The Royal Geographical Society's Collections holds over 8,000 items relating specifically to Antarctica, as well as modern guide books covering the continent. The following items can be viewed through online resources, such as the Internet Archive, or purchased through all good bookshops.
RECOMMENDED READING*
ROSS, JAMES CLARK
A voyage of discovery and research in the Southern and Antarctic regions during the years 1839-43
SCOTT, ROBERT FALCON
The voyage of the Discovery, 1905
AMUNDSEN, ROALD
The South Pole: an account of the Norwegian Antarctic Expedition in the Fram, 1910-1912
SHACKLETON, ERNEST
South, 1919
CHERRY-GARRARD, APSLEY
The worst journey in the world, 1922
DUNNETT, HARDING MCGREGOR
Shackleton’s boat: the story of the James Caird, 1996
WHEELER, SARA
Terra Incognita: travels in Antarctica, 1997
TYLER-LEWIS, KELLY
The lost men: the harrowing story of Shackleton's Ross Sea Party, 2007
RORKE, BRYAN
Ordeal by ice: ships of the Antarctic, 2011
WALKER, GABRIELLE
Antarctica: an intimate portrait of the world's most mysterious continent, 2012
DODDS, KLAUS
The Antarctic: a very short introduction, 2012
ASTON, FELICITY
Alone in Antarctica, 2013
FIENNES, RANULPH
Cold: extreme adventures at the lowest temperatures on Earth, 2013
MACINNES, KATHERINE
Snow widows: Scott’s fatal Antarctic expedition through the eyes of the women they left behind, 2022
DE POMEREU, JEAN & MCCAHEY, DANIELLA
Antarctica: a history in 100 objects, 2022
SANCTON, JULIA
Madhouse at the end of the Earth: the Belgica’s journey into the dark Antarctic night, 2022
BOUND, MENSUN
The ship beneath the ice, 2023
ANTARCTICA
Exhibitions, podcasts and online talks
EXHIBITIONS*:
Shackleton’s legacy and the power of early Antarctic photography
The exhibition by the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) explores the role of photography and literature throughout Shackleton’s career, and the influences and motivations behind his fascination with Antarctica.
The Big Freeze: Polar Art Festival
The Big Freeze art festival presents the work of a range of artists who specialise in the polar regions, together with some of the remarkable material held at The Polar Museum at the Scott Polar Research Institute, University of Cambridge.
Breaking the Ice
Created by the Antarctic Heritage Trust in partnership with Canterbury Museum, NZ, Breaking the Ice tells the story of the British Antarctic Expedition, which sailed from London on the Southern Cross, led by Carsten Borchgrevink (1898-1900).
Adequate earth: artists and writers in Antarctica
An exhibition from the Antarctic Artists & Writers Collective, featuring artwork to inspire and educate people about Antarctica.
Photographer: Frank Hurley, Imperial Trans-Antarctic Endurance Expedition, 1914-1916. S0000143
PODCASTS & ONLINE TALKS*:
Dr Edward Wilson: Antarctic explorer
and Scott’s confidant and friend
Isobel Williams looks at the life of ornithologist, natural historian, physician and artist Edward Wilson, who ultimately perished with Scott after reaching the South Pole in 1912.
Snow widows: Captain Scott's Antarctic expedition through the eyes of the women they left behind
Katherine MacInnes retells the story of Captain Scott's race for the South Pole from the perspective of the women left behind.
Picking polar people: exploring explorer recruitment through the RGS archives
Dr Alice Oates explores the priorities and practice behind recruitment for Antarctic expeditions, and asks how we define a good candidate in the past and present of polar exploration.
Antarctic photography from the ‘Heroic Age’
Alasdair MacLeod gives an introductory talk on early photography in the Antarctic, drawing on material from the Society’s Collections.
A history of polar exploration in 50 objects
Anne talks about objects from her fourth Polar book, A history of polar exploration in 50 objects
Life beneath the ice - Dr Huw Griffiths
In his fascinating and wide-ranging presentation, Dr Griffiths explores the biodiversity of the vast frozen continent.
Antarctica in sight: live!
The UK Antarctic Heritage Trust’s series of online talks brings together scientists, adventurers, artists and historians to explore the past, present and future of Antarctica.
A voyage to Antarctica
Podcast series by the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust. Presented by The Economist’s Alok Jha, the series explores the extraordinary human stories from the wildest place on Earth.
In our time: Antarctica
In this BBC podcast Melvyn Bragg and his guests discuss the history of Antarctica.
Iceworld
A podcast series from the British Antarctic Survey: from polar scientists to plumbers, the series interviews ordinary people who are doing extraordinary jobs in Antarctica.
Beyond the Ice
Unpack the latest news in climate science with the experts at the British Antarctic Survey.
‘The long, long night’.
ANTARCTICA
Online resources, films and documentaries
ONLINE RESOURCES*:
Discovering Antarctica
Developed by the Royal Geographical Society and British Antarctic Survey, Discovering Antarctica is an educational initiative that provides interactive resources about Antarctica’s geography, history and exploration.
Endurance 22
Organised and funded by the Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust, the Endurance 22 expedition brought together world-leading marine archaeologists, engineers, technicians, and sea-ice scientists to locate, survey and film the wreck of the Endurance. The Royal Geographical Society worked with Endurance22 to produce educational resources which draw on maps, photographs and archives from the Society’s Collections.
2019 Weddell Sea Expedition
In 2019, an international scientific expedition explored one of the most remote cold and hostile places on Earth, the Weddell Sea. As the expedition’s educational partner, the Society provided educational resources to inspire young people about science, engineering and technology and the protection of Antarctica.
Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI)
SPRI is a centre of excellence in the study of the Arctic and Antarctic regions. The website provides information on research projects, exhibitions and learning resources related to material held in The Polar Museum, including the Shackleton Online resource
British Antarctic Survey (BAS)
The BAS undertakes the majority of Britain's scientific research on and around the Antarctic continent. Their website includes science papers, live polar webcams, podcasts, Virtual Visits and many other informative resources on Antarctica.
UK Antarctic Heritage Trust
Responsible for managing and conserving a number of historic British bases within the British Antarctic Territory (BAT), the UKAHT aims to engage, inform and inspire current and future generations with Antarctica’s heritage through an interactive programme of events, podcasts and online talks
The James Caird Society
An institution that exists to preserve the memory of Sir Ernest Shackleton, especially during the Endurance expedition. Website contains information on the life of Ernest Shackleton.
Cool Antarctica
A non-profit site with factual information and photographs on Antarctica, its history, animals, weather, sea ice and environment.
FILMS/DOCUMENTARIES*:
South (1919)
Director: Frank Hurley
The Great White Silence (1924)
Director: Herbert G. Ponting
With Byrd at the South Pole (1930)
Photography: Joseph Rucker and Willard Van der Veer
Scott of the Antarctic (1948)
Director: Charles Frend
The Endurance (2000)
Director: George Butler
Frozen Planet (2011) &
Frozen Planet II (2022)
BBC Natural History Unit, narrated by Sir David Attenborough
Endurance (2024)
Directors: Jimmy Chin, Natalie Hewit, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi
*Please note: views and opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the RGS-IBG. Subscriptions may be required to access content.
THE ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY’S COLLECTIONS
The Royal Geographical Society’s Collections comprise over two million documents, maps, photographs, paintings, periodicals, artefacts and books, and spans 500 years of geography, travel and exploration. The Society’s full collection can be searched on the Society’s online catalogue.
Prints of a selection of mages from the Society’s Collections can be purchased from our Print Store.
Young Emperor penguins. Photographer: Frank Hurley, 1914. S0011711
