Douglas Stewart
Owner of the Douglas Stewart Fine Books Pty. Ltd
Douglas Stewart 精品书有限公司所有者

Douglas began buying and selling books in 1995, while still in high school. Fascinated with some of the oldest prints from the western world, he knew that the perks of doing something he enjoys, would not necessarily be about owning any books.

“Although I may not be able to afford to collect the books that I would want, the great joy about my job is that I get to surround myself with books all day. And then every now and again, one will leave and go into a collector’s home and another one will come in.” 

It gives him a real thrill when books they have rescued occasionally end up in the State or the National Library. What could be better than knowing they are placed into a collection where it will be preserved for future generations.

One of his most exciting moments as a bookseller was dealing with the buying and selling of a single page of the Gutenberg bible, regarded as the first book ever printed in the western world in 1455. While there are no complete copies of the Gutenberg bible left in private hands today, they are available in museums and libraries. 

Following the topics on old and rare books, Douglas further commented on works found closer to our shores, “In China, they had prints made from woodblock and moveable type far earlier than that, probably from the 8th and 9th centuries. And very occasionally you get examples of printings from Asia.”

According to Douglas, the most interesting books to do with Asia are the ones that document first contact. These books dictated some of the westerners’ first encounter with the people from China, Japan, the Philippines and even India. 

“Often the Europeans would bring over a printing press to print books on the ground, perhaps for missions in Japan, China or India. These books are rare because they only print a handful of them. And due to the climate and cultural conditions, only a few of them survived.”

Douglas and his team have also handled some rare books printed on rice paper by missionaries who were travelling around Asia in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Australia also has some remarkable tales of its own. A legendary rarity believed to be the first book on Australia, is a copy of Francois Pelsaert’s  story of the shipwreck of the Batavia, one of Australia’s most gripping in all maritime history. This very first edition of Pelsaert is one of the rarest of Dutch voyages and a foundation book for Australia. Available for purchase for A$400,000, it is the most expensive book they have in stock at the moment. 

While first edition of a shipwreck printed in 1647 may instantly command an exquisite price tag, little ephemeral things from our daily lives can also be a collector’s item. 

“My favorite was an original concert program from Woodstock in 1969. The program was actually water stained because very famously the heavens opened and the rain came down and everybody was completely saturated. And this program obviously caught the rain in Woodstock,” said Douglas.

Between exhibiting at the New York International Antiquarian Book Fair and other book fairs in Los Angeles, Tokyo or Paris, Douglas’ love for art often sees him visiting art galleries and exhibitions even during his travels. “ I love seeing what’s on display because I enjoy seeing what different people value in different parts of the world. And so, I’m always learning.”

For many years Douglas has been a member of the Australian and New Zealand Association of Antiquarian Booksellers (ANZAAB), and is currently the President of ANZAAB. He is also a Mentor for the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers.

Douglas Stewart并非一般的书商。他对艺术和旅游的兴趣已经超出大部分人所能享受的范畴。而渴望寻求发现首个被遗忘的长期航海旅行，他最近收购Ferdinand Mendez Pinto的记叙书，这些最早的目击者是巡游马来半岛、暹罗、南圻国，中国和日本的西方人，正是类似事迹激发他作为古董书商的兴致。

在澳大利亚墨尔本的Armadale大街上，他的精品书店-Douglas Stewart Fine Books与其他古董商、画廊和书店为邻，展示着全球各地最稀有的书籍、文本和艺术品。

Douglas从1995年开始进行书本买卖，那时他还在上高中。他着迷于西方世界一些最古老的画作，他知道即使自己非常享受工作，但并非一定能够拥有任何书籍。

“可能买不起我想要的书，但这个工作最大的乐趣是可以整天徜徉在书本的海洋中。然后，时不时有些书本会离我而去，到另外收藏者的家里，而一些书本会进驻。”

当他们所“拯救”的书籍偶尔被送到州或国家图书馆时，他感到非常兴奋。知道它们被妥善收藏，为下一代保存下来，还有比这个更好的事吗?

