Included here are notices of lectures, conferences and other gatherings or events of Antarctic interest that appeared in 2011 and 2012 in 'Antarctic Events' but are now history.
Last updated: 30 December 2012.
Next Stop Antarctica: Dunedin's Role in Polar Exploration (to 2 December 2012. Dunedin City Library, Dunedin, New Zealand).
Friends of SPRI AGM (9 November 2012. SPRI, Cambridge).
James Caird Society AGM, Members' Evening and Lecture (9 November 2012. Great Hall, Dulwich College, London).
Frank Wild: Antarctica's Forgotten Hero (5 November 2012. Royal Geographical Society, 1 Kensington Gore, London).
12th Ernest Shackleton Autumn School (26-29 October 2012. Athy, Co Kildare, Ireland).
Shackleton's Antarctic Nightmare (24 October 2012. The Studio Theatre. 410 West 42nd Street, New York).
'Survival'—Dr Murray Levick, Local Hero (To 30 September 2012. Fairlynch Museum, Budleigh Salterton, Devon).
Commemorating Patrick Keohane in Cork (19 August 2012. Lislee Court, Cork, Ireland).
90 Degrees South—A Virtual Voyage (14 July 2012. Gilbert White's House & Garden and The Oates Collecton, Selborne, Hampshire, UK. ).
Scott's Last Expedtion—An Exhibition (June-16 October 2011; January-September 2012; November-June 2012. Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney; Natural History Museum, London; Canterbury Museum, Christchurch).
The Magic of Antarctic Colors: David Abbey Paige (15 April - 24 June 2012. Fitchburg Art Museum, Fitchburg, Massachusetts).
SouthPole-sium (15-17 June 2012. Jaffrey, New Hampshire).
James Caird Society Members' Evening and Lecture and Whisky Tasting (6 May 2011. Dulwich College, UK).
The Heart of The Great Alone: Scott, Shackleton and Antarctic Photography (21 October 2011-15 April 2012. The Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace, London).
Rededication of the Scott Memorial (Sunday, 25 March 2012. Mount Wise, Devonport, Plymouth).
Opening of the New Oates Gallery (10 March 2012, Gilbert White's House and The Oates Museum, Selborne, Hampshire, UK).
69° S. (The Shackleton Project) (15 February 2011. Keene State College, Keene, NH).
Shackleton's Antarctic Nightmare (20, 21, 27 and 28 January 2012, Hipbone Studio, Portland, Oregon).
Sir Joseph Hooker and the Ross Antarctic Expedition (6 December 2011. Michaelmas Term Lecture 4, Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge, UK).
On extinction—Natural and unnatural disappearances from the old whaling stations of Antarctica to the Inuit camps of the Arctic (26 November 2011. Michaelmas Term Lecture 3, Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge, UK).
Celebration Honoring the 100th Anniversary of Roald Amundsen's Reaching the South Pole (21 November 2011. Collins Center for the Arts, University of Maine, Orono, Maine).
Friends of SPRI AGM (12 November 2011. Emmanuel College, Cambridge, UK).
James Caird Society Members' Evening, AGM and Lecture (4 November 2011. Dulwich College, UK).
Amundsen and Scott: Lives Explored (29 October 2011. Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge, UK).
11th Ernest Shackleton Autumn School (28-31 October 2011, Athy, Ireland).
The Quest for Frank Wild (15 October 2011. Scott Polar Research Institute. Cambridge, UK.)
On Thin Ice: Pioneers of Polar Exploration (8 April - 9 October 2011. National Maritime Museum Cornwall. Falmouth, Cornwall, UK.)
The Race to the End of the Earth (25 May - 21 August 2011. National Geographic Society, Washington, D.C.).
Scott of the Antarctic: From Hero to Villain? (18 July 2011. King's Lynn Arts Centre, King's Lynn, UK.)
Antarctica: Music, Sound & Cultural Connections (27-29 June 2011. The School of Music, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.)
Polar Visual Culture: An International Conference (17-18 June 2011. University of St Andrews, Scotland , UK.)
Friends of SPRI Summer Lunch (18 June 2011. HQS Wellington, Thames Embankment, London).
Scott 100: Plymouth Conference (4-6 June 2011. University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK.)
James Caird Society Members' Evening and Lecture (6 May 2011. Dulwich College, UK).
British Graham Land Exhibition 1934-37 (12 January-29 April 2011. Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge, UK.)
The Heart of the Great Alone: Scott, Shackleton & Antarctic Photography (20 August 2010 to 20 February 2011. Canterbury Museum, Christchurch, NZ).
Announcing the latest exhibition in the Reed Gallery, Dunedin City Library—'Next Stop Antarctica: Dunedin's Role in Polar Exploration'.
2012 is the centennial year marking the death of Robert Falcon Scott and his party during the ill-fated 'Terra Nova' Expedition. The mission was the second of Scott's Antarctic ventures to depart from Port Chalmers, New Zealand. These expeditions were neither the first nor the last such undertakings to launch from Port Chalmers. Indeed, the aptly named ship 'Antarctic', which carried the first men to ever set foot on the Antarctic mainland, departed from Port Chalmers in 1894. To this very day, Dunedin, of which Port Chalmers is now a part, has maintained a connection to the exploration of the Antarctic. 'Next Stop Antarctica' explores and celebrates the first half of this nearly 118-year history with Scott at its centre. The Antarctic has long been a region of interest for intrepid explorers, and so the exhibition begins with a brief look at the voyages made by such men as James Cook, Jules Dumont d'Urville and Sir James Clark Ross, and ends with the United States missions to Antarctica codenamed 'Operation Deep Freeze' in the mid-1950s. On display are more than sixty items from five local institutions. Exhibits include first editions of printed books, including a presentation copy of The South Polar Times given by Sir Ernest Shackleton to the Arctic explorer Sir Allen Young; handwritten and typed letters; issues of Little America Times and the Antarctic News Bulletin; photographs, artefacts (most notably Scott's typewriter) and memorabilia relating to the American explorer Richard E. Byrd. The exhibition runs until 2 December [2012]. An on-line version is in the works and I will post the link once it goes live. In the meantime, I am happy to mail printed copies of the item list upon request. —Thanks to James Reid-CunninghamSaturday, 10 November 2012
Friday, 9 November 2012, 6pm, Great Hall, Dulwich College, London.
Robert Burton. "What if Shackleton had Landed: Would he have got across Antarctica?"
Robert Burton first visited Shackleton's grave on South Georgia in 1964 and, like everyone else who goes there, was captivated by both the Endurance story and the magnificent island. After a two-year stint as a meteorologist/zoologist at the British Antarctic Survey station on Signy Island, Bob was able to spend a summer on South Georgia working on albatrosses. Subsequently, he made a living as a natural history author which allowed him time to go on extended travels, usually to the Arctic.
In 1994, the opportunity arose to serve as Director of the South Georgia Museum which re-awoke his interest in the history of both the island and Endurance. Having retired from serious nature writing he now has time to dabble in historical research.
In 2008 Bob and his wife spent a month on South Georgia and investigated the remains of the 'meridian transit beacons' erected by Endurance in 1914.
He now lectures on history aboard cruise ships and edits the newsletter of the South Georgia Association.
Monday, 5 November 2012, 6:30-7:45pm, Royal Geographical Society, 1 Kensington Gore, London.
Polar explorer Paul Rose celebrates the life of Frank Wild, the unsung hero of Antarctic exploration, and gives a poignant account of his journey to Antarctica to bury Wild's recently rediscovered ashes on the remote island of South Georgia. (This lecture also presented on 25 September 2012 at the Clothworkers' Hall, London EC3. Both open only to RGS-IBG members only.
26-29 October 2012. Athy, Co Kildare, Ireland.
Friday, 26th OctoberOfficial Opening & Exhibition Launch by the President of Ireland, Mr Michael D HigginsSaturday, 27th October
8.00pm in Athy Heritage Centre–Museum. Daily Exhibitions–Athy Heritage Centre–Museum10.00am-5.00pm – These Rough Notes–Scott's Last Expedition
The exhibition tells the story of Captain Robert Falcon's Scott's 1910-1912 Terra Nova expedition to the Antarctic. The exhibition text was developed by the Polar Museum, SPRI and is complemented by objects from the Polar Museum, Discovery Point, Dundee, the Kerry County Museum and material from a number of private collections. Antarctic Adventurers – the Antarctic adventurers will recreate a three man sledging party from the early years of Antarctic exploration.
10.30am Endurance at South GeorgiaSunday, 28h October
Robert Burton. Admission €8 11.30am Coffee 12.00 Scott and Shackleton: Early Days, Rivalry, & Leadership
Jan Piggott. Admission €8 1pm Lunch 2.15pm Scott's Irishmen–The exploits of Crean, Forde, Keohane and McCarthy on Terra Nova and after
Michael Smith. Admission €8 3.10pm Book Launch Antarctic Days
The Erskine Press will be launching its newest facsimile – Antarctic Days – Sketches of the Homely Side of Polar Life by Two of Shackleton's Men. Written and illustrated by James Murray and George Marston it gives a feeling for the personal side of Shackleton's Nimrod expedition. Originally published in a small edition in 1913 this is a very rare book and will be a welcome addition to all Polar libraries This edition, with an introduction by Joe O'Farrell, will be limited to 280 numbered copies. 3.30pm Icebreakers
A series of short presentations on topics relevant to the Shackleton Autumn School, presented by those with a passion for their subject. Admission Free 4.30pm Antarctica Today: the Scientific Legacy of the Heroic Age
Gabrielle Walker. Admission €8 8pm Autumn School Dinner in Clanard Court Hotel, Athy
10.00am Douglas Mawson and the AAE: Science and SurvivalMonday, 29th October 2012
David Roberts. Admission €8 11.00am Coffee 11.15am Mrs Shackleton and other polar wives
Kari Herbert. Admission €8 12.15pm Antarctic Debacle: Oberleutnant Wilhelm Filchner's expedition to the Weddell Sea, 1911-1912; differing versions of the allocation of blame
William Barr. Admission €8 1pm Lunch 2.30pm Frank Wild: Antarctica's Forgotten Hero
The film was first shown on BBC Two in April this year. The hour-long documentary tells the story of Frank Wild, one of the unsung greats of polar exploration. The film also follows Frank Wild's ashes as they're taken to South Georgia to be laid to rest next to his great friend and companion, Sir Ernest Shackleton.
