McCORMICK, Robert (1800-1890). Voyages of Discovery in the Arctic and Antarctic Seas, and Round the World: Being the Personal Narratives of Attempts to Reach the North and South Poles; And of an Open-Boat Expedition up the Wellington Channel in Search of Sir John Franklin and Her Majesty's Ships "Erebus" and "Terror," in Her Majesty's Boat "Forlorn Hope." London: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle, and Rivington, 1884.
2 volumes, royal 8vo (248 x 161 mm). 66 plates including 5 color-printed maps (one folding) and 37 tinted lithographs (including 3 portrait frontispieces and 5 folding panoramas with two scenes each); 16pp. advertisements at rear of vol. II. (Slight toning, a few short marginal tears not affecting text.) Contemporary half red morocco gilt, marbled boards, top edges gilt, others uncut, stamp-signed by Stikeman & Co. for Charles Scribner's Sons (covers detached or detaching, light wear to extremities). Provenance: Collector's bookplates, a few pencil marks.
FIRST EDITION of McCormick's first-hand account of the Ross expedition (1839-1843), in which "he conveys the sense of awed wonder experienced by all aboard Ross' ships when the true enormity of the Antarctic continent revealed itself for the first time" (Taurus). He sailed with Captain Parry on his fourth voyage to the North Pole in 1827 aboard Hecla, and served under Ross from 1839-1843 on the Erebus and Terror expedition to the South Pole; he recounts both expeditions in the first volume. The second volume describes his voyage with Captain Sir Edward Belcher's 1852-54 on the last Admiralty search for Sir John Franklin and his ships Erebus and Terror (which had successfully carried Ross to the Antarctic ten years earlier). Arctic Bibliography 10582; Spence 747; Taurus 10.
Gretchen Hause joined the Books and Manuscripts Department at Hindman Auctions in 2017, after working for nearly 8 years as a specialist in the Books and Manuscripts Department at Christie’s in New York. During her tenure at Hindman, Gretchen has handled numerous books and maps for record prices, including the superb Mellon-Garden copy of Darwin’s On the Origin of Species, sold in 2019 for the world auction record price of $564,500. She also secured and sold a rare copy of Palmatary’s 1857 pre-fire view of Chicago (the only copy in private hands) for nearly $200,000, and secured and auctioned a copy of Ratzer’s fine Plan of the City of New York for a world auction record $162,500.
In 2023, Gretchen secured the Fine Literature from the Collection of Richard C. McKenzie. The white-glove sale was 100% sold by lot, realizing nearly double the high estimate. In that same year, she served as head of sale for the Private Collection of Secretary Madeleine K. Albright, another white-glove sale which realized more than three times the low estimate. In 2019, Gretchen was responsible for the sale of the Library of a Midwestern Collector. The 86-lot sale achieved a record total for any sale for the department, setting the world auction record for Darwin’s On the Origin of Species, and bringing strong prices for several scientific works, works on computing, and other notable high spots. In 2018, she secured and handled the Fine Cartographic and Printed Americana Collection of Eric and Evelyn Newman, which was 97% sold by lot, achieving the highest sale total at the time for a single-session auction in department history, and bringing several record prices. She also organized the successful sale of The Adventure & Exploration Library of Steve Fossett. The two-session sale realized a department record sold total at the time, and achieved a 100% sell through rate.
Prior to joining Hindman Auctions, Gretchen spent nearly 8 years in the Books and Manuscripts department at Christie’s in New York. While at Christie’s, she contributed to the successful sales of several collections, including the Dorothy Shea collection of fore-edge paintings (96% sold by lot) and duplicates from the Warren H. Corning Library of the Holden Arboretum, which were 95% sold by lot in 2013 to benefit the acquisitions fund. She also helped catalogue the Cornelius J. Hauck Private Botanical Library (92% sold by lot in 2016), and the American Literature collection of Mrs. J. Insley Blair, which was 95% sold by lot. She had the opportunity to work on a number of landmark single-owner sales, including those of the collections of President and Mrs. Ronald Reagan and Huguette Clark, and the libraries of Kenneth Nebenzahl (exploration and maps), Arthur and Charlotte Vershbow (the art of book illustration), and Jean Perrette (travel and exploration), as well as the sale of the iconic Kelmscott printing press.
Gretchen has attended introductory and advanced bibliography and history of bookbinding courses at Rare Book School at the University of Virginia, and holds a B.A. and M.A. in English Literature. She studied primarily British literature, with emphases in medieval and modern literature. Gretchen is a member of the Grolier Club, the Caxton Club, the Washington Map Society, and the Chicago Map Society. She currently serves on the board as Treasurer for the Fellowship of American Bibliophilic Societies. She is an auctioneer, and has nearly 15 years of experience working with rare books and manuscripts. In addition to her commitment to the bibliophilic community, Gretchen is committed to public service as well, and is currently serving a 6-year term as a publicly-elected Commissioner for the Berwyn Park District in her hometown.
