NARRATIVE OF THE UNITED STATES EXPLORING EXPEDITION. DURING THE YEARS 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842 (FIVE VOLUMES); With Illustrations and Maps

Wilkes, Charles

Published by Lea and Blanchard, Philadelphia, PA, 1845

About this Item

Matching Five Volume Set: Octavo, 9.7 in. x 5.9 in., Vol I: pp. lvi, [4], 434; Vol II: pp. xi, [1], 476; Vol III: pp. xi, [1,] 438, [16] (advertising); Vol IV: pp. xiii, [1], 539; Vol V: pp. xii, 558. Illustrated with ten maps and nearly 300 woodcuts. For close study, the ten folding maps have been removed from the textblock and safely stored flat and unfolded in an archival sleeve. [Maps shipped under separate cover.] This five-volume 1845 edition was reprinted from the stereotype plates of the original edition and published without an atlas. Contemporary brown ribbed cloth boards with frame and floral design blind-stamped to front and back. American eagle emblem stamped in gilt on front, and blind-stamped on back. Gilt title and anchor design to spine. Rubbing to extremities. Shelfwear with chipping and fraying to spine ends. Several corners are nudged. Touch of sunning to spines. Light foxing throughout. Spines and hinges and tight; pages are supple. The United States Exploring Expedition of 1838 1842 was an exploring and surveying expedition of the Pacific Ocean and surrounding lands conducted by the United States, including the Northwest Cost, the South Seas, and Antarctica. Althoough requested in 1828, Congress would not implement funding until May 1836 under President Andrew Jackson. The expedition is sometimes called "The Wilkes Expedition" in honor of its commanding officer, Lieutenant Charles Wilkes. The expedition was of major importance to the growth of Eurocentric science in the United States, in particular the young field of oceanography. From the title page: "Five magnificent large imperial octavo volumes, with an atlas of large and extended maps. Price twenty-five dollars to subscribers, done up in beautiful extra cloth binding. This great and truly national work is issued in a style of superior magnificence and beauty, containing sixty-four large and finished line engravings, embracing scenery, portraits, manners, customs, etc. etc. Forty-seven exquisite steel vignettes, worked among the letter-press; About Two hundred and fifty finely-executed wood-cut illustrations: Fourteen large and small maps and charts; And nearly Twenty-six hundred pages of letter-press. No pains or expense have been spared to render these volumes worthy of the theme they illustrate, and to make them equal, if not superior, to anything of the kind ever produced in any country. The whole work may be regarded as a truly national one. "Nothing has been used in its preparation that is not strictly American, and the design of the author and publishers has been to produce a book worthy of the country. A specimen of the plates, cuts, and general execution of the work can be seen, and the names of the persons wanting copies may be left with the publishers, or any of the principal booksellers throughout the union.". Seller Inventory # 87428

Bibliographic Details

Title: NARRATIVE OF THE UNITED STATES EXPLORING ...

Publisher: Lea and Blanchard, Philadelphia, PA

Publication Date: 1845

Binding: Hardcover

Condition: Good Plus