Historic Imagery

Sir Wally Herbert was a polar explorer of international distinction. He was the leader of the first expedition to cross the Arctic Ocean by its longest axis – and was the first to reach the North Pole on foot. In the new millennium, he was awarded a Knighthood for his achievements, and is now regarded as being an icon of exploration, as well as a gifted writer, artist and photographer.

During his career, which spanned fifty years of travel and work in the polar regions, Sir Wally built up a remarkable collection of photography, film and audio recordings. We are now seeking sponsorship and donations for a comprehensive digitisation project that will collate, scan and preserve this important archive for future generations.

This remarkable collection, which has the potential of forming the basis for a touring exhibition, is a celebration of vision, endeavour, and passion. Sir Wally exemplified the pioneering spirit and his work enhances our understanding of the polar wilderness and its changing climate and culture.

Digitizing the best images from the Herbert collection will serve to protect for future generations a crucial time in polar history, created by a pioneering explorer who was the bridge between the heroic age of exploration and modern adventure. It will also bring to light previously unseen creative, exploratory and scientific work from the polar regions.

Funding will enable professional scanning and retouching of well over 3,000 images, and the digitization of 16mm original film footage and audio recording.

We then hope to build an online facility so that the images can be browsed by students and researchers online.