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{{About|the American explorer|the U.S. Representative from Indiana|Henry D. Washburn}}
{{Short description|American explorer, mountaineer, photographer, and cartographer (1910–2007)}}
{{other people|Henry Washburn}}
{{Infobox artist
{{Infobox artist
| honorific_prefix =
| honorific_prefix =
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| native_name =
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| native_name_lang =
| birth_name = Henry Bradford Washburn, Jr.
| birth_name = Henry Bradford Washburn Jr.
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1910|06|7}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1910|06|07}}
| birth_place = [[Cambridge, MA]]
| birth_place = [[Cambridge, Massachusetts]]
| death_date = {{Death date|2007|01|10}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2007|01|10|1910|06|07}}
| alma_mater = [[Harvard University]]
| alma_mater = [[Harvard University]]
}}
}}
'''Henry Bradford Washburn, Jr.''' (June 7, 1910 – January 10, 2007) was an American explorer, [[mountaineering|mountaineer]], [[photography|photographer]], and [[cartography|cartographer]]. He established the [[Boston Museum of Science]], served as its director from 1939–1980, and from 1985 until his death served as its Honorary Director (a lifetime appointment). Bradford married [[Barbara Washburn|Barbara Polk]] in 1940, they honeymooned in [[Alaska]] making the first ascent of Mount Bertha together. <ref name=saga>{{cite book|last1=Borneman|first1=Walter R.|title=Alaska : saga of a bold land|date=2003|publisher=HarperCollins|location=New York, NY|isbn=0-06-050306-8|pages=320-325|edition=1st ed}}</ref>
'''Henry Bradford Washburn Jr.''' (June 7, 1910 – January 10, 2007) was an American explorer, [[mountaineering|mountaineer]], [[photography|photographer]], and [[cartography|cartographer]]. He established the [[Boston Museum of Science]], served as its director from 1939–1980, and from 1985 until his death served as its Honorary Director (a lifetime appointment). Bradford married [[Barbara Washburn|Barbara Polk]] in 1940, they honeymooned in [[Alaska]] making the first ascent of Mount Bertha together.<ref name=saga>{{cite book|last1=Borneman|first1=Walter R.|title=Alaska : saga of a bold land|date=2003|publisher=HarperCollins|location=New York, NY|isbn=0-06-050306-8|pages=320–325|edition=1st}}</ref>



Washburn is especially noted for exploits in four areas.
Washburn is especially noted for exploits in four areas.
*He was one of the leading American mountaineers in the 1920s through the 1950s, putting up first ascents and new routes on many major [[Alaska]]n peaks (often with his wife, [[Barbara Washburn]], one of the pioneers among female mountaineers and the first woman to summit Denali/Mt. McKinley).<ref>''The Accidental Adventurer: Memoir of the First Woman to Climb Mt. McKinley'' by Barbara Washburn, Lew Freedman and Bradford Washburn, Epicenter Press, May 2001.</ref>
*He was one of the leading American mountaineers in the 1920s through the 1950s, putting up first ascents and new routes on many major [[Alaska]]n peaks, often with his wife, [[Barbara Washburn]], one of the pioneers among female mountaineers and the first woman to summit [[Denali]] (Mount McKinley).<ref>''The Accidental Adventurer: Memoir of the First Woman to Climb Mt. McKinley'' by Barbara Washburn, [[Lew Freedman]] and Bradford Washburn, Epicenter Press, May 2001.</ref>
*He pioneered the use of [[aerial photography]] in the analysis of mountains and in planning mountaineering expeditions. His thousands of striking black-and-white photos, mostly of Alaskan peaks and glaciers, are known for their wealth of informative detail and their artistry. They are the reference standard for route photos of Alaskan climbs.{{citation needed|date=April 2011}}
*He pioneered the use of [[aerial photography]] in the analysis of mountains and in planning mountaineering expeditions. His thousands of striking black-and-white photos, mostly of Alaskan peaks and glaciers, are known for their wealth of informative detail and their artistry. They are the reference standard for route photos of Alaskan climbs.{{citation needed|date=April 2011}}
*He was responsible for creating maps of various mountain ranges, including [[Mount McKinley]], [[Mount Everest]], and the [[Presidential Range]] in [[New Hampshire]].<ref>''The Last of His Kind: The Life and Adventures of Bradford Washburn, America's Boldest Mountaineer'' by [[David Roberts (climber)|David Roberts]], [[William Morrow Publishers]], June 2009.</ref>
*He was responsible for creating maps of various mountain ranges, including [[Denali]], [[Mount Everest]], and the [[Presidential Range]] in [[New Hampshire]].<ref>''The Last of His Kind: The Life and Adventures of Bradford Washburn, America's Boldest Mountaineer'' by [[David Roberts (climber)|David Roberts]], [[William Morrow Publishers]], June 2009.</ref>
*His stewardship of the [[Boston Museum of Science]].<ref>''The Last of His Kind: The Life and Adventures of Bradford Washburn, America's Boldest Mountaineer'' by David Roberts, William Morrow Publishers, June 2009.</ref>
*His stewardship of the [[Boston Museum of Science]].<ref>''The Last of His Kind: The Life and Adventures of Bradford Washburn, America's Boldest Mountaineer'' by David Roberts, William Morrow Publishers, June 2009.</ref>