“在专业本能上来说，我会因为一本书找到合适的归宿而感到快乐。所以，在很多情况下，我们都能找到别人前所未见的书籍版本。”

作为一名身经百战的书商，他最激动人心的时刻之一就是完成古腾堡圣经（Gutenberg bible）单页的买卖交易。古腾堡圣经被认为是西方世界在1455年印刷的第一本书。虽然现在确认没有完整的古腾堡圣经存留在私人收藏者手中了，但是在博物馆和图书馆里都可以找到。

而在触及古老书籍和珍本书籍的话题后，Douglas进一步评论了在澳大利亚近岸发现的作品:“在中国，用木刻和活字印刷的画作远早于此，或是在8世纪和9世纪。偶尔还会收到一些来自亚洲的印刷品。”

根据他的说法，关于亚洲最有趣的部分是那些记录了第一次感受的叙事书籍。这些书籍记录西方人与来自中国、日本、菲律宾甚至印度人的初次接触。

欧洲人经常会带来一台印刷机，在地面上印刷书籍，也许是为了去日本、中国或印度执行任务。这些只印了几本的书很罕见，数量有限。由于气候和文化条件，只有少数能保存下来。”

Douglas和他的团队还经手了17、18世纪在亚洲旅居的传教士用宣纸印刷的珍本书籍。

而澳大利亚也有本身的传奇故事。被认为是关于澳大利亚的第一本书的传奇珍品，是由Francois Pelsaert所著关于巴塔维亚号海难故事的副本，巴塔维亚号海难是澳大利亚海运史上最扣人心弦的故事之一。Francois Pelsaert这本书的第一版是荷兰航海史上最罕见的作品之一，也是澳大利亚的根基书籍。这本书售价40万澳元，是他们目前库存中最昂贵的书籍。

纵然1647年出版的海难第一版书籍是肯定标价不菲，但实际上日常生活中那些记录着转瞬即逝的小东西也可能成为收藏者的珍藏品。

“我最喜欢的是伍德斯托克（Woodstock）1969年一个原创音乐会活动。这个节目演出是充满水渍的，因为当时最经典的是：天堂已经打开下雨了，每个人被雨水渗透。这个活动显然在伍德斯托克与雨水邂逅。”

在纽约国际古董书展（New York International Antiquarian Book Fair）和洛杉矶、东京或巴黎的其他书展之间，Douglas 对艺术的热爱让他经常流连于画廊和展览，甚至在旅行期间也是如此。“我喜欢看展览会，因为从中可以发现世界各地不同的人们所重视的珍品。所以，我一直在学习。”

多年来，Douglas Stewart一直是澳大利亚和新西兰古董书商协会(ANZAAB)的成员，目前是ANZAAB的会长。他也是国际古董书商联盟的导师。

Gaurav Wattal
General Manager, Melbourne Marriott Hotel
墨尔本万豪酒店总经理

Gaurav Wattal grew up in a military family where his grandfather was in the navy whereas his father was in the army. He initially wanted to follow in their footsteps, but later on decided to follow his passion instead and joined the hospitality industry.

When asked how he started his journey with Marriot, he said: “I was exposed to the hotel industry at a very young age and with a F&B background, I quickly flew to Australia and met with the General Manager of Sydney Harbour Marriott when there was a position looking for someone to reposition their food and beverage outlets.” He then added: “I have always dreamt to work with an international brand and Marriott was the first choice with its stellar reputation.” It took only 4 years before Guarav was given the ultimate hotelier’s dream of being trusted the keys to his own hotel. It was one of the most exciting moments in his professional journey as he was not only assigned the new General Manager of the Melbourne Marriott Hotel, but it also showed how he had received recognition and trust from the YTL Hotels Group.

“It is certainly a big job as I am accountable and responsible for the wellbeing of all stakeholders including the owner and the brand. It is important to remember that the buck stops with me and my decision will impact the business,” emphasized Gaurav. Although being the new kid on the block, but this new general manager is confident that he is a force not to be taken lightly. Gaurav has worked for 11 different hotels and opened 17 restaurants and bars.

