Blomkvist, Karl

Karl Blomkvist served as assistant on the British Exploring Expedition (Jackson-Harmsworth Polar Expedition), 1894-1897 (leader Frederick George Jackson), an expedition sponsored primarily by the newspaper proprietor Alfred Harmsworth to complete the exploration of Zemlya Frantsa-Iosifa. After establishing their winter quarters at Mys Flora on Ostrov Nordbruk in autumn 1894, Blomkvist, Jackson and Albert Armitage set out on their main northern journey in April 1895, with three ponies to draw their sledges. They explored northward through Proliv Britanskiy Kanal to 81 degrees 19 minutes 30 seconds North, off the west coast of Ostrov Dzheksona, before returning to Mys Flora in May. The following year, the three men returned to Britanskiy Kanal to extend their exploration of spring 1895. Finding open water in the north of the channel, they turned east to explore among the small islands northeast of Ostrov Gukera, later returning to Mys Flora in April. On 17 June 1896, the expedition met Fridtjof Nansen leader of the Norwegian North Polar Expedition, 1893-1896, they had wintered north of them on Ostrov Dzheksona after his attempt to reach the North Pole. In August 1896, Blomkvist departed in Windward which had arrived in July to re-supply the expedition.

From the guide to the Karl Blomkvist collection, 1895, (Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge)