Robert Bartlett
Encyclopedia
Captain
Robert(Bob) Abram Bartlett (August 15, 1875 – April 28, 1946) was a Newfoundland
navigator and Arctic
explorer of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
, Newfoundland, Bartlett was the eldest of ten children born to William James Bartlett and Mary J. Leamon, and heir to a family tradition of seafaring.He grew up in Hawthorne Cottage in Brigus. By the age of 17, he mastered his first ship and began a life-long love affair with the Arctic. Bartlett spent more than 50 years mapping and exploring the waters of the Far North and led over 40 expeditions to the Arctic, more than anyone before or since.
Bartlett was captain of the Roosevelt and accompanied Commander Robert Peary
on his attempts to reach the North Pole
. He was awarded the Hubbard Medal
of the National Geographic Society
for breaking the trail through the frozen Arctic Sea to within 150 miles of the pole, yet was excluded from the final exploring party (possibly due to a rivalry between the two men). Bartlett took a ship and was the first person to sail north of 88° N.
In 1914, Bartlett’s leadership in the doomed Karluk Expedition helped save the lives of most of its stranded participants after leader Vilhjalmur Stefansson
abandoned the expedition. After being stranded for several months, Bartlett and Inuit hunter Kataktovik walked 700 miles from Wrangel Island
over the ice of the Chukchi Sea
and across Siberia
and then mounted an expedition from Alaska
to rescue his surviving companions on Wrangel Island. He received the highest award from the Royal Geographical Society
for his outstanding heroism.
In 1917, Bartlett rescued the members of Donald Baxter MacMillan's ill-fated Crocker Land Expedition
, who had been stuck on the ice for four years.
From 1925-1945, at the command of his own schooner, the Effie M. Morrissey
, Bartlett led many important scientific expeditions to the Arctic
sponsored by American museums, the Explorers Club and the National Geographic Society
, and he also helped to survey the Arctic for the United States Government during World War II
.
Bartlett died when he was 71 in a New York
hospital from pneumonia
and was buried in his hometown of Brigus, Newfoundland and Labrador
. Hawthorne Cottage
, Bartlett's place of residence in Brigus, is a National Historic Site of Canada.
by the National Geographic Society which is awarded for distinction in exploration, discovery, and research. In 1927, the Boy Scouts of America
made Bartlett an Honorary Scout, a new category of Scout created that same year. This distinction was given to "American citizens whose achievements in outdoor activity, exploration and worthwhile adventure are of such an exceptional character as to capture the imagination of boys...". Among others who were awarded this distinction were included Richard E. Byrd, Charles Lindbergh
, and Orville Wright.
He was awarded an Honorary Fellowship from the American Geographical Society
in 1918, and its Daly Medal in 1925. The Canadian Coast Guard vessel CCGS Bartlett
is named for Bartlett. Canada Post
featured Bartlett on a Canadian postage stamp released on July 10, 2009.
documented some of the aspects of his journey to find Arctic islands in the historical novel Trapped in Ice. Bartlett and Kataktovik's journey through Chukotka
, Siberia is recounted as an episode in Chukchi author Yuri Rytkheu
's novel A Dream in Polar Fog.
Captain (nautical)
A sea captain is a licensed mariner in ultimate command of the vessel. The captain is responsible for its safe and efficient operation, including cargo operations, navigation, crew management and ensuring that the vessel complies with local and international laws, as well as company and flag...
Robert(Bob) Abram Bartlett (August 15, 1875 – April 28, 1946) was a Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
navigator and Arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
explorer of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Biography
Born in BrigusBrigus, Newfoundland and Labrador
Brigus is a small fishing community located in Conception Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Brigus was home to Captain Bob Bartlett and the location of his residence Hawthorne Cottage....
, Newfoundland, Bartlett was the eldest of ten children born to William James Bartlett and Mary J. Leamon, and heir to a family tradition of seafaring.He grew up in Hawthorne Cottage in Brigus. By the age of 17, he mastered his first ship and began a life-long love affair with the Arctic. Bartlett spent more than 50 years mapping and exploring the waters of the Far North and led over 40 expeditions to the Arctic, more than anyone before or since.
