______THE FRIENDS OF MAWSON INC ______No.2/2003. News Update…Mawson Centre open 10am-4pm on the weekend of Science Week (16-17 August) together with SAM’s Science Centre other public areas.
CONTENTS Pages 1-3 Letter to members Page 3 Plans and events for mid 2003
Pages 4-5 Profile of expeditioner ‘Amax’ by Mike Chambers
Page 5 Contemporary Comments Patricia Frith’s report of the 2003
AGM
Pages 5-8 Recent publications and stereo update
Dear Friend,
We are busy planning events and strategies for the Mawson Collection at the S.A. Museum. As part of this it has proven useful for us to determine what Mawson-related material is distributed beyond our Centre. If you should know of any material (and have not already been in contact with us about this) please could you let us know.
As part of the Museum’s ‘Treasures from the Collections’ displays, a damaged ‘puffometer’ (wind gust measuring instrument) made in the Antarctic on Mawson’s 1911-14 expedition with accompanying electronic visual interpretation can be seen in the new Centre. The story of the puffometer’s use in Antarctica has been the focus of many school groups that have visited the new facilities, as well as a tour group from the Waterhouse Club. If you can, take a look at this while the Science Centre is open:10:00 – 4:00 Monday-Friday from inside the entrance (or at only the interpretation screen most nights since it runs on these nights and can be viewed in the dark from outside, near the entrance). We have also had a number of new researchers since our last newsletter, the latest being Professor Petter StrØmme, from the University of Oslo, who was pursuing his neurological interest in historic polar accounts of vitamin A poisoning. Other research, in this instance carried out by us, has led to, dare I say, a definitive list of expeditioners on the first venture Mawson led. This is to be used in a publication about one of these previously unknown crew of Aurora – details to follow in the next newsletter.
The Friends of Mawson Inc newsletter is produced quarterly and contributions are welcomed. The Friends of Mawson c/o South Australian Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia 5000. Secretary: Simon Langsford Phone 088207 7427 Email [email protected] ______THE FRIENDS OF MAWSON INC ______Preparations for a recreation of one of Sir Douglas Mawson’s lantern slide and film shows is currently underway. This will be held later in the year, as research into the specific images used continues. Incidentally the research has conclusively proven that a very famous Hurley photograph inside a cavern is not a composite, or combination print, as was previously suggested:
AAE W88, similar to W153 – both were in fact taken at the same time in the cavern.
One transcript of Mawson's lecture he gave accompanied by film and lantern slides (AAE 181 in the ‘Guide to the Papers') for Lee Keedick and perhaps the Lloyd Film Agency, specifically states on page 21 that:
"A cavern carved out in the base of the coartal [sic] ice cliffs. Below is the partially frozen sea. The taking of this picture was a risky procedure. Hurley and his companion [Whetter] were lowered down outside on a rope and entered on the unstable sea-ice."
2 ______THE FRIENDS OF MAWSON INC ______Also anticipated is a paper assessing Mawson’s geological work on the New Hebrides. This, it is planned, will be presented in late September. Depending on interest, this may be accompanied by several other slide presentations, and/or be published in the newsletter – if you think you might want to attend such an evening, please let us know.
Mark Pharaoh President, Fom, & Curator, Mawson Collection
PLANS AND EVENTS IN MID 2003 Put the following Mawson-related 6:30pm on Monday August 18, the events into your diary ABC’s ‘New Dimension’ looks at our Antarctic connection. September (no date yet), a Host George Negus leads viewers proposed evening of talks through a fascinating history of bringing to a close celebrations Australians in Antarctica, including a for the Centenary of the New series of interviews ranging from an Hebrides (Vanuatu) expedition ANARE director, to a Mawson family A last opportunity to visit the member. Included are several Mawson Centre to view the display Friend’s of Mawson, and the marking the Centenary of what Museum’s Mawson Centre and was Mawson’s first overseas Collection. expedition. The Mawson Centre interpretation ABC Radio National's "Ockam’s folder will be available, and a Razor" Mawson Collection talk by series of interpretation sheets that Nancy Robinson relate to Collection items which Listen to FOM committee member are of special interest. Nancy Robinson Flannery's talk in the ABC's "Ockam’s Razor" series. The title of her 14 minute talk is July 29 - August 19, Adelaide’s ‘Beyond The Balaclava’, a profile of ‘The Advertiser’ newspaper will Mawson as an inveterate include a series of Antarctic collector. Ockham's Razor is supplements each Tuesday broadcast each Sunday at 8.45a.m. These will cover the subjects Land (EST), though we don't yet know the & Geology (1), Life (2), History date for Nancy's contribution. But as (3), and The Future (4). it's broadcast nationally, with an Sir Douglas Mawson will feature in overseas Radio Australia audience of the third supplement and includes 68 million, there could be an a map of the four Mawson-related interesting spin-off for the Mawson sites that are located off North Collection. Terrace, Adelaide. ______
3 ______T HE FRIENDS OF MAWSON INC ______An extract of some voyages by Michael Chambers, about his father’s uncle:-
Captain Arthur Max Stanton (Schneider)
Second child of an engineer and inventor who had migrated from Germany in the 1890's, AMax was born in London in 1900. In all he had three brothers and six sisters and was known to his siblings as Arthur, but to his family and friends he was always AMax. He first went to sea on 1st July 1918 working in the boiler room on an Anglo Saxon (his daughter's recollection, probably Anglo Iranian which became BP) Oil Company steamship. After three months leave he joined the sailing ship Clavendon, and subsequently Augenshire.
The family's name was changed to Stanton following persecution during the Great War, and shortly after this AMax emigrated to Sydney, Australia.
RSS DISCOVERY
In his youth AMax sailed under Sir Douglas Mawson on the RSS Discovery to the Antarctic in the 1929-31 BANZARE [British, Australian, and New Zealand Antarctic Research Expedition] as a late substitute First Officer (1930-31), even though he had a masters ticket. Captain J.K. Davies had retired shortly after the 1929/30 voyage, and the first officer K.N. Mackenzie took over the captaincy, the vacancy being taken over by Amax. Whilst in the Antarctic he retrieved a box of Bryant & May Yachting matches from a cabin; these matches were six inches long with a striking head of about ¾" long. During this voyage a group of islands were named the Stanton Group after him.
Matchbox depicted extreme left, and matches seen in the foreground
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Rockhopper Penguins King George V Land, Antarctica
A letter dated 4th April 2003 from scientific officer Alf Howard who was also aboard the Discovery states that Max was a very pleasant fellow who was always happy to stop for a chat during trips around the deck. Max was frequently involved in trips to the land, and to claim the land.
During one of the world wars (probably the 2nd, given his age) when his ship was sunk by a submarine off the Cornish coast, he swam ashore and hitch-hiked back to London in his pyjamas.
AMax died in Hongkong in 1963. ______
Contemporary Comments
Report of the 2003 FOM AGM at the S.A. Museum by Patricia Frith A small group of friends gathered at the Museum for the A.G.M. and a birthday toast to Mawson himself. He would have celebrated his 120th birthday on May 5. Birthday cake and nibbles with a glass of wine and we were led into a largely unknown chapter of the Explorer’s collection located in the Museum Science Centre. Under the enthusiastic guidance of Mark and his team we were shown some rare specimens of Vanuatu culture and pottery. Best of all I was overwhelmed by the huge number of photographic pictures of the early expeditions south. All catalogued in sizes and crammed into a tiny space just waiting for a chance to be displayed somehow!! My appetite for things Antarctic began at the time my late husband wintered over at Mawson Base in 1970. During my preschool age I discovered my father’s haversack he had used on geology excursions with Mawson during Uni days. My excursions were more of an adventure in ‘leaving home’.”
