FONT OPTIONS
Close

The Font Options functionality in this site requires the use of cookies to remember your settings. Tick this checkbox to accept the use of cookies and enable the font options below.

For more information about the Dyslexie font click here.

Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Polar sledge
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
  1. Animals
    Page  4
    1. Dog food ration box
      Page  4
    2. Dog harness
      Page  6
    3. Dog whip
      Page  7
    4. Pony shoe
      Page 10
  2. Cameras
    Page 12
    1. Herbert Ponting
      Page 12
    2. Robert Falcon Scott
      Page 14
  3. Clothes
    Page 16
    1. Boots
      Page 16
      1. Reindeer skin boots
        Page 18
    2. Drawers, vest (underwear)
      Page 20
    3. Hood
      Page 22
    4. Jacket
      Page 24
    5. Scarf, mittens and balaclava
      Page 26
    6. Snow goggles
      Page 28
      1. Apsley Cherry-Garrard
        Page 28
      2. Frank Debenham
        Page 30
      3. Robert Falcon Scott
        Page 32
    7. Wolfskin gloves
      Page 34
  4. Food and Cooking
    Page 36
    1. Cocoa
      Page 36
    2. Nansen cooker
      Page 38
    3. Pemmican
      Page 40
    4. Primus stove
      Page 42
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
    1. Rations box
      Page 44
  2. Navigation
    Page 46
    1. Sextant and Watches
      Page 46
      1. Sextant
        Page 48
    2. Sledge compass
      Page 50
    3. Sun compass
      Page 52
  3. Other
    Page 54
    1. Book
      Page 54
    2. Fossil
      Page 56
    3. Penguin egg
      Page 58
    4. Rock samples
      Page 60
    5. Sledge models
      Page 62
      1. Edward Evans
        Page 62
      2. Edward Nelson
        Page 64
    6. Wooden box
      Page 66
  4. Tools
    Page 68
    1. Alidade
      Page 68
    2. First aid kit
      Page 70
    3. Pencil case and Letter opener
      Page 72
    4. Scott´s pen
      Page 74
    5. Snow knife
      Page 76
    6. Sunshine recorder
      Page 78
    7. Thermometer
      Page 80
      1. Wooden thermometer
        Page 82
    8. Travel lamp
      Page 84
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Object: Dog food ration box.
Group: Animals.
Description of
object:		 Sledge Dog food ration box. This was a different size from the boxes of human rations so they could easily be distinguished on the sledge, whatever the weather conditions. It carried enough high protein food for 2 dogs for 3 days.
Further
information:		 At base camp near the coast, dogs were fed on fresh seal meat. As expeditions moved inland to the pole, the dogs' food needed to be carried on sledges alongside that for the men.
Dog food ration box video
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Dog pemmican box
Dog food ration box
Sledge dog
Sledge dog
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Object: Dog harness.
Group: Animals.
Description of
object:		 Dog harness worn by sledge dogs on Terra Nova Expedition. Teams were made up of 8 or 9 dogs per sledge and were a very efficent mode of transport in the Antarctic. Dogs were fed on meat from seals killed on site.
Further
information:		 Scott at first was more reluctant to use dogs than other European explorers like Amundsen. However in time he saw the benefits and dogs were widely used from base camp.
Dog harness video
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Dog harness
Dog harness
Dog harness worn by sledge dogs
Dog harness worn by sledge dogs
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Object: Dog whip.
Group: Animals.
Description of
object:		 Plaited leather dog whip with bamboo handle used on the Discovery Expedition. The 3 to 4 metre-long whip was not used directly on the dogs but as a means of steering the dogs and sledge.
Further
information:		 The whip would be "cracked" to the side of the dogs as the sledge was pulled. Cracking the whip to the left of the dogs would make them move away from the sound in the opposite direction and so the sledge would steer to the right. A right side crack would steer the dogs left.
Dog whip video
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Dog whip
Dog whip
Sledge dogs
Sledge dogs
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Object: Pony shoe.
Group: Animals.
Description of
object:		 Bamboo and leather snow shoe worn by ponies in one of Scott's expeditions.
Further
information:		 A simple but effective pony snow-shoe. By speading the ponies' weight over a larger area it enabled the animals to move better in deep snow.
Pony shoe video
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Pony shoe
Pony shoe
Pony with snow shoes
Pony with snow shoes
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Object: Herbert Ponting's camera.
Group: Cameras.
