100th anniversary of Shackleton’s ‘Quest Expedition’ sparks new exhibition showcasing his remarkable career and leadership to a new audience
Today, a brand new exhibition that celebrates the remarkable life and achievements of renowned explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton (1874-1922) will be unveiled by the South Georgia Museum.
The exhibition ‘Shackleton’s Last Quest’ is launching on 17 September, 100 years after Shackleton’s last voyage, the Quest Expedition, set sail from London.
The new exhibition focuses on Shackleton’s untimely death and his final resting place at Grytviken on the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia, and showcases the significance this small British Overseas Territory played in his story. It will also look at his life and the personal qualities that made him so extraordinary, resulting in him still being revered around the world today, a century after his death.
As part of the exhibition, some key objects never before seen outside South Georgia have been brought together for the first time and include the original Hope Cross – the wooden cross that topped the memorial cairn built by the men of the expedition at Hope Point, King Edward Point in 1922.
Shackleton’s grave in summer (L) and in midwinter (R).
It is fitting that Shackleton was in South Georgia when he died. His final diary entry reads: ‘A wonderful evening. In the darkening twilight I saw a lone star hover, gem-like above the bay.’
Image credits Julie Shaughnessy (L) and Deirdre Mitchell (R)
As well as being online at https://sgmuseum.gs/shackletonslastquest the exhibition will be mirrored at the South Georgia Museum at Grytviken, for visitors to the island to see.
It was Shackleton’s wife who decided that South Georgia would be his final resting place and many people make the pilgrimage to his grave to pay their respects, in non-Covid times.
When visitors are able to return to the Museum (which has been closed since March 2020 due to the pandemic), they will also be able to discover more about his life and final voyage through this exhibition.
The Shackleton-Rowett Antarctic Expedition (known as the Quest Expedition) was Shackleton’s fourth and final expedition, aiming to circumnavigate the Antarctic continent.
Large crowds gathered as the ship, Quest, left St Katherine Docks in London on 17 September 1921, with a crew comprising eight shipmates from the famous Endurance Expedition, who were keen to return to southern waters.
However, this was to be Shackleton’s last journey and after arriving at the quiet waters of King Edward Cove in South Georgia on 4 January 1922, he unexpectedly died in the early hours of the following morning.
His untimely death saw an outpouring of grief across the world and came to be seen as the end of the heroic era of polar exploration. Shackleton was buried on 5 March, two months after his death, at the whaling station Grytviken, South Georgia.
The original crow’s nest, which along with the cabin is one of the last vestiges from Quest, will also be making the journey to South Georgia where it will be the centrepiece of the exhibition at the Museum.
This is the first time it will leave its current home in All Hallows Church by the Tower of London to travel back to South Georgia to mark this significant anniversary. Before it heads south to the Antarctic, the Quest Barrel – as it is also known – will be on display at Shackleton’s birthplace in Ireland, at the Shackleton Museum, Athy. In spring 2022 it will continue to South Georgia to take its place in the exhibition.
Alison Neil, Chief Executive of the South Georgia Heritage Trust (SGHT), the UK charity which manages the Museum (above) on behalf of the Government of South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands (GSGSSI) said: “South Georgia is synonymous with Shackleton, as the island played host to the beginning and the conclusion of the ill-fated Endurance Expedition (1914-1917) and is also Shackleton’s final resting place.
“As a guardian of the island’s fascinating heritage, the South Georgia Museum is delighted to have developed this new exhibition. Given Shackleton’s deep associations with South Georgia, it is fitting we will be marking the centenary of the launch of the Quest Expedition and Shackleton’s untimely death in this way.
“The exhibition will mark what is considered the end of the heroic era of polar exploration, focusing on Shackleton’s final resting place and the significance South Georgia played in the story. It will consider his life and those enduring qualities that made him such a revered figure in polar world history and bring him to a new audience.”
Visitors to the exhibition, both online and at South Georgia Museum will learn more about the details of the voyage, hear about how Shackleton came to be buried on the island, and explore objects and images that are being exhibited for the first time.
These include items from Shackleton’s funeral such as the banner that led the procession from the Grytviken church to the cemetery – a Norwegian tradition brought to the island by the whalers.
The exhibition also makes connections to other institutions with collections and links to Shackleton and polar exploration, through virtual ‘loans’. These digital loans include Shackleton’s diary, his Quest cabin clock and a full replica model of Quest.
The online exhibition can be found at https://sgmuseum.gs/shackletonslastquest
It is hoped that the exhibition at South Georgia Museum will be open from this coming season or the next, depending on travel restrictions.
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