Answer: Henry Grier Bryant

Henry Grier Bryant was born in Allegheny, PA in 1859, but lived much of his life in Philadelphia.  A graduate of Princeton and University of Pennsylvania Law School, Bryant became an explorer and an esteemed member of the geographical community.  He explored the Grand Falls of Labrador in 1891, served as second in command of the Peary relief expedition of 1892, and was commander of the 1894 Peary auxiliary expedition.  Additionally, Bryant served as commander of the Mt. St. Elias, Alaska, expedition of 1897, and he explored the St. Augustine River in Labrador, Canada, in 1912.  Bryant held memberships with the Association of American Geographers, the American Alpin Club, and the Contemporary Club, and was a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society in London.  From 1897 till his death in 1923, Bryant served as president of the Geographical Society of Philadelphia.

HSP has a small collection of Henry Grier Bryant’s papers (#3192) that primarily includes his correspondence from 1858-1926, though some of the letters discuss his various expeditions, and a scrapbook contains photographs and additional correspondence.