The first two volumes of the South Polar Times, Antarctica’s first newspaper, were produced during the austral winters of 1902 and 1903 on the National Antarctic Expedition, on board the Discovery. It was in keeping with a long tradition of polar publication going back to the North Georgia Gazette & Winter Chronicle, a handwritten newspaper […]
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“I have been dreaming of you” — Antarctic Lovebirds Redux
(If you haven’t read my first blog post about these guys, please start there!!!!) At the end of my first round of research about Pennell and Atkinson, I had a LOT of questions. The two big ones: Why hadn’t I heard about their relationship before? and did Atkinson feel the same way about Pennell? The […]
“Antarctic Lovebirds” – the untold story of Harry Pennell & Edward Atkinson
Harry Lewin Lee Pennell (1882-1916) is perhaps the most unsung member of Scott’s Terra Nova expedition. Responsible for commanding the ship during the time the shore party was stationed in Antarctica, he was in charge of repairing the vessel and surveying in New Zealand during the winters, and venturing out to resupply the expedition in […]
The Donors of the Fox
This summer, I was the recipient of the generous Digital Humanities Fellowship from NYU. My proposed project was a broad-reaching initiative called “Visualizing the Victorian Polar Network,” but once the fellowship began I quickly realized I had to narrow my view, and ended up settling on a revised version of my project where I would […]
G. Julian Harney & the 1857 Franklin Search
I’m currently working on a project for my NYU Digital Humanities summer fellowship to illuminate the connections and stories behind the list of subscribers to the Fox expedition of 1857. This has meant going through the publicly available list included in McClintock’s narrative of the expedition and trying to figure out as much biographical information […]
Sir Clements Markham’s Romance – Part 2
Last time, on Crazy Clem’s Romance: introduction, sources, background. Now we get to the expedition! JK, they’re still in London. Chapter II, entitled “Fitting out,” begins with the usual frenzy of appointing and supplying. Markham explains why Sir John wanted to go on the expedition so badly: to make up for his humiliation in Van […]
Sir Clements Markham’s Romance – Part 1
I deeply regret that I don’t have a PhD in Victorian literature and so am unable to fully appreciate the myriad cultural influences that form the DNA of Clements Markham’s magnum opus. The full name of said opus is as follows: James Fitzjames: the story of the friendships, devoted zeal for the service, high souled […]
James Fitzjames letters at the RGS, part 2
Continued from the last post. [All I can say is if I don’t get employed I shall get married — and perhaps shall if I do. If any decent lady will have me. and clean. as I heard a man say the other day —] This was also quoted in the Battersby but my transcription […]
James Fitzjames letters at the RGS, part 1
(Excerpts posted as an “educational work” in accordance with Wiley Digital Archives’ terms of service.) These excerpts are all from his letters to his friend John Barrow (son of Sir John Barrow), over a period of time spanning from 1839 on the Ganges to July 1845 at Disko on the Erebus. The very first one starts off with […]
Henry Peglar’s Beer Hall
Out of pure curiosity, I transcribed this 40-page reminiscence written by a seaman (possibly a steward)* who served on HMS Wanderer 1839-44, alongside Hodgson, Peglar, and Gibson. None of them turned up until the very last page, when the anonymous author gave the following memory of Peglar. H Peglar opened a beer house in Westminster and after […]