Lieutenant A. W. Greely, who led the International Polar Expedition, 1882-1883, to Lady Franklin Bay, Grinnell Land, Greenland, donated specimens of 64 species of plants to the U. S. National Museum (Accession 16064). The expedition to the Polar Seas was part of the first International Polar Year. After Greely and his party became trapped at Lady Franklin Bay, relief expeditions were sent in 1882, 1883, and 1884. Finally, in 1884, the starving remnants of the group were rescued. Much of the equipment and collections were, however, left behind. Members of the various relief expeditions, including Navy ensigns A. Ackerman, H. G. Dressel, C. A Harlow, and C. S. McClain, were trained at the National Museum and also collected a wide range of natural history specimens during the relief voyages aboard the ships Proteus, Yantic, Thetus, Bear, Loch Garry, and Alert
Chronology of Smithsonian History
Institutional History Division, Smithsonian Institution Archives, 600 Maryland Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20024-2520, SIHistory@si.edu
1885