I guess there is nothing unique in setting up a personal website, but it does raise the issue of just how, if at all, you should you present yourself. In these days where reticence is a quaint personality quirk, it seems even more important to strike some sort of balance between ego and humility. If you are going ahead with a website, there’s no point in trying to hide, but every benefit in delivering yourself without pretence.

In this regard, the thinker, philosopher, and essayist who has become a touchstone for me and so many others, is Michel de Montaigne¹ . He was pretty much the first to place himself securely at the centre of his observations, experience and thinking, and not be afraid to talk and write of himself (though less on his kidney stones might have been good), and what his reading, particularly of Seneca, Plutarch, Cicero and others of the classics, meant to him. You can compare him with his contemporary, Shakespeare (who read him closely). Shakespeare is someone we can’t be, but Montaigne invites us to be like him. He holds up a mirror and in his observations of himself, we find something of ourselves too. So we shouldn’t be afraid to discover ourselves and lay something out. All life is in his essays, and while you won’t find much of that in this site, or much about me, there is a guiding hand.

Amongst those images on the home page, are botanical paintings. These are by Sarah Featon, and are plates from her art book of the New Zealand flora². The book was the first fully coloured art book published in New Zealand, in 1889, using the then new technology of chromolithography. It was notable for botanical accuracy, the art and text science-based, with Sarah Featon providing the water colours, and her husband the text. Only one volume was published, a prospective second never eventuated. The plates chosen are all of plants present in our bush. There is a recent publication from the Tairāwhiti Museum in Gisborne that is full of information on the Featons and the book³. The other images come from various early books on China or New Zealand.

And a couple of particular mentions:

Thanks to the designer of the website, Stuart Bermingham (https://www.stuartb.nz/), who is patient, understands what you want, has a great eye for good design, and is a pleasure to work with.

This site is very much about books, rare and early books, old books, and just books. Over the years I have learned much from Anah Dunsheath (https://www.rarebooks.co.nz/), New Zealand’s leading rare book dealer, particularly about quality, and from her encyclopaedic and unequalled knowledge on New Zealand and Pacific books. Thanks.