The contribution of photography to Arctic expeditions 1851 to 1881

Abstract

The arrival of photography in 1839 opened up new methods of visually recording the natural world. Well-established methods of visually recording discoveries on expeditions were soon challenged by the accuracy of photography. However, this was not immediate, as limitations of the processes used made photography in the field unreliable. It was not until the development of the wet plate process, that photography was in a position to become a significant means of recording what was encountered by expeditions.

A selection of photographs from three Arctic expeditions are analysed through the use of a key word system. Qualitative and quantitative assessment forms part of the image group analysis, which, combined with the key word analysis, forms a unique record of the application of photography in the Arctic.

This thesis evaluates to what extent between the years 1851 and 1881 this new medium was used in the Arctic and examines aspects of the nature of its contribution to expeditions. This use and contribution is compared to the application of photography on expeditions outside the polar regions as a means of establishing what was possible by the photographic medium during the same period. It is shown that photography was of a lower quality and quantity compared to non polar expeditions.