“ONE OF THE GREAT ARCTIC EXPLORERS”: RARE SET OF FIRST EDITIONS OF PARRY’S THREE VOYAGES IN SEARCH OF THE NORTHWEST PASSAGE, ALONG WITH HIS ATTEMPT AT REACHING THE NORTH POLE

PARRY, William Edward. Journal of a Voyage for the Discovery of a North West Passage. WITH: Journal of a Second Voyage for the Discovery of a North-West Passage. WITH: Journal of a Third Voyage for the Discovery of a North-West Passage. WITH: Narrative of an Attempt to Reach the North Pole. London: John Murray, 1821-28. Four volumes. Quarto, period-style full black straight-grain morocco, elaborately gilt-decorated spine and boards, raised bands, marbled endpapers.

First editions of Parry’s accounts of his three voyages in search of a Northwest Passage as well as his writings on his attempt to reach the North Pole and his attainment of the highest latitude to that date, with 77 engraved maps and plates, many folding, beautifully bound.

Parry's first expedition in search of the fabled Northwest Passage was one of the most important early explorations of the Arctic. He collected valuable data on the region's climate, natural history, and geography, charting hundreds of miles of treacherous coastline. Along the way Parry sailed through, explored, and named the Barrow Strait, Prince Regent Inlet, Wellington Channel, and several of the Parry Islands. Parry's Journal of a Second Voyage is important for its depiction of Inuit customs, ceremonies, and domestic life and its maps showing the discoveries made in the Polar Sea north of Canada. "Throughout the whole of this splendid work, the characteristics of the Esquimaux, and incidents of intercourse with them, absorb the attention of the writer. The last 79 pages are entirely devoted to the subject of the aborigines of the Arctic lands… of the beautifully engraved copperplates, 22 are illustrative of their fishing and walrushunting, their boats, summer tents, winter huts, villages, modes of traveling, building and hunting, interior of their dwellings, their villages… and portraits of characteristic individuals singly and in groups. The work is in truth a splendid treatise on aboriginal life" (Field 1184). This set also includes Parry's Journal of a Third Voyage and his writings about his attempt to reach the North Pole. While Parry never succeeded in finding a northwest passage, these works complete the narrative of his momentous explorations and catalogue his incredible accomplishments. "The immediate achievements of these voyages were the charting of hundreds of miles of coastline in the Canadian Arctic archipelago and the collecting of valuable data on Arctic natural history" (Hill, 226). Complete with all maps and plates: Journal with six engraved maps (four folding) and 14 engraved plates. Second Voyage with nine engraved maps (four folding) and 30 engraved plates (four folding). Third Voyage with four maps (one folding) and seven plates (one folding). North Pole with three engraved maps (one folding and with hand-colored details) and four engraved plates. Natural History Supplement in Volume V with nine engraved plates. With errata slip in Journal. Sabin 58864. Lande 1385. Smith 7963. Hill 226, 1312.

Maps and plates with occasional professional cleaning. An excellent copy of an important work.