Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. This is an interesting souvenir purportedly made from a piston head from one of the four aircraft used during the 1933-1934 Second Antarctic Expedition led by Navy Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd. The piece is dated 1936, meaning it was likely made by someone stationed at one of the Little America research stations, which were maintained from 1929-1958.

The piston head measures 1 15/16” tall and is 5 ⅝” in diameter. It has spots for two cigarettes to sit. The side of the head is stamped:

RICHARD E. BYRD
SOUTH POLE EXPEDITION
1936

Little America was a series of Antarctic exploration bases from 1929 to 1958, located on the Ross Ice Shelf, south of the Bay of Whales. They were built on ice that moves very slowly; the relative location on the ice sheet has moved and eventually breaks off into an iceberg. The geographic location has new ice that has shifted to this location and is technically over the open water. 

Little America II was established in 1934, some thirty feet (ten meters) above the site of the original base, with some of the original base accessed via tunnel. This base was briefly set adrift in 1934, but the iceberg fused to the main glacier. During the 1934–1935 expedition, many souvenir letters were sent from Little America, using a commemorative postage stamp issued by the U.S. government. The souvenir cancellation operations were conducted under extremely difficult conditions.

This likely was made by someone stationed at Little America II. A very interesting souvenir related to the Byrd expeditions, ready for display.