Marie Byrd, the wife of Admiral Byrd, sent this postcard to Charles Ward Crampton (1877-1964), the physician who performed the preliminary examination of Admiral Byrd’s men in preparation for his first expedition to Antarctica in 1928. The card is undated, but may have been sent during the first expedition, 1928 to 1930. The postcard's front has a drawing of festively dressed people both sitting in and descending from train cars. Beneath is a holly-decorated banner reading, "CHRISTMAS - 1832." On the right side, beneath the engine and conductor, it reads “First American Railway Train.” On the front, Marie A. Byrd wrote, "A weary Christmas in which Commander Byrd would join were he here." On the back is written, “From Mrs Byrd – After one has examined the Byrd Expedition and sent it off.”. Admiral Richard Evelyn Byrd, Jr. (October 25, 1888 – March 11, 1957) was a naval officer, pioneering American aviator, polar explorer, and recipient of the Medal of Honor. Byrd explored the Antarctic on four separate expeditions, of which the United States government official backed the last two. The 1928 trip was the first. His fourth trip in 1946 is currently the largest Antarctic expedition to date. Which company the “First American Railway Train” refers to is unclear, as 1832 marked the start of America’s enormous railway construction boom. This growth continued vigorously until the 1960s, replacing canals as a primary mode of transportation. The card may refer to Mohawk & Hudson’s “The Brother Jonathon,” the first locomotive in the world with a four-wheel leading truck, or their “The American No. 1,” the first 4-4-0 of its class. It also may refer to the first vertical-boiler locomotives, known as Grasshoppers, which were uniquely American and entered service that year. The bottom edge is worn.
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