Voyage De La Belgica — Belgian Antarctic Expedition 1897 – 1899

Le premier hivernage dans les glaces antarctiques. Relation anecdotique sommaire du voyage de la Belgica. Par le Commandant de Gerlache. Récit extrait de: Quinze mois dans l’antarctique. Ouvrage couronné par l’Académie Française.

By Adrien de Gerlache

Brussels, Imprimerie Scientifque Charles Bulens, 1902. 8vo, pp. [1-6] 7-94, [2], photographic frontpiece, photographic title vignette, 5 maps 91 full page black and white, 3 in text), 14 full page mostly photographic illustrations, 36 photographic illustrations in text. 1 text plan, 2 test sketches, original three-quarter red cloth over marbled boards, upper cover with 2 amorial devices stamped in gilt and lettered in gilt, top edge gilt. Original ribbon page marker present. A Near Fine complete copy of a Rarely seen first publication from the Belgian Antarctic Expedition led by Adien de Gerlache from 1897-1899.

— Taurus 15, Rosove 147.C1a

The voyage of the Belgica under the command of Adrienne de Gerlache set out from Antwerp, Belgium at the end of August 1897. It is one of the most fascinating of the early Antarctic expeditions. It is notable for being the first expedition to Antarctic of a purely scientific nature, and was the first time that anyone had over wintered in Antarctica proper. A group of sealers had wintered on King George Island in the South Shetlands in 1821 after their ship was blown off in a storm and rescue was not possible until the next summer, but this was the first time a winter had been spent at Antarctic continental latitudes. It was also an unplanned winter - although, perhaps for the expedition leader de Gerlache it wasn’t so accidental - for the rest of the men at least, there was no intention nor notice of over-wintering.

Amongst the crew were Roald Amundsen, later to be the first man to sail the North West Passage and also to reach the South Pole and Frederick A. Cook, anthropologist and photographer, who would contentiously later claim to be the first man to reach the North Pole.