Fernand Martin: Conquete du Pole Nord

This sled was made in 1909 by Fernand Martin and get the name “Conquete du pole Nord” (Discovery of the North Pole).
Martin number 217

box label

This toy was made by Martin in honor of the conquest of the North Pole by US Navy engineer Robert Peary.
The sled is connected to the pole by means of a string, after winding the toy, the sled with the dogs rides around the Norh Pole.

At the end of the 19th century, the North Pole was seen as the last undiscovered place in the Northern Hemisphere, so many sought out adventure, often heading to the North Pole without proper preparation.
The tours were extremely arduous and often underestimated, it is estimated that about 760 people died on these tours.
The search for the pool became an international competition for the honor of being the first with teams from the United States, the United Kingdom and Norway.
Robert Peary claimed to have reached the Pole on April 6, 1909, which today is seen by many as unlikely.

picture from the original catalog

The sled with the dogs is about 21 cm ( 8,30 inch) long, the pole has a diameter of about 14 cm ( 5,50 inch)

Drawing from the magazine “La Nature 1910” Source: (Cnum – Digital Conservatory of Arts and Crafts – http://cnum.cnam.fr)

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