Raymond Lee Newcomb (December 31, 1849 – June 28, 1918) was an American naturalist, taxidermist, artist, and astronomer from Salem, Massachusetts.[1] He was part of the Jeannette expedition and edited and co-authored Our Lost Explorers: the narrative of the Jeannette Arctic expedition as related by the survivors. The book incorporated material from his journal accounts of the expedition.[2] He was to produce studies and bring home specimens from the ill-fated Arctic expedition.[3]
He and the other survivors were welcomed back to the United States after their Arctic expedition. In 1882, he gave a presentation to the Essex Institute.[4] In 1883, he was scheduled to give a lecture on the expedition at Wellesley College with stereopticon images for illustration.[5] A Congressional Set from 1884 catalogs various documents related to the expedition including statements by Newcomb.[6] Newcomb's work included taxidermy to preserve specimens.[1]
After his return from the Arctic expedition, he served as Salem's health officer.[7] In 1893, he became secretary of the Salem Camera Club.[8] In 1895, he wrote an article about photography and the expedition for Anthony's Photographic Bulletin.[9] Edward Ellsberg wrote about Newcomb and the expedition in Cruise of the Jeannette published in 1949.[10]