frozen ice

[Herbert Ponting and his amazing moustache. And camera.]

 When the teenagers were much younger, they had a game in which they produced their own radio programme. They used an old tape recorder and microphone, Alice put on a posh voice to be the presenter and continuity announcer, and Tom and Phoebe were the interviewees on all sorts of subjects. I have no idea why, but their programme was called 'Frozen Ice' (or, because this was showbiz, 'Froooooooozen Ice'). Simon and I used to hide behind the door, listening and doing our best to suppress our laughter.

Having been to an exhibition of photographs of the Antarctic, I imagine this could very well be the sort of thing you'd end up doing at the South Pole  in an effort to amuse yourself. In fact, Scott and Shackelton's men produced their very own, very wonderful South Polar Times, copies of which are in the exhibition. These are startlingly beautifully produced and demonstrate just what can be done despite spectacularly difficult Antarctic limitations (see previous post).

Herbert Ponting's photographs never fail to impress (they are very large prints, too), and although I love looking at the snow, ice (very frozen), bergs, and glaciers, I am fascinated by the photos that show the men at work, at rest, in their cramped living quarters, and doing all sorts of everyday tasks.

[Scott's last birthday]

I spend far too much time imagining what life would be like in Antarctica. I have no desire to go there, but the place occupies a large part of my imagination. (Even with the acclaimed BBC series, Frozen Planet, I fast forward through all the wildlife stuff to get the last ten minutes which is when we see how the cameramen live and work, and the lengths they go to get their shots.)

I like to imagine what the atmosphere was like at Scott's last birthday party. How they boiled the peas, and what the sherry tasted like at the South Pole.

[Pianola]

And why they lugged a pianola all the way to the Antarctic (I don't suppose Amundsen had one with him). Just think of all the extra food/sherry/books they could have brought instead.

[Ponting's magic lantern show]

How they arranged formal and polite events including a series of lectures, and how Ponting maintained his luxuriant moustache (and didn't it freeze every time he went outside?).

[Mending sleeping bags]

I imagine how many different skills each man had to have (they were all multi-talented).

[Clissold making bread]

And just what it was like baking bread for 25 men in the most cramped and difficult space (although Clissold seems to have set up a well-organised bakery corner).

[Dr Edward Wilson]

There is a very cheerful photo of Dr Edward Wilson, possibly my joint-favourite member of the ill-fated expedition (the other is Apsley Cherry-Garrard who wrote a brilliant book but never recovered fully from his Antarctic experience). It is so full of hope and good humour that it is terrible to see the him with the party that reached the South Pole, only to discover that Amundsen had beaten them to it. They look shattered and broken, and we all know how the story ends.

Ponting's photos are magnificent. You wouldn't think that photos of a few men in an vast, empty, frozen landscape could provoke such a range of responses, but he captured it all.

[Sara Wheeler has written two excellent books that fuel my frozen ice imagination: a travel book and a biography of Apsley C-G.]

Comments

[oxslip]

They are great images - have you seen Great White Silence? It was shot by Ponting and last year the BFI restored and re-released it with a new soundtrack, which includes a recording by Chris Watson (how I came across it) in Scott's hut, unusual for including the sound recordist's voice. You can find it on YouTube

[Susan]

I would definitely second the recommendation for the Great White Silence. Also if you are ever in Cambridge the Scott Polar Museum is definitely worth a visit.

[Carol Wilkie]

I have just visited the Discovery exhibition in Dundee. What a ship, What a trip and what men!
Really facinating and very moving. I am loving every minute of frozen planet but I too enjoy the part at the end showing how they got the shots. They are completely crazy and wonderful and a bit mad to go there.

[Elizabeth]

I've always loved the story about the first women to arrive at the Antarctic base - who would be the very first woman off the boat and onto Antarctica? They stepped off together. Irrelevant to this post? I think the blokey moustaches wgot to me!

[Jayne]

Jane! A pianola! Well, now we know why Amundsen beat him! Without a pianola to drag across the ice, no wonder he got there first!

[Jane]

Amazing. I read Endurance and just couldn't imagine life in the Antarctic. What an amazing story of survival - I was completely enthralled by the photos.

[serenknitity]

What fascinating pictures. I've just finished reading Michelle Paver's 'Dark Matter' - a scary ghost story novel set on an imaginary polar expedition in the '30's. Very atmospheric. Now I'm off to You Tube to watch White Matter. Thanks for another great post, Jane.

[Paula]

This post is just totally lovely. x x x

[charlotte]

How funny, I share the same obsession, except that I DO want to go there. I was going to suggest Sara Wheeler's books - but see you've come across them already. There is also a sweet book called Mrs Chippy about the cat that accompanied the Shackleton party and also Caroline Alexander's book The Endurance (which is dedicated to Mrs Chippy). Lovely post, I MUST get to that exhibition.

[Valerie]

My friend Jennifer has written two books about polar exploration and I highly recommend them. Those adventures are so compelling!
http://www.jenniferniven.com/books/