Presented by Paul Greenan. Admission €8 4.00pm Open Forum—Chaired by Bob Headland Cultural Evening Athy Community Arts CentrePhotographic Exhibition - Opening
7.45pm Faces from the Southern Oceans
Ms. L'Heureux' photography conveys the sense of intimacy she experienced when she first the wildlife that inhabit the Antarctic continent and was captivated by faces such as those of the Wandering Albatross, the Elephant Seal, the Emperor and Royal Penguins. Admission Free 8.30pm "All's Well"
An original composition, the songs were inspired by the journals, letters and biographies of all five men of Captain Robert Falcon Scott's ill fated polar party and are an attempt to capture their thoughts and feelings as they realise their death is inevitable.
Written and performed by Jake Wilson. Admission €10
Field Trip Assemble at The Heritage Centre Ð Museum 10.00am Bus tour through Shackleton country. A Visit to Ballitore and the home of Mary Leadbeater, writer and ancestor of Ernest Shackleton, the Quaker Meeting House and the Shaker Store. Fare €10 INFORMATION ON CONTRIBUTORS Robert Burton
Robert Burton is a natural history writer who has been involved with South Georgia for many years. He visited the island for the first time in 1964 and returned in 1971 to study albatrosses and fur seals. From 1995 to 1998, he was director of the museum at Grytviken and started to collect information on the islands history. This included researching the time that Shackleton spent on South Georgia. Bob now visits annually as a lecturer on cruise ships. Dr Jan Piggott
Dr. Jan Piggott, F.S.A., studied English at Oxford and taught originally at the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur. More recently he taught at Dulwich College in London for thirty years, as Head of English. When he retired from teaching, he became Keeper of Archives at the College, custodian of the James Caird whaler and the Shackleton Collections. In 2000 he curated the exhibition Shackleton - the Antarctic and Endurance' at Dulwich College. On the committee of the James Caird Society, he founded its Journal, and wrote for it on Frank Wild and a number of other topics. Michael Smith
Michael Smith is an author and journalist who specialises in the history of Polar exploration. Michael began writing books in the late 1990s after more than 30 years as an award-winning journalist covering business and political issues for paper such as the Observer. His first book, An Unsung Hero–Tom Crean Antarctic Survivor (2000) has never been out of print. His other books include I Am Just Going Outside–Captain Oates; Sir James Wordie–Polar Crusader; Captain Francis Crozier–Last Man Standing? and Tom Crean–An Illustrated Life. He has also written two books for children: Shackleton–The Boss and Tom Crean–Iceman which is on the curriculum for primary schools in Ireland Dr Gabrielle Walker
Gabrielle is Chief Scientist for the climate consultancy Xyntéo and a consultant to New Scientist. She contributes frequently to BBC Radio 4 presenting the Planet Under Threat and Thin Air series and is the author of a number of books including Snowball Earth and An Ocean of Air—A Natural History of the Atmosphere. She presented the The Secret Life of Ice on BBC 4 and her most recent publication is Antarctica. Dr William Barr
A Senior Research Associate at the Arctic Institute of North America, University of Calgary, William is also Professor Emeritus of Geography at the University of Saskatchewan. He has published widely on Arctic subjects and has been prominent in promoting the study of the Russian role in polar exploration. His most recent publications include Arctic Hellship: The Voyage of HMS Enterprise 1850-1855 and Arctic Scientist, Gulag Survivor: The biography of Mikhail Mikhailovich Ermolaev, 1901-1991. Kari Herbert
The daughter of distinguished polar explorer Sir Wally Herbert, Kari is a travel writer and photographer, contributing regularly to newspapers and magazines. Her book The Explorers Daughter, an account of the first few years of her life spent living on a remote island in the Arctic with the Polar Inuit of Northwest Greenland, was published to much acclaim in 2004. Her new books In Search of the South Pole and Polar Wives: The Remarkable Women behind the World's Most Daring Explorers have just been published. David Roberts
David Roberts is a mountaineer and author of books and articles about climbing. He is particularly noted for his books The Mountain of My Fear and Deborah: A Wilderness Narrative. He also published books on polar themes including Four Against the Arctic: Shipwrecked for Six Years at the Top of the World and his forthcoming book about Douglas Mawson, titled Alone on the Ice, which will be published in January 2013. Paul Greenan
Paul Greenan is a producer/director with BBC Television. Hes been with the BBC for 22 years and has a background in journalism and current affairs. Pauls worked on a variety of programmes for the BBC including natural history programmes for BBC TWO and documentaries for BBC FOUR. "Frank Wild: Antarctica's Forgotten Hero" was his first polar film. He currently works for the BBC current affairs series Inside Out. Jake Wilson
Jake Wilson is a folk-rock guitarist and songwriter in the Richard Thompson mould. As well as performing his own material, Jake currently plays with ex-Fairport Convention folk fiddle legend, Dave Swarbrick, who has described him as one of the best guitarists and songwriters around today. J. J. L'Heureux
J.J. is a painter, photographer, adventurer and naturalist. She has made numerous trips to Antarctica and has published two books, the Good Day Book and Faces from the Southern Oceans. She has exhibited extensively in galleries and museums throughout the world most recently at the University of Iowa and the G2 Gallery in Venice, California. Bob Headland
Bob is a senior research associate of the Scott Polar Research Institute of the University of Cambridge. He specialises in the history and geography of both polar regions. His work with the Antarctic Heritage Trust involves the preservation of the historical huts and other aspects associated with the exploration of the discovery of the Antarctic. His most recent publication is A Chronology of Antarctic Exploration. Antarctic Adventurers
The Antarctic Adventures are a group of British re-enactors who specialise in recreating the world of Shackleton, Scott and Amundsen. They perform regularly for museums and English Heritage. They recreate a three man sledging party of the 1901-1913 period with clothing, sledges and equipment of the time used by Scott and Shackleton.
