Item 114 recounts the discovery of perhaps the most famous of all graves, that of the ancient Egyptian boy-king, Tutankhamen. Howard Carter spent much of his life digging through ancient ruins, making interesting though not spectacular discoveries. However, in 1922, he convinced his benefactor, George Herbert, the fifth Earl of Carnarvon, to conduct one more expedition to the Valley of Kings. It was here that he discovered the untouched tomb of Tutankhamen, and the spectacular artifacts and the King's mummy within. Carter's work (first volume primarily by his assistant A.C. Mace) is The Tomb of Tut-Ankh-Amen Discovered by the Late Earl of Carnarvon and Howard Carter, three volumes published 1923-33. £3,000 (US $4,905).

Item 230 provides an early look at what is today the far northwestern corner of the United States, but was then part of Russia. It is the 1774 first English edition of An Account of the New Northern Archipelago lately Discovered by the Russians in the Seas of Kamtschatka and Anadir, by Jakob von Staehlin. This book provides information on the Aleutian and other islands of the Bering Sea from expeditions by the Promyshlenniki Commercial Company during 1765-67. The map is most interesting as it depicts Alaska as an island between North America and Asia. £6,500 (US $10,629).

Item 99 is an account of an automobile trip across Europe in 1911. That sounds difficult, but author Lee Meriwether (and this is a male Lee Meriwether, not the actress) had made the same journey by foot 25 years earlier. Meriwether and his wife purchased a Maxwell in New York, boxed it up and set sail for Europe. Their adventures are described in Seeing Europe by Automobile. A Five-thousand-mile Motor Trip... £120 (US $196).

Bernard J. Shapero Rare Books may be reached at +44 (0)20 7493 0876 or rarebooks@shapero.com. Their website is www.shapero.com.

You will find many of Bernard J. Shapero's books listed in "Books For Sale" on this site. Click here.