First edition, containing the John King Davis commentary. Folio. Original card paper wrappers, with printed title label to upper cover, stitch-bound with string. Printed in black and red on handmade paper. Signed by Shackleton to the frontispiece map. Tipped in frontispiece map of the Antarctic continent showing the proposed route, with an additional tipped in plate showing a sketch cross-section of the Endurance. A very near fine copy, exceptionally well-preserved and internally clean and fresh save some a little foxing to the central gathering..

The rare first edition of the prospectus for Shackleton's famous Endurance expedition, "printed for private circulation showing the organisation, the personnel and the aims of the expedition, at least in part for the purposes of fund raising" (Rosove).
The prospectus was issued in two editions. This is sometimes referred to as different "states", but that belies the distinctly different printers involved and the subsequent resetting of the text. This came about because Shackleton had been attempting to convince John King Davis to captain the Endurance, and prematurely included him in the prospectus as the man who would captain the ship, describing him as "the most experienced navigator of the Antarctic seas living". Not having accepted the role, and in fact planning to refuse it, Davis was irked to discover he had been announced as captain to the press, and the pamphlet had to be reprinted entirely to remove the section referencing him.
While this first edition is a fine production printed on thick laid paper by W. H. Smith, the second edition was done on cheap paper, and bound in limp paper wrappers. Spence knew only of the second edition when compiling his bibliography, and of the six copies noted by ABPC just one is in the first edition.

PROVENANCE: From the collection of Rev. G. Cartwright of Syndenham, where Shackleton spent his formative years after moving from Ireland.

Rosove 307.A1

Stock ID: 39716