With Scott to the Pole: The Terra Nova Expedition 1910-1913: the Photographs of Herbert Ponting

by Herbert G. Ponting, Ranulph Fiennes (Forward), Beau Riffenburgh (Contributor)

FOR CENTURIES, JOURNEYS INTO THE UNKNOWN by explorers, merchants, scientists such as Darwin on the Beagle , or hunters such as those on the polar whaling fleets, told terrifying tales and sketched imaginative drawings to depict what they had seen, often with a good deal of artistic license.

The Antarctic wandering of Captain James Cook in the 1750s and James Clark Ross in the 1830s were described in magazines and books with lurid illustrations of huge curling waves and towering icebergs, ever-poised above the tiny but heroic ships of the venturers.

This book confirms Ponting was one of the truly great photographers of the 20th century, especially considering the extremely demanding conditions under which he had to work in Antarctica. In the 197os, I worked as a photographer and cinematographer in Antarctica and even then, with vastly improved cameras, lenses, films, and ancillary gear, I still found the simplest photographic activity extremely demanding in the ultra-low temperatures.

Genres: Nonfiction, Photography, History

240 pages, Hardcover

First published September 20, 2004

About the author

Herbert G. Ponting (1870-1935) was a world traveler, pioneering photographer, and lecturer.

(source: Amazon)

Reviews

[Tittirossa · Rating 5 out of 5]

La mia passione sconfinata per Scott nasce da una mostra vista in Irlanda su Crean (unico irish della spedizione), poi da una su Sackelton (eroe dei ghiacci!), poi da uno dei più bei libri sull'argomento (Il peggior viaggio del mondo di Cherry-Garard) .... la conquista del Polo Sud da parte di Scott è talmente epica e drammatica (battuto da Amundsen di un mese, ma in realtà partivano da due idee completamente diverse, una agonistica l'altra scientifica) che non sono riuscita a sottrarmi al richiamo di questo libro. Ottimo riassunto e magnifiche foto!

[Pete daPixie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked up from a charity shop for £2 and now joins my coffee table collection.
A stunning book! What makes it so are the black and white photographs of Herbert Ponting. Using the modern vernacular, these images are awesome. Published in 2004 from the archives of the Royal Geographical Society and the Scott Polar Research Institute, with text that documents the late nineteenth century Antarctic explorations through to Scott's Terra Nova Expedition of 1910-1913.

In 1977 I was referred to the British Antarctic Survey in Cambridge for a position of ship's officer on the BAS ship 'John Biscoe'. At the interview I was asked how I would feel about additional shore work involving the tagging of penguins! Looking at Ponting's images in this book, I think I made the right choice to turn down the offer.

[jmbadia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aconsegueix transmetre amb emoció la tragèdia de Scott i ho complementa amb les fotos magnífiques d'Herbert Ponting. De vegades però, caldrien descripcions mes novel·lades que permetessin assimilar millor la gran quantitat d'informació. És estrany també que no s'acompanyi el relat de mapes per poder entendre millor els itineraris de l'expedició.
Així i tot, un llibre magnífic.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome photo survey....

[Dieter D]

they die at the end

[Bumbles · Rating 4 out of 5]

I spent 5 hrs reading this and loved every second of this. Highly recommend. Follow along with a google earth coordinate plotting of the expedition.

[Skull · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely amazing photographs by Ponting, and the narrative is excellent, i would have liked less words and more and larger photographs but can have no complaints.

As a photographic record of the Scott Terra Nova Antarctic expedition it is superb.