| Summary: | Roald Amundsen described his life as a "constant journey towards the final destination." Originally studying medicine due to his mother's wishes, he discontinued his studies after the death of his parents and decided to pursue his dream of polar exploration. His first experience was in the Antarctic on the Belgica Expedition in 1899. Soon after, in 1903-1906, he became the first to travel the Northwest Passage in his ship, the 'Gjoa.' He abandoned his plans to seek the North Pole using Nansen's Fram after hearing the news of Peary's reaching the pole. Immediately he began secret plans to reach the South Pole which he and his party did on December 14, 1911. Of his many later endeavors, the flight of the airship 'Norge' over the North Pole from Spitzbergen (Svalbard) Norway to Alaska with Lincoln Ellsworth is the best known. Amundsen died in a plane crash in 1928 during a search for survivors of Umberto Nobile's airship 'Italia.' This photograph from near the end of Amundsen's life was likely taken during a visit to Seattle; possibly from his 1926 visit with Lincoln Ellsworth prior to their North Pole airship crossing. Caption information sources: ODIN, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; South-Pole.com. 1 glass negative: b&w; 4 x 5 in.
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