Race to the End of the Earth (Exhibition)

Exist Dates

2010 May 29 - 2011 January 2

Biographical or Historical Note

abstract

Exhibition. Opened in May 29, 2010 and closed January 2, 2011. Located in Section 20, Floor 4 in Gallery 4 at the American Museum of Natural History. "Race to the End of the Earth" was an exhibition that recounted the contest to be the first to reach the South Pole in 1911-1912.

Summary

"Race to the End of the Earth" was an exhibition that recounted the contest to be the first to reach the South Pole in 1911-1912. It focused on the challenges that two competing explorers- Norwegian Roald Amundsen and Captain Robert Falcon Scott of the British Royal Navy- faced as they undertook their 1,800-mile journeys from the edge of the Ross Ice Shelf to the Pole and back. In addition to telling the explorers' stories, the exhibition linked these expeditions with past and present research of Antarctica. The exhibition featured photographs, paintings, and rare historical artifacts from Amundsen's and Scott's expeditions. The exhibit re-created, through dioramas and artifacts, the high points of the race: how Amundsen and Scott prepared for the journeys and how they met, or were defeated by, the numerous hurdles they faced. In examining the exploration of the Antarctic region prior to the 20th century, the exhibit included a copy of Captain James Cook's "A Voyage toward the South Pole" and a pocket globe depicting Cook's voyages. The exhibition was curated by Ross MacPhee, curator in the Department of Mammalogy, Division of Vertebrate Zoology. The exhibition was organized by the Museum in collaboration with Musee des Confluences, Lyon, France, and Royal BC Museum, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. The Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge, England, and the Fram Museum, Oslo, Norway assisted the Museum in the creation of the exhibition. Support for the exhibit was provided by the Eileen P. Bernard Exhibition Fund and the Government of the United Kingdom and the National Science Foundation. The exhibit was on view in Gallery 4 of the American Museum of Natural History from May 29, 2010 through January 2, 2011.

Individuals and institutions involved in the creation of the exhibition: Musee des Confluences, Lyon, France; Royal BC Museum, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada; Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge, England; The Fram Museum, Oslo, Norway; Ross MacPhee.

Sources

American Museum of Natural History Press Release: Advance Schedule of Exhibitions and Programs, April 2010. Departmental Records, 101; American Museum of Natural History Library Archives.

American Museum of Natural History Press Release, May 2010. Departmental Records, 101; American Museum of Natural History Library Archives.

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Related Corporate, Personal, and Family Names

American Museum of Natural History. LeFrak Family Gallery.
Location of exhibition.

Related Resources

subjectOf

Race to the End of the Earth
Videorecordings produced by the AMNH Department of Exhibition.

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