Article ID: CBB001421586

“On Thin Ice”: The Polar Displays at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich (2013)

unapi

The National Maritime Museum (NMM) holds one of the most important historical collections relating to Polar exploration in the UK. It includes artefacts relating to the great 19th century voyages of exploration to locate the Northwest Passage, as well as to the `heroic' early 20th century expeditions of Scott and Shackleton. Many of the artefacts have a long history of display, and Polar exploration has been a near constant presence in the Museum since the 1950s. Representations of the Polar regions may seem to have little connection to British identity and Empire. However, the Arctic in the mid-19th century and the Antarctic in the 20th century can be seen as important places in their own right and central to constructing senses of national identity. There is a close link between the history of exploration and the history of Empire; Polar explorers were represented as heroic figures, providing powerful foci for the imagination of the nation. Polar exploration, Empire, science and national identity were interwoven. The impact of the end of Empire upon British culture and identity has been subject to much debate by historians. Although Empire has diminished in importance Polar exploration remained on display in the NMM, albeit in a number of different guises. This article investigates this phenomenon, the role museums play in promulgating ideas about Empire and nation, and asks what, if anything, happens to displays when Empire declines. Keywords: Polar regions ; Arctic ; Antarctic ; exploration ; display ; Empire ; national identity ; museum

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Authors & Contributors
Larson, Edward John
Ranulph Fiennes
Moira White
Gibbon, Richard
Hatfield, Philip
Wilson McOrist
Concepts
Travel; exploration
Scientific expeditions
Museums
Collections
Artifacts
Natural history
Time Periods
20th century, early
19th century
20th century
18th century
21st century
20th century, late
Places
Great Britain
Antarctica
Polar regions
New Zealand
Northwest Passage
Adriatic sea
Institutions
British Schools Exploring Society
International Geophysical Year (IGY)
Habsburg, House of
National Maritime Museum (Great Britain)
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