Research Trail: Explorers Club

in the NYT and discoveries made in other sources confirmed she was correct. Some of those sources were at the Explorers Club archive; she found not just McAleenan’s membership information, but also two of his hunting trip companions, Harlow Brooks and Robert Frothingham.

Joseph A. McAleenan, Explorers Club portrait
Harlow Brooks, Explorers Club portrait
Robert Frothingham, Explorers Club portrait

In his application for membership, he explained in response to a question about “expeditions directed, accompanied, or financed in whole or in part”: “Hunting and photographic trips through New Brunswick, Wyoming, a moving picture trip to the Brazeau country, Alberta, Canada, for scientific purposes, pictures of animals and the surrounding country taken. These trips were a period of 8 weeks each.” (IMG_3504.jpg) Later in the form, McAleenan writes, “I have shot all the big game animals of this country and have tramped (?) many a mile over the wilderness trail…Pack trail trips appeal to me on account of companionship and old friends, together with my cameras, make life worth while [sic] in those days.” (Punctuation added for clarity.) (IMG_3500.jpg)

Add applications…including Roosevelts (in the media library)