Taking up such an important job at the same time the world was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic was definitely another unforgettable moment in his career. The pandemic has hit the world by surprise and created an unprecedented impact that has brought the travel industry to its knees. As John Maxwell said: “The pessimist complaints about the wind; The optimist expects it to charge; The leader adjusts the sail.” Gaurav described this unfortunate happening as “One of those crazy movies with global pandemic themes.” “The immediate cause of action is to evaluate our business to see what the most efficient way is of operating and to ensure our guests and associates are safe and healthy in this new world order,” Gaurav said.

“Have the right attitude whatever you may be facing, take on your fears and learn from your mistakes.”

When it comes to his principle in life, Gaurav said: “Have the right attitude whatever you may be facing, take on your fears and learn from your mistakes.” He also added: “Things may be tough or easy, but nothing clears your mind and gives you a sense of freedom and exhilaration like riding a bike!” This obsession of Gaurav’s is exactly like his Harley Davison’s slogan which is ‘Screw It, Let’s Ride.”

“事情可能很艰难或许
很容易，但是没有什么
能像骑车一样让头脑清醒、
带来自由和振奋的感觉。”

Gaurav Wattal成长于军人家庭，祖父曾是海军，父亲是现役军人，最初他想投军，但最后决定追随自己内心的热情，往酒店业挑战。被问及在万豪的起点时表示，“我很年轻的时候就接触过酒店业，并且拥有餐饮业相关背景，当时得知他们的餐饮部有职位空缺时，我立刻飞往澳大利亚会见悉尼港环形码头万豪酒店的总经理。”他补充说：“在国际品牌就业是我梦寐以求的事，而享誉全球的万豪是我的首选。”Gaurav只花了4年的时间就实现了酒店业者的最终梦想，即被委托管理酒店。成为墨尔本万豪酒店新总经理不仅是他职业生涯中最激动人心的时刻，也是杨忠礼集团酒店集团对他的的认可和信任。
“当然这是一项艰巨的工作，我必需对所有利益相关者包括所有者和品牌负起相关的职责和责任。要谨记以身作则，责无旁贷，我的决定会影响的公司营运。” Gaurav强调。尽管这新手刚上路，但这位新任总经理有信心，因为他曾为11家不同的酒店工作，开设了17家餐厅和酒吧，实力不容小觑。

接受最高职位的同时却遭遇全世界最严重的危机打击，这绝对是他永远不会忘记的另一刻。新冠肺炎肆虐蔓延全球令人震惊，并产生了前所未有的影响，使旅游业一蹶不振。Gaurav形容现这不幸的情况有如“那些具有全球流行病主题的疯狂电影之一”，引用领导学专家约翰·麦斯威尔的一句话“悲观主义者抱怨刮风，乐观主义者期待风向转变，领导者调整风帆”，Gaurav说：“我们会直面评估业务状况调整运营方式，并确保我们的顾客和员工在这个世界的新形态中安全健康。”

谈到生活的信念，Gaurav直接了当表示：“无论面对什么事，都要保持正确的态度、面对恐惧、从错误中吸取教训。”并补充说：“事情可能很艰难或许很容易，但是没有什么能像骑车一样让头脑清醒、带来自由和振奋的感觉。”这份执着就像哈雷戴维森(Harley Davidson)的标语“去他的！我们一起骑”。

Wendy Scully Millinery
Milliner/ Hat Maker
帽子设计师

There is nothing mad about hatter, Wendy Scully as she’s not just a one-dimensional hat designer and creator. In fact, the breadth of her multi-talents has her wearing many hats, both literally and figuratively.

Trained in art ceramics and textiles, sculpting and crocheting, jewellery making and even Batik art, there isn’t anything that Scully cannot do.

As a result, her business and workshop, Wendy Scully Millinery on Collins Street in Melbourne, is a one woman show where she’s busy creating, sewing and putting together up to 300 hats a year for all occasions – the yearly Melbourne Cup race, weddings, funerals, fashion shows and the odd fancy-dress party.

“I’m probably a mad hatter but my profession allows me to be expressive and artistic in a functional way,” says Scully. Her collections are one of a kind with no traces of duplicates.

What makes Scully’s designs exceptionally unique is that she creates her own hat blocks which are the foundations for hat making. She also collects various French and Russian vintage materials that will become essential adornments for her hats that gives each of them a distinct look and style.

