I May Be Some Time: Ice and the English Imagination

Spufford, Francis. London, Faber and Faber, 1996.
  • 1910-14 British National Antarctic Expedition (Scott on Terra Nova).
  • Antarctic Reading: Expeditions
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A fascinating study of the British flirtation with the Arctic and Antarctic in both intellectual and sociological terms, including its derogation (North Pole—Arsehole). Only the last chapter, dealing with Scott’s fatal expedition, covers an actual expedition, although there is a good bit on Lady Franklin’s attempts to find Franklin’s fate.

A Selection of Papers on Arctic Geography and Ethnology/ Reprinted, and Presented to The Arctic Expedition of 1875….

Royal Geographical Society. By Robert Brown, Wrangell, Rink, Collinson, Markham, Simpson. (London: John Murray, 1875).
  • 1875-76 British Naval Expedition in Search of North Pole (Captain George Nares aboard Alert and Discovery).
  • Arctic Reading: Great Britain
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Prior to the 1875 British Arctic Expedition to Greenland led by Nares, the RGS reissued articles published in its own Journal and Proceedings "for the use of the expedition". (Preface). Contents include: (1). On the Physical Structure of Greenland, by Robert Brown. (2). On the Best Means of Reaching the Pole, by Admiral Baron Von Wrangell. (3). On the Discoveries of Dr. Kane, U.S.A. (1853-55). by Dr. Rink. (4). The Arctic Current around Greenland, by Admiral C. Irminger. (5). Notes on the State of the Ice, and on the Indications of Open Water from Behring Strait to Bellot Strait, along the Coasts of the Arctic America and Siberia, including the Accounts of Anjou and Wrangell. by Vice-Admiral R. Collinson. - Ethnology - (1). Papers on the Greenland Eskimos. by Clements R. Markham. (2). On the Descent of the Eskimo. By Dr. Rink. (3). The Western Eskimo. by Dr. Simpson. (4). Report on the Anthropological Institute. Questions for Arctic Explorers.

Such is the Antarctic.

Christensen, Lars. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1935.
  • Whalemen's Reading
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Christensen was from a Norwegian whaling family who took three expeditions to Antarctica to study conditions of the whaling industry at the time. He owned his own whaling ship, the M.T. Thorshaven, which he used for these trips. It is an engaging account from the perspective of a businessman, sentimentally attached to whaling. There is little about reading on these trips but a few indications of materials available. The book is notable for its discussions of the history of Bouvet and Norwegian attempts to occupy the island, despite its unsuitability for any whaling purposes and its only apparent use as a meteorological station. He also discusses the exploration of Enderby Land, and Riiser-Larsen’s discovery of Queen Maud Land.

Personal Letter to David Stam, January 15, 2018.

Jakups, Deborah.
  • Arctic Reading: General
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Jakups is the Librarian of Duke University, a specialist in Latin American affairs, and an old friend. In early 2018 she served as a consultant at the Falkland Islands, when we had the following email exchange, about the book culture of the islands:

To the Ends of the Earth.

Pease, Francis K. London: Hurst & Blackett, 1935.
  • Arctic Reading: General
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Begins with 1925 cruise to Antarctica aboard Discovery, Scott’s old ship, commanded by Stenhouse. First it brought gifts to Tristan da Cunha, including many writing implements, essentially useless to that population, and “a large quantity of Bibles, in which, however, the Tristans displayed very little interest, for the reason…that during the course of the years so many Bibles had been sent to the island that there was now an average of seven copies per inhabitant” (p. 20).

Icebound in the Siberian Arctic: The Story of the Last Cruise of the Fur Schooner Nanuk and the International Search for Famous Arctic Pilot Carl Ben Eielson.

Gleason, Robert J. Anchorage, AK: Alaska Northwest Pub. Co., 1982.
  • 1929 Siberian Journey by Robert Gleason (aboard Nanuk).
  • Arctic Reading: United States
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A fur trader who wintered over at North Cape when his ship was iced in near the Bering Straits tried to rescue Eielson who died in a Siberian air crash while delivering furs to Chukchi Eskimos in 1929.

