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1885 The Australian Portrait Gallery Antique Illustrated Australian History Book

$295.00

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Condition: Good

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1885 The Australian Portrait Gallery Antique Illustrated Australian History Book

The Australian Portrait Gallery & Memoirs Of Representative Colonial Men
Appendices: Constitution Act & History Of The Soudan Expedition
Published by The Southern Cross Publishing Co: Sydney 1885 1st Edition
Effectively 3 Volumes In 1

"The Australian Portrait Gallery & Memoirs of Representative Colonial Men (First Edition, 1885), published by The Southern Cross Publishing Company of Sydney, is a landmark work of Australian colonial biography and national self-definition. Lavishly produced and illustrated with finely executed engraved portraits, the volume presents detailed biographical sketches of prominent political, commercial, military, religious, and cultural figures who shaped the young Australian colonies in the mid-to-late nineteenth century. Each memoir combines personal history with accounts of public achievement, painting a vivid collective portrait of colonial ambition, enterprise, and progress. The work reflects both the pride and optimism of a society emerging into maturity and a conscious effort to document the lives of men considered architects of the new nation.

Bound together with the main biographical gallery are two important appendices: the New South Wales Constitution Act, providing a foundational legal and political framework for self-government, and a History of the Soudan Expedition, recounting Australia's first overseas military involvement in 1885 when New South Wales troops were dispatched to support British forces in Egypt and the Sudan. These inclusions elevate the book beyond a mere biographical compendium to a historical record of Australia's institutional and imperial development. Effectively three volumes in one, this first edition stands as both a valuable reference for historians and a richly patriotic artifact of the colonial era's self-image and aspirations. "

General wear and fading to the covers and spine with some rub through and peeling to the leather as shown. All 24 plates are present. Outer hinges somewhat weakened however covers are holding strong and the books structural integrity is excellent. A heavy book showing its age but still holding strong. Spine has been conditioned to preserve and soften the leather. Inside hinges have split however binding is very good with no loose pages. Pages generally clean and bright with a few age marks and foxing to some plates. Good to very good condition overall. Please study photos to further understand condition.

Size 28cm x 23cm x 3cm - 979 Pages

PRODUCT DETAILS


Condition: Good
Binding: Leather
Special Attributes: ["1st Edition", "Illustrated", "Large Print", "Original Leather & Gilt Bindings", "Includes Original Book Promo Flyer", "Ex Berkelouw Books", "All Edges Gilt"]
Region: Australia, Oceania
Subject: History
Original/Facsimile: Original
Seller Notes: General wear and fading to the covers and spine with some rub through and peeling to the leather as shown. All 24 plates are present. Outer hinges somewhat weakened however covers are holding strong and the books structural integrity is excellent. A heavy book showing its age but still holding strong. Spine has been conditioned to preserve and soften the leather. Inside hinges have split however binding is very good with no loose pages. Pages generally clean and bright with a few age marks and foxing to some plates. Good to very good condition overall. Please study photos to further understand condition.
Language: English
Author: The Southern Cross Publishing Co: Sydney
Publisher: The Southern Cross Publishing Co: Sydney
Year Printed: 1885
Sub-subject: Australian History