Archive of the 1931 expedition of the submarine Nautilus. In 1931, Australian explorer Sir George Hubert Wilkins and a volunteer crew of submariners and scientists set out in a decommissioned U.S. Navy submarine to sail under water from Spitsbergen to the Bering Straits by way of the North Pole. Wilkins provided much of the financial support for the expedition from his own pocket, supplementing the total by raising funds from private individuals. He received scientific support from such institutions as the Carnegie Institution of Washington, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the Norwegian Geophysical Institute, the American Geographical Society, and the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, however even this impressive list of supporters did not prevent people from seeing the trip as nothing more then a publicity stunt, which ended in failure 300 miles from the Pole. Included are: a vintage newspaper photo of the Nautilus signed by Simon Lake; a 1931 brief ALS from Simon Lake; signature of Lincoln Ellsworth on a clipped return address; a two page ALS to Robert Jones, signed M. L. Ellsworth; a commemorative cover, carried aboard the Nautilus, and signed by Sir Hubert Wilkins, Sub Commander and Sloan Danenhower, ships Master; a vintage clipped newspaper photo of Nautilus signed by Sloan Danenhower; an ink signature, “Sloan Danenhower, Comdg Nautilus,” on an off-white card; a brief ALS signed by Sir Hubert Wilkins; a handwritten statement by Wilkins reading: “Nautillus Expedition to North Pole, Summer 1931, Captain Sir Hubert Wilkins. This document has traveled to the North Pole in the Nautilus & been posted on the return by the crew of the submarine,” and includes the signatures of Jeannie Tyas, Bessie Tyas, Jacelyn Webb, Dora Tyas, Diana Webb, Gillian Webb, W.M. Colles, J.W. Colles, and Dorothy Colles.; a vintage signed 8 x 10 photo of Wilkins; a signature of the Executive Officer of the Nautilus, I[ssac] Schlossbach as well as a commemorative cover; a handwritten Radiogram from crew member Harry A. Zoeller; signed business card from Elwood H. Hanson, Diving Officer; ink signature “Frank Crilley, Master Diver, Submarine Nautilus, Trans-Polar Expedition;” signature of Ray. E. Meyers, Chief Radioman on an off-white card; ink signature of Arthur O. Bleneburg; a commemorative cover bearing a cachet honoring Operation Deep Freeze, signed by Admiral James F. Calvert; and a rare 4 x 6 inch United States 48 star flag, carried aboard the Nautilus voyage, mounted to an 8 x 10 wooden plaque, with a descriptive plaque affixed below the flag reading: “Carried On Submarine Nautilus, 1931, Wilkins-Ellsworth Trans-Arctic Submarine Expedition, Certified Wilkins Memorial Foundation.” In fine overall condition. RRAuction COA.
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