Matthew Henson was an African American explorer most known for accompanying Robert Peary on multiple expeditions to the Arctic, and in 1909 they claimed to be the first team to reach the North Pole. It has been long debated whether or not Peary and Henson actually reached the North Pole - there was even a … Continue reading Spotlight: Matthew Henson, Explorer
When the San Rafael Elks purchased Maple Lawn, the estate formerly owned by California Gold Rush heiress Louise Arner Boyd, they also acquired 150 reels of 35mm nitrate film stored on the grounds. Boyd shot the reels over nearly two decades, from travels in the early 1920s, to a 1941 trip to West Greenland, with … Continue reading Filming the Far North: Louise Arner Boyd’s Arctic Travels
Living on the east coast of the United States, one gets used to cold mornings, grey days, blustery winds, and the occasional freak snowstorm. Given the weather and the fact that January 17th, 2024 marked the 251st anniversary of Captain Cook’s crossing of the Antarctic Circle, it seemed like a really great time to highlight … Continue reading Way, Way Down Under: Exploring Mapping of the Earth’s South Pole
In honor of our colleagues across the country that are dealing with rough instances of winter weather, we'd like to draw your attention to some fun images from our collection of Photographs Related to Byrd Antarctic Expedition II , 1933 - 1935. (Local Identifier XSC-G, NAID 139058663). These images were accumulated and maintained by Stevenson … Continue reading It’s Cold Outside: Photos from the Second Byrd Antarctic Expedition
