An Inaugural Meeting of the South Georgia Association will be held in London at the Linnean Society, Piccadilly, on 14 December 2001 at 6.30. We intend then to adopt a constitution for the Association and agree to a programme for the year 2002. This will be followed by a short presentation by Nick Lewis on "Shackleton on Screen" Ð the making of the new IMAX film. This will be followed by socialising at a pay bar until 9.30.

South Georgia is a unique sub-Antarctic island of exceptional natural beauty and with wonderful wild life on land and at sea. It is an overseas territory of the UK administered by a Commissioner based in the Falkland Islands. It is home to two scientific stations of the British Antarctic Survey and a few government employees. It has an interesting heritage, is environmentally vulnerable, very precious, and very worth defending and preserving.

Some of us who know South Georgia or are interested in the Island have met and decided to form an association devoted to it. The objectives proposed for this body, which we shall register as an educational charity, are:

- To encourage interest in, and concern for South Georgia in the United Kingdom and other countries.
- To encourage the study of South Georgia and promote the conservation of its natural and cultural heritage.
- To promote contacts and encourage fellowship among those who have lived and worked in or around South Georgia, have visited or are interested in the Island.

Who do we hope will join? Anyone who shares our affection and concern for South Georgia and wishes to follow developments there. We are now circulating a number of people and organisations with South Atlantic interests and we hope you will join us.

The Membership Fee will be £15 annually or £50 for a five year subscription.

What shall we do? To further our objectives, we envisage one or two meetings a year in Britain, plus a visit to an organisation, ship or site of South Georgia interest. We intend to produce a newsletter twice yearly, which will report on events in South Georgia and developments which will affect the Island, and have features on its history, wildlife and other topics. We shall draw up a full programme in response to the wishes and suggestions of our membership. Finally we shall circulate a list of our members.

Even if you cannot attend we should welcome views on our objectives and ideas for our programme.
Bob Burton, John Croxall, Angus Erskine, Patrick Fagan, William Fullerton, John Heap, Rex Hunt, Pat Lurcock, Sarah Lurcock, Skip Novak, Stephen Palmer, Sally Poncet, Trevor Potts, Alexandra Shackleton, David Tatham and Lance Tickell.
--Excerpted from a flyer dated December 16, 2001 [sic].

NOTE: For contact information go to 'Antarctic Organizations' elsewhere on this site.

UPDATE: "We had our inaugural meeting of the South Georgia Association last night, with 60 attending. It went very well. We are planning a number of meetings next year, including the 20th Anniversary of the Liberation of South Georgia on 24 April. The AGM is set for 24 May."
--From an e-mail from Bob Burton.
(15 December 2001)

Although already held, this event is being included now as a matter of record:

"On 10 December 2001 a dinner was held at Warner's Historic Hotel in Christchurch, New Zealand. It was exactly one hundred years to the night an elaborate banquet was held by the citizens of Christchurch for Captain Robert Scott and his officers of the "Discovery".

The menu replicated some of the original dishes and a great night was had by all. Guests of honor were Sir Ed and Lady Jane Hillary. David Harrowfield was instrumental in assisting with the organisation.

Warners have pledged their support to the Trust as a result of the evening."
--From 'Heritage Hearsay', issue 29 (February 2002), the newsletter of the Antarctic Heritage Trust.

Notes:
From an e-mail from David Harrowfield back on 5 Novembr 1998:
"[Warners] has a collection of post-1982 memorabilia associated with the US Antarctic Program. Includes ball caps, tee shirts, USAP flag, replicated crest of USAP and South Pole Station rebuilding, lifebuoy from the Nathaniel B. Palmer and Wild Bill's bicycle used with rockets attached, at McMurdo Station. It has become the gathering place for US scientists and air crews."

And from 'The Press' 2 July 1999 [via the Internet]:
"The 'grand old lady' of Cathedral Square, Warners Hotel, will reopen its popular backpackers' accommodation next week. Warners Hotel lessees Stan and Lynne O'Keefe said changes to comply with fire regulations were almost complete. There would be smoke alarms in every room and in corridors. A final inspection would take place early next week and Mrs O'Keefe hoped the doors would be open on Tuesday or Wednesday. The couple, who also run Bailies Bar, said the bar had been losing a lot of custom because of the six-week closure of the backpackers. "We have been turning a lot of people away from the backpackers," she said. "Our grand old lady has a good name all over the world and people come to see us because of it." Mrs O'Keefe said the October demolition order on the building was still hanging over their heads. She said she would much prefer to stay in the original building with all its history. Robert Falcon Scott, the doomed Antarctic explorer, stayed at what is now the backpackers hotel on his way to the South Pole. The visitors' book shows his name. Mrs O'Keefe was keen to preserve the building that holds this and other historical gems. A petition to preserve the Square's heritage building had gathered more than 300 signatures in a week."

(3 April 2002)

DR. DAVID M. WILSON.
Saturday, 1 December 2001.
Cocktails 6.00 pm. Dinner 7.00 pm.
Cosmos Club, 2121 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC.
Black Tie preferred.
Dr. David Wilson will present slides and lecture about his great uncle, Edward Wilson of the Antarctic (1872-1912) who was on both of Scott's Antarctic expeditions and died with him on the return from the Pole. Dr. Wilson (the elder) is widely regarded as one of Antarctica's finest artists and pioneering scientist-explorers. He served as assistant surgeon, vertebrate zoologist and artist on the 1901-1904 'Discovery' Expedition and as Chief of the Scientific staff on the 2nd 'Terra Nova' expedition. David's topic is particularly timely given that this year marks the start of the centenary of the 'Discovery' expedition, which represented the first major penetration into the Antarctic Interior.
Dr. David Wilson is accomplished in his own right. He earned his "doctor" title studying the philosophical problems of inter-culturalism, and is devoted to locating and protecting polar archives, as well as preserving stories of Antarctic exploration history. Like his great uncle, David is a keen ornithologist, and has frequently lectured on cruises to Antarctica. Dr. Wilson has also co-authored two Antarctic.books: Cheltenham in Antarctica: the Life of Edward Wilson, and Discovery Illustrated: Pictures from Captain Scott's first Antarctic Expedition.

