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was awarded the Founder’s Gold Medal of the Royal Geographical Society, cementing his reputation as one of the leading botanical adventurers of his day. Plant Hunting on the Edge of the World covers Frank Kingdon-Ward’s (1885–1958) expeditions to the Burmese Oberland (1926) and the remote mountains of Assam (1928) via the valley of the Seingkhu, the pass at Diphuk La, the Lohit valley, the Mishmi Hills, and the valley of the Delei. Demonstrating his “keen observation of botanical detail and grasp of plant ecology” ( ODNB ), he describes the plants he collected and their native habitat, from figs and ferns to rhododendrons and many primula including Primula clutterbuckii , named after his travelling companion in Assam, the Arctic explorer Hugh. M. Clutterbuck. He also describes his discovering in Burma in 1926 of the “tea rose primula” ( Primula agleniana var. thearosa ), writing how “I can recall several flowers which at first sight knocked the breath out of me, but only two or three which have taken me by storm as did this one” (p. 38). Octavo. Original black cloth, title to spine in gilt. With dust jacket. half-tone frontispiece, 15 similar plates, 2 maps in text. Gilt and cloth bright, boards a little scuffed, top edge dusty, light spotting to edges, internally clean and bright. A very good copy indeed in the substantially complete dust jacket, a few closed tears professionally repaired with Japanese tissue, loss to front panel, chipping at head of spine. ¶ Troelstra, pp. 238–45; Yakushi K77. Emily S. Rosenberg, “Transnational Currents in a Shrinking World”, in A World Connecting: 1870–1945 , 2012, pp. 815–998. £1,000 [153920]
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le Gallois. King’s drawings, which “stressed the fantastic elements in the story” are reminiscent of those done for the grail story by William Morris and Edward Burne-Jones, both of whom were intimate friends of the translator. “Influenced by a Gaelic-speaking nursemaid with a fund of folklore, Jessie believed herself gifted with ‘second sight’ and her art was inspired by fantasy, while its minuteness derived from close, myopic vision” ( ODNB ). Large octavo (250 × 177 mm). Original vellum over bevelled boards, rebacked with white morocco, spine lettered in gilt front cover illustrated and lettered in blue, top edge gilt, others untrimmed, plain endpapers. Title page printed in red and black. Frontispiece, illustrated title page, and 22 plates printed in red and black on India paper and mounted with tissue guards, decorative head- and tailpieces. Slight
rubbing to board edges, vellum a little soiled, illustration faded and lightly rubbed, minor ripple to front pastedown, light occasional foxing to plates, contents fresh, a very good and attractive copy. ¶ Colin White, The Enchanted World of Jessie M. King , 1989, B35. £1,500 [154881] 101 KINGDON-WARD, Frank. Plant Hunting on the Edge of the World. London: Victor Gollancz Ltd, 1930 A RENOWN THAT BESTRODE SEVERAL CONTINENTS First edition scarce in the dust jacket, of this lively work recounting the author’s travels to the north- east Indian frontier. In the year of publication, he
All items are fully described and photographed at peterharrington.co.uk
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