The Race to the Top: Arctic Inspirations 1909 & Today March 22, 2009

This exhibition will examine the role of Matthew Henson, the African American explorer who accompanied Peary on five expeditions to the Arctic, including the successful 1909 trip. Peary and Henson together are widely believed to be the first people to reach the geographic location of the North Pole. Berkshire Museum founder Zenas Crane funded Peary's expedition in part, and as a result Peary donated a significant group of sixteen objects from the expedition to the museum.