An Introduction to the Esmond Bradley Martin Collection of Africana

Last spring, I was fortunate enough to acquire a large collection of books on Africa from the renowned library of Esmond Bradley Martin (EBM). Martin was a noted conservationist and geographer with ties to the Carnegie steel fortune. He is most known for spearheading the fight against ivory trading in Africa and Asia for many years, including extensive work with the United Nations. In 2019, he was found dead in his estate in Nairobi, Kenya. His death was officially deemed a ‘robbery gone wrong’, but not without considerable controversy. Notably, it has been reported that nothing was stolen from the estate and that the murder weapon, which was protruding from EBM’s body when he was found, was a knife with an ornate ivory handle. 

EBM’s interests were nonspecific within the context of Africana, spanning hunting, agriculture, geography, ornithology, biology, exploration, travel, and much more. Over the course of the next year, we will be posting various titles from this collection. Currently, we have four items from the EBM collection listed in our shop: A rare signed copy of ‘My Life With Stanley’s Rear Guard’ by Herbert Ward (1891); ‘History of the Imâms and Seyyids of ‘Omân from A.D. 661-1856’ published by the Hakluyt Society, their scarce first edition from 1871; an original war diary (manuscript) of a Force Based on Iringa (1916); and an original manuscript for ‘Pioneers of Central Africa’ by W.J. Davy (c. 1880s). Here, we will focus on the latter, as it rolls many of EBM’s interests into one.

Although the EBM collection was filled with amazing titles, the lesser-known gems are what really stand out. In this case, Martin was able to acquire this manuscript of extracts from the potential book by Davy, with the proposed title ‘Pioneers of Central Africa’, focusing on David Livingstone, the pioneering Christian missionary and an early explorer in Africa, and Henry Morton (H.M) Stanley, author, explorer, soldier, big game hunter, and more. Davy based the work on the personal knowledge of and experiences with Stanley and EJ Glave, a renowned writer and journalist. Notably, Stanley became particularly fond of Glave after serving in the military together, and Glave would eventually become his foster son. This manuscript details a trip by Stanley and Glave on an exploratory mission on the Congo River. Glave was tasked to build an exploratory station in Lukolela while Stanley continued up river to Emin Pasha in Tanzania. Glave built the station and managed to make good contacts with the locals. He stayed in Lukolela through 1885, when he was appointed head of Bolobo station and a month later head of Equator station in Mbandaka. When his contract with the Congo Free State expired in 1886, he returned to England, but not for long, as much of the remainder of his life through 1895 was spent in Africa, mainly documenting the slave trade and conditions for Europeans and Americans. From the few details available, the author, Davy, seemed to unexpectedly spend a portion of the voyage with Stanley and Glave, relishing their unique and incredible stories, which he recorded. Coincidentally, Glave and Davy would make additional trips together, including one in Alaska (noted in an archive sold at Sotheby’s in 1975). Additionally, Davy is mentioned in the preface of ‘Five Years with the Cannibals’ by Herbert Ward, noting that Davy helped him by developing photographic negatives for the book. Additionally, W.J. Davy was an engineer, and in 1930, he was granted a patent for an electrical cut-out that used mercury.

The planned book was presumably never published, as I have not been able to find records of this work, by this title or another, or any books by Davy. The manuscript totals approximately 20 typed pages, with an article about Glave and the expedition pasted in, as well as a few other notes. A truly unique piece of unpublished African history.