Leland Curtis
Encyclopedia
Leland S. Curtis was an American artist, mountaineer
, skier
, environmentalist
and Antarctic explorer.
He was born in Denver, Colorado, and lived in Seattle, Washington as a child. He moved to Los Angeles in 1914 and attended the Manual Arts High School
, where he studied under artist and screenwriter Rob Wagner. He was the official artist for the United States Antarctic Expeditions of 1939 to 1940, 1955 to 1956 and also 1957. The 1939 – 1940 expedition was called the United States Antarctic Service Expedition
and was led by Rear Admiral Richard Evelyn Byrd
. The 1955 – 1956 expedition was called Operation Deepfreeze I, and was also led by Byrd, who died shortly after the expedition ended. Curtis was sponsored by the National Science Foundation
for the 1957 expedition, which called Operation Deepfreeze III, led by Admiral George J. Dufek
. This was the first U.S. expedition to reach the South Pole
. These Operation Deepfreeze expeditions were part of the International Geophysical Year
.
Curtis was a long time member of the Sierra Club
, and was a founding member of its Ski Mountaineers Section on 26 September 1935. He served on the national Sierra Club board of directors from 1943 to 1946. He illustrated many Sierra Club publications over the years.
Most of his paintings were of Antarctica, the High Sierra, the Grand Tetons where he owned a cabin in Moose
, Wyoming, and the deserts of the southwestern United States. He won dozens of gold medals in Southern California art competitions. There is an active market for his paintings.
He died in Carson City
, Nevada.
Mountaineering
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
, skier
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
, environmentalist
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
and Antarctic explorer.
He was born in Denver, Colorado, and lived in Seattle, Washington as a child. He moved to Los Angeles in 1914 and attended the Manual Arts High School
Manual Arts High School
Manual Arts High School is a secondary school in Los Angeles, California. When founded, Manual Arts was a vocational high school, but later converted to a traditional curriculum.-History:...
, where he studied under artist and screenwriter Rob Wagner. He was the official artist for the United States Antarctic Expeditions of 1939 to 1940, 1955 to 1956 and also 1957. The 1939 – 1940 expedition was called the United States Antarctic Service Expedition
United States Antarctic Service Expedition
The United States Antarctic Service Expedition , often referred to as Byrd’s third Antarctic Expedition, was an expedition jointly sponsored by the United States Navy, State Department, Department of the Interior and The Treasury...
and was led by Rear Admiral Richard Evelyn Byrd
Richard Evelyn Byrd
Rear Admiral Richard Evelyn Byrd, Jr., USN was a naval officer who specialized in feats of exploration. He was a pioneering American aviator, polar explorer, and organizer of polar logistics...
. The 1955 – 1956 expedition was called Operation Deepfreeze I, and was also led by Byrd, who died shortly after the expedition ended. Curtis was sponsored by the National Science Foundation
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
for the 1957 expedition, which called Operation Deepfreeze III, led by Admiral George J. Dufek
George J. Dufek
George John Dufek was an American naval officer, naval aviator, and Arctic expert. He served in World War II and the Korean War and in the 1940s and 1950s spent much of his career in the Antarctic, first with Admiral Byrd and later as supervisor of U.S. programs in the South Polar regions...
. This was the first U.S. expedition to reach the South Pole
South Pole
The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is one of the two points where the Earth's axis of rotation intersects its surface. It is the southernmost point on the surface of the Earth and lies on the opposite side of the Earth from the North Pole...
. These Operation Deepfreeze expeditions were part of the International Geophysical Year
International Geophysical Year
The International Geophysical Year was an international scientific project that lasted from July 1, 1957, to December 31, 1958. It marked the end of a long period during the Cold War when scientific interchange between East and West was seriously interrupted...
.
Curtis was a long time member of the Sierra Club
Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is the oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States. It was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by the conservationist and preservationist John Muir, who became its first president...
, and was a founding member of its Ski Mountaineers Section on 26 September 1935. He served on the national Sierra Club board of directors from 1943 to 1946. He illustrated many Sierra Club publications over the years.
Most of his paintings were of Antarctica, the High Sierra, the Grand Tetons where he owned a cabin in Moose
Moose, Wyoming
Moose is an unincorporated community in Teton County, Wyoming, United States, in the Jackson Hole valley. It has a US Post Office, with the zip code of 83012. The town is located within Grand Teton National Park along the banks of the Snake River...
, Wyoming, and the deserts of the southwestern United States. He won dozens of gold medals in Southern California art competitions. There is an active market for his paintings.
He died in Carson City
Carson City, Nevada
The Consolidated Municipality of Carson City is the capital of the state of Nevada. The words Consolidated Municipality refer to a series of changes in 1969 which abolished Ormsby County and merged all the settlements contained within its borders into Carson City. Since that time Carson City has...
, Nevada.