Still Life is a unique and hauntingly beautiful photographic study of the Antarctic huts that served as expedition bases for explorations led by Captain Robert Falcon Scott and Sir Ernest Shackleton. At the turn of the twentieth century Antarctica was the focus of one of the last great races of exploration and discovery. Known as the 'heroic age', from 1895 to 1917 Antarctic explorers set off from their huts in search of adventure, science and glory but some, such as Scott, were never to return. The World Wars intervened and the huts were left as time capsules of Edwardian life; a portrait of King Edward VII hangs amid seal blubber, sides of mutton, a jar of gherkins, penguin eggs, cufflinks and darned trousers. One of New Zealand's best known photographers, Jane Ussher, was invited by the Antarctic Heritage Trust to record 'the unusual, the hidden and minutiae of these sites'. The Executive Director of the Trust, Nigel Watson, provides a fascinating introduction to the history and atmosphere of each hut and detailed photographic captions (from the publisher).I have always been interested in anything to do with Shackleton (a great story of survival). This book contains so many amazing photographs of what is essentially a time capsule of a time gone by as there has been little human interference made to the huts since the men left them around one hundred years ago.
Rating - I give this 5/5
GREAT!! Get this from the library
Reviewed by Michelle @ admin
No comments:
Post a Comment