Description of
object:		 Herbert Ponting's high-resolution camera from the Terra Nova Expedition. The camera recorded images onto a glass plate and has a bellows mechanism to adjust focus, with a sighting mechanism on top. The camera could be easily folded for compact storage and transport. Almost all of the key images we associate with Scott's last expedition were taken by Ponting.
Further
information:		 Ponting pioneered early Antarctic photography. As well as photographing the men he was the first to comprehensively record the continent's wildlife. Ponting set the standard for modern photography and it was decades before other Antarctic photographers matched his quality. Modern i-phone cameras usually have around 8 mega pixels. Ponting's camera has the modern equivalent of 54 mega pixels!
Herbert Ponting's camera video
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Herbert Ponting's camera
Herbert Ponting's camera
Herbert Ponting with his camera
Herbert Ponting with his camera
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Object: Robert Falcon Scott's camera.
Group: Cameras.
Description of
object:		 Robert Falcon Scott's camera from the Terra Nova Expedition. This was an early example of a camera that used a roll of film rather than glass plates. Scott took about 100 pictures, compared to the over 1700 taken by official photographer Henry Ponting.
Further
information:		 Scott was not a trained cameraman but learned from Ponting and through practice. Scott's improving technique can be seen when comparing his later photographs to his earlier attempts.
Robert Falcon Scott's camera video
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Robert Falcon Scott's camera
Robert Falcon Scott's camera
Photo taken from Robert Falcon Scott's camera
Photo taken from Robert Falcon Scott's camera
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Object: Boots.
Group: Clothes.
Description of
object:		 Ernest Shackleton's boot from the 1914/17 Endurance Expedition. He had been asked to help in the design of boots; this one has a leather sole with a leather/canvas upper which enabled it to be tied tightly at the ankle. It is loose at the top so socks could be worn.
Further
information:		 The boots have nails driven in the sole. Shackleton added these whilst in South Georgia to aid grip whist climbing on ice. This "in the field" adaptation was later added to the design of new boots at Shackleton's request.
Boot video
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Boot
Boot
Ernest Shackleton
Ernest Shackleton (right)
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Object: Reindeer skin boots.
Group: Clothes.
Description of
object:		 Reindeer skin Finnesko boots worn by George Murray Levick, the surgeon on the Terra Nova Expedition. These were made especially for Levick by local people in the northern Arctic from domesticated reindeer hide.
Further
information:		 Reindeer hair is hollow and traps air making the hide one of the best natural insulators. The hair on the sole of the boot also reduces slipping. European explorers had begun to see the benefits of some traditional clothing worn for centuries by the indigenous peoples of the Arctic and use these in Antarctic exploration.
Reindeer skin boots video
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Reindeer skin boots
Finnesko
Reindeer skin boots
Finnesko used on the Terra Nova Expedition
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Object: Drawers, vest (underwear).
Group: Clothes.
Description of
object:		 Edward Wilson's Jaeger tight-knit woollen underwear from the 1901-04 Discovery Expedition. Wilson was the Chief Surgeon and Zoologist.
Further
information:		 The long-sleeve vest and long-john underwear would be worn continously; either under outer clothing or whilst sleeping in reindeer sleeping bags. The tight-knit wool was very effective in retaining heat and keeping the wearer warm.
Drawers, vest (underwear) video
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Vest (underwear)
Vest (underwear)
Explorers getting dressed
Explorers getting dressed
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Object: Hood.
Group: Clothes.
Description of
object:		 Windproof hood belonging to Lieutenant Harry Pennell, Commander of the SS Terra Nova. The hood is made of a windproof (but not waterproof) material with a wireframe that enabled the hood to be tightened further to keep as much wind out as possible.
Further
information:		 The Antarctic is the windiest continent on Earth and so protection from the wind is just important as combating the cold.
Hood video
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Hood
Hood
Explorers wearing hoods
Explorers wearing hoods
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Object: Jacket.
Group: Clothes.
Description of
object:		 Windproof outer tunic made by Mandleberg & Son used on the Terra Nova expedition. This close-woven cotton outer garment was designed to be windproof, although in wet snow conditions it would often let in water and freeze. The garment would then need to be dried overnight in a heated hut or tent. The wide bottom of the tunic is designed to allow sweat out when the wearer was working hard on the ice.
Further
information:		 It is important for sweat to escape from the body in freezing conditions. At minus 40° Celsius sweat can freeze directly on the skin, quickly causing hypothermia. Mandleberg & Son, together with Jaeger and Burberry were major clothing suppliers to the Antarctic expeditions and were able to trade on the reputation they built for many decades after.
