Reach Gallery

The End of Sir John Franklins Arctic Expedition, 1845

Engraving showing the end of Sir John Franklin's ill-fated Arctic expedition of 1845, entitled They Forged the last link with their lives'. This engraving was taken from a painting by W. Thomas Smith, exhibited in the Royal Academy in 1896. In 1845 the British Admiralty sent two polar exploration ships, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, to look for the Northwest passage round the northern coast of Canada. The expedition, commanded by Sir John Franklin, disappeared from view late in 1845 and none of the men were ever seen again. In fact the ships made it to the King William Island region, then got stuck in the ice. With supplies running out the surviving crew abandoned ship and headed south. However, none made it to safety and it is all died from disease, exposure or starvation. This image shows the end of that desperate attempt to reach safety. From 1848 onwards a number of relief expeditions were sent to find Franklin, but it was only in 1859 that Francis Leopold McClintock was finally able to confirm Franklin's fate

© Illustrated London News Ltd/Mary Evans

The Nimrod Antarctic Expedition at the furthest point South

Photograph showing Lt. Adams, Frank Wild and Lt. Ernest Shackleton (left to right) standing beside a British flag at the furthest point South that they reached, 9th January 1909. These three men and Eric Marshall (who took the photograph), made an attempt to reach the South Pole as part of the Nimrod Antarctic Expedition of 1908-09. They got to this point, 111 statute miles from the Pole, before they had to turn back due to a shortage of supplies

© Illustrated London News Ltd/Mary Evans

Dead Polar Bear, Franz Josef Land, 1896

Photograph of a Polar bear shot dead by Frederick Jackson, during the Jackson-Harmsworth Polar Expedition, at Elmwood, Franz Josef Land, 1896. The Jackson-Harmsworth Expedition went to Franz Josef Land with the intention of making an attempt to reach the North Pole. However, while preparing for their attempt, Fridtjhof Nansen and his companions of the Fram expedition found them. Nansen warned Jackson off making an attempt for the North Pole and Jackson was happy to look after Nansen's tired group and convey them back to safety. Date: 1896

© Illustrated London News Ltd/Mary Evans