1945 Survey of India Exceeds Estimates at National Book Auctions
National Book Auctions's September 23, 2017 sale featured a broad range of rare and antique books and ephemera.
One standout offering was the four-volume "Historical Records of the Survey of India" published in 1945, which brought $1,312 against a high estimate of $700. This was one of several important titles from the personal library of James Hurley, a former Vice Consul at the United States Consulate in Lahore, Pakistan, and most notably a member of the 1960 International Saltoro Expedition which made the first attempt on the unclimbed K12 Peak, the 24,370-foot mountain in the Karakoram range of the Himalayas near the Line of Control between India and Pakistan. Their expedition was sponsored by the Royal Society and the Royal Geographic Society and Hurley was trained in the elements of climbing by the famous explorer Eric Shipton, who made the first reconnaissance visit to K12 in 1957. Aside from the historic ascent attempt, Hurley's objective in the region was an ethnographic study of the Epic of King Gesar. Many more volumes from the Hurley collection will be offered in National Book Auctions's next sale on October 7, 2017.
For more information about bidding or consigning, please contact mail@nationalbookauctions.com or 607-269-0101.
