OT: My non-collecting dad's one non-sport historical artifact

[drcy]

This is my dad's personal memento that is a perhaps minor but genuine artifact. His friend was a member of the first party to winter over at the South Pole. This letter from the friend to my dad was part of of the first mail sent out by the party. Before that communication was done via radio. My dad's not a collector but keeps this in a book on his shelf.

My dad kept referring to it as the first letter sent out. I asked him how he knew that, and he explained that they didn't have a mailman stopping by the South Pole each day to check the mail box, and the first mailing was done in bulk. So it's tied for first.

[thescooper]

if there is a pic I can't see it. Who is it from?
Ernst Shackleton is my hero, I went to South Georgia to visit his grave.(google it if you don't know about him)

[Kawika]

My wife and I traveled to South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula following the Shackleton Trail in 2003. Totally Beyond Awesome.

Beautiful Downtown Grytviken, SGI


Gravesite of Sir Ernest, Grytviken


Me and my intrepid bride, Elephant Island ("Hell-of-an-island" where The Endurance's crew survived for four months awaiting Shackleton's return)

[MikeGarcia]

Well I've been to the Poconos !! Twice..!........but in all seriousness please trade lives with me?

[brightair]

Great photos, thanks for sharing!

[drcy]

Photos reposted. I took them down because no one had responded, so I assumed no one was interested. His friend was geophysics grad student at the University of Minnesota and they knew each other since high school in Minneapolis. The friend told my dad the Polar Station toilet that winter was a hole carved in the ice and once measured something on the order of 67 below.

My dad had nothing to do with the Polar Station, but does have frostbite scars from playing outside too long as a kid in Minnesota during winter.