Jean-Baptiste CHARCOT

First edition illustrated with 2 portraits and 318 in-text illustrations (mostly after photographs, some full-page) and a folding map at the end (cf. Rosove, Antarctica, 60 A.1d ["uncommon"]; Spence, 253).

Bound in contemporary half bottle-green shagreen, flat spine faded and decorated with gilt typographic motifs, upper headcap trimmed, cat’s-eye paper boards, comb-marbled endpapers and pastedowns, top edge gilt, illustrated wrappers and backstrip preserved, corners slightly rubbed.

Account of the voyage, followed by reports on several scientific studies carried out by members of the expedition: meteorology, atmospheric electricity and terrestrial magnetism by Rey; animal and plant life by Turquet; geology and glaciology by Gourdon; photography by Pléneau; bacteriology by Charcot.

First edition of Charcot's account of his second Antarctic expedition (August 1908 – June 1910).

Illustrated throughout with numerous in-text black-and-white figures, three folding maps, and a monochrome (blue) out-of-text view printed on two leaves.

Preface by Paul Doumer.

Bound in publisher's green bottle half shagreen, smooth spine gilt with typographic motifs, gilt date at foot, double gilt fillet borders on cat's-eye paper boards, comb-marbled endpapers and pastedowns, top edge gilt; signed binding by Flammarion Vaillant.

Some soiling to the left margin of the upper board; internally clean and attractive overall, though the leaf bearing the autograph inscription shows marginal stains lightly affecting the inscription.

This second expedition led to Charcot's discovery of a new landmass, which he named after his father. The documents brought back proved even more significant than those from the first expedition, and a 2000-kilometre stretch of coastline was charted.

Rare autograph inscription dated 1921 from Jean-Baptiste Charcot to Gaby Lapierre.

First edition illustrated with 12 plates, including a large folding map.

Contemporary full sienna cloth binding, flat spine with gilt double fillets at foot, red morocco title label, blue paper endpapers and pastedowns, corners slightly rubbed.

A light stain to the edges, otherwise a pleasing copy.

One of the many scientific reports published to document the findings of Charcot’s first Antarctic expedition.

Ernest Gourdon (1873–1955) served as the expedition’s geologist.