The Tomb of Tutankhamen. - 1923

London: Cassell and Company, Ltd,, 1923-33. So lovely that it made one gasp with wonder and admiration First editions, first impressions, of Carter's popular account of one of the most spectacular archaeological discoveries of the 20th century. Carter began his association with the Earl of Carnarvon in 1909 and convinced him to gain a concession for the Valley of the Kings in 1914. While many believed that there was nothing of importance left in the valley to be discovered, Carter thought otherwise. In the summer of 1922, Carter persuaded Carnarvon to allow him one more campaign and, starting work earlier than usual, he opened up the stairway to the tomb of Tutankhamun on 4 November 1922. Carnarvon hurried to Luxor and entered the tomb on 26 November. "The discovery astounded the world: a royal tomb, mostly undisturbed, full of spectacular objects. Carter recruited a team of expert assistants to help him in the clearance of the tomb, and the conservation and recording of its remarkable contents. On 16 February 1923 the blocking to the burial chamber was removed, to reveal the unplundered body and funerary equipment of the dead king. Unhappily, the death of Lord Carnarvon on 5 April seriously affected the subsequent progress of Carter's work. In spite of considerable and repeated bureaucratic interference, not easily managed by the short-tempered excavator, work on the clearance of the tomb proceeded slowly but was not completed until 1932. Carter handled the technical processes of clearance, conservation, and recording with exemplary skill and care" (ODNB). The discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb unleashed a global passion for ancient Egypt. This was fuelled further by the death of Lord Carnarvon from blood poisoning, thought to be the "mummy's curse" for disturbing a mummy, especially a pharaoh. Three volumes, large octavo. Original brown fine diagonally ribbed cloth, spines and front covers lettered in gilt, gilt scarab-and-sun-disc device on black ground on front covers, pictorial endpapers. Halftone photographic frontispiece in each volume, 186 similar plates (many recto and verso), taken from photographs by Harry Burton. Recent greeting slip loosely inserted. Spines slightly cocked, very minor loss of cloth on top edge of vol. I, corners bumped, some marks to cloth, vol. II starting at rear inner hinge, scattered foxing or toning. A very good copy.