TEA from Antipodean Books, Maps & Prints

UK: J. Young, 1850. Very good condition. A wood block printed handbill for advertising with image of a mountain and temple and surrounding trees. The Ambustella Dagoba Mihintala Ceylon "is a mountain carved into a temple.' Mihintale is believed by Sri Lankans to be the site of a meeting between the Buddhist monk Mahinda and King Devanampiyatissa which… Read more about this item

London, 1673. Print. Very good condition. An early image of a tea plant from "An Embassy from the East India Company of the United Provinces, to the Grand Tartar Cham, Emperor of China..." Ogilby's English edition was a translation of the original by Joan Nieuhof, first published in Dutch in 1665. The image including text is 7 x… Read more about this item

London: Thornton, 1808. Very good overall. Sweeping view of tea gathering in China, a large impressive aquatint, after the Chinese artist Sango-so. The commanding scene shows a trio of tea gatherers in the foreground at work in a large tea plantation, two additional tea gatherers in the middle ground near an elegant pavilion, and mountains in the distance.… Read more about this item

New York: Charles and Co, 1931. Hardcover. Very good condition. Profusely illustrated catalogue of products on offer by Charles and Co., the New York City purveyor of fine foods, noted for their "Bon Voyage" Steamer Baskets. Each class of goods lavishly illustrated, along with printed price lists. For example, a wonderful gilt and red tea box illustration for… Read more about this item

1895. Very good condition. A hand written letter on preprinted Memo paper from The Central China Press in Kewkiang (now known as Jiujiang), with reference to their booming business- "My dear Parents: Just a line - Lou continues to improve and will doubtless be able to stand trip home. There is still some mucous in discharge. Hope you… Read more about this item

1893. Hardcover. A collection of 74 hand-tinted albumen photographs on paper, loosely tipped into album pages. The original owners name on the inside front cover reads "E. M. Griffill (or Griffin?) Yokohama, March 12th 1902." The photographers are not identified, but these are stock images, measuring approx. 5 1/8 x 3 1/2". Subjects include landscapes in many towns, predominantly… Read more about this item

Taiwan, 1890. Ephemera. Very good condition. Tea chest label for Tait & Co. Printed in gold & black on handsome red paper. Printed on laid paper, with decorative diamond design border. 13 1/2 x 14 1/2"

Boston: Littell & Gay, later Littell, Son & Company, 1847. Hardcover. Very good overall. With much information on tea, China, Japan (the commercial mission to Japan) and Angas' Australia and New Zealand (essay on British artist's voyage to the colonies). Littell's Living Age was a magazine that comprised sophisticated selections from various British and American magazines… Read more about this item

Boston: Littell & Gay, later Littell, Son & Company, 1853. Hardcover. Very good overall. Material on the rebellion in China and the instability of the Tartar dynasty, as well as the tea trade with China. Littell's Living Age was a magazine that comprised sophisticated selections from various British and American magazines and newspapers, a "Reader's Digest" of… Read more about this item

Paris: Published by the author, 1843. First edition. Hardcover. Finely illustrated important monograph on tea and tea manufacturing. Contents include the history of tea cultivation, origin, chemical composition of tea, medical properties of tea, and preparation of tea. Includes an important bibliography of books written about tea, to that date. 8vo, (iv,) 160pp, 17 full page engraved plates. Plum… Read more about this item

1890. Very good condition. Tea chest label for Tait & Co. Printed in gold & black on handsome red paper. Printed on laid paper, with decorative floral border. A gold buddha sits in the middle. 10 1/2 x 12"

Philadelphia: The Philadelphia Museums, 1900. Very good overall. Real b&w cabinet photograph showing female tea workers firing tea in a large brick "pans", with tea baskets hanging in the rafters above, and with labeled tea boxed waiting to be packed. With text on the verso explaining the process: "this picture shows the interior of a "tea-firing go-down". ..… Read more about this item

Very good condition. Hand tinted albumen photograph of a large group of women and children (mostly girls) tea pickers, standing in a group before heading out to pick tea, 2 holding hats, 3 in shawls, 18 bare headed with a steep green slope behind them. Some of the children are quite young; there is an adult male hiding… Read more about this item

New York: Underwood and Underwood, 1896. Very good condition. A crowded street scene near the harbour in Hong Kong, with street vendors and coolie workers. Very bright. Stereoscopic photo card on tan card stock, curved mounts, with printed caption. The image shows a congested street scene with men working with bricks in the foreground, many workers in the… Read more about this item

New York: Underwood and Underwood, 1896. Very good condition. Stereoscopic photo card on tan card stock, curved mounts, with printed caption "Picking the famous Uji Tea near Tokyo, Japan." The image shows a group of workers picking tea, including a woman in the foreground with baby on her back. The number 51 is handwritten above the images. The… Read more about this item

Paris: Published by the author, 1843. First edition. Hardcover. Very good overall. Finely illustrated monograph on tea and tea manufacturing. Contents include the history of tea cultivation, origin, chemical composition of tea, medical properties of tea, and preparation of tea. Includes an important bibliography of books written about tea, to that date. 8vo, (iv,) 160pp, engraved half… Read more about this item

London: T. Ward and Co., Paternoster Row, 1845. Hardcover. Very good. With content on China, tea, South Australia, the sea elephant and pearl diving. With a chapter at p67, "Notices of China and the Chinese", with an engraved and illustrated table "Emblems of Trade and Religion in China", stating "Tea first brought to England in 1610. Tea brought… Read more about this item

Scowen and Co.. c1885. Thin unmounted albumen print with caption in white: "Plucking tea leaf. Holton Estate. Panwila," which is an area of Ceylon (Sri Lanka). 11 x 8 1/2"

Advertising dated March 5th, 1851, from Lovell, Pomeroy & Co, New York City tea dealers, announcing they "beg leave to call the attention of all Merchants visiting the City, and especially large dealers, to their New Establishment, (and) inviting an examination of their Teas and prices". 2 sheets, 8 1/2 x 11", one illustrated at the top and printed… Read more about this item

Receipt from London tea dealer listing tea (Fine Green Tea, Fine Souchong) as well as sugar, coffee, split pease (sic), and grits. To a Mr. Michie. Three horizontal folds, very slightly creased, short split at folds. Handwritten note at verso "Grocer's bill 1795". 7 1/2 x 9 3/4" HK3490.