String vest key to survival at Maritime Museum
With the unseasonable wintry conditions we have experienced recently the Maritime Museum’s latest exhibit reminds us all of the importance to wrap up warm! A string vest worn by Ernest Shackleton during his ill-fated Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition has been unveiled along with a number of other items from his epic battle for survival in the Antarctic.
In early 1915, on an expedition to cross the Antarctic via the South Pole, Shackleton’s ship, the Endurance, became trapped and the crew were eventually forced to abandon ship and live on the floating ice. In April 1916, they set off in three small boats, eventually reaching Elephant Island, off the coast of Antarctica.
Taking five crew members, Shackleton went for help in a small sail boat called the James Caird, crossing 800 miles of ocean to reach South Georgia in the South Atlantic Ocean. The remaining men from the Endurance were rescued in August 1916. Not one member of the expedition died.
Wearing layers of clothes helps to trap warm air against the skin, so this string vest provided Shackleton with essential insulation in the harsh Antarctic conditions. Also on display is a small piece of the James Caird saved as a souvenir by Shackleton’s navigator and a selection of food packages specially prepared for the expedition.
Museum Curator Sarah Riddle says: “Shackleton’s survival in the Antarctic’s extreme conditions is an inspiring story of heroism and survival. These artefacts help to bring the story alive for our visitors and we are extremely grateful to the Scott Polar Research Institute for lending them to us.”
Shackleton’s vest and the other artefacts will be on display in the museum’s Survival Zone throughout 2008.
