Gabriele Gramiccia papers and photographs, 1981-1986, being bibliographic sources compiled for The Life of Charles Ledger (1818-1905) published in London, 1988

MLMSS 4651
PXB 528

fonds

1981-1986

Textual Records, Graphic Materials, Photographs

891426

0.28 metres of textual material (2 boxes) - manuscript, photocopies, typescript
5 photographic prints - gelatin silver - 17.8 x 12.7 cm or smaller
1 photocopy - A4

Charles Ledger (1818-1905), a trader and adventurer, was born in London in 1818. In 1836 he travelled to Peru and established himself as a trader. In 1848 he began to breed alpacas and in 1852 was asked by the British consular to supply some of the animals to New South Wales. The export of alpacas from Peru was prohibited so Ledger was forced to drive them through Bolivia, Argentina, and across the Andes to Chile. In November 1858 Ledger, accompanied by South American shepherds, arrived in Sydney with 256 alpacas, llamas, and vicunas. Commercial interest in the animals had waned and the governement bought the alpacas. His funds exhausted Ledger became superintendent in April 1859.

Ledger returned to Chile in 1865. In Bolivia his servant, Manuel Incra Manami, had spent four years collecting cinchona seeds, prized for their quinine. Their export was prohibited, but Ledger was able to get some seeds out selling them to the Dutch government. They were cultivated in Java, and plantations of the species, later named Cinchona ledgeriana, provided much of the world’s quinine in the early 20th century.

After living in America, Uruguay and Argentina Ledger returned to Australia in 1883. He died in May 1905.

Reference:
Australian Dictionary of Biography Online. http://adbonline.anu.edu.au/ (accessed 23 July 2010)

MLMSS 4651
Two boxes of manuscript material including photocopies of letters from Charles Ledger to various correspondents, a photocopy of the last will and testament of Charles Ledger, and photocopies of extracts in Spanish from Peruvian parish registers.

PXB 528
Photographs (nos. 1-5 are photographic copies)
1. Manuel Incra Mamani (Charles Ledger’s servant)
2. Charles Ledger and his first wife Candelaria Ortiz de Ledger. Photograph taken in Tacna, Peru, at the time of their marriage
3. Charles Ledger. Photograph taken in Tacna, Peru.
4. Charles Ledger, aged 74. Photograph taken in Australia in 1892
5. Charles Ledger. Photograph probably taken in Argentina
6. Photocopy of inscription on reverse of the original of photograph no. 1. Inscription reads ‘Photograph of Manuel, Ledger’s servant. W.D.H. [i.e. W. D. Howard]. Given by Ledger to J.E.H. [i.e. J. E. Howard]’

Copyright restrictions may apply

Information transferred from Manuscripts Leaf Catalogue No. 2 as part of the eRecords Project, 2009-2010

Description of papers and photographs by donor
Reference: Library correspondence file