From Hero to Humbug

In too many instances modern interpretations of history ignore the true context of events. Individuals’ attitudes and actions are today often criticized or condemned because they do not conform to current thinking on social or moral norms. But to treat the past as if it were the present, completely distorts history and thwarts [...]

The Polar Controversy spawned an avalanche of items designed to take advantage of the intense public interest in the dispute between September and December 1909. Most of these were ephemeral items, but they were so numerous that many of them have survived. One such item was a statuette of each of the two [...]

The case drug on for another three years. In June 1911, a commission was sent to Canada and the United States to investigate and take testimony from several witnesses including Joe White and Henry Johnson, mentioned in Franke’s complaint. Both men were originally members of the Roosevelt’s crew, but they and all other [...]

After the adverse findings of the commission appointed to examine Dr. Cook’s records at the University of Copenhagen in December 1909, and the superficial examination Peary’s records received by the National Geographic Society the previous month that resulted in a favorable verdict on his claim, Peary was generally acknowledged as the discoverer of the North [...]

On August 18th Franke, still brooding over his dealings with Peary, watched the Roosevelt steam slowly north and vanish from sight among the ice of Smith Sound. Peary had forbidden him to take anything aboard the Erik besides his personal effects; he was not even allowed a pair of dogs he wanted to donate [...]

After a walrus hunt to provide the Inuit with meat lost by his taking some of the best hunters north with him, Peary prepared to sail. He put the Bos’n, John Murphy in charge of Cook’s box house at Annoatok, to live there and guard the supplies Cook had brought against pilfering by the [...]

As usual, Dr. Goodsell’s copious diary recorded the latest news on August 14, 1908:
“Rudolph Franke will return on the Erik. Franke is practically disabled. He slipped and injured his left leg some two or three months ago. His disability prevented him from properly caring for himself. He was unable to obtain [...]

This following letter was addressed to Peary by Rudolph Franke. Franke later said that he wrote the letter under duress, that Peary made it the condition of his return that he turn over to him all of Dr. Cook’s stores at Annoatok, as well as the blue fox furs and narwhal horns he and [...]

On August 10, Dr. Goodsell wrote in his diary:
“The Captain, McMillen, Borup and boat crew have returned from Littleton Island. They secured four Walrus and nearly one hundred birds. The Captain reported from the summit of the island the pack ice to the northward was nearly continuous. He started out again to [...]

Once Dr. Cook’s March 17 letter was retrieved from Annoatok, apparently, as Peary’s secretary, Marvin was asked to make a copy.  He couldn’t help himself from telling his friend what he learned of Cook’s movements.  A copy of Cook’s letter, with a number of transcription errors, is among Peary’s papers at NARA II.

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