Baines, Thomas; The Gold Regions of South-Eastern Africa: by the late Thomas Baines ; accompanied by biographical sketch of the author. Edward Stanford; and Cape Colony: J. W. C. Mackay, London, 1877. Large octavo, pp. xxiv, 240, mounted photographic frontispiece portrait, large folding map in rear cover pocket, 3 mounted photographic plates of Baine’s paintings and folding facsimile letter from David Livingstone to Baines.
The work is complete and in the original green cloth with ruled borders, gilt spine titles and gilt spine vignette, gilt front cover vignette set within decorative black ruled borders. The binding is tight and very clean with light shelf rubbing to binding edges. The text, plates and maps are crisp, clean and bright. In very good to near fine condition.
Thomas Baines (1820-1875 was an English artist, explorer, naturalist and writer who spent most of his life in southern Africa. His father was a master mariner and Baines was educated at Horatio Nelson’s Classical and Commercial Academy. In 1836 he began an apprenticeship with a coach builder. However, he soon rejected this profession in favour of painting, a craft he had learnt from the painter William Carr. He left England for South Africa and arrived in Cape Town on late 1842. Eventually Baines was to become one of the earliest pioneers of Rhodesia.
Baines worked first as a painter for a cabinet-maker in Cape Town, and later as a marine and portrait painter. He based himself in the Eastern Cape between 1848 and 1853 and from there he undertook three journeys to the interior.
His first journey was beyond the Orange River (1848). The second beyond the Kei River and over the Winterberg (1849) and finally an attempt to reach the Okavango Swamps (1850). Wherever he travelled he painted scenery and evenets. He became South Africa’s first official war artist and covered the Eighth Frontier War.
These paintings were what made Baines famous and also appeared in his books. In 1855 he travelled to Australia as official artist to A.C. Gregory’s north Australian expedition. He was elected Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and received its gold medal in 1858.
Baines book on gold deposits was instigated by the discovery of gold in Matabeland and Mashonaland. He obtained an important gold mining concession from Lobengula, who was the second and last king of the Southern African Ndebele (Matabele) nation. Thus Baines was one of the earliest explorers to travel through the region that became Rhodesia.
The volume is a most important work, and contains full information of every description upon the subject of the gold discoveries in Matabeland and Mashonaland, with much curious knowledge of the inhabitants" (Mendelssohn). Baines was one of the earliest explorers to travel through the region that became Rhodesia. His observations and detailed artistry led to an important work containing full information on the subject of the gold discoveries in Matabelaland and Mashonaland. Baines also includes information on the gold discoveries of Transvaal.
Baines was writing an account of his expeditions when he fell ill and died in May 1875. His vast holdings were later acquired by Cecil Rhodes. His accurate map, scientific data, and illustrations of the scenery and people were published posthumously in “The Gold Regions of South-Eastern Africa” (1877).
Most of Baines detailed paintings and sketches are held in London as well as the National Library of Australia, National Archives of Zimbabwe, Brenthurst Library and the Royal Geographical Society. There are also numerous paintings at the Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town.
