Vintage Arctic Exploration Book Spring on an Arctic Island Katharine Scherman Hardcover 1956

A 1956 hardcover copy of Spring on an Arctic Island by Katharine Scherman, published by Little, Brown and Company.

This illustrated Arctic travel and natural history book follows a scientific expedition to Bylot Island, with map endpapers, wilderness observations, and a worn but striking dust jacket.

Details

∙ Item: Vintage hardcover book with dust jacket
∙ Title: Spring on an Arctic Island
∙ Author: Katharine Scherman
∙ Illustrator: Illustrations included; individual illustrator not confirmed from photos
∙ Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, Boston / Toronto
∙ Year: 1956
∙ Edition / Printing: Edition not confirmed from photos
∙ Format: Hardcover
∙ Dust Jacket: Yes, present with significant wear
∙ Size / Measurements: Provided as “95651 3”; based on photos and comparable listings, appears approximately 8vo size; please verify exact measurement before entering final listing fields
∙ Page Count: 331 pages, per seller notes and matching comparable listings
∙ Cover / Jacket Colors: Blue cloth boards; blue, white, gray, and muted rose illustrated Arctic dust jacket
∙ Genre / Subject: Arctic travel writing, polar exploration, natural history, Bylot Island, Canada, wilderness memoir, illustrated travel book
∙ ISBN: None shown; pre-ISBN era
∙ Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 56-5936

∙ Notable Features: Map endpapers of Bylot Island, illustrated title page, black-and-white photographic/illustrated content, Arctic expedition narrative, Little Brown hardcover

Condition Grade: Good

Positives

∙ Hardcover binding appears intact in the photos.
∙ Blue cloth boards are visible and remain attractive under the jacket.
∙ Interior pages shown are readable and clean overall.
∙ Map endpapers are present and visually appealing.
∙ Dust jacket is present, which adds collectible and display value.

Issues / Wear

∙ Dust jacket shows heavy edge wear, chipping, creasing, rubbing, tears, and corner loss.
∙ Jacket spine and flap edges show visible wear and small missing pieces.
∙ Rear jacket has staining/spotted marks and surface soil.
∙ Page edges show age toning.
∙ Board edges/corners show some wear where visible.
∙ No writing or highlighting is shown in the photos provided.
∙ See all photos for detail—sold as pictured.

Condition Grade Key:
Near Fine: Minimal visible wear; clean, tight, and gift-worthy.
Very Good: Light wear from careful use; attractive and solid.
Good: Noticeable use or flaws, but complete and readable/displayable.
Fair: Heavy wear, damage, or markings; still useful or collectible for the right buyer.

Plot 

Spring on an Arctic Island tells the story of Katharine Scherman’s springtime journey with a scientific expedition to Bylot Island, north of the Arctic Circle. Written from the perspective of a city-bred journalist encountering Arctic life firsthand, the book blends travel narrative, natural history, tundra ecology, wildlife observations, Inuit/Eskimo life as described in period language, and expedition adventure.

 The jacket copy highlights dog-sled travel, seal hunting, drifting sea ice, Arctic birds, flowers, lemmings, and the strange beauty of a landscape waking into spring.

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