Thursday, January 26, 2012

Captain Scott's fateful expedition to Antarctica

From National Library of Scotland - via Ibookcollector

The story of Captain Scott's fateful expedition to Antarctica is being told at the National Library of Scotland (NLS) almost 100 years to the day that his party made it to the South Pole.

The team arrived at the Pole on 17 January 1912, only to discover a Norwegian flag. They had lost the race to Roald Amundsen who had beaten them by more than a month. All five of the British polar party lost their lives to the extreme Antarctic weather on the return journey.

It is a story of courage, selfless sacrifice and tragedy that has captivated generations. 'Scott's Last Expedition' which opened (12 January), features a wide variety of material from the NLS collections including a copy of Scott's published diary, photographs of the expedition, letters and newspaper cuttings from the time.

It commemorates all the men of the British Antarctic 'Terra Nova' expedition of 1910-1913 who found themselves hauling sledges in a race, not of their making, to reach the South Pole. It was a round trip of 1600 miles through one of the most hostile environments on earth.

The exhibition runs until 25 March at the National Library of Scotland, George 1V Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1EW. Entry is free. 

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