Catalog Archive
Auction 162, Lot 105

"Chart Illustrating the Remarks of Mr. Findlay, on the Probable Course Pursued by Sir John Franklin's Expedition; and of Captn. Irminger, on the Arctic Current Around Greenland", Findlay, Alexander

Subject: Northern Canada & Greenland

Period: 1856 (dated)

Publication: Journal of the Royal Geographical Society

Color: Hand Color

Size:
13.1 x 12.1 inches
33.3 x 30.7 cm
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This chart depicts Sir John Franklin's infamous lost expedition in the Canadian Arctic. It shows Franklin's probable course in red with a note off the coast of Greenland indicating that his two boats (the Erebus and Terror) were last seen on July 26th, 1845. An additional line has been drawn in blue that represents Danish Captain Irminger's probable path of the vessels once they were freed from ice based upon contemporary theories of the Arctic current. 8 additional routes are shown with dashed lines and represent the various search parties that were sent to the region from 1848-1856, and collectively represented the largest search effort of its kind to date. While some relics of the expedition were found in 1854 and 1859, it wasn't until 1981 that the full story of Franklin and his 128 crew members were fully understood.

References:

Condition: B+

Issued folding and now flattened and backed with tissue. There is light offsetting and a binding trim at lower left that has been replaced with old paper.

Estimate: $200 - $250

Sold for: $150

Closed on 4/26/2017

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