Glass plate photographs of the Antarctic by Herbert George Ponting.
Scope and Contents
Herbert George Ponting (1870–1935) was the official photographer of the British Antarctic Expedition of 1910-1913 commanded by Robert Falcon Scott (1868-1912). He produced some of the most iconic polar images. Some of his photographs were used to illustrate the expedition magazine The South Polar Times, volume III, produced April to October 1911. This was reissued by Smith, Elder and Co. in 1914, for which these nine photographic plates were produced.
A The Terra Nova in pack ice, 1910.
B View over the still sea of Cape Bird, with ice floes towards a steep coast, Mount Erebus shrouded in clouds in background, at 1.15 am, 4 January 1911.
C An iceberg of Cape Evans, with Adelie penguins in the foreground, 7 January 1911.
D The volcano Mount Erebus from the ice-foot, with five Adelie penguins in the foreground, 13 January 1911.
E Wave breaking at West Beach on Cape Evans, 28 February 1911.
F Weddell seal gazing over a snowbank into the ocean diving at west beach, Cape Evans`, 15 March 1911.
G The crater lip of Mount Erebus. A telephotograph from a distance of 15 miles, 9 September 1911.
H Men emerging from winter quarters hut on 17 September 1911, a relatively "warm" spring day of -15 degrees Fahrenheit (-26 degrees Celsius). Mount Erebus looms in the distance.
I The Castle Berg, with dog sledge, 17 September 1911.
Dates
- Creation: 1914.
Creator
Conditions Governing Access
Normal access conditions apply.
Fragile. Wear gloves when handling. Recommend lightbox use.
Extent
1 Boxes
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
Chronological.
Custodial History
Produced by Smith, Elder and Co., in 1914, who were taken over by John Murray in 1917.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Presented, 2015, John R. Murray, London.
Existence and Location of Originals
Original photographs from which these were derived now in the Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge.
Bibliography
Genre / Form
- Title
- National Library of Scotland Catalogue of Manuscripts
- Author
- National Library of Scotland
- Date
- 24 03 2015
- Description rules
- Finding Aid Prepared Using Local Descriptive Rules
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the National Library of Scotland Archives and Manuscripts Division Repository
Archives and Manuscript Division
National Library of Scotland
George IV Bridge
Edinburgh EH1 1EJ
0131 623 3700
manuscripts@nls.uk