Now on display at the Sullivan County Cultural Center, an historic collection of photographs taken by North Pole explorer and Sullivan County native Frederick Cook will be the subject of a July 21 talk presented by the Frederick Cook Society.

The collection includes over 60 never-before-seen photographs taken by Dr. Cook between 1896 and 1908 in Alaska, Greenland, Antarctica and the Arctic. Cook, born in Hortonville, was the first explorer to claim to have reached the North Pole. He was also an extraordinary photographer.

Carol Smith, Director of the Frederick Cook Society and curator of the exhibition, will present the talk. Smith’s background as a fine artist led to her interest in Dr. Cook’s photography. The Cook Society owns a collection of more than 200 vintage photographs, as well as a large collection of photographs in digital format, acquired from the Byrd Polar Center and the Library of Congress.

The 6 p.m. talk on July 21 will be part of the Hurleyville Summer Festival series, presented by Hurleyville Hub. The Summer Festival begins at 4 p.m. and goes until 7 p.m. During Festival hours, the Cultural Center will have live music and refreshments, and be open for tours. This unique Thursday afternoon/evening Festival will feature food trucks, vendors, bounce houses, a scavenger hunt, live music, yoga and more.

The Cultural Center, home to the Frederick Cook Society, is located a stone’s throw from the festivities, at 265 Main Street, Hurleyville. For more information, call 845-434-8044, or visit www.frederickcookpolar.org.