This is a model of the whaling ship Stella Polare. Built in Norway and launched in 1881, the original ship was given the name Jason. In 1888, explorer Fridtjof Nansen (1861–1930) used the ship to support the first crossing of Greenland on skis. The ship also carried Norwegian expeditions to the Arctic in 1887, Antarctica in 1893, and was used later to locate good whale hunting areas. Several years later, the Duke of the Abruzzi, Prince Luigi Amedeo (1873 – 1933) purchased, renamed, and upgraded the ship for his 1899 Arctic Expedition. On April 25, 1900, crew member Umberto Cagni (1863 – 1932) planted the Italian flag at 86°34’N, claiming the title of “Farthest North.”