Africana. A distant journey into unknown lands.

This profusely illustrated catalogue with detailed collations and critical notes, offers a fascinating insight into the rich and diverse history of the African continent as seen through Western eyes. The emphasis of the collection is on illustrated books and is a valuable addition to works on the subject.

Paolo Bianchi began as a collector of stamps and postal history which then led to the research of the history of Italian colonisation of Africa. This then inspired him to become a passionate bibliophile and start a collection of antiquarian books. He soon expanded his collection to cover the whole of Africa and the history of African exploration. This book includes nearly 400 items and highlights include such works as Angas' Kafirs Illustrated, 1849; Baines' Victoria Falls, 1865; and Samuel Daniell's African Scenery and Animals at the Cape of Good Hope, 1804-05.