David Spilman Fine Books

Saga of The "Discovery"; [From the Steve Fossett Collection]

Bernacchi, L.C. O.B.E (Milt.)

London: Blackie and Sons, 1938. Near Fine. First Edition. 8vo, [8.5x6in]; xv, [1], 240 pp., 24 plate leaves with 54 images and 5 sketches, 4 maps in text and 2 folding, bibliographical notes on members of Scott's 1901-04 Discovery expedition and index; Dark blue cloth covers with gilt lettering on spine, black and white map on front end papers, all edges trimmed; Minimal shelf wear with slight bumping of corners, slight fading on upper front joint and top and bottom of spine, top text edge darken with age and dust, prior owner pencil marks on end papers, Steve Fossett bookplate on front end paper. [Rosove 37.A1, Taurus 129, Conrad p 111, Spence 129]. Item #13608

Louis Charles Bernacchi (1876-1942) was an Australian physicist, astronomer and Antarctic explorer. He was the magnetic and meteorological observer for Borchgrevink's Southern Cross expedition (1898-1900) that was the first to winter over at Cape Adare on the Antarctic continent. This expedition was the first of the Heroic Age of Antarctic exploration and Bernacchi wrote "To the South Polar Regions: Expedition 1898-1900". Bernacchi was then selected by Scott for the Discovery expedition as a physicist and was the only member of the expedition that had previous Antarctic experience. This book is about the Scott expedition and, from Rosove, "... contains insightful comments into Scott's character and events of the expedition, biographical sketches of the expedition members, the origins of the second relief expedition, and the details of the ship's construction."

Steve Fossett (1944-2007) was a successful commodities trader and an adventurer that set world records in balloons, sailboats, gliders and unique powered aircraft. In the 1980's Fossett began developing a library collection of over 2,000 books on adventure and exploration. His collection included significant and authoritative accounts of aeronautics, polar, Asia, Australasia, circumnavigation's, mountaineering and others. In 2007, Fossett disappeared on a solo flight in a light aircraft over the eastern Sierra Mountains along the California and Nevada border. After an extensive search, the wreckage was found by hikers a year later along the rugged Mt. Ritter range in the Ansel Adams Wilderness in Madera County, about 10 miles east of Yosemite National Park.

Price: $125.00