The Voyage of the Discovery (INSCRIBED BY ROBERT SCOTT TO FELLOW EXPEDITION MEMBER) by Robert Falcon Scott - 1905

London, England: Smith, Elder, & Co., 1905. First Edition. Hardcover. Good. Two Volumes. 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" tall. Volume One: 556 pp., 1 photogravure frontispiece, title in red and black, 7 coloured plates from water-colour drawings by Dr. Edward A. Wilson, 1 double-paged plate, 84 black and white plates (missing plate on p. 64.), text illustrations, 3 maps including fold-out 'Chart of the Antarctic Ocean' laid in at rear (with some tears along folds). Front hinge cracked with first pages detached. A few pages with old tape at edge. An occasional smudge or soil mark. Volume Two: 508 pp., 1 photogravure frontispiece portrait of Captain Scott, title in red and black, 6 coloured plates from water-colour drawings by Dr. Edward A. Wilson, 4 double-paged plates, 82 black and white plates, text illustrations, 2 maps including fold-out 'Sledge Journeys From Winter Quarters' map (torn neatly along folds) laid-in at rear, two appendices, index. Front hinge cracked with first pages detaching. A few pages with old tape at edge. An occasional smudge or soil mark. Later rebound in blue cloth with original ribbed blue covers and spine glued on. Bumping to spine extremities and corners. Rubbing and surface wear to covers. Foxing at endpapers with an occasional mark throughout text. Small closed tear at side of half title.FIRST EDITION PRESENTATION COPY INSCRIBED BY SCOTT TO A MEMBER OF THE DISCOVERY EXPEDITION signed and dated Nov. 1905 on the half title of Volume 1. An IMPORTANT ASSOCIATION COPY of Scott's account of his Antarctic expedition of 1901-1904. Inscribed: "Charles Clarke With the best wishes of the authorities of the Expedition and of the author R.F. Scott Nov. 1905." Originally hired as cook's mate and baker who eventually became the third and final cook of the voyage, Charles Thompson Clark (1876-1952) was the only civilian member of the crew. Clark (spelt without the final 'e' which Scott had mistakenly added in his inscription and in the text) had worked for a miller near Fort William in western Scotland and was asked to deliver a bag of flour to an observatory on Ben Nevis. Captain Robert Scott was there gathering meteorological data for his upcoming expedition to the Antarctic. Impressed by Clark's physical prowess, Scott asked Clark to join his team. Although unaccustomed to adventures, Clark agreed. According to Jason C. Anthony in his book on Antarctic exploration cuisine: "Clark was beloved for his fine bread and what Scott called his "toothsome cakes". .. While Clark was nominally in charge of the galley, he focused on baking and the cooking was 'conducted more or less by a committee of taste' wrote Scott putting the best possible spin on the situation. Volunteers took turns serving as Clark's mate- or taking charge of meals which sometimes failed, sometimes worked admirably but to Scott's relief, were at least 'prepared with a proper regard to cleanliness.'" Clark married four weeks after the Discovery docked in Portsmouth. The fact that he named his first child Charles Falcon Scott Clark and asked Scott to act as godfather attests to Charles Clark's respect and admiration for his former captain. The Spectator referred to Scott's official account of the Discovery expedition as: "the ablest and most interesting record of travel to which the present century has yet given birth". While signed copies of this two volume set occasionally reach the market, signed copies to fellow expedition members are rare.