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==Biography==
==Biography==
Washburn was born on June 7, 1910, in [[Cambridge, Massachusetts]], to a [[Boston Brahmin]] family whose roots trace back to ''[[Mayflower]]'' passenger Elder [[William Brewster (pilgrim)|William Brewster]]. Brewster was the Pilgrim colonist leader and a spiritual elder of the [[Plymouth Colony]]. His father, the Very Rev. Henry Bradford Washburn, Sr. an avid outdoorsman, was dean of the [[Episcopal Theological School]] in Cambridge and Edith Buckingham Hall. His younger brother was [[Sherwood Washburn|Sherwood Larned Washburn]], nicknamed "Sherry", who was a [[biological anthropology|physical anthropologist]] and pioneer in the field of [[primatology]].
Washburn was born on June 7, 1910, in [[Cambridge, Massachusetts]], to a [[Boston Brahmin]] family whose roots trace back to ''[[Mayflower]]'' passenger Elder [[William Brewster (pilgrim)|William Brewster]]. Brewster was the Pilgrim colonist leader and a spiritual elder of the [[Plymouth Colony]].


Washburn's father, the Very Rev. Henry Bradford Washburn Sr., was an avid outdoorsman, and was dean of the [[Episcopal Theological School]] in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Washburn's mother was Edith Buckingham Hall.
⚫
Washburn was elected a Fellow of the [[American Academy of Arts and Sciences]] in 1956.<ref name=AAAS>{{cite web|title=Book of Members, 1780–2010: Chapter W|url=http://www.amacad.org/publications/BookofMembers/ChapterW.pdf|publisher=[[American Academy of Arts and Sciences]]|accessdate=7 April 2011}}</ref> He received an undergraduate degree from [[Harvard University]], where he was a member of the [[Harvard Mountaineering Club]]. He returned to Harvard to earn a master’s degree in [[geology]] and [[geography]] in 1960.

His younger brother was [[Sherwood Washburn|Sherwood Larned Washburn]], nicknamed "Sherry", who was a [[biological anthropology|physical anthropologist]] and pioneer in the field of [[primatology]].

He received an undergraduate degree from [[Harvard University]], where he was a member of the Harvard Mountaineering Club. He returned to Harvard to earn a master's degree in [[geology]] and [[geography]] in 1960.


Washburn was an avid pilot and made his first solo flight in a [[Fleet biplane]] at [[Boeing Field]] in [[Seattle]] in 1934. He earned his private flying license at [[Roosevelt Field]] on [[Long Island]] later that year.
Washburn was an avid pilot and made his first solo flight in a [[Fleet biplane]] at [[Boeing Field]] in [[Seattle]] in 1934. He earned his private flying license at [[Roosevelt Field]] on [[Long Island]] later that year.