Jacket video
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Jacket
Jacket
Windproof outer tunic
Windproof outer tunic
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Object: Scarf, mittens and balaclava.
Group: Clothes.
Description of
object:		 The woollen scarf, mittens and balaclava worn by Edward McKenzie, the ship's stoker, on the Terra Nova Expedition. Made of pure wool these were lightweight but effective in keeping out the cold.
Further
information:		 Members of the expedition would not have been issued with clothing but were expected to supply their own. These three items were probably knitted by a close female family member of McKenzie.
Scarf, mittens and balaclava video
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Scarf
Scarf
Edward McKenzie
Edward McKenzie
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Object: Apsley Cherry-Garrard's snow goggles.
Group: Clothes.
Description of
object:		 Snow goggles of Apsley Cherry-Garrard, assistant zoologist on the 1910-1913 British Antarctic Expedition led by Robert Falcon Scott. Cherry-Garrard had paid £1000 to take part and his published memoir The Worst Journey in the World, is the famous record of a winter expedition to collect Emperor penguin eggs.
Further
information:		 Snow goggles are vital equipment in polar regions during daylight to protect eyes from snow-blindness caused by the sun reflecting off snow.
Apsley Cherry-Garrard's snow goggles video
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Apsley Cherry-Garrard's snow goggles
Apsley Cherry-Garrard's snow goggles
Apsley Cherry-Garrard
Apsley Cherry-Garrard
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Object: Frank Debenham's snow goggles.
Group: Clothes.
Description of
object:		 Frank Debenham's snow goggles. Debenham was the geologist on the Terra Nova expedition. The goggles are crudely made of metal and green glass covered in leather, with cloth added later to stop the metal parts freezing to his face. Holes have also been drilled into the metal to prevent sweating when worn.
Further
information:		 In the Antarctic, the design of goggles developed by trial and error. By experimenting with different designs the men found what worked and what didn't. For example; it was discovered that to be effective in preventing snow blindness, in addition to filtered glass, the goggles needed to have covers on the side to prevent light getting through.
Frank Debenham's snow goggles video
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Frank Debenham's snow goggles
Frank Debenham's snow goggles
Frank Debenham
Frank Debenham
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Object: Robert Falcon Scott's snow goggles.
Group: Clothes.
Description of
object:		 Captain Scott's snow goggles from the 1901 Discovery Expedition. The wooden design was based on advice from contemporary Arctic scientists and influenced by goggles worn by the Inuit people of the Arctic.
Further
information:		 Snow goggles are vital equipment in polar regions during daylight to protect eyes from snow-blindness caused by the sun reflecting off snow.
Robert Falcon Scott's snow goggles video
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Robert Falcon Scott's snow goggles
Robert Falcon Scott's snow goggles
Robert Falcon Scott
Robert Falcon Scott
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Object: Wolfskin gloves.
Group: Clothes.
Description of
object:		 Wolfskin gauntlets worn as a top layer on hands over two other layers of gloves/mittens. These would have been used in most of the early 20th Century polar expeditions.
Further
information:		 Three layers of gloves were normally worn to avoid frostbite in fingers. The wolfskin gauntlets would be removed when working with equipment as they were bulky. A cord was attached to the gauntlets so they could be hung around the neck to avoid loss.
Wolfskin gloves video
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Wolfskin gloves
Wolfskin gloves
Explorers wearing Wolfskin gloves
Explorers wearing Wolfskin gloves
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Object: Cocoa.
Group: Food and cooking.
Description of
object:		 A tin of Carson's Cocoa from Shackleton's 1914 Endurance Expedition. The Endurance ship became trapped by ice and the crew had to spend a winter camped in huts on an ice floe.
Further
information:		 Cocoa was an important ration for polar expeditions. An easily made hot drink, it warmed the men in the evening after a day of work and helped maintain morale.
Cocoa video
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
A tin of Cocoa
A tin of Cocoa
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Object: Nansen cooker.
Group: Food and cooking.
Description of
object:		 The Nansen cooker. Used alongside the primus camping stove, the Nansen cooker was an efficient way of cooking food and melting snow for water. The cooker consisted of a number of compartments that made the best use of heat from the stove. In this way the cooker provided four benefits: a hot meal, hot water, a hot surface to keep drinks warm, and heating the tent.
Further
information:		 The Nansen cooker's multi-use nature meant that it was ideal for use on polar expeditions. Its compact and lightweight aluminium construction allowed it to be easily packed and carried on a sledge with minimal effort. As such, it allowed people to travel much further distances than before in the Antarctic.
