Expedition diary up for sale

Amundsen’s childhood dream

The book auction on 12 February offers a unique opportunity to acquire the Danish first lieutenant Godfred Hansen’s (1876-1937) diary from the Gjøa expedition. Godfred Hansen was second in command under the Norwegian polar explorer Roald Amundsen on the expedition, which lasted from 1903 to 1906. The purpose of the expedition was partly to pursue Amundsen’s childhood dream of finding the fabled Northwest Passage north of North America and partly for the scientific purpose of localising the magnetic North Pole. Both goals were achieved and the journey immortalised Amundsen and his crew of just six men and the small vessel Gjøa, which succeeded where many other expeditions over the centuries had failed.

Godfred’s important journey

The diary, which is now up for auction, was written in the summer of 1904, when Godfred Hansen and the second mate on the boat Hellmer Hansen sailed the icy waters to lay supply depots for the great sleigh journey planned for the following spring. Godfred Hansen writes in his diary that their expedition has two purposes: “1. To lay supply depots as far as possible before Fairholm Island. 2. To determine, map and sound the route of the ship through the narrow passage in Simpson Strait. As far as no. 2 is concerned, I note with despair the vast quantity of ice. We cannot even get to the small islands”. Their important work to lay supply depots was a success, however, and meant that Godfred Hansen was able to map the east coast of Victoria Island – also known as King Haakon VII Coast – the following year.

In the footsteps of the Franklin expedition

Their exploration of the often unpredictable landscape and weather are described in detail in the diary, and Hansen has illustrated his report with small maps that describe the impassable landscape and waters. One day, Hansen finds the remains of a dolmen containing the skeletons of some earlier polar researchers from the legendary Franklin expedition, the source of Amundsen’s desire to force the Northwest Passage. The two expedition members hold a funeral for the deceased and build a new dolmen. “The grave is finished, the stone has been laid over, the gravestone erected,” concludes Hansen’s report on the discovery and the funeral.

Lament by Hans Christian Andersen

The book auction also offers a long list of other important manuscripts and books. Hans Christian Andersen was deeply affected when, on the death of King Frederik VII in November 1863, he wrote the lament “Farvel – Nu kommer Kongens Lig”. The original, signed manuscript, which is set to go under the hammer, comes from the Nutzhorn family. Also up for auction is an autograph letter by Hans Christian Andersen to the same family. The other highlights of the auction include an incunable by St Vincent Ferrer from 1488, “Sermones de tempore et de Sanctis”, printed by Nicolaus Kessler in Basel, and a beautiful copy of Laurids de Thurah’s impressive architectural work “Den danske Vitruvius” from 1746-1749.

Preview and auction

The preview of the book auction takes place at our premises at Baltikavej 10, DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø from 10 am–5 pm on Monday 11 February to 10 am–5 pm on Tuesday 12 February. The hammers will fall online at bruun-rasmussen.dk on Tuesday 12 February from 6pm.

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