==Expeditions==
Washburn embarked on a notable expedition in 1937 to <span style="white-space:nowrap">17,147&nbsp;feet&nbsp;(5,226&nbsp;m)</span> [[Mount Lucania]] in the [[Yukon]]. To do this he and climbing partner [[Robert Bates (mountaineer)|Robert Bates]] had to reach Walsh Glacier, <span style="white-space:nowrap">8,750&nbsp;ft&nbsp;(2,670&nbsp;m)</span> above sea level. He called upon [[Robert Campbell Reeve|Bob Reeve]], a famous Alaskan [[bush pilot]], who later replied by cable to Washburn, "Anywhere you'll ride, I'll fly". <ref name="saga" /><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Miller|first1=Debbie|title=A Pioneer Visit: Mard Murie and the Arctic Refuge|journal=Alaska Geographic|date=1993|volume=20|issue=3|page=45}}</ref> The ski-equipped [[Fairchild F-51]] made several trips to the landing site on the glacier without event in May, but on landing with Washburn and Bates in June, the plane sank into unseasonal slush. Washburn, Bates and Reeve pressed hard for five days to get the airplane out and Reeve was eventually able to get the airplane airborne with all excess weight removed and the assistance of a smooth icefall with a steep drop. Washburn and Bates continued on foot to make the first ascent of Lucania, and after an epic descent and journey to civilization,<ref name="venables">{{cite book | first = Stephen | last = Venables | authorlink = Stephen Venables | title = Voices from the Mountains | location= Pleasantville, NY | publisher = Reader's Digest | year = 2006 | isbn = 0-7621-0810-X | oclc = 68417016 | pages = 40–43 }}</ref> they hiked over 150 miles through the wilderness to safety in the small town of [[Burwash Landing]].<ref>[http://www.adn.com/outdoors/story/9362435p-9276110c.html Anchorage Daily News. "Climber's exploits earned little recognition" by Craig Medred. October 7, 2007.]</ref>
Washburn embarked on a notable expedition in 1937 to <span style="white-space:nowrap">17,147&nbsp;feet&nbsp;(5,226&nbsp;m)</span> [[Mount Lucania]] in the [[Yukon]]. To do this he and climbing partner [[Robert Bates (mountaineer)|Robert Bates]] had to reach Walsh Glacier, <span style="white-space:nowrap">8,750&nbsp;ft&nbsp;(2,670&nbsp;m)</span> above sea level. He called upon [[Robert Campbell Reeve|Bob Reeve]], a famous Alaskan [[bush pilot]], who later replied by cable to Washburn, "Anywhere you'll ride, I'll fly".<ref name="saga" /><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Miller|first1=Debbie|title=A Pioneer Visit: Mard Murie and the Arctic Refuge|journal=Alaska Geographic|date=1993|volume=20|issue=3|page=45}}</ref> The ski-equipped [[Fairchild F-51]] made several trips to the landing site on the glacier without event in May, but on landing with Washburn and Bates in June, the plane sank into unseasonal slush. Washburn, Bates and Reeve pressed hard for five days to get the airplane out and Reeve was eventually able to get the airplane airborne with all excess weight removed and the assistance of a smooth icefall with a steep drop. Washburn and Bates continued on foot to make the first ascent of Lucania, and after an epic descent and journey to civilization,<ref name="venables">{{cite book | first = Stephen | last = Venables | author-link = Stephen Venables | title = Voices from the Mountains | location = Pleasantville, NY | publisher = Reader's Digest | year = 2006 | isbn = 0-7621-0810-X | oclc = 68417016 | pages = [https://archive.org/details/voicesfrommounta00step/page/40 40–43] | url = https://archive.org/details/voicesfrommounta00step/page/40 }}</ref> they hiked over 150 miles through the wilderness to safety in the small town of [[Burwash Landing]].<ref>[http://www.adn.com/outdoors/story/9362435p-9276110c.html Anchorage Daily News. "Climber's exploits earned little recognition" by Craig Medred. October 7, 2007.] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20070729112548/http://www.adn.com/outdoors/story/9362435p-9276110c.html |date=July 29, 2007 }}</ref> As Reeve had been unable to return to the glacier with his aircraft, Washburn and Bates chose to leave behind or dump a {{convert|900|lb|kg|adj=on}} cache of supplies.<ref name="CNN-Buckley">{{cite news |last1=Buckley |first1=Julia |title=Explorers find cameras left on a glacier 85 years ago |url=https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/bradford-washburn-lost-cameras-glacier/index.html |work=CNN |date=4 November 2022}}</ref> This cache was located and recovered in 2022.<ref name="CNN-Buckley"/>

==Honors==

⚫
Washburn was elected a fellow of the [[American Academy of Arts and Sciences]] in 1956.<ref name=AAAS>{{cite web|title=Book of Members, 1780–2010: Chapter W|url=http://www.amacad.org/publications/BookofMembers/ChapterW.pdf|publisher=[[American Academy of Arts and Sciences]]|accessdate=7 April 2011}}</ref>

Washburn gathered many awards over the course of his career, including nine honorary doctorates.

In 1979, he received Gold Medal of the [[Royal Scottish Geographical Society]] for "outstanding contributions to cartographic research."


Washburn gathered many awards over the course of his career, including nine honorary doctorates, in 1980 the [[NGS Alexander Graham Bell Medal|Alexander Graham Bell Medal]] from the [[National Geographic Society]] (NGS),<ref>
He and his wife received two awards from the [[National Geographic Society]]. In 1980, they received the [[NGS Alexander Graham Bell Medal|Alexander Graham Bell Medal]],<ref>
{{cite web
{{cite web
| url = http://www.nationalgeographic.com/field/explorers/washburns/?source=A-to-Z | title = Bradford and Barbara Washburn, Climbers
| url = https://www.nationalgeographic.org/society/our-explorers/?source=A-to-Z | title = Bradford and Barbara Washburn, Climbers
| publisher = National Geographic Society
| publisher = National Geographic Society
| accessdate = {{Format date|2011|6|30}}}}</ref><ref>
| accessdate = {{Format date|2011|6|30}}}}</ref><ref>
{{cite web
{{cite web
| url = http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2010/07/13/nat_geo_awards_alexander_graha/
| url = http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2010/07/13/nat_geo_awards_alexander_graha/
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111224232731/http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2010/07/13/nat_geo_awards_alexander_graha/
| url-status = dead
| archive-date = December 24, 2011
| title = Nat Geo awards Alexander Graham Bell Medals to GIS pioneers
| title = Nat Geo awards Alexander Graham Bell Medals to GIS pioneers
| publisher = National Geographic Society
| publisher = National Geographic Society
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| date = {{Format date|2010|7|13}}
| date = {{Format date|2010|7|13}}
| accessdate = {{Format date|2011|6|30}}}}
| accessdate = {{Format date|2011|6|30}}}}
''"Bradford and Barbara Washburn ... received it in 1980 for their contributions to geography and cartography"''.</ref>
''"Bradford and Barbara Washburn ... received it in 1980 for their contributions to geography and cartography"''.</ref> and in 1988 they received the Centennial Award.
⚫
the Centennial Award also of the [[National Geographic Society]], and the King Albert Medal of Merit. He shared the two NGS awards with his wife [[Barbara Washburn|Barbara]], the first woman to summit [[Mount McKinley]]. He was awarded the [[Royal Geographical Society]]'s [[Cherry Kearton Medal and Award]] in 1988.<ref name="RGS">{{cite web|url=http://www.rgs.org/NR/rdonlyres/5733E422-4831-4451-B7D8-052E80E8CD75/0/MedalWinners19702012.pdf|title=Medals and Awards|publisher=[[Royal Geographical Society]]|accessdate=28 September 2013}}</ref>


