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THE ROYAL COLLECTION TRUST

The Heart of the Great Alone : Scott, Shackleton and Antarctic Photography

Brief biographies of key characters

Amundsen, Roald (1872-1928), Norwegian polar explorer. Amundsen was the first man to reach the South Pole, on 16 December 1911. In 1926 he flew over the North Pole with the Italian Primo Mobile. He was part of a search mission to find Mobile in the Arctic in 1928, but never returned.

Atkinson, Edward (1881-1929), surgeon and parasitologist, Terra Nova (1910-13). Born in the West Indies and educated in Essex, Atkinson studied medicine at St Thomas’s Hospital and joined the Royal Navy in 1908. He assumed command after Scott’s disappearance in 1912 and led the group that discovered the bodies of the Polar party. He later served with distinction in the First World War.

Bowers, Henry ‘Birdie’ (1883-1912), Lieutenant, Terra Nova . Born at Greenock, Bowers served in the Royal Naval Reserve and the Royal Indian Marine Service before being appointed officer in charge of stores aboard Terra Nova on the recommendation of Sir Clements Markham. He formed friendships with Cherry-Garrard and Wilson. He died with Scott on or around 29 March 1912.

Campbell, Victor (1875-1956), Lieutenant, Terra Nova . Born in Sussex and educated at Eton, Campbell was appointed by Scott to lead a party of six to explore King Edward VII Land and later the northern peninsula, where he and his men were marooned throughout the winter of 1911-12 before sledging 200 miles back to Cape Evans. He served with distinction in both World Wars.

Cherry-Garrard, Apsley ‘Cherry’ (1886-1959), assistant zoologist, Terra Nova . An Oxford-educated gentleman, Cherry was drawn into exploration through his acquaintance with Wilson. He was among the support party for the push to the South Pole, returning in the first team. He wrote The Worst Journey in the World , often regarded as one of the best travel books ever written.

Crean, Tom (1877-1938), seaman, Discovery (1901-4); Petty Officer, Terra Nova ; Second Officer, Endurance (1914-17). Born in Annascaul, Co. Kerry, Crean joined the Royal Navy in 1895. He was a member of the last returning party on Scott’s Polar journey. Assigned by the Royal Navy to join Shackleton aboard Endurance , Crean was one of the group to make the crossing of South Georgia. He married in 1917 and later retired to Annascaul to keep the South Pole Inn.

Evans, Edgar ‘Taff’ (1876-1912), Petty Officer, Discovery ; Terra Nova . Born in Rhosili, Glamorgan, Evans enlisted in the Royal Navy in 1891. Joining Scott aboard Terra Nova in 1910, he was crucial in fitting out the ship and later in preparing and maintaining sledges and sledging equipment for the Polar journey. He died at the foot of the Beardmore on 17 February 1912, on the return from the Pole.

Evans, Teddy (1880-1957), Second in Command, Terra Nova . Evans joined the Royal Navy in 1896. His first trip to Antarctica in 1902-3 was aboard the Morning , one of Discovery ’s relief ships. He gave up plans for a Welsh Antarctic expedition in return for the position of Second in Command of the Terra Nova expedition. He became known as ‘Evans of the Broke’ after his heroism in the First World War and was made Lord Mountevans in 1945.

Hurley, Frank (1885-1962), camera artist, Endurance (1914-17). He produced some of the most striking photographs of Antarctica of the time, risking his life to save his negatives and cine-films from the sinking ship. His career after Endurance included acting as official war photographer in both World Wars, and returning to Antarctica again in 1929-31 on a joint British, Australian and New Zealand expedition.

Markham, Sir Clements (1830-1916), ‘father’ of British Antarctic exploration, and Scott’s chief patron. He was first elected to the Royal Geographical Society in 1854, and served as both Honorary Secretary and President till his retirement in 1905.

Mawson, Sir Douglas (1882-1958), physicist, Nimrod . Born in Yorkshire and educated in Sydney, Mawson joined Shackleton’s Nimrod expedition (1907-9) and took part in the first ascent of Mount Erebus in 1908 and in the locating of the South Magnetic Pole in 1909. He led his own expedition aboard Aurora (1911-14).

Meares, Cecil (1877-1937), in charge of dog teams, Terra Nova . Widely travelled, Meares met Ponting on a steamer going to Shanghai in 1905, and travelled to Siberia to purchase the dogs and ponies for the Terra Nova expedition. He served in the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War.

Oates, Lawrence ‘Titus’ (1880-1912), of the Inniskilling Dragoons, in charge of ponies, Terra Nova . He earned the sobriquet ‘No Surrender Oates’ while serving during the Boer War. On the Terra Nova expedition Oates successfully nursed the ponies as far as the foot of the Beardmore Glacier. He walked out to his death in order not to impede his companions on their return from the South Pole on or around 17 March 1912.

Ponting, Herbert (1870-1935), camera artist, Terra Nova . Ponting worked previously as the official photographer to the Japanese Army during the Russo-Japanese War (1904-5), and achieved professional plaudits for his book In Lotus-land Japan . He became interested in polar photography after meeting Meares on a steamer going to Shanghai in 1905, and remained with the Terra Nova expedition throughout its first season. He won fame but not fortune with his lectures and films of Scott’s expedition.

Scott, Robert (1868-1912), Captain, polar explorer, leader of Discovery and Terra Nova expeditions. Scott joined the Royal Navy in 1883, becoming a full lieutenant in 1889 before training as a torpedo officer in 1891-3. He first went south aboard Discovery in 1901 under the patronage of Sir Clements Markham. After Shackleton’s attempt on the Pole in 1907-9, Scott returned on the Terra Nova with a fully equipped scientific expedition. He reached the South Pole with four companions on 17 January 1912 and died with Wilson and Bowers on the return journey on or around 29 March 1912.

Shackleton, Sir Ernest (1874-1922), polar explorer, leader of Nimrod , Endurance and Quest (1921-2) expeditions. Shackleton was educated mainly at Dulwich College before leaving to join the Merchant Navy in 1890. He joined Discovery as a sub-lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve in 1901, and was part of Scott’s three-man ‘Furthest South’ team. He led his own Nimrod expedition, which got to within 97 miles of the Pole, and the Endurance expedition, which intended to cross Antarctica. Endurance was crushed by the ice but Shackleton managed to save his entire crew. He died at South Georgia aboard the Quest on his last expedition in 1922.

Wilson, Edward (1872-1912), assistant surgeon, artist and zoologist, Discovery ; chief of scientific staff and zoologist, Terra Nova . Wilson read Natural Sciences at Cambridge before moving to St George’s Hospital London to train as a doctor. He struck up a friendship with Bowers and Cherry-Garrard, and was Scott’s closest confidant. He died with Scott and Bowers on the return journey from the Pole on or about 29 March 1912.

Worsley, Frank (1872-1943), Captain, Endurance . New Zealand-born Worsley was a member of the Royal Navy Reserve before his appointment to Endurance . His navigational brilliance was fully realised in the 800- mile boat journey to South Georgia to get help for the stranded men on Elephant Island. He later accompanied Shackleton south again aboard the Quest .