Search Results: narrative of the arctic land expedition by back george 1796 1878

London: John Murray, 1836. First Edition. Back had previously gained considerable experience as an arctic explorer through his participation in the abortive Buchan expedition and Franklin's two overland expeditions. Back was "one of the first competent artists to penetrate into the Canadian Arctic"; the many watercolours and drawings which he produced and which enhance his narratives and those of Franklin "are now considered an invaluable record of early northern history" (DCB). Although Back was highly valued by the British Admiralty, he was not a popular personality and he developed a fairly controversial reputation as a dandy, womanizer and hopeless egocentric. The privately financed, government-assisted expedition described in this narrative was undertaken in 1833, for the purpose of aiding members of the Second Ross expedition, from whom no one had heard since 1828. They were also to conduct scientific investigations and a geographical survey of an unknown section of… Read More

London: John Murray, 1836. First Edition. Back had previously gained considerable experience as an arctic explorer through his participation in the abortive Buchan expedition and Franklin's two overland expeditions. Back was "one of the first competent artists to penetrate into the Canadian Arctic"; the many watercolours and drawings which he produced and which enhance his narratives and those of Franklin "are now considered an invaluable record of early northern history" (DCB). Although Back was highly valued by the British Admiralty, he was not a popular personality and he developed a fairly controversial reputation as a dandy, womanizer and hopeless egocentric. The privately financed, government-assisted expedition described in this narrative was undertaken in 1833, for the purpose of aiding members of the Second Ross expedition, from whom no one had heard since 1828. They were also to conduct scientific investigations and a geographical survey of an unknown section of arctic coast. They… Read More

4to. pp. x, [1 leaf]list of plates, 663, [1]. large folding engraved map & 16 engraved & lithographed plates on india paper, mounted. 8 wood-engraved text illus. (incl. map). modern bds. (very occasional light foxing, some offsetting from plates).
First Edition: Large-Paper Admiralty Issue. Back had previously gained considerable experience as an arctic explorer through his participation in the abortive Buchan expedition and Franklin's two overland expeditions. Back was "one of the first competent artists to penetrate into the Canadian Arctic"; the many watercolours and drawings which he produced and which enhance his narratives and those of Franklin "are now considered an invaluable record of early northern history" (DCB). Although Back was highly valued by the British Admiralty, he was not a popular personality and he developed a fairly controversial reputation as a dandy, womanizer and hopeless egocentric. The privately financed, government-assisted expedition described in this narrative was… Read More