This week, we explore some less well-known adventurers who also achieved mountaineering milestones in their own way not necessarily by successful ascents but by becoming pioneers in their field.
Bookshop Blog
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GuidesA Beginner's GuideEmbarking on a journey into the world of rare book collecting is like becoming a treasure hunter. You'll uncover long-forgotten tales and hold history in your hands. To help you navigate this fascinating realm, we've curated a comprehensive beginner’s guide that provides insights into every aspect of rare book collecting.
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Travel
David Livingstone
A birthday celebrationMarch 19th marks the birthday of David Livingstone, who, along with captains Cook and Scott, is one of the three most renowned British explorers of the modern age, and, like them, died in the land he loved.
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Literature
A Celebration of Women Writers and Artists
As we celebrate International Women's Day, it is important to remember and honour the pioneering women who have paved the way for future generations in various fields, including literature and art.
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Guides
British Bird Books
This week, Julian MacKenzie invites you to delve into the captivating world of British bird books, where you will find the celebrated works by John Gould, Francis Willughby, Thomas Bewick and many more. -
Literature
Banned, Censored, Exiled
Censorship of Books in the Soviet UnionDiscover the world of Soviet Era Literature. A time when Russian writers defied totalitarian control to create art out of hardship.
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Travel
Western Women in the Islamic World
Inspired by the current exhibition at the Royal Geographical Society of British Women Explorers in Arabia, it seemed apposite to look at Western women travellers in the Islamic world.
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Travel
Latest Catalogue
Exploration & Travel 2023A preview of our latest catalogue Travel & Exploration 2023, curated by senior specialist Julian MacKenzie.
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Travel
Here Be Dragons
Recent Travel AcquisitionsTo do an injustice to Tennyson, it’s usually at this time that my fancy turns to getting out a new travel catalogue. Looking at this year’s purchases, the balance of them means that I can finally add a third catalogue in the series From the Mediterranean to the Himalayas, for the first time since the 1990’s.
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Travel
Mountaineering Pioneers
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Literature
Art and the Revolution
In the aftermath of the Russian Revolution, the production of children’s books flourished and created a whole new wave of radical illustrated works. Let’s take a look at a few examples currently on our shelves and the stories behind them. -
Rudolph Ackermann
The man who made historyWhen we watch Bridgerton or the many film adaptions of Jane Austen novels, it is easy to identify with the characters, they seem just like us but wearing fancier clothes. -
Guides
Time Travel
The history of Baedeker guidebooksLong before mobile travel apps there were Baedeker Guides, indispensable for helping thousands of tourists navigate their way round unfamiliar places. Designed to be carried around in a pocket and available for handy reference by the tourist while walking about the streets of a foreign city, or hiking up a mountain, they were small, robust and easy to carry. -
Literature
George Barbier
Art Deco designsGeorge Barbier (1882-1932) was the supreme decorative designer of Art Deco, whose art centred on the human figure, displayed in a thousand different settings and costumes. He had the faculty, as Valéry wrote, of embodying myth through images in such a way that workers in mere words could only look on in awe.