Presented in conjunction with the Explorers Club and the Society of Woman Geographers. [Probably limited to members of the three organizations.] For information contact Markie Hunsiker, 5705 Nevada Avenue NW, Washington DC 20015.

UPDATE: I attended this event as did plenty of others; it was, in fact, sold out. David's illustrated talk was excellent. Among Antarcticans in attendance: Jackie Ronne and Karen Ronne Tupek, Brenda Clough, Ruth Siple, Paul Dalrymple, Abel Shafer, Joe Bugayer. The next day some of us had fun doing a tour of Antarctic sites in the Washington area: The Wilkes marker on the grounds of the Capitol and the plaque at the Navy Memorial; Lincoln Ellsworth's 'Polar Star' at the Air and Space Museum; and at Arlington National Cemetery, the statue of Byrd and the graves of Byrd, Balchen, Ronne, Wilkes and Eklund.
--R. Stephenson

Beetles on the Beardmore - Antarctica Before the Big Freeze.
Alan Ashworth, North Dakota State University.
Saturday, 1 December 2001. 8.00 pm.
What were Antarctica's flora and fauna like before the formation of its continental ice sheet? At last, a fossil site has been discovered providing insight into these. Intriguingly, it also suggests that the onset of glaciation was much later than commonly supposed.

An exhibition featuring works from Lucia deLeiris' exotic travel including illustrations from her forthcoming National Geographic book Antarctic Journal; The Hidden Worlds of Antarctica's Animals [see 'Antarctic Book Notes' elsewhere on this site]. Opening reception: Saturday, November 18th, 2001, 5-7pm. Show continuing through 9 December. Arnold Art Gallery, 210 Thames Street, Newport, RI 02840. Tel: 1-800-352-2234. Web: www.arnoldart.com. Also Lucia's site at: www.luciadeleiris.com

A millenium reunion of ex FIDS, ships crews and support staff of Base Z Halley Bay is being organized for 10 November 2001 in the Northants / Warwickshire UK area. Apparently the last major reunion was in the 1970s. For information contact Mary Darrall-Brown, PSA, P.O. Box 203, Shrewsburty SY4 4WT UK. E-mail: mary@overlay.globalnet.co.uk. Tel: 01952 740234.

To be held in the North Cloister, Dulwich College, London on Friday 9 November 2001 at 6:30pm. Reception and Buffet dinner followed by the program: Professor G.E. Fogg will speak on "Relics in the Antarctic Peninsula" illustrated with some unusual slides. Cost: £20. Deadline for reservations: 5 November.
The seventh Annual General Meeting of the Society will be held at 6:00pm in the Board Room at Dulwich College.
For further information on the meeting and on membership in the Society, contact The Hon. Secretary, The James Caird Society, School Farm, Benenden, Kent TN17 4EU, UK.

Looking Ahead: The spring meeting of the Society is set for 10 May 2002, the same date as the tentatively scheduled Christie's Polar Sale.

Meridian International Center, 1624-1630 Crescent Place NW, Washington, DC 20009. Tel: 202-667-6800. www.meridian.com

These two exhibitions, on view in Meridian International Center's White-Meyer Galleries, present views of regions which seem remote to many in the United States. In Polar Extremes. Art from Frozen Places, visitors are introduced to the rough and beautiful continent of Antarctica through the paintings of Alan Campbell. The prints ofJessie Oonark depict Inuit history, culture and spirituality in a series of elegant images from the Canadian Arctic. Pill Stefinsson's photographs in the exhibition Iceland. Land of the Vikings, are a vivid representation of his country's diverse environments and dramatic landscapes. The exhibition will be on view from October 25 to December 30 [2001].

Polar Extremes: Art From Frozen Places: The Paintings of Alan Campbell
Georgia painter Alan Campbell has created a most unusual and unique career as a visiting artist with science research programs, taking him to some of the most remote locations on the planet. Following in the tradition of the great exploring expeditions of the past, Campbell has journeyed three times to Antarctica with the National Science Foundation, for a total of over eight months "on the ice".

More recently, he has expanded this collaboration with science to work in the rainforests of Costa Rica and Peru with the Organization for Tropical Studies. The resulting exhibitions in New Zealand, Chile and the United States from these projects have not only created an aesthetic of remoteness but have also helped promote a much widerawareness of the major environmental and conservation issues of our day.

This quest to convey a unique sense of place has also led the artist to Kenya, the Galapagos Islands, Chile, Ecuador, New Zealand and Italy. Closer to home, he has captured the beauty of Maine, Montana, Alaska and across his native state of Georgia.

Mr. Campbell says of his works from Antarctica:

The works are not scientific illustrations, but my own free interpretation of the elusive and at times surrealistic sights, sounds and sensations of the most magical and mysterious of places.

I have painted the turquoise blues and greens of an ice cave in the Canada Glacier, spent days with 5000 Adelie penguins in the rookery at Cape Royds, slept on the floor of the huts of the early explorers Shackleton and Scott, watched killer whales in 2 A.M. sunlight from the stern of an icebreaker, and sat in a place so quiet you could hear your heart beat. These are experiences that elude easy description.

