Sir John Franklin (1786-1847), British naval officer and Arctic explorer who was knighted in 1829. Here, he is in naval uniform and wearing his awards that included the Order of the Redeemer and the Royal Guelphic Order. In 1845, Franklin and his crew vanished on their ships HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, while in search of the Northwest Passage. Many expeditions were mounted to find him and his crew, but it was not until 1859 that a record of the expedition was found. It is thought the crew had abandoned the ships when they became trapped in ice, and they died trying to reach safety. Illustration published in 1890.