Tag: Antarctica

Visions of the Antarctic back when it was mostly penguins with almost no scientists at all. Illustrations from Frederick A. Cook’s “Through the First Antarctic Night, 1898–1899.” The author was part of the Belgica expedition. One of his fellow explorers was Roald Amundsen who became the first man to reach the South Pole a few years later.

Frontispiece. © 1899 F. A. Cook. Osgood Art Colortype Company, Chicago and New York. Page 10 of Frederick A. Cook’s Through the first Antarctic night, 1898-1899; a narrative of the voyage of the “Belgica” among newly discovered lands and over an unknown sea about the South pole. Published in 1900 in New York by Doubleday and McClure. Collections of the Cornell University Library. Artwork in the public domain due to age. https://archive.org/details/cu31924032358446/page/n9/mode/1up
Doctor Frederick A. Cook. Page 167 of Frederick A. Cook’s Through the first Antarctic night, 1898-1899; a narrative of the voyage of the “Belgica” among newly discovered lands and over an unknown sea about the South pole. Published in 1900 in New York by Doubleday and McClure. Collections of the Cornell University Library. Artwork in the public domain due to age. https://archive.org/details/cu31924032358446/page/n167/mode/1up
Weddell Sea Leopards of Belgica Strait. (Leptonychotes Weddelli). Page 184 of Frederick A. Cook’s Through the first Antarctic night, 1898-1899; a narrative of the voyage of the “Belgica” among newly discovered lands and over an unknown sea about the South pole. Published in 1900 in New York by Doubleday and McClure. Collections of the Cornell University Library. Artwork in the public domain due to age. https://archive.org/details/cu31924032358446/page/n184/mode/1up
Penguins – A Family Gathering on the Pack-ice. Page 194 of Frederick A. Cook’s Through the first Antarctic night, 1898-1899; a narrative of the voyage of the “Belgica” among newly discovered lands and over an unknown sea about the South pole. Published in 1900 in New York by Doubleday and McClure. Collections of the Cornell University Library. Artwork in the public domain due to age. https://archive.org/details/cu31924032358446/page/n194/mode/1up
A Tabular Iceberg, Seen at the Pack-Edge in the South Pacific. About 200 Feet High. Page 265 of Frederick A. Cook’s Through the first Antarctic night, 1898-1899; a narrative of the voyage of the “Belgica” among newly discovered lands and over an unknown sea about the South pole. Published in 1900 in New York by Doubleday and McClure. Collections of the Cornell University Library. Artwork in the public domain due to age. https://archive.org/details/cu31924032358446/page/n265/mode/1up
Eight Successive Phases of an Exhibit of Aurora Australis, March 19, 1898. Page 327 of Frederick A. Cook’s Through the first Antarctic night, 1898-1899; a narrative of the voyage of the “Belgica” among newly discovered lands and over an unknown sea about the South pole. Published in 1900 in New York by Doubleday and McClure. Collections of the Cornell University Library. Artwork in the public domain due to age. https://archive.org/details/cu31924032358446/page/n327/mode/1up
The Ross Seal with Trachea Inflated. (Ommatophoca rossii). Page 396 of Frederick A. Cook’s Through the first Antarctic night, 1898-1899; a narrative of the voyage of the “Belgica” among newly discovered lands and over an unknown sea about the South pole. Published in 1900 in New York by Doubleday and McClure. Collections of the Cornell University Library. Artwork in the public domain due to age. https://archive.org/details/cu31924032358446/page/n396/mode/1up
Penguins on a Sea-worn Iceberg Resembling a Whale. Page 255 of Frederick A. Cook’s Through the first Antarctic night, 1898-1899; a narrative of the voyage of the “Belgica” among newly discovered lands and over an unknown sea about the South pole. Published in 1900 in New York by Doubleday and McClure. Collections of the Cornell University Library. Artwork in the public domain due to age. Internet Archive via the Public Domain Review. https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/through-the-first-antarctic-night-1900/?utm_source=newsletter
Twilight amid the Antarctic Ice. Osgood Art Colortype Company, Chicago and New York. Page 471 of Frederick A. Cook’s Through the first Antarctic night, 1898-1899; a narrative of the voyage of the “Belgica” among newly discovered lands and over an unknown sea about the South pole. Published in 1900 in New York by Doubleday and McClure. Collections of the Cornell University Library. Artwork in the public domain due to age. Internet Archive via the Public Domain Review. https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/through-the-first-antarctic-night-1900/?utm_source=newsletter

These images are from scanned versions of two different copies of the same edition of the same book. For reasons that I don’t really understand, they would print some copies all with black and white illustrations and others with a few in color.

I looked up most of these over on the Internet Archive but I got the idea from the Public Domain Review article as it was they who found it.

Up into the Arctic and down to the Antarctic with English watercolorist Charles Hamilton Smith who was also a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Royal Artillery. Living from 1776 to 1859, he painted what he saw as he traveled around the world during his military career.

