Explorer Collection

COOK: HMS RESOLUTION. Commanded by Captain James Cook on his second and third voyages of discovery. Watercolor by Midshipman Henry Roberts, a member of the ships company

Sir Henry Morton Stanley meeting with his rear column at Banalya, Africa, 17 August 1888
5242631 Sir Henry Morton Stanley meeting with his rear column at Banalya, Africa, 17 August 1888, during his Emin Pasha Relief Expedition, from In Darkest Africa by Henry M. Stanley pub

Richard Vines at Crawford Notch
British explorer Richard Vines at Crawford Notch, in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Vines stands by a river, holding a walking stick, as he makes his way along the pass. Date: 1619

Sir Henry Morton Stanley And His Men Crossing A Hazardous Forest Clearing During His Emin Pasha Relief Expedition In Africa, 1886 To 1889. From In Darkest Africa By Henry M. Stanley Published 1890

SIR EDMUND HILLARY (1919-2008). New Zealand mountaineer and explorer. Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay near the summit of Mount Everest, 28 May 1953

HMS Beagle Ship laid up Darwins Voyage
" Beagle laid ashore, River Santa Cruz". Copperplate engraving, art by Conrad Martens, engraved by T. Landseer. Published by H. Colburn 1838

Captain Robert Falcon Scott - Frys Cocoa Advert
Robert Falcon Scott (1868-1912), the English naval commander and explorer. A Captain in the Royal Navy, Scott led a number of expeditions to the Antarctic

British Empire world map, 19th century
British Empire world map. This world map shows the 19th-century British Empire (pink) and its indigenous peoples. Five illustrations (clockwise from upper left) show the people of Australia

Captain Cook killed by Hawaiian natives, 1779
Death of English explorer Captain James Cook in the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii), 1779. Hand-colored woodcut reproduction of a painting

Astronaut on Moon with Earth

Vasco da Gama in India
Portuguese Colonial History Series - Vasco da Gama has an audience with The King of Calicut (Kozhikode), the Samudiri (Zamorin) in May 1498

Apollo 17 astronaut. US astronaut and geologist Dr Harrison Schmitt exploring the Taurus-Littrow region of the Moon, as part of NASAs Apollo 17 mission

Astronaut footprints on the Moon. Computer artwork recreating a photograph of boot imprints left by astronauts on the Moon

APOLLO 11: BUZZ ALDRIN. Astronaut Edwin Buzz Aldrin standing on moon. Neil Armstrong and Eagle reflected in his visor
APOLLO 11: BUZZ ALDRIN. Astronaut Edwin Buzz Aldrin standing on moon. Armstrong and Eagle reflected in his visor, 20 July 1969

PEXP2D-00013
Explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark with their Native American guide Sacagawea. Digital photograph of a bronze statue in Charlottesville Virginia

Sir Richard Francis Burton (1821-1890)
Photograph of Sir Richard Francis Burton, the English explorer, linguist and diplomat. A master of up to 30 languages, Burton made a pilgrimage to Mecca disguised as a Pathan in 1853

Map of Africa illustrating travels of explorers
A map of Africa which illustrates the travels of the explorers Livingstone, Stanley and Cameron

Captain Scott in his workshop on board Terra Nova
Captain Robert Falcon Scott (1868 - 1912), British polar explorer and leader of the ill-fated expedition to the South Pole in 1912, pictured in his work room on board the Terra Nova

Map of Africa illustrating travels of explorers
A map of Africa which illustrates the travels of Livingstone, Stanley and Cameron. Date: 19th Century

Shackleton / Graphic 1914
ERNEST SHACKLETON Irish Antartic explorer, photographed before his bid to cross the Antartic continent in 1914

[The Ascent of Mont Blanc], 1861. Creator: Auguste-Rosalie Bisson
[The Ascent of Mont Blanc], 1861

Shackleton Portrait
ERNEST SHACKLETON Naval officer and explorer of the Antarctic. Date: 1874 - 1922

ROALD AMUNDSEN (1872-1928). Norwegian polar explorer. Captain Amundsen at the wheel of his ship, departing for the North Pole. Photograph, c1920

Victoria Falls: The Leaping Water, pub. 1864. Creator: Thomas Baines (1820-75)
Victoria Falls: The Leaping Water, from Explorations in South West Africa, pub. 1864 (colour lithograph). made in collaboration with James Chapman (1831-1872)

Amundsens Tent at the South Pole, January 1912, (1913). Artist: Henry Bowers
Amundsens Tent at the South Pole, January 1912, (1913). Expedition leader Captain Robert F Scott (1868-1912), Dr Edward Wilson (1872-1912) and Petty Officer Edgar Evans (1876-1912)

Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton, polar explorer
Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton (1874 - 1922), Anglo-Irish Antarctic explorer. Seen here at the age of 40 in windproof garments

Sir Ernest Shackleton and others, Antarctic
Sir Ernest Shackleton and three members of a polar exploration party, photographed within 111 miles of the South Pole in 1907-9 on board the Nimrod

Raphus cucullatus, dodo
Plate 1 from Memoirs on the Dodo by Sir Richard Owen, 1866

1775 Captain James Cook explorer
James Cook, Captain of HMS Barc Endeavour (b. 7th November 1728 - d. 14th February 1779). Steel engraving by E. Scriven 1833 with later hand colouring, after the painting by N

