Illustrated guide book for travellers round the world

Osaka : Awoki Szandow, circa 1885. Three volumes, small octavo, gilt-decorated impressed cloth over boards, titled in Japanese and English on the spine, the name AWOKI impressed into each over, edges worn, a few stains, hinges cracked and broken, title leaf (short tear at gutter), each volume approximately 200 pages, folded in the Japanese manner, profusely illustrated with engraved illustrations, views, portraits, scenes, maps, a table of hours with movable volvelle, internally clean, a good set.

Aoki Sūzandō (transliterated to A. T. Szandow, A. T. Szando and Awoki Szandow), was a Meiji-era publishing company based in Osaka and Tokyo founded by Aoki Tsunesaburō (1863-1926), which published a number of guide books and maps for the internationally minded Japanese traveller. This set was issued in several variations, including a seven volume set in the National Library of Australia.

This comprehensive guide book includes several pages on Australia and the Pacific, including illustrations of indigenous Australians, Maori, Pacific Islanders, wildlife and cities, captioned thus ‘Inhabitants of Ustralia’, Animals in Austraria’, ‘View of Salt Mine’, ‘Inhabitants and their properties of the Austraria’, Field-Lodging of natives in the interior of Australia’, ‘View of Parliament, Sydney’, ‘View of Merbourne’, ‘Process of tattooing, New Zealand’, etc. etc.

Rare.

A single example in Australian collections (National Library of Australia).