100 Year Old Negatives Found In The Antarctic

A group of conservators restoring one of the century old supply depots established by Robert Falcon Scott during his expedition to the South Pole found more than they bargained for. In the corner of one of the huts lay a solid block of ice containing 22 negatives that have been quite well preserved for an entire century.

The negatives are thought to belong to the Ross Sea Party which set out to explore the South Pole shortly after Robert Falcon Scott established his supply depots. The Ross Sea Party was hit by a blizzard and stranded out on the ice for 2 long and cold years. It was during this period from 1915-1917 that the images were taken. Unfortunately the photographer, Arnold Patrick Spencer-Smith, was one of 3 men who lost their lives while waiting for the ship that would eventually rescue the crew and take them home. 

The negatives have been amazingly preserved and have mostly suffered damage only at the edges. After being carefully restored the photos are now available to be seen through the Antarctic Heritage Trust.

In addition to viewing the images, you can head over to MyReadingMapped where you can follow the Ross Sea Party's ill-fated expedition on an interactive Google Map.