FELLOWS (Charles). A Narrative of an Ascent to the Summit of Mont-Blanc. London, edited on behalf of the author by T. Davidson, 1827. In-4, full midnight blue morocco binding, richly decorated ribbed spine, richly decorated boards with gilt and blind-stamped frames, gilt title on first board, triple gilt fillet on spandrels, pink moiré silk endpapers, gilt edges (the boards have been skilfully and early mounted on the original spine, rubbing near the fields, dull corners, a small indentation towards the outer edge of the first board) (Contemporary binding, protected in a modern slipcase). First edition, private print run of around 150 copies, of which only around thirty are in colour. The illustrations consist of a title vignette, ten hors-texte plates lithographed by Hullmandel after drawings by the author, a hors-texte facsimile and a hors-texte diagram. The author's personal copy, with his bookplate pasted on the flyleaf, and the views in double state, in black and watercoloured, enriched with original watercolours and autograph manuscripts. The original pieces, all bound, include: - A handwritten title page with the original drawing of the title vignette - An original pencil drawing of Mont Blanc as seen from the Col de Balme - The original ascent certificate (4 pages, 2 of which are blank), signed by all the guides - Handwritten record of the ascent of Auldjo on 9 August 1827 - Details of the expenses incurred for the ascent (handwritten) - Two original colour drawings of rock samples found below the summit - A letter from Edmund Clarck, who climbed Mont Blanc in 1825, suggesting that, thanks to the new route inaugurated by Fellows' expedition, "with a little work the summit might be made accessible even to women"... - A letter from Fréderick Clissold, who climbed Mont Blanc in 1822, indicating that it should be possible to bivouac at the summit of Mont Blanc by digging a hole in the snow for shelter. - A letter from John Auldjo, who climbed Mont Blanc in 1827, congratulating Fellows on his work and stating that the effort of climbing Mont Blanc was justified "by the magnificent view presented by the Panorama around the Grands Mulets". - A letter from William Hawes, who climbed Mont Blanc with Fellows, and experienced moments of exhilaration and discouragement during the ascent, - A letter from David Wilkie, who attests to the reality of the ascent as an eyewitness, - A page with the original watercolours of the plate "Mont-Blanc from the col de Balme" and a variant of the plate "Descending a cliff", with a handwritten poem dedicated to Fellows' ascent on the reverse, - An aquatint and watercolour engraved view of Saussure's ascent, - A letter on both sides from Markham Sherwill, who climbed Mont Blanc with Clarck in 1825, - A large original watercolour (21 x 27 cm) of Fellows at the summit, by W. D. Hastings, and the preparatory drawing opposite, - The original watercolour of Mont-Blanc seen from Le Brévent with the ascent route, - An original watercolour (23 x 16.5 cm) of progress on a cracked glacier, not reproduced in the book, - Another original watercolour (16.5 x 12.5) of crossing a crevasse, not reproduced in the book, - One page with the original watercolours of "Frequent appearance of the ice with bridge of snow" and "Arriving at the Grands Mulets", - One page with the original watercolours of "Ascending a cliff" and "Difficult pass of a crevice", - One page with the original watercolours of "Descending the steep snows" and "Descending a cliff". An account of the eighteenth ascent of Mont Blanc, and the first using the "Corridor" passage. After extensive research, Stuart Legatt estimated the print run at around 150 copies, of which around thirty with hand-coloured plates. Provenance: Bloomsbury Book Auctions, London, sale 7 June 2002 (lot 52). The interior is particularly fresh; note only a small stain in the lower margin of the last 10 leaves which affects neither the text nor the illustrations, and traces of old glue on the white verso of a leaf bearing on the front one of the original watercolours at the end of the work. Sir Charles Fellows (Nottingham 1799 - London 1860) was an English archaeologist. He travelled in Italy and Greece, and explored Asia Minor, particularly Anatolia, in 1838 and 1839, publishing two important works on the ancient cities of Lycia, illustrated with his drawings. He was 28 years old when, with his compatriot William Hawes, he made the eighteenth ascent of Mont Blanc. Many of his drawings were used to illustrate various editions of Lord Byron's Childe Harold. A unique copy of this very rare and magnificent work, undoubtedly the most esteemed account of the first ascents of Mont Blanc. Perret, 1605 - Regards sur les Alpes 48 - Meckly 071 - Neate F18 - Coolidge 115 - Rean pp. 61-62 - Stuart Legatt (in Among the mountains, Sotheran Bookshop catalogue, London, 2006) - Nava G/1