BACK, George (1796-1878). Narrative of the Arctic Land Expedition to the Mouth of the Great Fish River, and along the Shores of the Arctic Ocean, in the Years 1833, 1834, and 1835. London: John Murray, 1836.
4to (285 x 220mm). 16 engraved and lithographed plates on india paper and mounted, large folding map (some foxing to plate mounts, frontispiece re-hinged). Modern quarter morocco, spine gilt, uncut. Provenance: Augustine Hugh Barton (ownership signature on title-page dated 1842).
THE PREFERRED ADMIRALTY FIRST EDITION, LARGE-PAPER ISSUE of “one of the fundamental books on Arctic exploration.” Back covered over 7500 miles, 1200 of which were previously unknown territory. His narrative holds literary esteem and is “full of details about the Cree, Chippewa, Coppermine Indians, and other tribes, upon whom members of the exhibition were obliged to depend during a terrible winter” (Hill). According to Sabin, the quarto edition was published for the Admiralty and only some of those copies have mounted plates on india paper. The plates are richly printed and very bright in this copy. Arctic Bib. 851; Field 63 (“a splendid specimen of typographic art”); Hill 42; Sabin 2613; Streeter sale 3704; TPL 1873, Wagner-Camp 58b:2.