This is a marvelous show in a very elegant venue. Thirty or more of Campbell's paintings are on exhibit, most from private collections. Several of the newer ones are available (although no prices given). One of his pictures--23 Emperors--is available as a lithograph for $200 (although not available at the exhibit). His website is: http://www.alancampbellstudios.com. Tel: 706-548-2112.
--R. Stephenson
(13 December 2001)

PRELIMINARY ANNOUNCEMENT. A meeting sponsored by the Byrd Polar Research Center in collaboration with the Wexner Center for the Arts, The Ohio State University, has been scheduled for October 20-21, 2001 in Columbus, Ohio.

Tentative Schedule of Events:

Saturday, October 20, 2001 at the Byrd Polar Research Center, Scott Hall (1090 Carmack Road) on West Campus:

3:00-4:00 PM - Announcement of the Goldthwait Polar Medalist and the Goldthwait Polar Lecture.

4:30-6:00 PM - Reception and Book Signing. Please join us for an opportunity to meet authors of several recently published books concerning polar history and exploration. Authors include: Raimund E.Goerler, and the Frederick A. Cook Society. Other guest authors to be announced.

6:00-7:00 PM - Meeting of the Byrd Polar Research Center Archival Program Advisory Board. Please plan to attend this public meeting and express your views about potential future public programming to be sponsored by the Byrd Center.

1:00-1:30 PM - Public Lecture by Lisle Rose, author of "Assault on Eternity," and currently at work on a biography of Admiral Richard E. Byrd.

1:30-3:00 PM - Special Presentation of "With Admiral Byrd at the South Pole: the Story of Little America."

Please contact Laura Kissel to register (telephone: 614-688-8173; e-mail: kissel.4@osu.edu)

Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure will premiere at the IMAX theatre at Waterloo in London on Thursday October 18, 2001. Time: 6:30 for 7pm followed by a reception in the presence of HRH The Princess Royal, Patron of t he UK Antarctic Heritage Trust. A limited number of tickets at £25 are available from the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust, the proceeds going to the Stromness Manager's Villa restoration effort. For further details contact Rachel Morgan, Administrator, UK Antarctic Heritage Trust, Kingcoed Farm, Usk, NP15 1DS, UK. Tel/fax: 01291 690305. E-mail: ukaht@dircon.co.uk

UPDATE: Here's a review from Brenda Clough:

The IMAX film "Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure" opened in London in mid-October, complete with celebrities and royals in attendance. I went a couple days later, on October 20th. Tickets cost 7 pounds, about par with American prices.

The London IMAX Theater is only a block from the Royal Festival Hall arts complex, very convenient. The screening I attended was well-filled. In the lobby was an informational exhibit about the film and about Shackleton -- the windproofs the cast wore, maps, and so forth. Making the film seems to have been a harrowing adventure. The unfortunate actors who re-enacted the boat journey were unable to bear up in their period garb, and had to wear Polarfleece and modern insulative garments underneath the Burberrys. The reproductions of the James Caird and other boats that they used in filming were wrecked by storms.

The film is replete with dazzling footage of sun and sea and icebergs, all the swooping and soaring effects that have made IMAX films famous. Historical shots of the Endurance expedition, in black and white, are intercut with modern color shots. The huge format becomes perilous when the boats take to the sea. People subject to seasickness should be aware that there are a lot of queasy up-and-down sequences as the boats struggle painfully through stormy seas.

The film concludes, a little oddly, with three modern mountaineers who retrace Shackleton's hike across South Georgia island. Their modern jumpsuits and high-tech climbing gear strike the eye strangely, after so much time seeing wooden boats and gabardine jumpers.

However, all the historical material is well presented and the film is a must-see for the Shackleton fan.

Michael Smith, whose book on Tom Crean has been a bestseller in Ireland, will speak at the Chiswick Town Hall, Heathfield Terrace, W4 on Thursday, 11 October at 7:45pm. Tickets: £4. For details and tickets ring 020 8994 0951. The English edition of the book, published by Headline, appeared on 6 September (£20).

"The hostile ice and violent blizzards of the South Pole are being recreated in leafy Chiswick this month--in a bid to raise money for charity. Chiswick author, Michael Smith is delivering an illustrated talk on the adventures of Tom Crean, the unsung hero among the men who first explored the Antarctic 100 years ago. Crean travelled on three of the four major British Polar expeditions and spent more time on the icy Continent than either the more celebrated Captain Scott or Sir Ernest Shackleton.
All proceeds will go to the Micro Loan Foundation, the charity run by Peter Ryan of Chiswick and whose patrons include Sir Bob Geldorf. MLF lends small sums of seed corn money to people in the poorest areas of the Philippines to help them become self-sufficient by developing farming, fishing and other of life's essentials Ð "Helping the poor to help themselves.""

Antarctica, a new play by David Young based on Scott's Northern Party, opens at London's Savoy Theatre on 9 October 2001 with preview performances starting on 25 September, appropriately the same date as Christie's polar sale (see below).

From a recently received flyer on the play: "April 1912 and while Captain Scott struggles to the South Pole, six men find themselves cut off from the expedition. With no winter clothing, only seven weeks of rations and six months away from the advent of spring they face the biggest challenge of all--the fight for survival. Based on a true story, this critically accalaimed new play by David Young was a smash hit in Toronto in 1998 and now receives its UK premiere at the Savoy Theatre. Antarctica is an inspiring new play, which will take you on a powerful journey to the ultimate destination--the human spirit."

And here's some of what the website GOOD SHOW! [http://commerce1.ba.best.com/~jeanknox/reports/reports.cgi?production=submit&production_name=Antarctica] has to say about it:

Performances: Mon - Sat 7.30 p.m., Wed & Sat mats at 2.30 p.m. (No mat Oct 17th)
Tickets: £12.50 - £35
Author: David Young
Director: Richard Rose Actors: Mark Bazeley, Stephen Boxer, Darrell D'Silva, Jason Flemyng, Eddie Marsan, Ronan Vibert

Based on a true story, Antarctica is set in April 1912 when Captain Scott was struggling to reach the South Pole. The play is about the six men who found themselves cut off from the expedition in a place they called "Inexpressible Island"....Sets and special effects are reported to be spectacular.

