‘Deeds not words’? Life writing and early twentieth-century British polar exploration

Tourists and researcher identities: critical considerations of collisions, collaborations and confluences in Svalbard

“…The categories of 'science', 'exploration' and 'tourism' were far less distinct. At the turn of the 19 th Century however, the professionalization of academic disciplines, such as geography, led to the establishment of clear epistemological boundaries (Baigent 2010). These social labels still differentiate practices and people in specific ways in Svalbard, which I discuss in the following section.…”

“…At the end of the field trip, the students commented that they had mixed ideas about their identity on Svalbard, another aspect I shared with them. Despite the dubious character of the colonial masculine hero-explorer being particularly associated with the discipline of (British) geography (see Baigent 2010;Phillips 1997), as a 'human geographer', I fell through the gaps of the existing identity templates on the island (and the fieldtrip group). The many contacts and research projects connecting my university and geography department to Svalbard focus exclusively on the 'natural' or 'physical' sciences.…”

“…There is a wide acknowledgement (Bloom 1993 for example) that past representations of Arctic landscapes as a blank canvas work to legitimate a colonial impulse that takes many forms: claims of sovereignty, scientific exploration and touristic expeditions. The Arctic landscape can also be seen as one which is represented as a highly gendered space, the realm of "masculinist fantasy" (Dittmer et al 2011, p.203) and gentlemen heroes (Baigent 2010) who explore the (feminine) pristine white landscapes. These representations and imaginaries can still be traced in current geopolitical actions such as resource and scientific exploration (Dittmer et al 2011) as well as practical advice for the visitor to maintain such a visual landscape.…”

Panoramic Visions: Sven Hedin in “Transhimalaya” 1906–1909

“…The book was part of the network of media formats, and in highlighting it, I have followed Elisabeth Baigent's suggestion that a history of geography at the turn of the twentieth century must include a "history of the book." 94 The perspective of intermediality suggests a dismantling of boundaries between media technologies like photography, art, or the book. The idea also illustrates the fact that Hedin's panoramic visions were part of a broader nineteenth-century history of the panorama as a motif and practice (rather than isolated medium) in the media culture of the late nineteenth century.…”

Why didn't they ask Evans?

“…In The worst journey in the world, the diary entries end on 22 February; in Under Scott's command they finish on 19 February. The suggestion that the diary entries reported in Under Scott's command are selected sections (Baigent, 2010) is incorrect.…”