Inscribed Photo of Aviator Richard E. Bryd
measures 26 cm x 32 cm
Richard Evelyn Byrd Jr. (October 25, 1888 – March 11, 1957) was an American naval officer, and pioneering aviator, a polar explorer, and an organiser of polar logistics. Aircraft flights in which he served as a navigator and expedition leader crossed the Atlantic Ocean, a segment of the Arctic Ocean, and a segment of the Antarctic Plateau. He is also known for discovering Mount Sidley, the largest dormant volcano in Antarctica.
Byrd claimed to be the first to reach both the North and South Poles by air. However, there is some controversy as to whether Byrd was actually the first person to reach the North Pole. It is generally believed that the distance Byrd claimed to fly was longer than the possible fuel range of his airplane.
He was a recipient of the Medal of Honor, the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration, and the Navy Cross, the second-highest honor for valor given by the U.S. Navy.
On May 9th, 1926 Admiral Richard E. Byrd, Jr. and Floyd Bennett attempted a flight over the North Pole in a Fokker F.VIIa/3m Tri-motor monoplane named Josephine Ford, after the daughter of Ford Motor Company president Edsel Ford, who helped finance the expedition. The flight went from Spitsbergen and back to its take-off airfield, lasting fifteen hours and fifty-seven minutes. The two men were soon awarded the U.S. Congressional Medal of Honor, and Byrd decided to further pursue his interest in polar exploration, setting up a base camp on the Ross Ice Shelf in 1928. It was from there that Byrd and his companion became the first to fly over the South Pole. Inspired to further map the territory in 1934, Byrd set up camp alone 120 miles from the earlier camp where he lived alone for 5 months. That winter, Byrd nearly perished, but was rescued by members of a meteorite observation team who set out when Byrd’s messages became erratic and confused after five months in isolation… The ordeal had a lasting effect on Byrd. His book Alone is a record of his experience.”
