de Filippi -- KARAKORAM AND WESTERN HIMALAYA 1909 FIRST EDITION Two Volumes 1912 First Edition SOLD

KARAKORAM AND WESTERN HIMALAYA 1909
BY FILIPPO DE FILIPPI (1869-1938)
1912 FIRST EDITION
COMPLETE TWO VOLUMES

CLASSIC K2 BOOK WITH GREAT PHOTOS

This is the first printing of the first USA edition of KARAKORAM AND WESTERN HIMALAYA 1909 -- An Account of the Expedition of H.R.H. Prince Luigi Amedeo of Savoy, Duke of the Abruzzi. It was published in New York by E.P. Dutton in 1912. The book measures 273mm tall x 213mm. The two volumes have the following collation. Volume 1: 469 pages, 33 plates (5 are folding plates totaling 7 pans, 2 plates are color geologic specimen plates in appendix), 194 in-text photos, 4 appendixes; Volume 2: case of 18 panoramas, 3 maps, photo list/index booklet. Neate’s bibliography incorrectly describes the first volume as having 36 plates. Neate's entry for the book is incorrect. We have examined and collated more than 10 examples of the first edition. None had 36 plates. 33 plates is the correct number. This is one of the most celebrated books in the mountaineering literature. It is in the preferred green light buckram binding as opposed to the reddish brown binding that almost always has faded spines.

CONDITION: Complete set with all plates, all maps, all panoramas. Volume One: The main text/photo volume is in original green cloth with gilt lettering spine, top edge gilt. The volume is complete with all pages and plates, no repairs or restorations, no previous owner marks or writing on any pages, no foxing, clean, tiny scuff mark rear cover (see photo), very faint smudge lower front cover (see photo). Better than average condition for this big, heavy book. The panorama/map volume, Volume Two: rebound in green cloth covers retaining original printed box case inside. Complete with all panoramas and maps. The maps have small slits at some of the fold intersections otherwise they are fine. Some of the panoramas have short tears in the outside margin edges. Four of them have tape repairs on the blank side (see photo for example). None of the tears or tapings touch or are close to the photographic images. The covers of the index booklet probably are not original. The paper does not seem exactly correct compared to other examples that we have handled, but the printing on it is the same. Neither is the binding of it. Normally, it is a simple string binding (booklet). This example has a vinyl clip binding; hence, the suspicion about the covers. There is no question that all of the pages of the index are original. That thin, cheap paper cannot be reproduced without elaborate expense. Overall, this is an excellent set of a rare book. The only issues are the unmatched coloring of the cloth between the two volumes and the covers of the index booklet inside the panorama volume. Price: SOLD.

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