Henry Bradford Washburn Jr. (June 7, 1910 – January 10, 2007) was an American explorer, mountaineer,

photographer A photographer (the Greek φῶς (''phos''), meaning "light", and γραφή (''graphê''), meaning "drawing, writing", together meaning "drawing with light") is a person who uses a camera to make photographs. Duties and types of photograp ...

, and cartographer. He established the

Boston Museum of Science The Museum of Science (MoS) is a nature and science museum and indoor zoological establishment located in Science Park, a plot of land in Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts, Cambridge, Massachusetts, spanning the Charles River. Along with over 7 ...

, 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 Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...

making the first ascent of Mount Bertha together. 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

n peaks, often with his wife, Barbara Washburn, one of the pioneers among female mountaineers and the first woman to summit

Denali Denali (), federally designated as Mount McKinley, is the highest mountain peak in North America, with a summit elevation of above sea level. It is the tallest mountain in the world from base to peak on land, measuring . On p. 20 of Helm ...

(Mount McKinley). *He pioneered the use of

aerial photography Aerial photography (or airborne imagery) is the taking of photographs from an aircraft or other flight, airborne platforms. When taking motion pictures, it is also known as aerial videography. Platforms for aerial photography include fixed-wi ...

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. *He was responsible for creating maps of various mountain ranges, including

Mount Everest Mount Everest (), known locally as Sagarmatha in Nepal and Qomolangma in Tibet, is Earth's highest mountain above sea level. It lies in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas and marks part of the China–Nepal border at it ...

, and the

Presidential Range The Presidential Range is a mountain range located in the White Mountains of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. It contains the highest peaks of the Whites, the most notable of which are named for American presidents, followed by prominent ...

New Hampshire New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

. *His stewardship of the

. 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.

Biography

Washburn was born on June 7, 1910, in

Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is a suburb in the Greater Boston metropolitan area, located directly across the Charles River from Boston. The city's population as of the 2020 United States census, ...

, 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 Plymouth Colony (sometimes spelled Plimouth) was the first permanent English colony in New England from 1620 and the third permanent English colony in America, after Newfoundland and the Jamestown Colony. It was settled by the passengers on t ...

. 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 Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

, where he was a member of the Harvard Mountaineering Club. He returned to Harvard to earn a master's degree in

geology Geology (). is a branch of natural science concerned with the Earth and other astronomical objects, the rocks of which they are composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Earth ...

and

geography Geography (from Ancient Greek ; combining 'Earth' and 'write', literally 'Earth writing') is the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. Geography is an all-encompassing discipline that seeks an understanding o ...

in 1960. Washburn was an avid pilot and made his first solo flight in a Fleet biplane at Boeing Field in

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

in 1934. He earned his private flying license at Roosevelt Field on

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...

later that year.

Expeditions

Washburn embarked on a notable expedition in 1937 to 17,147 feet (5,226 m) Mount Lucania in the

Yukon Yukon () is a Provinces and territories of Canada, territory of Canada, bordering British Columbia to the south, the Northwest Territories to the east, the Beaufort Sea to the north, and the U.S. state of Alaska to the west. It is Canada’s we ...

. 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". 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, they hiked over 150 miles through the wilderness to safety in the small town of Burwash Landing. As Reeve had been unable to return to the glacier with his aircraft, Washburn and Bates chose to leave behind or dump a cache of supplies. This cache was located and recovered in 2022.

Honors

Washburn was elected a fellow of the

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (The Academy) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and other ...

in 1956. 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 The Royal Scottish Geographical Society (RSGS) is an educational charity based in Perth, Scotland, founded in 1884. The purpose of the society is to advance the subject of geography worldwide, inspire people to learn more about the world around ...

for "outstanding contributions to cartographic research." He and his wife received two awards from the

National Geographic Society The National Geographic Society, headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, is one of the largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations in the world. Founded in 1888, its interests include geography, archaeology, natural sc ...

. In 1980, they received the Alexander Graham Bell Medal, and in 1988 they received the Centennial Award. In 1979, he received Gold Medal of the

for "outstanding contributions to cartographic research." In 1998, he was awarded the Royal Geographical Society's Cherry Kearton Medal and Award. 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 Lexington is a suburban town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, located 10 miles (16 km) from Downtown Boston. The population was 34,454 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The area was originally inhabited by ...

. In addition to his wife, he left a son, Edward, and two daughters, Dorothy and Elizabeth.

Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum

The Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum (BWAMM) is devoted to

mountaineering Mountaineering, mountain climbing, or alpinism is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas that have become mounta ...

, 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

, and is located in Golden, Colorado, Feb. 16, 2008.

Selected Alaskan first ascents

* 1933: Pointed Peak, Fairweather Range, Saint Elias Mountains * 1934: ''East Ridge above the Plateau'' Mount Crillon, Fairweather Range,

, USA. FA with H. Adams Carter, summit attained July 19, 1934. * 1937: Mount Lucania, Saint Elias Mountains, Yukon, Canada * 1938: Mount Marcus Baker, Chugach Mountains * 1938: Mount Sanford,

Wrangell Mountains The Wrangell Mountains are a high mountain range of eastern Alaska in the United States. Much of the range is included in Wrangell-Saint Elias National Park and Preserve. The Wrangell Mountains are almost entirely volcanic in origin, and they i ...

* 1940: Mount Bertha, Fairweather Range, Saint Elias Mountains * 1941: Mount Hayes,

Alaska Range The Alaska Range is a relatively narrow, mountain range in the Southcentral Alaska, southcentral region of the U.S. state of Alaska, from Lake Clark at its southwest endSources differ as to the exact delineation of the Alaska Range. ThBoard on G ...

* 1944: Mount Deception, Alaska Range * 1947: McGonagall Mountain, Alaska Range * 1951: West Buttress Route on

, Alaska Range * 1951: Kahiltna Dome, Alaska Range * 1955: Mount Dickey, Alaska Range

References

;Sources * 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 * * * * * 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 and Roberts, David (1991) ''Mount McKinley: the conquest of Denali'' New York: Abrams * * Decaneas, Antony and Washburn, Brad (1999) ''Bradford Washburn: Mountain Photography'' Boston: Museum of Fine Arts * * Washburn, Bradford and Smith, Donald (2002
''On High: The Adventures of Legendary Mountaineer, Photographer, and Scientist Brad Washburn''
National Geographic * * Sfraga, Michael (2004) ''Bradford Washburn : a life of exploration'' Corvallis: Oregon State University Press, * Washburn, Bradford and Freedman, Lew (2005) ''Bradford Washburn: an extraordinary life'' Portland, Oregon: WestWinds Press, * * Roberts, David (2009) ''The Last of His Kind: The Life and Adventures of Bradford Washburn, America's Boldest Mountaineer'' HarperCollins

External links

Washburn Gallery
The Mount Washington Observatory's Washburn Gallery offers framed and unframed prints of much of Bradford Washburn's early work.
Photographing In High Places
A portfolio of ten photographs from the Alaska Range and the Yukon made between 1938 and 1978.
Memorial film: "Remembering Brad Washburn"Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering MuseumBradford Washburn photographic prints at Lumiere Gallery
{{DEFAULTSORT:Washburn, Bradford 1910 births 2007 deaths Artists from Cambridge, Massachusetts Groton School alumni Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences alumni American aerial photographers American nature photographers American mountain climbers Denali Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences American cartographers National Geographic Society medals recipients 20th-century cartographers 20th-century American geographers