- 495
Foxe, Luke
Estimate
50,000 - 70,000 GBP
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Description
- North-West Fox, or Fox from the North-west Passage… Following with briefe abstracts of the voyages of Cabot, Frobisher, Davis, Waymouth, Knight, Hudson, Button, Gibbons, Bylot, Baffin, Hawkridge. London: B. Alsop and Tho. Fawcet, 1635
- paper
FIRST EDITION, small 4to (190 x 135mm.), [12], 272pp., woodcut frontispiece, woodcut map on 2F, folding engraved circumpolar map (Burden 243), eighteenth-century red morocco-backed limp marbled paper boards, folding cloth box, border of engraved map shaved in a couple of places
Luke Fox (1585-1635) was a Hull-born navigator who petitioned Charles I for funds to search for the north-west passage, during which voyage, commenced in 1631, he explored much of western Hudson Bay. He eventually concluded that no such passage was possible.
“He was very severely criticized during his lifetime for not wintering and continuing his explorations. This and the delay in publishing his account of the voyage have meant that he never won the acclaim he deserved. Many of the whimsical names he gave to features have also been superseded; but his entertaining account of his voyage, which also contains important information about earlier explorations, is now recognized as valuable, as is the voyage itself. The Foxe basin, channel, and peninsula all bear testimony to his achievement” (ODNB).
His account of the voyage is notable for its rare map of the arctic “now rarely found in the book” (ODNB). “On a circumpolar projection it depicts the track of Foxe and introduces the northern Pacific to illustrate the relative position of Asia. Here we also find an early depiction of California as an island” (Burden).
The Boies Penrose copy.
Luke Fox (1585-1635) was a Hull-born navigator who petitioned Charles I for funds to search for the north-west passage, during which voyage, commenced in 1631, he explored much of western Hudson Bay. He eventually concluded that no such passage was possible.
“He was very severely criticized during his lifetime for not wintering and continuing his explorations. This and the delay in publishing his account of the voyage have meant that he never won the acclaim he deserved. Many of the whimsical names he gave to features have also been superseded; but his entertaining account of his voyage, which also contains important information about earlier explorations, is now recognized as valuable, as is the voyage itself. The Foxe basin, channel, and peninsula all bear testimony to his achievement” (ODNB).
His account of the voyage is notable for its rare map of the arctic “now rarely found in the book” (ODNB). “On a circumpolar projection it depicts the track of Foxe and introduces the northern Pacific to illustrate the relative position of Asia. Here we also find an early depiction of California as an island” (Burden).
The Boies Penrose copy.
Provenance
David Goubard, ownership inscription on title; Halsey family, Gaddesden Place, bookplate; Boies Penrose, bookplate, sale in these rooms, 7 June 1971, lot 88
Literature
Church 429; Pforzheimer 384; Sabin 25410; Staton & Tremaine 34; STC 11221
Condition
Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."