Canadian Playwright David Young also co-wrote Fire, loosely based on the life of rock-'n-roller Jerry Lee Lewis. His play Glenn, about Glenn Gould, was staged at Toronto's Harbourfront Centre, the Great Canadian Theatre Company, and at Stratford. Inexpressible Island, (an earlier form of Antarctica), was a Governor General's Award finalist. Young is former president of Coach House Press which, in its day, was one of the most vital publishers to Canada's book industry. His current projects include an extensive television drama about medical relief work in South Sudan.

Mark Bazely, whose previous stage work includes The Real Thing and The Seagull at the Donmar Warehouse, will play Lt Campbell. Priestly [sic] will be played by Stephen Boxer, whose numerous stage credits include At Our Table, White Chameleon, The Shape of the Table and Once in a While the Odd Thing Happens, at the National and more recently Snogging Ken at the Almeida. Darrell D'Silva will play Abbott. D'Silva has appeared in the TV series Out of the Blue and his stage credits include Closer and Further than the Furthest Thing.

Jason Flemyng of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels fame, will play Browning. Since "Lock Stock," he has gone on to appear in the films Snatch, The Bunker, Rock Star and From Hell. Eddie Marsan, whose most recent stage roles were in The Homecoming and Chips With Everything, will play Dickason. His television work includes appearances in EastEnders, Grange Hill and Game On. The final cast member, Ronan Vibert will play Dr Levick. Vibert's last stage appearance was in War and Peace at the National. His films include Stephen Frears' Sammy and Rosie Get Laid and Roman Polanski's The Pianist.

UPDATE: Four enthusiastic Antarcticans went to a preview performance on 27 September. I must say the Savoy Theatre is a gem but we all agreed that the same couldn't be said about the play. Overly long, tedious and boring a good bit of the time and none of us could really figure out what the playwright was trying to say. We also wondered what was true and what was made up. The staging is interesting though.
--R. Stephenson

UPDATE: Several reports received from those at the opening night. Here's one: "We went to the opening night of 'Antarctica' last night - LOTS of Polar people - descendants, modern explorers - pop stars - Sting and Boy George, models - Claudia Scheifer (?sp). Most people liked it and thought that they had done a good job, including myself (although it takes a bit of getting used to the idea that the characters are composites and not purely historical! I imagine that doesn't matter if you know nothing of the men). They apparently did some re-working last week. (That's why I don't like previews, they are only a form of rehearsal!) So a really "happening" event, as they say. It will be interesting to see what the critics make of it (which will make or break it, one suspects)."

UPDATE: The Evening Standard reviewed the play in its 10 October issue. Here's a bit of it: "The play's designer Rae Smith, has created a grim wasteland, all black ice, claustrophobic cave areas, and menacing vistas. A frozen cliff face rears up like a steep hill, over which bearded chaps struggle in murky light, while a gale rages. Antarctica here we come. But from then on it is, so to speak, downhill all the way." Not encouraging.

UPDATE: As the latest newsletter [November, 2001] of The Antarctican Society reports: "The polar fraternity enjoyed the nuances, but the critics were not too kind. Curtains."

NOTE: See under 'Antarctic Theatre' elsewhere on this site for more comment.

The Coldest March: New Insights into Scott's Fatal Antarctic Expedition.
Susan Solomon, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Saturday, 29 September, 2001. 8.00 pm.
A distinguished scientist and author of a recent book on this subject, the speaker brings the power of modern science to bear on the tragic conclusion of Scott's polar journey. Her analysis reveals that exceptional weather rather than human error was primarily responsible for the disaster.

The Swedish Antarctic Expedition of 1901-04.
Robert Headland, Scott Polar Research Institute.
Saturday, 20 October 2001. 8.00 pm.
This talk is the first of three in the Polar Centenary Series about major Antarctic expeditions setting out in 1901. This first lecture outlines the context in which several European countries arranged to cooperate in Antarctica's exploration, and tells the story of Otto Nordenskj6ld's memorable expedition.

The German South Polar Expedition of 1901-03.
Cornelia Lüdecke, University of Munich.
Saturday, 10 November 2001. 8.00 pm.
The speaker will describe the organisation and achievements of Erich von Drygalski's expedition, setting her talk in the context of national political and naval rivalries as well as international scientific collaboration.

Discovery Rediscovered.
David Wilson, Antarctic historian and lecturer.
Saturday, 17 November 2001. 5.00 pm.
Robert Scott's expedition of 1901-04 was the first to penetrate into the interior of Antarctica, and the first to prove once-and-for-all that Antarctica was indeed a continent. Overshadowed by Scott's second expedition, the speaker will suggest that this expedition has been unjustly neglected.
PLEASE NOTE: This lecture will be followed by the AGM of the Friends of the Institute and a buffet. All are welcome to the lecture but Friends only should attend the AGM and buffet.

A new Memorial to Captain Scott will be unveiled on Scott's birthday--6 June 2001--at Cardiff Bay, Cardiff, Wales. For the latest check out http://captain-scott.members.beeb.net [or elsewhere on this site under Antarctic Art].

--From a recent mailing to members of the Captain Scott Society.

Now set--subject to confirmation--for 6 August 2001.
--From the Spring 2001 Newsletter of the Society.

UPDATE: The autumn (2001) newsletter of the Society reports that the memorial has yet to be constructed much less unveiled. The Welsh Arts Council has turned down an application for a Lottery Grant so it appears that the cost of £18,000 will fall upon the Society to raise. The unveiling is now expected in mid to late 2002.

8:15 - 9:00 AM Registration / Coffee and Donuts.

