Pearls and Savages. Adventures in the Air, on Land and Sea in New Guinea (1981)

Publisher: G. P. Putnam's Sons,, New York: ; Author(s): Hurley, Frank ; Hard Cover with DJ : 414 pages ; English

Classic ethnographic photographs of New Guinea natives. This amazing publication is the result of an expedition Captain Hurley made to New Guinea , traveling by land, sea and air, where aviation developed quickly after WWI, mainly to service the gold-fields. His observations and experiences among the stone-age natives there are graphically recorded in word and picture. There are 82 outstanding mono photographs, the majority are full page plates. Green hard covers with gilt front and spine titles.

Captain Frank Hurley was a noted Australian adventurer and explorer who travelled world-wide --- Europe, the Americas and Antarctica. His photographs from his Antarctic exploits are much admired and his skill with the camera is again evident in this publication. He served as a photographer with the Australian army in WWI. This amazing publication is the result of an expedition he made to New Guinea , moving about there by land sea and air, where aviation developed quickly after WWI, mainly to service the gold-fields. His observations and experiences among the stone-age natives there are graphically recorded in word and picture.

The forward discusses Hurley's life and his time in the Antarctic, surviving Shackleton's "Endurance" expedition, during which the ship was crushed in the ice. It states that this expedition to tropical New Guinea was conceived of while Hurley was marooned under the boat beached on Elephant Island after the ship "Endurance" was crushed. He explored the tropical forests in search of the peoples of New Guinea. He also served as a photographer in WWI. In this work he continues his fine photographic tradition with some amazing shots of New Guinea natives in their environment.

This fabulous book is probably the 1981 fascimilie reproduction by JAC Press (Hong Kong) of the 1924 first edition of the Putnam (New York) publication. There is no information regarding the reprint and there is a Bali Corporation price sticker on the front cover. This book is in excellent condition except for light edge wear of the DJ.