Fine Printed Books & Manuscripts, Including Americana

Operation Deep Freeze 1956-57: The Chronicle of Task Force 43 and Its Service to Science in the Second Phase of a Project of Four Years' Duration. Paoli, PA: The Dorville Corporation, 1957. -- Operation Deep Freeze 1957-1958: The Story of Task Force 43 and Its Service to Science in the Third - The Climax - Phase of the IGY Antarctic Program. Paoli, PA: The Dorville Corporation, 1958. Provenance: William H. Littlewood, hydrographer aboard USS Eltanin during 1957-58 Operation Deep Freeze expedition (ownership bookplate, cover stamp). SIGNED BY USN CAPTAIN EDWIN A. MCDONALD, DEPUTY COMMANDER OF 1957-58 EXPEDITION. -- Operation Deep Freeze 60. [Paoli, PA: The Dorville Corporation, 1960]. Provenance: Charles Swithinbank (1926-2014), British glaciologist and namesake of Swithinbank Moraine glacier (ownership stamp). -- Operation Deep Freeze 61. Boston: The Cruise Book Firm, [1961]. 

Together, 4 works in 4 volumes, all 4to, all in original grey binding with expedition logo stamped in blue, white, black, red, and gold, and profusely illustrated with expedition photographs. Condition generally fine. 

Operation Deep Freeze was the code name for a series of missions carried out by the United States government on the continent of Antarctica. During its first year, permanent research stations were constructed under the supervision of the U.S. Navy, including McMurdo Station and the South Pole Station. The expedition was filmed by the Navy and Walt Disney Studios, with Walt Disney himself named an honorary member of the crew for having designed the operation's official logo. 

Among the primary objectives of the first few years were atmospheric monitoring and the study of glacial movements and marine life. The most impactful discovery was that the planet was gradually warming and had been for some time, most likely due to human activity. 

[With]: BRUNT, David, Sir (1886-1965), editor. The Royal Society International Geophysical Year Antarctic Expedition. London: The Royal Society, 1960-1964. 4 volumes. 4to. Original full red cloth gilt, vol. IV with dust jacket. Condition generally very fine. 

The Royal Society International Geophysical Year Antarctic Expedition comprises the official scientific reports of the Halley Bay base, established during the IGY in conjunction with the Trans-Antarctic Expedition. The Brunt Ice Shelf, the location of the 1955-59 Royal Society Expedition's base, was named for the volumes’ editor, Sir David Brunt, who was Physical Secretary of the Royal Society. The Halley Bay base remains in operation to this day. Renard 213. 

[With]: SKEIB, Günter (1919-2012). A pair of works, comprising: Orkane über Antarktika: Forscherarbeit In Schnee Und Eis. Leipzig: F. A. Brockhaus Verlag, 1961. -- Antarktika: Kontinent im Brennpunkt der Forschung. Leipzig, Jena, Berlin: Urania-Verlag, (1964). 8vo. Original binding; dust jackets. Condition generally very good. 

Günter Skeib was an East German meteorologist and polar explorer who, during the 1959-1961 seasons, oversaw a team of German meteorologists participating in the Fifth Soviet Antarctic Expedition to Mirny Station. The present works chronicle Skeib's experiences. Orkane über Antarktika contains a firsthand account of a fire that broke out in Mirby Station that ultimately cost the lives of eight men. Antarktika describes the background of these expeditions as well as the scientific collaborations with the Soviets. Scarce.