Polar Exploration Records

Contains twelve articles in Norwegian and one in English dated between 1926 and 1944 about polar exploration. On 24 November 1944 the Seattle Post Intellingencer published an article entitled “Searchers Unearth Greenland Wreck” by Captain Peter H. Hostmark. The article is an excerpt from the journal of Hostmark as he and two others make their trek over an ice cap of Greenland toward the wreckage of a plane which crashed with seven men aboard. The Norwegian articles: An advertisement for Peter Freuchen’s “Book of the Seven Seas” sold at Anundsen book center, Decorah, IA. “Blandt Eskimoer”: Interview with Christian Leden regarding his expedition to Greenland, where he lived among the Eskimos. The article talks about the Eskimo food, lifestyle, and society. “Bratvaag i Tromsø med sit Andree Fund”: Talks about the “Bratvaag”-expedition who found the bodies of Andree and Strindberg and some of their equipment. Talks about the preparation of the Andree-expedition. The article is incomplete. “W.P.S Telegrammer fra Norge”: Small notes from Norway, including one about a polar expedition. Picture of the flagship of the Byrd-expedition: “City of New York”, Was originally a sealer from Tønsberg called “Samson.” Two pictures regarding Dr. Cook, who forged pictures to make people believe that he was at the North Pole. There is also one picture of the man that discovered the forge, Admiral Peary. “Lars Christensen blev hyldet ved sine 50 aar”: Article describes consul Christensen’s 50th birthday, and the shipping history of Vestfold, Norway. “Grønlands-isen”: Brief description of Dr. Lauge Koch’s expedition to Greenland, where he explored the eastern mountains. “Ved jordens to poler”: Article describes Oscar Wisting, a member of Amundsen’s expedition to the South Pole.The article quote Wisting’s records regarding the speech Amundsen gave to his crew when he decided to go to the South Pole instead of the North Pole. The article also quotes Wisting’s records of their quest for the pole. The article also mentions Helmer Hansen and Olav Bjaaland, the only living members of the expedition at the time of Wisting’s death. “2200 aars kamp om Nordpolen”: Talks about peoples quest for the North Pole since 325 BC. “På ski over Grønland”: Article describing the 50-year celebration of Nansen’s skiing expedition across Greenland. Members: Otto Sverdrup, Oluf Dietrichson, Kristian Kristiansen Trana, Samuel Johansen Balto, and Ole Nielsen Ravna. The expedition started on August 15, 1888 and ended on September 26, 1888. After finishing the expedition they stayed in Godthaab, Greenland until April the next year.

Historical Note

Captain Peter H. Hostmark along with Captain Carl Moll and Sargent Joe Healy trekked across the ice caps of Greenland late 1943 into early 1944 in search of the wreckage and bodies from a plane crash that killed seven men. Lars Christensen was born on April 6, 1884. His father started whaling in the Antarctic, and Christensen started the Whaling museum in Sandefjord, Norway. He managed to receive funding from an English bank, and he completed three expeditions to the Antarctic. Due to his contribution to science, he became honorary member of “Det Norske Vitenskaps-akademi” (The Norwegian Academy of Science and letters). Christensen was also active in the conservation of Fram.