One of my main collecting interests is Arctic exploration, a field that combines scientific ambition, geopolitical rivalry, and the drive to map the last blank spaces of the globe. For this exhibition, I have chosen to focus on one specific enterprise, the British Arctic Expedition of 1875–76. This voyage represents a pivotal moment in Britain’s attempt to reach the North Pole and reassert leadership in polar discovery. Led by Sir George Nares, it remains a powerful example of Victorian confidence confronting a harsh and uncompromising environment.
I have selected three connected objects to show what life was like aboard the HMS Alert. At the center is Captain Albert Hastings Markham’s The Great Frozen Sea—specifically, a signed association copy once owned by Lt. Alfred Parr. Parr earned his place in the annals of exploration for his lone, thirty-mile trek across the ice to summon help for his crewmates, who were dying of scurvy. This grueling rescue stands as one of the most incredible acts of courage ever recorded.
To round out the story, I have included a Copeland dinner plate from the officers’ wardroom and a sheet of custom stationery. These pieces reveal the mission as a strictly formal and highly structured naval venture. Together, they mark the journey as a defining chapter in the race for the Pole and a sobering reminder of the Arctic’s relentless nature.
Captain Albert Hastings Markham, R.N. The Great Frozen Sea: A Personal Narrative of the Voyage of the “Alert” during the Arctic Expedition of 1875-6. London: Daldy, Isbister & Co., 1878.
Signed association copy of Lt. Alfred A. C. Parr, R.N.
The British Arctic Expedition was the Royal Navy’s final grand attempt to reach the North Pole. Parr sledged with Captain Markham’s team to 83° 20’ 26” N, the furthest north then reached. When scurvy and exhaustion incapacitated the others, he, the fittest crew member, trekked alone over 30 miles in frigid polar temperatures to HMS Alert to summon help, enabling a rescue that saved the remaining men. His journey exemplifies the extraordinary endurance and peril of Arctic exploration.
W. T. Copeland & Sons (Staffordshire). Dinner plate,HMS Alert.British Arctic Expedition, 1875–76.
Displayed here is an earthenware dinner plate made for the wardroom of HMS Alert. The obverse shows a finely detailed polar bear in a snowy Arctic landscape; the reverse bears three anchors and the ship’s name. Part of a commissioned dinner service supplied to the expedition, the plate reflects the formal naval hierarchy and specialized provisions, including tableware and cutlery, maintained aboard ship during the long Arctic winter.
Custom Stationery. HMS Alert.British Arctic Expedition, 1875–76.
This single sheet folded to form four pages, bears the ship’s name and is blind-stamped at the head with an Admiralty anchor and Latin motto, with space provided for recording latitude and longitude. It allowed officers to track progress as the expedition pushed north and was likely used for letters and official reports, demonstrating the practical record-keeping and organization of Arctic naval exploration.
