A History of Polar Exploration in 50 Objects: From Cook's Circumnavigations to the Aviation Age

Anne Strathie, MA 1970

The 50 objects span a key period in polar exploration, from the 1770s to the early 1930s. Today they are located worldwide, including in polar regions, public spaces, museums, archives and private collections. Some objects were used by famous explorers, but more testify to important work by mariners, scientists, artists, photographers and filmmakers and the sometimes overlooked contributions of explorers’ relatives, sponsors and other supporters.

Objects include an octant used by Orcadian Dr John Rae, RRS Discovery (built in and now returned to in Dundee), Henry 'Birdie' Bowers's 'Terra Nova' expedition sledge-flag, Shackleton's sledging compass and postcards from Dr William Bruce's 'Scotia' expedition, a samurai sword and HMS Erebus's long-lost ship's bell. Related to both Erebus and St Andrew's is a daguerreotype of Harry Goodsir of Anstruther, a member of John Franklin's 1845 expedition - which is accompanied by photographs of Goodsir from St Andrew's University special collections.

Collectively, the objects witness a period of polar endeavour during which, notwithstanding national ambitions and personal rivalries, levels of international collaboration were established which resulted in the Antarctic and other treaties which seek to safeguard the earth's fragile and precious polar regions.

Anne Strathie's previous books include 'Birdie Bowers: Captain Scott's Marvel, From Ice Floes to Battlefields [explorers in World War I] and Herbert Ponting: Scott's Antarctic Photographer and Pioneer Filmmaker.

ISBN: 9781803991054