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Cook’s
Letter and Map to the Danish Governor of Greenland
by Warren Cook, Sr., President
Frederick A. Cook Society
Last January the Society received a
letter from Ida Thron Mardal of Copenhagen, Denmark, telling abouta letter
written by Dr. Cook, accompanied by a map, which was presented to the then
Governor of Greenland, Nicolai Thron in 1909.
This was a year of Cook’s return from
northern Greenland along the west coast of the huge island, then under
Danish sovereignty, and his ultimate departure to Copenhagen where he was
hailed as the discoverer of the North Pole. Cook has several references to
his month at the residence of the Governor General Kraul in Upernarvik
during May and June, 1909.
Governor Thron’s granddaughter
indicated that the letter and map would be of interest to the Society, but
it went to auction in Copenhagen and was purchased in March of 2006. Mrs.
Mardal sent a copy of the letter and the map which was drawn by Dr. Cook,
to myself a few weeks ago.
The historic documents included a
hand-drawn map by Cook of his route to the North Pole, and also the same
route on a Danish map of the North Polar region on the Canadian side of
the hemisphere. The letter to Governor Thron follows:
Governor Thron
Dear Sir:
If an American ship comes to Godhaven
or any opportunity is presented to go to Labrador, kindly tell them that
I am here and very eager to get home. We have reached the North Pole,
April 21, 1908. I am in perfect health.
Thanking you in advance for the
kindness, I am
Yours very sincerely.
Frederick A. Cook
For her concern in notifying the Society
and sending copies of the materials, Mrs. Mardal was presented a lifetime
membership in the Frederick A. Cook Society.
Governor and Mrs. Thron, flank an Inuit friend with their children
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