Bartlett was captain of the Roosevelt and accompanied Commander Robert Peary
Robert Peary
Robert Edwin Peary, Sr. was an American explorer who claimed to have been the first person, on April 6, 1909, to reach the geographic North Pole...
on his attempts to reach the North Pole
North Pole
The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is, subject to the caveats explained below, defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface...
. He was awarded the Hubbard Medal
Hubbard Medal
The Hubbard Medal is awarded by the National Geographic Society for distinction in exploration, discovery, and research. The medal is named for Gardiner Greene Hubbard, first National Geographic Society president.-Recipients:...
of the National Geographic Society
National Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society , headquartered in Washington, D.C. in the United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational institutions in the world. Its interests include geography, archaeology and natural science, the promotion of environmental and historical...
for breaking the trail through the frozen Arctic Sea to within 150 miles of the pole, yet was excluded from the final exploring party (possibly due to a rivalry between the two men). Bartlett took a ship and was the first person to sail north of 88° N.
In 1914, Bartlett’s leadership in the doomed Karluk Expedition helped save the lives of most of its stranded participants after leader Vilhjalmur Stefansson
Vilhjalmur Stefansson
Vilhjalmur Stefansson was a Canadian Arctic explorer and ethnologist.-Early life:Stefansson, born William Stephenson, was born at Gimli, Manitoba, Canada, in 1879. His parents had emigrated from Iceland to Manitoba two years earlier...
abandoned the expedition. After being stranded for several months, Bartlett and Inuit hunter Kataktovik walked 700 miles from Wrangel Island
Wrangel Island
Wrangel Island is an island in the Arctic Ocean, between the Chukchi Sea and East Siberian Sea. Wrangel Island lies astride the 180° meridian. The International Date Line is displaced eastwards at this latitude to avoid the island as well as the Chukchi Peninsula on the Russian mainland...
over the ice of the Chukchi Sea
Chukchi Sea
Chukchi Sea is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean. It is bounded on the west by the De Long Strait, off Wrangel Island, and in the east by Point Barrow, Alaska, beyond which lies the Beaufort Sea. The Bering Strait forms its southernmost limit and connects it to the Bering Sea and the Pacific...
and across Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
and then mounted an expedition from Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
to rescue his surviving companions on Wrangel Island. He received the highest award from the Royal Geographical Society
Royal Geographical Society
The Royal Geographical Society is a British learned society founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical sciences...
for his outstanding heroism.
In 1917, Bartlett rescued the members of Donald Baxter MacMillan's ill-fated Crocker Land Expedition
Crocker Land Expedition
The Crocker Land Expedition was an ill-fated 1913 expedition to investigate Crocker Land, a huge island supposedly sighted by the explorer Robert Peary from the top of Cape Colgate in 1906...
, who had been stuck on the ice for four years.
From 1925-1945, at the command of his own schooner, the Effie M. Morrissey
Effie M. Morrissey
The Effie M. Morrissey was a schooner skippered by Robert Bartlett that made many scientific expeditions to the Arctic, sponsored by American museums, the Explorers Club and the National Geographic Society. It also helped survey the Arctic for the United States Government during World War II...
, Bartlett led many important scientific expeditions to the Arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
sponsored by American museums, the Explorers Club and the National Geographic Society
National Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society , headquartered in Washington, D.C. in the United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational institutions in the world. Its interests include geography, archaeology and natural science, the promotion of environmental and historical...
, and he also helped to survey the Arctic for the United States Government during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Bartlett died when he was 71 in a New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
hospital from pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
and was buried in his hometown of Brigus, Newfoundland and Labrador
Brigus, Newfoundland and Labrador
Brigus is a small fishing community located in Conception Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Brigus was home to Captain Bob Bartlett and the location of his residence Hawthorne Cottage....
. Hawthorne Cottage
Hawthorne Cottage
Hawthorne Cottage is a national historic site located in Brigus, Newfoundland, Canada. It was the residence of Captain Bob Bartlett, a famed Arctic explorer...
, Bartlett's place of residence in Brigus, is a National Historic Site of Canada.
