100-Year-Old Box of Negatives Discovered Frozen In Block of Antarctica’s Ice
While restoring one of the exploration huts in Antarctica, Conservators of the New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust discovered a box that turned out to be a remarkable treasure. It contained 22 never-before-seen cellulose nitrate negatives documenting the life of Antarctic explorers a 100 years back. Preserved in a block of ice, these negatives surprisingly lived up to our days to shine a light on the Antarctic heroic era and the landscape itself.
After being frozen for a century, the negatives had to be gently restored by firstly separating one from another, then cleaning, removing the mold and consolidating the cellulose nitrate image layers. Only after this painstaking process they were turned into digital positives.
As stated in the media release by the Trust, the box of photographs was probably left in Captain Scott’s hut by Ernest Shackleton’s 1914-1917 Ross Sea Party, an expedition that was stranded after their ship floated away to the sea during a massive blizzard. The group was finally rescued but only after three men were already lost.
See more images on the Trust’s website: nzaht.org (via: petapixel)
Alexander Stevens on Aurora deck, chief scientist and geologist.
Iceberg and land, Ross Island.
Alexander Stevens on the Aurora.
Big Razorback Island, McMurdo Sound. It was most likely taken from the deck of the Aurora in January 1915.
This photo was taken from the deck of the Aurora looking South to Hut Point Peninsula.
Cellulose nitrate negatives were found blocked together, so Wellington photography conservator have spent many hours restoring them until they revealed their secrets.
1.1Mviews
Share on FacebookI love that some people are focusing on the ice burgs. Apparently they missed the pix of the scientist and their sailing ship.
I love that some people can't spell 'iceberg', yet try to tell people what should interest them.
Load More Replies...Good thing they found it now, in another 100 years nobody would know what they are.
This is a fantastic find and I am thrilled to see the restorations.
Amazing find - Alexander Stevens is my maternal grandfather and so these photos are very special for my family, thanks for posting them
it´s unbelievable that these Pictures could still been saved after souch a Long time, these guys have done a great Job!
These are incredible, I agree with the other guy lucky someone found them now because with time no one will know what negatives/iceberg are
Amazing!!! Who would think you could restore negative buried in the Antarctic 100 years ago!
Amazing photos. Amazing how well they survived the temperaure. Bravo the the New Zealand Conservators.
A amazing find - Alexander Stevens is my maternal grandfather so these photos are very special to my family thanks for posting them
@GeorgeIsdale - you were supposed to sweep the corners as well, should've taken your Mom along
Load More Replies...A hundred years later, an ice berg still looks like and ice berg, how cool is that?
...and then global warming happens and melts them all.
Load More Replies...Fantastic Photo Find ........ And I Even Learned To Spell "iceberg" from some idiot grammar Nazi ;o)
Maybe now the Republicans will believe in global warming. I seriously doubt it. One of those photos showed land without snow on it.
I think we should be looking for the giant penguins in these pictures.
The 2nd and 3rd photos above are part of a "panorama" shot. The jagged pointed tip of the iceberg (far right) in #3 is seen in #2 (left edge)...further, the iceberg seen in #6 is the same one seen as the background to Alexander Stevens in #2.
First viewing of pictures with this authenticity. Outstanding post. Thanks for sharing!!
The guy standing in front of the door looks fuzzed, and out of place. Almost like it was photoshopped. But the reality is, a 100 years ago, the an "instant" picture took several minutes to take. So the guy is just moving a bit.
Chris exposure rates for cellulose nitrate negatives did not take several minutes. In fact, exposure rates for most photographer, by this point, had drastically been reduced.
Load More Replies...Briefly I had hopes that these were from Shackleton's epic expedition. Monumental nonetheless.
I love when people come on here and criticize how people spell...misspell words or don't use a comma correctly. You people must be really bo
Quite astonishing! And it must've been mild when some of these photos were taken as the men in the photos are dressed rather lightly.
Why is when people start commenting on these articles they start out doing just that then they start attacking each other on stupid things?
Why is it on any comment board people start out liking or not liking the article then they start turning on each other?
I love photography as it speaks of the past in so many ways and shapes. Thank you for sharing this discovery....
I thought that Endurance was 'caught in ice' and disintegrated! I am also under the impression that no lives were lost during epic rescue!
To think that these are 100 years old is amazing. Just to glimpse into the world at that time. Brilliant and humbling.
I knew the photographer had to leave some negatives behind and it is so exciting that they have been found!!
I love that some people are focusing on the ice burgs. Apparently they missed the pix of the scientist and their sailing ship.
I love that some people can't spell 'iceberg', yet try to tell people what should interest them.
Load More Replies...Good thing they found it now, in another 100 years nobody would know what they are.
This is a fantastic find and I am thrilled to see the restorations.
Amazing find - Alexander Stevens is my maternal grandfather and so these photos are very special for my family, thanks for posting them
it´s unbelievable that these Pictures could still been saved after souch a Long time, these guys have done a great Job!
These are incredible, I agree with the other guy lucky someone found them now because with time no one will know what negatives/iceberg are
Amazing!!! Who would think you could restore negative buried in the Antarctic 100 years ago!
Amazing photos. Amazing how well they survived the temperaure. Bravo the the New Zealand Conservators.
A amazing find - Alexander Stevens is my maternal grandfather so these photos are very special to my family thanks for posting them
@GeorgeIsdale - you were supposed to sweep the corners as well, should've taken your Mom along
Load More Replies...A hundred years later, an ice berg still looks like and ice berg, how cool is that?
...and then global warming happens and melts them all.
Load More Replies...Fantastic Photo Find ........ And I Even Learned To Spell "iceberg" from some idiot grammar Nazi ;o)
Maybe now the Republicans will believe in global warming. I seriously doubt it. One of those photos showed land without snow on it.
I think we should be looking for the giant penguins in these pictures.
The 2nd and 3rd photos above are part of a "panorama" shot. The jagged pointed tip of the iceberg (far right) in #3 is seen in #2 (left edge)...further, the iceberg seen in #6 is the same one seen as the background to Alexander Stevens in #2.
First viewing of pictures with this authenticity. Outstanding post. Thanks for sharing!!
The guy standing in front of the door looks fuzzed, and out of place. Almost like it was photoshopped. But the reality is, a 100 years ago, the an "instant" picture took several minutes to take. So the guy is just moving a bit.
Chris exposure rates for cellulose nitrate negatives did not take several minutes. In fact, exposure rates for most photographer, by this point, had drastically been reduced.
Load More Replies...Briefly I had hopes that these were from Shackleton's epic expedition. Monumental nonetheless.
I love when people come on here and criticize how people spell...misspell words or don't use a comma correctly. You people must be really bo
Quite astonishing! And it must've been mild when some of these photos were taken as the men in the photos are dressed rather lightly.
Why is when people start commenting on these articles they start out doing just that then they start attacking each other on stupid things?
Why is it on any comment board people start out liking or not liking the article then they start turning on each other?
I love photography as it speaks of the past in so many ways and shapes. Thank you for sharing this discovery....
I thought that Endurance was 'caught in ice' and disintegrated! I am also under the impression that no lives were lost during epic rescue!
To think that these are 100 years old is amazing. Just to glimpse into the world at that time. Brilliant and humbling.
I knew the photographer had to leave some negatives behind and it is so exciting that they have been found!!
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