About this Item
The First UK printing published by Hodder & Stoughton in 1993. 'This special edition is limited to Five Hundred numbered copies of which One to Fifty are presentation copies'. This is number '365' of 500 copies. It is signed by all ten of the remaining members of the British 1953 Expedition to Mount Everest to mark the 40th Anniversary of the First Ascent on 29th May 1993. It has been signed by John Hunt, Charles Evans, Griffith Pugh, Alfred Gregory, Sir Edmund Hillary, Mike Westmacott, George Band, Charles Wylie, George Lowe and Michael Ward. The BOOK is in near Fine condition. Original half blue morocco and blue cloth boards, gilt vignette to upper board, gilt title to spine, raised bands, top edge gilt, marbled endpapers, preserved in the original blue cloth slip-case; Colour frontispiece., 14 black and white photographic plates, 7 colour photographic plates, four sketch maps and several illustrations after drawings to text. Very slight fading of the blue colouring to the spine. Housed in the publisher's original blue slipcase. A very collectible and scarce title. Accompanied by 'Sir Edmund Hillary KG KBE ONZ The State Funeral' Order Of Service (St Mary's in Holy Trinity, Auckland, Tuesday 22 January 2008) and the Order of Service for the 'Service of Thanksgiving For The Life Of Sir Edmund Hillary" at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle on 2nd April 2008. Both Order of Services have been signed by the remaining 4 members of the 1953 Everest expedition. These booklets are in Fine condition. Flat-signed by George Lowe, Mike Westmacott, Alfred Gregory and George Band. At that time, these four mountaineers were the last surviving members of the 1953 British Mount Everest Expedition. Mike Westmacott and George Lowe were key members of the 1953 British Mount Everest Expedition led by John Hunt. Alfred Gregory was a member of the 1953 British Mount Everest Expedition that made the first ascent of Mount Everest. He was in charge of stills photography and, as a climbing member of the team, reached 28,000 feet (8,500 metres) in support of the successful Hillary-Tenzing assault on the summit. George Band was an English mountaineer. He was the youngest climber on the 1953 British expedition to Mount Everest on which Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay made the first ascent of the mountain. The NZ State Funeral booklet has also been signed by the Dean, the Bishop of Auckland, the Director of Music and the organist who all took part in the funeral service. Both booklets are very scarce ephemeral items. In addition, the programme to the Mount Everest Foundation Anniversary Lecture which took place on 26th May 1993 in the presence of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is included. 2023 marks the 70th anniversary of the first ascent of Mount Everest by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. More images available on request. Ashton Rare Books welcomes direct contact. Seller Inventory # ABE-1699544956341
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