Survey stories in the history of British polar exploration: museums, objects and people

Abstract

This essay considers the two institutions that, between them, contain the most significant collections relating to British polar exploration in the UK: the Scott Polar Research Institute and the National Maritime Museum. A discussion of the differences between the two institutions, from their foundations to the substance of their collections, is followed by an indication of their similarities—particularly relating to the interpretation of the objects of exploration in museums, including artefacts of science and surveying. Histories of exploration, particularly in the polar regions, have been dominated by stories of individual sacrifice and achievement. This is despite the origins of many of the expeditions being rooted in scientific goals. This paper considers the role of survey stories within narratives of exploration, and the challenges that curators face in presenting them to audiences who continue to be drawn in by stories of well-known figures such as Scott and Amundsen.