Wednesday, 24 October 2012, 3:30pm, The Studio Theatre. 410 West 42nd Street, New York. Tickets $18 +Service & Handling. The easiest way to buy your tickets is by calling 212-239-6200 (Telecharge).
I'm getting very excited about performing my one-man show, Shackleton's Antarctic Nightmare, the true, epic story of British Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton and the 1914 voyage of The Endurance. To those of you who have already bought tickets, thank you, thank you, thank you! I would really love to fill the house for my first time performing in New York. There's only one chance to see me tell this story: Wednesday, October 24th at 3:30 PM. I know it's a goofy time to see a show but that's the slot they offered me and I jumped on it like a junkyard dog. If you haven't already, please help us get the word out by forwarding this email to everyone you know. Shackleton's dream of being the first man to cross the Antarctic continent became a nightmare when his valiant ship was trapped in the pack ice of the Weddell Sea and crushed by the pressure of the ice. The tale of how he and the 27 men of the British Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition survived on the ice floes and eventually came to safety is one that has fascinated me for as long as I can remember. This is a story that is very near and dear to my heart, as my dad and I shared a life-long interest and passion for the Shackleton saga, and I hope to weave a few threads about my father into the telling. This show has sold out every performance of its three runs in Portland, Oregon, and I am honored to have been invited to bring it to New York for The United Solo Festival. After-Show Gathering
Extended to 30 September 2012, 2-4:30pm, Sunday-Friday. Fairlynch Museum. Budleigh Salterton, Devon. Web: www.devonmuseums.net/fairlynch
Murray Levick was a member of Scott's Northern Party during the Terra Nova expedition.
"I thought that fellow Antarcticans might be interested to know that a memorial is to be erected in memory of Patrick Keohane, a member of Scott's last expedition. He was one of three Irish petty officers with Scott (Crean, Forde and Keohane) and the only one whose exploits have never been formally recognised in Ireland.
The Keohane ceremony will take place at Lislee Court, between Broad Strand and Blind Strand near Courtmacsherry, Cork on Sunday, August 19. The committee has asked Clare O'Leary (first Irishwoman to walk to the South Pole) to perform the ceremony and I am giving a talk on Keohane at Courtmacsherry Community Centre on the Friday before, August 17. A charitable committee has been established and they would welcome any contributions. Please pass on this information to anyone you think might be interested. Would you mind passing on this information to fellow Antarcticans who may wish to make a contribution. Details: Secretary, Diarmuid Begley, Tel 023-8846683, e mail: dbegley@eircom.net For those who do not know the Keohane story, he was born at Barry's Point, near Courtmacsherry, in 1879. He entered the British navy in 1895 and volunteered for Scott's Antarctic expedition in 1910. He marched to within 350 miles of the South Pole before turning back, completing a trek of almost 1,200 miles in three months. He returned to the ice and helped bury Scott's frozen body. Keohane had to flee Ireland in 1920 during the war of independence because he married into a coastguard family. He became a coastguard officer in England and assisted in the making of the major film, Scott of the Antarctic, in 1947. He died in England in 1950, forgotten in Ireland. Keohane's statue will join the memorials to other Irish members of the heroic age of Antarctic exploration Tom Crean: at Anascaul, Kerry, Robert Forde in Cobh and Tim and Mortimer McCarthy in Kinsale, Cork. All the best. Michael Smith"
Saturday, 14 July 2012, 9:35 am, Gilbert White's House & Garden and The Oates Collecton, Selborne, Hampshire, UK.
A Conference and Evening Reception with a Private Viewing of the BAS Art Exhibition and the New Oates Galleries.
Among the speakers: Dr David Wilson, the Hon Alexandra Shackleton, Meredith Hooper, Major General Patrick Cordingley, Professor Paul Rodhouse and Bryan Oates.
Cost: £60, £75 from 1 June.
Download a flyer.
Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney.
June-16 October 2011
Natural History Museum, London.
January-September 2012
Canterbury Museum, Christchurch.
November-June 2012
"Scott's Last Expedition will tell the definitive story of the expedfition and will give visitors a sense of everyday realities for expedition members, their scientific investigations, and the powerful stories of human endeavour and survival through original artefacts from around the world, many on display for the first time." (from Heritage Hearsay, Issue 47, January 2011.)
Fitchburg Art Museum, 25 Merriam Parkway, Fitchburg, MA 01420.
15 April - 24 June 2012. Opening reception: 1-4pm, 15 April 2012.
Web: http://www.fitchburgartmuseum.org
"Fitchburg native David Abbey Paige's rare watercolors captured the polar regions with extraordinary beauty and technical virtuosity."
