Adolf Lindstrøm
Adolf Lindstrøm was a Norwegian chef and polar expeditioner who participated on three of the most famous Norwegian polar expeditions: the Gjøa Expedition, and the 2nd and 3rd Fram expeditions. His good reputation and fame are a result of the good food he made, which made him known as the best of all polar cooks.
Lindstrøm has a long history of polar expeditions; his was only 15 years old when he went on his first journey to the Arctic Ocean, working as a galley boy. After that, he was called upon for several expeditions around the globe.
On June 24th 1893 the Norwegian Ship, Fram, set out on her first expedition. Fridtjof Nansen was in charge of the scientific side and Otto Sverdrup captained the ship. Lindstrøm joined the expedition as a polar chef. They headed off to the New Siberian Island, sailing for 3 years. After that Lindstrøm joined Fram’s second expedition with Otto Sverdrup to the North-Western Greenland in 1898-1902.
Later, he also traveled with Roald Amundsen during his navigation of the Northwest Passage from 1903 to 1906 with the Norwegian ship Gjøa, and took part on Amundsen’s famous South Pole expedition during 1910-1912 with Fram.
Lindstrøm was a large and jovial man, who rarely left the ship, unlike other expedition participants. The only thing that could lure him out was the opportunity to hunt ptarmigan because fresh meat was appreciated on the long expeditions. Lindstrøm was also a dispassionate man and an asset to the crew when homesickness arose during the long polar nights after several years in the ice.
Roald Amundsen wrote in his diary on April 5, 1911
“He has rendered greater and more valuable services to the Norwegian polar expedition than any other man.”