Travel to the icy reaches of the Arctic Circle and explore one of the great unsolved mysteries of the 20th century as the University of Iowa Old Capitol Museum screens The Search for the Greatest Polar Explorer in the Senate Chamber at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 26. The event is free and open to the public.
The film explores the life and death of Roald Amundsen, one of the greatest polar explorers of all time. Amundsen was the first man to reach the South Pole, to traverse the Northwest Passage, and to undisputedly reach the North Pole.
His life came to an abrupt end in 1928 when his plane disappeared while assisting with the search-and-rescue mission for rival explorer Umberto Nobile, whose airship had crashed in the Arctic, leaving the crew stranded on floating sea ice. Only a wing-float and fuel tank from Amundsen’s plane were found.
More than 80 years later, National Geographic follows a Norwegian Navy expedition that hopes to uncover the wreckage of Amundsen’s plane and the mystery of his last great adventure.
The Search for the Greatest Polar Explorer is shown in conjunction with the museum’s “People of the North Star” exhibit, which explores the travels of three UI individuals in the Far North, and “The Northwest Passage and Oceans Beyond: An Iowan Sails into History,” which showcases photographer David Thoreson’s sailing voyages in the Arctic and beyond. Both exhibits are on display in the Old Capitol Museum until May 25.
For more information on “People of the North Star,” “The Northwest Passages and Oceans Beyond” and related programming, contact the Old Capitol Museum at 319-335-0546 or email old-capitol-museum@uiowa.edu.
Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all UI-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires an accommodation in order to participate in this program, contact the Old Capitol Museum in advance at 319-335-2010.