Admiral Byrd's finnesko: a pair of fur out knee-height reindeer boots and a pair of fur out reindeer mittens, both with labels 'Manufactured By/LOMEN REINDEER CORPORATION/Nome. Alaska', the boots labelled 'Adm. Byrd's personall property B.7', reindeer fur and leather, string and stitched cotton, outfit from Byrd's Second Antarctic Expedition, 1933-1935 (4)

Details

[Richard Evelyn Byrd (1888-1957)]
Admiral Byrd's finnesko: a pair of fur out knee-height reindeer boots and a pair of fur out reindeer mittens, both with labels 'Manufactured By/LOMEN REINDEER CORPORATION/Nome. Alaska', the boots labelled 'Adm. Byrd's personall property B.7', reindeer fur and leather, string and stitched cotton, outfit from Byrd's Second Antarctic Expedition, 1933-1935 (4)

Provenance

The estate of Admiral Richard Evelyn Byrd; High Latitude, Bainbridge Island, WA, catalogue 36, Feb. 1989, nos. 55 and 58 ('fur apparel, all in used but very good condition, and apparently in cold storage since the return of the 2nd exped.').

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis

Lot Essay

Byrd became the first man to overwinter alone on the Antarctic continent (March-August 1934) on his second Antarctic expedition. Finnesko (Lapp shoe), made of soft reindeer skin which did not freeze hard like leather, and usually lined with sennengrass for insulation and to absorb moisture, was the favoured footwear on all Polar expeditions in the early 20th century.

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