The Explorers Club has had as members many Antarcticans of note and not unexpectedly its Tudor revival clubhouse at 46 East 70th Street in New York has a rich and eclectic array of artifacts, art and memorabilia with South Polar associations. Although a private club, non-members with a serious interest may arrange a visit by contacting the staff ahead of time.
Among the items that caught my eye:
In the Members Room on the ground floor, a large oil painting by Anton Widlicka entitled Springtime at Little America, a "byrd"'s eye view of Little America; a painting by Margaret Fernald Dole (1896-1970) of Byrd in uniform peering down at a globe; a color lithograph (?) noted as 18/100 of Amundsen in parka; a bronze bust of Lincoln Ellsworth, sculpted and signed by Sally Clark c1933; and a large watercolor portrait of a jaunty looking Sir Hubert Wilkins.
Also on the ground floor is a slightly larger than life-size bronze bust of Byrd, head upraised. On the back is what appears to be "E GLICKSTEIN NY 5 Aug 1928".
On the stairway wall are numerous framed photographic portraits, mostly signed. Among the Antarcticans: Scott, Amundsen, Shackleton, Byrd and his dog, Igloo.
On an upper floor corridor hang several framed watercolors of US Antarctic operations in the 1960s by Arthur Beaumont.
On the top floor is a marvelous high-ceilinged room crammed with lots of interesting things: A stuffed Emperor penguin, a pick-axe with the notation "this pick was used in the construction of his [Scott] base shelter . . ." accompanied by a signed photograph of Scott standing in front of the Discovery hut, and a bronze bust of Scott by Sally Clark, dated 1934 (although bearing little resemblance to Scott).
The Club also has a variety of Byrd items in its archives including a board game, scrapbooks, two brown fur mitts, a US Navy Course & Distance Indicator and two beautifully made (by Ed Moody) miniature wooden sledges complete with papier-mâché sled-dogs and a tent.