Antiquarian Auctions

Auction #114 begins on 11 Apr 2024

Mathers, Edward P, FRGS

The Gold Fields Revisited. Being Further Glimpses of the Gold Fields of South Africa (1887)

Author of "A Glimpse of the Gold Fields, being Notes of a Trip to Moodies"

Published: P Davis & Sons, Durban and Maritzburg, Natal, 1887

Edition: First

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Though far from perfect, this copy of the original 1887 book is listed because of its extreme rarity - today only various facsimile editions seem to be available. [This copy was purchased in the UK for 90 pounds many years ago and in its present condition - in particular, lacking one of the five original maps.]

The original royal blue cloth-boards have been recased with pink, blue and white marbled endpapers (2 sets at front and back). Gold-and-blue head- and tail-bands. The very large, 18-fold, colour map inserted at the title-page has been reinforced and repaired, but there are still some unclosed tears (see image). The title-page has a tear for most of its depth and is lightly foxed. xxvi (including contents and introduction) + 352 pp of unillustrated text and appendixes with tables - A. Tables of Distances (16 pp); B. South African Gold-Mining Companies (10 pp), arranged according to fields - De Kaap; Pretoria, Witwatersrand and South; Malmani; Lydenburg; Waterberg; Komatie; Swazieland; and New Republic) - names, head offices and capital [highest, both in Lydenburg, New Lisbon-Berlyn (450,000 pounds) and Balkis Consolidated (400,000 pounds)] + 42 pp of unpaginated advertisements + five inserted maps as follows: (1) Golden South Africa, the large map at the front already referred to; (2) Small 2-fold b/w map showing the District of Delagoa Bay; (3) Kaap Fields and Swazieland, an 8-fold map in good condition; (4) Map of Moodie's (missing); (5) Map of the Witwatersrand and Heidelberg Field. This large-scale 15-fold b/w map has been reinserted from its original position in the text to the back of the book. It has been extensively repaired, but there are still some unclosed tears.

CONDITION. The binding, boards and new endpapers are fine. The maps and title-page are as described above. There is an ownership stamp on the second front free endpaper as well as a pencilled name on the title-page. There is a pencilled description and price on the verso of the second front free endpaper. The contents are otherwise complete, unmarked and undiscoloured, save for very occasional light foxing spots on a very few pages.

RECOMMENDATION. As one of what seem to be a very few surviving examples of this work, this copy will stand on its own, but would be improved by further repairs to the two largest maps.

NOTE ON THE MISSING MAP. We have searched, without success, for a copy of Mathers's other book -  A Glimpse of the Gold Fields . . . Moodies - to perhaps find a substitute for the missing map, but this book, too, is available only in British Library facsimile version.

  • Binding Condition: Very Good (repaired)
  • Overall Condition: Near Very Good
  • Size: 210 x 145
  • Sold By: Fontein Books
  • Contact Person: Richard Proctor-Sims
  • Country: South Africa
  • Email: [email protected]
  • Telephone: 051 773 0050/048 079 546 4032
  • Preferred Payment Methods: Eft (South Africa), SWIFT (rest of world), or $ checks for US or Australian buyers
  • Trade Associations: AA Approved


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