Author:
John Blair
Publisher:
R. T. Wheeler, Dunedin, New Zealand, 1889
Format:
Hardcover
Pages:
112 pages
Condition:
Very Good – light tanning and foxing throughout, owner’s name inside front cover, fading to spine, and rubbing to cloth boards. Binding sound.
Description:
Published in Dunedin in 1889, Lays of the Old Identities by John Blair is a rare volume of verse steeped in the settler history and cultural spirit of 19th-century New Zealand. Designed for recitation and public readings, these poems reflect themes of identity, belonging, nostalgia, and colonial experience.
With its strong regional voice and literary purpose, this volume offers insight into early New Zealand literature and performance culture. Cited in Bagnall’s bibliography (entry 529), it holds notable interest for collectors of Australasian poetry and colonial print history.
Why You’ll Love It:
A scarce and atmospheric example of 19th-century New Zealand verse, perfect for collectors of colonial literature, performance texts, and Australiana. Its original cloth binding and regional focus make it both a historical document and a literary artifact.