Awards and honors
In 1909, Bartlett was awarded the Hubbard MedalHubbard Medal
The Hubbard Medal is awarded by the National Geographic Society for distinction in exploration, discovery, and research. The medal is named for Gardiner Greene Hubbard, first National Geographic Society president.-Recipients:...
by the National Geographic Society which is awarded for distinction in exploration, discovery, and research. In 1927, the Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
made Bartlett an Honorary Scout, a new category of Scout created that same year. This distinction was given to "American citizens whose achievements in outdoor activity, exploration and worthwhile adventure are of such an exceptional character as to capture the imagination of boys...". Among others who were awarded this distinction were included Richard E. Byrd, Charles Lindbergh
Charles Lindbergh
Charles Augustus Lindbergh was an American aviator, author, inventor, explorer, and social activist.Lindbergh, a 25-year-old U.S...
, and Orville Wright.
He was awarded an Honorary Fellowship from the American Geographical Society
American Geographical Society
The American Geographical Society is an organization of professional geographers, founded in 1851 in New York City. Most fellows of the society are Americans, but among them have always been a significant number of fellows from around the world...
in 1918, and its Daly Medal in 1925. The Canadian Coast Guard vessel CCGS Bartlett
CCGS Bartlett
CCGS Bartlett is a Marine service vessel and navigational aid tender operated by the Canadian Coast Guard.CCGS Bartlett was built in 1969 at Marine Industries, Sorel. She was modernized in 1988 at Halifax Shipyards, Halifax which saw new propulsion and navigation equipment installed.She is classed...
is named for Bartlett. Canada Post
Canada Post stamp releases (2005-2009)
In the latter half of the decade, Canada Post continued to issue a large number of stamps with different designs and themes. One of the key changes in the decade was that Canada Post issued series of stamps on a yearly basis. An example is the 400th Anniversary of the French Settlement in North...
featured Bartlett on a Canadian postage stamp released on July 10, 2009.
In fiction
Author Eric WaltersEric Walters
Eric Robert Walters is a Canadian author of children's literature. His novels have been enthusiastically received by children and young adults and critically acclaimed by teachers, reviewers and parents.-Background:...
documented some of the aspects of his journey to find Arctic islands in the historical novel Trapped in Ice. Bartlett and Kataktovik's journey through Chukotka
Chukotka
Chukotka may refer to:*Chukchi Peninsula, the northeastern extremity of Asia in the northern part of the Russian Far East*Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, a federal subject of Russia located on that peninsula*2509 Chukotka, an asteroid...
, Siberia is recounted as an episode in Chukchi author Yuri Rytkheu
Yuri Rytkheu
Yuri Sergeyevich Rytkheu was a Chukchi writer, who wrote in both his native Chukchi and in Russian. He is considered to be the father of Chukchi literature.- Biography :Yuri Rytkheu was born March 8, 1930 to a family of trappers and hunters...
's novel A Dream in Polar Fog.
Further reading
- Harold Horwood, Bartlett, The Great Explorer, Toronto: Doubleday, 1977.
- Robert A. Bartlett. The Last Voyage of the Karluk. Boston: Small, Maynard, 1916.
- Jennifer Niven. The Ice Master: The Doomed 1913 Voyage of the Karluk and the Miraculous Rescue of her Survivors. New York: Hyperion, 2000.
- Robert A. Bartlett. The Log of Bob Bartlett. St. John's: Flankers, 2006 (reprint).
External links
- World-renowned Arctic navigator Captain Bob Bartlett Historic Sites Association of Newfoundland & Labrador - The Story of Captain Bob Bartlett & his home in Brigus, Nfld, Canada
- The Karluk expedition, Bartlett was a hero, Stefansson was not by Ralph M. Myerson
- Robert Bartlett Government of Canada
- Robert Bartlett Canadian Coast Guard
- Robert Bartlett Arctic Museum
- History of the Schooner Effie M. Morrissey with pictures
- Website of Jennifer Niven, author of Ice Master
- Review of Ice Master
- Bartlett 2009 Captain Robert Bartlett celebrations in Brigus, 2009