Fascinating chart showing the explored areas of coastline surrounding the Ross Ice Shelf - a focal point for exploration in the early-20th Century, marking the routes of four of the most important expeditions during the “Heroic Age of Exploration”.

Today, known as the Ross Dependency, the map traces the western coastline from Oates Land to South Victoria. From here, mountain ranges and bays are recorded in remarkable detail, with topographical shading, soundings and elevations. The coastline continues to meet the sketched outline of The Great Ice Barrier, then eastwards to a vast area of unmapped territory (now Marie Byrd Land), where only the King Edward VII Land Peninsula, and Biscoe Bay are marked. The map extends only as far south as the 85°, omitting the Pole.

Nomenclature seen across the region commits to memory the names of the explorers, their loved ones, and their sovereigns. Examples include the Beardmore Glacier named after Nimrod expedition sponsor, Sir William Beardmore; the McMurdo Sound after Archibald McMurdo of HMS Terror; and a touching example, Oates Land, discovered by Harry Pennell in 1911 during Scott’s Terra Nova Expedition, and named after Captain Lawrence “Titus” Oates (1880-1912) who bravely met his end at the age of 32 with the famous phrase, “I am just going outside and may be some time”.

Notes indicate previous limits of exploration such as Borchgrevink’s furthest south (Feb. 1900), and also the “Winter Quarters” for Scott’s Discovery, and Shackleton’s Nimrod expeditions.

A key to clarify the four overland routes can be found below the title.

Working chronologically, the first sledging route traced on the map is that of British National Antarctic (or Discovery) Expedition of 1901-04, the first large scale scientific expedition since the Ross's expedition of 1839-43. The objectives were to map then unknown land, to carry out a magnetic survey, and to gather geological, meteorological and oceanographic data. Leading this expedition was Captain Robert Falcon Scott, together with a young Ernest Shackleton, acting as third officer. During this expedition, Scott and Edward Wilson set a record by reaching 82°S – marked on the map.

The second overland route is the British Antarctic (or Nimrod) Expedition of 1907-09, this time led by Shackleton. During this expedition, Shackleton, Frank Wild, Jameson Adams and Eric Marshall established a new furthest south record of 88°S (Oct. 1908).

The third track marks the celebrated but ill-fated Imperial Trans-Antarctic, (or Terra Nova) Expedition 1910-13. This extraordinary undertaking had many scientific aims, but one of the objectives was to be the first to reach the geographical South Pole. This was achieved on 17 Jan. 1912 The return leg of the journey features the unfortunate statements; “Evans died, 17th Feb.”, “Oates died, Mar 16th or 17th” and just short One Ton Camp Depot, “Scott & party [Wilson & Bowers] died, 19th Mar.”

The final route on the map is that of the first successful attempt to reach the Pole by the Norwegian Antarctic Expedition captained by Roald Amundsen. Aboard the ship Fram, he had made extensive preparations to be the first to reach the North Pole; however his plans were disrupted in 1909, when American explorers Frederick Cook and Robert Peary claimed the discovery. Amundsen made an about turn and sailed south. His track starts at the Bay of Whales and heads to the Prince Olav Mountains where it runs off the map. Amundsen arrived at the Pole on 16th Dec. 1911.

It was not until Feb. 1913 that Amundsen was informed of Scott and his team reaching the Pole in Jan. 1912, and that tragedy struck them on their return journey.

The map was first issued in 1901, and shown here updated to July 1914. [POLAR524] SL