Jaffrey, New Hampshire.
15-17 June 2012
Contact: Robert Stephenson
The Antarctic Circle
Tel: 603-532-POLE
E-mail: antarctic-circle@comcast.net
Download a flyer.
More information may be found at http://www.antarctic-circle.org/gathering.htm
Friday, 11 May 2012, 6:30pm, Great Hall, Dulwich College, London.
The Whyte & MacKay's Master Blender, Richard Paterson speaking on "The Art of Whisky Blending–The Shackleton Blend." £40.
Richard Paterson, Master Blender for Whyte & Mackay Ltd. of Glasgow, is the third generation in a family which has long been associated with the Scotch Whisky Industry. In 1933, his grandfather established W.R. Paterson Ltd. in Glasgow and specialised in blending, bottling and broking. His bond, situated at Stockwell Place, was later taken over by Richard's father in 1956. Ten years later Richard joined A. Gillies & Company, Whisky Blenders and Brokers as a general production assistant. He remained there for four years, during which time he learned every aspect of the company from stock records to distillation, with special emphasis being placed on the "Art of Blending".
During the next six years he increased his knowledge in wine and spirits through the Wine & Spirit Education Trust, specialising in Bordeaux, Champagne, California, Cognac and Rum, including Cuban cigars.
In 1970 he joined Whyte & Mackay Distilleries and within five years he became their Master Blender, aged 26. He was reputed at that time, to be Scotland's youngest Master Blender.
21 October 2011 - 15 April 2012, The Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace, London.
Mount Wise, Devonport, Plymouth
Sunday, 25 March 2012
This major Civic and Royal Navy event will complement the national service of remembrance for Captain Scott in St Paul's Cathedral, London which will take place on 29 March 2012.
Saturday 10 March 2012, Gilbert White's House and The Oates Museum, Selborne, Hampshire, UK.
7-12 February 2012, Emerson Stage, Boston, USA.
"Phantom Limbs 69° S. imagines the unimaginable. Sir Ernest Shackletons 1914 trans-Antarctic expedition the real life story of a group of gentlemen frozen (literally) in crisis is reignited by a contemporary dilemma: the realities of a changing environment and the planets uncertain future.
Theatre, dance, puppetry, photography and film unite in an impressionistic, stunning and evocative series of tableaux vivants, taking us on an artistic and emotional journey that explores the symbiotic relationship between humans and the environment and reinvigorates the spirit of foregoing individual glory for the sake of collective survival."
Lawrence Howard, Portland Story Theatre
20, 21, 27 and 28 January 2012, Hipbone Studio 1847 E Burnside (at NE 18 Avenue) in Portland, Oregon. Admission: $15 Advance Tickets Only | $20 at the Door. http://www.brownpapertickets.com/e/203533
"Join Lawrence Howard of Portland Story Theater as he tells the true, epic tale of Ernest Shackleton and the British Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914.
Their valiant ship, The Endurance, was trapped in the pack ice and crushed; Shackleton and his 28 men survived on the ice for over a year and endured incredible hardship.
This is a truly gripping story that will move you to the depths of your soul."
Saturday, 6 December 2011, 6:30 for 7pm, Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge.
Peter Donaldson: Sir Joseph Hooker and the Ross Antarctic Expedition.
Saturday, 26 November 2011, 8pm, Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge.
Melanie Challenger: On extinction—Natural and unnatural disappearances from the old whaling stations of Antarctica to the Inuit camps of the Arctic.
Monday, 21 November 2011, 6:30-9pm, Collins Center for the Arts, University of Maine, Orono. Hosted by the Climate Change Insitutute.
Keynote Presentation: Dr Olav Orheim, Executive Secretary of the Norwegian International Polar Year Secretariat and Chair of the Fram Museum. His topic: New Knowledge on the Attainment of the South Pole 100 Years Ago, with Reflections on the Personalities of Roald Amundsen, Ernest Shackleton and Robert Falcon Scott.
There will be exhibits and displays showcasing current polar activities by the Climate Change Institute.
Saturday, 12 November 2011, 6:15pm, Queen's Building Theatre, Emmanuel College, Cambridge.
Followed by a fundraising dinner (further details in October) at 7pm for 7:30 at the Old Library, Emmanuel College.
—Thanks to 'Bergy Bits,' the Newsletter of the Friends of Antarctica, No. 60.
Friday, 4 November 2011, 6pm, Lower Hall, Dulwich College, London.
Dr Jan Piggott, F.S.A.
SCOTT AND SHACKLETON
The centenary year of Terra Nova's arrival at Cape Evans seems a good time to consider again the records and reputations of the two great rival explorers, their complex relations and contrasting characters and styles of leadership, in the light of their upbringing, education, development, ideals and their own writings. The talk will be illustrated with profuse slides, some of them (hopefully) unfamiliar to the audience.
Saturday, 29 October 2011, 10:15-3:45, Lecture Theatre, Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge.
A century after the great achievements of Amundsen and Scott, a group of international experts share the latest research and evolving ideas. The day includes a tour, talks and discussions (All day event in place of Michaelmas Term Lecture 2). Lunch, tea and coffee provided. Booking is essential. Call 01223 336540 or email events@spri.cam.ac.uk. Cost £15 (£10 for Friends of SPRI).
