Letters from Edward L. Atkinson to Miss White, 31 December 1910 & 26 October 1911

MLMSS 9866

fonds

31 December 1910; 26 October 1911

1001600

0.01 metres of textual material (1 folder) - manuscript

Edward Leicester Atkinson DSO AM (1881–1929) was a Royal Navy surgeon and Antarctic explorer who was a member of the scientific staff of the Terra Nova Expedition, officially the British Antarctic Expedition, 1910-1913. It was led by Robert Falcon Scott and had various scientific and geographical objectives. Scott also had ambitions to be the first to reach the geographic South Pole. He and four companions attained the pole on 17 January 1912, where they found that the Norwegian team led by Roald Amundsen had preceded them by 34 days. Scott's entire party died on the return journey. Atkinson was in command of the expedition's base at Cape Evans for much of 1912, and led the party which found the tent containing the bodies of Scott, ‘Birdie’ Bowers and Edward Wilson. The identity of Atkinson’s correspondent ‘Miss White’ is unknown, and may be revealed by further research.

Reference:
Library correspondence file

1. Autograph letter signed by ‘E.L. Atkinson’ to ‘Dear Miss White’, written on board the Terra Nova in the Ross Sea, 31 December 1910. Atkinson describes the voyage, bad weather off New Zealand, his friendship with Captain Oates and Christmas celebrations before landing at the expedition’s Christmas quarters at Cape Crozier

2. Autograph letter signed by ‘E.L. Atkinson’ to ‘Dear Miss White’, written from The Hut, Cape Evans, Ross Island, 26 October 1911, with matching envelope addressed to ‘Miss White'. Atkinson records his own ‘doings’ over the past year, refers to their Norwegian rivals in the race to the South Pole and comments on their reliance on dogs. Atkinson continues with an account of the extreme weather conditions.

Copyright status:: In copyright.
Research & study copies allowed: Author has been deceased for more than 50 years.

Printed roundel of ‘British Antarctic Expedition, Terra Nova R.Y.S' on letterhead.