A Cavern in an Iceberg thumbnail 1
Request to view

This object can be requested via email from the Prints & Drawings Study Room

Image of Gallery in South Kensington

A Cavern in an Iceberg

Photograph
1910 (photographed)
Artist/Maker
Ponting, Herbert George (photographer)
Place of origin
Antarctica (photographed)

Herbert Ponting was the official photographer for Captain Scott's tragic final expedition, enduring sub-zero temperatures to document this uncharted environment. In The Great White South (1921), he recalled discovering this cavern: 'A fringe of long icicles hung at the entrance of the grotto and passing under these I was in the most wonderful place imaginable. From the outside, the interior appeared quite white and colourless, but, once inside, it was a lovely symphony of blue and green.'

Object details

Category
Photographs
Object type
Photograph
Titles
  • A Cavern in an Iceberg (assigned by artist)
  • Scott's Last Expedition, The British Antarctic Expedition (series title)
Materials and techniques
Carbon print
Brief description
'A Cavern in an Iceberg', photograph by Herbert George Ponting From the portfolio 'Scott's Last Expedition, The British Antarctic Expedition', Antarctica, ca. 1910-3
Physical description
Photograph of view from inside a cavern in an iceberg out to the sea. In the distance a ship.
Dimensions
  • Height: 44.7cm
  • Width: 32.5cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • A Cavern in an Iceberg. Scott's last expedition. H. G. Ponting. (Signature and title; English; Below printed image.)
  • HERBERT G. PONTING/ Copyright PHOTOGRAPH BY HERBERT G. PONTING/ BRITISH ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION./ 1910. (English; Verso.; stamping (marking))
Gallery label
(21/09/2007-28/06/2008)
"Herbert Ponting was the official photographer for Captain Scott's tragic final expedition, enduring sub-zero temperatures to document this uncharted environment. About a mile from one of the expedition huts lay an iceberg resembling a medieval castle, The Castle Berg, which Ponting photographed dramatically in darkness by using magnesium flash-powder. In his book The Great White South(1921), Ponting recalled discovering the scene shown in A Cavern in an Iceberg: 'A fringe of long icicles hung at the entrance of the grotto and passing under these I was in the most wonderful place imaginable. From the outside, the interior appeared quite white and colourless, but, once inside, it was a lovely symphony of blue and green.' " - Martin Barnes
(07 03 2014)
Gallery 100, ‘History of photography’, 2011-2012, label text :

Herbert George Ponting (1870-1935)
‘Grotto in an Iceberg’, from the portfolio Scott’s Last
Expedition, The British Antarctic Expedition 1910-1913
5 January 1911

Ponting was the official photographer for Captain
Scott’s tragic final expedition. He endured sub-zero
temperatures to document the beautiful but
treacherous and uncharted Antarctic. In his book
The Great White South (1921), Ponting recalled
discovering this cavern: ‘A fringe of long icicles hung
at the entrance of the grotto and passing under these
I was in the most wonderful place imaginable.’

Carbon print
Transferred from the British Museum
Museum no. E.1320-2000
Credit line
Transferred from the British Museum
Subject depicted
British Antarctic Expedition
Place depicted
South Pole
Summary
Herbert Ponting was the official photographer for Captain Scott's tragic final expedition, enduring sub-zero temperatures to document this uncharted environment. In The Great White South (1921), he recalled discovering this cavern: 'A fringe of long icicles hung at the entrance of the grotto and passing under these I was in the most wonderful place imaginable. From the outside, the interior appeared quite white and colourless, but, once inside, it was a lovely symphony of blue and green.'
Other number
1931-4-11-25 - British Museum Number
Collection
Prints, Drawings & Paintings Collection
Accession number
E.1320-2000

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdOctober 16, 2001
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O62887/a-cavern-in-an-iceberg-photograph-ponting-herbert-george/
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest