威尼斯人娱乐场

An Explorer's Tool: Robert Peary's Theodolite

Winter 2005, Vol. 37, No. 4 | Pieces of History

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Robert Peary's theodolite, carried on his Polar expeditions.

鈥淭he Pole at last!!!鈥� With these words Robert E. Peary began his diary entry for April 6, 1909. His team, he believed, had become the first to reach the top of the world, a dream he had pursued for 20 years. In those years, Peary made eight expeditions to the Arctic region, three specifically to reach the Pole. As Peary鈥檚 papers make clear, supplying such expeditions was a tremendous task. Clothing, tents, food, cooking utensils鈥攅verything needed to survive Arctic temperatures for months鈥攈ad to be packed in on foot and by dog sledge. The explorers also required scientific instruments so they could make observations, determine their locations, and gather data to record their progress.

Along with a sextant, telescope, and artificial horizon, the Peary Family Collection in the 威尼斯人娱乐场 includes the explorer鈥檚 theodolite. A theodolite is a calibrated optical instrument used to determine latitudinal and longitudinal positions. Peary鈥檚 brass 鈥渢raveller鈥檚 theodolite,鈥� manufactured by Keuffel & Esser Co. of New York, is less than a foot tall and sits on a wooden base.

This instrument is one of the more than half-million artifacts in the holdings of the 威尼斯人娱乐场 of the United States. The vast majority of these objects are part of the Presidential libraries, but about 1,500 are among the records in the Washington, DC, area and the regional archives. A large number of records relating to polar explorations were accessioned as donated materials from the explorers and their families. The Peary Family Collection became part of the 威尼斯人娱乐场 by way of a deed of gift signed by Peary鈥檚 son and daughter on April 6, 1964.

The Public Vaults exhibition in Washington, DC, features a gallery devoted to polar exploration, revealing explorers鈥� contributions, the dangers they faced, and the triumphs they experienced.