A pair of photographs taken at the South Pole during Captain Scott’s disastrous Terra Nova expedition (1910-1913) could make up to £1,200 ($1,620).
Scott was in competition to reach the Pole with a team of Norwegian adventurers led by Roald Amundsen.
The sense of disappointment is palpable
When Scott got there, he found the Norwegians’ tent in situ. They had been and gone well over a month before.
A note inside the tent addressed to Scott read: "As you are probably the first to reach this area after us, I will ask you kindly to forward this letter to King Haakon VII.
“If you can use any of the articles left in the tent please do not hesitate to do so. With kind regards I wish you a safe return. Yours truly, Roald Amundsen."
The photo was taken after the discovery, as evinced by the glum expressions on Scott and co.
However, things were to get much worse.
All five would die from exposure on their long trek back to the Antarctic coast. These photographs, along with diaries and other ephemera, were discovered by a search party some time later.
Photographs from the expedition are very sought after.
In 2014, the University of Cambridge raised £275,000 ($360,647) to purchase 113 of Scott’s unpublished negatives.
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