Nansen cooker video
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Nansen cooker
Nansen cooker
Explorers using a Nansen cooker
Explorers using a Nansen cooker
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Object: Pemmican.
Group: Food and cooking.
Description of
object:		 The Pemmican ration - a mixture of ground beef and lard - provided the main food source in the field for the 1910-1913 Terra Nova Expedition. It was usually heated with water in a stew and eaten with biscuits. One box would provide a day's food supply for one man.
Further
information:		 For normal living and working today the average man requires 2000-2500 calories. For man hauling sledges in the Antarctic, Scott's party had expected to need around 4500 calories and carried ration at this level. However the physical effort was so great the polar party actually used 6000-8000 calories and so were effectively slowly starving.
Pemmican video
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Pemmican
Pemmican
Pemmican rations
Pemmican rations
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Object: Primus stove.
Group: Food and cooking.
Description of
object:		 The "primus" camping stove was used by the Terra Nova and later expeditions. Fuelled by kerosene, its design provided heat to simultaneously heat food and melt snow for drinking water. The primus was 6 times more fuel efficient than previous models of stove reducing the amounts of fuel that needed to be carried. Modern camping stoves have changed little since.
Further
information:		 It was important that expedition members drank plenty of fluids. The primus design efficently allowed snow to be melted for hot drinks at the same time as food was heated.
Primus stove video
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Primus stove
Primus stove
Explorers using a primus stove
Explorers using a primus stove
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Object: Ration box.
Group: Food and cooking.
Description of
object:		 A standard size sledge ration box. Up to ten of these crates containing food rations could be loaded onto a sledge to be pulled by ponies, dogs or men.
Further
information:		 Each of these lightweight, but robust, crates would contain enough Pemmican rations to feed two men for ten days.
Ration box video
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Rations box
Ration box
Rations boxes
Ration boxes
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Object: Sextant and watches.
Group: Navigation.
Description of
object:		 A sextant, and two watches used for navigation by Shackleton's 1914-17 Trans Antarctica Expedition. These items were the only navigation tools used to travel 800 miles of the South Atlantic in a small boat from Elephant Island to South Georgia.
Further
information:		 In the past, sailors used a sextant to measure the angle of the sun against the horizon, with the watches used to record the time of day. Using mathematics and charts a route could then be plotted. In the case of Shackleton's party, they only had sight of the sun 3 times during the whole 15 day journey, which meant they could only re-check their course calculations on those few occasions.
Sextant and watches video
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Sextant and watches
Sextant and watches
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Object: Sextant.
Group: Navigation.
Description of
object:		 A sextant, used on the lifeboat James Caird, during Shackleton's 1914-17 Trans Antarctica Expedition. Sailors used a sextant to measure the angle of the sun against the horizon, with watches used to record the time of day. Using mathematics and charts a route could then be plotted.
Further
information:		 Shackleton's crew used the sextant during the James Caird's journey for help across 800 miles of the Southern from Elephant Island to South Georgia. Remarkably, the crew only had sight of the sun three times during the whole 15 day journey, which meant they could only re-check their course calculations on those few occasions.
Sextant video
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Sextant
Sextant
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Object: Sledge compass.
Group: Navigation.
Description of
object:		 A compass used on the Terra Nova Expedition. The side of the compass is covered in string so the metal side would not freeze to men's hands in the freezing temperatures. The compass was carried in a padded cloth bag for protection on the sledge journey but despite this the glass was damaged in the rough conditions.
Further
information:		 The compass would become impossible to use closer to the South Pole, because of the way the Earth's magnetic field works. The men would then have to navigate by "dead reckoning", which is a way of calculating your current position by estimating your speed, time travelled and course taken from your previous position.
Sledge compass video
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Sledge compass
Sledge compass
Explorers
Explorers
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Object: Sun compass.
Group: Navigation.
Description of
object:		 A wooden sun compass from the Terra Nova Expedition. A shadow is cast by a small wire on to a printed paper dial. Provided you know the time, you know the direction the shadow will fall and so a direction to travel.
Further
information:		 In the Antarctic summer, the sun does not set and so the sun compass could be used 24 hours a day.
Sun compass video
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Sun compass
Sun compass
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Object: Book.
Group: Other.
Description of
object:		 "What a Life" comic book from the Terra Nova Expedition. Both of Scott's expeditions included extensive ship's libraries of both academic books and lighter reading.
