Heritage Hearsay - Antarctic Heritage · Ross sea HeRitage RestoRation PRoject Milestone ......
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ROSS SEA HERITAGE RESTORATION PROJECT MILESTONE The world’s most extreme heritage conservation project has reached a major milestone. This Antarctic summer has seen the completion of the major conservation work on Captain Scott’s historic buildings and the artefact collections at both Cape Evans and Hut Point. With this season’s achievement, the Trust has completed the major programme of conserving the three Ross Island heroic-era bases and thousands of objects left behind by Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s and Ernest Shackleton’s expeditions. The Trust’s Ross Sea Heritage Restoration Project has to date spanned a decade of extensive and painstaking conservation work which has seen 62 specialists from 11 countries operate from purpose-built conservation facilities in harsh conditions to conserve the heroic legacy for current and future generations. The Trust has continuously wintered international teams of professional conservators working on the artefact collections since 2006. They have meticulously conserved a staggering 18,202 individual artefacts including clothing, equipment and personal items from the three Ross Island bases. The Project has seen the weatherproofing of the three buildings, removal of snow and ice threatening the Cape Evans hut, repairs and maintenance to each of the buildings and the insertion of systems both below and above ground to deflect and prevent water, snow and ice entering the buildings. There have been some significant new discoveries during the Project including three crates of ‘Shackleton’s whisky’ and two crates of brandy, photographic negatives and more recently George Murray Levick’s photographic notebook at Cape Evans (see overleaf). Each of these have resulted in significant international media coverage and interest. The Project, unprecedented in its scale and complexity in the polar regions, will now see major conservation work undertaken at the continent’s first building at Cape Adare, and subject to securing funding, the original 1957 building at New Zealand’s Scott Base. Meanwhile, ongoing maintenance and monitoring is planned for Scott’s and Shackleton’s buildings and their collections. The Trust is proud of the work undertaken to date and thanks all the hardworking team members over the years and the Trust’s supporters who have enabled this milestone to be reached. SUMMER SEASON ACHIEVEMENTS The work undertaken at Cape Evans this season completes seven years of intense conservation at the site. This season saw the in situ treatment of the remaining fixtures and fittings by the team of conservators; Lizzie Meek (leader), Nicola Dunn and Annick Vuissoz. The final batch of artefacts conserved over the 2014 winter were returned to site bringing the total number of conserved artefacts from Cape Evans to 11,561. At Hut Point a second consecutive summer of intensive building work was completed by the building conservation team comprising Al Fastier (leader), Gordon Macdonald and Torbjørn Prytz. The ceiling which had dropped half a metre was carefully lifted, the modern glass work replaced, textiles that divided the hut were re-hung, the blubber stove was conserved and the building’s 535 artefacts which were conserved over the 2014 winter were carefully returned to site. FIND OUT MORE The Trust’s accompanying Project Update has additional details on the conservation work undertaken. An overview of the conservation work can be found on the Trust’s You Tube channel and we would encourage you to view the remarkable work the teams have accomplished. Heritage Hearsay ISSUE 55 January 2015 www.nzaht.org Newsletter of the Antarctic Heritage Trust (New Zealand) The exterior of Terra Nova Hut, Cape Evans. © Alasdair Turner Photography The interior of Terra Nova Hut, Cape Evans.
Transcript of Heritage Hearsay - Antarctic Heritage · Ross sea HeRitage RestoRation PRoject Milestone ......
Ross sea HeRitage RestoRation PRoject MilestoneThe world’s most extreme heritage conservation project has reached a major milestone. This Antarctic summer has seen the completion of the major conservation work on Captain Scott’s historic buildings and the artefact collections at both Cape Evans and Hut Point. With this season’s achievement, the Trust has completed the major programme of conserving the three Ross Island heroic-era bases and thousands of objects left behind by Captain Robert Falcon Scott’s and Ernest Shackleton’s expeditions.
The Trust’s Ross Sea Heritage Restoration Project has to date spanned a decade of extensive and painstaking conservation work which has seen 62 specialists from 11 countries operate from purpose-built conservation facilities in harsh conditions to conserve the heroic legacy for current and future generations.
The Trust has continuously wintered international teams of professional conservators working on the artefact collections since 2006. They have meticulously conserved a staggering 18,202 individual artefacts including clothing, equipment and personal items from the three Ross Island bases.
The Project has seen the weatherproofing of the three buildings, removal of snow and ice threatening the Cape Evans hut, repairs and maintenance to each of the buildings and the insertion of systems both below and above ground to deflect and prevent water, snow and ice entering the buildings.
There have been some significant new discoveries during the Project including three crates of ‘Shackleton’s whisky’ and two crates of brandy, photographic negatives and more recently George Murray Levick’s photographic notebook at Cape Evans (see overleaf). Each of these have resulted in significant international media coverage and interest.
The Project, unprecedented in its scale and complexity in the polar regions, will now see major conservation work undertaken
at the continent’s first building at Cape Adare, and subject to securing funding, the original 1957 building at New Zealand’s Scott Base. Meanwhile, ongoing maintenance and monitoring is planned for Scott’s and Shackleton’s buildings and their collections.
