This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/12/2023
[FRANKLIN SEARCH]. FRANKLIN, Jane, Lady (1791-1875). A Letter to Viscount Palmerston, K.G. from Lady Franklin. With an Appendix. London: James Ridgway, 1857.
8vo (210 x 137 mm). Original sewn self-wrappers (spine discretely reinforced with tissue, small repaired closed at gutter of last two leaves, slightly affecting text but with no losses, some soiling to upper margin of title-page, very light spotting to title and rear leaf).
RARE FIRST EDITION of Lady Franklin’s strong argument and her continued attempt to get the British Government to continue the search. “Lady Franklin helped to financially support the fitting out of five search ships between 1850 and 1857, with Leopold McClintock’s expedition in the yacht Fox finally providing written evidence of the men’s fate. As time passed, and this disastrous end to the expedition was revealed, Lady Franklin undoubtedly helped to shift the narrative around it so that a tragic disaster became publicly understood as a heroic endeavour and martyrdom, her husband lionised as the apparent discoverer of the Northwest Passage” (Royal Museums Greenwich, Jane Franklin: A remarkable woman). A very rare pamphlet, originally not intended for circulation, last sold at auction in 1954. A second edition was issued the same year which included a folding map. Not in Arctic Bib. Day 3359; Sabin 25634.