Still Life: Inside the Antarctic Huts of Scott and Shackleton

Overview

An exhibition showcasing the living and working conditions of earth’s southern-most continent will open at the Auckland Museum from August 27, 2014.

The exhibition is based around the work of New Zealand photographer Jane Ussher and her 'Still Life' series which takes a look inside the huts of twentieth century Antarctic explorers Captain Robert Falcon Scott and Sir Ernest Shackleton, two principal figures of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration.

The huts had never been the subject of a thorough photographic study until Ussher was invited by the Antarctic Heritage Trust to record "the unusual, the hidden and minutiae of these sites." Visitors will now be treated to her findings and a full audiovisual sensory experience, complete with a cube full of immersive images of the landscape, isolation and early explorers.

The Museum will also dust off some rarely seen Antarctic objects to further outline what it was like to live, work, and play on the continent.

The exhibition is supported by a series of Smart Talks held at the Museum. A panel of international Antarctic scientists will be on hand to talk about the discoveries and daily life of working as a scientist at the bottom of the earth.