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End of the Earth Archive
Washington, DC, National Geographic, (2003). A small archive pertaining to Matthiessen's book recounting two voyages to Antarctica, one from Tierra del Fuego and one from Tasmania, with photographs by Bateman. In addition to a first edition from Matthiessen's library, the archive consists of three items: the first is Matthiessen's own working copy of the book, with hundreds of corrections and rewrites in Matthiessen's hand, making this copy of the book seem more like a copy of the author's galleys. On the front flyleaf, Matthiessen has written "Work Copy/ See Continuing Mistakes!" And while there are plenty of corrected mistakes, the author has also taken this opportunity to better his prose for a later printing or edition. His copious emendations even extend to the footnotes, where there is a citing for his quote from Blue Meridian regarding the increase in whale products as the number of whales decline, that "Nothing is wasted but the whale itself." Matthiessen has changed the footnoted phrase that the quote is found "in other whale texts without attribution" to "plagiarized elsewhere." The pattern throughout the text seems to be toward words or phrases of greater specificity. A very good copy, lacking the dust jacket. Laid in is a photocopy of an email from David Quammen providing a paragraph of praise as publicity, which was in fact used on the dust jacket of the published book. The next item is a photo album of Tasmania, compiled by the book's photographer, Birgit Freybe Bateman, who also appears in the text of the book as one of Matthiessen's travel companions (along with her husband, Robert Bateman) and who, with her husband, is one of four dedicatees of End of the Earth. More than 50 photographs, most labeled, and inscribed by Bateman to Matthiessen on his birthday in 2004: "Try not to lose this one, Pete - l, BJB." Covers slightly splayed, else fine. Lastly, from 2006, is a card from Bateman to Matthiessen, constructed with a Bateman photograph, and signed by Bateman: "These might be of interest to you." Laid in are a half dozen snapshots taken by Bateman, mostly of, apparently, Texas: two feature Matthiessen. [#031722] SOLD

All books are first printings of first editions or first American editions unless otherwise noted.