—Thanks to 'Bergy Bits,' the Newsletter of the Friends of Antarctica, No. 60.
28-31 October 2011. Athy, Co Kildare, Ireland.
This year's lineup as of 29 August:
Opening reception: Friday 7:15pm. Oficial opening at 7:30 by Mr Ronald Naess, Norwegian Ambassador to Ireland. Book Launches:This is the world's best polar gathering!Friday night 7:45pm, the launch of The Nimrod Murders by Beau Riffenburgh and Liz Cruwys, published by the Erskine Press.Lectures:
Saturday 3pm, the launch of Ordeal by Ice: Ships of the Antarctic by Rorke Bryan, published by the Collins Press.
Sunday 11am, the launch of Edward Wilson's Antarctic Notebooks by David and Christopher Wilson, published by Reardon Publishing.SaturdayDinner (Saturday 8pm):10am. "Notes from a Shackleton Scholar: Heritage Tourism in the South Atlantic" by Emma Jane McAdam 11:30am. "Murder on Shackleton's Nimrod: Writing Antarctic Fiction" by Beau Riffenburgh and Liz Cruwys 2pm. "Roald Amundsen's and his Crew Members' South Pole Diaries" by Geir O. Kløver 4pm. "The Lost Photographs of Captain Scott" by David WilsonSunday10am. "The Cinematic Race to the Pole" by Jan Anders Diesen 12 noon. "Did Shackleton Care about Science?" by Dr Edward J. Larson 4:30pm. Open Forum chaired by Bob HeadlandAutumn School Dinner in Carlton Abbey Hotel, AthyExhibition (throughout the weekend):"Cold Recall—Reflections of a Polar Explorer, Roald Amundsen"Film (Sunday 2:30pm):
The exhibition was developed by the Fram Museum, Oslo, Norway to showcase images from the lantern slides that Roald Amundsen used in public lectures about his expeditions through the Northwest Passage and to the South Pole with particular emphasis on Amundsen's expedition to the South Pole. The texts in the exhibition are primarily abridged versions of Amundsen's own manuscripts from these lectures. The exhibition is also complemented by Amundsen material from a number of private collections"The Great White Silence" by Herbert Ponting - Presented by Luke McKernan, Curator Moving Image at the British Library.Drama (Sunday 9pm):
Captain Scott described Herbert Ponting as 'an artist in love with his work', and after the expedition's tragic outcome Ponting devoted the rest of his life to ensuring that the grandeur of the Antarctic and expedition's heroism would not be forgotten—the images that he captured have fired imaginations ever since. The BFI National Archive—custodian of the expedition negatives - has restored the film using the latest photochemical and digital techniques and reintroduced the sophisticated use of colour. The alien beauty of the landscape is brought dramatically to life, showing the world of the expedition in brilliant detail."Catalpa"Field Trip (Sunday 10am):
Based on the true story of the daring whaleship rescue of six Irish prisoners from Fremantle penal colony in 1876, Catalpa is a story in the great epic tradition of Moby Dick and Gone With The Wind—with a passing glance at The Great Escape. Donal O'Kelly plays over thirty characters in this one-man epic, including the mastermind of the Catalpa mission—Kildareman John Devoy.
Written and performed by Donal O'Kelly, with live music by Trevor Knight.Bus tour through Shackleton country. A Visit to Ballitore and the home of Mary Leadbeater, writer and ancestor of Ernest Shackleton, the Quaker Meeting House and the Shaker Store.Antarctic Adventurers (throughout the weekend):The Antarctic Adventurers will recreate a three-man sledging party from the early years of Antarctic exploration.Information on Contributors: Rorke Bryan
Rorke Bryan has had a lifelong interest in Antarctica, triggered by seeing Scott of the Antarctic as an eight-year old in his native Dublin. The son of a merchant mariner, he has visited many parts of the world during his career with the British Antarctic Survey and in environmental conservation, forestry and development at the Universities of Alberta and Toronto. His interests include sailing, mountaineering and skiing. Dr Liz Cruwys
Dr Liz Cruwys is a marine biologist from the University of Cambridge, whose academic research investigates environmental contamination in pinnipeds. She has also conducted research into medieval history and architecture, and has written books on castles and cathedrals. This medieval background and her experience on the Leeds police force have given her important insights for the 25 mystery novels she has published under the pseudonym Susanna Gregory. Including her scholarly works, she has written or contributed to more than 60 books, including nine novels with Beau Riffenburgh under the pseudonym Simon Beaufort. Dr. Jan Anders Diesen
Professor of film history at Lillehammer University College, Norway, Jan Anders is an expert on silent Norwegian films and on documentary films. For the last 5 years he has been researching the silent films from polar expeditions, and has published books and articles on Roald Amundsen's films. To put these Norwegian films into an international context, he has over last three years visited polar archives around the world. He is currently working on a book on explorer's films from Borchgrevink, Fiala and Bruce to Amundsen, Nobile and Byrd. Bob Headland
Bob is a senior research associate of the Scott Polar Research Institute of the University of Cambridge. He specialises in the history and geography of both polar regions. His work with the Antarctic Heritage Trust involves the preservation of the historical huts and other aspects associated with the exploration of the discovery of the Antarctic. His most recent publication is A Chronology of Antarctic Exploration. Geir O. Kløver
