SIR JAMES CLARKE ROSS DISCOVERING THE MOUNTAIN WHICH HE NAMED AFTER HIS SHIP EREBUS, JANUARY 1841
The first ships to penetrate the pack ice of Antarctica were Erebus and Terror under Sir James Clarke Ross. Sent by the Royal Navy to explore the so...
POLAR EXPLORERS S. Francis Smitheman - Marine Artist
ASTROLABE AND ZELEE IN THE WEDDELL SEA
"We then had to use every means at our disposal. Men climbed down onto the ice to tie ropes to the floes....those who remained on board hauled ...
N.A.E. NORDENSKIOLD'S EXPEDITION THROUGH THE NORTHEAST PASSAGE 1878-1879
Nordenskiold, effectively a Swedish explorer, discovered the Northeast Passage on an epic voyage in the ship Vega. The Northeast Passage is the mar...
RESOLUTION AND ADVENTURE NEAR ANTARCTICA 1773
Captain James Cook circumnavigated Antarctica in two small ships, Resolution and Adventure travelling more than 60,000 miles (97,000 Km). The aim w...
THE VOYAGE OF THE FRAM 1893-1896
Two questions preoccupied many northern explorers in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. Was there an open sea passage over Russia bet...
NANSEN WITH FRAM IN RAFTING ICE
Behind Amundsen, Shackleton, Scott and Perry looms the spirit of Fridjof Nansen (1861 - 1930), the father of modern polar exploration." Rola...
NANSEN LEAVING FOR THE POLE 14 MARCH 1895
Fridtjof Nansen, with his vessel the Fram. made an attempt to get to the North Pole. His plan was to sail east along the North East Passage into th...
THE BELGICA NEAR ANVERS ISLAND, GRAHAM LAND, JANUARY 1898
The Belgian converted whaler Belgica is seen moored near Anvers Island. The Belgica was the first ship to penetrate this part of the Antarctic Peni...
THE SOUTHERN CROSS AT CAPE ADAIR 1899 VERSION 2
When the first painting was exhibited in Norway several other Borchgrevinks wanted to commission further versions.
CAPTAIN C.A.LARSEN'S JASON IN THE LEMAIRE CHANNEL c.1893
The Norwegian Captain Larsen, in his vessel the Jason combined whaling, reconnaissance and sealing, as shown here, with the careful exploration of ...
THE SOUTHERN CROSS IN ANTARCTICA WITH CARSTEN E. BORCHGREVINK
This expedition, led by the Norwegian C. E. Borchgrevink, was financed by the British and became the first party to set foot on the Antarctic mainla...
THE FRANCAIS IN ANTARCTICA
Dr. Jean Charcot inherited a fortune from his father, gave up medicine and pursued his true vocation as an explorer. He invested in the building of...
THE POURQUOI PAS? FROZEN IN HER WINTER ANCHORAGE, PETERMAN ISLAND 1909
In his first ship, the Francais, Francois Charcot 'Polar gentleman, explorer, scientist, doctor, philosopher' accurately surveyed the weste...
AMUNDSEN RETURNING TO THE FRAM AND GREETS THE CAPTAIN
The Fram had brought Amundsen, his colleagues and stores to the Bay of Whales in January 1911. It then sailed to Buenos Aires whilst the party made ...
THE POLAR VICTORS RACE BACK TO THE FRAM
On December 14th 1911, Amundsen with four companions and eighteen dogs planted the Norwegian flag at the South Pole after a journey ...
THE TERRA NOVA AT CAPE EVANS IN SIGHT OF MT. EREBUS WITH SCOTT AND WILSON PREPARING THEIR ATTEMPT ON THE POLE
The Terra Nova, a 700 tonne coal-burning whaler built in 1884, arrived at Cape Evans Antarctica in early January 1911. Once arrived activity onshor...
GRITVIKEN WHALING STATION, SOUTH GEORGIA
Gritviken, for forty years was the capital of the Norwegian whaling industry. It was also very close to where Shackleton arrived after his epic jour...
SHACKLETON'S ENDURANCE BESET BY ICE IN THE WEDDEL SEA
Shackleton's epic Antarctic expedition was beset by problems including the loss of his ship the Endurance. It was only by extreme determination ...