HEYERDAHL, Thor

HEYERDAHL, Thor. The Kon-Tiki Expedition: by Raft Across the South Seas.

London, George Allen & Unwin LTD, 1950.

£ 400

FIRST EDITION, second impression. 8vo. 236 pp., with 20 b&w illustrations and publisher’s catalogue. Hardback, coated cloth and original dust jacket, which is partially ripped on lower and upper edges; fold on upper cover detached. Gilt title to spine and the expedition’s logo featuring a Polynesian mask stamped on the front cover. With half-title and title page. This is the autographed copy of the famous British painter John Keith-Vaughan (1912 – 1977), whose signature is found on the upper free endpaper. A pre-eminent Neo-Romantic in his early career, Keith-Vaughan later developed a personal style that led him to be one of the most successful painters of his generation. This book contains the account of the famous expedition of Thor Heyerdahl (1914 – 2002), a Norwegian explorer who wanted to prove the South-American origin of Polynesian people by building a raft and then sailing from Peru to Tahiti. This expedition was a success and started a new branch of studies in anthropology. Internally sound, except for light age yellowing. This copy is in very good condition.