133 POLAR – SHACKLETON, Ernest H. South. London: William Heinemann, 1919 the great polar success story of the 20th century First edition, a handsome copy, rarely found in such collectible condition. “Shackleton’s account is a classic and one of the finest in Antarctic literature. With his inimitable style he chronicled a great tale – an epic of leadership, loyalty, and survival. South is graced throughout by Hurley’s breathtaking photography” (Rosove). “The failure of Shackleton’s Imperial Trans- Antarctic Expedition to even reach the Antarctic continent, much less to cross it via the south pole, has become the great polar success story of the twentieth century” ( Books on Ice ). Shackleton embarked in 1914 on the Endurance to make the first traverse of the Antarctic continent; a journey of some 1800 miles from sea to sea. But 1915 turned into an unusually icy year in Antarctica; after drifting trapped in the ice for nine months, the Endurance was crushed in the ice on 27 October. “Shackleton now showed his supreme qualities of leadership. With five companions he made a voyage of 800 miles in a 22-foot boat through some of the stormiest seas in the world, crossed the unknown lofty interior of South Georgia, and reached a Norwegian whaling station on the north coast. After three attempts Shackleton succeeded (30 August 1916) in rescuing the rest of the Endurance party and bringing them to South America” ( ODNB ). Amazingly, all members of the party survived the ordeal, attributing their survival to Shackleton’s exceptional leadership qualities. Octavo. Original dark blue cloth, spine and front cover lettered in silver together with a large block of Endurance stuck in the ice, publisher’s device in blind on back cover, traces of blue top-stain still visible. With colour frontispiece and 87 half-tone plates, folding map at end. Errata slip tipped onto, p. 1. Contemporary gift inscription on front free endpaper. A touch rubbed with a few marks to cloth, neat repairs to head and tail, front cover slightly bowed with lower left corner bumped, some foxing and toning throughout, as often, short tear to leaf L, tear at map stub repaired with archival tape (not affecting printed area). A very good copy, presenting well. ¶ Books on Ice 7.8; Rosove 308.A1.; Spence 1107; Taurus 105. £4,500 [159416]
131 POLAR – SHACKLETON, Ernest H. The Heart of the Antarctic. London: William Heinemann, 1909 “you look aslant at the lone trail, and the lone trail lures you on” First trade edition of Shackleton’s account of the British Antarctic Expedition of 1907–9 ( Nimrod ) (see previous item). It was reviewed on publication by the Manchester Guardian as “the best book of polar travel which has ever been written”; a handsome set. Sir Raymond Priestley (1886–1974), a British Geologist and Antarctic explorer who accompanied Shackleton on the 1907–1913 Antarctic expeditions, said: “For scientific leadership, give me Scott; for swift and efficient travel, Amundsen; but when you are in a hopeless situation, when there seems to be no way out, get on your knees and pray for Shackleton”. 2 volumes, large octavo. Original blue cloth, gilt lettered spines, front covers lettered and with large pictorial block in silver, top edges gilt, others untrimmed. With photogravure frontispiece in each volume, 12 colour plates and over 200 plates, folding plate and 3 folding maps in end pocket of vol. II, illustrations and diagrams in the text. Errata slip tipped into vol. II. Vol. I dated in pen on the front pastedown “12.1.1910”; pencil annotations on the rear free endpaper of each volume commenting on the text, especially noting the misprint of Tannatt William Edgeworth David’s name. The name is corrected from “Thomas” to “Tannatt” with black ink in the text itself on, p. 31 in vol. I. Boards slightly bowed, spines and top edges of covers sunned, a few marks to cloth,
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35th birthday with a cigar constructed with lavatory paper. The men were emaciated, and Marshall had grown very ill with dysentery. Shackleton and Wild left Marshall and Adams and set out to Hut Point for help. They returned a week later, and in early March all of the expedition members were back on the Nimrod for the return voyage to England. It is remarkable that all the members of the party survived the ordeal, their survival attributed to Shackleton’s exceptional leadership qualities. The British Antarctic Expedition undoubtedly established Shackleton as “a bona-fide English hero” ( Books on Ice ). Gramophones and records have been essential equipment to Antarctic explorers. “The first record players were extremely simple in their construction . . . Sound was reproduced by a soundbox, which consisted of a needle attached to a vibrating
endpapers toned, occasional minor soiling or marks. A very good set. ¶ Rosove 305.B1; Books on Ice 7.4; Taurus 58. T he Manchester Guardian , 17 November 1909. £1,875 [159417] 132 POLAR – SHACKLETON, Ernest H. A Description of the Dash for the South Pole. London: The Gramophone Co., Ltd, 1911 the british antarctic expedition comes alive through the voice of shackleton This recording is Shackleton’s personal account of the achievements and hardships of the British Antarctic Expedition (1907–9). He lauds the expedition members for their exceptional courage and self-sacrifice, and concludes with passages from Robert Service’s poem “The Lone Trail” to convey the collective longing for “the silent wastes of the frozen south”. A fragile production, now exceptionally scarce in commerce. The sledge journey to the pole was one of the three foremost achievements of this expedition. The other two achievements were, first, the ascent and survey of Mount Erebus, the active volcano on Ross Island, and second, the journey to the south magnetic pole. In October 1908, Shackleton, Adams, Marshall, and Wild, set out on their trek to the pole with four pony- drawn sledges. The ponies did not fare well, and on 7 December the last of them perished, with Socks disappeared down a crevasse, very nearly taking Wild with him. Consequently, the men had to rely on man- hauling the sledges through the rough terrain. Weather conditions quickly worsened and in January 1909, to Shackleton’s great dismay, the party had to return. During the return journey, Shackleton celebrated his
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diaphragm. The needles were usually made of steel and needed replacing for every playing. The sound created in the soundbox was amplified by a wooden or metal horn. There were many advantages in such simplicity. The gramophone did not need electricity or any other external source of power. Since the construction was simple any faults could easily be rectified. In 1909 the explorer, Ernest Shackleton, took a gramophone with him to the south pole, and when the horn dropped into a fissure in the polar ice, he improvized a new one out of a used tin can. As a reward, he later had the opportunity to record the tale of his adventures for the Gramophone Company” (Pekka & Saunio, p. 34). “The Lone Trail” was written by the British- Canadian poet and writer, Robert William Service (1874–1958), often referred to as “the Bard of the Yukon”. The poem was originally published in 1907 as a part of the book Songs of a Sourdough . The recording was made on 23 June 1909, shortly after Shackleton’s
return to England, and sold in 1911. A full transcription of the recording is available upon request. 12-inch shellac disc, 78 rpm voice record, paper label of Gramophone Monarch Record, matrix number 01028, Recording Angel trademark on verso, housed in white paper record sleeve with plastic lining, “RV487 25/5/8” printed in lower left corner, and plain card sleeve with later inscriptions in blue and red pen, both sleeves later with middle holes. Small scratch to label, and a few to disc, card sleeve reinforced on sides with opaque tape. A very good example of a remarkable disc. ¶ BL 1CL0029071; Books on Ice 7.4. Pekka Gronow & Ilpo Saunio, International History of the Recording Industry , 1999; The Gramophone Co. Ltd, Record Catalogue, February to July 1911, 01028. £2,250 [159318]
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DECEMBER 2022
All items are fully described and photographed at peterharrington.co.uk
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