2019-08-02 Guide to the Admiral Byrd's South Pole Game "Little America" Created by Parker Brothers Inc., circa 1934 SPEC.PA.56.5027 Finding aid prepared by Audrey Wimbiscus Ohio State University Libraries Special Collections
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2019 June This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit 2026-02-16T14:04-0500 English Describing Archives: A Content Standard Admiral Byrd's South Pole Game "Little America" Created by Parker Brothers Inc. SPEC.PA.56.5027 Ohio State University Libraries Special Collections 1 0.24 Cubic feet circa 1934 Richard E. Byrd was an Admiral of the United States Navy and 20th century American polar explorer. After flights over the Arctic and the Atlantic Ocean in 1926 and 1927, Byrd raised funding for and led expeditions to the South Pole from 1928-1930, 1933-1935, 1939-1941. Admiral Byrd's South Pole Game "Little America" Created by Parker Brothers Inc., dated circa 1934, is a board game created by the American game manufacturers Parker Brothers Inc. It consists of a colored box and game board, four spinners that also represent radio microphones, four game pieces, and game instructions. The object of the game is to reach the South Pole after leaving New Zealand and traveling through the Antarctic American base, "Little America," and the Penguin Village. (1) oversize flat box English Parker Brothers, Inc. Acquisitions Information

Accession No. PA.2007.0006: Purchased, 2007 March

 Preferred Citation

[identification of item], Admiral Byrd's South Pole Game "Little America" Created by Parker Brothers Inc., SPEC.PA.56.5027, Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center Archival Program, Ohio State University

 Access to Materials

Materials in this collection are available for use, but may be used in the University Archives reading room only. Contact the Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center Archival Program at polararchives@osu.edu for more information.

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 Processing Information

Processed by: Audrey Wimbiscus, 2019 June; Finding aid written by: Audrey Wimbiscus, 2019 June

 Historical Note

Richard E. Byrd (1888-1957) was an Admiral of the United States Navy and 20th century American polar explorer. After flights over the Arctic and the Atlantic Ocean in 1926 and 1927, Byrd raised funding for and led the Byrd Antarctic Expedition I from 1928-1930, and the Byrd Antarctic Expedition II from 1933-1935. The first expedition established the exploration base "Little America," and included a flight over the South Pole in 1929, leading to Byrd’s promotion to rear admiral. He then led his first government-backed (but still partly self-funded) expedition, the United States Antarctic Service Expedition, from 1939-1941.

Parker Brothers was an American game manufacturer founded in 1883. They capitalized on the popularity of Admiral Byrd's polar expeditions by creating Admiral Byrd's South Pole Game "Little America" in 1934. Players raced their pegs around the board from New Zealand to the "Little America" base in Antarctica, then continued through the Penguin Village to the South Pole, with the first player to reach the South Pole by exact count deemed the winner.

 Scope and Contents

Admiral Byrd's South Pole Game "Little America" Created by Parker Brothers Inc., dated circa 1934, is a board game created by the American game manufacturers Parker Brothers Inc. It consists of a colored box and game board, four spinners that also represent radio microphones, four game pieces, and game instructions. The game board represents the journey of Admiral Byrd's South Pole expeditions.

 Related Materials Admiral Richard E. Byrd Papers Byrd Antarctic Expedition II Collection Byrd Antarctic Expedition (1st: 1928-1930) Byrd Antarctic Expedition (2nd: 1933-1935) Byrd, Richard Evelyn, 1888-1957 Antarctica--Discovery and exploration--American--20th century Board games (game sets)