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What a surprise to find the old Colt I have in a color photo from 1913-1917 !

6K views 48 replies 33 participants last post by  kfields 
#1 · (Edited)
I was playing around on the internet the other day and came across this original photo taken during the Crockerland expedition to the North Polar regions in 1913. What a pleasant surprise! The photo shows the expedition surgeon Harrison Hunt at the base camp sometime during the expedition from 1913-1917. Notice the Colt Model 1908 in its' holster hanging on a hook on the back wall. I inherited that same pistol and holster from my grandfather and it sits in the bedroom upstairs!
Photo caption Portrait Photography Sitting Illustration
 
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#37 · (Edited)
Wer'e used to modern society where you get things right now. A century ago it took time to make flags and distribute them. I'm sure they used what they had.
Maybe, but I think the addition of two new states was a pretty big deal back then. Given that they left from New York City over a year later, I have a feeling that 48-star flags weren't exactly in short supply. Just an observation.

Kim - From your other pictures, I also noticed that the current left side grip panel does not appear to be original. Any idea what happened to it?

Also - I wonder if the gun could have been a gift to commemorate leaving on the trip. The serials for 1913 started at 12700 and went through 16500, so this gun (14225) was likely mid-year production.
 
#38 · (Edited)
Hi spacecoast1,
Good observations!
Yes I have the original grips. One side cracked in half when I foolishly over tightened it and shot it:bang_wall: about 20 years ago. I was able to super glue it back together so one can hardly tell but I decided to retire them and have them in the bottom of the display box. It now wears reproduction grips for the once a year shoot with my son.
I did received a letter from Colt for the pistol and it is shown here:
 
#39 ·
I have copies of letters that Mr. Ekblaw wrote prior to leaving on the expedition where he complained about having to purchase items for the expedition out of his own pocket. Although the expedition was sponsored, the individual members had to come up with some of their own money to pay for personal gear. I don't know whether the pistol was provided by a sponsor or whether it was something he bought on his own. I have this romanticized version in my brain that a bunch of the guys went over to the Abercrombie & Fitch Company store in New York one day, going row by row, picking out their personal gear and firearms for the big adventure.
Kim
 
#42 ·
I was playing around on the internet the other day and came across this original photo taken during the Crockerland expedition to the North Polar regions in 1913. What a pleasant surprise! The photo shows the expedition surgeon Harrison Hunt at the base camp sometime during the expedition from 1913-1917. Notice the Colt Model 1908 in its' holster hanging on a hook on the back wall. I inherited that same pistol and holster from my grandfather and it sits in the bedroom upstairs!
View attachment 121337
What an interesting old photograph and heirloom pistol. How wonderful to have something like that so many years later. The photograph (a hand tinted glass lantern slide) is full of little details. Ink bottles and field journals, and the little clock that says it was 2:35 when the photo was made. I wonder who the lady in the photo is. Also wonder what kind of long gun that is hanging on the wall behind Mr. Hunt. You can see part of the barrel and checkered forend.

Here's a photo of Elmer Ekblaw from that same period...in Greenland in 1913. He seems to be equipped for just about anything that might come his way. I'd like to have a pair of boots like that!

 
#43 · (Edited)
I've updated this thread with newer photos since many of the original picture links to my photobucket account were broken. Also am adding a few items.
Newly included is the book that Elmer Ekblaw wrote about his adventures to the North Polar Regions. It is inscribed to my Great-grandparents (they had a row of pines in front of the house). Also included is a letter I had received from Bowdoin College many years ago. I inquired about the strange selection of carrying a .380 caliber pistol and this was their reply.
Rectangle Font Pattern Circle Wood
Handwriting Font Writing Rectangle Paper
 
#46 ·
Fascinating stuff! It has been years ago but at one time I read a lot of the books about Arctic expeditions (and others during the Age of Exploration). These expeditions almost always involved strife, incredible hardships, starvation, mutiny, fights, killings...you name it. I think a sidearm would be critical equipment, especially for officers/leaders.
 
#49 ·
Thanks!
I remember my brother and I discovering this pistol at my grandfather's farmhouse for the first time. It was in the 1960's and we were snooping around like kids do. Found the wrapped up pistol in an old tin breadbox down in the basement, magazine fully loaded. We fondled it a lot every time we visited. We knew better than to chamber a round or point it at each other or tell any adult about our discovery! Time flew by and after I got out of the military, I finally asked him about the pistol and he told me the whole story.
I'm glad I did as a few short years later in 1981, he passed away. My mom (his daughter) gave me the pistol soon after since "I was the only grandson that had been in the Army".
 
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