Sir Ernest Shackleton & Arthur Beale

The Shackleton-Rowett Expedition is seen by many as the last episode in the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. The expedition aimed to map over 2000 miles of unchartered coastline on the Antarctic continent, as well as collecting mineral samples and undertaking oceanographic research to investigate a possible "underwater continental connection between Africa and America."- a rather large mission statement for such a small team aboard a rather small ship!

Our pictures show an order placed for the Shackleton-Rowett expedition, including our famous Alpine Club rope (which was part of all the early Everest expeditons too), as well as shackles, pulleys and ice axes. In fact, one of Shackleton’s ice axes engraved “Arthur Beale Shaftesbury Avenue” is part of the Polar collection at the National Maritime Museum, pictured below.

A ceremony has been held on the Antarctic peninsula by a team of scientists, Antarctic Quest 21, who set off from Plymouth in December, following Shackleton’s footsteps and honouring his memory.

The Shackleton Commemoration Expedition, by Antarctic Quest 21, is also hoping to learn more about climate change. As part of the quest, the scientists from Devon are crossing Antarctica's Forbidden Plateau, measuring UV levels to inform scientists about the ozone layer and gathering snow samples to measure microplastics. It will show whether pollution has travelled to the furthest parts of the world.