The Trust is proud of the work undertaken to date and thanks all the hardworking team members over the years and the Trust’s supporters who have enabled this milestone to be reached.
suMMeR season acHieveMentsThe work undertaken at Cape Evans this season completes seven years of intense conservation at the site. This season saw the in situ treatment of the remaining fixtures and fittings by the team of conservators; Lizzie Meek (leader), Nicola Dunn and Annick Vuissoz. The final batch of artefacts conserved over the 2014 winter were returned to site bringing the total number of conserved artefacts from Cape Evans to 11,561.
At Hut Point a second consecutive summer of intensive building work was completed by the building conservation team comprising Al Fastier (leader), Gordon Macdonald and Torbjørn Prytz. The ceiling which had dropped half a metre was carefully lifted,
the modern glass work replaced, textiles that divided the hut were re-hung, the blubber stove was conserved and the building’s 535 artefacts which were conserved over the 2014 winter were carefully returned to site.
Find out MoReThe Trust’s accompanying Project Update has additional details on the conservation work undertaken. An overview of the conservation work can be found on the Trust’s You Tube channel and we would encourage you to view the remarkable work the teams have accomplished.
Heritage Hearsay ISSUE 55 January 2015 www.nzaht.org
Newsletter of the Antarctic Heritage Trust (New Zealand)
The exterior of Terra Nova Hut, Cape Evans. © Alasdair Turner Photography
The interior of Terra Nova Hut, Cape Evans.
Antarctic Heritage Trust, 38 Orchard Road, Christchurch, New Zealand Private Bag 4745, Christchurch T: +64 3 358 0212 F: +64 3 358 0244 E: [email protected] W: nzaht.org
notebook Found There has been significant international media and public interest in the Trust’s discovery of a photographer’s notebook, recovered outside Scott’s Cape Evans base.
The notebook is a “Wellcome Photographic Exposure Record and Dairy 1910”. It belonged to George Murray Levick (1876-1956), surgeon, zoologist and a member of Scott’s Northern Party.
The notebook is a missing part of the official expedition record and contains Levick’s pencil notes detailing the date, subjects and exposure details for the photographs he took during 1911 while at Cape Adare.
The notebook was meticulously reconstructed by the Trust’s paper conservator Aline Leclercq in New Zealand before being returned to Cape Evans.
A video of the spectacular and detailed conservation process can be found on the Trust’s You Tube channel. Self-portrait of Levick in his cubicle. © Scott Polar Research Institute
education onlineThe Trust’s scottslastexpedition.org website, dedicated to Captain Scott’s 1910-1913 expedition, has been augmented with the addition of education resources. The online exhibition now comprises three parts: a text and image rich journey through Scott’s last expedition; a virtual tour of the exhibition as it appeared at Canterbury Museum; and a learning and discovery section. The latter includes teacher resources for Australian and New Zealand school teachers and an interactive polar explorer game which involves preparing for a sledging journey.
suPPoRting tHe tRustWe are very grateful for the support we receive from our donors and Antarctic Explorer members.
We welcome the following new supporters: Silver Explorer Jenny May (NZ); and Bronze Explorers Dave Baker (USA), John Law (NZ) and Thomas Williams (USA).
We acknowledge the significant bequest we
received from long-standing Antarctic Explorer member the late Brian Scott.
If you would like to support our work, we would welcome your donation or support as an Antarctic Explorer Club member. More information on how to support the Trust can be found at nzaht.org/support
iceFestFollowing on from the success of the Trust’s partnership with the Christchurch City Council’s inaugural New Zealand Antarctic Festival in 2012, the Trust sponsored three speaker events as part of the 2014 Festival. This included a panel discussion, The Shackleton Whisky Story and two talks by Kiwi adventurers Kevin Biggar and Jamie Fitzgerald who spoke on their First Crossings: The First Unsupplied Unsupported NZ expedition to the South Pole.
still liFeThe Trust’s Still Life exhibition achieved higher visitor numbers than forecast during its showing at Auckland War Memorial Museum. Around 30,000 people visited Still Life: Inside the Antarctic Huts of Scott and Shackleton between 27 August and 5 October 2014. The exhibition was a partnership between the Trust, photographer Jane Ussher, Auckland War Memorial Museum and Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development.
aHt goveRnance cHanges
We welcome HE Jonathan Sinclair as British High Commissioner to New Zealand as a Trustee, and Mariska Wouters replacing Jud Fretter as the New Zealand Antarctic Society Trustee. We farewell John Allen who has resigned as Chief Executive and Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade and thank both Jud and John for their service to the Trust. We also acknowledge and welcome Brian Roche as Acting Chair, Antarctica New Zealand standing in for Rob Fenwick.
ReMeMbRanceThe Trust marks with sadness the passing of two Canterbury supporters, John Claydon and Natalie Cadenhead.
John Claydon AFC , was Chief Pilot for the Trans-Antarctic Expedition 1955-1958 and received the Polar Medal. He was one of the Trust’s Antarctic Gold Explorer members, and among a full life of achievements, was instrumental in increasing the conservation status of Hillary’s TAE ‘Hut A’ that remains at Scott Base.
We also remember with fondness the late Natalie Cadenhead, long-standing Antarctican, former Antarctica New Zealand and Canterbury Museum employee and Trust supporter.
tHank youThank you to our long-term supporters which include our core funder, the New Zealand Government through Antarctica New Zealand, Ministry for Culture and Heritage and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and to our major supporters: The February Foundation, Hallensteins, Singapore Airlines (official airline to the Trust), Christchurch International Airport, Whyte and Mackay, The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and UK Antarctic Heritage Trust.