Further
information:		 Aside from their day-to-day work, a large amount of the crew's time would be leisure. Reading would take up much of this and the libraries provided a source of both education and entertainment for the men.
Book video
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
What a Life comic book
What a Life comic book
Leisure time reading
Leisure time reading
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Object: Fossil.
Group: Other.
Description of
object:		 A fossil leaf. Fossils were found on both of Scott's expeditions. Scott and his men were the first to bring back large numbers of Antarctic rocks containing fossils. Many of the rocks were not examined by scientists until long after Scott's time.
Further
information:		 Once fully studied, these fossils provided evidence that in the past Antarctica was warm enough for many types of plants to grow. Nearly identical fossils found in Africa, Australia, India and South America provided strong evidence that 170 million years ago the 5 land areas were joined into one single continent with a warm, wet climate.
Fossil video
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Fossil
Fossil
Studying a fossil
Studying a fossil
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Object: Penguin egg.
Group: Other.
Description of
object:		 Emperor penguin egg collected on the Terra Nova Expedition. Emperors are the largest of the seven Antarctic species and are unusual in that they lay eggs at the start of winter. The eggs are then incubated through the 4 months of winter darkness by the male penguins, whist the females go away to feed at sea. At the end of winter, just as the chicks hatch, the females return to feed the chicks and the males return to sea.
Further
information:		 To collect this and other eggs the Terra Nova party had to travel by foot in an Antarctic winter where temperatures drop to minus 70 degree Celsius. Other dangers included; deep crevasses that were impossible to see in the darkness and that tents could easily be blown away in strong winds. The experience and dangers of the mission were by recorded in Apsley Cherry-Garrard's book The Worst Journey in the World.
Penguin egg video
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Penguin egg
Penguin egg
Penguin eggs
Penguin eggs
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Object: Rock samples.
Group: Other.
Description of
object:		 Rock samples collected on the Terra Nova Expedition. Trying to understand the geology of Antarctica was an important part of the expedition. Whenever Scott's party saw different rocks they would collect a sample in separate cloth bags.
Further
information:		 Back in England, geologists were able to work out that the continent had had a tropical environment in the past as one of the rocks brought back was coal. Similarities between Antarctic rocks and others found in Africa, Australia, India and South America provided evidence these areas once formed a single continent which began to split up 170 million years ago.
Rock samples video
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Rock samples
Rock samples
Collecting rock samples
Collecting rock samples
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Object: Edward Evans's sledge model.
Group: Other.
Description of
object:		 Model sledge made by Edward Evans on the Terra Nova Expedition during the 1911 winter. The model was made from materials lying around the hut to keep Evans busy during the long Antarctic winter darkness.
Further
information:		 The detailed model illustrates in miniature the items that would be carried on a real expedition sledge. Replica cargo includes: fuel cans, tent poles, ropes, a shovel, tent canvas and a mileometer wheel.
Edward Evans's sledge model video
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Edward Evans's sledge model
Edward Evans's sledge model
Real expedition sledge
Real expedition sledge
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Object: Edward Nelson's sledge model.
Group: Other.
Description of
object:		 Model sledge made by Edward Nelson, biologist on the Terra Nova Expedition. This is a copy of Nelson's own sledge used to carry equipment he used to drill trough ice shelves to study the sea water beneath.
Further
information:		 The model was made by Nelson as a hobby during the dark Antarctic winter months when little or no field work could be done. The detailed model gives us a good idea of the type of equipment Nelson was carrying and working with on his real sledge.
Edward Nelson's sledge model video
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Edward Nelson's sledge model
Edward Nelson's sledge model
Real expedition sledge
Real expedition sledge
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Object: Wooden box.
Group: Other.
Description of
object:		 Wooden box with carved lid belonging to Edward McKenzie, ship's stoker on the Terra Nova Expedition.
Further
information:		 After a normal day's work, the ship's crew would have tried to fill their remaining time with various hobbies or pastimes. Edward would have carved this box lid to while away the time off-duty and to personalise his belongings.
Wooden box video
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Wooden box
Wooden box
Edward McKenzie
Edward McKenzie
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Object: Alidade.
Group: Tools.
Description of
object:		 Surveyor's alidade from the Terra Nova Expedition. An easily transported tool used to help map the Antarctic. Frank Debenham was the chief surveyor and made this instrument himself by adding two gun sights onto an ordinary ruler. It was used to help make maps and record the shape of land and ice features.