In 1979, he received Gold Medal of the [[Royal Scottish Geographical Society]] for "outstanding contributions to cartographic research."<ref>{{cite web |title=Henry Bradford Washburn - Alpinist.com |url=http://www.alpinist.com/doc/ALP06/faces-washburn |website=www.alpinist.com}}</ref>
⚫
==Death and legacy==
⚫
Washburn died of heart failure on January 10, 2007, at the age of 96, in a retirement home in [[Lexington, Massachusetts]].<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/16/obituaries/16washburn.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=Henry%20Bradford%20Washburn&st=cse Obituary: "Henry Bradford Washburn, Jr."] ''New York Times.'' January 16, 2007 .</ref> In addition to his wife, he left a son, Edward, and two daughters, Dorothy and Elizabeth.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.boston.com/news/globe/city_region/breaking_news/2007/01/bradford_washbu_1.html | work=The Boston Globe | title=Bradford Washburn, father of modern Museum of Science, dies at 96 | date=January 11, 2007}}</ref>


⚫
In 1998, he was awarded the [[Royal Geographical Society]]'s [[Cherry Kearton Medal and Award]].<ref name="RGS">{{cite web|url=http://www.rgs.org/NR/rdonlyres/5733E422-4831-4451-B7D8-052E80E8CD75/0/MedalWinners19702012.pdf |title=Medals and Awards |publisher=[[Royal Geographical Society]] |accessdate=28 September 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002055718/http://www.rgs.org/NR/rdonlyres/5733E422-4831-4451-B7D8-052E80E8CD75/0/MedalWinners19702012.pdf |archive-date=2 October 2013 }}</ref>

In 1994, he received King Albert Medal of Merit from Belgium's King Albert Foundation in recognition of "his guiding spirit in the ambitious and successful enterprise of making a new large-scale map of the roof of the world from 1982 to 1991."

⚫
==Death==
⚫
Washburn died of heart failure on January 10, 2007, at the age of 96, in a retirement home in [[Lexington, Massachusetts]].<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/16/obituaries/16washburn.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=Henry%20Bradford%20Washburn&st=cse Obituary: "Henry Bradford Washburn Jr."] ''New York Times.'' January 16, 2007 .</ref> In addition to his wife, he left a son, Edward, and two daughters, Dorothy and Elizabeth.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.boston.com/news/globe/city_region/breaking_news/2007/01/bradford_washbu_1.html | work=The Boston Globe | title=Bradford Washburn, father of modern Museum of Science, dies at 96 | date=January 11, 2007}}</ref>

==Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum==
The Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum (BWAMM) is devoted to [[mountaineering]], the mountains, science and art, and the dissemination of knowledge – all things that Washburn exemplified. BWAMM is a joint project of the [[American Alpine Club]], [[Colorado Mountain Club]], and [[National Geographic Society]], and is located in [[Golden, Colorado]], Feb. 16, 2008.<ref>The Denver Post. "Mountaineering museum finds a home in Golden." Feb. 18, 2008. http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_8299072</ref>
The Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum (BWAMM) is devoted to [[mountaineering]], the mountains, science and art, and the dissemination of knowledge – all things that Washburn exemplified. BWAMM is a joint project of the [[American Alpine Club]], [[Colorado Mountain Club]], and [[National Geographic Society]], and is located in [[Golden, Colorado]], Feb. 16, 2008.<ref>The Denver Post. "Mountaineering museum finds a home in Golden." Feb. 18, 2008. http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_8299072</ref>


