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Synopsis
Commissioned by colonial Australia's Governor Macquarie in the early 1800s, these cabinets of curiosities, beautifully portrayed in this collection of text and images, display exotic natural history through layers of preserved butterflies, insects, birds, seaweed specimens, and shells. Tracing the journey of the Dixson chest and the Macquarie chest, united for the first time in nearly 200 years, the story reveals much about the fledgling Australian colony, Governor Macquarie and his vision, the convict artists and craftsmen who worked on the chests, the natural landscape, and the history of colonial Australia. Beautifully painted panels created by some of Australia's best early colonial painters are also included.
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About the Author
Elizabeth Ellis is the assistant state librarian of the collection management services at the State Library of New South Wales. She is the author of Conrad Martens: Life & Art and the coauthor of Reframing Darwin: Evolution and Art in Australia.
Review
"This exquisitely produced book traces the secret history of a 'museum' in miniature: a wooden chest containing one of the earliest colonial collections of Australian flora and fauna." —Weekend Australian
"A genuine collector's item; a fascinating footnote to early Australian history." —Sydney Morning Herald
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- PublisherMiegunyah Press
- Publication date2010
- ISBN 10 052285379X
- ISBN 13 9780522853797
- BindingHardcover
- Number of pages256
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Rare & Curious: The Secret History Of Governor Macquarie's Collector's Chest
Published by
The Miegunyah Press & State Library of NSW, Sydney 2010, 2010
ISBN 10: 052285379X
ISBN 13: 9780522853797
Used
Hardcover
Seller: THE CROSS Art + Books, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Seller rating 2 out of 5 stars
18.0 x 23.5cms (landscape), 276pp, colour illusts, very good+ hardback with decorative boards in box & decorated slipcase (that simulate the idea of a chest). Macquarie commissioned this cedar chest in 1818, but it languished in Scotland until the 1970s when the Mitchell Library bought it. Seller Inventory # 193346
Quantity: 1 available
Stock Image
Rare and Curious: The Secret History of Governor Macquarie's Collector's Chest
Published by
Miegunyah Press, 2010
ISBN 10: 052285379X
ISBN 13: 9780522853797
Used
Hardcover
First Edition
Seller: TARKA, DANGAR ISLAND, NSW, Australia
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Hardcover. Condition: Fine. 1st Edition. Perfect copy except for two small tears inside the flap of the box. This is a very special book. Highly qualified librarian Elizabeth Ellis has recorded for us treasures from two historic chests. One chest was created for Governor Lachlan Macquarie about 1818 and ended up in a Scottish castle until it was rediscovered in the late 1970s.Another 'treasure chest' was acquired by the Dixson Galleriesin 1937. Rare & Curious represents the contents of these two chests with a lavish 150 paintings and photos in a boxed book. This is a real treasure and an unforgettable gift for someone special. Seller Inventory # 21
Quantity: 1 available