Our fair list for the California International Antiquarian Book Fair (February 12-14)

“I counted eighty-two houses comprising the pueblo, from which I concluded that it might contain one thousand inhabitants, including two hundred Indian domestics and laborers.” Being annual participants in the California International Antiquarian Book Fair, we of Antiquariaat FORUM know for a fact that Los Angeles has grown quite a bit since it was visited by Auguste Duhaut-Cilly. However, if you are interested what this ‘little town’ looked like in 1827 our Italian translation of Duhaut-Cilly’s account of his voyage around the world is a very good source. Between February 12 and 14 it will be on exhibition in Booth 143 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza!

Auguste Bernard Duhaut-Cilly (1790-1849) was one of the most accomplished French sea captains of the nineteenth century. Starting out in the navy at 17, he joined the merchant marine in 1814. In 1826 he left France for the voyage that is the subject of Viaggio intorno al globo principalmente alla California ed alle Isole Sandwich negli anni 1826, 1827, 1828 e 1829, or, in English, A voyage to California, the Sandwich Islands & around the world in the years 1826-1829. His ship the Héros was packed with merchandise that he wanted to trade for furs on the American Westcoast, which in turn he wanted to trade in China. Unfortunately, neither the Indians nor the Spaniards in California cared much for his goods. As a result Duhaut-Cilly spent two years sailing up and down the Pacific to get rid of his cargo.

Businesswise, the voyage was thus not very successful, but Duhaut-Cilly’s account of it is still of the highest interest, because he was an intelligent observer and his story is an important source on early nineteenth century California. It is also fun to read, though not everyone may agree with his observations. Of the Californians, for example, he remarked that they “are indolent; the only work they have a taste for is taking care of the herds, since this must be done on a horse. They excel in everything that has to do with riding; their only skill besides that of the horseman are those of the butcher and the ostler."

Another unlucky traveller was Jacob de Bucquoy (born in 1683). He was not a merchant, but a surveyor and cartographer for the Dutch East India Company (VOC). His bad luck consisted of being captured by pirates in 1722 at the VOC post of Rio de la Goa, which is now Maputo, the capital of Mozambique. For three years, De Bucquoy lived at Madagascar, where the pirates had brought him, before he and some others made their escape in a small boat. Only a few survivors eventually made it to Batavia in the Dutch East Indies. This episode is only one of many adventures, which are described in De Bucquoy’s Zestien jaarige reize naar de Indiën, published in 1757. In our online inventory you can now find a German translation (Leipzig, 1771) of this captivating work, along with the account of the voyage of the equally unfortunate traveller Jakob Franken. Click here for a full description!

Unlike Duhaut-Cilly and De Bucquoy the Dutch historian Olfert Dapper never saw with his own eyes the exotic places he wrote about in his house on the Leidsegracht in Amsterdam. Nevertheless, his  descriptions of Asia and Africa stay of enduring value for the history of these continents, because they are compiled from the best sources of  information, including original manuscripts, most of them now lost or scarce. On display in Los Angeles will be our beautiful second edition of Naukeurige beschrijvinge der Afrikaensche gewesten van Egypten, Barbaryen, Lybien, Biledulgerid, Negroslant, Guinea, Ethiopiën, Abyssinie, published in 1676. Read full descriptions of this and other works by Dapper here!

Please visit us in Booth 143 at the California International Antiquarian Book Fair or go to our website for the items we will have on display! These include a first edition, first issue, of Darwin's voyage of The Beagle, the most splendidly illustrated work ever published in Dutch, and a very interesting architectural manuscript. A complete list of titles, including those provided by Asher Rare Books, can be downloaded below. Enjoy exploring!