A Series of Fourteen Sketches Made during the Voyage up Wellington Channel in Search of Sir John Franklin and the Missing Crews of H.M. Discovery-Ships Erebus and Terror, Together with a Short Account of Each Drawing. By Commander Walter W. May, R. N. Late Lieutenant of H.M. Discovery ship Assistance (Captain Sir Edward Belcher, C.B.)

May, Walter W. London, Published May 1855 by Day & Son, Lithographers to the Queen, 6-7-8-9 Gate Street, Lincoln’s Inn Fields.
  • 1848-59 The Franklin Search.
  • Arctic Reading: Great Britain
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Fourteen remarkable lithographs, preceded by succinct descriptions of each, from Disco, to Beechy Island, to Wellington Channel, including sketches of sledge parties on the ice. May himself was a Lieutenant on the Assistance before it was abandoned. Last plate show relics of Franklin that Dr. Rae had found. Final part of description lists officers on all five of Belcher’s ships: Assistance, Resolute, Pioneer, North Star, and Intrepid.

“The North West Passage” Being the Record of a Voyage of Exploration of the Ship “Gjoa” 1903-1907 by Roald Amundsen with a Supplement by First Lieutenant Hansen Vice-Commander of the Expedition.

Amundsen, Roald. Two Volumes. (New York: Dutton, 1908).
  • 1903-07 Norwegian Northwest Passage Expedition (Roald Amundsen aboard Gjoa).
  • Arctic Reading: Europe including Scandinavia
 Preview 

A strangely colorless, almost vacuous account of a long expedition, at least in this translated prose. Volume I has only a few bookish references, a picture on p. 119 of a shelf of scientific books in the Villa ‘Magnet”, the small base building for magnetic observations. And a description of an Eskimo visit to the ship:

Across the Sub-Arctics [sic] of Canada. A Journey of 3,200 Miles by Canoe and Snowshoe through the Hudson Bay Region.

Tyrrell, James W. Third Edition. Toronto: William Briggs, 1908. [First published in 1897].
  • 1893 Canadian Overland Expedition through Hudson Bay Region (James W. Tyrell).
  • Arctic Reading: Canada
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Tyrrell was accompanied by his brother, J. B. Tyrrell, on this 1893 excursion. He was responsible for most of the photographs, and this book is dedicated to him. Not very much on reading during this short expedition.

Naval Stories.

Leggett, William. New-York: G. & C. & H. Carvill, 1834. [Byron quote on title page:.
  • Maritime Reading
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I have loved thee, Ocean! and my joy

Captain Sverdrup’s expedition to Northern Greenland.

Sverdrup, Otto. Geographical Journal 13 (Feb 1899) 136-147.
  • 1898-1902 Swedish Ship and Sledging Expedition to Northern Greenland (Led by Otto Sverdrup aboard Fram).
  • Arctic Reading: Europe including Scandinavia
 Preview 

Re the 1898-1902 ship and sledging expedition aboard the Fram, designed to survey the northern coast of Greenland, map its coastline, and to determine the extent of its northern islands. The article includes a description of Fram’s equipment.

The History of the British Navy: From the Earliest Period to the Present Time.

Yonge, Charles Duke. Second edition. Three Volumes. (London: Richard Bentley, 1866).
  • Arctic Reading: Great Britain
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Volume III: p. 48, on Parry’s wintering over in 1818: The reindeer had not long departed when the sun disappeared likewise… it was during this gloomy period that the resources of Parry’s genius showed themselves, in the numerous contrivances with which he beguiled the minds of his followers, and, by providing them with incessant and varied occupation, preserved their health both of mind and body. He set up a theatre, in which plays were acted once a fortnight; those who could read being fully employed in learning their parts, while those less accomplished found work to their mind in preparing the fittings of the theatre, or in cutting up old sails and bunting into petticoats to disguise their messages, as well might be done, under the appearance of Miss in her teens, or Lydia Languish. He skillfully availed himself also of the desire for instruction, which the example of those who could become actors and actresses excited in their comrades, to establish a reading-school; and conducted it so successfully that before the end of the winter there was not a man in either ship who could not read…. And last of all, though in that desolate and solitary region little could arise that could fairly be entitled news, he established a weekly newspaper, of which Captain Sabine became the editor, with the whole body of officers for contributors; and which, though it necessarily partook more of the character of a magazine than of that of a newspaper, fully answered its intended purpose of furnishing employment for the leisure hours of both writers and readers.