Lot 102: Robert Peary signed photograph of the American admiral and polar explorer

PEARY, ROBERT E. (1856-1920). American admiral and explorer; widely accepted as the first person to reach the North Pole. SP. (“R.E. Peary”). 1p. 12mo. (Approximately 3 1/8” x 4 3/4”). N.p., October 9, 1910. A black-and-white photographic postcard depicting Peary wearing a cap and standing with his hands in his suit pockets, signed vertically in dark black ink. ********* In 1891, Peary, accompanied by his wife and his team, set off for Greenland to prove by inland exploration that the icy wilderness was in fact an island. Two years later, he sailed on another expedition in an attempt to be the first to reach the North Pole. Despite several setbacks, Peary remained undeterred: “In the years up to 1900 Peary made several unsuccessful attempts on the Pole, during one of which the temperature fell to –50o Celsius (–58o Fahrenheit) and eight of his toes had to be amputated because of severe frostbite. With each attempt he became more determined, enlisting the aid of the Peary Arctic Society [and] of congressmen,” (Great Explorers, Owen). In 1903, he was elected president of the American Geographical Society, and that autumn garnered the unexpected support of both the secretary of the navy and President Theodore Roosevelt. After a failed attempt in 1905, “the next three years were spent in preparation for a final try,” (ibid.). Finally after traveling hundreds of miles across ice in conditions more extreme than any previously encountered, Peary and his team reached the Pole on April 6, 1909. Yet his claim was challenged by Dr. Frederick Cook who maintained that he had reached the Pole exactly one year earlier. “In October 1909 a committee of experts appointed by the National Geographic Society examined his records and reported that they were unanimously of the opinion that [Peary] had reached the North Pole… His friends also worked actively to induce Congress to give adequate recognition to his achievements… In March 1911… a bill was passed tendering him the thanks of Congress and placing him on the retired list,” (DAB). ********* Image has been slightly trimmed, affecting the year and last letter of Peary’s signature. In very good condition.