BEFORE PEARY SAILED NORTH

Peary, Robert E. (1856–1920), associated

Souvenir of Peary's Second Arctic Expedition. Among the Arctic Ice Floes, June 1893 [Unrecorded Pre-Departure Photographic Ephemera]

[Philadelphia or New York]: N.p., S.n., 1893.
A PHOTOGRAPHIC SOUVENIR ISSUED AS PEARY PREPARED TO RETURN TO GREENLAND.

ON THE EVE OF THE EXPEDITION: A small photographic souvenir associated with Robert E. Peary’s second North Greenland expedition, issued in June 1893, the month the Falcon departed Philadelphia. Its four images present the expedition through the visual vocabulary used to introduce Arctic exploration to an American public: the expedition vessel among the ice, Peary’s lead sled dog Nalegaksoak, the Greenlandic couple Koolootingwah and Tungwingwah, and a reindeer specimen from Redcliffe House.

The booklet belongs to the promotional culture surrounding Peary’s early expeditions. To finance the 1893 venture, Peary undertook an intensive lecture campaign, while Philadelphia scientific organizations supplied both financial and institutional support. The Falcon sailed from Philadelphia in late June 1893.

Physical Features: Original off-white paper self-wraps, top-wire-stitched (flip-format). Illustrated with 4 half-tone photographic views printed on rectos only, depicting the vessel Falcon, lead sled dog Nalegaksoak, Inuit couple Koolootingwah and Tungwingwah, and a mounted Greenland Reindeer head. 6 x 4.5 inches; pp. [8] (unpaginated leaves).

Iconography Note: This item contains historical photographic imagery and terminology typical of the late 19th century which reflect period attitudes toward Indigenous Arctic peoples. It is offered as a documentary artifact of polar exploration history and is presented for its scholarly and research value.

CONDITION: Very Good. The paper stock remains bright with light, even age-toning and a few minor spots of faint foxing. Staples are firm and original with light corrosion. Light creasing to outer corners.

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE: PEARY BEFORE THE POLAR FAME—A MOMENT IN THE MAKING OF AN EXPLORER
The booklet dates from a formative period in Peary’s career, well before the North Pole expeditions that made him internationally famous. His 1891–1892 Greenland expedition had demonstrated that Greenland was an island and helped establish his reputation. Philadelphia’s Academy of Natural Sciences, Geographical Society, and their members played an important role in supporting these early ventures.

For the considerably larger 1893–1895 expedition, Peary again needed private support. Contemporary accounts record an extraordinary lecture campaign that raised approximately $13,000 toward the expedition, followed by the chartering of the Falcon.

THE DATE MATTERS: The printed date June 1893 places the souvenir directly at the moment of departure. Sources differ slightly on the precise sailing date—June 23 and June 26 both appear in later accounts—but agree that the Falcon departed Philadelphia in late June. That makes the booklet particularly interesting as contemporary expedition ephemera rather than a retrospective souvenir produced after Peary’s later fame.

THE PEOPLE IN THE PICTURE: The portrait of Koolootingwah and Tungwingwah also gives the piece documentary value beyond Peary himself. Greenlandic participants supplied knowledge, clothing, hunting techniques, dog handling, and other expertise fundamental to Peary’s Arctic operations. Koolootingwah subsequently appears repeatedly in Peary’s own expedition narratives.

SUBJECTS: Polar Exploration, Arctic Expeditions, Robert E. Peary, Greenland, Photography, Sled Dogs, Indigenous Peoples.
GENRES: Ephemera, Souvenirs, Pamphlets, Photographic Prints.
BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCE: Not in Arctic Bibliography. An uncommon survival from Peary’s 1893 North Greenland Expedition. One Institutional example is preserved in Peary-related archival collections, while only one comparable copy has been located in the current market.

Item #22458

Price: $375.00