Description:

Amundsen Roald 1872 - 1928 Rare Amundsen signed photo of the prep for Maud, c. 1916



Glossy black and white silver gelatin press photo, circa 1916, 8" x 6", depicting Maud in preparation for the arctic voyage. Boldly signed in vibrant green ink by Roald Amundsen as "Roald Amundsen". Affixed caption of the scene adhered to the backing of the photo. Photo near fine with one soft corner partial crease. Caption is age toned with small corner tip loss.


A most stunning scarce signed photo of Maud prior to her launching on her arctic voyage. The photo caption states in full:

"On board of the "Maud" Captain Roald Amundsen on the extreme right standing with hat on, next to him on the left is Captain Oscar Wisting, in command of the "Maud" during Captain Amundsen's absence, next to Captain Amundsen, on his left with hat on, is Hakon H. Hammer, who assisted Captain Amundsen in organizing the present expedition. They are watching the loading of the two crated aeroplanes on board of the "Maud""

Maud, named for Queen Maud of Norway, was a ship built for Roald Amundsen for his second expedition to the Aric. Designed for his intended voyage through the Northeast Passage, the vessel was built in Asker, a suburb of the capital, Oslo, Norway.

Maud was launched in June 1916 or June 1917 and ceremonially christened by Amundsen crushing a chunk of ice against her bow:

"It is not my intention to dishonor the glorious grape, but already now you shall get the taste of your real environment. For the ice you have been built, and in the ice you shall stay most of your life, and in the ice you shall solve your tasks. With the permission of our Queen, I christen you Maud"

_„î Roald Amundsen-

She lived up to her christening, as she remained in the ice until 2016. Whereas other vessels used in Amundsen's polar explorations, have been preserved at the Norwegian Maritme Museum, Maud had a more rugged fate. After sailing through the Northeast Passage, which did not go as planned and took six years between 1918 and 1924, she ended up in Nome Alaska and in August 1925 was sold on behalf of Amundsen's creditors. The buyer was the Hudson's Bay Company, which renamed her Baymaud. She was to be used as a supply vessel for Company outposts. Prior to her final voyage Baymaud was given a refit and in the winter of 1926 she was frozen into the ice at Cambridge Bay, where she sank in 1930.

Fast forward to 1990, and Maud (Baymaud) was sold by the Hudson's Bay Company to Asker with the expectation that she would be returned to the town. Although a Cultural Properties Export permit was issued, the price tag to repair and move the ship was 230 million Kroner ($43,200,000) and the permit expired

Another attempt was considered In 2011, when a Norwegian company Tandberg Eiendom announced a plan to return Maud to Norway. Moving the ship would require another export permit from the federal government which it declined to issue, on grounds of a lack of "a full archeological study". The decision was reversed on appeal in March 2012. The salvage operation was under way in the summer of 2015, with a plan to return the hull to Norway in the summer of 2016.

On July 31, 2016 it was reported that the hull of Maud had been raised to the surface in preparation for shipment to Norway, perhaps in 2017 .

In keeping with its Christening by Amundsen " For the ice you have been built, and in the ice you shall stay most of your life! It appears Maud is finally heading back home 100 years after it originally launched on its voyage! Signed images of Amundsen related to this expedition are considered very rare.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. Shipping and handling costs are competitive as we maintain discounted contracts with FedEx. If you have any questions, contact University Archives prior to bidding. After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 5 business days following receipt of full payment for item. We currently ship via FedEx but if your purchase is shipping to a P.O. Box, we ship via USPS. All items are insured. We ship from our offices in Westport, CT. We may opt to use a third party shipper for very fragile, bulky or oversized items. Items requiring third party shipping will be denoted in the item description. Packages shipped internationally will have full value declared on shipping form. International buyers will be responsible for any customs fees incurred.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Westport, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 20% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000