==Selected Alaskan first ascents==
==Selected Alaskan first ascents==
* 1933: Pointed Peak, Fairweather Range, Saint Elias Mountains
* 1933: Pointed Peak, Fairweather Range, Saint Elias Mountains
* 1934: ''East Ridge above the Plateau'' [[Mount Crillon]], [[Alaska Range]], [[Alaska]], USA. FA with [[H. Adams Carter]],summit attained July 19, 1934.<ref>{{cite journal | last = Washburn | first = Bradford | authorlink = | title = Mount Crillon – Sixty-One Years Ago | journal = American Alpine Journal | volume = 37 | issue = 69 | pages = 22–30 | publisher = American Alpine Club | location = Golden, CO, USA | year = 1995 | url = | isbn = 0-930410-43-2 | doi = | accessdate = }}</ref>
* 1934: ''East Ridge above the Plateau'' [[Mount Crillon]], [[Fairweather Range]], [[Alaska]], USA. FA with [[H. Adams Carter]], summit attained July 19, 1934.<ref>{{cite journal | last = Washburn | first = Bradford | title = Mount Crillon – Sixty-One Years Ago | journal = American Alpine Journal | volume = 37 | issue = 69 | pages = 22–30 | publisher = American Alpine Club | location = Golden, CO, USA | year = 1995 | isbn = 0-930410-43-2 }}</ref>
* 1937: [[Mount Lucania]], [[Saint Elias Mountains]]
* 1937: [[Mount Lucania]], [[Saint Elias Mountains, Yukon, Canada]]
* 1938: [[Mount Marcus Baker]], [[Chugach Mountains]]
* 1938: [[Mount Marcus Baker]], [[Chugach Mountains]]
* 1938: [[Mount Sanford (Alaska)|Mount Sanford]], [[Wrangell Mountains]]
* 1938: [[Mount Sanford (Alaska)|Mount Sanford]], [[Wrangell Mountains]]
* 1940: Mount Bertha, [[Mount Fairweather|Fairweather]] Range, [[Saint Elias Mountains]]<ref name="saga" />
* 1940: [[Mount Bertha]], [[Mount Fairweather|Fairweather]] Range, [[Saint Elias Mountains]]<ref name="saga" />
* 1941: [[Mount Hayes]], [[Alaska Range]]<ref name="saga" />
* 1941: [[Mount Hayes]], [[Alaska Range]]<ref name="saga" />
* 1944: Mount Deception, Alaska Range
* 1944: Mount Deception, Alaska Range
* 1945: Mount Silverthrone, [[Alaska Range]]
* 1947: McGonagall Mountain, Alaska Range
* 1947: McGonagall Mountain, Alaska Range
* 1951: West Buttress Route on [[Mount McKinley]], [[Alaska Range]]
* 1951: West Buttress Route on [[Denali]], [[Alaska Range]]
* 1951: Kahiltna Dome, Alaska Range
* 1951: Kahiltna Dome, Alaska Range
* 1955: Mount Dickey, Alaska Range
* 1955: [[Mount Dickey]], Alaska Range


==Footnotes==
==Footnotes==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist|2}}