Geir has been the director of the Fram Museum in Oslo since 2005. He has recently edited and published the diaries of Roald Amundsen and 14 of the other crew members of the Norwegian South Pole Expedition 1910-12. He is currently editing the collected diaries of Fridtjof Nansen and the crew members of the First Fram Expedition. From 1997 to 2005, Geir worked as project director in a Norwegian human rights NGO providing media and communication support to Nobel Peace Prize Laureates. He worked primarily on projects related to Tibet, Burma, East Timor, the Korean peninsula and the AIDS issue. Dr Edward J. Larson
He is the Professor of History and holds the Hugh & Hazel Darling Chair in Law at Pepperdine University. His many books include Summer for the Gods—The Scopes Trial and America's Continuing Debate over Science and Religion for which he received the Pulitzer Prize in History. Evolution's Workshop: God and Science on the Galapago's Islands and he has just published An Empire of Ice: Scott, Shackleton, and the Heroic Age of Antarctic Science. Emma Jane McAdam
A Falkland Islander by birth, Emma Jane returned to the Islands to carry out the research for her undergraduate dissertation in the Falkland Islands Archives, based on the early history of the Keppel Island Mission Station. In 2000, Emma Jane was awarded a Shackleton Scholarship to carry out the research for her postgraduate degree in the Islands, focusing on the potential for heritage tourism in the Falklands. Her work and subsequent report was instrumental in the establishment of the Visitor Centre in Stanley. As a museum professional, Emma Jane has worked in the Scottish museums sector for almost 10 years and is currently Curator at the University of St Andrews. She maintains an active interest in the history and heritage of the Falkland Islands and in polar exploration. Luke McKernan
Luke McKernan is Lead Curator, Moving Image at the British Library. He is a film archivist and a historian of early and non-fiction film, with a particular interest in films of travel and exploration. He has written books on newsreels, 1890s film and Shakespearean film, and his polar publications include a chapter on Antarctic filmmaking in South: The Race to the Pole (2000) and the commentary on the BFI DVD release of South: Sir Ernest Shackleton's Glorious Epic of the Antarctic (2002). Donal O'Kelly
Donal O'Kelly is a writer and actor. His plays include his solo shows Catalpa, Jimmy Joyced! and Bat the Father Rabbit the Son. Other plays are The Cambria, The Adventures of the Wet Senor, Vive La, Operation Easter, Asylum! Asylum!, The Dogs, Farawayan and The Hand. As an actor, he has appeared in Translations, Juno and the Paycock and The Tempest in the Abbey, played Lucky in the Gate Theatre's Waiting For Godot, and on screen played leading roles in Kings, The Van and Spin The Bottle, as well as RTE's Paths to Freedom and Fair City. Dr Beau Riffenburgh
Dr Beau Riffenburgh is a historian affiliated with the Scott Polar Research Institute at the University of Cambridge. His research specialises in the history of exploration, particularly that of the Antarctic, Arctic, and Africa. A native Californian, he had a successful career in publishing before moving to Cambridge, where he earned his PhD and then served for 15 years as the Editor of Polar Record. His books about exploration include the critically acclaimed Myth of the Explorer; Nimrod, the account of Ernest Shackleton's first expedition; and the award-winning two-volume Encyclopedia of the Antarctic. He has more recently published two books about Douglas Mawson and his Australasian Antarctic Expedition. Christopher Wilson
Chris is the great nephew of Dr Edward A. Wilson. He has completed eight seasons in Antarctica. Before taking early retirement in 2007, Chris worked for the National Parks and Wildlife Service for 16 years, serving as warden of Ireland's premier wildfowl reserve, 'Wexford Wildfowl Reserve'. He regularly contributes to a wide number of wildlife magazines, makes radio and television programs and is an accomplished photographer. His publications include: High Skies - Low Lands—An Anthology of The Wexford Slobs and Harbour; Wildfile—A Guide to Irish Wildlife; Wildlife Quiz and Amazing Facts Book. Chris lectures extensively on birds and other wildlife groups of Antarctica, Ireland and Australia. Dr David Wilson
David is a great nephew of Dr Edward A. Wilson, who perished with Captain Scott's polar party David has a long association with polar matters. The author of a numbers of books, his most recent is The Lost Photographs of Captain Scott. He makes frequent trips to the Antarctic as a historian and ornithological field guide and he is currently Chairman of the Scott 100 Centenary Committee.
Saturday, 15 October 2011, 8pm, Lecture Theatre, Scott Polar Research Institute. Cambridge.
Angie Butler will speak on her new book, The Quest for Frank Wild.
—Thanks to 'Bergy Bits,' the Newsletter of the Friends of Antarctica, No. 60.
National Geographic Society, 1145 17th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C.
25 May - 21 August 2011.
"This exhibit, produced and first exhibited by the American Museum of Natural History in New York, tells the story of the competing South Pole expeditions of Roald Amundsen and Robert Scott, explaining in detail why Amundsen made it and Scott did not." [Well, actually he did; he just didn't make it back!]
—News of Norway, Spring 2011.
Monday, 18 July 2011, 8pm, King's Lynn Arts Centre (as part of the King's Lynn Festival), 27-29 King Street, King's Lynn, Norfolk, UK.
