POLAR EXPLORATION. A group of five printed journals titled 'Arctic Expedition, 1875-6, Lieutenant W.H. May. Sledge Journal' dated 24th to 30th April, 4th to 9th May, 25th May to 7th June, 8th to 14th June and 18th to 25th June, each 34cm x 22cm. Note: these journals cover the sledging trips associated with expeditions led by Sir George Nares on the ships HMS Alert and HMS Discovery and include the sledge relief party sent to assist Commander Markham's Party. Nares' official report on the expedition is well represented institutionally but commercially scarce. Together with an envelope with a related pen and ink cartoon and two scrap albums relating to the career of William H. May, the majority of the contents are newspaper cuttings, but also including a chromolithographic invitation or ticket to the 'Arctic Expedition 1875 Banquet at Portsmouth', programmes and other ephemera relating to the China Fleet Regatta of 1890, a Royal Geographical Society Sketch Map to accompany the Nansen Meeting on 8th February 1897, menus and other programmes.