author
Hiram Bingham
1875–1956
An explorer, scholar, and public figure, he is best known for bringing Machu Picchu to worldwide attention after the 1911 Yale Peruvian Expedition. His life moved from academic work into politics, giving him an unusual place in both exploration history and American public life.
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About the author
Born in Honolulu in 1875, he built an early career as a historian and teacher before turning to field exploration in South America. He became internationally famous after leading the 1911 Yale Peruvian Expedition to Peru, where he helped document and publicize Machu Picchu for a global audience.
His writing brought that story to many readers, especially through The Lost City of the Incas. Although he is often linked with the "rediscovery" of Machu Picchu, modern accounts also note that local people already knew the site well; his role was in studying it and introducing it to a wider academic and popular public.
Later, his career shifted into government. He served as governor of Connecticut and then as a U.S. senator, making for a remarkably varied life that joined scholarship, exploration, authorship, and politics.