Conway, William Martin.

first edition, limited edition, number 64 of 150 copies signed by the author, 3 volumes bound in 4 (the maps being in a separate wallet), 8vo (250 x 164mm.), frontispieces, 300 illustrations after A.D. McCormick, plus duplicate proofs on Japon of most of the full-page plates, illustrations in the text, 3 folding maps in the separate wallet, original cloth, leather spine labels, the plates on Japon with some light spotting, some labels chipped

Neat C175; Yakushi C336A, erroneously calling for 5 maps in the wallet

Conway (1856–1937) developed a taste for mountaineering at Cambridge, and became a member of the Alpine Club in 1877. He was also a bibliophile, being especially interested in early printed books and woodcuts. In 1885, he became Roscoe professor of art at University College, Liverpool.

"In 1892 Conway led a large-scale mountaineering expedition to the Karakoram Himalayas with the financial support of scientific societies and his father-in-law, Manton Marble. Marble was not sure about Conway's motives: 'Tis not quite relevant to your art-career to be climbing mountains, but I perceive that Alpine, Caucasian, or Himalayan supereminence may be the corner-stone of artistic eminence'. Conway's large party surveyed the Baltoro glacier and the region around K2, and ascended Pioneer Peak on Baltoro Kangri, which at 6890 metres may have constituted an altitude record at the time" (ODNB).