“Spitzbergen, Bearing South,” from the collection of 75 watercolors entitled “Views of Polar Regions”. 19th c. English. Watercolor and graphite. Collections of the Yale Center for British Arts, New Haven. Image © Yale Center for British Arts. Artwork itself in the public domain due to age. via https://wanderingvertexes.blogspot.com/2021/08/newtontoppen-spitzbergen-by-charles.html
“Remarkable Iceberg seen in July, 1818.” ca. 1818. English. Watercolor and graphite on moderately thick, moderately textured wove paper. Collections of the Collections of the Yale Center for British Arts, New Haven. Image © Yale Center for British Arts, Paul Mellon Collection. Artwork itself in the public domain due to age. via https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/remarkable-iceberg-charles-hamilton-smith-1776%E2%80%931859-belgian/kwFvKsdBrhN6Xw
“Victoria lands, South Polar Regions: Mont Erebus, Ross Island, Antarctica,” from the collection of 75 watercolors entitled “Views of Polar Regions”. 19th c. English. Watercolor and graphite. Collections of the Yale Center for British Arts, New Haven. Image © Yale Center for British Arts. Artwork itself in the public domain due to age. via https://wanderingvertexes.blogspot.com/2019/10/erebus-seen-by-charles-hamilton-smith.html
“Mount Sabine, Victoria Land,  Antarctica, discovered in 1841,” from the collection of 75 watercolors entitled “Views of Polar Regions”. ca. 1841. English. Watercolor. Collections of the Yale Center for British Arts, New Haven. Image © Yale Center for British Arts. Artwork itself in the public domain due to age. via https://wanderingvertexes.blogspot.com/2019/11/mount-sabine-by-charles-hamilton-smith.html
Petoowack Arctic Highlands Formation Antarctica. Undated, by 1858. British. Watercolor and graphite on cream wove paper. Charles Hamilton Smith, watercolorist (1776-1859). Collections of the Yale Center for British Art. Artwork in the public domain due to age. via Francis Rousseau @mountainpaintingsandmore on Instagram. via Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/CpdQ2xGM_zy/
Icebergs and Aurora Borealis in the Arctic Regions. Undated, by 1858. British. Watercolor and graphite on cream wove paper. Charles Hamilton Smith, watercolorist (1776-1859). Collections of the Yale Center for British Art. Artwork in the public domain due to age. via https://collections.britishart.yale.edu/catalog/tms:18924
Halo with Three Parhelia, Winter Harbour Melville Island. Undated, by 1858. British. Watercolor and graphite on cream wove paper. Charles Hamilton Smith, watercolorist (1776-1859). Collections of the Yale Center for British Art. Artwork in the public domain due to age. via https://collections.britishart.yale.edu/catalog/tms:18924 and a slightly cropped version on Stephen Ellcock @stephenellcock ‘s Instagram https://www.instagram.com/stephenellcock/p/DD-sh1pN8t3/?hl=en

Snug Corner Cove Prince William’s Sound. Undated, by 1858. British. Watercolor and graphite on cream wove paper. Charles Hamilton Smith, watercolorist (1776-1859). Collections of the Yale Center for British Art. Artwork in the public domain due to age. via https://collections.britishart.yale.edu/catalog/tms:18924
Remarkable Iceberg. Undated, by 1858. British. Watercolor and graphite on cream wove paper. Charles Hamilton Smith, watercolorist (1776-1859). Collections of the Yale Center for British Art. Artwork in the public domain due to age. via https://collections.britishart.yale.edu/catalog/tms:18924

Landscapes of Antarctica painted by Englishman Edward Adrian Wilson (1872-1912). Along with painting watercolors he was also a physician and polar explorer. Going out to the South Pole with Shackleton, he was one of those who perished on Scott’s failed expedition.

Edward Adrian Wilson Slopes of Mount Erebus Watercolour on paper laid down on card Painting 5 ¼ x 8 ½in. (13.3 x 21.6cm.) - Pirvte collection . png
“Slopes of Mount Erebus, Antarctica.” 1911. Watercolor on paper laid down on card. Collection of the Royal Geographical Society Museum, London. In the public domain in the United States because the artist has been dead over 70 years. via https://wanderingvertexes.blogspot.com/2020/02/mount-erebus-5-by-edward-adrian-wilson.html?fbclid=IwAR1Yn6Wxy-r6cf5B8t5boYIasauElYd5X7kb7XnyeT2B9WNn4R_hN7lgUJ8 and https://scontent.fnyc1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/s960x960/84135527_2721841041267634_8075147980929236992_o.jpg?_nc_cat=104&_nc_eui2=AeH7O8D6MNtoCi49Lb46g3p-_Hy9T5GVLaZNovpyR9y78UOV_iU2Ykm3-mQjvvIHEYTkYx0SxwC4a7ds-lItVTaTjzLu4vsJfEFZnUn1I13EjQ&_nc_ohc=ZrHzNNP9vDAAX8jXo6K&_nc_ht=scontent.fnyc1-1.fna&_nc_tp=7&oh=75a8b4a3b4fdf9cd2a322f54aa784a52&oe=5EF627F7

"The Emperor Penguin Rookery, Cape Crozier." No date.
“The Emperor Penguin Rookery, Cape Crozier.” No date. Watercolor on paper. Signed “E A Wilson” on the lower left. Image © CHRISTIE’S 2020. Fair use license. via https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/Lot/edward-adrian-wilson-1872-1912-the-emperor-5349718-details.aspx

"The great ice barrier - looking east from Cape Crozier." January 4, 1911.
“The great ice barrier – looking east from Cape Crozier.” January 4, 1911. Watercolor. Taken from the book “Scott’s Last Expedition ….”, published in 1913 by Dodd, Mead, and Company. New York. Source: NOAA Photo Library. In the public domain in the United States because the artist has been dead over 70 years. via https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cape_Crozier_-_Watercolor_by_Wilson.jpg

"Iceberg off Cape Adare January 9, 1902." ca. 1902.
“Iceberg off Cape Adare January 9, 1902.” ca. 1902. Watercolor, field sketch. Image © Discovery Point and Royal Research Ship Discovery and Art Fund 2019. Fair use license. via https://www.artfund.org/supporting-museums/art-weve-helped-buy/artwork/8051/iceberg-off-cape-adare-jan91902-and-possession-islands-feb241904-2001-dr-edward-adrian-wilson