NANSEN, Fridtjof (1861–1930). “Farthest North;” Being the Record of Voyage of Exploration of the Ship “Fram” 1893–95 and of a Fifteen Months’ Sleigh Journey by Dr. Nansen and Lieut. Johansen… London: George Newnes, 1898. 2 volumes, royal 8vo. Etched portrait frontispiece in Vol. I, one color plate from Nansen’s own sketch, numerous full–page and in–text illustrations, large folding map in color of the North Polar regions laid in at rear (foxed). Original publisher’s pictorial blue cloth stamped in gilt, red, and silver foil over beveled boards, all edges gilt, black coated endpapers (faint spot of dampstaining to Chapter I introduction leaf, 4” white stain to lower cover on Vol. I). Provenance: W. Pearse (signature dated 1926); R. M. Marks (signature dated 1941). Second English edition and the first to appear in this famous publisher’s cloth. Contains descriptions of the first Fram expedition led by Nansen to investigate the polar basin north of Eurasia by “drifting in the ice with the currents northwest from the New Siberian Islands across or near the Pole” (Arctic Bibliography) and within a few weeks reached the farthest north latitude yet attained by man. Arctic Bibliography 11983 (first American edition); PMM 384 (Norwegian edition, “it remains the classic story of Polar exploration”).