9:00 - 9:15 AM Welcome Address.

9:15 - 10:15 AM 'Shackleton,' by T.H. Baughman.

10:15 - 10:30 AM Coffee Break.

10:30 - 11:15 AM Video: 'Icy Continent Mapped From Space with RADARSAT.'

11:15 AM - 12:00 PM 'Women on Ice: A Light-Hearted Look Back at Women in Antarctic Science,' by Rosemary Askin.

12:00 Noon - 1 PM Lunch at Scott Hall.

1:00 - 1:15 PM Presentation of the Goldthwait Polar Medal - Recipient to be Announced.

1:15 - 2:15 PM Goldthwait Polar Lecture.

2:15 - 2:30 PM Break.

2:30 - 3:15 PM 'Assembling Antarctica: A History of Images,' by William Fox.

3:15 - 3:45 PM 'Oral History Project of the Byrd Polar Research Center Archival Program,' by Raimund Goerler and Laura Kissel.

3:45 - 4:15 PM Closing Remarks.

4:15 - 5:00 PM Reception in Scott Hall.

5:00-6:15 PM Barbeque in Scott Hall.

7:30 PM Special Presentation at the Wexner Center for the Arts ( 1871 N. High Street, North High Street @ 15th Avenue): 'South: Ernest Shackleton and The Endurance Expedition' (Frank Hurley, 1919; restored 1998)'

For more information and registration information, contact: Lynn Lay, Librarian, Goldthwait Polar Library, Byrd Polar Research Center, The Ohio State University, 1090 Carmack Road, Columbus, OH 43210-1002. Telephone 614-292-6715. Fax 614-292-4697. E-mail: lay.1@osu.edu. Or: Lynn Everett, Telephone 614-292-4697. E-mail: everett.2@osu.edu. Web: http://www-bprc.mps.ohio-state.edu/

UPDATE: I attended the gathering along with perhaps 80 others. For me the highlights were Rik van Glintenkamp's talk, 'Echoes in the Ice', on his collages featuring Antarctic explorers (many of which were on display in the excellent show at the OSU Library) and Bill Fox's 'Assembling Antarctica: A History of Images' which was an excellent overview of Antarctic art from Cook to the present. The accompanying exhibit in the Philip Sills Exhibit Hall in the OSU Library is up until December 15th. In addition to Rik's collages, there is a variety of photographs, letters, artifacts and the like related to Byrd, Wilkins, Frederick Cook. Among my favorites is a scale model of Byrd's ill-fated Snow Cruiser.

--R. Stephenson

The National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, England. September 14, 2000 to September 2001. EXTENDED

NOTE: EXHIBITION EXTENDED! Michael Smith e-mails to say that the "... National Maritime Musuem in London is to extend the South exhibition because of its popularity. South: The Race to the Pole was due to close in September, but the run has now been extended until January 31, 2002. The official announcement will be made on Monday [20 August]. It seems that 700,000 people have visited NMM at Greenwich since the exhibition opened a year ago. The owners of the various items have given permission to extend the loans. To mark the extension, NMM is holding a special day of events on Saturday, September 8, 2001... including free performances by actors playing Tom Crean and Apsley Cherry-Garrard, workshops for children and a lantern show by Broke Evans, son of Teddy Evans."
UPDATE: The 'James Caird' has been moved from Dulwich College and is now being displayed as part of the NMM exhibition.

From the Museum's webpage [www.nmm.ac.uk]:

"The World's first major exhibition on Scott, Shackleton & Amundsen.

The Norwegian sledging flag taken to the South Pole by Roald Amundsen - claiming the Pole for Norway ahead of Captain Scott's ill-fated expedition - is one of the star exhibits in a forthcoming major exhibition at the National Maritime Museum. SOUTH: the race to the Pole will be the world's first exhibition devoted to the story of three heroes of Antarctic exploration: Captain Robert Falcon Scott, Sir Ernest Shackleton and Captain Roald Amundsen.

'South' runs from 14 September 2000 to September 2001 in the Canadian Pacific Special Exhibitions Gallery at the National Maritime Museum and is sponsored by A T Kearney and supported by Burberry, the Corporation of Trinity House and Orient.

The scope, quality and emotive power of the objects featured in 'South' is unprecedented. The artefacts tell the amazing story of the race to claim and traverse the Pole. A brief selection of the artefacts on display, many of which have never or rarely been seen before, includes:

Scott's goggles
Scott's sledging satchel
Scott's watertight watch
Scott's sledging flag - flown at the Pole in January 1912 and recovered from the tent near Scott's frozen body.
Scott's overshoes - also found in his tent
Scott's last journal - containing his final words, written on 29 March 1912
A stuffed male Emperor penguin brought back by the zoologist Dr Wilson on Scott's first voyage (1901-04)
Captain Amundsen's fur suit
Shackleton's boat compass - used on his epic 800-mile journey in a small boat to safety and the Couch on which Shackleton collapsed when he finally completed the journey at a Norwegian whaling station in South Georgia.

Artefacts from the Museum, some recently secured at auction (September 1999 at Christie's) will be joined by material from other museums, institutions and private collections. The Scott Polar Research Institute is working with the Museum and is lending artefacts for the first time. Many items from the Fram Museum in Norway will be displayed for the first time in the UK.

Captain Robert Falcon Scott (1868-1912), Captain Roald Amundsen (1872-1928) and Sir Ernest Shackleton (1874-1922) are among the most celebrated explorers of the 20th century. Each risked his life to explore the unknown continent of Antarctica. 'South' will explore fully the British and Norwegian expeditions of scientific discovery - Scott's expedition on the Terra Nova (1910-13) and Amundsen's on Fram (1910-12). Shackleton's solo venture to reach the Pole in Nimrod (1907-09) and his attempt to traverse the Antarctic continent on Endurance (1914-17), culminating in his incredible 800-mile journey to safety in the boat James Caird, will also be examined. These expeditions constitute some of the greatest examples in history of pioneering exploration and courage in the face of extreme hardship.

