To Annie Walker   9 August 1881

9/8/81

 

I would advise you, dear Miss Walker, to send a copy of your illustrated work1 to Mr Mullen, the Bookseller of Collins Street, Melbourne, and to get his aid for the sale of the work. As he keeps also the most fashionable circulating Library, Carriages of the leading Ladies of Melbourne are at his door daily. Thus your work will come under the notice of the very people, who would like to have it on their drawing room-table.2

Mr Robertson's is another great book-business here, of which a branch exists in Sydney. I strongly advise you, to communicate with them; it is [in]3 their money-interests to push work like yours, and Mr Robertson has also a branch-business in London, all the divisions of the firm advertising regularly. I live out of Melbourne,4 see seldom any one, have no leisure for mercantile pursuits, but am willing to contribute some notes to the text of your work, and if it is of any advantage to you, you may use my name as a referee in the advertisement of your publication.

Regardfully your

Ferd. von Mueller.

1
Walker (1887). Walker published the work herself, having it printed by the Sydney printers Turner & Henderson. The Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne has a copy inscribed: 'To Baron Sir F. von Müeller K.C.M.G. with grateful remembrance from Annie F. Walker'.
2
See C. Groener to A. Walker, 9 September 1881, Am 21/1, Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales, Sydney.
3
editorial addition — word left out by M.
4
In South Yarra, some two km. from the edge of the downtown area.

Please cite as “FVM-81-08-09,” in Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, edited by R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora†, J.H. Voigt† and Monika Wells accessed on 26 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/81-08-09