Science Fiction

Further information on the items displayed is available in the online catalogue

A selection of items from the exhibition

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Tavernier, Jean-Baptiste, 1605-1689.
Collections of travels through Turkey into Persia, and the East-Indies : giving an account of the present state of those countries : also a full relation of the five years wars, between Aureng=Zebe and his brothers in their father's lifetime ... : together with a relation of the Kingdom of Japan and Tunkin : to which is added, a new description of the Grand Seignior's Seraglio. (London : Printed for Moses Pitt, 1684) 2 v., (fol.)

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Japanese Fairy Tale series
(Tokyo, T. Hasegawa, c1886-c1890) 6 vols.

These small books on crepe paper contain traditional Japanese fairy tales translated by B. H. Chamberlain, who later wrote the Murrays Guide to Japan, and Mrs. T. H. James. They are bound and illustrated in the traditional Japanese fashion.

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Hunter, John, 1737-1821.
An historical journal of the transactions at Port Jackson and Norfolk Island : with the discoveries which have been made in New South Wales and in the Southern Ocean since the publication of Phillip's voyage, compiled from the official papers; including the journals of Governors Phillip and King, and of Lieut. Ball; and the voyages from the first sailing of the Sirius in 1787, to the return ... to England in 1792 / by Iohn Hunter (London : Printed for John Stockdale ... , 1793) (4to)

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Ogilby, John, 1600-1676.
Asia. The first part : being an accurate description of Persia, and the several provinces thereof : the vast empire of the Great Mogol, and other parts of India, and their several kingdoms and regions : with the denominations and descriptions of the cities, towns, and places of remark therein contain'd : the various customs, habits, religion, and languages of the inhabitants : their political governments, and way of commerce : also the plants and animals peculiar to each country

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Alexander, William, 1767-1816.
The costumes of China. (London : W. Miller, 1805)

William Alexander was the artist on Macartney’s Embassy. His book contains forty-eight hand-coloured plates showing various scenes from the Embassy’s journey. The accompanying letterpress description is a useful supplement to Staunton’s official account.

18	Left Raffles, Stamford, Sir, 1781-1826. The history of Java / by Thomas Stamford Raffles. (London : Printed for Black, Parbury and Allen, booksellers to the Hon. East-India Company, Leadenhall Street; and John Murray, Albemarle Street, 1817) 2 v.

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Raffles, Stamford, Sir, 1781-1826.
Antiquarian, architectural, and landscape illustrations of the History of Java by the late Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles ; with a large map of Java and its dependencies. (London, Bohn, 1844)

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Coryate, Thomas, 1577?-1617.
Thomas Coriate, traueller for the English vvits : greeting from the court of the Great Mogul, resident at the towne of Asmere in Easterne India. ([London] : Printed by W. Iaggard and Henry Featherston, 1616.)

[Paper watermarked Pro Patria / GR crowned, therefore printing must be post 1714 and a facsimile, possibly circa 1772.]

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Psalmanazar, George, 1679?-1763.
An historical and geographical description of Formosa, an island subject to the Emperor of Japan : Giving an account of the religion, customs, manners &c of the inhabitants : Together with a relation of what happened to the author in his travels; particularly his conferences with the Jesuits, and others, in several parts of Europe : Also the history and reasons of his conversion to Christianity, with his objectives against it (in defence of paganism) and their answers ...

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Lacombe, Jean de, ca. 1640 - ca. 1681.
A compendium of the East : being an account of voyages to the Grand Indies made by the sieur Jean de Lacombe, of Quercy ... : now published for the first time (from the Bordeaux Manuscript of 1681) / in an English translation by Stephanie & Denis Clark ; edited with an introduction and notes by Ashley Gibson. (London : Golden Cockerel Press, 1937)

This is the first publication of a seventeenth century French manuscript. It gives an account of a Frenchman employed by the Dutch East India Company. He visited Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula, Siam, China, Japan, the Moluccas, India, Ceylon, Persia and Arabia.

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Hodges, William, 1744-1797.
Travels in India, during the years 1780, 1781, 1782, & 1783 / by William Hodges. (London, Printed for the author, and sold by J. Edwards, 1793)

William Hodges, is best-known in Australia as the artist on Captain Cook’s second voyage, 1772-1775. His paintings of people and scenes in the South Seas are among his best work.

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Fortune, Robert, 1813-1880.
A residence among the Chinese : inland, on the coast and at sea : being a narrative of scenes and adventures during a third visit to China from 1853 to 1856 / by Robert Fortune. (London : John Murray, 1857)

Fortune visited China on two subsequent occasions, mainly to investigate the tea and silk industries. Many of the tea varieties introduced into north-western India were as a result of Fortune’s botanical endeavours.

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Wallace, Alfred Russel, 1823-1913.
The Malay Archipelago : the land of the orang-utan and the bird of paradise. A narrative of travel, with studies of man and nature / by Alfred Russel Wallace. 2nd ed. (London : Macmillan, 1869) 2 v.

Alfred Russel Wallace was a naturalist who established himself with a journey to the Amazon from 1848 to 1852. In 1854 he decided that the Malay Archipelego offered the most promising field for a naturalist so he sailed there and stayed for eight years, visiting every significant island group.

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D’A, Anna
A lady’s visit to Manilla and Japan. (London, Hurst and Blackett, 1863)

Anna D’Almeida, who wrote under the name Anna d’A visited Asia in 1862 just as Japan was being opened to the West. Commodore Perry had extracted a treaty from the Shogun in 1854 which had set up trading links.

As with Isabella Bird, Anna D’A pays a great deal of attention to the domestic arrangements, social customs and the mode of life of the women.

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Illustrated travels : a record of discovery, geography and adventure / edited by H.W. Bates. (London : Cassell Petter & Galpin, [1869-1872]) 6 v.

This multi-volume work appeared originally in monthly parts. It aimed to bring the most recent travel accounts to the public attention. Each issue was advertised as appearing "With engravings from original drawings by celebrated artists."

67	Left My very first little book about other countries. (London : Henry Frowde and Hodder & Stoughton, [19--?]) Among the countries a young reader would learn about in this book, are Japan, China, and India. The caption for the illustration of the Japanese boy reads,

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Schoolgirl's adventure book / edited by Mrs. Sheridan Jones.