Richard Ormond, Director of the National Maritime Museum, said 'South will include a quite remarkable collection of artefacts relating to three great heroic figures. With the help of these objects, we will present the full, endlessly fascinating, story behind events which are seared deeply into the consciousness of the British public.'

Contact National Maritime Museum, Press Office, Greenwich, London, SE10 9NF Telephone +44 (0) 20 8312 6745 / 6545 / 6790, fax +44 (0) 20 8312 6521 E-mail mxbarrett@nmm.ac.uk or kvcannin@nmm.ac.uk"

UPDATE: I visited the exhibit on November 1st and it's excellent. Particularly welcomed are the large number of Amundsen items, mostly from the Fram Museum and the Ski Museum in Norway. One of the Emperor Penguin eggs from the 'Worst Journey' to Cape Crozier is on display. The catalogue--South The Race to the Pole--is excellent (more fully described under 'Antarctic Book Notes' elsewhere on this site.
--R. Stephenson

Here's a listing of the items I noted during my visit:
UPDATE: The listing below has been revised and corrected based on a second visit in May, 2001.
KEY: NMM=National Maritime Museum. RGS=Royal Geographical Society. SPRI=Scott Polar Research Institute.

Capt Cook portrait by James Dance. From NMM.

Terra Nova figurehead. From Welsh Industrial and Maritime Museum.

Portrait by John Wildman 1833-34 of Sir James Clark Ross. From NMM. [Not on display at my second visit, May 2001.]

Two Ponting photos: Pancake Ice, from a private collection. Wave crashing on iceberg, from NMM.

Ponting photo of Evans, Forde, and Crean repairing sledge. From a private collection.

William Colbeck's sledging flag from Southern Cross expedition. Skull and crossbones. From NMM.

Portrait of Scott by Harrington Mann. From RGS.

Nansen sledge used on Discovery expedition. From RGS.

Emperor Penguin. Brought back by Discovery expeditiion, skinned by Dr Wilson. From NMM.

Three small pen and ink drawings by Wilson. From NMM.

Very large leather-covered telescope made by Ross used on Discovery. From NMM.

Crew on board Discovery at East India Dock 16 Sept 1904. Photo by Thomson. From NMM.

Ticket for launch of Discovery. From NMM.

Printed "appeal on behalf of the National Antarctic Expedition." From NMM.

Model of Discovery. From RGS.

Large detailed plan of the Discovery. From NMM.

Portrait of Sir Clements Markham by George Henry 1913. From RGS.

Sledge harness. From NMM.

.303 Greener rifle used on Discovery. From a private collection.

Ice axe used on Discovery. From NMM.

Two watercolors by Wilson: Paraselena Jan 15.11 and Mt Erebus. From SPRI.

Photo album from the Discovery compiled by Ernest Shackleton. From NMM.

Capt Colbeck's photo album from Discovery. From NMM.

Letter from Scott to Admiral Markham 27 Feb 1903. From NMM.

Copy of 'The Blizzard'. From NMM.

Discovery entertainment program. From NMM.

Pannikan used on Discovery sledging journeys. From Dundee Heritage Trust.

Sledging compass from Discovery. From NMM.

Scott's watch. From NMM.

Skin of a female snow petrel. From NMM.

Emperor penguin egg. From Cape Crozier by E. Wilson 13 Sept 1903. From the Natural History Museum.

Bar of silver extracted from Antarctica. From a private collection.

Piece of chocolate left at Hut Point. Brought back by Nimrod. No indication of ownership.

Three sandstone and limestone rock samples from Discovery. From Dundee Heritage Trust.

Captain Colbeck's lantern slides from two relief expedtions. No indication of ownership.

Written document entitled "Arrangements for Abandoning the 'Discovery'" Signed by Scott. From NMM.

Sir Clements Markham's silver presentation sledge. From NMM.

Printed dinner menu of Savage Club. 5 November 1904. From NMM.

Program of Sports for 8 Nov 1902 in honor of birthday of King Edward VII.

Signed photo of Shackleton. By Lallie Charles, London. From NMM.

Photo of Shackleton. By G.C.Beresford, London. From NMM.

Photo of Shackleton and Prime Minister Balfour. 29 June 1909. From NMM.

Shackleton sketch of his proposed route to the South Pole, Nimrod expedition. On stationery of the Grand Hotel, Eastbourne. From NMM.

The Invernairn Letters. Donated in 1958. First time on display. From NMM.

Portrait by unknown painter of Oates. From the Oates Museum.

Ponting photo of Oates with ponies in stable. From a private collection.

Terra Nova burgee. From NMM.

Murray Levick's sleeping bag. From NMM.

Amundsen's wolfskin jacket and trousers. From Fram Museum.

Burberry parka and trousers taken on Fram expedition. From Fram Museum.

"Ponko" Ponting Penguin toy. From NMM.

Scott's lucky horseshoe [painted white]. From RGS.

Plate camera used by Ponting. From SPRI.

Burberry parka and trousers from Terra Nova. From SPRI.

Model of a husky with a leather harness used on Fram expedition. From Ski Museum.

Very large coal briquet (at least 1 foot square) from Terra Nova. From National Museums and Galleries of Wales.

Ponting photo of the return of the Western Geological Party ca. Jan 1912. From a private collection.

Ponting photo of Wilson and Bowers reading thermometer. From a private collection.

Ponting photo of Biologist Dennis Lille with sponge. From a private collection.

Ponting photo of Thomas Clissold and Dr. Atkinson hauling up a fish trap. From a private collection.

Primus stove. From SPRI.

Album of photos by Ponting. From NMM.

