January 17, 2013 /
Photography News/ The
Terra Nova Expedition (1910–1913), officially the
British Antarctic Expedition 1910, was led by Robert Falcon Scott with the objective of being the first to reach the geographical South Pole. Scott and four companions attained the pole
101 years ago today, on
17 January 1912, to find that a Norwegian team led by Roald Amundsen had preceded them by 33 days.
Herbert George Ponting (1870-1935) was the expedition photographer and cinematographer for the Terra Nova Expedition to the South Pole. He was one of the first to use a portable movie camera in Antarctica.
Scott's entire crew died on the return journey from the pole. Some of their bodies, journals, and photographs were discovered by a search party eight months later.
Photos courtesy of the National Library of New Zealand
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| Herbert George Ponting taking a photo with large camera on tripod during the British Antarctic ("Terra Nova") Expedition, January 1912. Taken by unidentified photographer. Silver gelatin print. Photographic Archive, Alexander Turnbull Library. |
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| Grotto in an iceberg, photographed during the British Antarctic Expedition of 1911-1913, 5 Jan 1911. Photographer: Herbert Ponting. Silver gelatin print. Photographic Archive, Alexander Turnbull Library. |
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| Dog Chris, listening to the gramophone, during the British Antarctic ("Terra Nova") Expedition of 1910-1913. Photograph taken by Herbert Ponting, circa January 1911. |
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| Seals in front of the ice formation "Church Berg". Taken by Herbert George Ponting on 29 December 1911, during the British Antarctic Expedition of 1910-1913. |
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| Cecil H Meares and Dimitri Geroff by the blubber stove in the Discovery hut, during the British Antarctic ("Terra Nova") Expedition of 1910-1913. Photograph taken 3 November, 1911, by Herbert Ponting. |
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| Herbert Ponting showing slides during his lecture on Japan, during the British Antarctic ("Terra Nova") Expedition of 1910-13. Photograph taken by Herbert Ponting on the 16th of October, 1911. |
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| Dr Edward Atkinson in his lab, photographed September 15th, 1911 by Herbert George Ponting during the British Antarctic ("Terra Nova") Expedition (1910-1913). Shows him standing by a table of items, including a microscope, holding a test tube. |
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| Mongolian ponies in the stable during the British Antarctic ("Terra Nova") Expedition (1910-1913). Shows a row of tethered horses in their stalls with Captain Oates on the right. Ice has formed on the ceiling. Photograph taken on the 25th of May 1911, by Herbert George Ponting. |
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| Portrait of Captain Scott during the British Antarctic ("Terra Nova") Expedition (1910-1913). Shows him standing by a sled in the snow, wearing cold weather clothing. Photograph taken on the 13th of April 1911, by Herbert George Ponting. |
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| Thomas Clissold the cook making bread during the British Antarctic Expedition of 1911-1913. Shows him in a kitchen surrounded by equipment and supplies. He wears hat and apron and is kneading dough on a table. Griffiths McAllister & Co containers of bacon rations, beed marrowfat, cod roes, ground cinnamon, celery seed, sago, and washing soda, are visible in the foreground. Photograph taken on the 26th of March 1911 by Herbert George Ponting. |
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| Sky effect (midnight sun), penguins at ice-edge. Taken by Herbert George Ponting on 13 January 1911 during the British Antarctic ("Terra Nova") Expedition (1910-1913). |
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| The ship Terra Nova arriving at the Bay of Whales in 1910, to find the Norwegian expedition. (Caption from `The South Pole Ponies' by Theodore K Mason, 1979, page 133). Photographed from `Fram', the ship of Amundsen, by an unidentified photographer. | | |
Wow 100 years ago already! To think Lake Vostok is still yet the last undiscovered country...I sure hope our Russian friends have the bit insertion method correct or it will be the first last thing on earth to be polluted....good luck Comrads