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03/30/2026 09:00 AM EDT Only traces remain of Salomon August Andrée's 1897 attempt to reach the North Pole. From a base on the Svalbard archipelago, the engineer and his two companions had hoped to float a hydrogen balloon gracefully over the pole, drop a Swedish flag and claim the glory of first discovery. Their friends never saw them alive again. Their remains were found in 1930 on a small island in the Arctic Ocean and the story became internationally famous. The Library preserves several artifacts from the expedition, including fabric samples from the construction of the balloon. You are subscribed to Timeless: Stories from the Library of Congress Blog.
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Lost on the ice: The 1897 hot-air balloon attempt to reach the North Pole
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