Les Sauvages de la Mer Pacifique: manufactured by Joseph Dufour et Cie 1804-05, after a design by Jean-Gabriel Charvet.
Art Gallery of New South Wales.
2000. 
ISBN 0642541523.

This lovely book was published to accompany the exhibition of the Art Gallery of New South Wales' copy of Les Sauvages de la Mer Pacifique at the Gallery from 5 February to 30 April 2000, as part of the Australian Collection Focus Series. (Interestingly, Australia does not feature on any of these strips though).

Les Sauvages de la Mer Pacifique is a decorative composition in wallpaper drawing upon the paintings and descriptions brought back to Europe by the expeditions of Cook and Laperouse. The strips are reproduced in the book (several being shown in detail) while each strip is carefully described. Biographical entries are included for Dufour and Charvet and the history of the wallpaper's production is outlined.

The whereabouts of the known copies of the wallpaper are given and, interestingly for the CCS, one of our members, Arthur Adamson, is acknowledged as having provided much of this information.

Altogether a wonderful book and one is left ruing having missed the exhibition.

John Robson

Originally published in Cook's Log, page 1916, volume 25, number 1 (2002).