This stunning and powerfully relevant book tells the history of Antarctica through 100 varied and fascinating objects drawn from collections around the world.Retracing the history of Antarctica through 100 varied and fascinating objects drawn from collections across the world, this beautiful and absorbing book is published to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the first crossing into the Antarctic Circle by James Cook aboard Resolution, on 17th January 1773. It presents a gloriously visual history of Antarctica, from Terra Incognita to the legendary expeditions of Shackleton and Scott, to the frontline of climate change. One of the wildest and most beautiful places on the planet, Antarctica has no indigenous population or proprietor. Its awe-inspiring landscapes - unknown until just two centuries ago - have been the backdrop to feats of human endurance and tragedy, scientific discovery, and environmental research. Sourced from polar institutions and collections around the world, the objects that tell the story of this remarkable continent range from the iconic to the exotic, from the refreshingly mundane to the indispensable:- snow goggles adopted from Inuit technology by Amundsen - the lifeboat used by Shackleton and his crew- a bust of Lenin installed by the 3rd Soviet Antarctic Expedition- the Polar Star aircraft used in the first trans-Antarctic flight- a sealing club made from the penis bone of an elephant seal- the frozen beard as a symbol of Antarctic heroism and masculinity- ice cores containing up to 800,000 years of climate historyThis stunning book is both endlessly fascinating and a powerful demonstration of the extent to which Antarctic history is human history, and human future too.

Upcoming flagship exhibition at the Mystic Seaport Museum in Connecticut: 'Discovering Antarctica 1820-2020', date TBC

Introduction1. World Map2. Taoka3. Chronometer4. Commemorative Medal5. Logbook6. Fur Seal Clothing7. Wood Block8. Burial Monument9. Magnetic Dip Circle10. Sealing Club11. Fish Specimen12. Hut13. Primus Stove14. Harness15. Gas Balloon16. Rifle17. Champagne18. Aurora Australis19. Anemometer20. Canary21. Eye Protection22. Skis23. Sponsorship Solicitation24. Penguin Eggs25. Camera26. Pony Snowshoe27. Black Flag28. Fern Fossil29. Diary30. Half Sledge31. Page from the Encyclopaedia Britannica32. Banjo33. James Caird34. Memorial Cross35. Radio Transmitter36. Post Office Safe37. Pemmican38. Polar Star39. Soap40. Swastika Stake41. Mittens42. Suit43. Sledge Wheel44. Haori45. Tractor46. Dynamite47. Statue48. Kharkovchanka49. Crevasse Detector50. Treaty51. Dog Fur Boots52. Fuel Drums53. Projection Reels54. Radio Echo Sounder55. Frozen Beard56. Nuclear Reactor57. Dog Cards58. MS Lindblad Explorer59. Meteorite60. Pyramid Tent61. Whale Skeleton62. Board Game63. Passport64. Aeroplane Wreckage65. Skidoo66. Telephone67. Dobson Spectrophotometer68. Dinosaur Fossil69. T-Shirt70. JOIDES Resolution71. Red Apple Hut72. Penguin Taxidermy73. Sledge74. Geolocator75. Shipping Container76. South Pole Marker77. Ice Core78. Stellar Axis79. ICESat80. Hydroponic Vegetables81. Telescope82. Chapel83. Optical Module84. Patches85. S.A. Agulhas II86. Krill Oil Capsules87. Pee Flag88. Aquatic Rover89. Weather Balloon90, Swimsuit91. Tide Gauge92. Wedding Dress93. Microplastic94. Douglas DC-395. Autonomous Underwater Vehicle96. D-Air Lab Antarctic Suit97. Shipwreck98. Trowel99. Notebook100. PierConclusion100 Antarctica BooksAcknowledgementsIndex