Tickets: RGS-IBG members and one guest £8.50, Ticket office opens mid-May (quote membership number). Telephone 01553 764864.
A creative arts conference at The School of Music, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.
27-29 June 2011.
"Taking place in the centenary year of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition led by Sir Douglas Mawson, this conference, the first dedicated to this topic, will look at collaborative work including the sonic medium with creative arts and other disciplines. It will highlight the importance of sound (or lack of it) and music as part of the unique Antarctic environment.
The Conference will be open to papers encompassing all of the creative arts. Cross-disciplinary presentations including from areas related to the sciences are particularly welcome."
Web: http://www.music.anu.edu.au/antarctica
Contact: arnan.wiesel@anu.edu.au
University of St Andrews, Scotland
17-18 June 2011.
"This conference brings together a diverse, internationally recognised group of scholars from the humanities and social sciences to present new research on the visual culture of polar exploration. The polar environment, and its potential destruction, is now receiving heightened attention in the mass media, with extensive scientific study and urgent results on climate change reported daily. Our objective is to focus attention upon the unique, prolific and hitherto under-examined visual culture—painting and graphic illustration, expedition and frontier narratives, installations and poetic geographies, films and photography—that the expeditions to the two polar regions have inspired since the early nineteenth century, and which forms a fundamental part of our perception of these environments."
Web: http://www-ah.st-andrews.ac.uk/newsandevents/pvculture/programme.html
Contact: Dr Luke Gartlan (lg321@st-andrews.ac.uk)
HQS Wellington, Thames Embankment, London.
18 June 2011. 12:00-18:00. Tickets: £37.50 in advance. These may be purchased in person from the Institute or by post by 10th June. Please enclose a stamped addressed envelope together with the form and your remittance (cheques payable to "University of Cambridge a/c YQ"), to:
Mrs C Pickard"We are delighted to have two guest speakers:
Friends of SPRI
Scott Polar Research Institute
Lensfield Road
Cambridge CB2 1ER
World record holder Jennifer Murray will talk on 'Going the extra mile' - an account of her past achievements including her pole-to-pole helicopter flight, dog sledging in the Arctic and her past and forthcoming marathon runs in support of the Friendsand
Deep-sea shipwreck hunter David Mearns on 'Discovering Deepwater Shipwrecks - From HMAS Sydney to Shackleton's Endurance', which will cover what it takes to locate and film shipwrecks lost in very deep waters. David will present the exhaustive research involved to determine where to search and discuss the actual operations of finding a shipwreck using some recent examples.We do hope that you will be able to join us at the lunch, where there will also be a cash bar." [See if you can find the model of Terra Nova on display.]
Plymouth, Devon, UK.
4-6 June 2011, Peninsula Arts Centre, University of Plymouth.
Conference Website: http://www.plymouth.gov.uk/scott100
For more information or to register your interest please email your details to: scott100@plymouth.ac.uk or telephone 01752 586005.
• Dr. David Wilson, Scott's Last Expedition.PLAYS:
• Dr. Isobel Williams, Seaman Edgar Evans.
• Michael Smith, Captain Oates.
• Nick Owens, Climate Change and the work of BAS.
• Meredith Hooper, The Northern Party.
• Sara Wheeler, Cherry Garrard and the Worst Journey.
• Bob Headland, Scott's hut over the last 100 Years.
• Mike Tarver, The SS Terra Nova.
• Commander Andy Swain RN, Navigation in Scott's era.
• Dr. Max Jones, Remembering Captain Scott.
• Dr. Hugh Guly, Polar Medicine.
• Dr Huw Lewis-Jones, Scott in pictures.
• 'A Father for my Son' with Jenny Coverack as Kathleen Scott.PLUS:
• 'Tom Crean: An Unsung Hero' with Aidan Dooley.
• Displays by Polar re-enactors, 'Antarctic Adventurers' and Plymouth-based Polar explorer, Antony Jinman, team leader of the International Scott Centenary Expedition.—Thanks to Paul Davies
• Student musical performances.
• Scientific demonstrations and lectures from Plymouth Marine Laboratory, British Antarctic Survey and the University of Plymouth.
• Visits to local Polar sites around the City and to Royal Navy ships in the Dockyard.
• Civic Reception by the Lord Mayor of Plymouth (for invited guests).
• Black Tie Dinner on 6 June at HMS Drake, hosted by the Royal Navy with performances by a Royal Navy band.
Friday, 6 May 2011, 6pm, Great Hall, Dulwich College, London.
Kevin Fewster and Matthew Clark, "High Arctic—a New Exhibition Initiative for the National Maritime Musem, Greenwich."
"Don't miss this remarkable exhibition of early Antarctic photography. Herbert George Ponting's extraordinary images record Scott's Terra Nova expedition of 1910 1913 and Frank Hurley's dramatic icescapes were taken during Ernest Shackleton's polar expedition on Endurance in 1914-16.
Presented to King George V and today part of the Royal Photograph Collection, these images are among the finest examples of the artists' work in existence. Canterbury Museum is the only venue for this exhibition outside the Queen's galleries.
Antarctic artefacts from Canterbury Museum's collection complement the photographs, along with a small display of memorabilia that celebrates the special links between the royal family and Canterbury."
—From the Canterbury Museum website