Le Pourquoi pas ? dans l'Antarctique. Journal de la deuxième expédition au Pôle sud. 1908-1910. Suivi des rapports scientifiques des membres de l'état-major

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.