“As I’m a sculptor with a textile artist background, I create blocks, dye feathers and create embroideries for the cloths and materials which are all natural.”

Fortunately for Scully, she considers her business a favourite pastime. After teaching for 35 years in two international schools in Singapore, she threw in the towel and wanted to pursue her real passion. She returned to Melbourne 10 years ago with her husband who worked in a corporate law firm in Singapore.

Scully seems exasperated by the high volume of mass designer hats sold for varying prices while disregarding quality and designer integrity.

“True Australian hat designers like myself make their own hats from scratch and it’s a slow but very rewarding process because we’re creating a work of art. You’d be surprised to know that some overseas designers mass produce their pieces (even the big names), for the fraction of the price. But most people would rather buy them because they’re available faster, they’re cheaper and are marketed well.

“We take 4-6 weeks to prepare and create your hat, but it’s worthwhile because of the level of detail and personalisation that adorns and completes it.”

When it comes to wearing hats, that too is an art.

“Wear it slightly over the eyes, let it tilt to the left, right, forward but never backwards”

Regardless the shape of one’s face or how the hat is worn, Scully believes that hats should be light and elegant where it must not feel uncomfortable or weighty.

“You shouldn’t feel like you have anything on”.

To see Scully’s full designer collection, go to http://www.wendyscully.com.

纵然并非疯狂帽匠，但是Wendy Scully不仅仅是一个切面维度的帽子设计师和创作者。事实上，多项才能让她可以尽情身兼数职，单从字面或者象征意义上的解释来说：她戴着多顶帽子(多才多艺)。

无论是在陶瓷艺术、纺织品、雕刻，钩编到珠宝制作，即使是蜡染艺术，完全难不倒Wendy Scully，整体训练有素。

而作为业绩回报，她的公司兼工作室-位于墨尔本柯林斯街的Wendy Scully Millinery，这是一个女人的繁忙战场，她每年为各种场合和需求创作、缝纫和整理300顶帽子，包括一年一度的墨尔本杯赛会、婚礼、葬礼，时装表演和稀奇古怪的化妆舞会。

“我可能真的是疯狂帽匠，但我的专业让我可以更功能性的表达和艺术化。”她的收藏品展示了独特风格，并且毫无重复的痕迹。

Wendy Scully设计自成一派，她创作属于自己的帽子模块，这也是帽子制作工艺的基础。她还收集了各种法国和俄罗斯的复古原材料，这些材料将成为她的帽子必不可少的装饰点缀，展现每个人独一无二的外观和气质。

“我是个拥有纺织工艺背景的雕塑家，我创作模块，包括染色羽毛和刺绣都是倾向于使用天然原材料。”

对Wendy Scully来说，最幸运的是：她做着真正热爱的工作营生。曾经她在新加坡两所国际学校从事了35年的教职生涯，后来她决定放弃，跟随内心激情的方向。10年前，她与在新加坡一家法律事务所工作的丈夫回到了墨尔本。

对于大量充斥市面的所谓设计师帽子，Wendy Scully似乎觉得有点反感，这些价格不一的产品，直接忽视了设计的质量和完整性。

“真正的澳大利亚帽子设计师-像我这样从头开始制作帽子，这是相当缓慢但不断收获的过程，因为我们是在创作一个艺术作品。不过，让人意想不到的是，一些海外设计师以极低的价格批量生产作品(即使是大牌设计师)，但大多数人更愿意购买，因为速度更快、性价比高，而且营销做得好。”

“我们需要4-6周的时间准备和创作你的帽子，但它非常值得，因为讲究细节和个性化装饰的完善水平。”

而谈到戴帽子，原来那也是一门艺术。“戴在眼睛上方一点，让它向左、向右甚至向前倾斜，但绝不能向后。”无论一个人的脸型如何，帽子是怎么戴的，她认为帽子是轻盈而优雅的，并非令人感觉不舒服抑或沉重。“你不应该觉得有异样。”

如有兴趣观赏Wendy Scully全部设计系列，请浏览http://www.wendyscully.com。