The Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration

An illustrated talk by Mark Cottle

Few stories of exploration are as dramatic as two expeditions to Antarctica in the early 20th century. Three famous explorers dominate the story: Robert Scott, Roald Amundsen and Ernest Shackleton.

1. Scott, Amundsen and the Race to the Pole

These talks focus briefly on early attempts by Scott and Shackleton to get to the South Pole – the Discovery and Nimrod expeditions. It then concentrates on the 1910-11 expeditions by Scott and Amundsen, ending in tragedy and triumph. Contemporary photographs and water colours provide a vivid, record of this frozen world and these pioneering expeditions into the unknown.

2. Shackleton’s Endurance Expedition : A Photographic Odyssey

On Shackleton’s third expedition south in 1914, his ship, the Endurance, was trapped in the pack ice and crushed. After camping for months on the ice, Shackleton’s men rowed to a remote island. From there, Shackleton sailed for help to South Georgia, a journey of some 800 miles. Frank Hurley was the expedition’s official photographer – his photographs eloquently capture one of the greatest survival stories in polar history.

MARK COTTLE

Mark has spent his career in teaching and lecturing at home and abroad. He has a particular interest in polar exploration.

VENUE: EXETER PHOENIX

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