Polar Publications

Often referred to as a newspaper or magazine – though it was eventually bound into a book and later reproduced in very limited numbers – The South Polar Times was created monthly by the men of Discovery during the winters of 1902 and 1903. Only one copy of each edition was ever printed in Antarctica, yet The South Polar Times had a readership that would bring tears to the eye of a media mogul. Every single person on the continent of Antarctica read it. For good measure, the paper also had a startlingly impressive list of editors that included polar exploration legend Ernest Shackleton.

Bursting with prose, caricatures, illustrations (primarily by the hand of Edward Wilson, an excellent artist) and poetry, the Times acted as a way of staving off boredom and bringing morale to its creators. Now, it has become a vital part of our understanding of Antarctic heritage, for its genuine representation of life aboard Discovery.

From its very beginnings, the publication was a collaborative feat; with possible names for this “winter magazine” discussed after dinner in the Wardroom. Aptly, the title ‘The South Polar Times‘ was decided upon on 21st March 1902; on the anniversary of Discovery’s launch in Dundee.

Edward Wilson’s advocacy of the magazine did not stop at his tireless work in bringing colour and art, as this diary entry conveys;

“Then spent the rest of the day drawing for the SPT, a job which takes up a lot of time, but we are bent on having a good paper to show for our winter down here. And it certainly is a considerable factor in keeping up interests and giving occupation and amusement to everyone on board, so that I cannot think it is a waste of time spent.

“Moreover we are keeping it so strictly Polar that I think many interesting things will be preserved in it which would otherwise be lost – little incidents and pass-times of a somewhat frivolous and fleeting character, which people will like to read about later on. In fact, the paper brings out the more human side of the members of the expedition and leaves the Narrative and Scientific Reports to do the rest.”

And indeed, “the SPT” has become revered for its insights into everyday life aboard Discovery in the coldest place on Earth in the early 1900s. Its varying submissions from a vast number of the officers and crew greatens its intrigue and distinctiveness; through unique humour, an array of writing styles, and snippets of those fleeting moments and relationships.

Perhaps the most humorous additions to The South Polar Times are that of the caricatures, drawn by Michael Barne. The second lieutenant was also responsible for a charming cover illustration of Discovery in the ice, which Edward Wilson described as giving the publication “a most chic and artistic appearance, an appearance which I am afraid will soon be hidden under a sufficiency of dirty finger marks“.

The original copy may well have been covered in marks showing its popularity and use – however, Barne’s caricatures of Charles Royds (“Our Charlie”), Albert Armitage (“The Pilot”) and Ernest Shackleton (“The Parsenger”) are somewhat immortalised in that they form the labels for our Discovery wine range, available in Discovery Point’s giftshop as well as being served at many a Wardroom Dinner aboard Discovery here in Dundee; amongst atmospheres that are just as joyous as those on the day of the ‘launch’ of the first edition of The South Polar Times 122 years ago!

Following Shackleton’s early departure from the Discovery Expedition in 1903, Louis Bernacchi became editor, and so, Volume II was born.

On return to the UK, their winter magazine was collated and published in London, in numbers thought to be as low as 250; making copies of The South Polar Times like ours in our Recognised Collections of National Significance extremely rare. We are privileged to be custodians of this, and many other wondrous Polar objects here at Discovery Point – including another Polar book, which is even rarer than Discovery’s South Polar Times.

Perhaps inspired by his enjoyment of bringing together The South Polar Times from 1902-1903, Ernest Shackleton set out on his 1907 Nimrod Expedition with extra equipment; including a printing press. Shackleton was going to create the first book published in the Antarctic. It’s difficult to know whether the print enthusiast could have imagined that over 100 years on, his Aurora Australis would continue to bring delight to thousands of people across the world through its symbolism of his Antarctic feats and of creativity in even the most extreme environments.

It is estimated that there were around 100 copies of the book produced, each identifiable by its unique endplate stencil lettering; our copy features a cover made from what appears to have once been a soap crate! Other examples include ‘petit pois’, ‘beans’, ‘suet’ and ‘veal’. Around 70 of the 100 copies have been accounted for worldwide.

Signed with an inscription on the front page, the copies were eventually distributed to members of the Expedition and supporters.