Five Shackleton Expedition photographs, three showing the crushing of the Endurance, 1914-1917 / by Frank Hurley

PXD 1201

fonds

1914-1917

Graphic Materials, Textual Records, Photographs

909772

5 photographic prints - 38 x 48.5 cm. or smaller
2 sheets of textual material (on cardboard) - typescript

James Francis Hurley, photographer, Antarctic explorer and author, was born in Sydney, N.S.W., on 15 Oct., 1885. In 1911, he became a member of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, 1911-1914, and was appointed to the staff of the Main Base Party as the official photographer. This party, consisting of 18 men, was led by Sir Douglas Mawson. They were landed on the Adelie Land coast, Antarctica, by the S.Y. Aurora on 8 Jan., 1912. From 10 Nov., 1912, to 10 Jan., 1913, Hurley accompanied Edward Frederick Robert Bage and Eric Norman Webb on the Southern Sledge journey. He remained at the Main Base, Adelie Land, until the 8 Feb., 1913, when the majority of the party was relieved by the S.Y. Aurora. In Oct., 1914, Hurley joined Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton's Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, 1914-1917; the aim of which was to cross the Antarctic continent via the South Pole. On 5 Nov., 1914, the Expedition party arrived at the remote whaling station of Grytviken, South Georgia, Atlantic Ocean, on board the Endurance. On 5 Dec., 1914, the Endurance departed from South Georgia for the Weddell Sea, Antarctica. During Jan. and Feb. of 1915, the Endurance became trapped in the ice. On 27 Oct., 1915, she was crushed. Consequently, the Expedition party was forced to camp on the ice floe which drifted towards Elephant Island in the South Shetland Islands. In three life boats from the Endurance the party was able to reach Elephant Island on 15 April 1916. One of the boats, named the James Caird, was strengthened, and Shackleton, together with five companions, sailed 800 miles across stormy seas to South Georgia to effect a rescue. The remainder of the party on Elephant Island lived in a structure of two upturned boats on rock walls and fastened together with canvas. These quarters, which housed in cramp conditions 22 men, were named the snuggery. They were rescued by the Chilean trawler Yelcho on the 30 Aug., 1916. Hurley arrived in London on 15 Nov., 1916, and immediately handed over his film record to Ernest Perris, the Expedition's agent in London. Because of gaps in the film, necessitated by the need to abandon many of the plates after the Endurance was crushed, Hurley volunteered to return to South Georgia to photograph suitable animal footage. Hurley left Glasgow, Scotland, on board the Pentaur on 15 Feb., 1917, arriving in South Georgia on 25 Mar., 1917. He returned to London in June, 1917, shortly after which he was appointed as official photographer to the Australian Imperial Force. He served in France and Palestine. Hurley died on the 16 Jan., 1962

Five Shackleton Expedition photographs, three showing the crushing of the Endurance, 1914-1917
Images being -
1. 'The Spectre Ship', 1915 [carbon print]. Includes typescript description pasted on cardboard that reads, 'A picture taken during the mid-day mid-winter darkness when the 'Endurance' was encrusted with rime crystals'. A version of this image was digitised as part of the collection at PXA 715

2-3. Two versions of 'The Endurance' crushed in mid-sea by the pressure ice, one 19.5 x 14.5 cm., the other is 37.5 x 28 cm. and is signed by Frank Hurley. A version of this image was digitised as part of the collection at PXA 715

4. Picture of Antarctic ice

5. Picture of an Antarctic glacier

Also includes 1 sheet of typescript pasted on cardboard titled, 'Shackleton's Transantarctic Expedition' by Frank Hurly

Out of copyright: Created before 1955
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales

Pic.Acc. Upgrade Project - Information transferred from Pic.Acc.4388 as part of the eRecords Project 2012-13

1 version of 'The Endurance crushed in mid-sea by the pressure ice' is signed by Frank Hurley