Dear Verne,
I live in Topsham, Maine, only 5 minutes
from Bowdoin College and Brunswick,
Maine where the Peary-MacMillan Arctic
Museum is. The museum is currently
hosting a new exhibit to celebrate the
upcoming Centenary -- and it's just a
fantastic exhibit, complete with many
photos of Matt Henson, one of the actual
North Pole sledges (built, I'm sure, by
Henson), the North Pole flag, and even
an early 1950s TV interview with Matt
when the interviewer asks: "Mr.
Henson, would you do it again, go back
to the Pole?" and Henson responds: "If
I was 70 or so, I'd give it a try -- but
I'm 85 now and well...." This little
snippet, to me, gave such an insight
into his character: always friendly,
ever eager to help, a true and trusted
companion.
The exhibit at the Peary-MacMillan
Arctic Museum honors, in exceptional
detail, with loving care, and great
fairness, ALL the members of the 1909
Peary North Pole Expedition, using
photographs, biographies, original
artifacts, recorded interviews, and old
filmstrips. It is a " world-class "
exhibit in every respect, and absolutely
worth a visit.
I also wanted to add that a couple of
years ago I was fortunate enough to find
and buy online a copy of Dark Companion,
signed by both your father and Matthew
Henson on the title page. I even bought
a second copy that had a Fine condition
DJ, put the jacket on the signed copy,
and it is now one of my prized books. I
read Dark Companion some months ago and
I thought your father's prose and
writing style was just beautiful, and I
reveled in how skillfully he wove
together the threads of Henson's
amazing life.
|
"I am a Mt. Everest
climber... I suffered frostbite
on Everest—we climbed the peak
with no bottled oxygen, no
radios, and without any Sherpas
helping us... I have a bit of an
insider's view of the sub-zero
hardships that Henson
endured..." |
|
|
Henson is truly one of my greatest
heroes, now that I know his story. I am
a Mt. Everest climber myself and I
suffered frostbite on Everest—we climbed
the peak with no bottled oxygen, no
radios, and without any Sherpas helping
us, by a brand new route, up Mt.
Everest's most remote face in Tibet,
with a team of just four climbers in
1988. Our Everest expedition lasted a
mere 4 months.... but I have a bit of an
insider's view of the sub-zero hardships
that Henson endured, and boundless
admiration for his warmth,
determination, and strength of
character.
Obviously I just wish he had received
his share of praise, fame, and financial
compensation during his lifetime —AND a
public acknowledgment from Peary that
Matthew Henson had been his ABSOLUTELY
INVALUABLE Partner, who had stood beside
him at the North Pole. It is not in any
way an overstatement to declare that
Peary would NOT have reached the Pole
WITHOUT Henson. I looked through a copy
of Peary's North Pole book the other day
at our local library, and I was
absolutely astounded that there was no
full-page or even partial-page portrait
of Henson in Peary's book. A disgrace!
I just got a copy of the Invisible
Cities Press revised, re-printed
hardback of A Negro Explorer at the
North Pole — that I am eager to
start reading to learn Matt's own story
of just what happened during those cold,
wind-swept months 100 years ago.
Verne, thank you again for all you have
done to tell the Real Story of what
Matthew Henson accomplished!
I thank you very sincerely for your own
unyielding efforts to bring Henson's
accomplishments to greater public
awareness.
Sincerely, and with best wishes,
Ed Webster
 |
| Matthew Henson on the
Roosevelt. This photo was taken
in 1909 when they returned from
the North Pole. Matt hand built,
from raw materials, every one of
the Peary design sledges they
used. This style evolved from
years of experience; the front
runners strong enough to survive
travel over rough blocks of sea ice. Henson had to repair
their sledges along the way in minus 50 degree cold as
described in his book "A
Negro Explorer at The North
Pole" (published in 1912). |
|
