Shackleton's Legacy Exhibition

To mark the centenary of Shackleton’s death, Shackleton’s legacy and the power of early Antarctic photography, will be on display at The Shipwreck Treasure Museum.

Documenting the role of photography and literature throughout Shackleton’s career, the exhibition presents the influences and motivation which led him to a lifetime commitment to the polar region and building public awareness and understanding of the continent. At its heart lies the exceptional story of the Endurance expedition – a pivotal moment in Shackleton’s polar career, turning disaster to triumph, and where his focus on the power of photography to document the experience was paramount.

Drawing on original documents and photography – some previously unseen and newly digitised – guest curator Dr Jan Piggott, former Keeper of Archives and Rare Books at Dulwich College, has chronicled Shackleton’s early life, schooldays, career, his own writing and love of poetry, and achievements before and after the world famous Endurance expedition, complementing the Society’s 2015 Enduring eye exhibition curated by polar historian and writer Meredith Hooper.

Shackleton’s legacy is being made possible through the generous support of the Shackleton Company, the James Caird Society, the Folio Society, the South Georgia Association, the Devon and Cornwall Polar Society and private donation.