Roald Amundsen (1872-1928)
Photograph of Captain Roald Engelbreth Gravning Amundsen, the Norwegian explorer, in his cold weather clothing and skis, Antarctica, 1912

A. B. Cheetham, (The boatswain of the Terra Nova), c1910–1913, (1913)
A.B. Cheetham, (The boatswain of the Terra Nova), c1910– 1913, (1913). Alfred Cheetham (1866-1918) was a member of several Antarctic expeditions

John Dee and Edward Kelly
John Dee, English alchemist, mathematician and astrologer, with his assistant Edward Kelly, medium, alchemist and sorcerer

JACQUES COUSTEAU (1910-1997). French oceanographer. Cousteau climbing into his Diving Saucer on board the Calypso docked in New York Harbor in August 1959

Sir Richard Burton in India, 1800s
British explorer Richard Burton in native Indian dress, 1848. Hand-colored half tone reproduction of a 19th-century illustration

Percy H Fawcett, British explorer
PERCY H FAWCETT British explorer who disappeared while exploring the Matto Grosso of Brazil

Lonely Monument o Irish explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton
circa 1922: The monument to Irish explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton on the main island of South Georgia. He died of a heart attack and was buried there in 1922, having returned to the spot on the Quest

Cabral and Coutinho fly from Portugal to Brazil
Gabo Coutinho and Sacadura Cabral - Portuguese aviators who flew from Lisbon, Portugal to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1922 in a Fairey IIIB Float plane- the first time this feat was achieved

Henry Walter Bates (1825-1892)
Henry Walter Bates FRS FLS FGS was an English naturalist and explorer who gave the first scientific account of mimicry in animals. Born in Leicester 8 February 1825, died London, 16 February 1892

The Trireme of Pytheas
Pytheas, a Greek geographer and explorer from the Greek colony Massalia (modern day Marseilles) commands a large trireme, travelling around a large part of modern day Britain. Date: 4th Century B.C

NINA: WORLD MAP, 1500. World map, 1500, of Juan de la Cosa, navigator on the Nina on Christopher Columbus second voyage of 1493-94

Sir Richard Burton as a young man
Richard Burton at the time of his wedding. Hand-colored halftone reproduction of a 19th-century illustration

Fleet of Viking raiders in the Middle Ages
Viking ships at sea with warriors on board. Hand-colored woodcut of a 19th-century illustration

Ernest Shackleton
Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton (1874-1922), British explorer, dressed for Antarctic conditions. Shackleton made four expeditions to the South Pole during his career

Christopher Columbus, Italian navigator and explorer
Christopher Columbus, Italian navigator, coloniser and explorer on behalf of Spain. He undertook four voyages of exploration, first reaching the American continent in 1492

Last record, dated 1847 and 1848, of Sir John Franklins expedition in search of the Northwest passage, found in 1859
FRANKLIN EXPEDITION, 1848. Last record, dated 1847 and 1848, of Sir John Franklins expedition in search of the Northwest passage, found in 1859

Scott of the Antarctic and his predecessors
Illustration showing Captain Scott with his team flying the Union Jack flag, along with the names of previous polar explorers with the chronology traced back over a map of Antarctica

Expedition vehicle in the Tenere region of the central Sahara

SIR FRANCIS DRAKE (1540?-1596). English admiral. Oil on panel, c1580, by an unknown artist

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"Unveiling the Uncharted: A Journey through the Eyes of Explorers" Embarking on daring expeditions, these intrepid explorers have left an indelible mark on history. Sir Edmund Hillary, a New Zealand mountaineer and explorer, etched his name in the annals of adventure as he stood triumphantly alongside Tenzing Norgay near Mount Everest's summit on that fateful day in 1953. Centuries earlier, Vasco da Gama's arrival in India opened up new frontiers for trade and exploration. His audacious voyage paved the way for future adventurers to follow suit. Meanwhile, aboard HMS Beagle, Charles Darwin embarked on a transformative journey that would forever alter our understanding of life itself. The British Empire's world map from the 19th century serves as a testament to their insatiable thirst for discovery. It depicts vast territories conquered by brave souls who ventured into uncharted territories with unwavering determination. Even advertisements became platforms to celebrate explorers' feats; Captain Robert Falcon Scott graced Fry's Cocoa adverts after his ill-fated expedition to Antarctica. His story stands as a poignant reminder of both triumph and tragedy intertwined within exploration. In 1969, Apollo 17 astronaut Buzz Aldrin took humanity's giant leap onto the moon's surface alongside Neil Armstrong—captured forever in his visor is Earth gazing back at them—a symbol of mankind transcending earthly boundaries. Sir Richard Francis Burton fearlessly delved into unknown cultures during his travels across Africa and Asia—an explorer driven by curiosity and an insatiable desire for knowledge. Maps tracing these journeys illuminate Africa’s vastness while showcasing how countless pioneers traversed its untamed landscapes. These cartographic marvels serve as testaments to human resilience against nature’s formidable challenges. Lastly, astronauts standing upon lunar soil gaze back at Earth—a humbling sight that reminds us all of our shared humanity and the boundless possibilities that lie beyond our terrestrial confines.