A disarmingly glamorous photographic portrait of Sir Ernest Shackleton, in his Antarctic sledge-hauling gear, posed with his clean-shaven face and neatly coiffed hair uncovered, seemingly unbothered by his snow swept surroundings. It is signed boldly in ink to the verso, by the man himself.
The strangeness of this photograph is explained by the fact that it actually depicts a waxwork of the great explorer, unveiled at Madame Tussaud’s museum in 1909. This from a contemporary newspaper account: “The new tableau, which Mr. John Tussaud has just produced for his holiday visitors […] offers a faithful rendering of the scene at which Lieut. Ernest H. Shackleton, and his three companions, Lieut. J.B. Adams, R.N.R., Dr. Eric Marshall, and Mr. Frank Wild, stood when they reached the full extent of their wonderful journey on January 9, and planted the British flag within 111 miles of the South Pole. The picture shows a narrow, grey, and dismal outlook blurred by a ceaseless blizzard driven before a strong wind blowing from the direction of the South Pole. […] Standing in the foreground of the scene is the attractive model of the leader of the expedition in a characteristic attitude indicating strength and determination. The figure is clothes in a costume, the exact copy of the one worn by him throughout this expedition. Although the figure should be wearing a head-covering, known as the “helmet,” enclosing all by the centre of the face, this has been allowed for artistic purposes to fall back upon the shoulders so as to give the public a full view of the explorer’s features. The portrait of Lieut. Shackleton is an excellent one, and the foreground representing the snow and ice, as well as other details of this remarkable scene, give a clear and vivid idea of the unpromising and desolate region. The realistic picture forming the background is the work of the artist George Marston, who accompanied the expedition.” (Weekly Times & Echo. London, 1st August 1909. p.4).
The Nimrod expedition of 1907-1909 made Ernest Shackleton into a significant public figure. In his first role as captain, he achieved a new record furthest south of 88°23’S, coming closer to the pole than any previous attempt. He received a knighthood not long after his return to Britain, and it’s no surprise that the Rotary Photographic Company would capitalise on this press and fame by producing this attractive postcard. There was, perhaps, a lack of care that went into its production however, as Shackleton is described as an “Arctic” rather than Antarctic explorer. One can only imagine it was with some amusement, therefore, that Shackleton signed this mis-labelled image of his waxwork.
