The South Polar Times

London: Smith Elder & Co., 1907-14. Three volumes. Bound in the original vertical grained blue cloth. Volumes 1 and 2 are numbered 121 of 250 copies with volume three being 196 of 350 copies. Volume 4 limited to 500 copies. The first two volumes have a mounted image of the Discovery in Winter Quarters on the front board. The third volume has a mounted image of the hut on the front board. Spine titles in gilt as well as on boards. All edges gilt. Gilt rope work around illustration. A minor touch of foxing on the limitation pages and very faint offsetting to the title leaves. Numerous plates and illustrations including mounted images, full page and in text. Illustrations are both colour and black and white. The coloured illustrations all appear to be chromolithographs. Volumes are very slightly worn on the bottom edges with corners very slightly bumped. A little foxing on the endpapers otherwise a very attractive clean bright set. Also included with the set is the new Volume 4 published in 2010 and edited by Ann Savours. Rosove 287.A1 and 291.A1; Spence 1094; Taurus Collection 42 To quote from it as follows: 'During the Antarctic winter of 1902 and 1903, the officers of the National Antarctic Expedition on board the Discovery, among other diversions wherewith to lighten the long and dreary darkness, brought out at monthly intervals a periodical to which they gave the name of the "The South Polar Times". The contents of "The South Polar Times" range over a wide field, grave and gay, scientific and humorous, prose and poetry. It contains a diary of the events of each month, a record of the proceedings of the local Debating Society, a monthly acrostic, humorous notes, besides articles of a more solid nature, as well as stories, sketches of various kinds, and poems of a standard considerably above average'. One of the corner stones of an Antarctic collection and in superior condition and not falling apart as the set was perfect bound when issued. 1907