One of the three intact Penguin eggs from Cape Crozier. From the Natural History Museum.

Emperor Penguin embryo in glass bottle. From the Natural History Museum.

Parts of a chemistry set used on the Terra Nova. From RGS.

Cine camera used by Ponting. From a private collection.

Cartoon of Capt Oates and Edward Atkinson August 1910 by DGL (Dennis Lillie). From the Forest School, London.

Photo of Wilson in tropical clothing; photo of Scott in tropical clothing. From NMM.

Midwinter dinner menu 22 June 1911 done by Wilson. Shows Cape Evans hut, signed by several members. From Dundee Heritage Trust.

Portrait of Shackleton by unknown artist about 1910. Ca 3'x2.5' From RGS.

Ships bell from the Nimrod. From RGS.

Plaster molds of RGS Polar medal commemorating Nimrod expedition, ca. 10" across. From RGS.

'Aurora Australis'. From NMM.

Two orthoclase crystals from Mt Erebus. From SPRI.

Dr Eric Marshall's sledging journal. From RGS.

Balaclava worn by Shackleton on his furthest south journey. Presentation to Frank Thornton. From RGS.

Shackleton's phonograph record, RCA Victor, recounting his dash to the Pole in 1909. From NMM.

Nimrod commemorative postcard. From NMM.

Elaborate wood gramophone with a big speaker. Taken on Fram expedition. From Fram Museum.

Blubber hooks, harpoon and flensing knives associated with Amundsen. From Fram Museum.

Dental equipment associated with Amundsen. From Fram Museum.

Medical kit associated with Amundsen. From Fram Museum.

Leg brace associated with Amundsen. From Fram Museum.

Small oval shaped snowshoe from Discovery. From SPRI.

Model of Scott's motor sledge. No indication of where it came from.

Amundsen's ski boots. From Fram Museum.

Scott's overshoes. Taken south. From NMM.

Container for matches and metal match box. Taken on Fram expedition. From Fram Museum.

Amundsen's knife. Taken to South Pole. From Fram Museum.

Model of the Fram. From Fram Museum.

Film cine camera used on Fram expedition. From Fram Museum.

Ponting photo of Scott's birthday party 6 June 1941. From a private collection.

Scott's sledging satchels and sledging goggles. From NMM.

Match box with safety pins. From a private collection.

Metal match box. From RGS.

Norwegian sledging flag. Used on Fram expedition. From Fram Museum

Dog harness and collar from Terra Nova. From Dundee Heritage Trust.

Tom Crean's skis. From Cyfarthfa Castle Museum and Art Gallery, Merthyr Tydfil.

Dog Harness and whip taken on Fram expedition. From Fram Museum.

Pony snow shoes used on Terra Nova. From Dundee Heritage Trust.

Large Nansen cooker. From SPRI.

Pair of Finneskoe. From NMM.

Items taken on the Fram expedition: Tinned meat, Knorrs linsen-suppe, Cadbury's cocoa essence. From Fram Museum.

Items taken on Terra Nova: jar of honey (from Cheltenham Art Gallery). Tin of Horlicks Malted Milk (from Oates Museum). Bovril pemmican (from SPRI).

Sledging biscuit. From a private collection.

Norwegian black flag marker found at Scott's last camp. From SPRI. [Not on display at my second visit, May 2001.]

Dr Wilson's watch found at Scott's last camp returned to Oriana. From Cheltenham Art Gallery.

Bags of curry and rice found at Scott's last camp. From RGS.

Summit ration bags found at Scott's last camp. From NMM.

Scott's silk sledging flag found at last camp. From NMM.

Capt Scott's skis made by L.H. Hagen & Co. From Ski Museum.

Capt Scott's journal. From the British Library.

Capt Scott's journal wallet, pencils and 'housewife'. From a private collection.

New Testament belonging to 'Birdie' Bowers. From SPRI.

Prayerbook from which Dr Atkinson read the burial service 12 Nov 1912. From Cheltenham Art Gallery.

Letter from Teddy Evans on board the Terra Nova to Admiral Markham 3 Feb 1913. From NMM.

Letter from Francis Drake on board Terra Nova to Admiral Markham 25 Jan 1913. From NMM.

Letter from Admiral Markham to Capt Scott 22 Aug 1912. From NMM.

Ponting photos of Edgar Evans; Capt Oates, Wilson painting; Birdie Bowers. All from private collections.

Parts of primus stove found at Scott's last camp. From NMM.

Sledging compass taken by Amundsen's party to the Pole. From Fram Museum.

Large Norwegian flag flown at the Pole, triple swallowtale. From Fram Museum.

Theodolite taken by Scott's party to the Pole. From NMM.

Pocket camera taken by Scott's party to the Pole. Fold-up bellows camera; all photographs of Scott's journey to the Pole were taken with this folding camera. From a private collection.

Union flag flown at the Pole by Capt Scott on a staff with a silver plaque. From the collection of The Queen.

Boot belonging from P.O. Evans. From Swansea Museum.

Dr Atkinson's sledging flag. In a wood case. Tree in center. "In pectori robur". From Forest School, London.

Wyllie's etching of Scott's message to the public. From NMM.

Scott commemorative postcard. From NMM.

Service for the unveiling of the Scott memorial at St Paul's Cathedral 5 May 1916. From NMM.

German medal presented to Amundsen. From NMM.

Daily Mirror placard 13 Feb 1913. Headline: 'Heroic Captain Scott and his son Peter'. From SPRI.

