Collecting 101

1.

History

Exploration of Antarctica dates back to 1773, when Captain James Cook crossed into the Antarctic Circle on his search for the seventh continent. However, it wasn’t until nearly 50 years later that land was sighted. In 1820, two explorers reported seeing the mainland: Thaddeus von Bellinghausen, leading a Russian expedition and, three days later, Edward Bransfield, on a British mapping expedition. The following year, American sealer John Davis was the first person to set foot on Antarctica.

In 1898-1900, the so-called ‘British Antarctic Expedition’ (led by a Norwegian) signalled the beginning of the Heroic Age of Antarctic exploration. Although primarily concerned with mapping and scientific research, for the next 12 years, adventurers competed in a dangerous race to reach the South Pole. After many failed – and often fatal – attempts, Roald Amundsen planted the Norwegian flag at the pole in 1911. The Heroic Age continued with several further expeditions over the next decade, ending with the death of arguably the most famous figure from this period, Sir Ernest Shackleton, in 1922.

2.

Key Figures & Explorers

Sir Ernest Shackleton (1874-1922) was an Anglo-Irish polar explorer who embarked on four expeditions to the Antarctic. In 1901, his role in Robert Falcon Scott’s Discovery expedition was cut short by illness. Undeterred, Shackleton pursued his legacy and led the 1907-1909 Nimrod expedition, and the fabled 1914-1917 Endurance expedition. He died shortly after setting off on his fourth journey to the Antarctic. Today, Shackleton is celebrated as a polar hero and great leader.

Captain Robert Falcon Scott (1868-1912) was a British naval officer and the second person to reach the South Pole. Commanding the National Antarctic Expedition (1901-1904) aboard the Discovery, Scott reached further south than his predecessors and returned home a hero. In 1910, he made a bid to reach the South Pole. The crew battled appalling conditions to finally achieve its goal in January 1912, only to discover that Roald Amundsen’s expedition had beaten them to it. Scott died in his tent on the return journey and was hailed a national hero. In the last 50 years, more critical accounts of his leadership have emerged and he remains a complex figure.

Carsten Borchgrevink (1864-1934) was a trailblazer in polar exploration. The Norwegian immigrated to Australia, where he developed an appetite for adventure and resolved to undertake an expedition to the Antarctic. He found backing from the British publisher Sir George Newnes, who financed the venture, under the condition that it was named the ‘British Antarctic Expedition’. The expedition (1898-1900) was the first to spend the winter on the Antarctic mainland, pioneered the use of dogs and sledges, and heralded a new era of heroism. While the voyage was a success, Borchgrevink never received the acclaim of his successors, Scott and Shackleton.

Roald Amundsen (1872-1928) was not only the first person to reach the South Pole, he was also aboard the first ship that travelled the Northwest Passage, and one of the first people to fly over the North Pole. The expedition that resulted in Amundsen reaching the South Pole was originally planned as a bid for the North Pole; on learning that it had already been conquered, Amundsen secretly set his sights on the South Pole. Well-prepared and with the weather on his side, he won the race with rival explorer Scott, and arrived at the pole on 14 December 1911.

3.

Expeditions

There were more than a dozen expeditions during the Heroic Age, many of which were British endeavours. In the National Antarctic Expedition (1901-1904), the Discovery was captained by Scott and set a new Farthest South record. A few years later, Shackleton broke that record, leading the British Antarctic Expedition on the Nimrod. A sledge from the voyage was sold by Bonhams in 2019 for £143,750.

It was the British Antarctic Expedition (1910-1912) that turned into the race for the South Pole, with Scott’s Terra Nova coming in second. The Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition (1914-1917) was conceived and led by Shackleton, on the aptly named Endurance. While the attempt to make the first land crossing of the continent failed, it became legendary feat of fortitude. The Heroic Age ended on a sombre note: on the Shackleton–Rowett Expedition (1921-1922), Shackleton died onboard the Quest, the mission floundered and returned to England without fanfare.

4.

Artefacts

Collectors interested in travel and exploration can find a variety of artefacts, which offer fascinating insights into the beauty encountered and the hardships endured on Antarctic expeditions. Perhaps the most poignant are the letters and diaries written by the men who perished. Scott’s first farewell letter, written in the final days of the doomed Terra Nova expedition, is arguably the finest example. This highly significant artefact sold for £163,250 inc. premium at Bonhams’ Polar Sale in 2012.

Several explorers published their accounts of expeditions, including Shackleton. His Aurora Australis (1908) was the first book to be published and printed in Antarctica, during the Nimrod expedition. A unique version of the first edition was sold by Bonhams for £68,750 inc. premium in 2017. Shackleton was also an editor of the South Polar Times (1902-1903), produced in Antarctica during Scott’s Discovery expedition. The frontispiece for the publication, designed by the expedition’s physician Dr Edward Adrian Wilson, sold for £21,500 inc. premium at Bonhams’ Travel & Exploration sale in February 2021.

Photographers have captured incredible scenes from the expeditions. Herbert George Ponting’s The Freezing of the Sea (1911) sold for £19,000 inc. premium at the aforementioned sale. In 2020, Bonhams sold a newly discovered album of carbon prints by Frank Hurley from the Endurance expedition. Photographs of Scenes and Incidents in Connection with the Happenings to the Weddell Sea Party (1914, 1915, 1916) records the final moments of the vessel and went on to achieve £87,562 inc. premium.

5.

Building a Collection

Polar exploration is a particularly exciting area of collecting, as Matthew Haley explains. “In a world where – up until recently, at least – we could hop on a plane and reach far-flung parts of the planet, artefacts from the Heroic Age remind us not to take travel for granted. These explorers risked, and sometimes lost, their lives to go further than anyone had before.”

For collectors wanting to conduct further research, Haley recommends the website of the Scott Polar Research Institute at Cambridge University, which has excellent explanations of the expeditions, films, and endless other resources. Collectors tend to focus on one or two areas, depending on their area of interest, and their budget. Artefacts associated with the household names of Scott and Shackleton achieve impressive sums at auction; material from lesser-known Norwegian explorers, and the post-WWI British expeditions, is often more accessible.

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