1936 Print Salomon Andre Hydrogen Balloon North Pole Exploration Historic XGUC2

This is an original 1936 black and white halftone print of a historical image of Swedish balloonist and arctic explorer Salomon August Andrée with the hydrogen balloon Ömen (Eagle) on which he and his two comrades, Knut Fraenkel and Nils Strindberg, would fly from Svalbard, Norway to either Russia or Canada and, on their way, would pass the North Pole. Unfortunately, the imported untested balloon had leaked more than was accounted for and the two men crashed along the ice only two days into their voyage. Ill-prepared in many ways, the men attempted to trek back across the treacherous terrain. However, by October the men still had not made it to safety and ended up exhausted and stranded on the deserted White Island (Kvitoya) in Svalbard where they eventually perished. The original images from the expedition were processed when the party's camera was discovered in the ice more than 30 years later.

CONDITION

This 75+ year old Item is rated Near Mint / Very Fine+. Light aging throughout. Light creasing. No natural defects. Light scuff - left side. No tears. No water damage.

• Product Type: Original Halftone Print; Black / White
• Grade: Near Mint / Very Fine+
• Dimensions: Approximately 5.5 x 8 inches; 14 x 20 cm
• Authentication: Serial-Numbered Certificate of Authenticity w/ Full Provenance
• Protection: Packaged in a custom archival sleeve with an acid-free black board (great for display, gift-giving, and preservation)

Keywords specific to this image: Flight, Explorers, Arctic, Polar, Aviation, Flying

XGUC2C36