[With Ski over Greenland ~ The First Crossing of Greenland: Expedition of 1888-89]

By Nansen, Fridtjof

Kristiana (Oslo):  H. Aschehoug,1890 – First Norwegian Edition. Thick 8vo., Vol. I: [xii], 704pp. frontis of Nansen, five full-page plates, numerous woodcuts, 5 fold-out maps – 4 in color; numerous woodcut illustrations in text, numerous black-and-white photographs in text – some full-page. Publisher’s dark-green cloth pictorial boards and spine with bright gilt titles. A near fine copy showing prior owner’s script signature on second blank end leaf, no foxing, folds or tears – very clean internally and exterior. A scarce and complete first Norwegian edition documenting this most important Norwegian Greenland Expedition. Arctic Bibliography 12010

Narrative of the expedition of Fridtjof Nansen and Otto Sverdrip with four companions to East Greenland with the objective of crossing the Greenland ice — a feat never before achieved. The book contains descriptions of the equipment, the voyage from Norway via Iceland to Umivik, the East Greenland coast and its ice belt, previous attempts to penetrate the ice belt and this expedition’s drift there. Previous attempts to explore the Greenland icecap; account (in detail) of the expedition’s crossing of the inland ice, Umivik-Godthaab, on skis, Aug.-Sept. 1888. The wintering at Godthaab 1888-89, with observations on Eskimo life, and a chapter on skiing. The numerous illustrations of the expedition’s activities, personnel, equipment, the natives, landscape, etc. are based on photographs and sketches by Nansen. The expedition succeeded in traversing the previously unchartered interior of Greenland forcing a passage through the floe-belt, land on the desolate and ice-bound east coast and thence cross over to the inhabited west coast. A feat he aptly summed up as “death or the west coast of Greenland.” This is a very well documented account and first person narrative. Text in Norweigian — an excellent copy.

$1200.00 -