5 ______T HE FRIENDS OF MAWSON INC ______BOOKS
There are a considerable number of books on Antarctic subjects available at the moment, especially titles dealing with Ernest Shackleton, as well as the expeditions and personnel from the early decades of the 20th Century. Two are devoted to the images of Frank Hurley, taken on the Imperial TransAntarctic Expedition. - "The Endurance," by Caroline Alexander is a square format paperback of mid size with prints of high quality. At $35 it is a worthwhile purchase. - For those with a deeper photographic interest the large format hardcover "South with Endurance - the photography of Frank Hurley" is a must. It contains every photographic image saved from the Endurance part of the TransAntarctic expedition. These are displayed as a portfolio of selected images as well as a Gallery of the complete photographs. Accompanying the images are articles by various writers about the Expedition, Hurley and polar photography. Copies of this book are available from two different publishers at $100 & $125 respectively. "Shackleton's Forgotten Men," by Lennard Bickel, the subject of an earlier report in this newsletter, covers the Ross Sea Aurora part of this story. - A photographic book "The Shackleton Voyages" is of similar size to "South with Endurance." It records Shackleton's participation in the Scott-led 1901 Discovery Expedition, from which he was invalided home, his privately financed British Antarctic Expedition of 1907-09, the 1914 TransAntarctic (Endurance and Aurora) Expedition and his last, the Quest Expedition. At $65 it is a worthwhile buy for someone with a particular interest in Shackleton. - A number of versions of Shackleton's "South" are available in paperback. Recently (but currently unavailable) Wakefield Press released a hardcover book "Shackleton - the Polar Journeys" which incorporates his "The Heart of the Antarctic" and "South." Unlike the paperback copies this is liberally illustrated, containing almost a half the number of illustrations in the original two-volume edition. Although the prints are of mediocre quality, they add significantly to the text. Available from Angus and Robertson only, it is worth querying if there is a copy stowed away in the basement. Wakefield Press may be releasing a further printing sometime in the future. - "The Coldest March," by Susan Solomon and the subject of a recent TV documentary presentation is also available. A scientist and Antarctic researcher, she attempts to redeem Scott's somewhat tarnished reputation as an explorer, by reference to more recent scientific data. In particular she draws upon almost a century of weather recordings to argue that while Scott’s party’s return was very late in the season, the conditions they encountered were unusually harsh. A blend of first-person narrative, historic quotes and science, it makes interesting reading. We would be interested in member’s responses to these and other titles, particularly in relation to the July ABC documentary based on Susan Solomon’s research. The Museum Shop carries a number of these, and other titles relating to the Antarctic. Producing your F.O.M. card entitles you to a discount for 'card' transactions, even more for cash payments.
6 ______T HE FRIENDS OF MAWSON INC ______Another reason to call in at the Mawson Centre when you next visit the Museum, is to see for yourself some of the fifty odd replica Stereographs. The majority date from Shackleton's BAE of 1907-09, and were taken by Professor Edgeworth David. The balance are AAE images taken by Frank Hurley at Commonwealth Bay and Andrew Watson at the Western Base (See below).
AAE Stereographs of the Western Base taken (inside the hut, and at night) by Watson
7 ______T HE FRIENDS OF MAWSON INC ______Two original hand-held stereo viewers were purchased with F.O.M. funds to make this part of the collection more accessible to the public. I hope, over time, to add to these examples. These Antarctic stereo images are virtually unknown to the general public. Some years ago an English collector acquired 32 BAE original stereo cards at auction and had made extensive enquiries, without any success until he contacted the Mawson Collection. We were able to inform him that we held around 150 original half-plate negatives and some prints. Publication in some form might well be a means of helping fund the needs of the Collection.
AAE Hurley stereograph taken from Aurora at night
These examples can be viewed stereoscopically by crossing your eyes (so the left hand image is being viewed by the right eye, the right by the left eye.) This is necessary because the original twin images had to be separated and transposed before mounting. You might like to consider why this was necessary.
Hint – the camera had twin lenses, and produced a pair of images on one negative.
Clive Wilson-Roberts
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