A lecture, reception, and book signing
Friday, October 29, 2010 • Reception: 5:30 p.m. • Program: 6:00 p.m.
Dr. Stewart B. Nelson is an oceanographer and former president of the American Oceanic Organization. He holds a doctorate degree from the University of Southern California, as well as numerous awards and honors. Dr. Nelson will present a lecture and illustrated presentation about the 1931 expedition of Nautilus, the world’s first Arctic submarine, and his rediscovery of the vessel in 2005 off Bergen, Norway. Many considered it foolhardy, others a publicity stunt, but Australian adventurer Sir Hubert Wilkins was determined to be the first to use a submarine to cross the Arctic Ocean by way of the North Pole. When at the Pole, he planned to drill up through the ice and rendezvous with the German airship Graf Zeppelin. A decommissioned U.S. Navy World War I submarine was leased and extensively modified for under-ice operation. Christened the Nautilus, it eventually reached the icepack but sabotage by some crew members forced a return to Bergen, Norway. Dr. Nelson’s talk will explore how he used a manned submersible to re-discover and document the largely forgotten Nautilus of the Wilkins-Ellsworth Trans Arctic Submarine Expedition of 1931.
Library Lectures at the American Philosophical Society are free and open to the public. Reservations are necessary. All events take place in Benjamin Franklin Hall, 427 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Each event will be followed by a book signing where authors’ books will be available for purchase.
