South with "Endurance": Antarctic Photographs - Hardcover

Hurley, F.Jack

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0747557195 ISBN 13: 9780747557197

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, 2001

Synopsis

Produced in association with the Royal Geographical Society, London, the State Library of New South Wales, Sydney, and the Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge, this beautifully designed book contains the complete collection of surviving photographs from the Endurance expedition to Antarctica (1914-17), including remarkable early colour images. Capturing both the ordinary and the extraordinary, the portfolio section includes all of Hurley's most famous photographs and many others previously unseen. From the Endurance trapped in the ice to the launching of the James Caird and the final rescue, every image is exqusitely reproduced. The book also contains a biography of Frank Hurley by Gael Newton, Senior Curator of Photography at the National Gallery of Australia, an account of the Endurance expedition by Shane Murphy and a critical appraisal of Hurley's place in the history of photography by Michael Gray, Director of the Fox Talbot Museum of Photography.

About this title

Review:

Frank Hurley's photograph of the Endurance trapped in the ice at night has deservedly become one of the iconic images of the 20th century. The picture has a sense of drama and even looking at it today one can sense the desolation and awesome power of the Antarctic pack ice. Yet Hurley was no one-shot wonder, and for the first time his more than 400 surviving photos are gathered together under the covers of this beautifully presented coffee-table-sized book. The story of the Endurance expedition from 1914-1917 is well known: how the Endurance was crushed, how Shackleton led his men towards the edge of the pack and sailed to Elephant Island, how Shackleton made an 800-mile open boat journey to South Georgia and coordinated the rescue of all his men. All of which--bar the open boat journey--was captured on film. Hurley was one of the first photo-journalists, and it is tempting to say that with material like this he could hardly fail to capture some stunning images. But while the photos are a historic record of another time and another world, many transcend the everyday to border on art. The composition is flawless and how so many survived the boat journeys is a wonder in itself. The book itself contains several essays which offer something for everyone: from a bog-standard account of the expedition to a more technical analysis of Hurley's technique and the problems associated with early film stock. But overall, the pictures speak for themselves.--John Crace

About the Author:

Frank Hurley (1885-1962) was born in Sydney and published his first photograph in 1905. He became known for dramatic images taken at considerable risk to himself, and joined the Endurance expedition in 1914. He is now recognized as one of the pioneers of photography and documentary film-making. Editor: Bill Swainson

About this edition

• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0747557195
• ISBN 13: 9780747557197
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 320