the beginning of antarctic research
ROSS, James Clark. A Voyage of Discovery and Research in the Southern and Antarctic Regions, during the Years 1839-43. London: John Murray. 1847.
Two volumes, 8vo. Original publisher's gilt-stamped illustrated cloth; pp. liii, 366; [v]-xi, 447, 16 (publisher's catalogue, dated January, 1847); 8 tinted lithographs (including 1 folding panorama, with tissue guards), 8 maps (3 folding); light wear to spine ends, spines a little faded; illustrations a little spotted, as usual; a very good copy in the rarely seen completely unrestored cloth; contemporary armorial bookplates James Frampton; all housed in a custom-made drop-back box; the best copy of this landmark in Antarctic exploration we handled for quite some time.
First edition. "One of the most important works in the history of Antarctic exploration … Ross led this expedition for the purpose of Antarctic Discovery and Magnetic surveys, during which he circumnavigated the Antarctic continent, discovered the Ross Sea, Ross Island, the Ross Shelf Ice, Victoria Land, Erebus and Terror Gulf (named after the ships of the expedition), Mount Erebus, and attempted to penetrate the Weddell Sea" (Hill). Rosove calls the work "a cornerstone of Antarctic literature and a monument to one of mankind's greatest expeditions of geographical and scientific exploration".
This is the issue with the publisher's catalogue with the earliest date, January, 1847. Murray had only 1500 sets printed, and they "were bound and sold over a period of several years, as indicated by the various dates on the advertisements at the rear of vol. II" (Rosove).
Hill 1487; Spence 993; Ferguson 4636; Conrad 689; Rosove 275.
#2121198