Wright, British Antarctic Expedition

This material is held atScott Polar Research Institute Archives, University of Cambridge

  • Reference
    • GB 15 Sir Charles Wright/Notebooks and diaries
  • Dates of Creation
    • 1910 - 1912
  • Name of Creator
  • Language of Material
    • English
  • Physical Description
    • 1 chart, 8 volumes and loose material

Scope and Content

  • MS 1404/1;D Diary fragment, 1 June to 17 August 1910 [Top copy of pages of his more complete carbon copy diary MS 1404/2;D] 22 leaves, holograph
  • MS 1404/2;D Diary, 15 June to 4 November 1910, 1 volume, holograph, carbon copy
  • MS 1437/6;BJ Diaries, 15 June 1910 to 20 January 1913 [Edited and illustrated by Pat Wright (his daughter)] 368 leaves, typescript (Xerox)
  • MS 1404/3;D Diary, 29 November 1910 to 20 January 1911, 13 leaves, holograph
  • MS 280/17;MSM Chart, 9 to 29 December 1910 [Showing sea ice distribution along the track of Terra Nova] 1 sheet 45x76cm
  • MS 756/1-3;BJ Notebooks (3), 1910-1913 [Ice observations] 3 volumes, holograph
  • MS 1437/4;D Ice notes, 21 January to 25 March 1911 [Western Journey of 1911] 64 leaves, typescript, illustrated
  • MS 1404/4;BJ Diary, 27 January to 29 October 1911, 1 volume, holograph
  • MS 1427/1;BJ Forms of Icebergs, part of Ice Notes, 1912 [Western Journey 1912, sketches of icebergs, with other ice notes] 1 volume, holograph
  • MS 1437/2;BJ Miscellaneous notebook for the search party, 1912 [Barrier rations, pony weights] 1 volume, holograph
  • MS 1437/5;BJ Occasional diary entries and copies of letters, 13 and 22 June, 6 August, 6 and 23 October, 5 December 1912 and some undated entries, 1 volume, holograph
  • MS 1404/5;D Diary, 29 February 1912 to 22 February 1913, 162 leaves, mainly holograph (Xerox) including 19 leaves typed transcript
  • MS 1404/6;D Leaves from Antarctic diary and notebook [Produced, annotated, edited and illustrated by Miss Pat Wright (his daughter), draft of a proposed book using texts of Wright's diaries MS 1404/1-5;D with some minor omissions, most pages contain illustrations drawn by Miss Wright based on surviving relics, sketches and photographs from the expedition, includes transcript of diary for period 2 November 1911 to 31 January 1912, which is not amongst MS1404/1-5;D] 180 + 75 leaves, typed transcript

Administrative / Biographical History

The British Antarctic Expedition, 1910-1913 (leader Robert Falcon Scott) spent two winters at Cape Evans on Ross Island. Extensive scientific investigations and exploration was conducted along the coast of Victoria Land and on the Ross Ice Shelf. A party led by Griffith Taylor spent three months exploring the western mountains and this work was continued after the departure of the polar party in 1911. A northern party led by Victor Campbell established a base at Cape Adare from where they conducted scientific programmes. After moving camp the party were forced to spend the winter of 1912 in ice caves before walking back to the Cape Evans camp. The first cin documentary film of an Antarctic expedition, 90° South was made during the expedition. After successfully reaching the South Pole on 17 January 1912 Scott and his companions (Henry Bowers, Edgar Evans, Lawrence Oates and Edward Wilson) perished during the return journey.

Arrangement

Chronological.

Related Material

The Scott Polar Research Institute holds a number of photographs, film and other illustrative material in the Picture Library, some of which covers this expedition. The catalogue can be searched on line by going to the Picture Library Database and selecting the Enter Polar Pictures link.

The Institute holds over a hundred archival collections containing material relating to this expedition see SPRI collection GB 015 British Antarctic Expedition, 1910-1913 for more information.