Making a feathered friend in Antarctica
Participant sitting with a penguin on the Palmer Peninsula, Antarctica c. 1962. Smithsonian Libraries and Archives, Record Unit 7231, Waldo L. Schmitt Papers, Image No. SIA2012-0662
When braving the cold, be sure to bundle up and bring a friend. This pair comes from a photo in the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives, taken during the Palmer Peninsula Survey of 1962 and ’63.
Curator Waldo L. Schmitt led the Smithsonian team for the expedition in Antarctica. The group visited 26 locations, with a focus on the Palmer Peninsula and South Shetland Islands. During the expedition, they collected specimens and made observations covering plants, insects, birds, seals, and crustaceans.
You can read field books from the expedition that have been transcribed by volunteers with the Smithsonian Transcription Center.