BRITISH ARCTIC EXPEDITION , 1875-1876 H.M.S. ALERT. -- A green velvet-covered jewellery box (17.5 x 23 x 8cm.), gilt metal mounts, lid with inset albumen print photograph (11.5 x 16.5cm.) of H.M.S. Alert , mounted under glass with gilt bevelled edges, interior with pink satin lining, [circa 1875]. (Slightly worn). Provenance : Welch & Sons, Marine Photographers, Portsmouth (label on base of box). A rare ephemeral memento of the British Arctic Expedition. The Alert was commanded by Commander (later Sir) Albert Hastings Markham (1841-1918), cousin of Sir Clements Markham. He was second-in-command to Captain (later Sir) George Nares (1831-1915) who had been recalled from the Challenger to lead the expedition on the Discovery : the chief aim of the expedition was to reach the North Pole. In this primary aim they were unsuccessful, but the expedition wintered further north than any ship had ever done before (82° 30'N). The results of the expedition were the discovery of 300 miles of Greenland and Ellesmere Island coast-line, the examination of part of the frozen Polar ocean, a series of meteorological, magnetic and tidal observations at two points further north than any such observations had ever been taken before, and the gathering of large collections of geological and natural history specimens. For his services on the expedition Markham was promoted Captain and awarded a gold watch by the Royal Geographical Society.
BRITISH ARCTIC EXPEDITION , 1875-1876 H.M.S. ALERT. -- A green velvet-covered jewellery box (17.5 x 23 x 8cm.), gilt metal mounts, lid with inset albumen print photograph (11.5 x 16.5cm.) of H.M.S. Alert , mounted under glass with gilt bevelled edges, interior with pink satin lining, [circa 1875]. (Slightly worn). Provenance : Welch & Sons, Marine Photographers, Portsmouth (label on base of box). A rare ephemeral memento of the British Arctic Expedition. The Alert was commanded by Commander (later Sir) Albert Hastings Markham (1841-1918), cousin of Sir Clements Markham. He was second-in-command to Captain (later Sir) George Nares (1831-1915) who had been recalled from the Challenger to lead the expedition on the Discovery : the chief aim of the expedition was to reach the North Pole. In this primary aim they were unsuccessful, but the expedition wintered further north than any ship had ever done before (82° 30'N). The results of the expedition were the discovery of 300 miles of Greenland and Ellesmere Island coast-line, the examination of part of the frozen Polar ocean, a series of meteorological, magnetic and tidal observations at two points further north than any such observations had ever been taken before, and the gathering of large collections of geological and natural history specimens. For his services on the expedition Markham was promoted Captain and awarded a gold watch by the Royal Geographical Society.
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
