A history of polar exploration in 50 objects - Anne Strathie

Drawing on her latest book, A History of Polar Exploration in 50 Objects: from Cook's Circumnavigations to the Aviation Age, Anne Strathie shares the stories of objects from a period of exploration which is the bedrock of our present-day knowledge and fascination with polar regions.

Today these objects are located worldwide, whether in polar regions, public spaces, museums and other repositories, or in private collections. Some objects were used by famous explorers, but more testify to important work by mariners, scientists, artists, photographers and filmmakers, or sometimes overlooked roles played by explorers' relatives, sponsors and other supporters.

Collectively, the objects evidence a continuum of polar endeavour which, notwithstanding national ambitions and personal rivalries, reflect levels of international collaboration to which we should aspire when exploring or attempting to safeguard the increasingly fragile polar regions.

About the speaker

Anne Strathie has previously written three biographies of members of Captain Scott's 'Terra Nova' Antarctic expedition. Research for her books has taken her all over Britain and to Antarctica, the Arctic, New Zealand, Australia, America, Japan and Norway, including Spitsbergen.

Anne, who was brought up in Scotland, now lives in Gloucestershire, England, home town of polar explorer Edward Wilson. Anne regularly gives talks and participates in events in Britain and overseas, including at the Royal Geographical Society in London.

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