Silver ship model of the Terra Nova made by Mappin & Webb presented to Peter Scott on behalf of the nation. Silver gilt, Ca. 14" long. The plaque reads: 'This silver model of the Terra Nova was presented by the proprietors and readers of "John Bull" to Peter Scott (John Bull's boy) as a memento of the gallant life and death of his father, Captain Robert Falcon Scott RN, CVO, FRGS ?? December 1913.' From a private collection

Plaster maquette of the polar party by an unknown artist. A model for a public scupture that was never cast in bronze. Shows Scott standing in the center looking at a compass (?), 4 men behind him appearing to put up or take down a tent. Their names are engraved in the back. From RGS.

Queen's Hall announcement of a lecture by Teddy Evans Wednesday 4 June. From SPRI.

Impressionist painting ca. 3x2.5 feet "The Angel of Aurora Guarding the Heroes" by Frank Wilbert Stokes 1927. This painting commemorates the Scott tragedy. From RGS.

Booklet of Shackleton family holiday photographs from Sheringham 1910. From NMM.

Admiralty Minute annotated by Winston Churchill 23 Jan 1914. "What is the use of another expedition?" [No further info]

Letter 13 Jan 1914 from Shackleton to Elspeth Beardmore. From NMM.

Menu card showing Shackleton's proposed Imperial Trans-Antarctic route. Dated 7 March 1914. From RGS.

Photo of Aeneas Macintosh in a merchant marine uniform. From NMM.

Epitaph by Shackleton to the three casualties of the Ross Sea Party. From NMM.

Small model of the Endurance being crushed in the ice by an unknown maker, mounted on wood base. From RGS.

Annotated pocket bible from the Endurance. Notes in the margin were made by the second officer, Hubert Hudson, at Patience Camp on the ice. From a private collection.

Ship's bible left on the ice by Shackleton. From RGS (Queen Alexandria?)

Page from the Encyclopedia Britannica with a handwritten poem 'When.' From a private collection.

Hussey's zither banjo signed by members of the expedition including Shackleton. From NMM.

Wooden tent peg knife. From a private collection.

Tartan shirt made by Chippy MacNeish. From a private collection.

Spoon used for eating hoosh. From a private collection.

Liquid boat compass thought to have been used on the James Caird. From NMM.

Typewritten copy of Frank Worsley's log of the James Caird voyage. From SPRI.

Sextant used on the James Caird voyage. From a private collection.

Chronometer thought to have been used on the James Caird. From NMM.

Victorian style settee. Used at Stromness. From NMM.

Admiralty chart of South Georgia. Shows route taken by Shackleton added in pencil. From NMM.

Royal standard taken on Endurance expedition. From a private collection.

John M. Levinson, M.D. has generously prepared and loaned numerous items from his personal collection of artifacts about Polar exploration, natural history, and art to the Delaware Museum of Natural History. The display of Polar artifacts complements the Museum's current exhibit, Pole to Pole, and will be open to the public through August 30, 2000.

Visitors to the Polar Room will see many items that are both unique and of historical importance.

Levinson, a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and Past President of the Explorers Club (1985-87), is a resident of Rockland, DE. Levinson has had extensive experience as a ship's surgeon on numerous Polar expeditions and has co-edited a book about Polar travel entitled, SAFE PASSAGE QUESTIONED: Medical Care and Safety for the Polar Tourist.

Some of the artifacts on display include:

• An antique monaural stethoscope from a Russian ice breaker
• The Surgeon's kit used by Murray Levick (1876-1956) during the British Antarctic Expedition of 1910-13 led by Robert Falcon Scott
• A dinner plate used by Robert Falcon Scott, RN on the Terra Nova expedition in 1911.
• Art work from the Arctic including magnificent examples of scrimshaw and soapstone carvings
• Dr. Levinson's red parka used on many trips to the Arctic and Antarctic has patches he obtained from numerous polar stations.
• Rare books including the Aurora Australis. This book was printed in Antarctica during Ernest Shackleton's Nimrod expedition (1907-09) and only 58 copies of the book are known to exist.
• The Union Jack, presented to him [Shackleton] by Queen Alexandra, was hoisted in 1909 by Ernest Shackleton at 88° 23'south, only 97 nautical miles from the South Pole. For this extraordinary feat, he was knighted. He truly discovered the route to the South Pole. The flag is considered the most historic flag known to exist from man's quest for either the North or South Pole.

As part of the programming of 'Pole to Pole', Dr. Levinson will make two slide illustrated presentations about Polar travel. The first lecture based upon his book, Safe Passage Questioned, will take place on June 29 from 7 to 8 PM at the Delaware Museum of Natural History. Levinson will discuss the medical concerns facing tourists to the Polar Regions and reflect upon some of his experiences traveling to the North Pole and distant areas of Antarctica.

Dr. Levinson returns to the Museum on July 13 at 7 PM to discuss the life and personality of Sir Ernest Shackleton and his 1914 expedition to the Antarctic. This extraordinary explorer closed what is called "the heroic age of Antarctic exploration." Shackleton is most remembered for leading the fabled Endurance expedition, in which his men survived for ten months on ice floes and on a barren uninhabited island after their ship was crushed by pack ice. Shackleton made two open boat journeys, one of which -- a treacherous 800-mile ocean crossing to South Georgia Island -- is now considered one of the greatest small boat journeys in history.

The Museum will open its doors for the lectures at 6:00 PM and will remain open until 8:30 PM so visitors may see the Polar Room before and after Dr. Levinson's presentations.

The museum is open Monday through Saturday 9:30 am to 4:30 PM; Sunday noon to 4:30 PM. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and $3 for children ages 3-17; children 2 and under are admitted free. The museum is located on Rt. 52, the Kennett Pike, just 5 miles north of Wilmington and 3 miles south of the Pennsylvania border. For more information about this and other Museum exhibits and programs, call (302) 658-9111 or visit online at www.delmnh.org.

Box 3937, Wilmington, DE 19807-0937, USA. Tel: 302-658-9111. Fax: 302-658-2610. www.delmnh.org. Contact: Stephen Reynolds.