The U.S. Grinnell Expedition In Search Of Sir John Franklin. A Personal Narrative. -- 1853 RARE First Printing

New York: Harper & Brothers, 1853. 1st Edition 1st Printing. Hardcover. Very Good/No Jacket. 1853 FIRST PRINTING of First Edition. Original ribbed brown percaline cloth with gilt decoration front, debossed borders front, gilt lettering spine with debossed rules, debossed decoration and borders rear (mirroring the front but without gilt), pale yellow EPs (possibly original, but seemingly too thick to be original compared to similar EPs from the period of publication). Rare book and especially rare in the original covers which tend to break down easily with age, the percaline covering becoming very brittle when it dries with age. This example has had the original spine relaid almost seamlessly and had similar very matched to original material restorations at the corner tips. There is cracking at the outside hinges but the hinges are strong and nowhere close to failing. The inside hinges are not cracked and are especially strong. The binding is sound without cracking or looseness. Complete with all pages, all maps, all illustration plates and tissue guards. There is an old owner name written on the FFEP and an unintelligible scribble on the front pastedown otherwise there are no owner marks or writing on any other pages. Most pages are free of foxing, but the full page illustration plates have some foxing (heavy on three, mostly in the margins) and the tissue guards are browned with some offsetting to opposite pages. Photos of all of the plates, maps, and EPs accompany this listing. The book measures 236mm tall x 160mm, and has 552 pages + 8 pages of ads at the end, many in-text b/w illustrations, 14 full-page illustrations (some are tinted), 3 maps (one of which is folding). PHOTOS ARE OF THE ACTUAL BOOK BEING OFFERED.