Richard E. Byrd in a Lifeboat, 1927

THF701870 / Richard E. Byrd in a Lifeboat, 1927
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Artifact Overview

Richard Byrd, Bernt Balchen, Bert Acosta, and George Noville made a nonstop flight from New York to France in 1927 with their Fokker Tri-Motor America. They intended to land in Paris, but poor weather there forced them to land in shallow water off the Normandy coast. For this photo, Byrd recreated his arrival to France in a rubber lifeboat.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Photographic print

Date Made

1927

Subject Date

1927

Location

Not on exhibit to the public.

Object ID

84.1.1629.259

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford.

Material

Paper (Fiber product)

Technique

Gelatin silver process

Color

Black-and-white (Colors)

Dimensions

Height: 6.125 in
Width: 8 in

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    On May 9, 1926, explorer Richard Byrd and pilot Floyd Bennett took off from Norway on a round-trip flight to the North Pole in their Fokker Tri-Motor airplane Josephine Ford. Though Byrd is generally credited with reaching the pole, controversy remains over whether he could have made the 1,350-mile journey in the 16 hours he and Bennett spent aloft. Whatever doubts remain today, Byrd was celebrated as a leading polar explorer of his time.