WILKES, CHARLES. 1798-1877.

Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition. During the Years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842. Philadelphia: Lea & Blanchard, 1845.

Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition. During the Years 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842. Philadelphia: Lea & Blanchard, 1845.
5 volumes plus atlas. Large 8vo (290 x 183 mm). Text volumes with 64 engraved plates and 9 double-page maps plus over 250 woodcut and steel engraved text illustrations chiefly after Joseph Drayton and Alfred T. Agate; atlas with 5 large folding maps, 1 of which is hand-colored. Original brown cloth stamped in gilt and blind. Spotting, lined-out ink inscription on free front endpaper of volume I, tape repair to half-title of volume III.
WITH: 1851 edition, in one volume. New York: George P. Putnam, 1851. 8vo. Modern three-quarter calf and marbled boards. Scattered spotting.

FIRST REGULARLY PUBLISHED EDITION, IN FIVE TEXT VOLUMES PLUS ATLAS. The Wilkes Expedition represents "the first governmental sponsorship of scientific endeavor and was instrumental in the nation's westward expansion. Specimens gathered by expedition scientists became the foundation collections of the Smithsonian Institution. Significant American contributions in the fields of geology, botany, conchology, anthropology, and linguistics came from the scientific work of the expedition. Wilkes's evaluations of his landfalls influenced later U.S. positions in those areas" (Dictionary of American Biography). Wilkes also made immensely important charts of the American Northwest, Hawaii, Fiji, the Philippines and more. He was the first to announce the existence of an Antarctic continent. The first two printings were of 100 and 150 copies each and the above printing was limited to only 1000 sets. Subsequent editions did not include the Atlas. Haskell 2b and 17b; Howes W-414; Spence 1262; Taurus 6.