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

Ascent of Everest

Edmund HILLARY | John HUNT

Item#: 127018 We're sorry, this item has been sold

Ascent of Everest

Ascent of Everest

Ascent of Everest

Ascent of Everest

THE ASCENT OF EVEREST, SIGNED BY SIR EDMUND HILLARY AND 43 OTHER “EVERESTERS”

HUNT, John. The Ascent of Everest. (London): Hodder and Stoughton, (1953). Octavo, original blue cloth, original dust jacket; housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box.

First edition, signed by Sir Edmund Hillary and 43 other Everest climbers on the half title, dedication and title pages. 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. Neate 393. In addition to Hillary, the book is signed by 43 others, including: Jim Whittaker (first American to climb Everest), Reinhold Messner (first to climb Everest without supplemental oxygen), Sharon Wood (first North American woman to climb Everest), Pat Morrow (arguably the first person to climb the "Seven Summits"), Maurice Herzog (first to climb Annapurna), David Breashears, the first American to summit Everest twice as well as co-director and photographer of the IMAX movie Everest, Junko Tabei (first woman to climb Everest), Ed Viesturs (climbing leader for the filming of the IMAX Everest), and Jon Krakauer (author of Into Thin Air). With a guide to the signatures laid in.

Only minor wear to extremities of book and dust jacket, near-fine condition. An exceptional copy with a remarkable collection of signatures.

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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.
Armorial Used to describe a binding bearing the coat of arms of the original owner, or with bookplates incorporating the owner’s arms.
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Boards Hard front and rear covers of a bound book which are covered in cloth, leather or paper. “Original boards” refers to cardboard-like front and back boards, from about 1700 to 1840, used as temporary protection for books before their purchasers would have them bound. Of particular value to collectors as evidence of a very early form of the book.
Book-Plate Label, generally affixed to the front pastedown, identifying a book’s owner.
Broadside Sheet printed on one side, typically for public display, usually larger than folio size (a folio being a broadside-size sheet printed on both sides and folded once, to make four pages).
Calf Binding material made from cowhide—versatile, durable, usually tan or brown in color, of smooth texture with no or little apparent grain. Readily marbled (“tree calf”), mottled, diced, colored, polished, tooled in gilt or blind, even scented (known as “russia”). Reverse calf, with a distinctive suede-like texture, is occasionally used.
Chromolithograph Lithograph printed in colors, typically three or more.
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Doublure Pastedowns made not of paper but of leather, for decorative purposes.
Duodecimo (12MO) Smaller than an octavo, typically less than six inches tall; smaller formats, such as 24mo and 32mo, are uncommon.
Edition Print-run from a single setting of type without substantial change. Depending on demand, any number of printings can be made from a setting of type For example, a first printing might consist of 1000 copies, followed by a second printing of 2500 copies; in which case the book would have a first edition, first printing of 1000 copies, and a first edition, second printing of 2500 copies.
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Half Title Leaf preceding the title page that bears the book’s title, originally used to identify the unbound text block. The book’s binder would often remove and discard the half title at the time of binding. Remaining half-titles are therefore of interest to collectors.
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