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Exhibiting British Polar Exploration, 1819 - C.1939

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MEMORIALS OF ENDURANCE AND ADVENTURE: EXHIBITING BRITISH POLAR EXPLORATION, 1819 - C.1939 Katie Murray A Thesis Submitted for the Degree of PhD at the University of St Andrews 2017 Full metadata for this item is available in St Andrews Research Repository at: http://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/ Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/10023/11087 This item is protected by original copyright Memorials of Endurance and Adventure: Exhibiting British polar exploration, 1819 – c.1939 Katie Murray This thesis is submitted in partial fulfilment for the degree of PhD at the University of St Andrews 20th March 2017 1. Candidate’s declarations: I, Katie Murray, hereby certify that this thesis, which is approximately 78974 words in length, has been written by me, and that it is the record of work carried out by me, or principally by myself in collaboration with others as acknowledged, and that it has not been submitted in any previous application for a higher degree. I was admitted as a research student in September, 2013 and as a candidate for the degree of PhD in May, 2014; the higher study for which this is a record was carried out in the University of St Andrews between 2013 and 2016. Date …… signature of supervisor ……… 2. Supervisor’s declaration: I hereby certify that the candidate has fulfilled the conditions of the Resolution and Regulations appropriate for the degree of PhD in the University of St Andrews and that the candidate is qualified to submit this thesis in application for that degree. Date …… signature of supervisor ……… 3. Permission for publication: In submitting this thesis to the University of St Andrews I understand that I am giving permission for it to be made available for use in accordance with the regulations of the University Library for the time being in force, subject to any copyright vested in the work not being affected thereby. I also understand that the title and the abstract will be published, and that a copy of the work may be made and supplied to any bona fide library or research worker, that my thesis will be electronically accessible for personal or research use unless exempt by award of an embargo as requested below, and that the library has the right to migrate my thesis into new electronic forms as required to ensure continued access to the thesis. I have obtained any third-party copyright permissions that may be required in order to allow such access and migration, or have requested the appropriate embargo below. The following is an agreed request by candidate and supervisor regarding the publication of this thesis: PRINTED COPY a) No embargo on print copy ELECTRONIC COPY a) Embargo on all or part of electronic copy for a period of two years (maximum five) on the following ground(s): • Publication would be in breach of law or ethics (copyright issues for third party material) ABSTRACT AND TITLE EMBARGOES a) I agree to the title and abstract being published YES Date …… signature of candidate …… signature of supervisor ……… 1 Abstract Over eighty polar-themed exhibitions were held in Britain between 1819 and the 1930s, a time of intense exploration of both the Arctic and Antarctic. These varied from panoramas and human exhibits to displays of ‘relics’, equipment, photographs and artwork, waxworks and displays shown as part of a Great Exhibition. This period also saw the creation of the first dedicated polar museums. These displays were visited by thousands of people throughout the country, helping to mediate the subject of exploration for a public audience. Despite this, the role exhibitions played in forming popular views of the polar regions has not been fully assessed. This thesis addresses this gap. It is the first to consider all the polar exhibitions held during this period as a collective body, making it possible to study how they developed over time and in response to changing circumstances. The thesis uses a variety of archival sources to both reconstruct the displays and place them in their historical and museological contexts. The study shows that exhibitions evolved in response to changes both in the museum sector and in exploration culture. It demonstrates that, while they were originally identified with the shows of the entertainment industry, polar exhibitions began to take on more of the characteristics of museum displays. At the same time their dominant themes changed; the natural world was relegated in favour of ideas relating to the human experience of the regions such as heroism, adventure and everyday life in an exotic environment. While other media may have been more effective in disseminating ideas about exploration, visitors could find the experience of visiting an exhibition more compelling. This thesis contributes to our understanding of this distinct role that exhibitions played in presenting the polar regions to the British public. 2 3 Table of contents Abstract .............................................................................................................. 1 Table of contents ................................................................................................. 3 Table of figures ................................................................................................... 7 Acknowledgements .............................................................................................. 9 List of abbreviations .......................................................................................... 11 Chapter 1: Introduction .................................................................................... 13 1.1 Introduction ............................................................................................... 13 1.2 Literature Review ...................................................................................... 17 1.3 Methodology ............................................................................................. 36 1.4 The museological context ........................................................................... 38 1.5 Structure ................................................................................................... 43 Chapter 2: Exhibiting the Arctic from 1819 to the Franklin era ......................... 45 2.1 Introduction ............................................................................................... 45 2.2 Contribution and sources ............................................................................ 46 2.3 Expeditions: exhibitions ............................................................................. 49 2.4 ‘A popular subject for some time past’: the newsworthiness of exploration ...... 56 2.5 Artists and artistry ...................................................................................... 59 2.6 ‘Faithful as nature itself’: the educational value of exhibitions ........................ 67 2.7 Content: Introduction ................................................................................. 71 2.8 Displaying sublime scenery ......................................................................... 73 2.9 Displaying the Inuit .................................................................................... 76 2.10 Depicting exploration ............................................................................... 83 2.11 Audiences and access ............................................................................... 89 4 2.12 Conclusion .............................................................................................. 93 Chapter 3: The Franklin relics on display .......................................................... 97 3.1 Introduction ............................................................................................... 97 3.2 Contribution and sources ............................................................................ 98 3.3 The history and exhibit of the Franklin expedition ....................................... 101 3.4 Sacred relics: sites for display ................................................................... 105 3.5 ‘The most daring of modern adventures’: the response to the relics ............... 112 3.6 ‘Franklin relics (about 50)’: Later displays and responses ............................. 121 3.7 Conclusion .............................................................................................. 129 Chapter 4: Heroic Age exhibitions: c.1875 - 1914 ............................................. 131 4.1 Introduction ............................................................................................. 131 4.2 Contribution and sources .......................................................................... 132 4.3 Expeditions, exhibitions, changes, continuities ............................................ 135 4.4 Content: Introduction: a new model of exploration ...................................... 139 4.5 Memorials of endurance: exhibiting themes of adventure ............................. 144 4.6 Competing with the rigours of the South Pole Life: exhibiting equipment ...... 147 4.7 Exhibiting the explorers ............................................................................ 150 4.8 ‘No ordinary exhibits’: Scott and a tale of tragic heroism ............................. 156 4.9 ‘Are you acquainted with penguins?’: displaying natural features .................. 160 4.10 Science in exhibitions ............................................................................. 164 4.11 Exhibitions and museum displays ...........................................................
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