividing, Curves, Squaring and Ruling, Measurements, Copying Enlarging and Reducing, Proportion and Ratio, and finally Perspective Aids.  Virtually every form of instrument in this genre is covered, described in detail and rendered in actual photographs and precision diagrams.  The extent and diversity of content is nothing short of fantastic!  Untouched, as new condition.  69

Prices for this book on Amazon range from $47.98 to $94.19.  All are described as “used.”

7.46  REFERENCE BOOK.  Clarence P. Hornung, “Treasury of American Design And Antiques,” 1976, Harry N. Abrams Publishers, New York, Two Volumes In One.  This large format  hard cover book with original dust jacket is, as the title implies, bigger than the average single book.  It contains 828 pages exclusive of the artist index and topical index.  It is profusely illustrated on each and every page with literally thousands of examples of American objects with  folk art and production origins.  Topics include ship figureheads, ship carving, tobacconists advertising, signs from shops and taverns, carriages, firefighting, glassware of all types, candlesticks and lamps, chairs, chests, all manner of furniture, mirrors, clocks and other time pieces.  The presentation is exceptional.  The accompanying explanatory text is scholarly and comprehensive.  In short, this book has it all!  12 by 9 inches and 2 ½ inches thick weighing a massive 12 pounds!   Excellent original condition exhibiting minimal use with a taped reinforcement inside the front cover.  The exterior of the book has a professional protective plastic sleeve over the dust cover.  A self-described treasure.   If it isn’t pictured here, it isn’t American!  79

An endorsement on the cover reads, "A work of extraordinary beauty... which is a virtual encyclopedia of American folk art. Clearly going to be indispensible to both the professional public, antique dealers, historians, and others -- and the large number of amateurs who have more than a casual interest in the field." The New York Times

7.32  NAUTICAL ANTIQUES REFERENCE BOOK.  Jon Baddeley, “Nautical Antiques & Collectibles,” 1993, Sotheby’s Publications, London.  Hard cloth boards with dust jacket and protective plastic cover, 156 pages exclusive of index.  This is certainly the best and most comprehensive of late 20th century books on the topic.  Mr. Baddely, a graduate in engineering of Manchester University joined Sotheby’s as a specialist in the Collectors’ Department in 1975.  This work is the culmination of his more than 20 years association with the finest maritime antiques to come to market during that time frame.  This book offers a very through examination of the topic including Ship Models, Navigational Instruments, Fixtures and Fittings, Marine Arts and Crafts, Ship Portrait Painting, Ocean liner Artifacts and Ephemera.  Two additional chapters deal with Caring for Marine Collectables and Marine Collections Open to the Public.  Within the broad topics are a very wide and comprehensive coverage of sub-topics.  As an example, included are P.O.W.  models, half hulls, instruments for determining the Longitude, figureheads, ships’ hardware and diving, scrimshaw, sailors’ wools, ship portrait techniques by country, and ocean liner relics, among many others.   Profusely illustrated in color and in black and white with detailed captions.  While not intended for the advanced collector in a specialized field, this reference book is ideal and a must for the beginning collector or the dedicated nautical antique aficionado.  NEW.  This book lists for $80.  Amazon offers new copies at $45 without the plastic cover.  Our price 39

7.85 The Mariners' Museum in collaboration with Anthony J. Peluso, Jr., "The Bard Brothers, Painting America Under Steam and Sail," 1997, Harry N. Abrams Inc., New York. 171 pages hard bound with dust jacket. Before the railroads, the greatest innovation in American transportation was the steamboat pioneered by Robert Fulton in 1807. Throughout the 19th century, much of what is known about how those steamboats looked comes from the meticulously detailed paintings of the artistic brothers John and James Bard. This pictorial account of the Bard brothers' output is scholarly written by noted American marine painting expert, Anthony Peluso. The full color illustrations are spectacular including several incredible close-ups, ship photographs, and sketches. Complete with an Appendix listing all known Bard paintings by subject, medium, size, date and location. 8 1/2 by 10 1/2 inches. New old stock. 49