Casting Long Shadows: Representations from The Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration and their Legacies

Abstract

The Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration (1897-1922) marks a period in history when the Antarctic continent was explored more systematically and thoroughly, shaping early perceptions of the region through the experiences of those who ventured there. This thesis will examine representations of Antarctica created during this era through personal diaries, poetry, photographs, and sketches, and trace their roots to the European cultural archive. Shaped by the Scientific Revolution, colonial expansion and patriarchal values, this archive influenced how Antarctica was imagined and portrayed. This analysis will demonstrate that Antarctica, through its hyper-mediation, has been mythologised in the European imagination in such a way as to have naturalised European man’s mastery over nature. Specifically, this analysis finds that Heroic Age representations cast Antarctica as a landscape-antagonist. Finally, this thesis interrogates the legacy of Heroic Age representations in the contemporary Antarctic tourism industry and scientific research. The emergence of climate change discourses accounts for some transformations in Antarctica’s cultural meaning, but in other ways the ideological underpinnings central to the production of Heroic Age representations – especially those that support a hierarchical relationship of man over nature – continue to endure.