==Sources==
==Sources==
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<!-- please substitute actual article names and author, if any, for the American Alpine Journal references -->
<!-- please substitute actual article names and author, if any, for the American Alpine Journal references -->
* {{cite journal | title = Article from the 1934 American Alpine Journal | journal = [[American Alpine Journal]] | last = | first = | year = 1934 | issn = 0065-6925 | volume = II | issue = 6 | pages = 152 }}
* {{cite journal | title = Article from the 1934 American Alpine Journal | journal = [[American Alpine Journal]] | year = 1934 | issn = 0065-6925 | volume = II | issue = 6 | pages = 152 }}
* {{cite journal | title = Article from the 1948 American Alpine Journal | journal = [[American Alpine Journal]] | last = | first = | year = 1948 | issn = 0065-6925 | volume = VII | issue = 21 | pages = 44 }}
* {{cite journal | title = Article from the 1948 American Alpine Journal | journal = [[American Alpine Journal]] | year = 1948 | issn = 0065-6925 | volume = VII | issue = 21 | pages = 44 }}
* {{cite journal | title = Article from the 1952 American Alpine Journal | journal = [[American Alpine Journal]] | last = | first = | year = 1952 | issn = 0065-6925 | volume = VIII | issue = 26 | pages = 214, 217 }}
* {{cite journal | title = Article from the 1952 American Alpine Journal | journal = [[American Alpine Journal]] | year = 1952 | issn = 0065-6925 | volume = VIII | issue = 26 | pages = 214, 217 }}
* {{cite journal | title = Article from the 1956 American Alpine Journal | journal = [[American Alpine Journal]] | last = | first = | year = 1956 | issn = 0065-6925 | volume = X | issue = 31 | pages = 48 }}
* {{cite journal | title = Article from the 1956 American Alpine Journal | journal = [[American Alpine Journal]] | year = 1956 | issn = 0065-6925 | volume = X | issue = 31 | pages = 48 }}
* Washburn, Bradford (1971) ''A tourist guide to Mount McKinley'' Anchorage, Alaska: Northwest Pub. Co. OCLC 154993
* Washburn, Bradford (1971) ''A tourist guide to Mount McKinley'' Anchorage, Alaska: Northwest Pub. Co. OCLC 154993
* Washburn, Bradford (1980) ''Resurvey of the heart of the Grand Canyon, 1971-1978 : final report'' National Geographic Society (U.S.), Cartographic Division; Boston Museum of Science
* Washburn, Bradford (1980) ''Resurvey of the heart of the Grand Canyon, 1971-1978 : final report'' National Geographic Society (U.S.), Cartographic Division; Boston Museum of Science
* Washburn, Bradford and Roberts, David (1991) ''Mount McKinley: the conquest of Denali'' New York: Abrams ISBN 9780810936119
* Washburn, Bradford and Roberts, David (1991) ''Mount McKinley: the conquest of Denali'' New York: Abrams {{ISBN|9780810936119}}
* {{cite web | url = http://www.king-albert-foundation.ch/html/winners/94/wasburn_bi.html | title = Biography Dr. Bradford Washburn | year = 1994 | publisher = King Albert I Memorial Foundation | accessdate = 2007-06-21 }}
* {{cite web | url = http://www.king-albert-foundation.ch/html/winners/94/wasburn_bi.html | title = Biography Dr. Bradford Washburn | year = 1994 | publisher = King Albert I Memorial Foundation | accessdate = 2007-06-21 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070902195102/http://www.king-albert-foundation.ch/html/winners/94/wasburn_bi.html | archive-date = 2007-09-02 }}
* Decaneas, Antony and Washburn, Brad (1999) ''Bradford Washburn: Mountain Photography'' Boston: Museum of Fine Arts ISBN 0898866898
* Decaneas, Antony and Washburn, Brad (1999) ''Bradford Washburn: Mountain Photography'' Boston: Museum of Fine Arts {{ISBN|0898866898}}
* {{cite book | title = Alaska: A Climbing Guide | first = Michael | last = Wood | authorlink = <!-- Michael Wood (author) IF article ever written --> |author2=Colby Coombs | location = Seattle | publisher = The Mountaineers | year = 2001 | oclc = 48500987 | isbn = 0-89886-724-X }}
* {{cite book | title = Alaska: A Climbing Guide | first = Michael | last = Wood | author-link = <!-- Michael Wood (author) IF article ever written --> |author2=Colby Coombs | location = Seattle | publisher = The Mountaineers | year = 2001 | oclc = 48500987 | isbn = 0-89886-724-X }}
* Washburn, Bradford and Smith, Donald (2002) [http://books.google.com/books?id=k2ETAQAAIAAJ ''On High: The Adventures of Legendary Mountaineer, Photographer, and Scientist Brad Washburn''] National Geographic ISBN 9780792269113
* Washburn, Bradford and Smith, Donald (2002) [https://books.google.com/books?id=k2ETAQAAIAAJ ''On High: The Adventures of Legendary Mountaineer, Photographer, and Scientist Brad Washburn''] National Geographic {{ISBN|9780792269113}}
* {{cite book | title = Escape From Lucania: An Epic Story of Survival | first = David | last = Roberts | location = New York | publisher = Simon & Schuster | year = 2002 | isbn = 978-0-7432-2432-1 }}
* {{cite book | title = Escape From Lucania: An Epic Story of Survival | first = David | last = Roberts | location = New York | publisher = Simon & Schuster | year = 2002 | isbn = 978-0-7432-2432-1 | url = https://archive.org/details/escapefromlucani00robe }}
* Sfraga, Michael (2004) ''Bradford Washburn : a life of exploration'' Corvallis: Oregon State University Press, ISBN 9780870710100
* Sfraga, Michael (2004) ''Bradford Washburn : a life of exploration'' Corvallis: Oregon State University Press, {{ISBN|9780870710100}}
* Washburn, Bradford and Freedman, Lew (2005) ''Bradford Washburn: an extraordinary life'' Portland, Oregon: WestWinds Press, ISBN 1558689060
* Washburn, Bradford and [[Lew Freedman|Freedman, Lew]] (2005) ''Bradford Washburn: an extraordinary life'' Portland, Oregon: WestWinds Press, {{ISBN|1558689060}}
* {{cite web | url = http://www.jgoodgravure.com/washburn.html | title = Photographing In High Places | first = Jon | last = Goodman | publisher = Jon Goodman Photogravure | date = 2006-05-01 | accessdate = 2007-06-21 }}
* {{cite web | url = http://www.jgoodgravure.com/washburn.html | title = Photographing In High Places | first = Jon | last = Goodman | publisher = Jon Goodman Photogravure | date = 2006-05-01 | accessdate = 2007-06-21 }}
* Roberts, David (2009) ''The Last of His Kind: The Life and Adventures of Bradford Washburn, America's Boldest Mountaineer'' HarperCollins ISBN 0061560944
* Roberts, David (2009) ''The Last of His Kind: The Life and Adventures of Bradford Washburn, America's Boldest Mountaineer'' HarperCollins {{ISBN|0061560944}}


