PEARY, Adm Robert Edwin (1856-1920)

Identity Statement

Reference code(s)	: GB 0402 REP
Held at	: Royal Geographical Society   Click here to find out how to view this collection at http://www.rgs.org/OurWork/Collections/Collections.htm ›
Full title	: PEARY, Adm Robert Edwin (1856-1920)
Date(s)	: 1903-1989
Level of description	: Collection level
Extent	: 1 box and 3 files
Name of creator(s)	: Peary | Robert Edwin | 1856-1920 | Admiral | Arctic explorer

Context

Administrative/Biographical history:

Born in Pennsylvania, 1856; educated Bowdoin College, Maine; land surveyor; Civil Engineer Corps Officer in the United States Navy, 1881; engaged on the survey of the projected Nicaragua Ship Canal, 1885-1887; attempted to cross Greenland, 1886; naval dock construction in the US; second expedition to Greenland, 1891-1892; third expedition to Greenland, 1893-1895; expedition to the North Pole where he reached the northern limits of the Greenland archipelago, 1898-1902; second attempt to the North Pole, achieving a Farthest North world record at 87°06'; reached the North Pole, 1908-1909 (although this claim has been subject to doubt); awarded a special Gold Medal by the Royal Geographical Society; died, 1920.

Content

Scope and content/abstract:

Papers relating to Robert Edwin Peary, 1903-1989, including report by Peary to the Peary Arctic Club, 'Field work of the Peary Arctic Club 1889-1902', 1903; letter to Ellis D Robb on the subject of Dr. F A Cook's Chautauqua lectures, 5 Mar 1912; summary of findings of the Navigation Foundation, 1989, recognising Peary as the first to the North Pole; Photostats of messages left at Cape Bourne in 1906 and 27 Letters written to Sir John Scott Keltie, 1892-1910.

Access & Use

Language/scripts of material:
English

System of arrangement:

Conditions governing access:

Accessed via the Foyle Reading Room. Free of charge for Fellows, Members and those with valid academic identification. All other users pay a charge and must bring identification in order to register on arrival.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Photocopying at the discretion of the Archivist,and subject to completing 'application for copies' form. No reproduction without the permission of the RGS-IBG Archivist.

Finding aids:

Hand list available in the Foyle Reading Room.

Archival Information

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

Various sources

Allied Materials

Related material:

Publication note:

Description Notes

Archivist's note:
Prepared by an Archives volunteer using existing finding aids. Revised by Sarah Drewrey.
Sources: The Geographical Journal, Vol. 55, No. 5 (May, 1920), pp. 405-408.

Rules or conventions:
ISAD(G) ed.2, name authority NRA

Date(s) of descriptions:
June 2001; Aug 2008.