Priestley, British Antarctic Expedition, 1907-1909

Scope and Content

  • MS 1629/3;D Diary notes from the expedition, holograph
  • MS 298/1/1-9;BJ Diaries (9), 1 January 1907 to 8 March 1909 [Volume II, 1 January to 21 January 1908 includes family photographs and added notes] 9 volumes, holograph
  • MS 298/2/1-6;BJ Fair copies of diaries (6), 1 January 1907 to 8 March 1909 [See MS 298/1/1-9;BJ] 6 volumes, various hands
  • MS 1907/1;BJ Diary, 1 January 1908 to 8 March 1909 [Typed copy of MS 298/2-1-6;BJ with numerous enclosures] 1 volume, typescript
  • MS 298/3;BJ Notebook, 15 April to 6 August 1908 [Observations on lakes of Cape Royds peninsula] 1 volume, holograph
  • MS 298/4/1-3;MSM Tracing and sketch map, 1907-1909 [Cape Royds peninsula with lakes]
  • MS 298/5;BJ Notes 'Extracts from work on Antarctic geology', 1907-1909, 1 volume, holograph

Administrative / Biographical History

The British Antarctic Expedition, 1907-1909 (leader Ernest Henry Shackleton) discovered nearly 500km of the Transantarctic Mountains flanking the Ross Ice Shelf. A party climbed Mount Erebus (3794 m), Ross Island. Shackleton, Jameson Adams, Eric Marshall and John Robert Francis Wild sledged to a furthest south of 88.38° [180km from the pole] Professor Tannantt William Edgeworth David reached the region of the south magnetic pole in January 1909.

Priestley served as geologist during the expedition, the collection comprises of diaries, workbooks on geology and maps.

Arrangement

The material is arranged chronologically.

Alternative Form Available

MS 298/2/1-6;BJ are fair copies of the nine original diaries (MS 298/1/1-9;BJ)

Related Material

The Institute holds over fifty archival collections containing material relating to this expedition see SPRI collection GB 015 British Antarctic Expedition, 1907-1909 for more information.

Geographical Names