==External links==
==External links==
*[http://www.washburngallery.org Washburn Gallery] The Mount Washington Observatory's Washburn Gallery offers framed and unframed prints of much of Bradford Washburn's early work.
*[http://www.washburngallery.org Washburn Gallery] The Mount Washington Observatory's Washburn Gallery offers framed and unframed prints of much of Bradford Washburn's early work.
*[http://www.washburnportfolio.com Photographing In High Places] A portfolio of ten photographs from the Alaska Range and the Yukon made between 1938 and 1978.
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060414021015/http://washburnportfolio.com/ Photographing In High Places] A portfolio of ten photographs from the Alaska Range and the Yukon made between 1938 and 1978.
*[http://www.brightcove.com/channel.jsp?channel=174424160&firstVideo=48 Memorial film: "Remembering Brad Washburn"]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070718030815/http://www.brightcove.com/channel.jsp?channel=174424160 Memorial film: "Remembering Brad Washburn"]
*[http://bwamm.org Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum]
*[http://www.mountaineeringmuseum.org Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum]
*[http://lumieregallery.net/wp/195/bradford-washburn/ Bradford Washburn photographic prints at Lumiere Gallery]
*[http://lumieregallery.net/wp/195/bradford-washburn/ Bradford Washburn photographic prints at Lumiere Gallery]


{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}


{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
| NAME = Washburn, Bradford
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = American mountain climber
| DATE OF BIRTH = June 7, 1910
| PLACE OF BIRTH =
| DATE OF DEATH = January 10, 2007
| PLACE OF DEATH =
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Washburn, Bradford}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Washburn, Bradford}}
[[Category:1910 births]]
[[Category:1910 births]]
[[Category:2007 deaths]]
[[Category:2007 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Cambridge, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Artists from Cambridge, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Groton School alumni]]
[[Category:Groton School alumni]]
[[Category:Harvard University alumni]]
[[Category:Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences alumni]]
[[Category:Aerial photographers]]
[[Category:Aerial photographers]]
[[Category:Nature photographers]]
[[Category:Nature photographers]]
[[Category:American mountain climbers]]
[[Category:American mountain climbers]]
[[Category:Mount McKinley]]
[[Category:Denali]]
[[Category:Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences]]
[[Category:Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences]]
[[Category:American cartographers]]
[[Category:National Geographic Society medals recipients]]
[[Category:20th-century cartographers]]

Latest revision as of 05:16, 22 November 2023

For other people named Henry Washburn, see Henry Washburn (disambiguation).
Bradford Washburn
Born
Henry Bradford Washburn Jr.

(1910-06-07)June 7, 1910
Cambridge, Massachusetts
DiedJanuary 10, 2007(2007-01-10) (aged 96)
Alma materHarvard University
SpouseBarbara Washburn

Henry Bradford Washburn Jr. (June 7, 1910 – January 10, 2007) was an American explorer, mountaineer, photographer, and cartographer. He established the Boston Museum of Science, served as its director from 1939–1980, and from 1985 until his death served as its Honorary Director (a lifetime appointment). Bradford married Barbara Polk in 1940, they honeymooned in Alaska making the first ascent of Mount Bertha together.[1]

Washburn is especially noted for exploits in four areas.

  • He was one of the leading American mountaineers in the 1920s through the 1950s, putting up first ascents and new routes on many major Alaskan peaks, often with his wife, Barbara Washburn, one of the pioneers among female mountaineers and the first woman to summit Denali (Mount McKinley).[2]
  • He pioneered the use of aerial photography in the analysis of mountains and in planning mountaineering expeditions. His thousands of striking black-and-white photos, mostly of Alaskan peaks and glaciers, are known for their wealth of informative detail and their artistry. They are the reference standard for route photos of Alaskan climbs.[citation needed]
  • He was responsible for creating maps of various mountain ranges, including Denali, Mount Everest, and the Presidential Range in New Hampshire.[3]
  • His stewardship of the Boston Museum of Science.[4]

Several of these achievements – e.g. the Everest map and subsequent further work on the elevation and geology of Everest – were carried out when Washburn was in his 70s and 80s.[citation needed]

Biography[edit]

Washburn was born on June 7, 1910, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to a Boston Brahmin family whose roots trace back to Mayflower passenger Elder William Brewster. Brewster was the Pilgrim colonist leader and a spiritual elder of the Plymouth Colony.

Washburn's father, the Very Rev. Henry Bradford Washburn Sr., was an avid outdoorsman, and was dean of the Episcopal Theological School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Washburn's mother was Edith Buckingham Hall.

His younger brother was Sherwood Larned Washburn, nicknamed "Sherry", who was a physical anthropologist and pioneer in the field of primatology.

He received an undergraduate degree from Harvard University, where he was a member of the Harvard Mountaineering Club. He returned to Harvard to earn a master's degree in geology and geography in 1960.

Washburn was an avid pilot and made his first solo flight in a Fleet biplane at Boeing Field in Seattle in 1934. He earned his private flying license at Roosevelt Field on Long Island later that year.

