LOST IN THE ARCTIC: Being the Story of the 'Alabama' Expedition, 1909-1912.

First edition, first printing. Signed and inscribed by the author to Erik Semmy Henius. 8vo. Publisher's original green cloth with an image of a figure standing amid Arctic ice-hills blocked in silver to the upper board and with titles in silver to the upper board and spine. Illustrated profusely throughout with numerous black and white photographs and with a large folding map at the rear. Attractive etched bookplate for Adolf Fischer designed by Hubert Wilm, who was associated with the Munich Secession, to the front pastedown. A near fine copy, the binding square, firm and bright. The contents, with a minor mark to the textblock edge, a little toning to the endpapers, a short marginal repair to the map and the name of a later member of the Fischer family to the rear endpaper, are otherwise clean and fresh throughout. A most appealing copy, scarce signed.

A wonderful association copy of the Danish explorer's account of one his most notable expeditions, inscribed to Erik Semmy Henius "with thanks for everything you have done for me". In 1906, the Danish government and other Danish interests sponsored a scientific expedition to the little-explored North-East coast of Greenland. To facilitate research, the expedition split into three teams, one of which, comprising Ludvig Mylius-Erichsen, N.P. Hoeg-Hagen and N.I.J. Bronlund, disappeared. In 1909, following the discovery of Bronlund's body, Ejnar Mikkelsen led a follow-up expedition to search for the remaining missing men, as well as their scientific records. Mikkelsen and Iver Iversen journeyed north towards the region explored by their predecessors and in May 1910 came across cairns containing records left by them on Danmark Fiord. The search, however, was an arduous one, and took its toll on Mikkelsen and Iversen, who lost their dogs along with their supplies, diaries and other materials. After a series of ordeals and a long wait of more than a year, the two men were finally rescued in July 1912. Lost in the Arctic is Mikkelsen's account of this expedition and of the gruelling journeys he undertook along with Iversen in the search for their compatriots. The recipient of the present copy, Erik Semmy Henius, was a Danish Consul in Russia, and one of the sponsors of the original 1906 expedition (after whom Erik S. Henius Land on Greenland was named in gratitude). Warmly inscribed to him by Mikklesen, one of the leaders of the rescue mission, it provides an important insight into Henius's continued support for the expedition and for the lost men. (Arctic Bibliography 11428).