Catalogue

Lot 853 Sale 127 Provenanced piece of Capt Cook's Endeavour

Captain James Cook's H.M. Bark Endeavour, a piece of timber (22cm long x 2cm wide) being part of the keel retrieved from the wreck of the ship at Newport, Rhode Island, USA., in a gilt timber framed display case with label attached, written in 18th century hand (probably that of Sir Joseph Bank's sister, Sarah) that reads, 'This is part of the keel of the Ship Endeavour which, under the command of James Cook, Esq, circumnavigated the Globe in 1768-1770, Broken up at Newport, Rhode-Island, U.S.A. 1796.' There are only two pieces of this historic ship in private hands, this one and the other is in a Sydney Collection, excessively rare and of the highest importance to Australian history.

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