James B. Pond Presents Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd

A richly illustrated leaflet for a lecture in Seattle by explorer and aviator Richard Byrd, during his 1931 speaking tour on his successful Antarctic expedition in 1928 and '29.

Byrd's January 13th lecture at Seattle's Civic Auditorium is advertised here as the "Only Northwest Appearance" on his nationwide tour. Thanks to Captain Ashley C. McKinley's camerawork, Byrd's account of "The Flight to the South Pole and...the epic story of Little America" was "Illustrated by Motion Pictures." This leaflet extolls Byrd's "delightful personality" and public speaking prowess, and hails him as the "aerial conqueror of both poles." Although Byrd's claim to have flown over the North Pole in 1926 is now questioned, the success of his South Pole expedition is undisputed. Illustrations from photographs show Byrd with his dog Igloo and a view of Little America (Byrd's exploration base), as well as various Antarctic scenes, including "Digging out the plane for its great flight," a view of the supply ship City of New York, "The night watch at the great ice barrier," and more.

James B[urton] Pond, Jr., like his father James B. Pond Sr., was a very successful lecture tour promoter, handling many of the big names of the era. In spite of Pond's promotional talents, Byrd was dissatisfied with the technical equipment and turnout on his 1930 lecture tour.