Minnetrista is fortunate to care for unique and interesting art, artifacts, and archival materials in the Heritage Collection. These items form the basis of exhibitions and research projects. By having access to the Ball family’s personal belongings, we can learn about aspects of daily life from the late 19th century to the present day that could easily be lost and forgotten. Often, while searching for other completely unrelated information, we will come across previously unknown documents that take us down an unplanned path.
Thanks to donors like Virginia Ball, Minnetrista has a trove of materials to dive into and study for years to come. Among the collection from Virginia are the business and personal items of her husband, Ed Ball. Having retired as CEO and President of Ball Corporation in 1970, Ed kept busy with a wide range of commitments and activities. Given his and Virginia’s zest for life and endless energy, it was no surprise to those who knew them that they were heavily involved in community organizations and traveling around the world. Nestled in this collection are the details of one exceptional feat. In 1996, Ed (91) and Virginia (77) chose to “squander a chunk of (their) children’s inheritance to go first class” on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. They packed their bags, and several other items, and boarded a plane to Murmansk, Russia. Once there, they embarked on the nuclear-powered Russian icebreaker Yamal. Their destination: the North Pole.
The voyage began on July 4, 1996, when Ed and Virginia flew from Indianapolis to New York City, and from New York City to Helsinki, Finland, where they spent a day recovering from their flights. The next day, they took yet another flight and landed in Murmansk on the Barents Sea. Here, they finally began the real trip aboard the Yamal. The next two weeks saw the Balls, along with 100 fellow travelers and 130 Russian crew, traversing iceberg-riddled seas as they made their way to the North Pole.
The archival materials from this adventure include hundreds of photographs of Ed and Virginia experiencing all there was along the way. We see photos of a polar bear mother and her three cubs, fortunately from a far and safe distance. In others, the Yamal neared an iceberg so passengers could get up close to it. Ed and Virginia also rode on a helicopter from ship to land, where armed guards escorted them in case the polar bears showed up. The itinerary allowed passengers to explore various islands, including Victoria Island, Franz Josef Land, Novaya Zemlya, and Vaygach. At these locations, they were able to see former camps of people who survived the treacherous lands and memorials to those who did not. They were allowed to visit a Nenets village on Vaygach, the local indigenous group that makes a living caring for caribou. They also visited a former Stalin-era gulag, where many souls perished.
After several days at sea, the Yamal finally reached the North Pole, where Ed and Virginia stepped out onto the icy terrain. The photographs show them walking around the world and crossing all the time zones. Ed and Virginia posed for their annual Christmas card with the banner they packed for the occasion. We see Ed riding a folding bike and diving into the icy waters so he could compete in the North Pole Short Course Triathlon, for which he received a certificate of completion and was crowned the over-90 age group champion.
The collection also includes brochures for the touring company, menus, and letters from Ed imploring friends to join them. There is also a daily itinerary explaining what was in store for them. Every day, they were treated to movies, sumptuous meals, exercises, land trips, and lectures in the morning and evening given by experts such as Captain Alfred McLaren and Sir Walter Herbert.
The collection does not end following the Yamal’s return to Murmansk. Back in Muncie, Ed wrote numerous letters to friends excitedly sharing his adventure. He presented on the topic at Rotary Clubs in Muncie and Sutton’s Bay, Michigan, and encouraged Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corporation to invite Captain McLaren to give a lecture at their facilities. Local journalist Nancy Millard wrote about the journey for the Star Press (Sunday, August 25, 1996). Ed commissioned a movie (not in the Heritage Collection), and Minnetrista created an exhibition about the trip, complete with a model of the Yamal.
Access to archival materials such as these are critical for historians to better understand and paint a complete picture of the past. The Heritage Collection has thousands of stories like this North Pole adventure just waiting to be discovered. Often, we find these by accident, and that is the thrill of working with museum collections. Who knows what we will uncover next?
A selection of photographs and archival materials from Ed and Virginia’s North Pole trip are on display accompanying the exhibition Narwhal: Revealing an Arctic Legend now on view through September 28.
