Thesiger, Wilfred

the condition of this lot is as described in the catalogue description
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Thesiger was a British soldier, adventurer and explorer who made two crossings of the Empty Quarter in Arabia, as well as numerous other forays into the interior, particularly Oman, travelling with small groups of local guides, and disregarding the dangers from unfriendly or suspicious native tribesmen. This collection includes the maps: A journey through the Tihama & the Hejaz Mountains (1946), the rarest of his maps;  Across the Empy Quarter (October 1946 - February 1947) and Further Journey across the Empty Quarter (November 1947 - May 1948). Also a  signed copy of the article “Desert Borderlands of Oman”, from The Geographical Journal, vol. CXVI (December 1950).

The collection consists of:

1. Arabia A Journey through The Tihama, The 'Asir and The Hijaz Mountains in 1946 ... 515 x 370 mm.accompanying: 'A Journey through the Tihama, the 'Asir, and the Hijaz Mountains', extracted from 'The Geographical Journal', 1947, retaining the general title, two leaves of photographs, folding map housedin  pocket at front (bound in modern marbled boards with embossed title label)

The rarest of Thesiger’s maps. After his appointment to the Anti-Locust Unit, he flew into Jeddah and rarely for WT, he made a short exploratory trip around Saudi in four-wheeled vehicle. In Jeddah he met Philby for the first time. He made a quick visit to the Tihama; then “lured by tantalising glimpse of a lovely race”, returns in April/June 1946 to travel 950 miles around the coastal region between the mountains and the sea, very African in flavour and stretching most of the length of the Red Sea. He climbs on the path of an old trade route, to the mountainous area of the Asir, to Abha where there is the highest peak in Saudi; and travels along the spine of the mountains to Taif, a kind of old summer “capital”, a retreat from the hot coastal region around Jeddah. (A tarmac road is not built between Abha and Taif until the mid-1980’s.) The opening sentences of his famous book, “Arabian Sands” describing all his desert travels around the Empty Quarter 1945-1950, are set in the Asir mountains and he is looking out over the distant desert.

 2. Southern Arabia A Journey through southern Rub el Khali October 1945 to February 1946 ...', 440 x 655 mm., accompanying: 'A New Journey in southern Arabia', extracted from 'The Geographical Journal', 1946, folding map housed in a pocket at the rear, three leaves of photographs (bound in modern blue boards with printed title label)

The map illustrates the two pre-crossing journeys that he made ostensibly for the Anti-Locust Unit, deciding that if there were going to be locusts, they would be found in the area of Mugshin (which BT also visited in 1929). On his return journey, he decides he has time to make “a quick dash from Salala to Tarim, a town at the head of the Hadhramaut.

 3.  Another copy : Southern Arabia A Journey through southern Rub el Khali October 1945 to February 1946 ...', 440 x 655 mm. bound in 'The Geographical Journal', Oct-Dec. 1946, 1947; the complete issue with printed wrappers, ex-libris with stamp on verso of the title-page the folding lithographed map pasted to the rear end-paper as issued, the article with three leaves of photographs

 4. Southern Arabia A journey through the Mahra Country March and April 1947 ...; map printed in bistre and blue, 410 x 465 mm., accompanying: 'Across the Empty Quarter', extracted from 'The Geographical Journal', 1948 (bound in modern red boards with printed title label)

Thesiger at the beginning of this Paper read to the Royal Geographical Society in October 1947, explains that these two Journeys, he counts as one “they covered 2000 miles and was undertaken for the Middle East Anti-Locust Unit and continued the investigations begun as described in the “New Journey in Southern Arabia””. He goes on to say that he travelled through country not yet visited by any European other than some areas travelled by Bertram Thomas in 1928 & 1929.”(see lot 122).

 5  Southern Arabia A Journey through Western and Northern Rub' al Khali November 1947 to May 1948', 1949; unfolded; printed colour, 290 x 275. A Further Journey across the Empty Quarter', extracted from 'The Geographical Journal', 1949,  ex-libris with stamp on verso of the title-page, three leaves of photographs (bound in modern green boards with printed title label)

It was during this second crossing that Thesiger and his small party stray into Saudi territory… as already described with the Philby map – near Sulaiyil and requires rescue by the good offices of Philby, in which he makes brief reference in his paper (see lot 138).

6. Desert Borderlands of Oman', 1950; bound in 'The Geographical Magazine', Vol. CXVI, 1950;printed wrappers, four leaves of photographs, the article signed at the head by Thesiger. TEXT ONLY

“Desert Borderlands of Oman”  deals with Thesiger’s journey from November 1948 – February 1949. It is during this journey, he finally gets to explore the Liwa Oasis, the first European to do so and this is an exploration of which he appears to be particularly proud. He then goes on to describe what will be his last journey in Arabia : he sets out in November 1949 and travels in the borderlands of Oman, as illustrated in the map to accompany this Paper but which due to production difficulties, is not published until the next number of the Journal in 1950.

 7.  Afghanistan Map to illustrate a journey to Nuristan ...', 1957; with an inset sketch map of Afghanistan and neighbouring countries,  295 x 215 mm. (loose map)

 8. Southern Arabia A Journey through Western and Northern Rub' al Khali November 1947 to May 1948', 1949, 290 x 275 mm. (loose map)

9. South-Eastern Arabia from traverses ... 1945-50', 1950; printed colour, 515 x 685 mm

 Together 6 bound items and 3 loose maps (9)