Expeditions[edit]

Washburn embarked on a notable expedition in 1937 to 17,147 feet (5,226 m) Mount Lucania in the Yukon. To do this he and climbing partner Robert Bates had to reach Walsh Glacier, 8,750 ft (2,670 m) above sea level. He called upon Bob Reeve, a famous Alaskan bush pilot, who later replied by cable to Washburn, "Anywhere you'll ride, I'll fly".[1][5] The ski-equipped Fairchild F-51 made several trips to the landing site on the glacier without event in May, but on landing with Washburn and Bates in June, the plane sank into unseasonal slush. Washburn, Bates and Reeve pressed hard for five days to get the airplane out and Reeve was eventually able to get the airplane airborne with all excess weight removed and the assistance of a smooth icefall with a steep drop. Washburn and Bates continued on foot to make the first ascent of Lucania, and after an epic descent and journey to civilization,[6] they hiked over 150 miles through the wilderness to safety in the small town of Burwash Landing.[7] As Reeve had been unable to return to the glacier with his aircraft, Washburn and Bates chose to leave behind or dump a 900-pound (410 kg) cache of supplies.[8] This cache was located and recovered in 2022.[8]

Honors[edit]

Washburn was elected a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1956.[9]

Washburn gathered many awards over the course of his career, including nine honorary doctorates.

In 1979, he received Gold Medal of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society for "outstanding contributions to cartographic research."

He and his wife received two awards from the National Geographic Society. In 1980, they received the Alexander Graham Bell Medal,[10][11] and in 1988 they received the Centennial Award.

In 1979, he received Gold Medal of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society for "outstanding contributions to cartographic research."[12]

In 1998, he was awarded the Royal Geographical Society's Cherry Kearton Medal and Award.[13]

In 1994, he received King Albert Medal of Merit from Belgium's King Albert Foundation in recognition of "his guiding spirit in the ambitious and successful enterprise of making a new large-scale map of the roof of the world from 1982 to 1991."

Death[edit]

Washburn died of heart failure on January 10, 2007, at the age of 96, in a retirement home in Lexington, Massachusetts.[14] In addition to his wife, he left a son, Edward, and two daughters, Dorothy and Elizabeth.[15]

Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum[edit]

The Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum (BWAMM) is devoted to mountaineering, the mountains, science and art, and the dissemination of knowledge – all things that Washburn exemplified. BWAMM is a joint project of the American Alpine Club, Colorado Mountain Club, and National Geographic Society, and is located in Golden, Colorado, Feb. 16, 2008.[16]

Selected Alaskan first ascents[edit]

Footnotes[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d Borneman, Walter R. (2003). Alaska : saga of a bold land (1st ed.). New York, NY: HarperCollins. pp. 320–325. ISBN 0-06-050306-8.
  2. ^ The Accidental Adventurer: Memoir of the First Woman to Climb Mt. McKinley by Barbara Washburn, Lew Freedman and Bradford Washburn, Epicenter Press, May 2001.
  3. ^ The Last of His Kind: The Life and Adventures of Bradford Washburn, America's Boldest Mountaineer by David Roberts, William Morrow Publishers, June 2009.
  4. ^ The Last of His Kind: The Life and Adventures of Bradford Washburn, America's Boldest Mountaineer by David Roberts, William Morrow Publishers, June 2009.
  5. ^ Miller, Debbie (1993). "A Pioneer Visit: Mard Murie and the Arctic Refuge". Alaska Geographic. 20 (3): 45.
  6. ^ Venables, Stephen (2006). Voices from the Mountains. Pleasantville, NY: Reader's Digest. pp. 40–43. ISBN 0-7621-0810-X. OCLC 68417016.
  7. ^ Anchorage Daily News. "Climber's exploits earned little recognition" by Craig Medred. October 7, 2007. Archived July 29, 2007, at archive.today
  8. ^ a b Buckley, Julia (4 November 2022). "Explorers find cameras left on a glacier 85 years ago". CNN.
  9. ^ "Book of Members, 1780–2010: Chapter W" (PDF). American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 7 April 2011.
  10. ^ "Bradford and Barbara Washburn, Climbers". National Geographic Society. Retrieved June 30, 2011.
  11. ^ David Braun (July 13, 2010). "Nat Geo awards Alexander Graham Bell Medals to GIS pioneers". National Geographic Society. Archived from the original on December 24, 2011. Retrieved June 30, 2011. "Bradford and Barbara Washburn ... received it in 1980 for their contributions to geography and cartography".
  12. ^ "Henry Bradford Washburn - Alpinist.com". www.alpinist.com.
  13. ^ "Medals and Awards" (PDF). Royal Geographical Society. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 October 2013. Retrieved 28 September 2013.
  14. ^ Obituary: "Henry Bradford Washburn Jr." New York Times. January 16, 2007 .
  15. ^ "Bradford Washburn, father of modern Museum of Science, dies at 96". The Boston Globe. January 11, 2007.
  16. ^ The Denver Post. "Mountaineering museum finds a home in Golden." Feb. 18, 2008. http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_8299072
  17. ^ Washburn, Bradford (1995). "Mount Crillon – Sixty-One Years Ago". American Alpine Journal. 37 (69). Golden, CO, USA: American Alpine Club: 22–30. ISBN 0-930410-43-2.

Sources[edit]

  • Washburn, Brad (1927) Among the Alps with Bradford New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons
  • Washburn, Brad (1928) Bradford on Mount Washington New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bradford_Washburn&oldid=1186294222"