ADMIRAL ROBERT E. PEARY - AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED 01/30/1916 - HFSID 46541

ROBERT E. PEARY. ALS: "Peary", 2p, 4¾x8, conjoined leaves. Washington, D.C., 1916 January 30. On letterhead of The Army and Navy Club to "Hon. Albert Johnson". Begins: "Dear Sir". In full: "I appreciate your courtesy in sending me copy of your speech on the substitution of the centigrade for the Fahrenheit thermometer. I am heartily in favor of such substitution in the interests of simplicity & directness. With regards, I am, Very sincerely". ALBERT JOHNSON (1869-1957) served as a Republican U.S. Representative from Washington from 1913-1933. ROBERT EDWIN PEARY (1856-1920) became a Civil Engineer in the U.S. Navy in 1881, and in that capacity explored Greenland in 1886 on the first of his seven polar expeditions. On July 17, 1908, after three unsuccessful attempts to reach the North Pole, he set out on another polar expedition. On April 6, 1909, he and a small party, including his assistant, Matthew Henson, and four Inuit, became the first to reach the North Pole. Although another American, Frederick A. Cook, had claimed to have reached the Pole five days later, Cook's claim was later refuted. In 1911, the year he retired from the Navy with the rank of Rear Admiral, Congress officially recognized Peary's achievement. Ink slightly spread at signature. Soiled and damp-stained, touching writing (all legible). Nicked and chipped at upper and lower blank edges of integral leaf, nailhead-size hole at lower right of integral leaf nicks 1 word of writing. Writing lightly shows through. Poor condition but excellent content.