SHACKLETON(S) IN

by

Robert B. Stephenson, f r g s

n u n s e t t l i n g t e l e g r a m was received by Harvard Professor William Morris ADavis on March 29, 1910, from Robert Ely, director of the Civic Forum in New York: “We are greatly concerned at small sale tickets Shackleton lecture Thursday evening mortifying failure will result unless something doing quick.”

Er n e s t Sh a c k l e t o n arrived back in Britain President Taft received the Shackletons following the Nimrod expedition on the at the White House on the afternoon of 12th of June 1909. Once The Heart of March 26th, and that evening Sir Ernest the Antarctic was published, at the end of spoke before a crowd of 5,000 at the October 1909, he set out on an ambitious National Geographic Society and was series of lecture tours to help pay off the presented with its Hubbard Gold Medal debts of the expedition (and, as some by President Taft. “Great and hearty” thought, perhaps raise a little for the next audiences were addressed in Philadelphia one). Hugh Robert Mill records that “… and New York. On March 29th, in the it was to include lectures at one hundred latter city, there was a ‘welcome’ by the and twenty-three different places in Europe Explorers Club at the Hotel Astor, and and America.”1 During November and in the evening Carnegie Hall was filled December there were fifty lectures in with prominent citizens who had come to England, Scotland and Ireland. In January see the young hero of the south. He was of 1910 he was off to the continent giving introduced by Commander Robert E. Peary sixteen lectures in 22 days in Italy, Austria, who had been at the North Pole less than Hungary, Germany and Russia.2 On a year before. The next day he was feted by returning to London he was off again the Transportation Club at a dinner at the lecturing throughout the land for seven Hotel Manhattan. Later that evening, off to weeks. Finally, on March 19, 1910, he and Boston. Emily boarded the Lusitania and were on Advertisements had been appearing their way to America. A mere seven days in the Boston papers for days leading later they found themselves in Washington, up to Shackleton’s public lecture—the D.C., and the American tour began. second American one—scheduled for Thursday, March 31st. The venue was to an invitation when he disembarked the be Symphony Hall, then and still today the Lusitania in New York. home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Bridgeman responded on March 7th Tickets were priced from 50 cents to two saying that dollars. The notice screamed in large type “Mr. Ely [of the Civic Forum, acting as “SHACKLETON The British Antarctic Shackleton’s lecture agent] is exceedingly Explorer FARTHEST SOUTH 111 reluctant to forward any scheme which places miles from the South Pole. Illustrated by Shackleton in touch with the public ‘without Cinematograph Pictures.”3 money and without price.’ You can readily understand that the too liberal parading of the ______lions through the streets is likely to diminish the gate receipts, though there must be, of Wi l l i a m Mo r r i s Da v i s was Professor of course, somewhere a middle ground in case Physical Geography at Harvard. He was of a man so justly eminent as Shackleton.” sometimes referred to as the Father of Either Mr Bridgeman contacted Mr Ely American Geography. Hugh Robert Mill or Professor Davis did so directly. In any described him as “…small, dark, alert and event and for whatever reasons, Mr Ely wiry. He proved receptive to the club’s overtures was a hard because he wrote Davis on March 12th man, with a assuring him that something might be stern, logical arranged: “He [Shackleton] would be mind, and he delighted, I am sure, to accept a luncheon aroused great in his honor on that day or a reception in opposition by the early afternoon.” his dogmatic On the 15th, Davis wrote Ely who presentation in turn responded the next day: “I will of theory and transmit this invitation direct to him bu