Lot of 8 Original Hand-Colored Engraved Plates — George Barrington, An Account of a Voyage to New South Wales, London: Printed for M. Jones, No. 1 Paternoster Row, 1803 (First Edition)
You are bidding on a remarkable group of eight original hand-colored engraved plates removed from a first edition copy of one of the earliest and most sought-after accounts of colonial Australia. An Account of a Voyage to New South Wales by George Barrington (1755–1804) — the legendary Irish pickpocket transported to New South Wales in 1791, who later became Superintendent of Convicts at Parramatta — was published by M. Jones of London in 1803 and is a foundational document of early Australian history and Australiana collecting.
All eight plates bear the original M. Jones, Paternoster Row publication lines dated 1802–1803, and were engraved by W. Woodthorpe. Binding holes are visible on the margins of each leaf, confirming these were removed from an original bound copy rather than being later reproductions. The hand-coloring is original and vivid throughout.
The eight plates included in this lot are:
1.Engraved Title Page — An Account of a Voyage to New South Wales by George Barrington, Superintendant of the Convicts. Features a hand-colored vignette of a native figure fishing from a canoe. Imprint: M. Jones, 1803.
2.Blue Snake / Black & White Snake — Two Australian serpents on a single plate, hand-colored in teal-blue and black-and-white banding. Published Dec. 23, 1802.
3.A Male & Female Native — A standing Aboriginal man holding a spear and shield, with a woman carrying an infant. Hand-colored with feathered headdress, red and green garments. Published Nov. 1, 1802.
4.Botany — Five Australian plant specimens: Banksia Serrata, Banksia Pyriformis, Peppermint Tree, Tea Tree, and Yellow Gum Tree. Published Jan. 22, 1803.
5.Camelepard / Spotted Hyena — Two African animals encountered during the voyage via the Cape of Good Hope: a giraffe (labeled "Camelepard") and a spotted hyena. Two images on one plate.
6.Burning the Dead — An Aboriginal funeral ceremony, depicting two figures tending a body on a funeral pyre, with warriors in the background. Engraved by W. Woodthorpe. Published Dec. 3, 1802.
7.Manhood — An Aboriginal initiation ceremony, depicting three figures. Engraved by W. Woodthorpe. Published Dec. 17, 1802.
8.Ceremony of Ducking & Shaving — Sailors performing the traditional crossing-the-equator ceremony on the deck of a ship. Published May 1, 1803.
Plate size: Approximately 8.5 x 5 inches each (image area; full leaf slightly larger).
Condition details: All plates display age-toning and light foxing consistent with paper of this age (220+ years). Colors remain vivid. No tears, no missing sections, no restoration. Binding holes present on margins. Overall condition is Good to Good+, which is typical and expected for original plates of this period.
Provenance and significance: The Barrington Voyage to New South Wales is listed in Ferguson's Bibliography of Australia (No. 367) and in Tooley's English Books with Colour Plates 1790 to 1860 (p. 94, no. 82). It is one of the earliest illustrated accounts of the Australian colony and is actively collected by Australiana specialists, early natural history collectors, and institutions. A comparable group of 11 Barrington engravings sold at Trillium Rare Prints auction for $650. Complete copies of the first edition with all plates in dealer stock are priced at $4,000–$4,100 (Shapero Rare Books, London).
This is a rare opportunity to acquire a cohesive group of original plates from one of the most important early books on Australian history.