J. Pearson
Sydney: Vale & Pearson, 1933.

Biography of Joseph Pearson (1849-1939), draper, one of Australia’s early cyclists, and map publisher. First published in 1925, Pearson published this revised edition in 1933. “When Pearson toured Britain and the Continent in 1893, he rode some 3500 miles (5633 km). He bought road maps and, inspired by them, vowed to persuade his fellow cyclists ‘to take an occasional tour in the country … to get into our wide spaces’. In 1896 he published the Cyclists’ Touring Guide of New South Wales, which contained many practical hints. He agitated for the erection of road signs and that year helped to found the New South Wales Cyclists’ Touring Union, serving on the executive board. His early road and touring material provided the basis for the union’s two-volume Handbook, and Guide to the Roads of New South Wales (Sydney, 1898), the most detailed guide ever published in Australia.” (ADB) This copy signed on the wrappers upper panel, as usual.