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Denali and its Glaciers -- Pioneering Work of Bradford Washburn

Finely executed map of the area around Mount McKinley (now Denali), published by the Boston Museum of Science, in conjunction with the Topographical Survey of Switzerland, under the supervision of Dr. Simon Bertschmann, Ernst Huber and Daniel Chervet.

The map was compiled from a series of 6 survey expeditions undertaken by the Boston Museum of Science between 1947 and 1959, led by Bradford Washburn.  Following the expeditions, Washburn published an important topographic map of Denali.

The map illustrates Glaciers and perennial snow in blue and grass or moss in green.

The map depicts 1951 conditions of glaciation and notes that major changes have occurred since 1957 in the lower Muldrow, Traleika and Brooks Glaciers.

Bradford Washburn

Henry Bradford Washburn, Jr. (1910 – 2007) was an American explorer, mountaineer, photographer, and cartographer. He established the Boston Museum of Science, served as its director from 1939–1980.

Washburn is especially noted for the following:

• 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.
• 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.
• He was responsible for creating maps of various mountain ranges, including Denali, Mount Everest, and the Presidential Range in New Hampshire.

Washburn was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1956.  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 gathered many awards over the course of his career, including nine honorary doctorates, in 1980 the Alexander Graham Bell Medal from the National Geographic Society (NGS), 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, the first woman to summit Denali. He was awarded the Royal Geographical Society's Cherry Kearton Medal and Award in 1988.  

The Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum (BWAMM) is devoted to mountaineering, the mountains, science and art, and the dissemination of knowledge. BWAMM is a joint project of the American Alpine Club, Colorado Mountain Club, and National Geographic Society.