Photographs of polar explorations 1845-1960

March 6, 2009 5:52 AM

Freeze Frame a new collection of over 20,000 photographs of British and international polar explorations from 1845-1960, from the Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge.

A few favourites: Bear cub, Penguins, Mooring on the ice, Glaciers, Icebergs, Caves, Ice Floe, Ranulph Fiennes, Sled dogs, BiPlane - related book, more: coloured icebergs, PictureAustralia.org
[Previously]

posted by Lanark (12 comments total)

Some really good stuff in there.

Also,

transparency. . . .
posted by slater at 6:06 AM on March 6, 2009

Great name, too.

(can't resist...)
posted by 0x029a at 6:09 AM on March 6, 2009

Beautiful and terrifying at the same time. Very nice find, and good to see an academic photo resource that has paid some attention to presentation and usability for a change.
posted by bokeh at 6:11 AM on March 6, 2009

F*cking great link, thanks.

Heh.
posted by marxchivist at 6:21 AM on March 6, 2009

Cool! That's just down the street from where I work! The Polar Institute's museum is pretty awesome.
posted by honest knave at 6:33 AM on March 6, 2009

Fantastic and timely! I am working on a story set in Greenland, this is a great resource for me.
posted by Mister_A at 7:11 AM on March 6, 2009

Great photos. Sure wish you could view larger versions, though.
posted by mudpuppie at 9:02 AM on March 6, 2009

I am just going to have a look at those links and may be some time.
posted by pracowity at 9:36 AM on March 6, 2009 [2 favorites]

Damn, just about to write a FPP about this. Nice one Lanark.

For those interested, BBC Radio 4's Front Row has a podcast discussing Freeze Frame (here, click on Wednesday 04 March - John Wilson presenting; link probably won't last), along with a very good Pet Shop Boys interview I might add.

Coincidentally, I was just reading Dan Simmons' The Terror and this site tied in nicely with that. (Couldn't get through the bloody thing though.)
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 5:37 PM on March 6, 2009

very cool! i just finished the terror (like joseph conrad... above) and am fascinated by the pictures now. thanks!
posted by misanthropicsarah at 7:16 PM on March 6, 2009

Good stuff, though I'm really sorry to see that the Northern Peoples resource package is still "forthcoming."
posted by gudrun at 11:15 PM on March 6, 2009

Ah that Front Row show was interesting, thanks
BBC picks: Scotts Hut, X marks the spot, Castle Berg at night (Herbert Ponting)
posted by Lanark at 3:45 AM on March 7, 2009