The General Directory and Guide-Book to the Cape of Good Hope and its Dependencies as well as the Transvaal, Natal, and the Free State 1881 . . .

Anon

Description:

. . . with Calendar and Gardening Directions

The "Gardening Directions" of the title are limited to 7 pp of "farming and gardening operations" for the months of the year. No matter, however. The book runs to x + 460 pp of advertisements, alphabetical contents list and text + lxv pp of alphabetical directory + 126 further pages of advertisements - the last of which are as fascinating as the text.

This copy is missing the cover and spine wraps but the book-block is complete except for missing top-halves of four leaves, making this really no more than a reading copy, although in this case the information is rather more important than the packaging. Even the book-block is interesting for the workmanship of the thread-sewn sections.

The state of the greater South Africa 130 years ago is indicated by the preface, here summarised: ". . . the publication of this year's Directory has been for some weeks delayed . . . For the same reason, the informaton given under several heads is neither so complete nor so thoroughly revised as the Compiler could have wished. Particularly will this be found to be the case with regard to the Transvaal and the native dependencies of this Colony, where the condition of the country has rendered it almost impossible to get what was required for the purposes of this volume . . ."

 

Details:

  • Publisher: Saul Solomon
  • Publisher Place: Cape Town
  • Date of Publication: 1881
  • Edition: First
  • Binding Condition: Poor
  • Overall Condition: Fair
  • Size: 180 x 125 x 40
  • Lot No: 112
  • Hammer Price: $50
  • Bids: 1
  • Visits: 25
  • Estimate: $80
  • Reserve: $50

Have a similar item to sell? Please Contact Us or one of our sellers with the details.


Seller Details:

  • Name: Fontein Books
  • Address: 27 Voortrekker Street, Philippolis 9970
  • Contact Person: Richard Proctor-Sims
  • Country of Origin: South Africa
  • Email: fontein@wol.co.za
  • Website:
  • Preferred Payment Methods: Internet bank transfer or Visa or Mastercard
  • Trade Association: AA Approved
  • Additional Information: Fontein Books has for several years participated in Antiquarian Auctions and its predecessor. It specialises in historical and contemporary books on the Free State and Northern Karoo, and is also an active buyer and seller on commission in these and other fields. Fontein's owner, Richard Proctor-Sims, was an editor, writer and small publisher until 2005, when he moved from Johannesburg to Philippolis, the first settlement (1822) north of the Gariep or Orange River, where he opened his first physical bookshop (to which buyers and sellers are welcome), with reasonable holdings in Africana, both Anglo-Boer wars, biography, history, military history, natural history and travel. He regularly visits Bloemfontein, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town and offers to deliver heavy or valuable books or sets to these cities on such visits. Richard Proctor-Sims retains the copyright of Fontein's Antiquarian Auction descriptions and these may not be reproduced without permission and acknowledgment.