Ascent of Everest - First Edition - Signed - Edmund Hillary - Bauman Rare Books

Ascent of Everest

Edmund HILLARY | John HUNT

Item#: 123395 We're sorry, this item has been sold

Ascent of Everest

Ascent of Everest

Ascent of Everest

THE ASCENT OF EVEREST, SIGNED BY SIR EDMUND HILLARY AND 25 OTHER "EVERESTERS" AND MOUNTAINEERING LEGENDS

(HILLARY, Edmund, et al.) HUNT, John. The Ascent of Everest. (London): Hodder and Stoughton, (1953). Octavo, original blue cloth, original dust jacket.

First edition, signed by Sir Edmund Hillary and 25 other Everest climbers and mountaineering greats on the title page and dedication leaf. With eight color photographic plates, 48 half-tone plates and a number of in-text illustrations after pen-and-ink sketches.

The 1953 British Expedition to Mount Everest was the eighth in 30 years to attempt Everest. On May 29th, 1953 Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay at last stood at the summit; it was a culminating moment in mountaineering history, and one of the great achievements of human stamina and will. The Ascent of Everest was written in one month by Sir John Hunt, the leader of the expedition, in order to satisfy the immediate demand around the world for the story of the British team's success. Chapter 16 is Sir Edmund Hillary's stirring account of the final part of the climb, and the appendices are by members of the expedition. In addition to Hillary, the book is signed by 25 others, including: Jim Whitaker (first American to climb Everest), Maurice Herzog (first to climb Annapurna), and Stephen Venables (first ascent of Kangshung Face of Everest, the boldest ascent), Reinhold Messner, Chris Bonington, Hillary's son Peter, Kurt Diemberger, Conrad Anker, Fred Beckey, Barry Blanchard, Jim Bridwell, Greg Child, Phil Ershler, Peter Habeler, Heinrich Harrer, Tom Hornbein (twice), Steve House, Stacy Allison, Tommy Caldwell, Layton Kor, Jeff Lowe, Gerry Roach, Royal Robbins, Doug Scott, and Brad Washburn.

First gathering loosening, but intact, rear inner paper hinge cracked, binding sound; mild toning and rubbing to cloth. Price-clipped dust jacket bright, clean and near-fine.

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Aquatint Copperplate process by which the plate is “bitten” by exposure to acid. By changing the areas of the plate that are exposed and the length of time the plate is submerged in the acid bath, the engraver can obtain fine and varying shades of gray that closely resemble watercolor washes. Although the name contains the word “tint”, this is a black-and-white printing process; aquatint plates can often be hand colored, however.
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