Roald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen (16 July 1872 – c. 18 June 1928) was a Norwegian explorer of polar regions. He led the Antarctic expedition (1910-12) to become the first men to reach the South Pole in December 1911. In 1926, he was the first expedition leader to be recognized without dispute as having reached the North Pole. He is also known as the first to traverse the Northwest Passage (1903–06).

Amundsen disappeared in June 1928 while taking part in a rescue mission when his plane crashed into the Arctic ocean. Amundsen, Douglas Mawson, Robert Falcon Scott, and Ernest Shackleton were key expedition leaders during the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration.

To learn more about Amundsen, be sure to check out his Wikipedia page. There’s also a great bio on Amundsen on PBS.org. Below you will find some rare portraits of the polar explorer. Most are from the National Library of Norway which has an extensive collection of images on Flickr Commons.

 

 

Roald Amundsen in polar gear after returning from the Belgian Antarctic Expedition 1897-1899.

 

 

Roald Amundsen in the workroom at Oranienburg, 1910

 

 

 

 

 

At this time one knew that the dangerous disease scurvy was due to vitamin C deficiency, but they had learned that fresh and not cooked through meat in the diet counteracted the disease. Amundsen hunted extensively during the expedition to supply the crew with meat.

 

 

 

 

 

Roald Amundsen (1872-1928), Ernest Henry Shackleton (1874-1922) Robert Edwin Peary Og (1856-1920) receiving the National Geographic Society’s Gold Medal.

 

 

 

 

Roald Amundsen in polar gear after returning from the Belgian Antarctic Expedition 1897-1899.