An expedition frozen in time.
If you are fascinated by the history of Antarctic exploration, you will be amazed by this recent discovery: a box of 100-year-old negatives frozen in a block of ice in Antarctica. These negatives were taken by members of the Ross Sea Party, a group of explorers who were part of Ernest Shackleton’s ambitious attempt to cross the Antarctic continent from 1915 to 1917.
The Ross Sea Party was supposed to lay supply depots for Shackleton and his crew, who were approaching from the opposite side of Antarctica. However, their ship, the Aurora, was blown away by a storm and left them stranded at Cape Evans. They had to survive in harsh conditions for more than a year, using one of the huts built by Robert Falcon Scott’s earlier expedition. Three of them died during the ordeal.
The negatives were found in 2013 by conservators of the New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust (NZAHT), who were restoring Scott’s hut. The negatives were inside a small box, encased in ice. They were carefully thawed and processed by a photography conservator in Wellington, revealing 22 images of the Ross Sea Party members, their activities, and their surroundings.
The images are remarkable for several reasons. First, they are rare examples of undeveloped negatives from the Antarctic heroic era, when explorers ventured into the unknown with minimal equipment and support. Second, they offer a glimpse into the lives and challenges of the Ross Sea Party, who have been overshadowed by Shackleton’s epic survival story. Third, they show the beauty and diversity of the Antarctic landscape, from glaciers and mountains to penguins and seals.
The NZAHT has shared some of the images on their website and social media, along with captions and historical context.
The negatives are now part of the NZAHT’s collection of Antarctic heritage, which includes more than 20,000 artefacts from Scott’s and Shackleton’s expeditions. The NZAHT is dedicated to conserving and protecting these historical treasures for future generations.
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