Further
information:		 At the time of the Terra Nova expedition, very little was known about the geography and shape of Antarctica. The coast had only partially been mapped and all but nothing was known of inland areas. A major aim of the expedition was to make maps of the continent, recording ice floes, mountain ranges and coastal features.
Alidade video
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Alidade
Alidade
Frank Debenham using an alidade
Frank Debenham using an alidade
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Object: First aid kit.
Group: Tools.
Description of
object:		 First aid bag used on both of Scott's expeditions. Every man would carry his own bag containing up to 4 reels of bandage and needles for sewing them.
Further
information:		 In the Antarctic, men were often rescued by comrades after falling down crevasses. Injuries such as bruises and sprains were common. Bandages would be used to bind wounds and support strains and breaks.
First aid kit video
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
First aid kit
First aid kit
Bandaging an injured hand
Bandaging an injured hand
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Object: Pencil case and Letter opener.
Group: Tools.
Description of
object:		 Ernest Shackleton's pencil case tin and letter opener. This is likely to have accompanied him on all his expeditions both to the Arctic and Antarctic.
Further
information:		 Letters to and from home were important for maintaining morale in polar expeditions. Usually only one ship per year brought supplies to the expedition and so there was only the single yearly opportunity to receive letters from loved ones. Letters would be carefully opened, read and placed back in envelopes to be re-read throughout the year.
Pencil case and Letter opener video
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Letter opener
Pencil case and Letter opener
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Object: Scott's pen.
Group: Tools.
Description of
object:		 Captain Scott's pen. Used in earlier expeditions for writing the ship's log and for diary entries etc. The pen would be dipped into a pot of ink before writing.
Further
information:		 As expeditions moved closer to the poles, pencil became the writing instrument of choice as ink often froze. Graphite pencil "lead" was not affected by the extreme cold and so was widely used for paper records.
Scott's pen video
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Scott's pen
Scott's pen
Captain Scott writing at his desk
Captain Scott writing at his desk
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Object: Snow knife.
Group: Tools.
Description of
object:		 A snow knife made on the Terra Nova Expedition. This tool was specially made in the Antarctic to cut blocks of snow to build shelters for ponies when travelling away from base. These walls of ice would give the ponies some protection from the strong winds.
Further
information:		 Expeditions often had to improvise and make tools on site, as they had not always brought from Britain suitable equipment for some of the new conditions they experienced in Antarctica.
Snow knife video
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Snow knife
Snow knife
Ponies
Ponies
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Object: Sunshine recorder.
Group: Tools.
Description of
object:		 A sunshine recorder from the 1934/1937 British Graham Land Expedition. This was used to record the amount of sunshine that fell at a particular time and place.
Further
information:		 This type of equipment enables a daily record of sunshine to be kept and so any changes over time can be tracked.
Sunshine recorder video
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Sunshine recorder
Sunshine recorder
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Object: Thermometer.
Group: Tools.
Description of
object:		 Alcohol thermometer from the Terra Nova Expedition. This thermometer could read temperatures down to minus 40 degrees Celsius/Fahrenheit. This proved sufficient at base camp but not out in the field, where temperatures were much colder.
Further
information:		 Before Scott, very little was known about the temperatures found in the Antarctic. The Terra Nova expedition also had equipment to measure weather, climate and atmospheric conditions in great detail for the first time. Measurements were usually taken every two hours whatever the weather conditions.
Thermometer video
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Thermometer
Thermometer
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Object: Wooden thermometer.
Group: Tools.
Description of
object:		 Wooden thermometer case, containing two glass Celsius thermometers. As these thermometers could only read temperatures down to minus 10 degrees they would only have been used near the coast, where temperatures are less cold.
Further
information:		 Glass thermometers are very fragile and wooden cases were important to protect them in the challenging conditions of the Antarctic.
Wooden thermometer video
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Wooden thermometer
Wooden thermometer
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Object: Travel lamp.
Group: Tools.
Description of
object:		 Collapsible lantern used during Scott's expeditions. The lamp includes a mirror to increase light output and folds up to be carried in a flat carrying pouch.
Further
information:		 Scientific equipment needed to be checked and read every 2 hours or so even in the Antarctic winter darkness. Lines of these lamps were used to light the path between the main accommodation hut and scientific out stations.
Travel lamp video
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Travel lamp
Travel lamp
Encyclopaedia of Artefacts
Filming polar artefacts at SPRI
Filming polar artefacts at SPRI

© London Grid for Learning • Contact the webmaster • Company Information • Provided under licence by LGfL

Licence

Designed by

Atomwide