[WESTERN DISTRICT; MARITIME] Ledger book of James Henty & Co., Melbourne, 1873-5.

A$3,000 · Offered by Douglas Stewart Fine Books

Large heavy folio, 480 x 330 x 130 mm, weighing 16 kg (!); original binding of reverse calf over heavy boards, external leather bands with decorative lacing patterns (some light staining and edge wear), spine with red and green morocco title-pieces stamped in gilt LEDGER / J.H. CO. / No. 5 , and with the Sands McDougall company mark in gilt at the tail; marbled edges; original marbled pastedowns and endpapers, the front pastedown with the binder s ticket of Sands McDougall, Manufacturing Stationers, Melbourne, dated in manuscript 2 November 1870; 601 double-pages, containing the firm s accounting records for the fiscal years 1873-4 and 1874-5, with many thousands of manuscript entries in the same immaculate copperplate hand throughout, recording the firm s banking transactions with the Bank of Australasia (the account growing from an opening balance of £31,000 to £153,000 in this period), commissions, salaries, charitable donations, expenditure, and details of client accounts for Melbourne, regional Victorian, extra-colonial and overseas entities, as well as for numerous mercantile vessels for which the firm acted as agents; extremely well preserved throughout. A wonderful early Melbourne stationery binding containing the accounting transactions of merchants and shipping agents James Henty Co., the company founded in Melbourne in 1851 by Western District pioneer pastoralist and businessman James Henty (1800-1882). Although based in Melbourne, James s firm maintained close tie

• Binding: Hardcover

Found via Rare Books Intel, a search across rare-book dealers, auction houses and marketplaces worldwide.