Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition
The Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1914–1917 is considered to be the last major expedition of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. Conceived by Sir Ernest Shackleton, the expedition was an attempt to make the first land crossing of the Antarctic continent. After Roald Amundsen's South Pole expedition in 1911, this crossing remained, in Shackleton's words, the "one great main object of Antarctic journeyings". Shackleton's expedition failed to accomplish this objective but became recognized instead as an epic feat of endurance.
Endurance under sail, Antarctic Ocean, c. 1915 Paget colour photograph by Frank Hurley
Corporate sponsorship for the expedition; Aurora is loaded with paraffin provided by Shell.
Ernest Shackleton, leader of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition
Crew members working to free the ship from the ice
Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration
The Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration was an era in the exploration of the continent of Antarctica which began at the end of the 19th century, and ended after the First World War; the Shackleton–Rowett Expedition of 1921–1922 is often cited by historians as the dividing line between the "Heroic" and "Mechanical" ages.
The known Antarctic region after the 1819–1843 period of intensive exploration.
Left to right: Roald Amundsen, Helmer Hanssen, Sverre Hassel and Oscar Wisting after first reaching the South Pole on 16 December 1911.
The oceanographer Sir John Murray
Image: Adrien de Gerlache