Description
Book SynopsisThis stunning and powerfully relevant book tells the history of Antarctica through 100 varied and fascinating objects drawn from collections around the world. Retracing the history of Antarctica through 100 varied and fascinating objects drawn from collections across the world, this beautiful and absorbing book is published to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the first crossing into the Antarctic Circle by James Cook aboard
Resolution, on 17th January 1773. It presents a gloriously visual history of Antarctica, from
Terra Incognita to the legendary expeditions of Shackleton and Scott, to the frontline of climate change. One of the wildest and most beautiful places on the planet, Antarctica has no indigenous population or proprietor. Its awe-inspiring landscapes – unknown until just two centuries ago – have been the backdrop to feats of human endurance and tragedy, scientific discovery, and environmental research. Sourced from polar institutions and collections around the world, the objects that tell the story of this remarkable continent range from the iconic to the exotic, from the refreshingly mundane to the indispensable: - snow goggles adopted from Inuit technology by Amundsen - the lifeboat used by Shackleton and his crew - a bust of Lenin installed by the 3rd Soviet Antarctic Expedition - the
Polar Star aircraft used in the first trans-Antarctic flight - a sealing club made from the penis bone of an elephant seal - the frozen beard as a symbol of Antarctic heroism and masculinity - ice cores containing up to 800,000 years of climate history This stunning book is both endlessly fascinating and a powerful demonstration of the extent to which Antarctic history is human history, and human future too.
Trade ReviewLike Antarctica itself, this ‘History in 100 Objects’ is unpredictable and compelling. Generous - yet partial, skidding over vast surfaces, digging into detail. Read it all at once: or select at leisure. * Meredith Hooper *
From the Aurora Australis to the weather balloon, authors Daniella McCahey and Jean de Pomereu have assembled a beautifully curated collection of objects pertaining to Antarctica. As they note, so poignantly, Antarctica is not one thing. * Klaus Dodds *
Reading this book is like being in a very large polar museum with two expert and amusing companions as your guides. Compiled by a historian and an artist,
Antarctica: A History in 100 Objects takes its reader on a tour of human engagement with the far south that is by turns educative, playful, poignant, ridiculous and disturbing, but always knowledgeably explained and illustrated. While some objects might be readily anticipated (sledges, diaries, maps), others will likely be a surprise (a canary, a wedding dress, a nuclear reactor). Ranging in scale from ships to krill-oil capsules, encompassing both the other-worldly (a meteorite) and the mundane (soap, a T-shirt), the objects demonstrate the national and cultural diversity of human encounter with the ice continent. While the book skips with delightful eclecticism between different periods, put together the object descriptions comprise a well-rounded introduction to the issues and events that have shaped human encounter with the far south. Readers who know little about the place will find it an excellent way into the continent, and 'Antarctic tragics' will enjoy the unexpected and sometimes surreal details that accompany every object. * Elizabeth Leane *
Jean de Pomereu and Daniellie McCahey's handsome survey takes in the world's most remote region...illustrating in colour not just the selected objects, but accompanying painting, photographs and further examples. * The Telegraph *
Tells the story of Antarctica through 100 objects from collections around the world...fascinating. * Daily Mirror *
De Pomereu and McCahey's handsomely illustrated work examines the history of Antarctic expedition through famous and lesser-known objects. From crevasse detectors...to the whale skeleton assembled by conservationist Jacques Cousteau...it's filled with fascinating snapshots. -- Hannah Beckerman * The Observer *
a gloriously visual history of the White Continent * Wanderlust *
This stunning and powerfully relevant book tells the history of Antarctica through 100 varied and fascinating objects drawn from collections around the world. * Smithsonian Magazine *
Jean de Pomereu and Daniella McCahey captured a marvelous overview of the history and environment of one of the world’s most unique locations in
Antarctica: A History in 100 Objects. This captivating book is filled with fascinating images, each with its own unique story to tell about this engaging subject. * The Culture Buzz *
a novel approach at showcasing Antarctica’s history * People's Friend *
The 250th anniversary of the first documented crossing of the Antarctic circle is being marked with a new book that traces the continent's history via 100 artefacts from around the world. * New Scientist *
Great photos and fascinating text make this a wonderful book for those who’ve been there and for those who still have Antarctica on their bucket list. -- Penny A Parrish * The Free-Lance Star *
Become a polar explorer from the comfort of your own home with this fascinating book. Drawing together arresting photographs of 100 objects connected to the icy continent, it tells the story of the power of human endeavour. * BBC History Magazine *
Broadens not only the diversity of people included in Antarctic history but also the interests of its readers, by providing the expected stories and then challenging them with new and different objects, contexts, and narratives. It makes specialist subjects accessible, but also pushes readers to think more deeply and more broadly about this continent. In their conclusion, de Pomereu and McCahey write, “One of our specific aims has been to break some of the clichés that often constrain Antarctic history,” and there is no doubt that they have succeeded. -- Henrietta Hammant * H-Water, H-Net Reviews *
Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. World Map 2. Taoka 3. Chronometer 4. Commemorative Medal 5. Logbook 6. Fur Seal Clothing 7. Wood Block 8. Burial Monument 9. Magnetic Dip Circle 10. Sealing Club 11. Fish Specimen 12. Hut 13. Primus Stove 14. Harness 15. Gas Balloon 16. Rifle 17. Champagne 18.
Aurora Australis 19. Anemometer 20. Canary 21. Eye Protection 22. Skis 23. Sponsorship Solicitation 24. Penguin Eggs 25. Camera 26. Pony Snowshoe 27. Black Flag 28. Fern Fossil 29. Diary 30. Half Sledge 31. Page from the
Encyclopaedia Britannica 32. Banjo 33.
James Caird 34. Memorial Cross 35. Radio Transmitter 36. Post Office Safe 37. Pemmican 38.
Polar Star 39. Soap 40. Swastika Stake 41. Mittens 42. Suit 43. Sledge Wheel 44.
Haori 45. Tractor 46. Dynamite 47. Statue 48.
Kharkovchanka 49. Crevasse Detector 50. Treaty 51. Dog Fur Boots 52. Fuel Drums 53. Projection Reels 54. Radio Echo Sounder 55. Frozen Beard 56. Nuclear Reactor 57. Dog Cards 58. MS
Lindblad Explorer 59. Meteorite 60. Pyramid Tent 61. Whale Skeleton 62. Board Game 63. Passport 64. Aeroplane Wreckage 65. Skidoo 66. Telephone 67. Dobson Spectrophotometer 68. Dinosaur Fossil 69. T-Shirt 70.
JOIDES Resolution 71. Red Apple Hut 72. Penguin Taxidermy 73. Sledge 74. Geolocator 75. Shipping Container 76. South Pole Marker 77. Ice Core 78.
Stellar Axis 79. ICESat 80. Hydroponic Vegetables 81. Telescope 82. Chapel 83. Optical Module 84. Patches 85. S.A.
Agulhas II 86. Krill Oil Capsules 87. Pee Flag 88. Aquatic Rover 89. Weather Balloon 90, Swimsuit 91. Tide Gauge 92. Wedding Dress 93. Microplastic 94. Douglas DC-3 95. Autonomous Underwater Vehicle 96. D-Air Lab Antarctic Suit 97. Shipwreck 98. Trowel 99. Notebook 100. Pier
Conclusion 100 Antarctica Books Acknowledgements Index
