70
photography. Some undertook scientifi c observations, for
example Benjamin Leigh Smith’s voyages to Svalblad
and Zemlya Frantsa-Iosifa in 1873 and 1880. William J
A Grant participated on at least seven private or scientifi c
voyages as photographer, including one of Pandora in
1876 and Willem Barents in 1881 and 1883.
William Bradford (1827–1892) privately fi nanced six
expeditions to the low Arctic between 1861–1869. He
employed Boston-based photographers, John L Dun-
more and George Critcherson from the studio of James
Wallace Black to record images that would provide
“accurate and instantaneous images which could later
be used to create paintings.” The results were highly suc-
cessful as the photographers had a dedicated darkroom
onboard, that Bradford had installed for their sole use.
Aspects of these voyages are recorded in the impressive
volume The Arctic Regions.
The more stable and transportable dry plate process
increased fl exibility for photographing Polar Regions
as commercial and scientific expeditions increas-
ingly focused on the Antarctic after 1880. By this time
photography had proven itself as an ideal means of
recording and broadcasting images that suited both
scientifi c, sponsorship and commercial aspirations of
expeditions.
Commander Adrien de Gerlache de Gomery and
his compatriots in Belgica (1897–1899) were the fi rst
to over winter in the Antarctic and produced the fi rst
photographic images of the continent. Carsten Borch-
grevinik and his privately fi nanced British Antarctic
Expedition (1898–1900) were the fi rst scientifi c expedi-
tion to over winter on the Antarctic Continent and used
photography.
Despite the abundance of opportunity, the medium
had limited success when compared to other extreme
environments, such as images of Kashmir, India from
1864 and 1866 by Samuel Bourne. Importantly, photo-
graphy provided a means to convey to a wider audienceBourne, Samuel. The Manirung Pass.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gilman Collection, Purchase. Cynthia Hazen Polsky Gift, 2005 [2005, 100.499 (99)] Image © The
Metropolitan Museum of Art.